“And the same latte for me too,” Logan interrupted, thrusting the twenty at the cashier.
She looked confused. “Is this together then?” The cashier seemed a little put out. “No—”
“Yes!” Logan cut her off, throwing the twenty on top of the register.
“Okay, well then you still owe me a dollar thirty,” The cashier stared at him. Zoë started laughing.
“Expensive book,” Logan looked down at her. Zoë was suddenly aware again of how he was almost six inches taller than her. “Well, thank you. I’ll definitely read it. I’ll have it to you in a few days,” she stuffed it under her arm.
“Wow, you read fast. Do you honestly have that much time on your hands?” He guided her to the end of the counter to wait for their coffees.
“What’s it to you?” She feigned offense.
“If you have that much time, we need to work you harder,” he grinned, sipping his coffee and making a face. “Oh my, you like this?”
“I do. You’ll learn to like it too,” she grabbed her own coffee and turned to leave the café.
Logan was two steps behind her. “Well, I am meeting Holly in a few minutes, so I’ll see you in the morning?” He paused on the sidewalk. Zoë’s heart sank, and she hoped her face didn’t reflect it.
“Absolutely. I’ll see you in the morning,” she watched him walk away. Already, she could see Holly’s white truck parking. When she got out, Zoë could see her perfect blond hair was in place, her makeup looked great, and her tight jeans let everyone know just how great her legs looked. With a sigh, she decided to call it a night and go home to sit next to Charlie.
Chapter Four
“Do you feel like a walk?” Logan asked her, offering her a vest again. Zoë looked at his offering and grabbed her coat off of the back of her chair. He threw the vest on the loveseat and shut the office door behind her. Zoë walked past the two new front staff members who had arrived the day before. They looked up at her leaving with Logan, and didn’t say a word. Logan was the boss, and if the boss wanted to take her away, she was allowed to go.
“So, where did you end up going last night?” She asked, pushing her hands into her coat pockets as far as she could.
“Holly had set up a casual meet up with a marketing guy in the area,” Logan shot a sideways glance at her. Zoë felt a little relieved that it was a business thing, but a little disappointed that he hadn’t asked her to participate in it.
“Oh. Are you trying to come up with some new ideas? What are you thinking of?” She asked. Logan pointed up a small game trail. Zoë went up first, trying to find her footing in the slippery mess.
“Yeah, we’re losing out a lot to the other horse places. Guests are finding that they can stay in a cheaper motel and take a two hour ride instead of staying with us,” he said with disappointment. “We’re doing okay, but we should be doing great.”
Zoë was thoughtful for a moment. This was her job. She was a marketing pro at her last place. Being a creative director she often times had to generate new campaign ideas. “What kind of experience are you trying to offer your guests?” She asked thoughtfully.
“What do you mean? We offer the same horseback ride the other places do, just on a different trail,” he shrugged.
“Well, that’s my point. If you want to stand out, you have to be different. I mean, not to sound harsh, but you’re getting the same employees as everyone else. To a tourist, a ride is a ride. You need to be offering a guided tour,” she grabbed onto a tree to keep from slipping. The moist air began to pick up into a drizzle.
“What are we going to tour? The trees? Part of the park requirements is that all the rides have to include park information. We all have the same information,” he reminded her.
“Yeah, but take this. We’re hiking Old Man Mountain. Do you know the history behind it?” She asked, sitting down on a fallen log. Zoë didn’t wait for him to answer. “Old Man Mountain was used by the Native Americans for vision quests. Awhile back, about ten years ago, there were artifacts found. The Native Americans had sweat lodges, and had religious ceremonies up here. Why not do a little research and have three or four stories for the wranglers to learn, and advertise it that way? The park has a lot of history besides what tree that is, or what flowers and birds there are,” she turned to straddle the log.
Logan sat down next to her, his features softening. The drizzle now picked up into a light rain.
“That’s a really good idea,” he said softly, staring at her face. “How did I get so lucky to get someone so smart?” He smiled.
Zoë gave a slight laugh. “Didn’t you even read my resume?” She rolled her eyes, pushing the wet strands off her cheek.
“I guess I really didn’t understand it very well,” he pulled his hat off his head. “Would you like my hat? It’ll keep the rain off your
face,” he shoved it toward her.
“No thanks,” Zoë laughed. “It’s a little sweaty…that’s okay,” she put her hand up and declined. This was the first time she had ever seen him without his hat on. His hair was short and neat, and even though he had probably worn his hat to bed, he gloriously did not have hat head.
Logan left his hat in his lap, and lifted his eyes to the sky, the rain picking up even more. “It’s really normal to get a lot of rain at the beginning and end of the season. It usually dies off early June, and then picks up in August.”
Zoë watched him, aware that he was growing nervous. Without warning, Logan lifted a trembling hand and pushed the wet strands of hair away from her face. Zoë stifled her giggle as she felt his trembling knuckles brush against her cheek, his hand shaking from being cold and from being nervous.
Logan moved with such a slow pace, she wasn’t sure he even wanted to do what he was doing, or if he just felt like maybe he should, but he cupped her chin, his palm light and graceful, and he lowered his head slightly toward hers.
