The Mobster And The Cowboy (A Cowboy Romance)

by Mae Martini

  Cody shrugged his shoulders and walked away. He went up to a girl standing by the side of the stage and asked her to dance.

  Logan was relieved that she didn’t object to his arm around her waist. He wondered how much she saw of his and Linda’s exchange. Maybe she caught him rudely removing Linda’s hand.

  Melanie saw Logan nodding. She turned around and saw he was nodding to someone in the far corner by the pool table. When she turned back to him, he had a fresh drink for her in one hand and a fresh beer in the other.

  “Do you shoot pool?” he asked her.

  “A little,” she answered, but truth be known, she was modest. She actually was good at pool.

  He walked her over to the table and introduced her to another couple who had pool sticks in their hands. Doug and Donna were their names.

  Doug was a tall, handsome man with long straight black hair and dark brown eyes. Donna was a pretty, petite girl with long light brown hair with blonde chunky streaks and light brown eyes. They both appeared to be in their late twenties or early thirties.

  Logan picked up two cue sticks and handed one to Melanie. She felt it for weight. She didn’t feel comfortable with it so she walked over to the rack and studied it. Then she picked up another stick. Yeah. This one feels good, she thought and walked back to Logan’s side.

  He looked at her curiously. She smiled and shrugged.

  Richie moseyed over and plopped down in a seat at the small and tall table nearby, where Logan and Melanie put down their drinks. There was another guy sitting there. He looked like Doug.

  “Eight ball?” Doug asked Logan.

  Logan nodded, then Doug broke. He sunk a stripe, then missed his next shot. Logan gestured for Melanie to shoot next. She walked around the table and studied it.

  “We have solids, you know,” he said to her.

  She looked up at him and smiled, then went to a long end of the table to make her move. She sunk her ball into a side pocket. Without looking at anyone, she moved to the side of the table and lined up her next shot. She was bent over the table and Logan was transfixed on her ass. She felt his eyes on her and so she took a moment to wiggle her butt and smiled when she heard an intake of breath behind her. Then she took her shot and sunk another solid. She turned to Logan, who had a big grin on his face.

  Melanie immediately saw her next shot. She made the shot but missed. She walked to the table to take a sip of her drink as Donna took her shot.

  Richie whistled at her then introduced her to Dave. Dave was Doug’s twin brother. His hair was shorter, but the facial features were like looking at Doug.

  Logan walked over to her and crowded her in.

  Feeling thisclose to him, Melanie momentarily became excited. She felt a tingle deep within her.

  “Pool shark?” he asked, grinning, showing his dimples.

  “Hardly.” She laughed. “I just played a lot down a friend’s basement during most of my teen years.”

  Donna missed her shot and Logan walked over to the table. He, too, studied his options. He settled on a trick shot and sunk in the ball, and sunk the next one as well.

  Doug’s turn had him sinking in a ball and scratching the second one.

  Melanie sunk in the next ball, but missed the last one.

  The game continued until there were no more solids on the table and only one ball left for Melanie to call and sink. The eight ball.

  “Corner pocket,” she said as she pointed to the far left corner pocket with her pool cue. She lined up the shot. She moved the cue back and forth until she got the right speed. She took her shot and sunk the ball. She and Logan won the game.

  Doug bought a round of drinks and relinquished the pool table.

  “You wanna play another round? There’s a couple of guys waiting to play,” Logan asked Melanie.

  After saying those words a short brunette head came up to Logan and squeezed herself in between him and Melanie. Melanie stepped back.

  “Hi, Logan. It’s been a while,” she said with a sexy smile on her face, and she gave him a quick kiss on his lips.

  “Hi, Darlin’. How you doing?” he asked with a smile.

  “You wanna get out of here and go someplace quiet?” she asked him.

  “Nah, I’m with someone, tonight.”

  “Invite her too, she looks yummy.” Brunette head said as she looked to Melanie and swiped her tongue across her lips.

