by Liv Brywood
Tension rolled through the spa on waves of bubbling water. Donna decided to try to break the ice.
“I like your swimsuit,” she said. “Macy’s?”
“I hate this thing.” Carrie pushed a piece of short brown hair behind her ear. If she kept frowning like that, she’d get even deeper wrinkles on her forehead. Donna shook her head. Being a happy person was one of the best ways to stay young.
“What did you think of our first lesson today?” Donna asked. “I don’t consider myself a foodie or anything, but those biscuits were delicious.”
“I guess I’m done for the night.” Carrie glared. She pulled herself up onto the deck and walked away without another word.
“Well, at least I tried,” Donna muttered.
She slowly submerged the rest of her body until she was up to her chin. The tension in her body relaxed as she gazed up at the night sky. She leaned back against the headrest. Back when she’d been married, she used to look at the stars and wonder if there were other lonely people doing the same. At first, she’d felt so small and insignificant when considering the size of the galaxy, but since the divorce, a whole universe of possibilities had opened up.
She bit her lip and tried to make out a few constellations. Although she didn’t know all of them, she knew enough to find Orion’s belt. And speaking of belts, there was one in particular she wanted to yank off tonight. Where was he?
A shooting star burned across the sky. She gasped and quickly closed her eyes to make a wish. Ultimately, she just wanted to be happy, nothing more. Maybe the star was a good omen. She could start life over, and she didn’t need to be tied down to any particular man. Her plan to indulge in the seven sins was perfect. Now she just needed her first guy to show up.
Footsteps crunched through the snow. She sat up and tried to peer over the edge of the spa, but she couldn’t see who was coming. The new arrival bounded up the steps. When Brody appeared, a sizzle of desire shimmied down her spine. He wore a T-shirt and jeans. Disappointing, but at least he was here.
“Hey, Cowboy,” she said.
“Hey…so…how’s the water?” he asked.
“Perfect. You should ditch the shirt and pants and join me.”
“That’s the plan,” he said.
He pulled the hem of his shirt up and over his head, revealing his taut, tanned skin. As he moved, his rock-hard abs rippled with power. His chest muscles flexed once when he tossed the shirt onto one of the lounge chairs, and again as he ran a hand through his tousled hair. Donna drank in the sight.
As he dropped his pants to reveal a pair of black boxers, she caught a glimpse of his very tempting bulge. The man had to be huge. Maybe if she got lucky, she’d get a better view of him later.
“Not too bad,” she said with a smile. “You must work out.”
“I don’t need to.” He shrugged as he slipped into the hot tub. “I work hard on my ranch, but I really only lift hay bales and ride horses. It keeps me in shape.”
As his eyes traveled across every inch of her exposed skin, she bobbed up to give him a good look at her full chest. She didn’t mind displaying her assets when she might get something in return.
“You’re really…toned,” he stammered. “Do you work out?”
“I do yoga. Some people don’t think it’s a real workout.” She finger quoted. “But let me tell you, it gets my blood flowing. If I skip a day, my energy drops. And it’s great for my flexibility, see?”
When she grabbed her foot and pulled it back toward her head, his jaw dropped. So much talent wasted on her stupid ex.
“I’m surprised someone hasn’t snapped you up and married you already,” he said.
“I’ve only been divorced a few months. But trust me when I say that my marriage was over a long time ago,” she said.
“I don’t mean to pry, but can I ask what happened?”
“I got divorced because my ex-husband was banging my personal trainer. She was practically a child. Twenty-one, twenty-two, something like that. She was good at her job or I wouldn’t have hired her in the first place. What a mistake… or a blessing, depending on how you look at it.”
“I’m sorry you went through that,” he said.
“Don’t feel sorry for me,” she said. “I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my life. The day he signed the final divorce papers, I became a very rich woman. And now I can indulge in all of my fantasies. Like hanging out in a hot tub with a sexy man. Now I get to check that off my bucket list.”
