Shackled by the Cowboy Drifter

Author:Jan Bowles [Bowles, Jan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Erotic, Adult, Cowboy
ISBN: 9781606019733
Google: P9Yj8dE9KecC
Goodreads: 8889584
Publisher: Siren-BookStrand
Published: 2010-09-08T12:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

They arrived by mid-evening. He parked the pickup outside the accommodation he’d just paid for, and they went inside.

The log cabin was tastefully furnished with a couple of armchairs and one large sofa. In the corner, a stone chimney breast housed a small wood-burning stove. A queen-sized bed dominated the bedroom with its ornate headboard, and several pieces of wooden furniture were scattered haphazardly around. Cozy came to mind.

They dumped their possessions in the bedroom, and she watched as Zack removed his gun from the waistband of his jeans. She guessed he kept it close at hand in case of unwanted visitors. Fact was the gun turned her on, almost as much as he did. When she’d seen it in her bedroom, it conjured up all sorts of images. It symbolized him like nothing else could. It meant power and decisiveness. Then she’d asked him if he’d killed anyone. His lack of a reply had given her the answer. Asking him to keep quiet about it had been her way of denial. If he didn’t say it out loud, then it wouldn’t be true, would it?

The mountain air was cooler, and he went and lit a fire in the wood burner, drawing the sofa closer to enjoy the warmth of the roaring flames.

“Now this is what I miss, a genuine fire in the grate.”

“Do you have anywhere you can call home, now that you’ve sold your house?” she asked, snuggling into his masculine warmth as the flames began to grow bolder.

“No, mainly motel rooms.”

“It must be a lonely existence.”

His gaze flicked to hers. “It is, Ash.”

She knew most of his loneliness came from his inability to move forward after his whole family had died. He could only move on if he let go of the past.

He poured himself a bourbon and then handed her a glass of wine. He lay back on the sofa and stared at the flames. “This is heaven.” When he closed his eyes, she knew he hadn’t allowed himself to relax in a very long time.

She snuggled into him, and he put his arm around her shoulder. “God, it sure feels good, just to let go once in a while. Are you glad you came?”

She nodded. “Beats working at that sleazy diner.”

“Yeah, it sure does. I can honestly say that was the worst breakfast I’ve ever eaten.”

Ash giggled. “Ron’s not known for his culinary skills. It’s what us folks in Britain would call a greasy spoon café.”

He laughed. “Greasy spoon. Kinda conjures up the right image, don’t it?”

Ash sipped at her wine, wondering if she would break the relaxed atmosphere between them if she asked her question. She decided to go ahead anyway. “Do you have any pictures of your family?” She immediately felt him stiffen beside her.

“Yes, but I prefer not to look at them, Ash.”

She touched his arm, and he turned toward her. At that moment, with his defenses down, she saw the burden of his loss still weighing heavily on him.

As he breathed in, he explained, “I haven’t looked at them in a long time.

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