Pistol Whipped (Love on Target Book 3) Read online

  The people of that town held his uncle in such high regard, that Logan knew that one-day, he wanted to be like his uncle. He wanted to do good things for people that would help them—sometimes so drastically—It would change their lives. He quickly learned from his uncle that sometimes making money wasn’t the main factor in helping people with their legal work—a huge contrast to his father today. His uncle would barter services with folks, having the local welder fix a corral on his property in exchange for filing documents to the state on the welder’s behalf. Every summer, for those short two weeks he’d spent with Uncle Chuck, Logan learned the value of friendship, the importance of community and the ethics of business – something he didn’t necessarily experience when he was inside Jack’s offices in the city.

  Every summer there was something Logan learned about the relationship his uncle had with the people of that town, which proved to Logan what the value was of being part of a close-knit community. It proved to him that a simple deed done by one single man, could change an entire person’s life and that is what he wanted to do. A lawyer like his uncle is who he wanted to be.

  He hadn’t competed in sports because he was too busy making sure his homework was above quality. He had been Valedictorian for their graduating class, and had taken part in various clubs and organizations, from National Honor Society in high school to serving on the Student Governing Board in college. All of his life, he did everything the best he could – anything below excellent was unacceptable. Not so much from his mother’s standpoint as his and his father’s. This is why it killed Jack that Logan was wasting his talents serving people in a small town. He could be moving on doing bigger and better things in Jack’s point of view.

  Hustle and bustle were not part of Logan’s repertoire. Blame that on Colorado maybe. Blame that on the jaded view he got visiting his Uncle Chuck. But enjoying Manhattan every summer was entirely different from enjoying it daily for the rest of your life.

  “Are you coming?” Gabriella brought him out of his daydream.

  “Let’s go.”

  Forced to find a spot along the street, the threesome made their way to Marilyn and Blake’s house. Located in the old downtown district of Windsor, it was a hundred-year-old home that had been updated with modernity. Walking up the steps to the front door, they were immediately greeted by a chocolate lab that found it his business to stick his nose in between their legs, looking for attention.

  “Why hello you. Aren’t you pretty?”

  “Their new dog?” Brandi asked. “What is it with domesticated people? They get married and boom,” she clapped her hands, “they’ve got to get an animal.”

  “I know. You know when you get married, you get sucked into that family life,” joked Gabriella. “Not that I know from experience,” she added quietly.

  Logan rolled his eyes. “I didn’t have a dog growing up.”

  “No, just the perfect family.” She stuck her tongue out at him.

  Logan shook his head. “Just get inside.” He nudged her butt with his hand.

  “I am. Quit pushing me.”

  “You guys! How are you? I am so glad you could make it. I know, it’s a little small in here but we’re all friendly so I told Blake it wouldn’t matter. Come in, come in. I see you met Chase. He’s our rescue dog we got from the shelter. Here, hugs! You both look fabulous!” Marilyn hugged the girls in one big bear hug.

  “Oh, wait for me!” Amber came barreling over, not one to miss the group hug.

  “What’s this? You guys didn’t have to bring anything. Oh, it looks delicious. I love Oreos.” Marilyn took the dish from Logan.

  “Women, right?” Logan shook Gage’s hand first, then Blake’s. “How you guys doing? Hey Blaze, I didn’t know you were back.”

  Blaze’s blondish-brown hair was the same as his twin’s, but his eyes were bright blue. The men shared the same muscular build, roughly the same height—Blaze might be a bit taller—and one could see the beginnings of a tattoo on Blaze’s left bicep. The last time Blaze was here, he was the best man for Blake and Marilyn’s wedding in December. He’d since gone back to Manhattan for his job as an armed bodyguard, working for a wealthy family by watching their two children. He and a few other men provided security services to a variety of causes. Sometimes people called Blaze’s company for security detail at parties or for international purposes when people went away on business.

  He trained hard and worked harder.