The corner of Brody’s eyes crinkled as he laughed. The sexy slant of his lips drew her across the hot tub. He stopped laughing as she planted herself right between his thighs. She leaned in and pressed her lips against his in a soft kiss that she felt all the way to her toes.
Her arms encircled Brody’s wide neck. She pulled him closer as she deepened the kiss. His lips yielded to her brazen exploration. As rough stubble scratched against her cheek, her heart skipped a beat.
All at once, he took control. His thighs clamped around her legs to draw her closer. When he laced his fingers into her hair and tugged, she whimpered. A rough and tumble outlaw had replaced the quiet cowboy’s countenance.
A rustle coming from down the path interrupted the kiss. As the other group’s voices drew closer, Brody pulled back. She groaned at the loss. What terrible timing.
“I guess we’re not the only ones looking for a little relaxation,” he muttered.
“Maybe we should move this someplace else?” she suggested. “My room?”
He brushed his fingers across his swollen lips, then turned and pulled himself out of the spa.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“I think we should leave whatever that was here,” he said. “I got carried away, and… I’ll see you in the next class tomorrow, all right?”
He quickly wrapped a towel around his dripping-wet hips. But he wasn’t fast enough to hide his huge erection. He could deny it all he wanted, but his body didn’t lie. He wanted her. So why was he trying so hard to resist her?
***
The next morning, Brody lay in bed. He cracked one eye open. Bright morning sunlight poured in through the window. In the distance, horses neighed and a rooster crowed. It sounded exactly like his ranch in the morning, and for a moment he was homesick. He’d left the ranch from time to time over the years, but not for more than a few days. He couldn’t wait to get back home. But first, he needed to bake the perfect cake.
Right. Cake. That’s what he needed to focus on this week. He needed to keep his eyes and hands off of Donna’s sexy curves. Last night in the hot tub, her kisses had left him with a huge erection. He’d made quick work of it when he’d returned to his room. The whole time he’d been handling his business, he’d chided himself for being such a chicken. Clearly she wanted to sleep with him, so why resist?
The woman was sexy as hell. He’d never met anyone who could take him from zero to horny just by walking into the room. Too bad she just wasn’t his type. Not even close. She was high-maintenance, prissy, and totally out of his league. She wasn’t the kind of woman who would make a good mother. He knew the type—self-absorbed, manipulative, flirtatious, and impulsive. Definitely not wife material.
His bear didn’t care. It wanted her pliant lips pressed against his. It loved the way she’d practically sat right on top of his throbbing cock. His bear had spent half the night clawing at his chest in revenge, and the beast demanded to know why he felt like he had to play it safe all the time. Of course the fur-beast didn’t care about relationships; it only wanted to fuck. It wanted to spread her legs wide and—
He jumped as the ringer of his phone blared a 1980s hairband tune. His mom was calling. Well, that was one way to halt the barrage of sexual images involving Donna.
Brody answered. “Hey, Mom.”
“Hi, honey. I was just calling to check in on you. How’s your cooking class going?”
He chuckled to himself. If only she knew.
“It’s g
oing good,” he said. “We’ve already made buttermilk biscuits and some kind of fancy cocktail. I don’t know what’s on the menu today, but it should be good.”
There was some mumbling in the background. His mother laughed softly. “Someone wants to talk to you…”
“Hey big bro!” his sister said. A smile spread across his face. He’d only been gone a couple of days and he already missed her. “Are you coming over today? Mama told me you were coming soon.”
“I’m still at cooking camp, but I’m going to have a big surprise for you when I get back,” he said.
“Yay!”
“It’s a birthday surprise,” he said.
“Twenty-five.”
“That’s right, you’re going to be a quarter of a century old this year,” he said.
“That sounds old,” she said.
He laughed. “Nope. You’re not old until you turn ninety-nine. Then you’re old.”
“Was Grandma ninety-nine?” she asked.
