Chapter 1

Colt sat up quickly on the side of his bed and wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. He slept in the raw, but still managed to sweat like he wore a fur coat. It was over that bloody dream! His eyes sought out the red glow of his digital clock and he cursed. It was only three in the morning. At least twice a night that god damn dream woke him up. It was no wonder he drank.

A noise came from the corner of the room and he shifted his gaze to his English Mastiff, Peter who was cocking his head staring at him in confusion.

“Same old shit, boy.” He said with a sigh and running his fingers through his hair.

Peter let out a huff and laid his head back on his massive paws while staring at him with dark brown eyes. He was used to this routine from his master and obviously accepted his explanation. There was nothing to worry about.

Colt shook his head at his dog. A dog that should be outside with the rest, but Peter was smarter than most and had managed to find a spot in Colton’s bedroom since he was a pup. Not even Colt could ignore those sagging pathetic eyes when they asked to stay. It didn’t help that at the time he was about eight weeks old and all paws making him completely adorable. Now he was three and fully grown. In fact he was huge. Hell, he probably weighed more than him.

Tossing the blankets back off his lap he got up and walked to the washroom while scratching the lower part of his abdomen below his belly button. He flicked on the light and stared at his reflection in the mirror noticing his bloodshot eyes. This wasn’t getting any better. The dreams used to wake him up once a week, then once a night, now it was at least twice. After he used the washroom, he splashed some cold water on his face he ran his fingers through his messy hair again and went back to bed. Something would have to be done about this or he was going to go crazy.

Sprawling his large naked form back on his mattress, he left the covers tossed aside and stacked his hands behind his head to stare at the ceiling. Why the hell did these dreams plague him? As far as he was concerned it was out of his hands, yet he felt guilty. Because of it, he’d spent too many nights screwing women he would never risk a relationship with. They all started looking the same, acting the same and feeling the same. It was getting old, and he was unhappy.

He cursed again and turned his head to look out the window. The moon shone through the parted curtains and illuminated part of the bed and his thick chest. Something wonderful about living out in the country is the beauty of the night skies. He wouldn’t trade it for the world—well there was maybe one thing, but that would have to be kept to himself.

The deep bellow of laughter reached her ears again. It was noisy in the bar but that table was quite rowdy tonight.

“Elaina, that large hunk of a cowboy is in your section again,” the slender blonde beside her said while turning around and leaning her elbows and back on the bar so she could appraise him with unrestrained admiration.

“Yeah, he’s hard to miss.” She said to Leslie, knowing that she was talking about the six foot four inch hunk of muscle that always showed up on the weekend. If it wasn’t his height that got your attention, it was his boyish looks adorned with a masculine dimpled smile, and dark blonde hair. Then there was his charm. Charm that didn’t work on Elaina. She had built up an immunity over it, at least that’s what she kept telling herself. Anyway it was more than likely he was there to aggravate her. She tossed a quick look over her shoulder at the rowdy group of men. Her eyes followed the same downward movement Leslie’s did, but it was brisker and no emotion showed on her face while she did it.

Leslie was the other barmaid she usually worked with. She was new to town so Elaina didn’t quite know what to make of her yet.

“How I would love a piece of that.” The other woman said enunciating every word slowly while guiding her eyes over his large muscular form.

“Get in line.” She mumbled, but wasn’t heard. Leslie was still involved with ogling Colton Hartley.

“I wonder if he’s single.” She grinned, “Not that it would stop me.”

Elaina looked back at Leslie and stopped herself from rolling her eyes. Not at Leslie herself, but the situation all together. It didn’t surprise her how she reacted to that particular customer, all women did. However, unlike herself, Leslie was new and didn’t know about Colt’s reputation with women, “Very.” She said knowing where this was going.

“That’s good news.” Leslie said focusing on the handsome cowboy again. “Look how he bulges in all the right places.” She licked her lips while moving her eyes down to the area of his jeans that indicated his gender, “Lord help me, does he ever.”

Oh, yuck, she thought to herself wishing some people would just keep their thoughts to themselves. “He’s always single. I’m warning you Leslie, he’s not into commitments.”

“I don’t care.” She said winking and tossing her shoulder length blonde hair flirtatiously while turning toward her, “Let me take their order to them. Please.” She fluttered her lashes flirtatiously.

“It’s all yours.” Elaina said pushing her tray full of drinks toward her gratefully. She’d already been there half a dozen times and every time it was the same thing. Colt tried to talk to her, and the one named Darcy tried to grab her bottom. She’d been able to evade both of them. She was pleasant as usual because she had to be for her job but she wasn’t going to fall all over herself like all the other women in here, including the four at the table that suddenly appeared as soon as Colton entered the building.

