Having the Cowboy's Baby

He’d died and gone to sensory-overload heaven. Logan pulled Skyler close, splaying his hand along the small of her back. What he’d meant to be a playful kiss went deeper because he suddenly couldn’t get enough of the taste of her. Her curves fit nicely against him, and his blood pumped faster at the thought of seeing all those curves the way they were meant to be seen.

She broke the kiss but didn’t back away. He took that as a good sign, that and the drugged look in her eyes.

“Hey, everybody!”

Skyler jerked back a step as her attention spun toward the stage. Her friend Elissa stood at the microphone.

“We’ve got a big birthday in the house tonight.”

“I’m going to kill her,” Skyler said under her breath.

He leaned close to her. “You said that already.”

She glanced up at him. “Well, this time I mean it.”

“We’ve got a special surprise for Skyler Harrington if she’s not too busy,” Elissa said, eliciting a few laughs from the crowd.

He chuckled, too, at the teasing look on Elissa’s face.

Skyler thumped the back of her hand against his upper arm. “Cut it out. You’re already on my list.”

“Depending on the list, I might want to be on it.”

Skyler’s fair skin betrayed her as a blush crept up from her neck to her cheeks.

“You’re even prettier when you blush.”

“Hush.” The way she said it with her gaze averted made him believe that she actually liked the compliment but didn’t want to admit it.

He’d never claim to be an expert on women, but he couldn’t help thinking that Skyler just might be worth the effort to learn more. She may try to hide it, but he got the feeling there was an entirely different Skyler Harrington simmering below the surface.

Movement at the edge of the stage turned out to be another woman carrying a birthday cake complete with lit candles.

“Okay, everybody together now,” Elissa said, then launched into a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday.”

Even as Skyler’s cheeks flamed redder, Logan joined in. Thank goodness it was a short song or Skyler might actually combust. As the song ended, everyone clapped and Skyler was urged to the stage. She walked as if she were heading to the gallows. He couldn’t decide if he wanted to laugh or wrap her in his arms and hurry her away from the crowd that was making her so uncomfortable.

Well, wasn’t that a gallant thought, so unlike him. He wasn’t a jerk when it came to women, but he’d never been a knight in shining armor either.

Gradually, the crowd filled in the space between him and Skyler as she accepted a piece of cake and was surrounded by her friends. After a couple of minutes, the music started up again and he made his way to the bar. He’d barely gotten his beer and turned around to see if he could spot Skyler in the throng when Verona stepped up next to him.

“You and Skyler seemed to be having a nice time,” she said.

“We were.”

“That’s good. She needs a night where she can loosen up a little.”

Logan didn’t respond beyond a grunt that indicated he’d heard her.

“You think you’ll be staying long?”

“Just till the rodeo’s done.”

“Oh, that’s too bad. Blue Falls is a nice place to settle down. You could ask Liam about that. He seems to like it.”

“I’m not much of the staying-in-one-place type, ma’am. Can’t make much money riding bulls if you don’t go where the bulls are.”

“I guess not.” Verona sounded as if he’d shot the air out of her very pretty balloon.

He glanced in her direction to find her scanning the crowd. He got the oddest feeling she’d stricken his name from a list and was already seeking out a new potential mate for Skyler. And damned if that didn’t make him angry.

Not for himself. What he’d told her was the truth. He was just annoyed on Skyler’s behalf. If she was the least bit like him, she didn’t like other people trying to carve out her life for her. Before he slipped and told a woman old enough to be his mother to mind her own business, he took another swig of his half-finished beer and set it on the counter behind him.

“If you’ll excuse me.” Before Verona could respond, he pushed his way into the crowd, intent on finding Skyler. The night was young, with plenty of time for more dancing and hopefully a few more kisses.

But by the time he made it to the middle of the dance floor, he noticed she was no longer near the stage. He searched the faces around him and finally spotted her heading out the front door as if the place was on fire.

Something told him he should let her go, that if he followed her, he would be getting in over his head. That thought was still repeating in his mind as his feet carried him toward the exit.

* * *

WHEN SKYLER STEPPED outside the music hall, she inhaled deeply and let it out slowly, what felt like the first true breath she’d taken since arriving. Between the crush of people, kissing Logan and then having every eye in the place turned toward her, she’d felt more and more of her breath stolen with each passing moment.

She still couldn’t believe she’d kissed Logan, someone she’d met only hours ago, right there in the middle of the dance floor. And it wasn’t just a peck either. It’d been a mind-melting, blow-her-shoes-off type of kiss. Whatever else she might say about Logan Bradshaw, the man could kiss. When his arms had pulled her close against his hard body, she’d wanted much more than kissing. Honestly, her body still hummed with that insane longing. For a crazy moment, she’d wished she was the type of carefree person who could indulge her yearnings without thinking it to death.

“Making a getaway before they spring another surprise on you?”

The sound of Logan’s voice sent a little extra jolt to that hum within her, kicking it up a notch.

She glanced toward where he stood leaning back against someone’s pickup truck. “That obvious, huh?”

He held up one hand with his thumb and forefinger nearly together. “A touch.”

“Did they send you out here to drag me back in?”

“Nope. I’m chasing you because I still intend to buy you that ice-cream cone.”

“I just had cake. The last thing I need is ice cream.”

“Don’t tell me you’re worried about your figure. Because from where I’m standing, you’re an entire ice-cream factory away from having to worry about it.”

Though it wouldn’t be visible out here in the half light of the parking lot, Skyler’s face heated at his compliment. Despite the fact that compliments probably rolled off his tongue easily because he had a lot of practice, there was a ring of truth behind his words. It might be a line, but it wasn’t a lie, at least not from his point of view. That made her stupidly happy.

Logan pushed away from the truck and walked slowly toward her. “Come on, you know you can’t resist the siren call of ice cream.”

Skyler laughed. “You’re used to getting whatever you want, aren’t you?”

Logan smiled, and it made her heart do a funny little flip.