A Real Cowboy Always Protects by Stephanie Rowe

Chapter Fifteen

Logan Stockton wasdangerous in all sorts of ways.

Skylar leaned back in her seat, hiding behind her sunglasses as she watched Logan show his brother Maddox the "best" way to grill hot dogs.

Logan had been so tense at the start of the brunch, but Chase had suddenly appeared and dragged him to the patio to help grill with his brothers. Once he'd gotten the grill tools in his hand, Logan had become more relaxed. Still tense. Still watching her all the time. Still keeping a distance from his family. But she could tell how much he loved being with his brothers.

How could he deprive himself of a life and a family he so clearly loved? She didn't understand. She would give anything to have her family back together again.

His laugh was deep and beautiful, making her want to laugh along with him.

And his kiss…she could still feel his lips on hers.

She wanted more. Of the kiss. Of his smile. Of the secrets he kept locked away so deeply.

"If that isn't a look of pure yearning, I don't know what is." Mira suddenly appeared and sat down next to her. "Logan's a sexy devil, isn't he?"

Skylar felt her cheeks heat up, embarrassed to be caught ogling Logan. "That he is."

Mira leaned forward and rested her chin on her hands, her eyes dancing. "Any woman who gets to take a Stockton to bed is one lucky gal. Welcome to the exclusive Great Sex for Life Club."

"Right?" Another woman plunked herself down. Her blue eyes were sparkling with mischief. "I'm Taylor, Zane's wife. The first time I met Zane, he climbed naked into my bed. Scared the shit out of me, but also, let's be honest, a gift from heaven, right?"

Skylar raised her brows. "He climbed naked into your bed?"

"He still maintains he didn't know I was in the bed at the time, but I find that hard to believe." She winked. "The man still can't keep his hands off me, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"So, tell us, Skylar." Yet another woman pulled up a chair. Skylar was pretty sure her name was Erin, and she was married to Steen. She was wearing cute pink shorts and a sweatshirt with the words "Spread Love" across the chest. "Did you know he was the man for you instantly, or did it take time?"

Skylar looked around at the table full of women, all staring at her expectantly. They were all so nice and welcoming. She loved them all already. Go with it, Skylar.

She took a deep breath and decided to stick with the truth. "Well, I think it was from the first moment I saw him. It was the day I moved in. I was standing in the hall, trying to get my key to work in the lock, and he walked out of his condo, which was right across the hall."

All the women leaned forward. "Was he shirtless?" Mira asked. "Shirtless always works with the Stocktons."

She shook her head. "He was heading out to catch a flight. He smiled at me, and introduced himself. He had the most beautiful voice with this hint of western drawl." She paused, remembering that moment. "He had kindness in his eyes. He looked at me with kindness. I was so desperate for kindness that I almost started crying right then. He said to knock if I ever needed anything, no matter what time of day. If he was home, he'd help."

The women nodded in unison. "That's how the Stocktons are," Mira said. "They have the hugest hearts."

"I could tell." Skylar looked around at the table. "I could tell he meant it, and that felt like the greatest gift anyone had ever given me. That little moment gave me the hope not to give up. I held onto that exchange in my darkest moments, as proof that there was goodness in this world, in my life."

The women collectively sighed, and Mira's gaze flicked behind Skylar. "Did she ever tell you that, Logan?"

Heat flared in Skylar's cheeks, and she spun around. Logan was standing behind her, a plate of hot dogs in his hand, a look of absolute surprise on his face. "No." His gaze quickly scanned the table. He nodded a hello at everyone, then he focused on Skylar again. "I had no idea."

Skylar shrugged, embarrassed. "I didn't know you then. It would have been stalkerish to tell you." She barely knew him now. It still felt stalkerish to tell him, but hey, if a girl couldn't stalk her own fake fiancé, then who could she stalk?

"Do you remember that moment, Logan?" Mira asked.

Skylar felt like sinking into her chair. Of course he wouldn't remember. She hadn't showered in three days. She'd been a wreck emotionally. Barely coherent.

"I do." His voice was low and rough as he set the food down. "You were wearing those light blue leggings with the rainbows on them, and that gray sweatshirt with the frayed cuffs. Your eyes were this gorgeous, stark blue, huge and scared. Your hair was in that crooked ponytail, and I wanted to reach over and tug it straight. Not to fix it, but just to see if it was as soft as it looked."

Skylar stared at him in shock. She had been wearing that outfit. It had always been her comfort outfit, and she'd needed it that day. "You remember?"

"Yeah." He leaned on the back of her chair. "I remember every conversation we've had," he said. "The day you got promoted to senior associate and you were dancing in the mailroom? The song was Live Like Sunshine. The anniversary of your dad's death, when you were crying in the elevator? March 14. The time your mom sent you those huge tomatoes from her garden? Her own variety of Chocolate Stripe. I picked some up a few weeks later to see what they tasted like."

Skylar was wordless, stunned into silence.

The other women were silent too, everyone staring at Logan.

He looked around the table, and then his cheeks flushed. "So yeah, I guess we were both stalkerish," he muttered.

"No." Mira smacked her palms on the table, making everyone jump. "It's not stalkerish. It just means that the two of you felt that connection from the first moment. We can't help what our heart sees and remembers, sometimes before our mind catches up. I think it's incredibly romantic." She elbowed Taylor. "Isn't it romantic?"

