The Cowbear's Curvy Christmas (Curvy Bear Ranch 2) (4 page)

“Nothing happened.”

“Nothing? Really?”

She bit the edge of her lip. “We should forget that it happened.”

“I agree. While you’re here, we need to keep things strictly business. The B&B is very important to the ranch’s bottom line, so we need to keep things between us professional.”

“There’s nothing between us.”

Her comment cut deeper than he could have anticipated, but she was right. They’d had a one-night stand, nothing more. But he wasn’t completely in denial about their attraction. He’d have to stay away from her as much as possible. Avoiding temptation was half the battle when trying to resist something. That’s why he didn’t keep jars of honey lying around. He’d be face-first in them if he wasn’t careful. Being a bear, he had one hell of a sweet tooth.

“So boss, when do I officially start working?” she asked.

“Tomorrow morning. There will be ten people total including you. You’ll find everything you need for breakfast in the kitchen. I’ll be cooking dinner tonight. We eat at six. Until then, you can unpack and get familiar with the locations of the various supplies. It might help to get everything you need laid out for breakfast.”

She smiled. “Yes, boss.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Then what should I call you?”

“Mack, just Mack.”

“Okay, Mack. I look forward to working for you. I’ll see you tonight.”

With that, she turned and walked toward the kitchen. He tried to pry his gaze away from the sway of her round hips, but he couldn’t. The curve of her ass captivated him until she disappeared around the corner.

By hiring her, he’d either just made the best choice, or the biggest mistake of his life. How the hell would he make it through one night, let alone three weeks without touching her delectable curves again?

Chapter 4

Madison tossed and turned as the wind howled against the windows outside her bedroom. She’d never been alone in such a large house. Every creak and groan made her bolt upright. She clung to the blankets as she studied the shadows for any movement. She knew she was being completely irrational. Who would walk miles through the snow to break into a bed and breakfast in the middle of the winter? It was just jitters from her first night in the hotel.

As she rolled onto her side, she glanced at the alarm clock. The red numbers glowed five-fifteen a.m. She couldn’t have gotten more than a few hours of sleep, but she needed to get up at five thirty a.m. to start cooking. Fortunately, she’d found a box of biscuit mix, a carton of eggs and a mountain of raw bacon in the fridge.

She’d seen Esmerelda, her family’s cook, make breakfast so many times that she knew it couldn’t be that hard. But just in case, she slipped out of bed early and started to dress. The previous night’s dinner had been amazing. She didn’t know if they always ate that well, or that much, but they were cowboys, so that was probably the case. She definitely had her work cut out for her. Hopefully she could meet that challenge.

After showering in warm water, she quickly dressed. She’d forgotten to ask where the thermostat was located, and the temperature had dropped overnight. She spent a few minutes searching for a way to turn on the heat but eventually gave up. The fireplace would have to do for now.

She’d seen fires being made before and it had looked so easy, but they must have known a trick. She couldn't figure out how to keep the flame lit longer than a few seconds. When she realized she’d burned through half a box of matches, she gave up. Frustration simmered in her belly. Why did everything that looked so easy have to be so hard?

As she stomped into the kitchen, she cursed her lack of knowledge. She’d never had to start a fire before or cook her own meals. Even so, she was determined not to fail. Come hell or high water, she was going to at least put a good breakfast on the table. If she didn’t, why would Mack keep her? Aside from his impulsive, sexy side, she knew he wouldn’t mess around with his family’s livelihood. He’d replace her in a second if she messed up.

She turned on several of the gas burners, silently congratulating herself for finally accomplishing something. After setting empty pans on the fire, she walked to the refrigerator and pulled out two cartons of eggs and a slab of bacon.

Back at the stove, she peeled strips of bacon off and set them into the pan. They instantly sizzled, filling the room with an aroma that made her mouth water and her stomach grumble. She hadn’t wanted to shove too much food in her face the night before, so she’d emulated her mother’s habit of eating like a bird. She was starving and couldn’t wait to sneak a few slices of bacon.

As the bacon cooked, she cracked an egg into the pan. The edges bubbled up nicely. She had no idea how long she should leave them in for, so she shrugged and turned her back. They’d need at least a few minutes. She didn’t want to serve them undercooked food.

