And she smiled a lot.
Other than a strange moment on the dance floor, which she’d blamed on a crappy song, Ava had been great company all evening. She was polite and engaging with his friends, a good dancer, and a thoughtful person. She didn’t ask him to fetch her drinks or complain about how her feet hurt or the dance floor was too hot.
In fact, she hadn’t complained about anything at all. Even when other women had come up to him and asked him to dance, she hadn’t said a word. He’d turned them all down and at one point she’d leaned in close and whispered in his ear that it was okay if he wanted to.
He hadn’t wanted to. He had a bad reputation but he knew how to treat a lady. Ava Hayworth was a lady. Class all the way. It was probably a novelty for a good church-going girl like her to hang out with a guy like him.
And the evening wasn’t over yet.
Normally, if he wasn’t going to end up in bed with his date, which was rare, he took them home and then went for a ride. Tonight, he would take Ava with him on the bike. She’d loved it earlier but he knew she’d like it even better at night.
There was nothing like a nighttime cycle ride. The roads were deserted and there was nothing but the sound of the engine. He wasn’t going to get involved with Ava, but he could share this with her. It would be a thank you for all she’d done for him.
“Is everything okay?” Ava asked. She must have felt his gaze on her profile.
“Are you ready to go? Have you had enough fun?” He smiled as her dimples appeared.
“I have, actually. I don’t go out much at home. I’m always working. Thank you for bringing me.”
“As I said earlier, you did me the favor. Thank you.”
Ava’s gaze strayed to where Christina danced with Jack. “She looks pretty happy with Jack tonight. Maybe she got the message.”
Christina’s behavior had improved as the evening had gone on. Jack had made sure she was very busy indeed leaving little time for her to spend with Logan. Things just might have turned the corner.
“I hope so. She really is a nice person and she deserves to be happy. She wouldn’t have been happy with me.”
Ava tilted her head. “Why not? Because you can’t be faithful?”
For some reason her words stung. He lifted his hand. “Now hold on a minute. To be considered a candidate to be faithful, you have to be in a committed relationship. I don’t do relationships, so I’ve never been unfaithful. I want to be clear on that.”
Ava’s respect was important to him and he wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was because she was the first real female friend he’d ever had.
“I’m sorry.” She shook her head. “I didn’t mean to offend. When you say it that way, I guess you’re right.”
“You guess? You don’t sound convinced.” Logan had to lean close so he could talk over the loud music but still not be overheard by his friends at the table. This was none of their fucking business.
“When I think about dating I automatically think about one person at a time,” Ava admitted. “Honestly, I couldn’t picture myself dating several men at once.”
Images of Ava with other guys flashed in front of Logan. His gut tightened and a scowl crossed his face. The thought of her with other men pissed him off. She was too good for anybody he’d ever met. She needed someone who would be as truthful with her as she was with them.
Most men would lie, cheat, and steal to get laid. Hell, he’d arrested a guy once who had pretended to work for Brad Pitt just to meet women. Of course he hadn’t arrested him for his game of make believe, he’d arrested him because he ran out on his bill after running up a tab of food and drinks over a thousand bucks. Logan still couldn’t believe females had actually believed someone working for Brad Pitt would be hanging out in Corville.
But women believed what they wanted to believe. Christina believed that Logan was a good man and that she was in love with him. Ava believed he was a hound and had to be blackmailed into going out on a date with him.
Logan stood and then helped up Ava with a hand under her elbow. They bid his friends goodbye and headed out of the loud roadhouse. Mounting the bike, they roared into the inky darkness. Ava’s arms were wrapped around his waist and her thighs were pressed close to his.
They rode through the night on the back roads until finally she tapped him on the shoulder. He moved the bike to the shoulder and let the engine idle.
She lifted the shield on her helmet and looked up at him with a puzzled expression. “Where are we going?”
“Nowhere. Is that okay?” He held his breath as he waited for her response. If she wanted to go home, he’d take her straight there. He’d thought she would enjoy this, but if she didn’t he wouldn’t make her stay.
Her smile was slow in coming but no less dazzling. “Perfectly. I love this.”
They hurtled into the darkness, nothing but the moon and stars to light the way. The hum of the engine soothed his soul in a way nothing else ever had. When he’d returned from the Army, one of the first things he’d done was buy a cycle. He’d had a few since then but they were worth their cost in psychiatric bills. Logan had never needed therapy after the war. He’d had this instead. It was a feeling he loved but never took for granted. This was freedom.
Logan hadn’t consciously ridden to anywhere but he soon found them on the road that edged the lake outside of town. He pulled into an area canopied by several trees and just a few feet from the shore. He killed the engine and took off his own helmet before helping Ava with hers. She looked around and shook her head.
“I haven’t been out to the lake since high school. It hasn’t changed a bit. Do you come here a lot?”
He swung his leg over the bike and twisted around so he was able to see her clearly. The full moon hung in the sky illuminating the lake, making a silvery pattern on the surface and casting large shadows around the banks. He’d once heard that moonlight was a woman’s best friend. He’d never given it much thought but tonight Ava looked luminous basked in its heavenly glow. His chest felt tight and it was hard to speak as he gazed down at her upturned face. She looked beautiful and innocent. Too innocent for a man like him who had seen and done so many things, most of them bad, but for once he wasn’t in control of the situation.