  “I didn’t know I would be back either, but I got injured and can’t do my job so now I’m here.” He shook Logan’s hand. “Nice to see you again.”

  “Same here. Although, I hope your injury wasn’t too severe.”

  “Nothing I can’t handle. Beer’s in the back, you need one?”

  Logan nodded in agreement and went to find a drink.

  “Any iced tea?”

  “What, drink too much beer lately?” Logan eyed Gabbie.

  “Haha, funny! As a matter of fact, yes I have, smartass. Ginger, do you want a beer or something else?”

  Brandi moved toward the kitchen. “I want a Margarita. Is that an option?” The three of them looked around the kitchen, sizing up what ingredients they saw on the counter tops. “Looks like a go. I can make it myself.”

  “Here’s a glass.”

  “Come on, Brandi. Here I slaved over hot coals to handcraft beer and you’re drinking this shit?” Blake allowed the refrigerator door to slam shut behind him as he headed out of the kitchen. He held a grill spatula in one hand and a Poudre Hops beer in the other.

  The girls laughed. “I had too much to drink recently and I guess Brandi doesn’t know a good thing when she see’s it.”

  “Please. Nothing beats Jose.”

  “I doubt you can drink much of that without falling flat on your ass.”

  Everyone in the kitchen turned to Blaze as he walked into the kitchen and leaned against the small table.

  The look on Brandi’s face was priceless. “Proves how little you know. I could probably drink your ass under the table with this.”

  Gage and Logan bellied up with laughter at Brandi’s comeback.

  “I doubt it. Little chicks like you pass out fast.”

  “Don’t instigate something you have no business following through on.” Brandi went from carefree to moody in an instant.

  “Okay, children, that’s enough. Grab your drinks, leave the bottle of Jose on the counter and let’s go out back.” Marilyn easily diffused the tension in the room with her gentle demeanor. “Gage, will you give me a hand? Amber, grab those plates would you please?”

  “Thank goodness for that save. Why do you two seem to have a problem with each other?” Gabriella whispered to Brandi.

  “I don’t know. He rubs me the wrong way.”

  “I can see that. But could you please mellow out, at least for the rest of this afternoon? It’s nice to have all of us here together. The last thing we need is you and Blaze pissing each other off.”

  “Fine. I will stay out of his way. But Gabbie, he better stay out of mine because I can’t promise what I might do if he doesn’t.” Brandi walked off.

  “What was that all about?” Logan snuck up behind her.

  Gabbie was still shaking her head. “I have no idea. They hardly even know each other. None of us really know Blaze at all—except for his brother.”

  “I don’t know. He seemed pretty vague about his injury. Do you know what’s up with that?”

  “I don’t. All I know is that he is still running his company in Manhattan. But he is moving back here and taking on some secret position. It will be interesting to see how he likes it here.” She grabbed onto Logan’s arm and squeezed it, sending awareness through his body.

  “You’re thinking that because of me?”

  “Yes.”

  “I haven’t made up my mind yet, Cinderella. There’s still plenty of time.”

  “I think you’ve made up your mind, you’re just not telling me. You’re wooing me by tak
ing me with you on your fancy trip and then you will let me down gently.”

  Logan’s gaze leveled on her, watching her golden flecks enlarge as her eyes stared back into eyes. What was she trying to tell him? Is there something he was missing? Did her proposition to have sex really have more to do with her having real feelings for him than just satisfying a simple craving?

  “Is this about the other night at my house? Is there more to that story than you’re letting on?”

  He saw the flick of her eyes quickly look away before looking back to him. “No,” she whispered. “I am legitimately scared to have sex with men.”

  Standing this close to her, her smell was imploding in his nostrils along with the smell of the charcoal grill. It was enough to almost give him a hard-on right there. The way she tilted her head and whispered the word ‘sex’ had him leaning in close enough to see the faint hint of purple lace underneath her blouse. With her hand still on his forearm, his other hand came up and touched the delicate skin of her neck, right above her blouse and the purple lace of her bra.