A large marble-covered island sat in the center of the kitchen. She turned to dump a box of biscuit mix into a large mixing bowl. She’d spotted one of those fancy mixing contraptions on the counter but knew better than to attempt it today. That beast could be tamed later. For now, she planned on keeping things as simple as possible.

After adding a couple of eggs and milk to the mix, she scooped lumps of dough onto a large baking sheet. With the tray in hand, she turned back toward the stove. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw flames. Not from the burners, but from the bacon pan.

She shrieked and dropped the pan of biscuits. Smoke billowed out of the bacon pan, filling the room with a gray haze.

“Shit, shit, shit.”

She grabbed the flaming pan and ran toward the sink. After tossing the whole pan in, she turned on the faucet. A split second later, the first popping sound accompanied splattering grease. She backed away in horror as the flames spread.

From behind her, someone yelled. “Move!”

She scrambled to get out of the way as Mack rushed into the room with a fire extinguisher. A puff of white fog blasted out to douse the fire in foam. She turned to see that the eggs were black. But at least they weren’t on fire.

“What the hell is going on in here?” Mack barked.

“I’m cooking,” she said sheepishly.

“More like burning down the house.”

“I had a little accident. I guess I’m just not used to this stove.”

“What the hell? Haven’t you cooked on a gas stove before?”

“Of course,” she said with as much bravado as she could muster.

He scowled. “The others will be here in less than an hour.”

“I know. I’m working on it.”

He set the fire extinguisher on the floor and strode over to her. He grabbed her upper arms and searched her face. “Are you hurt? Did the oil splatter onto your skin?”

“No. I’m fine.”

When he released her, she breathed a sigh of relief. She’d seen something in his eyes akin to fear, but also anger. As if two parts of himself were at war with each other. She shivered. Just because she’d slept with him didn’t mean she knew anything about him. He could be an angry, violent man for all she knew. She’d have to be much more careful around him.

He stepped back and turned away from her. He splayed his hands out on the counter as he took several deep breaths. She stepped back as alarm bells rang in her gut. A quiet fury rolled off of him.

When he finally turned back to her, he was far more composed. “Sorry, I get mad when I’m worried. Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.”

“Good. Okay. Do you need help with breakfast?”

For a brief moment, she considered turning him down. But who was she kidding? She didn’t know the first thing about cooking and she’d be completely screwed without his help.

“If you don’t mind,” she said softly.

“I don’t mind. Throw out the eggs and let’s start over.”

As he set a new pan on the stove, she studied every move he made. If nothing else, she was a fast learner. She only needed to watch someone do something once and she’d know how to do it. The problem was that she’d thought she’d been paying attention when she’d watched their cook make breakfast, but she really hadn’t made note of the details.

They worked in silence. Within twenty minutes, they had several plates piled high with eggs and bacon.

Mack said, “The chow bell is over by the door. Can you go outside and ring it please?”

“Sure.”

She took the triangle-shaped bell outside and banged a long stick against it. It clanged loud enough to reverberate through her eardrums. Damn. Next time—if there was a next time—she’d have to figure out a way to keep from going deaf.

As she looked across the clearing at the brothers’ house, she couldn’t help but smile. In the early morning glow, Christmas lights twinkled along the eves. Through one frost-laced window, she could make out the branches of a Christmas tree. She hoped that at some point she’d be invited to see the inside of their home. If it was anything like the bed and breakfast, it had to be beautiful.

Mack joined her on the porch. “Are you going to be able to handle this?”

She knew he meant the job. “I will. I just need to get used to how things work here.”

He stepped in front of her to block her view. “Please don’t lie to me. If I need to hire someone else, please tell me now. Our family depends on the money we make during the next two weeks to get us through the winter. If you burn down the kitchen, we’re going to have a hell of a time keeping guests.”

“I know. I swear it won’t happen again.”

“It better not.”

Footsteps crunched through the snow as the brothers approached. Logan led the pack with his cocky swagger.

He grinned. “I could smell the food all the way to the house. I can’t wait to try it.”

As she turned to walk into the B&B, Logan placed his hand on the small of her back. She jumped, surprised by his boldness.

Mack stepped between them and grabbed his brother’s arm. “A word.”

“Sure.”