  Logan chuckled and wondered if Melanie would be interested, but opted not to bring it up. “Nah, not tonight, sweetheart.”

  Pouting, brunette head said, “Later,” and walked away.

  Logan looked to Melanie and saw she had put her cue stick back on the rack and was watching his exchange. It was hard to read her as she had no expression on her face.

  “Buy you another drink, darlin’?” he asked her with a charming smile when he walked over to her.

  “No, thank you. Can you drive me home? I’d go myself, but I’m not really sure where I am,” she said with a little snicker.

  “It’s early, darlin’, sure you want to leave?”

  “Yeah, but you know what? I don’t want to ruin your fun. I’ll, um, ask Cody if he wouldn’t mind driving me home.”

  But she wasn’t sure if Logan even heard her. He was watching Linda making a drunken fool of herself on the dance floor.

  She looked to see what got his attention and noticed it was the blonde. She looked like a total mess. What was Logan’s fascination with her anyway?

  “Yeah. Okay.” He grabbed her arm and dragged her to Cody. “Hey buddy, can you run Melanie home?”

  Cody was talking up a cute little thing when Logan asked, but he didn’t mind having to take Melanie home. “Sure. Give me a minute.”

  “Okay.” Then he turned to Melanie. “Cody’s taking you home.” He reached in and kissed her lips. He started to walk away, but having tasted her lips again, he wanted more. He moved back to her and opened his mouth and covered her lips. He quickly swiped his tongue against her lips and she opened her mouth and met his tongue with hers.

  She heard him groan. And then just like that, he broke the kiss.

  She was astonished. He saw the look in her eyes.

  “I’m sorry. I’ve got to take care of this.” With that he nodded and walked to Linda.

  She watched as he yanked the woman by the arm and dragged her out of the bar.

  Melanie sighed and as she waited for Cody, she didn’t know whether to be angry or cry, but one thing she did know was that Logan certainly knew how to kiss.

  What was that? Melanie walked around the house aimlessly, after Cody dropped her off, reliving that kiss Logan and she shared. What was she doing? She didn’t want to get into any kind of relationship. Damn, she didn’t know what she wanted to do. Being with Michael had turned her life upside down. What was she to do? Where was she to go?

  It would be so easy to throw in the towel and go home. Go home, to what? A lying, cheating man who more than once forced himself on her? That was no way to live and she knew it would be hard to get away from him there. Plus, she couldn’t stand the sight of him anymore. Yes, he was good looking on the surface, but inside, he was one of the ugliest persons she’d ever met and that seemed to be all she saw whenever her mind conjured up his image.

  But what was here for her? A hot looking cowboy who showed interest in her. Yeah, but apparently he showed interest in just about every female in that bar tonight. Okay, two, and most of that interest was directed toward that blonde, Linda.

  What else was here for her? Well, in the last few weeks she’d been there, she fell in love with the weather, but to be fair, it was only May and she heard it gets real hot there in the summer. The open air and the whole western theme was something she’d always liked. Growing up, she’d watched just about every western movie and TV show she could find. More than once she said she was born too late. She would have liked to live in the wild wild west. Dangerous, yes, but something about it appealed to her. All she would have needed wa
s a hair blower and she was good to go.

  She could ride horses just about any day she wanted to. Her job allowed her the flexibility. Then there is that hot cowboy, oh wait, she’d already said that. Then, and this was the biggest draw, who would find her here in Wimberley, Texas.

  After spending a large amount of time analyzing the pros of being here and only one con, which was not being able to visit her sister any time she wanted, at least until the whole Michael thing died down, and she suspected it would be quite a while before it would, she walked to the bedroom. Again, she replayed his words in her head, ‘It ain’t over till I say it’s over’. She climbed into bed and when she laid her head down, she relived that kiss from Logan earlier in the night. She sighed, rolled over and fell asleep.