Logan was used to calling the shots in his relationships with the fairer sex. At this moment, Ava was in the driver seat. Did she realize it? He felt like a kid on his first date.
And this wasn’t a date.
A crinkle formed between her eyes as she studied him, waiting for his response. Damned if he knew what to say. All coherent thought was gone as instincts as old as time welled up inside of him.
Plunder. Explore. Conquer.
His hand snaked around the back of her head, plunging into her silky curls. His other arm wrapped around her, pulling her close until he could feel the heat of her body through his clothes. He lowered his head and paused, looking into those hazel eyes, waiting for her to push him away in disgust.
Ava’s pupils were dilated and he could feel the thud of her heart close to his. Her lips parted and he didn’t hesitate. Capturing her lips, he anchored his palm at her nape. She didn’t even try to pull away. Instead, his good girl did naughty things with her tongue inside his mouth. Their lips fused together with a searing heat.
She didn’t merely accept his kiss. She met him head on, giving as good as she got, an active participant. Her hands were around his neck and her fingers tangled in his hair. He slanted his mouth at another angle and deepened the kiss causing her breath to catch and her body to tremble. He could hear the beat of his own heart and the roar of blood rushing in his ears. His entire body was on alert and all from a kiss from Little Miss Goody Two-Shoes.
Holy fuck.
Sanity finally took hold and he dragged his mouth from hers, their breathing ragged. He avoided her gaze as he stood and stepped away, immediately missing her warmth.
This had to fucking stop.
Ava Hayworth didn’t follow his r
elationship rules. She was the forever kind of woman, and he didn’t have forever to give any female. He took several deep breaths and tried to slow his racing pulse. She was chewing on her lips, swollen from their passion, and watching him as if she was wondering what he might do next.
Next? He was fucking taking her home.
This was crazy. He’d started out taking her for a ride and now they’d swapped spit in a moment of madness. This was how men woke up married with two kids and a minivan. Panic rose up, shutting off his breath and sending him back a few more steps, almost tripping on a tree root.
“Are you okay?” she asked, her head tilted slightly. “You look a little green.”
Logan felt it. His stomach was churning and his heart was pounding even faster now than when they had kissed. Ava was trouble with a capital T. Females like her looked all soft and innocent and then…
Bam!
They had a man roped, tied, and trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey.
No thanks. Not him.
“You shouldn’t have kissed me.” He dragged his shirtsleeve over his mouth to remove her intoxicating taste.
Her eyebrows shot up and her lips firmed. “I shouldn’t have kissed you? Don’t you mean the other way around? You kissed me, Logan.”
“You kissed me back. Well, I shouldn’t have done it either. We both know it was a mistake. We’re not for each other.”
Her mouth twisted. “On that I agree.” Her arms crossed over her chest, rising and falling quickly. “You just couldn’t resist, could you? Man-whore Logan Wright just couldn’t stop himself from making a pass. Do you even realize when you’re doing it? Jesus, Logan. Way to ruin an evening.”
No woman had ever accused him of ruining her night before and he didn’t like it much. He’d been trying to be nice but somewhere things had gone wrong.
Ava hopped off his bike and walked to the edge of the lake, looking anywhere but at him. He’d acted like an idiot and she was right to be angry. He’d started it, blamed her, and now the fragile friendship they’d begun to build was ripped to shreds.
It was all for the best.
They couldn’t be friends. Not really. They might have crime puzzles and motorcycles in common but that was it.
And sausage pizza. And music while they worked.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“Listen, I’m sorry,” he sighed. “I guess I got carried away by the moonlight. The full moon makes people do crazy shit.”
Her back was to him but he could see her head nod in agreement. “That’s true. I researched it once for a book about a serial killer who only killed on the harvest moon each year.”
Irritation tapped at his brain. “Are you comparing our wimpy kiss to a fucking serial killer?”
Except it wasn’t wimpy. It had almost brought him to his knees.
She twirled on her boot heels and looked him squarely in the eye. “Hardly. I was making small talk. Honestly, I’m not sure what to say at this point. We shouldn’t have done that. Everything’s changed.”
“And I ruined it?” he challenged. “It’s all my fault. I’ll take the blame.”
“I’m not blaming you,” she argued. “I’m only stating a fact. Now we’re going to be thinking about the kiss and not the case.”
Logan picked up her helmet and handed it to her. “Honey, I lost count of the kisses I’ve participated in by the time I was fourteen. I doubt I’ll lose any sleep over this one. I suggest we forget it ever happened.”
Her little chin was lifted defiantly and he would have bet his Harley she would have loved to smack the smirk off his face. She wouldn’t be the first or the last. Ava didn’t do it however. She simply brushed past him, pulled on her helmet, and mounted the bike.
He did the same, taking his place in front of her. This time, her arms weren’t wound around him. Instead her touch was tentative and she’d scooted as far back on the seat as possible. He grabbed an arm in each of his hands and pulled her forward.