“I’ll owe you.” She said taking the tray and with an exaggerated sway of her hips headed toward the table. Leslie was nice to her so she tried not to judge her. She wore clothes that were way too tight, but it did bring in tips. Also her hair was bleached blonde, when she knew with her green eyes it would be nicer if she stayed a brunette which was indicated by the roots. Elaina on the other hand still made more tips than her even though she didn’t dress like Leslie.

Tonight she wore a knee length black skirt and pink blouse. Her ebony hair was pulled back in a pony tail which she purposely did so when some drunk cowboy spilled his drink on her, it wouldn’t get sticky. Washing stale beer out of your hair wasn’t a pleasant task neither was working with it all night. She’d done it more than once over the past six months since she started working here.

Leslie on the other hand, wore a tight white tank top and short denim skirt. She was slender so it sort of suited her, but Elaina could never bring herself to dress like that. She needed the tips too, but she had a sense of pride.

Elaina shook her head seeing Leslie bend over in front of Colt and display her already too revealing chest through her low cut top while she set the drinks on the table. He was interested as usual. It never ceased to amaze her why women went out of their way to impress men like Colton Hartley. He was such a rounder. She knew firsthand what he was capable of.

“You okay baby?” The bartender asked seeing her frown.

She pasted a false smile on her face and shook her head, “Fine Lenny, I’m just tired is all.” She wanted to ask him not to call her that pet name. It felt too intimate to her, and as far as she was concerned her boss didn’t know her on that level, but he seemed to use it more and more lately. She began to wonder if he was attracted to her in some way. That was too bad really, because she wasn’t interested in him. He was nice, and not homely or anything, but she really wasn’t interested in a relationship at this point in her life.

He nodded toward the group that Leslie was still flirting with, “She seems to have settled in well.”

Maybe too well. She thought to herself. Again she chastised herself for being judgmental. It wasn’t too long ago that she was that person trying to impress a good looking charismatic man, but never again. “We have a lot of friendly folks around here.” She answered absently.

He studied her expression for a few seconds before he spoke again. “Well as long as Colton doesn’t wreck the bar again, I don’t care what she does as long as it keeps the orders coming.” He said shaking his head, “That man is as volatile as hell when he drinks and gets riled.”

That was true, even though she didn’t say it out loud. She took her order and left.

Lenny was a big man, but not muscular like Colton, but he could also be quite intimidating to people who didn’t know him because of his size. He must be around six foot five, or six, where Colton was a few inches shorter than him. Yet if they both stood side by side, people would probably choose to fight Lenny over Colt. Unlike Len, Colt was used to fighting.

She remembered that someone that had gotten in a fight with him told her once that it was like getting struck with a sledgehammer. Then he didn’t remember a thing. Moreover, Colton had that look about him that said he welcomed a challenge and he would most likely win. It wasn’t just the fearlessness in his eyes. His whole physique was a warning. He was solid muscle. In contrast, Lenny would rather reason with someone before he knocked their teeth out. It probably had something to do with the bar. Sal’s Country and Western Stopover was actually his father’s place and Lenny inherited it when he died so he wasn’t about to wreck his livelihood.

Unfortunately, Colton had no problem with destroying the establishment. He was wealthy and always gave the proprietor more than what the damage was worth. Then to top it off, Lance, his older brother was a lawyer, and a damn good one. He could just about talk anyone out of a lawsuit which came in handy many times for Colt.

Her eyes went back to Len. It was odd that he’d not only own a country western bar being the son of a Sicilian immigrant, but that he didn’t even drink, but he said time and time again, that it was a living.

Elaina didn’t drink either. She had a bad experience when she was nineteen because of it. It was something she never told anyone. Not even her mother who was the closest to her heart. Furthermore, she didn’t have any brothers or sisters, and besides a few close friends, she was pretty much a loner.

“So let me ask you something.” Lenny said when she returned to the bar to fill another order.

She shook her head and told him what the order was instead.

He chuckled and started to pour drinks, “You don’t even know what I was going to say.”

“I do so.” She said giving him a slight smile as she took the bourbon and the two beers he put on the counter. She lifted her tray on her hand and turned to leave, paused and looked back at Lenny, “you were going to ask me why I don’t fall all over myself for Colton Hartley. I don’t because I have more self respect than to endure a one night stand that will get me nowhere. As you already know, I don’t have time in my life even if it worked out because of my mother. And lastly, what makes you think he’d fall for me? He has his pick.” She said before she turned away.