Zoë stopped talking at the moment, and let him awkwardly start to find her lips with his. He seemed terribly out of his element when he closed his eyes, but the moment his lips touched hers, she relaxed against him.
His lips were soft and pliable, and his other hand gripped his hat like it would fly away with the first breeze. She was amazed by his ability to not move too fast.
“Is that okay?” He whispered, pulling away. Zoë nodded, silent, and let him kiss her again, this time his mouth moving a little faster and a little harder. She gave a little more urgency, and this time she initiated the tip of her tongue against his lips. He opened them slightly and let her take the lead, answering her urgency with his own.
Zoë felt herself slipping away with delight. This was the first intimate moment she had felt in over five years, and she had forgotten how good it felt to feel aroused. When his other hand let go of his hat and his fingers trailed from her neck into her hair, she pulled away, biting her lip.
“I’m sorry,” he apologized, shoving his hat back onto his head. “I know you didn’t come up here looking for that.” Logan stood up to his feet, his face and neck red. He was unable to look at her, embarrassed.
Zoë didn’t know what to say. She didn’t want to agree with him: what crazy person didn’t want those feelings? But she didn’t want to change his mind either for fear that he would think she was easy and would just fall into his lap looking for sex. Apparently, she had let too much time pass, because he seemed to make up his mind in the moment that she debated what to do.
“I’m not looking for a relationship, Zoë. I am over the love ‘thing’.” He shook his head. “I want you to know that,” he finally picked up her gaze. She swallowed hard and nodded quickly.
“Yeah, me neither.” She agreed, standing to her feet and brushing herself off. I could do just a sex thing though. I’m okay with that. I’ve done the love thing and the divorce thing. Just a hot summer sex thing, and then we say goodbye on the same terms. Zoë thought to herself. The trail was a loop, descending down toward the small little valley they started i
n and the ranch a beautiful sight from their point of view. The lodge looked like a small cabin from their distance, and the horses were clumped together in the large pasture runs.
“So what’s your plan after the summer?” Logan inquired, breaking the silence.
“I guess I haven’t thought that far ahead,” Zoë replied sullenly. “I just wanted to accomplish what I set out to do this summer. To find myself and be at peace with who I am. To learn how to be a nice person again…a solid, secure, nice person,” she gave out a sudden yelp when she lost her footing, slipping down the trail.
Logan’s hand shot out and grabbed her elbow, hoping to steady her. By the time he grabbed her arm she was already on the ground, the leg and hip of her jeans covered in brown mud. He helped her back to her feet, still holding onto her.
“You alright?” He asked her. She pulled her arm out of his grasp, and she stared at her legs. Zoë didn’t say anything, continuing her way down the trail on shaky legs, her hip aching where she fell. She was now cold, wet, and she was pretty sure in the morning she’d have a bruise to look at in the mirror. Zoë didn’t say anything and picked up her pace, wishing she could move down the mountain faster. “What’s the hurry? What’s the deal?” Logan hurried to keep up with her.
Once they were back on flat ground, she hurried to her cabin, busting through the door and ignoring Charlie who was bounding against her. Logan followed her in, shutting the door harshly loud behind him.
“You can leave,” she snapped, washing her hands off in the sink of the bathroom. Logan did just the opposite, standing in the doorway to her bathroom, watching her rinse her hands. He saw her inspect the scrapes on her palms, and shoved off the doorframe, taking her hands in his own. Without thinking about it, he pressed his lips against the abrasions. He lifted his eyes to meet hers, the gray-green twinkle entrapping her; she met his gaze with equal measure. Logan noticed the defiance in her eyes, intrigued and mesmerized by her open confidence.
“I was just concerned for you,” he smiled against her palms, his smile growing when she yanked them away.
“Concern doesn’t require kisses,” she put her hands on his chest, trying to push him out of the doorway. He braced himself against the doorframe, refusing to move and amused by her growing strength.
“What is your problem?” He threw us hands up, letting her past him. He watched her yank off her mud-covered jeans, noting her pink panties with lace trim. Her legs were not long so much as they were beautifully proportionate, toned with skin that looked smooth and he bet tasted like velvet. She had removed her coat and sweater and stood clad in the living room in her underwear and tank.
“You’re the one who said you weren’t looking for a relationship. And I’m letting you know, I’m not the easy-lay type,” she scoffed, whirling around to stare at him. He crossed the floor quickly, his hands splaying out across her ribcage, sliding down to her waist.
“Maybe I take it back,” he said softly, his grip squeezing her slightly.
“Your hands are cold,” she looked up at him, her eyes dancing with temptation.
“Your body is warm. They’ll only be cold for a moment,” he assured her, his fingers creeping up toward her breasts. When his hands reached their round fullness, he brushed over them slightly, watching to see if she responded.
“I told you…I’m not just a one night stand. If you don’t want a relationship, that’s fine, but I’m not in this for the sex either,” she murmured.
