Western Pleasure (Colorado Cowboy Series)

by Mascaro, Christina

  “I’ve never been a shot girl. That doesn’t mean I don’t drink. We went out for wine last night,” she shrugged.

  “I know. Logan told me all about it,” he grabbed his beer off the bar and leaned back. “Did you sleep with him?” He grinned. “I

  think just about everyone hooked up last year,” he informed her. “That’s gross.” She made a face.

  “Are you kidding me? That’s kind of how it works in Estes. All the summer help ends up dating and sleeping around,” Josh said proudly.

  “Really? Well, I guess I’ll be the one who doesn’t.” I wonder if Logan does this every summer. Am I just another notch on his belt? She took another sip of his drink. “Is that what he does? Take a girl out for wine and try to get her in bed?” She asked seriously.

  Josh wasn’t one to hold back. “Naw, he doesn’t need to take ‘em out. Usually, they want to sleep with him without a date,” he explained. “We get a heap of girl wranglers who are ready to strip butt naked if he so much hints that he finds them attractive,” he grinned. “Those girls come in hot and ready,” he winked.

  “What about him and Holly?” she asked curiously.

  “Well, Holly’s slept with just about every eligible man in Estes…and some not so eligible. You’d have to ask Logan if he’s ever slept with her,” he shrugged. “I know I’ve been trying to sleep with her for two years now.”

  “And?” Zoë raised an eyebrow.

  “And that girl puts on a tease show. I’ve seen her ass, her breasts, but never all at the same time.” Josh laughed. “Classy,” she muttered.

  After finishing off her drink, she was ready to go home. She had made the attempt, but she was not the same kind of staff that was hanging out and getting drunk. Josh seemed disappointed that she was leaving, but he didn’t seem put out. There was enough staff around to make sure he caught a ride home.

  Charlie was glad when she came through the door, dancing circles around her. She let him out for a brief potty break, and when they came back in, she dug through her refrigerator, finding herself junk food to snack on.

  It was still slightly bare and empty, but she had made it a point to grab as much junk food as she possibly could, so she could sit on the couch and enjoy the television. It was just for this type of occasion that she was glad she stocked up.

  Charlie jumped on the couch next to her and gave a huge sigh. Zoë propped her elbow on his head, and he seemed not to mind.

  “Charlie, I’m okay with just you. Who needs someone else to complicate things up anyway?” She glanced down at him. He raised his

  eyebrows at her, and his nose went into hyper-drive trying to figure out if she was sharing her treat. “Okay,” she gave him a small

  piece of cream cheese and cracker. He gobbled it up, his nose percolating, and his eyebrows bobbing left and right. She held out and didn’t give him anymore, continuing. “Does sleeping with him twice make me a whore though? I mean, we didn’t use any

  protection. Seriously, if the guy makes it a point to get around during the summer, what happens if he has some serious cooties?” She

  frowned. That’s kinda like thinking about a parachute after you’ve jumped. She mused regretfully.

  Her phone buzzed off. Making a face, she debated on whether to check her text message. When it buzzed again, she stood and raced to the counter and checked her phone.

  [Decided to pick up the horses and drive straight through. Will be home late tonight.]

  Zoë stared at the text. “So. Who cares?” She flopped down on the couch next to Charlie, who did not offer to make room for her.

  [Thinking around midnight. Will you still be up?]

  Zoë still didn’t respond. Should she say yes? Would that mean it would be an opening to have sex? Should she play hard to get and say no? It sounded like he really wanted to see her and she enjoyed that fact.

  [Don’t want you to drive back tired. Could be dangerous.] She paused. [Are you texting while driving?]

  [No, stopped for dinner.] He replied immediately. You mean you stopped to have sex with Holly. Zoë thought to herself. No more texts came in. She set the phone down.

  “Charlie, I’m going to do my nails,” she announced, hurrying to the bedroom to pick through several colors of polish. Settling on a fun teal, she rushed back to her seat in the living room. As soon as she opened the bottle, Charlie sniffed and highly debated on whether or not to jump down from next to her.

  She started with her toes, and then carefully moved on to her nails. An hour later, she was done, holding her hands out to dry. Charlie, noting she was done, stretched out next to her and threw his head down on her thigh. Zoë sighed, getting comfortable too. It was nine o’clock, and all the affects of the alcohol were long gone. She was left tired, moody, and unsure.

  The thought of Logan coming home early for her gave her a warm feeling. But, most likely he had to start heading home because of the horses riding in the trailer.

  Her first marriage had started out just like this one. She was wary that staying with Logan and trying to make a go of it would be just like her first marriage. All lust in the beginning, and about a year in, the lust fades. Then you’re left with love. It’s a logical decision. If the relationship isn’t bad, then most likely you’re in love. Or, at least that’s what most people think.

  About a year and a half into her marriage, you just start to get lazy. It’s too easy to stay put than to make a go of leaving. You’re frustrated that you’ve lost your space, you’re impatient because you have a schedule that gets turned on its head, but you don’t want to leave because who goes where? Who gets the couch? Who gets the house? Who gets the dog?