“Hold on like you mean it,” he growled. “I don’t want you falling off the back.”
He kicked the bike into gear and gravel shot out from the back tire as he took off. The entire evening had gone to hell in a hand basket and he only had himself to blame.
Bad boys didn’t play games with good girls. He’d be crazy to get involved with a woman who probably thought happiness was a house with a white picket fence and a couple of kids. He’d be a lousy husband and a worse father.
Holy hell. Fuck that.
First thing tomorrow, he’d call up one of the many willing women who didn’t ask for more than he could give. There would always be a bevy of females who only wanted some fun, and Logan knew how to have fun.
Chapter Eight
In his office the next morning, Logan was determined to put the night before with Ava out of his mind for good. He perched on the edge of his desk and punched in the number that had been written in his leather address book. Angie Vernon was a lively redhead he hadn’t seen in over six months. She’d always been up for a few beers and some dancing. Then some naked fun afterward, of course. He vaguely recalled she liked to lick hot fudge off his abs after dinner. She was just the thing to get good girl Ava off of his mind. She picked up after a few rings.
“Hello.”
“Hey babe. It’s Logan. I’ve missed you, girl.”
Angie laughed and Logan grinned at her delighted sound. She was happy to hear from him, dammit. “Logan Wright, as I live and breathe. I never thought to hear from you again. What brings you out of the woodwork after eight months?”
“Has it been that long? That’s too long. Come dancing with me tonight. I’ll pick you up at seven. Wear something that will make me work to take it off.”
He was being outrageous but he remembered Angie liked him that way.
“Can my fiancé Joe come along?” He heard her laughter through the phone. “Logan, I’ve been engaged for two months. Hadn’t you heard?”
Angie lived a few towns over and apparently no one had seen fit to pass on the news. Disappointment and something like relief twisted in his gut. He wasn’t sure how he could be happy and sad at the same time. He put it down to a bad night’s sleep.
“Well, congratulations.” Logan tried to make it sound truly sincere when inside he was recoiling at the mere thought of marriage. “Joe’s a lucky man.”
“You’ll have to excuse me if I don’t pass on your message,” Angie said dryly. “I don’t like to remind him of my wild and woolly days. I’m a boring almost married woman now. We spend our time fixing up the house we bought and playing cards with other couples on Saturday night.”
Dear God in heaven, that sounded like hell with window treatments and throw pillows.
“I wish you all the best, Angie. I hope you’ll be very happy.”
Logan hung up before she had a chance to answer, and then grabbed a pen and scratched her name from his address book.
Goodbye Angie.
He paged through and came to a name that made him smile with pleasant memories.
Hello Marie.
Twenty minutes and three more phone calls later, Logan wanted to toss the phone across the room. Marie had been married with her first child on the way. Lana had been dating someone “seriously”, whatever the fuck that meant, and Terri’s answering machine message said she was on her honeymoon.
Did everyone lose their mind at the same moment and suddenly couple up like animals before the storm? Had he missed some sort of memo? He was starting to feel like those naughty unicorns that had played in the rain while the ark sailed off into the sunset. Everyone knew those horned bastards had met their maker. Was having fun and some casual sex extinct too?
A tentative knock on the door brought him out of his brooding thoughts. Jillie, his secretary, was standing in the doorway with a peculiar look on her face. She was usually smiling and swigging fancy coffee from the place on the corner. Jillie took at least six coffee breaks a day.
“What is it?” Logan asked
, trying to keep his irritation from showing.
She held up a piece of paper. “The state lab emailed me the ballistics report for Bill Bryson.”
Logan held out his hand. He’d been waiting for this. “Thanks. I’ll take it now.”
She didn’t give it to him, but simply stood there with an uncertain expression. He didn’t really have time for Jillie to have a breakdown today. Tomorrow, after a decent night’s sleep, he might be in a better mood and ready to hear her usual tale of woe about her latest boyfriend.
“Goddamit, Jillie. Tell me what they said.”
Logan stalked over to the coffeemaker in the corner of his office, poured more into his mug, and fought the anger churning in his gut. Jillie had used her contacts at the state lab to move the ballistics test to the front of the line. The results were in this morning but she was standing in the doorway to his office gaping like a fish out of water. She wasn’t normally reticent about passing along lab results. In fact, she normally tossed the email she’d printed up on his desk and waltzed down to the corner coffee shop for a latte and a muffin. Today she was pale and her grip on the paper was so tight it made her knuckles white.
“I need you to sit down, Logan,” Jillie pointed to the chair.
Logan lost what little patience he had left. This case was a bitch, and he was fucking tired. He’d barely slept last night after what had gone down with Ava. He’d said he wouldn’t lose sleep over a simple kiss but he’d turned out to be a fucking liar. He’d tossed and turned all night, at turns mentally berating himself and other times reliving those moments. As the sun had shone in his window, he’d woken grouchy and frustrated. Now women right and left were getting married and having babies. No amount of coffee was going to make this a good day.
Cowboy Truth: Cowboy Justice Association #3 Page 7