“Let’s just go inside, Mack,” she said softly.

“We’ll be there in a minute.”

She shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

What she wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall for that conversation. Oh well, they’d have to work out their issues themselves. She didn’t intend to get involved with any of the brothers, especially not Mack. If he continued to act like a jealous boyfriend, she’d have to do something about it. But for now, she just wanted to get through breakfast.

***

Mack stood on the porch with his back to the house. “What did I tell you about keeping your hands off of her?”

Logan grinned. “I was just helping her through the door.”

“She’s perfectly capable of walking by herself.”

“I can’t help it if I’m a gentleman trying to help a lady out.”

“The hell you were. Hands off. I’m not going to warn you again.”

“Okay.” Logan held his hands up. “But if I have to keep my hands off her, then you do too. Don’t think I didn’t hear about what happened last night at the bar.”

Mack’s hands formed fists. “Who told you?”

“Steve.”

“That guy needs to mind his own business. He’s nosier than an old lady.”

“He can’t help but gossip. Can you imagine all the secrets he hears from the drunks at the bar? It’s a wonder anyone has any secrets around here.”

Mack huffed. “I’ll have to talk to him.”

“You do that. Can we go in now? I’m hungry as hell.”

“You’re always hungry.”

“It’s my bear. I can’t seem to satiate the guy.”

Mack said, “You need to learn to control him. Don’t let your bear take over your life. At some point, you’re going to have to grow up and take some responsibility for your actions.”

“Maybe you should let your bear take over a little more. Then you wouldn’t be so uptight.”

“I’m not uptight,” Mack snapped.

Logan laughed and slapped his brother on the shoulder. “You keep telling yourself that. Anyway, let’s grab some grub.”

Mack grudgingly followed Logan into the house. The other brothers hadn’t waited to dig into the scrumptious breakfast feast. The scent of savory eggs and crisp bacon filled the air. His bear growled, demanding to be fed.

He slid into a chair across from Madison. She ignored his presence as she carried on a conversation with Drew.

“I can’t believe how much work it takes to run the ranch. After dealing with the horses and cattle, I wouldn’t be able to lift a finger to do anything else,” Madison said.

“You won’t have to. You’ll only have to take care of the B&B,” Mack said.

“Only,” Drew grinned. “It’s a huge job, so if you need any of us to pitch in, let us know.”

“You have enough work to do,” Mack said. “I’m sure she’ll be able to manage this place.”

“Thanks,” she said.

The stunning smile she flashed in his direction hit him like a punch in the gut. Her face glowed with healthy radiance. Sparks of light from the chandelier caught on the golden highlights of her hair. The soft curve of her neck led to the deep V of her sweater. His heart thumped as her breasts rose and fell with every breath. The outline of her sweater displayed every seductive curve to perfection.

He shoved a huge spoonful of eggs into his mouth to keep his bear from growling in lust. After lecturing his brother about keeping his bear under control, he’d look like a complete hypocrite if he didn’t do the same. Damn instincts. It wouldn’t be so bad if he hadn’t already tasted her sweetness. If he hadn’t already buried himself deep inside her slick heat, he wouldn’t know how tight and hot and wet—

“Mack?”

“Huh?” His head snapped up.

Across the table, Logan smirked. “She was asking if you wanted any more eggs.”

Mack turned his attention on Madison. “Uh, yeah. Sure.”

“I’ll be right back,” she said.

He forced himself to keep his gaze glued to the table. His bear would lose his mind if he took one look at her swaying, curvy butt. Damn. He needed to go for a run. Or maybe cut a few cords of firewood. He needed to get away from her before he did something stupid.

When she returned to the table, she leaned over to slide two more eggs onto his plate. A whiff of honey-almond soap rolled off her skin. He dug his fingers into his jeans to keep from reaching for her.

“Thank you,” he said gruffly.

“No problem.”

Hank turned toward her as she settled into her chair. “So where did you say you lived?”

A shadow of a frown crossed her face for a split second. “Seattle.”

“What made you want to come out here for the winter?”

She shifted in the chair. “I was looking for work and thought this would be a good fit.”

The corner of Logan’s mouth lifted as he said, “A good fit is important.”

“It sure is,” she chuckled, and discreetly glanced at Mack.