  Luckily, her ex-husband had served her the papers first answering all of her questions. He was tired of fighting over how to clean the house, how to play with the dog, and what kind of job to get. Her mistake was that those things should be well figured out before she even agreed to get married. She should have taken off the rose colored glasses before the ‘I-do’s’ were said. But like every other girl out there, she thought vows would solve her problems.

  Here she was again, with the same feelings. How long would it be before Logan and her had the same problems? How did he keep his room? Cluttered? She was extremely organized. Did he not care about keeping things in order?

  The sex may flow easy now, but eventually it always fades. It becomes harder to keep your spouse interested, the arousals diminish, and making love is more damaging to your emotional state than speculating about your spouse cheating. Her ex-husband did that too. Cheated on her with a teenage girl. It started out as an emotional affair. It then became sexual. All the blowjobs he wanted that she never agreed to dish out.

  She couldn’t do that again. It was too embarrassing and bitter the first time. She had held hope, but now she was left jaded. Cynical. Her ex-husband had told her that men out there would never be interested in her. She was too controlling, too obsessive about being organized, and she had to ‘wear the pants’. He constantly reminded her that men out there despised women like that. Zoë had accepted defeat however. She would let Logan come into her life as a friend and bed partner, but she would hold her heart out of reach. She liked having her own space. She enjoyed being able to put her things where she wanted. It was much easier that way.

  After another hour passed and the clock crept toward eleven, she gave up the ounce of thrilling hope she had and decided to crawl into bed. She didn’t want to wait up. She wanted to move forward. Making room for him would mean holding herself in place, and that was the last thing she wanted to do.

  On average, it took her about thirty minutes to fall asleep. After letting Charlie out for his nightly potty break, she pulled back her covers and slipped under the sheets. Charlie took his place next to her, snuggled against her legs, and they both drifted off.

  Zoë bolted awake, her heart pounding hard when Charlie let out a howl about an hour later. She looked at her phone, noting it was past midnight. Her heart skipped
a beat. He had decided to knock on her door after all.

  Without pulling on clothing, she crept out to open it for him. He stood in front of her, wearing jeans a t-shirt. Wow, he showered first. Zoë was impressed.

  “Still up?” He asked with a sexy smile.

  “Wasn’t up. But now I am,” she threw the door open for him to come in. He glanced at her wearing just panties and a tank top. “We don’t have to do anything,” Logan reminded her.

  “I just kind of want to go to bed,” she shrugged going back to her bedroom.

  “Can I join you?” he asked, sliding his hand around her waist. She nodded, pulling the covers back even further for him. He quickly removed his clothing for her, stripping down to his briefs and bare chest. He slid under the sheets, moving Charlie to the side so his body could touch hers. Zoë didn’t move away, but made sure she made no movement to suggest that she was interested in sex.

  “Zoë, is everything okay? Did something happen?” He asked her softly. She didn’t answer right away.

  “Logan, I like you. But I don’t love you,” she turned her face toward his. Logan kissed her forehead, brushing his fingers over her profile.

  “I’m okay with that,” he laid his head on the pillow and closed his eyes.

  Zoë closed her own eyes, stilling her body with great willpower. Her heart was pounding and she felt slightly disappointed they weren’t pursuing anything physical. As much as she wanted to be strong and independent and not fall in love, her heart ached to be loved just as equally. Holding back tears, she begged for peace through sleep.

  Chapter Seven

  A week had passed without Logan spending the night. There was a lot of work that he busied himself with, and she had her hands full keeping on top of the staff. She was thankful that the more busy she got in her work, the less she thought about accidentally bumping into Logan, or making an excuse to do something with him.

  It was a wonderful Sunday afternoon, and the day was slow. She was beginning to see a trend with the tourists, and most checked in on Monday, and checked out on Friday. The weekends were slow. She also found the more she interacted with the guests, the less they complained. She was also getting to know the surrounding activities very well, and she was anxious to try a few. That’s why, when Logan offered, she found it hard to say no.

  “Have a minute?” Logan leaned over the front desk. She lifted her eyes and pushed her hair off her face.

  Logan took a few extra seconds to just look at her. Her oval face was smooth and picking up a tan. It was hard not to, so close to the sun. Her hair was soft and brown and had a slight wave, and when she pushed the locks away from her eyes, Logan had to double take and really see how beautiful she was.

  “What do you need?” She asked softly. She was starting to feel guilty about treating him the way she did when he stopped over.

  “I’d like to take you boating. Both you and Charlie,” he offered. “It’s a slow afternoon. The staff will be okay without you,” he gave her a shy smile. She bit her lower lip, staring at her hands.

  “Well…” she hesitated.

  “Please? I had the kitchen make us some sandwiches to take with us and everything,” he pleaded. He held up a dog life jacket, grinning. “Besides, I stopped by Estes Pet and picked this up for Charlie because it looks kinda awesome. He’ll look great in it.”