“Just hush,” he lowered his mouth over hers, his hands on her neck. He moved them down her shoulders, to the sides of her breasts, all the way down to her waist. Her mouth responded, their tongues pressing against each other, his mouth planting tiny kisses across her jaw and down her neck.
Logan paused, removing his vest and hat, throwing them down on the couch. When he was free of his outer clothing, he wrapped his arms around her waist, dragging her close against him, his hands running across her body, cupping her bottom.
Zoë let out a small whimper, her arms wrapping around his body, her hands gripping his shirt, the fabric gathering between her fingers. He pushed his vest and hat off the couch and lowered her back onto the cushions, settling his torso between her legs. Even behind his jeans she could feel his arousal hardening, pushing against the zipper. Her hands dropped to his thighs, her fingers kneading the hard muscle hoping her fingers would tantalize him even more.
“Do you like that?” He teased, pressing his hips into her. She unbuttoned his fly, stopping there. He chuckled, pushing his pants down his hips, realizing he still had his boots on. He shuffled out of them as quickly as possible, kicked off his pants, and knelt between her legs. Her hair was disheveled, her lips rosy pink and swollen.
“Is something wrong?” She asked slightly breathless, concern creeping into her voice. He laid his body over hairs, careful to hold his weight.
“Nothing’s wrong,” he kissed her deep and slow. “You’re just too beautiful to do it this way,” he rose off the couch and grabbed her hand, pulling her up to her feet. He led her to the bedroom to the bed, lay down, and pulled her down next to him. He knelt over her and lifted her camisole over her head, her nipples hardening and darkening. Her ribcage rose and feel with short, quick breaths, her nerves creating gooseflesh on her arms and legs. She shivered, drawing her knees up.
“Cold?” He smiled. Zoë nodded. He pulled off his shirt, his body toned. Zoë stared at his chest and his arms, his slightly bronzed skin stretched tight over his strong physique.
“Really? No boxers?” She smiled over his choice of undergarment, gray boxer briefs. He shook his head, his lips kissing her knees, slowly moving up her right thigh. She smiled, her hands cupping his face, encouraging him to kiss her again.
Logan’s hand started at her foot and slid up her leg to her knee, pushing her thighs apart. She relaxed, her legs sliding away from each other, and he settled his body over hers, his hips lowering against her torso.
Zoë’s legs entwined with his and he moved against her, his mouth on the swell of her breast. She arched against him, and his hands went under her bottom, pulling her closer. She rubbed her body against his, trying to feel every part of him, her nipples rubbing up against his bare chest. Her hands touched his arousal, and she could feel its steady width between her fingers.
“Am I ready?” He asked breathless, pushing it against her hand. She nodded, biting her lip, staring into his eyes. She pushed off his briefs, sliding them over his hips and down his thighs. His arousal brushed against her and she shifted and sucked in her breath.
Zoë closed her eyes the moment she felt him push his way inside her. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders and his hand pushed her
thigh up so he could sink deeper, his forehead resting on her shoulder. He withdrew himself and plunged forward again. Zoë lifted her hips to meet his, aching to take as much of him as possible. She could feel him thrust over and over, harder and deeper while her hands grabbed his bottom to pull him further.
Her breathing was labored and Logan’s tongue entered her mouth once again. He squeezed her bottom, pulling her against him and her hips rose and fell with each of his thrusts, her body feeling fevered and taut. Her legs wrapped around his hips, her fingers dug into his shoulders and he groaned, pumping faster against her.
“Zoë, I’m fixin’ to come,” he strained, his breathing hot and heavy against her cheek. She said nothing and matched his pace, her legs pulling him tighter and closer. Zoë felt her core tighten and relax, her breathing hard and fast. She felt him jerk against her, hard and hot, his chest heavy against her naked breasts. She finally felt his weight against her, his shaft swelling and shuddering inside her.
She felt shaken, her body reacting to his, her mind confused. All at once, she wasn’t sure if he had enjoyed it, or if it was just another tumble of release for him.
“Was it okay?” She asked quietly, squeezing her eyes shut. Logan kissed her forehead, lifting his body off of hers, looking for his briefs.
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“It was good,” he smiled, pulling on his pants next. Zoë rolled onto her side, staring at him, feeling slightly disappointed that he was so quick to leave. “Are you upset?” He pulled on his shirt, sitting down on her bed, the mattress sinking around his body.
“No,” she gave a wry smile, staring up at him.
“You aren’t disappointed are you? Or have regrets?” He grabbed her arm, pushing her onto her back, her naked body exposed. He leaned down, planting several kisses across her belly. Zoë ran her fingers through his hair, contemplating what her emotions were. Logan seemed satisfied with her non-answer, and stood up. “I want to take you out,” he offered.
Zoë pulled her cami back on, sitting up.
“You know, you don’t have to. I don’t expect this big ‘hoorah’ of a thing just because we had sex together,” she slid off the bed, pulling her panties back on.
“You know, maybe for once you could consider acting like a girl and be a little excited that a boy has just asked you out,” Logan raised an eyebrow, crossing through the doorway, looking for his hat.
Western Pleasure (Colorado Cowboy Series) Page 4