Come Closer, Cowboy. Debbi Rawlins

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СКАЧАТЬ were making their way through the crowd, lingering here and there, when someone stopped to chat with Ben or Grace. But Gunner, from the second his eyes found hers, hadn’t looked away once. He just kept staring, his mouth curved in a tight smile that lowered her body temperature by ten degrees.

      He needed a haircut and he clearly hadn’t shaved in several days. His face looked darker, from weeks in the hot Argentinian sun. Or from anger, maybe.

      Goddamn Ben. Why hadn’t he said anything to her?

      She pretended to mess with the blender, using it as an excuse to stare down while she struggled for composure.

      “Excuse me? May I get some quarters?” It was the same blonde who’d started the run on frozen margaritas. She laid a five on the bar. “For the jukebox.”

      Quarters. Mallory dried her unsteady hands. She had a tin of them somewhere. The hell with it. She opened the register and dug out some coins. “Here you go,” she said, stacking them on the five-dollar bill. “Keep your money.”

      “Really? Thanks.” The woman scooped them into her palm, then turned and bumped into Gunner. “Oh,” she said, tilting her head back to look up at him. “Hello.”

      Without a word, he stepped back to give her more room, his gaze remaining locked on Mallory.

      “Go ahead. You can have him, too,” Mallory said, as they played the staring game.

      The blonde giggled. Gave a breathless sigh. Did the hair toss. Moistened her lips.

      Yep, Gunner Ellison was in the house.

      Of course Ben had always received his fair share of female attention, as well. But Grace carried a gun so it probably wasn’t much of a problem in Blackfoot Falls.

      After an awkward silence, the woman slipped away. Ben and Grace left a couple who’d stopped them and were headed for the bar.

      Tension cramped Mallory’s neck and shoulders, but she refused to break eye contact with Gunner.

      Jesus, one of them had to say something.

      “What a surprise seeing you here,” she said finally, just as Grace slid onto a barstool at the end of the bar.

      “I’m sure it is.” His cool assessment didn’t waver. Oh, he was pissed, all right.

      “Hey.” Mallory turned to smile at Grace. And then Ben when he came up behind Grace and put his hands on her shoulders. Even though he was a traitor and they’d have words later. No. He couldn’t have known.

      “Wow, you’re busy,” Grace said. “Please. Just ignore us.”

      “She will.” Gunner leaned an elbow on the bar and gave her a lazy smile. “Mallory’s good at that.”

      “I need drinks over here,” Elaine called out from the tap at the other end, her patience clearly slipping.

      “Sorry.” Mallory hurried over, embarrassed to see the waitress busting ass filling mugs and pitchers, and scooping up glasses of ice. Mallory glanced at the first two drink tickets and grabbed bottles of tequila and rum from the shelf.

      Dammit, she’d planned to ask for Ben’s help, though she wouldn’t now. Better he keep his guest busy and away from her.

      She poured two shots, head bent, letting loose strands of hair hide part of her face before she slid a look down the bar.

      Gunner wasn’t there.

      Where the hell—?

      “Move over.” His rough palm on her arm made her jump. “I’ll get the mixed drinks.”

      “No, thanks,” she said, refusing to budge. “We’re fine.”

      Elaine turned her awestruck look from Gunner to glare at Mallory. The message was clear—Accept his offer or I’ll kill you in your sleep.

      “Fine.” Mallory barely got the word out before he’d put his hands on her hips and moved her over a foot.

      He set the drink tickets in a row so he could easily read them, lined up glasses, for both cocktails and shots, dispensed ice cubes in one fluid motion, then went to work pouring and mixing.

      As soon as Elaine left with her loaded tray, Mallory took over the tap. She told herself that standing near him was nothing. How many times had he helped her on busy nights at the Renegade? Fifty? Sixty times? Probably more.

      Except, back then, they hadn’t had sex yet. She hadn’t known the hot, bone-melting feel of his mouth on hers, or experienced the sweet rough texture of his tongue as he licked a path to her breasts.

      And then making her wait. And wait. Her tightened nipple aching so badly she’d thought she would go crazy before he finally sucked it into his mouth.

      After that he’d kind of lost it, too, impatiently stripping off her panties then lowering his mouth...

      Mallory shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She exchanged a filled mug for an empty one and pressed an ice cube to her throat. “It’s hot in here,” she muttered.

      He gave her a faintly mocking smile.

      “Shut up, Gunner. I mean it.”

      Beer foamed over the mug’s rim and spilled onto her hand. It took two tries for her to shut off the tap. She swallowed a string of curses as she grabbed a clean rag and mopped up.

      “Excuse me.” A pretty redhead was looking at Gunner. “What nights will the band play?”

      “Ask the boss,” he said, nodding at Mallory.

      “I haven’t found one yet, and the stage needs more work. But I’m hoping to have live music soon.”

      “Thanks.” The redhead didn’t care. She’d only wanted an excuse to talk to Gunner.

      It was a familiar scenario. Women were always drawn to him. Mallory hated that she cared.

      “You have dartboards in the back, but I don’t see any darts.” Again, the woman addressed Gunner, then leaned over the bar for a look. “Do you have some back there?”

      Mallory doubted she’d find them behind Gunner’s fly.

      He kept pouring drinks but glanced at Mallory. “Sweetheart, where are the darts?”

      She sucked in a breath. “Right here,” she said, and stooped to open a lower cabinet. He’d never called her that before, and she didn’t know what game he was playing. She straightened and handed over the box of darts. “Sorry about that.”

      A look of disappointment on the other woman’s face cheered Mallory, making her twice the fool. If Gunner had intended to mislead the redhead, it was only because he wasn’t interested. Or he had his eye on someone else.

      Mallory glanced around the room. Lots of pretty women had turned out, mostly in pairs or groups. And now some of them were starting to line up at the bar to get their drinks directly СКАЧАТЬ