Pistol Whipped - Ashley Bostock Page 0,22
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 taking 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