  Zoë let out a laugh. “Okay. Let me go get him,” she edged her way around the desk. Logan traipsed after her and into her cabin. Charlie was exceptionally happy to see her so early. The weather was beautiful and he was thrilled to be going outside. The sun was high, and while the evenings were still cool, the days were warming to ninety, easily.

  She quickly changed her bra and threw on a tighter t-shirt. Her bra was a nice push-up she had never had the guts to wear, and her t- shirt would hug her body a little closer.

  She emerged from the room and the corners of his mouth kicked up slightly when he saw her. She had changed: for him.

  Charlie’s whole body wagged when she led him outside on his leash. He immediately ran toward her car and she laughed. “Looks like he’s ready to go. Let’s take my car,” she opened the back door and let him jump in.

  “Okay, let me grab some stuff,” Logan walked toward his car and grabbed a bag from the backseat. He jumped in her passenger seat and Charlie immediately put his paws on the middle console, his cold nose poking at Logan’s arm.

  “Where to?” She asked.

  “The marina. I had someone pull a boat for us,” he buckled his safety belt. Zoë pulled out of the parking lot and they drove the few minutes to Lake Estes. She parked, letting Charlie out and put on his life jacket. He sat down, sniffed at his body and the vest, and stared at her. He was a little put out. His eyebrows bobbed, left right, up down, and he sighed. There was no taking it off he supposed.

  Logan led her to a dock and jumped in a small rowboat. Zoë started laughing. I was thinking of something totally different. She pursed her lips, trying not to laugh. Logan held his hands out to pick up Charlie. When Zoë sat down and the boat steadied, Charlie sat down, stared at the water, and looked miserable. He shot a glance at her and Zoë gave him a pat on the head.

  He didn’t look pleased when Logan started to row. They made it out to the middle and he pulled the oars and they drifted. Logan dug through his bag and Zoë caught a glimpse of drinks and sandwiches, and she was surprised when Logan pulled out dog treats.

  “Most dogs hate boating. So I thought I’d try to make peace,” he tried to entice Charlie with a jerky treat. The dog, if only for a brief moment, accepted the offering and then went back to shooting the two of them dirty looks.

  “I’ve never had him on a boat before,” Zoë nodded. “I hope he knows how to swim. If not, that jacket looks sexy on him,” she leaned back, trying to soak up the sunshine. Logan pulled a sandwich out to eat.

  “Were you expecting a rowboat?” He adjusted his cowboy hat. “No,” she giggled again. “But it’s nice.”

  “I love rowboats. The water was meant to be relaxing and quiet. It was meant to enjoy. It wasn’t meant for racing around and showing off,” he took a bite of his sandwich. Zoë watched him, jeans, boots, a cowboy hat, and a polo shirt. He was definitely not your ordinary cowboy.

  They drifted in quietness, content to enjoy each other’s company for the moment. The water was soundless, blue and sleek. She could see the road leading into Estes, the dog park, the resorts, and the Stanley Hotel. Charlie sat perky and with good posture, unable to get comfortable enough to lie down.

  “My old girlfriend hated my row boat,” Logan cleared his throat, picking up the oars again. Zoë titled her head and glanced at him. “She lived for speed and expensive things. She didn’t appreciate the small things in life.” He looked down at his feet and avoided her stare. “She wasn’t anything like you. Her idea of moving on past a break up was to buy a few new outfits and purses, get her hair done, and move on to a few new bars,” Logan continued. “She had a dog, but she took the Chihuahua with her.” He gave a half smile.

  Zoë didn’t know what to say. “What made you two attracted to each other to begin with?” She asked.

  “Well, there’s something about coming back from being deployed. You’re just some lonely guy who’s desperate for a little love and companionship. You feel like it’s the only thing worth living for. Unfortunately, for a lot of guys including me, it just means you fall for the first pretty little thing that walks through your life. We met at my buddy’s wedding.” He looked out on the lake.

  Zoë watched him thoughtfully. He had grown very quiet.

  “And now?” She posed the question. Logan’s eyes met hers. They were sincere and kind, but she noticed they were also a little worried.

  “I don’t know.” He shrugged, looking at the bottom of the boat again. “But I know that all week I’ve been waiting for you to wander down to the barn. I’ve been trying to think of all the excuses I can to try and make my way to you,” his cheeks went a littl
e pink.

  Zoë started laughing. “Charming,” she teased. “You’ve had Holly to keep you company,” she smiled wide.

  “Oh gosh, is that why you haven’t come down to the barn yet?” He sighed. “That girl…” he shook his head. “Look, if it wasn’t for the fact that she can keep my wranglers in line, I would have turned her away a long time ago. But that girl can flash all the young boys a smile and they are listening to her. And I know she listens to me,” he emphasized.

  “I think Holly is attracted to you,” Zoë told him. “Last I heard, little bird told me she finds you pretty attractive.”

  “Yes, but I’m attracted to you.” Zoë’s cheeks warmed and turned pink. She glanced out over the lake, embarrassed but pleased. Her body took on a little excitement and a few butterflies filled her stomach. She reached inside the bag and grabbed herself a drink, sitting up a little taller.