“Pretty close,” he said.
His heart sighed as he remembered his favorite grandmother. Technically he wasn’t supposed to have a favorite, but she’d always been so sweet to him. When she’d passed away a few years earlier, he’d been devastated. But she had lived a good, long life.
“Be a good girl for Mama,” he said. “I’ll bring your surprise over on your birthday, okay?”
She shrieked into his ear before saying a quick goodbye.
The call had been just what he needed. His family were the most important people in his life. He missed them terribly, but he took comfort in the knowledge that he’d see them in a few days.
He couldn’t let Donna and her sexy body distract him anymore. Today, he’d stay focused on the cooking lessons. He’d take careful notes so he could recreate the recipes at home. He jumped out of bed and rummaged through his bags. Darn, no notebook. Maybe Madison had one she could spare.
He glanced at the clock and jumped out of bed. Shit! He’d completely lost track of the time. He was supposed to be downstairs in the kitchen by 9 a.m., ten minutes ago.
After yanking a shirt and pants on, he hurried down the stairs. Everyone was already in the kitchen and Madison had begun the lesson.
Even though he ducked in as discreetly as he could, Madison gave him a playfully stern look before winking. At least she wasn’t mad.
“After yesterday’s successful lesson,” Madison said, “I decided to tackle breakfast. Today we’re going to make French toast stuffed with strawberries.”
“Lucille made that a time or two,” Olson said. “I’d love to learn how.”
“Great! Let’s get started. Please take a station,” Madison said.
The only open spot was right next to Donna. She flashed a friendly smile before patting the counter space beside her. Apparently she wasn’t mad about his rejection the night before. He wasn’t sure if he was happy about that or not.
“Morning, sleepyhead,” she said. “I looked for you earlier, but you were sawing logs in your room.”
His eyebrows raised.
“I could hear you through the door,” she added.
“I must have been really tired then, because that’s the only time I snore.” He wasn’t sure why he was defending his sleeping patterns, but he didn’t want her to think he snored like a freight train every night. Not that it would ever be an issue with them, because they sure as hell weren’t going to be sleeping in the same bed.
“We’re going to have to work together today because I don’t have enough griddles for everyone to have their own,” Madison said. “So grab a partner and you can take turns working on the various parts of this recipe.”
“Want to be my partner”? Donna asked.
“Sure.” It was either her or Carrie, so it was an easy choice.
Today Donna wore a black apron with ruffles. Although she wore a tank-top underneath it, the design left little to the imagination. A bright red flower decorated the side of her waist. She had Marilyn Monroe’s figure and a debutant smile. A dangerous combination.
After listening to Madison’s instructions, Donna mixed eggs, milk, and sugar together in one of the plastic bowls. Once the mixture had reached the correct consistency, she lifted the wooden spoon.
“Want to taste it?” she asked in a suggestive tone. Everything that came out of her mouth was thinly veiled innuendo. “No? Okay, then I will.”
She gazed at him with smoldering burnt-mocha eyes. He couldn’t tear his gaze away as she lifted the long wooden spoon to her lips. As she slowly licked the edge of it, his cock went hard.
Oh boy. Oh, she really shouldn’t be doing that…
His startled reaction seemed to egg her on. She swirled her tongue around spoon before taking the whole thing in her mouth. Holy shit!
His bear wanted to take her right then and there. Screw the others. She obviously wanted it, so why not give it to her hard? His bear flailed around in his chest.
Brody turned away and tried to compose himself. But that tongue… she hadn’t even gagged on it.
No gag reflex, his bear hollered.
His cock throbbed as it pressed against his zipper. In an effort to hide his obvious erection, he grabbed an apron off a rack on the wall. He quickly tied it around his waist.
“Everything all right?” she asked sweetly before giving him a very pointed look. A crooked grin spread across her face.
“Absolutely,” he said emphatically. “Powdered sugar. Uh, it’s everywhere. It’s getting on my pants.”
