Come Closer, Cowboy

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“I didn’t mean to,” she said, her expression sad. “I thought the separation might do us some good—”

“Why?”

Her eyes narrowed. “I think you know why.”

“We had sex, Mallory. Lots of friends do. It didn’t mean anything.” Gunner thought he saw her flinch. He could’ve phrased that better. “Okay, maybe it was stupid. You were worried about losing the Renegade. I was worried about you... We were both a little drunk. Are we going to let a brief lapse in judgment ruin our friendship?”

She stared down at her soda. “Well, we can’t very well undo it, can we?”

“No, but we can move past—” A sickening thought occurred to him, one he hadn’t considered before now. “Do you think I took advantage of you?”

Her eyes widened. “No.”

“I didn’t think you were that drunk.”

“I wasn’t... I—” She sighed. “That never even crossed my mind. Jesus. It goes both ways. Do you think I took advantage of you?”

Gunner chuckled. “Yeah, and I hated every minute of it.”

She didn’t crack a smile. Just muttered a curse when she spilled some soda.

“We can’t fix this if you won’t talk to me,” he said, watching her scrub the bar as if her life depended on stripping off the varnish.

“Talk? You’d rather go to the ER.”

Not completely true. He’d told her a few things he hadn’t admitted to anyone else. “This is different,” he said, and she finally looked at him again. “Our friendship is on the line.”

A slight smile lifted the corners of her lips. “I live here now. You’ll find another bar in Valencia or Hollywood. This thing between us—this friendship—is bound to fizzle out. You know that as well as I do.”

Gunner felt as if she’d stuck a knife in his chest. Guess he sucked at being a friend because that’s not how he saw it. “Yep. You’re right.” He glanced at his watch. He was supposed to meet Ben in two hours.

“I was embarrassed,” Mallory said softly. “That’s why I stopped returning your calls.” She’d quit attacking the varnish but she still had trouble meeting his eyes.

“Embarrassed? With me?”

“Yes you,” she said, slowly shaking her head. “Especially you. Of all the guys I could’ve...” Pressing her lips together, she looked away.

“Go on,” Gunner said. “Could’ve what?”

“Messed up with.”

He didn’t get it. “Look, if you’re waiting for me to say I regret what happened, you can forget it. We had sex...pretty damn great sex as I recall.” He watched her nibble her lower lip and his body tensed. “The truth is, I wanted you,” he said. “I still want you.”

Mallory’s mouth opened and closed without her making a sound. She just stared at him, and damned if he could tell what she was thinking.

“But if you feel sex and friendship can’t mix, then...” He cleared his throat. “We’ll stay friends, while I lick my wounds in private.”

She smiled.

“I’m glad my suffering can bring you some amusement.”

“Ah. Poor Gunner.” She dropped the towel on the bar and walked around to join him.

His heart started pounding...until she strolled right past him. He turned to see where she was going and noticed a guy peering in the window and pointing to the door. Mallory opened it just enough to tell him to come back at six.

Seeing her in her old jeans with the tear just above her right knee filled Gunner with an odd sort of relief. “No daytime hours?”

“Not for now. Maybe later, but only on weekends. I’ll check with Sadie to see what she thinks. She used to open at four before she became mayor.”

Just as Mallory was about to slip behind the bar, he caught her arm.

She stared at his hand, then into his eyes.

“Friends, right?”

“Yes.” She nodded warily. “Friends.”

“With or without sex?”

She just sighed and looked at him as if he had the attention span of a five-year-old.

Gunner smiled. “Okay,” he said, releasing her arm and offering his hand. “No sex.”

Her suspicious look might’ve been insulting if it hadn’t been warranted. The second she grasped his hand he tugged her into his arms. He felt her stiffen when he brushed a kiss across her mouth. A second later she relaxed and moved her hands to his shoulders, then slid her fingers into his hair.

She felt so good against him, warm and soft and real. He’d imagined this every night he’d been stuck in Argentina. Every night except one. After the sixth day of unreturned calls, he’d gotten stinking drunk and blotted out the world. And paid for it the next day.

Mallory stirred in his arms and parted her lips. Their tongues touched. A soft helpless moan came from the back of her throat, lighting a fire in his belly that tested his self-control.