  Her skin was every bit of soft as it looked. He saw her breath catch in her throat as his fingertips grazed her succulent skin. His gaze traveled up her face, first to the lips he absolutely wanted to kiss again. He lingered there, recalling their kiss from that night. His eyes roamed past her nose and all of her freckles, up to her tiger-eyes.

  There was arousal in those eyes. There was also surprise. Before she could say anything, there was one thing he was dying to know. “What I don’t understand is why you aren’t afraid to have sex with me? Why did you ask me to sleep with you?”

  Chapter Thirteen

  It had been an awkward ride home when the three of them left the barbeque. Brandi complained non-stop about how rude Blaze had been to her. The funny thing was he had only been short with her. To Gabriella he had been charming. His personality hadn’t been stereotypical of the ‘strong and silent bodyguard’ at all. But for whatever reason, Brandi had his number.

  It had reminded her of Gage and Amber’s relationship. In the beginning, Gage hadn’t liked Amber because of a prior instance when they had met before. Every time they ran into each other, Gage had been an ass. But come to find out that had been because he had been fighting his attraction to her the moment she’d stepped into his office.

  Brandi had filled the quiet space in the truck with her banter about Blaze on the way home that night. Gabbie had stayed mostly quiet the entire ride home, having been able to only think of Logan’s fingertips trailing along her skin and his comment about sex. What had that meant? She couldn’t fathom what she must have asked him. Yep. Definitely had too many drinks that night. It was the only plausible explanation as to why he would make any type of comment about her asking him to sleep with her.

  She was embarrassed. She hadn’t wanted to look him in the eye.

  A few times on the way home she had silently watched him drive out of the corner of her eye. Twice, with her breath caught in her throat, she watched Logan turn his head in her direction and study her, but he had remained quiet. She didn’t dare turn her head and return his gaze.

  Sleeping with Logan.

  This was a whole new concept she hadn’t thought about before.

  She kept pushing her brain to the limit trying to find—trying to conjure up some tidbit of conversation about her asking Logan to sleep with her. With him in such close proximity to her—for God’s sake she could smell him—she’d had a difficult time wracking her brain for this particular conversation.

  It had been the night the chef had ditched her, and she had gotten drunk at his house. She knew it. It was the only thing that made sense.

  But obviously she didn’t remember, and so help her, she really wanted to remember. What a fool she must have sounded like. How could she have proposed such a ludicrous thought like that to her best friend? She was never going to drink again. This was going to ruin their friendship. How could she have done this to them? This was going to ruin their vacation. Oh, their vacation. What was she going to do about that?

  She replayed that moment over and over in her mind. Especially his scalding touch above her breast, and the way his eyes told her he was going to have his way with her, had her heart beating much too fast. Even now, the feel of his touch had her twitching in places that hadn’t twitched in some time.

  Plus, why was she feeling like that? She’d never entertained the idea of her and Logan being a couple, let alone sleeping together. They had been friends for so long, she’d said and done so many silly things in her lifetime—In front of him—that she couldn’t even fathom he would be impressed with her in any way.

  He was a great guy. He had a kind heart; he was a family man to his core, and he was a looker. Logan was hot, but even though she’d heard it countless times throughout her life, and agreed, she never thought beyond that. Never felt any attraction to him because he was good-looking…and he was her friend.

  Now, however, she wasn’t sure what was happening between them.

  The image of Logan sitting at her counter inside Lolita’s came to mind when she’d had on that lingerie. Her comfort level with him was such that she would never do that with Blake or Gage in the store. But when she caught his eye, there was no mistaking what he was thinking…or at least what she thought he was thinking.

  His heavy gaze left burn marks as it traveled up and down her body, paying extra attention to her behind and she hadn’t been able to deny the pull it had on her insides. However, she had chalked it up to the mood. After all, that is the effect she strived for and created in her store, wasn’t it? She wanted patrons to feel wanted, to feel good about themselves and to feel the anticipation of how their lingerie would affect the mood of certain personal situations.

