Page 117 of Last Chance Cowboy
“Well, I love this. For him and for you.”
“It’s not anything.” Marlowe was looking at her, and Cara didn’t look toward Marlowe. “I mean, we’re just… we’re having sex. That’s all.”
“Oh,” Lila said. “Wow. I mean, I guess he is kind of brooding and stuff.”
Lila looked like she didn’t quite know what to contribute to that part of the conversation, and Cara sure as hell didn’t know what to say to keep the conversation going. She also had no idea what fancy thing Zane could possibly be planning. He didn’t like people. He didn’t like doing things. What the hell was he planning?
Marlowe swept them both into a beautiful boutique that was all pastels and whimsical creatures.
Strawberries and woodland animals, and delicate plaid. There was also a rack with special occasion dresses. It was exactly the kind of store that was made for Cara, and if she weren’t so preoccupied with what she was supposed to be getting a dress for, she probably would have spent more time looking at everything else, because she probably would’ve ended up buying out half of the place.
She meandered toward the back, gravitating toward a pink dress made of a flowing fabric.
It had a corseted waist and one of those milkmaid tops that looked both sweet and sexy. It was exactly the kind of thing that she would choose for a special occasion, and she had never had a special occasion to choose anything for.
In fact, the last nice thing she’d gone to had been Marlowe and Aiden’s wedding.
The realization stopped her in her tracks.
“That’s gorgeous,” Marlowe said.
“It is.”
“So when you say you’re just sleeping with him,” Lila said, like she was trying to figure this whole thing out. “What you mean is that he’s… he’s good in bed?”
Cara wrinkled her nose. “I mean, that’s not what I meant by that, but I suppose the fact that I am sleeping with him continuously suggests that.”
“Zane,” she said. “Zane is good in bed?”
“Why is that a surprise?”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say it’s a surprise, I just am having trouble believing… He’s so… Serious. It just feels like he would never really pause to have a good time.”
“If I’ve learned anything, it’s that serious can be quite a good time in bed,” Cara said.
Marlowe put her hand over her mouth.
“Okay,” Lila said.
“Your brother is pretty intense, too,” Marlowe added.
Cara turned toward her, and Lila did too, but Lila looked like she was sparkling with fury.
“Oh, that’s gross.”
“It isn’t gross. Trust me.”
“This is the problem with this place. I’ve been here forever. I’m either related to these guys or I’ve known them for way too long. And that’s just… no.”
“Have you ever thought about going anywhere else for a while?” Marlowe asked.
“Well, no. Because what would Cody do without me? Anyway, we just got the ranch, I didn’t suffer through an impoverished Mustang River childhood not to stay and flaunt our newfound wealth.”
Cara laughed. “All right, you have a point.”
At Lila and Marlowe’s urging, she tried on the magenta dress, and it was so glorious, and made her feel so much like a princess, she nearly cried.
So, trusting what Marlowe had said to her, she bought it and had it wrapped in delicate tissue paper with strawberries all on the outside of it.