  Chapter 8

  “Are you gonna see that chick anymore you brought to The Salty Dog last night?” Richie asked Logan as they were heading up to Fredericksburg. They were hauling a horse Logan was having trouble with and had no time to deal with, for his buddy, Cord, to train.

  I don’t know. Why?”

  “No reason,” he paused. “She’s hot.”

  “Yeah.”

  “She’s got some tight body there. Did you notice?”

  Logan turned his head to look at him. He nodded his head “I noticed.” He sighed and looked back at the road.

  Logan noticed all right. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. From the moment he left her in Cody’s hands the night before till that morning when he woke up with a raging hard-on. That kiss they’d shared was smokin’ hot and he found himself jerking off in the shower thinking about how her lips would feel wrapped around his cock.

  ****

  Having seen the caller ID, Melanie picked up the phone on the second ring knowing it was Logan. She was curious as to what he had to say for some reason.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, darlin’. It’s Logan.”

  He was calling on the house phone. Charlie’s number was stored in his cell phone because he was his grandfather’s neighbor and Logan thought it would be a good idea to become friendly with him in case his grandfather needed help or anything. He liked Charlie and they struck up a friendship as a result.

  “Hi.”

  “I wanted to apologize for last night. That’s not how I usually end a date,” he said nervously.

  “No need to apologize. I didn’t even know it was a date,” she said and the way she said it, Logan detected he’d hurt her pride.

  Logan silently cursed himself, or rather Linda. “I, um, was hoping to make it up to you. Have dinner with me Friday night?”

  Melanie hesitated.

  “Please, no strings. Just dinner.”

  She really wanted to go. She wanted to get to know him. Should she go?

  “Melanie?”

  ‘Um, okay. I’d like that.”

  “Great. I’ll pick you up about 7:00 pm?”

  “Sure.”

  “Do you like steak?”

  “I’m in Texas. I’m thinking I had better like steak,” she teased.

  He chuckled. “Yeah. It’d probably be a good idea. I’ll see you Friday night.”

  At 7:00 pm sharp Friday night, Logan rang Melanie’s door bell. It took her a few moments to answer, but that was because she didn’t want to seem too eager and so she counted to fifteen before she walked from the bedroom to the front door.

  “Hi,” she said, smiling up at him. She quickly scanned his frame. He was big, not heavy but muscular. She was willing to bet he was one solid wall of muscle. He wore a black T-shirt with a pressed pair of black jeans. His cowboy boots were black, with a snakeskin pattern and polished, and she was also willing to bet that black hat on his head was a Stetson.

  “Hi. You look beautiful, darlin’. Ready to go?”

  “I’m having a hard time deciding on what shoes. Do you want to come in? I’ll only be a moment.”

  He followed her in and shut the door. She continued to her bedroom while he waited in the living room.

  True to her word she came back a moment later. She settled on a pair of black patent leather pumps. They went well with her black pleated mini skirt that showed off her long tanned legs and a black and white sweater that dipped a little low at the top showing a little cleavage.

  Her hair was blown straight and she had on a pair of diamond drop earrings. Lip gloss was the only makeup she wore.

  Outside, he opened the truck door for her and helped her up by placing a hand at her waist. Scanning her long sexy legs, and disappointed that he couldn’t keep his hand on her waist longer, he closed the door, took a deep breath and walked to the other side and got in. He didn’t see his grandfather by the window smiling as he drove away.

  The drive to the restaurant would be an hour. Logan tuned the radio to KVET. ‘Drunk on You’ by Luke Bryan was playing. He heard her singing along softly.

  Melanie stared out the window taking in the scenery. They passed rolling hills of grass and wild flowers and she was awed by their rugged beauty. They passed a section of stores that were in wood buildings and had dirt roads leading up to them and they were few and far between. They passed cattle, penned in fences, on both sides of the road. This was as rural as it gets she thought. She could so totally get into this.

  “What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?” Logan’s voice broke through her thoughts and she smiled at his choice of words.