  She had just caught a dose of her own doing. Now, after she swore she could still feel the heat imprint of Logan’s fingertips on her chest, she wasn’t so sure. What could she do? Nothing. This was a product of her doing and she was going to have to undo it. She and Logan where friends and she would never jeopardize their friendship for sex. Sex. There it was again. Tempting her like chocolate.

  Sex with Logan.

  The bittersweet, butterfly feeling was back in the pit of her stomach as she envisioned Logan’s hands caressing her body. How she would reach up and wrap her arms around his neck and force him to kiss her. He would have to bend his head to reach her lips due to his height and she would slip her tongue into his mouth—

  Lightbulb.

  Whoa, baby. I kissed him. She remembered—at least she could remember forcing him to kiss her. Yes, they were in his living room and what they were talking about was still a little foggy, but she remembered thinking how she could get one over on him, by just kissing him…how he wouldn’t expect it. Oh God. She was equally mortified and aroused at once.

  She kissed him.

  Most importantly, he had kissed her back. He wrapped his arms around her even…like he liked it. “Go to bed Gabriella.” Her heart was booming in her chest as she recalled his husky-firm voice ordering her to go to bed. Had she upset him because she was toying with him? Had she been?

  Argh, this was so frustrating. Drinking never did anyone any favors. She could attest to that right now. She conjured up what she knew and could remember from that evening, hoping she could piece-meal everything together.

  Yes, she had confessed she was afraid to have sex. Gabbie had had sex three times with exactly two men. It was a wonder how she ended up in the business that she did. The first and second times were with her then-boyfriend during the summer between graduation from high school and waiting for college to start in the fall.

  It had been one of the most awkward, quick things she had ever experienced but she had just wanted to get it over with. She didn’t want to be a virgin going into college. That short relationship was done before it had even started, and Gabriella was equally happy about being over it.

  The second and last guy she slept with had been a little more promis
ing. Jed had not only worked side-by-side with her for work-study her junior year in college but had been in three of her classes and there had been a quick attraction between them. They had casually dated for an entire year before they’d had sex.

  That had been as emotionally painful as the first time. It had been awkward and full of inexperience for both of them. Suffice to say, they had recovered enough to know that neither of them wanted to try the dirty deed again. They enjoyed each other’s company and slowly and quietly parted ways. No hard feelings. That was until she found out she was pregnant—eight weeks along—one month out of college.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Logan sat in his home office, adding some final touches to a few documents he had prepared for Gage. It was close to midnight and he would do anything at this point to keep his mind off Gabriella. Did she not remember her proposition to him? Clearly, she had been drunker than he’d originally thought. He hadn’t spoken to her since he’d dropped her and Brandi off the night of the barbeque, which told him she was surprised by his act of seduction. Frankly, he was happy to have this situation out in the open, albeit only slightly.

  Little Cinderella had been all he could think about lately.

  His dick couldn’t possibly be any more uncomfortable around her at this point. Shit he’d never noticed before was front and center tenfold now. Like how he’d never taken into account the way she swayed her ass and hips when she walked. Silly, right? That could be attributed to the fact that he’d never checked her out like a dog in heat as he had been lately. He never noticed how many of her outward signs—her low-cut blouses, her short-shorts when she wore them, the fact that she sold lingerie for a living—were all opposites of who she truly was. He didn’t know how many men she’d slept with, but he knew it hadn’t been very many.

  He couldn’t fathom having terrible enough sex to be frightened by it though. Even he’d had his share of bad sex. Who hadn’t? That didn’t stop him from pursuing the activity or seeking out better partners. Which brought him to Lucy. She’d left his house tonight, not long ago. She’d wanted to spend the night, but he told her it wasn’t a good idea because he had to get up early. Tonight, had been the first time he’d used her. He’d fucked her in the hopes it would make him forget about Gabriella.