Taylor cleared her throat, as if she'd been caught in a daze. "Hell, that's not just romantic. That's heart-melting." She looked back and forth between them. "You guys were meant to find each other. It's so obvious."

"Definitely obvious," Erin said.

"Completely obvious," Mira agreed. "Right, Logan?"

He was looking down at Skylar, his dark brown eyes focused on her, and her alone. "Obvious." His voice was husky, that same tone he'd had before he kissed her earlier.

Erin started banging her fork against a glass that was on the table. "Kiss her!"

Embarrassment flooded Skylar. "This isn't a wedding—"

"You're engaged, so it's close enough!" Erin continued to make the glass ring. "Kiss her, Logan!"

Mira immediately grabbed a knife and started tapping it against Erin's glass, too. "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" she started chanting.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" Taylor picked up a spoon and start dinging it against the crystal. She was joined by a few adults at the next table, and then Chase started tapping the barbeque tongs against the grill. Louder and louder, and people were all chanting for them to kiss. Even children's voices were raised with glee.

Logan raised his brows in apology, but he was smiling now. "I told you, my family's different." He held out his hand. "They won't stop until we satisfy them."

Her heart pounding, Skylar set her hand in his, and let him tug her to her feet. He slid his arms around her waist, amusement flickering in his eyes. "My family is a bunch of sex addicts. We need to make this good."

Oh, God."You're kidding, right?"

"I never joke about sex." But he chuckled as he pulled her against him, leaned in, and kissed her.

Her stomach jumped the moment their lips touched, and need roared to life inside her. She wrapped her hands around his biceps, kissing him back. He deepened the kiss almost immediately, a perfect, sensual, delicious seduction that made her want to crawl into his arms and never leave.

His kiss was tender and scorching at the same time. The way his arms locked around her, holding her against him like he was her protector was insanely hot and deliciously addicting. He tasted like mint and temptation, and he kissed her like she was the only woman on earth he ever wanted to kiss again.

Gradually, the sounds of cheering broke through the haze of his kiss, and she realized that his entire family was hooting and hollering. How long had they been kissing?

She pulled back, but Logan's arms tightened around her for a split second before he swore under his breath and released her. She stepped back, embarrassed to have gotten so caught up in a kiss that was supposed to be fake.

And then she saw the expression on Logan's face. Pure intensity. Raw desire. Unstated passion. He clearly wanted more. Not for show. For real.

Her heart started to pound. "I can't," she whispered.

He let out his breath, and replaced the need on his face with a reassuring smile. "It's okay, Skylar. I won't take it further." He held out his hand to her as everyone continued to cheer. "Come."

Reluctantly, she put her hand in his, her breath catching when his strong hand closed around hers. He tugged her against him, and draped his arm over her shoulder as he turned them to face his family, making sure to tuck her protectively against his side. He raised his hand in a wave and bowed, making people burst out in more cheers and laughter.

"How is he, Skylar?" One of his brothers yelled. "Worth keeping?"

Heat flared in Skylar's cheeks, but she nodded. "Gold star," she announced. "Definite keeper."

Everyone cheered, and laughter fueled the air as people returned to their conversations.

Skylar let out her breath as people turned away. Logan's body was hard and tempting against her side. Too tempting. Too good.

Mira folded her arms across her chest and leaned back in her seat, beaming at them. "Now, that was a kiss."

Skylar nodded. "It was." On so many levels.

"I think we should ask for another one," Taylor said, holding up her fork. "What do you guys think?"

Oh, God. Not another one.

Logan bent his head, his breath warm against her neck. "You okay?" he whispered.

She nodded, watching as more of his family started to head toward them, mischief evident on their faces. "Maybe we can step away for a few?"

He nodded. "How about I show you the horses?"

"Perfect."

"Let's do it." He took her hand and nodded at the table. "I'm going to sneak my girl off to the barn for a little privacy. We'll be back in a few."

Mira's smile widened. "You do that. We'll be here." She winked. "We'll make sure the kids stay here so they don't walk into anything untoward."

Skylar groaned inwardly. "We're not going to have sex in the barn."

"Don't knock it 'til you've tried it, baby," Erin said with a grin. "It's a little tricky now with all the kids around, though. The campers are working on the Fourth of July float in the indoor arena, so keep your clothes on around there."

Before Skylar could protest, Logan tugged her away. "We won't traumatize any of the kids, I promise. Be back shortly." He got her away from the table. "Now, run," he whispered. "Before they stop us."

Skylar started giggling as he broke into a jog, tugging her with him. "They're going to think we're sex obsessed."

"Which is perfect. What else do newly engaged people do, but have sex?"

"In barns with a dozen kids around?" She couldn’t help but laugh as they jogged out of the yard and around the side of the house. "They weren't serious, were they?"

"I don't know. I don't spend that much time around all these married people." He looked over at her. "But if we were actually engaged, I'd definitely be wanting to get you naked as often as possible."

Her jaw dropped. "Logan!"

He had the grace to look appalled. "Sorry. I didn't mean to say that out loud."

"Did you mean it?" The question burst out before she could stop it, and she grimaced, afraid of the answer. Afraid he'd say yes. Afraid he'd say no.

He glanced over at her as they continued to jog. "I'm not sure you want to ask me that when I'm fresh off a kiss with you."

That was a yes.

Definitely a yes.