  “I was just thinking about how beautifully rugged it is out here. It’s something I’ve only ever seen in movies or on TV.”

  “Yeah. There’s no place like it. I love it here.”

  “Have you lived here all your life?”

  “Yeah. My family has a ranch here. Been in the family since my great, great grandfather bought up land here. He expanded, then my great grandfather expanded. My grandfather and father too.”

  “Do you own all the land here?” she asked laughing, making a joke out of it.

  “Not all, but quite a bit,” he said seriously.

  “Wow,” she said incredulously, “So, you’re a rancher too?”

  “Yep.” He looked over to her to see if she was disappointed.

  She was smiling and watching his hands.

  When she saw him looking at her with a question, she reached for the hand that was on his lap and put it between hers. She noticed the contrast. His was bigger, a little tanner and rough with calluses. She thought about what it would feel like on her skin.

  Her hands were so soft against his rough one. He loved the way they felt.

  “I’m sorry, they are a bit beat up,” he said softly.

  “Don’t be,” she said, picking her eyes up to his face. “I like the way they feel.” Bet they’d feel good against my nipples, she thought. Oh, where’d that come from?

  He caught her blushing and gave her a knowing smile. She put his hand back on his lap, but when she went to remove hers, he held it there, in fact, he tugged her arm and she moved closer to him on the bench seat and that’s how they sat for the rest of the ride.

  “Always lived in New York?” he asked, breathing in her fresh scent.

  “Always.”

  “Where about?”

  “Brooklyn. More specifically, Bensonhurst. Ever heard of it?”

  “Yeah. Forgetaboutit.”

  She giggled. “Ever been to New York?”

  “Madison Square Garden. My brother is involved with a rodeo and they have a show there once a year. Ever been there?”

  “Of course. I’ve seen concerts, Nick games and wrestling matches there.”

  “Wrestling matches?” he asked with a laugh.

  “Yeah, I had a boyfriend who was into it and shhh, don’t tell anyone, I have a secret crush on John Cena,” she whispered.

  He cracked up laughing. “Ever see a rodeo?”

  “Not live. Only on TV.”

  “So would you’d be interested?”

  “Yes. Of course.”

  “I ride broncs, bareback, in a few different rodeos a
round Texas and the one in the Garden for my brother.

  “Do you? I’d love to see you ride sometime.” And she conjured up an image of him.

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah,” she said smiling. “I’m assuming you wear chaps.” She giggled.

  He chuckled. “What is it with women and chaps?”

  She grinned and shrugged. “They’re sexy.”

  A few moments later they pulled up to a white building with blue trim. He parked, shut the truck off and picked up her hand, brought it to his lips and gave it a quick kiss before giving it back to her. He jumped out and hurried to her side. She already had her door open but he wanted to help her down.

  The parking lot was gravelly and with her heels on she found it a little hard to navigate. He reached for and took her hand.

  Melanie finally got to see his hair when he took his hat off and put it on the chair next to him. He had a faded crew and she longed to feel it under her hands.

  Melanie noticed, when he gave their order to the cute waitress, the waitress was flirting with him. She knew he knew it too, and he kept his eyes on her the whole time, never once looking at the waitress. A kind of warmth Melanie couldn’t describe came over her.

  When the waitress brought over their entrees, she placed a plate down in front of Logan and dropped Melanie’s in front of her. Some of the oils from the dish jumped up and Melanie moved back, and was spared. Logan looked to the waitress with contempt.

  “Oops! Sorry.” She giggled and left.

  Logan was getting up to go talk to the manager. Melanie put a hand on his arm. “It’s okay, really,” she said.

  He looked into her eyes and nodded his head slowly and sat back down.

  They dined on a tomato and onion salad, shrimp cocktail and filet mignon with creamed spinach and steak fries. Logan drank beer and Melanie drank a Merlot wine.

  During their meal, they talked about the usual stuff you talk about on a first date. Likes and dislikes. Family and friends.