Mallory moved against him. All her sweet womanly curves hit him in all the right places. If he got any harder he was going to explode.

A firm shove to the chest sent him back a step. He lowered his arms to his side and met her dark green eyes.

“What’s wrong with you?” She glared back. “We just agreed to be friends, no sex.”

“Kissing isn’t sex.”

She was breathing hard, her breasts rising and falling. Gunner tried not to stare. Or think about the velvety texture of her skin. Or how sweet she’d tasted.

God, he wanted her.

“Mallory...”

“Don’t say another word.” She patted her pockets, glanced around until she found her keys behind the bar. “You need to leave. I have things to do.”

“I can help you move.”

“No.” She rushed past him and unlocked the door. “Thank you.”

Trust him to ruin things. He grabbed his Stetson off the bar and set it on his head. “Have I totally screwed up?”

With a warning glare, she held the door open. “No. But you probably should leave before you do.”

“Copy that,” he said, and walked out without looking back.

* * *

GUNNER HAD ARRIVED late yesterday afternoon and hadn’t seen much of Ben’s ranch yet. But it was clear a lot of hard work had gone into the Silver Spur even before Gunner had gotten the lowdown from the kid hired to help feed and water the animals and do odd jobs.

While Ben wrapped up a business call, Gunner waited outside the small barn office and talked to the boy. Billy, with his friendly face and jug ears, looked to be about seventeen and took pride in his work. Bales of hay were stacked in two corners, an entire wall of orderly tack looked well-maintained and he’d been cleaning saddles while he described the poor condition of the ranch before Ben had bought it.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Ben closed the office door behind him.

Gunner saw the frustration in his face. “If this is a bad time I can get lost for a while.”

“No. Now’s good.” Ben plowed a hand through his long dark hair and tugged on his hat. “Man, I hate turning down business.”

“Better than burning yourself out or doing a half-assed job. You don’t need that kind of rep in Hollywood.”

“True.” Ben glanced at the boy. “I might be out of service for a while. We’re heading to the north pasture.”

Billy jumped to his feet and almost tripped over his stool. “You want me to saddle the horses?”

Ben hesitated. “Sure. But take your time. I’m showing Gunner around here first.”

Gunner followed Ben’s lead and moved to the barn’s entrance. Staying out of the blazing sun, they watched the long, lanky kid head for the stables.

“He seems like a good worker.”

“Yep.” Ben nodded. “But a little accident-prone. I know it kills him that I don’t let him work with the horses.”

“Maybe he’ll grow out of it.” Gunner shrugged. “I was on the clumsy side in my teens.”

Ben eyed him. “You serious?”

“And hungry enough to get over it.”

With a faint smile, Ben nodded. He’d also lived on the streets as a kid and understood what it took to get enough food in your belly. In order to survive, Gunner had learned how to steal and not get caught. Making restitution later had helped, but he hated remembering those bleak days.

Ben turned and glanced around the inside of the barn. “The loft has been reinforced. And I had the worse half of the roof repaired but the whole thing needs new shingles. That’s coming from the walls,” he said, gesturing to the cracks of sunlight that streaked the shadows. “I’m still working on that, but so far it’s stayed fairly dry in here.”

“I’m pretty good with a hammer,” Gunner said. “I can work on it tomorrow.”

“I thought you’d be helping Mallory move into her new place.”

“Who told you that?”

“Grace.” Ben laughed. “Who else?”

“Well, then she knows more than I do.”

“Grace saw her parking the U-Haul in front of the house she rented. It’s just off Main.” Ben frowned. “Grace offered our help, but Mallory said she had it covered. I figured that was you.”

“I saw her at the bar earlier,” Gunner said evenly, hoping Ben wouldn’t ask any questions. “She had something going on so we’re supposed to talk later.”

“I meant to ask, how long are you staying?”

“A week. Ten days maybe.” It had a lot to do with Mallory. “Unless you kick me out sooner.”

“Not if you’re fixing my barn, I won’t.”

Gunner smiled and moved toward the entrance. “The stable looks new.”

“It is. That’s where I’ve sunk the most money so far,” Ben said as they walked out under the hot July sun. “The place was a steal but I knew it would take a lot of work. It came with some equipment, though again, none of it in great shape, but good enough to float me for a couple of years.”