Free Cowboy Truth: Cowboy Justice Association #3 by Olivia Jaymes

breathe. He rested his chin on the top of her head and she could feel the heavy thud of his heart under her ear, slow and steady.
    When the song ended, he stepped back and gave her an easy smile, totally unaffected by their nearness. She felt like a complete idiot. Logan had women throwing themselves at him all the time. One dance wouldn’t send him over the edge. She, on the other hand, hadn’t been close to a man in six months. That was a long time to go without touching, really touching, another human being.
    “How about a beer?” Logan nodded toward the bar.
    She shook her head. “I don’t drink all that much, but I could use a soda or something.”
    He led her off the dance floor and leaned against the oak bar laughing with the bartender. She’d regained her balance luckily. This wasn’t about Logan specifically. She’d been too long between dates and a woman was bound to be affected when close to one this good looking. It was simply a physical reaction. Logan was still not her type, and she wasn’t going to get involved with him.
    They’d danced. She’d liked it. Big deal.
    “How am I doing so far?” she asked when he handed her a soda.
    He frowned. “So far? What do you mean?”
    “You know, helping you with Christina? How am I doing? She really seems to like you. I feel a little guilty.”
    His expression cleared. “You’re helping. I’ve been avoiding hanging out with my friends because she’s always here too. I don’t want to hurt her feelings but I need to send her a message.”
    “That you’re not available,” Ava stated, sipping the cool liquid. The roadhouse was warm or maybe it had just been the dance floor.
    “Exactly,” Logan agreed. “Jack really likes her and I think if she gave him a chance she’d forget all about me.”
    Ava’s gaze wandered to where Christina and Jack were still dancing. He was looking down at her with unabashed adoration. Christina was trying to look over his shoulder at Logan. It was a sad situation.
    “I bet she’s the type that likes emotionally unavailable bad boys. If you were more mainstream she’d probably lose interest.”
    Logan took a swig of his beer and grinned. “You mean if I sold my bike, bought a minivan, and spent Saturday nights with my coin collection she’d forget all about me?”
    “You have a coin collection?” Ava snorted.
    Logan laughed and he leaned his elbow on the bar. “I’m just your typical Renaissance man. I have many interests. Coin collecting is just one. I also brew my own beer and play the guitar in a treehouse I built myself.”
    “You built your own treehouse?” This wasn’t what she’d expected from this man.
    “I certainly did. It’s a nice one too. I go there when I need quiet. I play my guitar and think. No cell phones allowed. What about you?”
    “I write.”
    She sounded completely boring. Which she was. She liked to stay home and write.
    “What do you do for fun?”
    She shifted on her feet, uncomfortable with this line of questioning.
    “I write. Writing is fun for me.”
    Instead of teasing her, he simply nodded. “It’s good that you enjoy your work that much. I love what I do too, but it can be stressful. I have to find ways to unwind.”
    “I like to cook. And I like to read.”
    She sounded like somebody’s grandmother.
    “I like to eat so if you get a hankering to cook, let me know. I like to read too. Mostly thrillers and true crime.”
    They talked about books and authors while they finished their drinks. It turned out they had similar reading taste. He’d even offered to let her borrow the latest release from one of her favorites.
    “I only read on my e-reader now.” She shook her head. “But thank you for the offer.”
    “I need to get one of those but I haven’t gotten around to it. I still buy regular books.” Logan slapped his empty beer bottle down on the bar. “Are you done? How about another dance?”
    Her mind wanted to refuse but her body was firmly in charge. She