“Mm,” she said, clearly not buying his explanation.
“If everyone’s done with their batter, go ahead and dip your bread into it then place each piece on the griddle,” Madison said.
Grateful for the distraction, he grabbed a thick slice of bread. After dipping it into the mixture, he tossed it on the griddle. The batter sizzled and hissed as the French toast cooked. The scent of cinnamon filled the air.
A few minutes later, he removed the pieces with a spatula and set them on a plate. Donna took over. She slathered cream cheese over one side of each piece before pouring a decadent strawberry-infused syrup over it. She mashed the two pieces together and sprinkled a hint of powdered sugar over the sandwiches.
“Bon appétit,” Madison said.
Brody slid a gooey, melting piece onto his plate. The first bite forced a rush of sugary sweetness through his veins. His bear roared in his chest. He scarfed the first sandwich, then another, and another.
“You’re going to get a tummy ache if you don’t slow down,” Donna said.
She took a delicate bite. A trickle of strawberry cream cheese collected in corners of her mouth. When she swiped it away with her tongue, he pulled the apron off and headed toward the back deck. He needed to run before his bear busted out of his chest. The creature had completely lost it. It roared and clawed and kicked up one hell of a fit.
He’d been dying to let his bear out. That had been part of the plan before they’d discovered that she wasn’t a shifter. But if he went deep enough into the woods, he could shift without being caught.
As he bounded down the back steps, the sliding glass door opened. He turned to find Donna running toward him. Damn, she was one sexy distraction.
He groaned. There was no point in trying to outrun a determined woman. But how the heck was he going to stop thinking about her if she was constantly around?
“Running off so fast again?” she asked.
“I’m just going for a run,” he said. “It was getting really hot in the kitchen.”
“It was, wasn’t it?”
He swallowed.
“It’s freezing out here,” she said. “Aren’t you afraid of getting frostbite?”
“I won’t be gone long.” Just long enough to calm my bear down.
“Would you mind if I came too?” she asked before flashing a thousand-watt smile.
He wanted to tell her he needed space, but that smile… how could he tell her no?
“Sure… I guess
,” he said.
He changed direction and headed toward the frozen lake. As they walked side by side, his gaze slid over to watch her breasts jiggle underneath her snow jacket.
“I’ve noticed that you’re very good with sauces,” Donna said. “Is that why you came to the ranch? To play with your saucing technique?”
Did she ever stop flirting? The woman seemed to have a one-track mind. His bear wanted out and he was getting more and more agitated.
“No, I’m here because I want to learn how to be a better cook for my sister. Eventually she’ll be moving in with me, and I want to be ready,” he said.
“Why is she moving in with you?” she asked as she slowed her pace.
He hated having this conversation with people. It always went the same way. He’d tell them about Lizzie and they’d tell him how sorry they were to hear about her disability. But she wasn’t disabled. She worked a regular job at the local feed and tack store stocking shelves. She was perfectly capable of doing a lot of things. She just needed someone to watch over her. Well, this was one way to get Donna to leave him alone.
“Lizzie has Down syndrome,” he said. “Our parents are older, so they’re not always going to be around to take care of her.”
“Does she need a lot of help?” she asked.
“No. She’s able to do almost everything we can. She just needs a little guidance,” he said defensively.
“I didn’t mean to imply anything,” she said.
Much to his surprise, she didn’t look at him with pity. Instead, she looked thoughtful. She nodded her head as if she was coming to some sort of conclusion.
“I wonder if that’s maybe why you don’t date,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
“You seemed reluctant to tell me about her. Do you hold back with everyone, or am I just lucky?” she asked.
“That’s not at all the problem,” he said. “I already told you—I just haven’t found the right woman.”
As she cocked her head to one side and studied him, he bristled. Was she implying that he was somehow embarrassed by his sister’s disability? She couldn’t be more wrong.
