by Sable Sylvan
“That’s just counting retail sales,” said Herb. “Doesn’t include restaurants or anything.”
“In honor of this occasion, we thought that you might be up for some…friendly competition,” said Alice.
“We’re proposing a hot sauce competition,” said Herb. “After all, we’ve already had two cook-offs in this family, ours and Cayenne and Basil’s. It’s practically a Quincy-Scoville tradition. The winning sauce will be featured at the Bright Star County Fair at the end of the summer. Of course, Alice and I are opting out, because we’re too busy and we also need to be impartial judges.”
“So my sauce will be featured,” said Mace, his arms crossed as he gave a cocky grin.
“Well, I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” said Savina, looking over Mace. How the heck did he manage to make everything he did both aggravating and sexy? She wasn’t sure if she’d rather slap him or smooch him.
“There’s one last twist,” said Alice.
“Sauces are going to be made by the couples,” said Herb. “Let’s see which couple can develop the best sauce. Remember, there’s only about a month left before the opening day of the county fair and the week after that is the Quincy-Scoville wedding. There’s not a lot of time, but we’re sure that somebody will manage to make a sauce that knocks everyone’s socks off.”
“Wait, couples?” asked Mace. “So how the heck am I supposed to compete?”
“Yeah, or me?” asked Savina. She couldn’t believe it. She agreed with Mace about something.
“You two can try to enter on your own, I suppose,” said Alice, looking to Herb. “But…”
“…I’m not sure you have a snowball’s chance in Texas to win, what with what Basil and I have in store, little sis,” said Cayenne, holding onto Basil’s arm. “After all, we already developed a sauce this summer, our ‘Fated Mate Sauce,’ the cayenne garlic sauce you know you love.”
“Clove and I might not have made a sauce before, but we know a thing or two about chemistry,” said Abigail, looking over at the man who was proud to call her his fated mate.
“That’s right,” said Addison, holding Sage’s hand. “I haven’t made a sauce before either, but with Sage’s spice expertise and my research skills, I’m sure we’ll make some sweet, spicy music. But you, on your own…well, I don’t think that you are going to be able to have what it takes to compete with us.”
“Don’t have what it takes?” asked Savina, standing up and slamming her hand on the table angrily. “Abby. Addy. Kai. I might be the youngest sister, but I can compete with all y’all. You’ve underestimated me. I’ll do whatever it takes to win.”
“Anything?” asked Mace, looking up at Savina. His bear roared. There was something about this sassy firebrand that, as much as Mace wanted to deny it, made his heart race and melt at the same time. She had a fire inside that she didn’t try to contain, she didn’t try to hide, and yes, it had gotten the both of them in trouble more than a handful of times, but he wouldn’t change a single part of her.
Mace told the bear to be quiet. The bear had been wrong before, after all, and Savina was…well, the last woman that a bad boy should mess around with is a woman who would be his future sister-in-law, given all four of his older brothers were to marry all four of her older sisters. However, that didn’t mean that Mace didn’t have a plan that had everything to do with Savina. The cogs in his head were turning as he figured out a way to pull off the ultimate prank on all his brothers and their fiancées. They’d underestimate him, but when he won, they’d all be eating their hats and wouldn’t be able to believe Mace had managed to pull it off.
“Yeah, anything,” said Savina. “Why, you think you can beat me, Mason, just because you’re a frikkin’ billion-heir?”
“Oh, I can beat you, and not just because of my money,” said Mason. “But…I’m not sure either of us can beat them.”
“Really?” asked Sage, giving his daredevil brother the side eye. Sage and Mace both had bad boy reps, but Sage was the sensitive ‘rock star’ music major, English minor, who pretended to be a bad boy to keep unwanted attention away. Mace was the real deal, and an adrenaline junkie to boot.
“Really,” said Mace. “You know me, brother. I can admit my weaknesses…the question is, Savina, can you admit yours?”
“My weakness?” asked Savina. “I do have a weakness for listening to your bullshizz, Mason.”
“Language!” said Alice, but nobody cared.
“Well, then just listen for one more minute,” said Mace. “Savina, you and I can’t beat our siblings. Not separately. But together? You and I might just have a shot at taking first. I don’t like you. You don’t like me. The only thing I dislike more is people underestimating me. I know you feel the same way. If we work together, we can beat all three of these couples, take the crown, and go our separate ways. The only question is, are you game?”
“Is this another one of your pranks?” asked Savina.
“That’s a good point,” said Cayenne.
“Nope,” said Mace. “Basil. Look at me. Am I goofin’?”
Basil looked at his brother. There wasn’t a mischievous glint in his eyes. All that was there was a passionate, competitive fire, and a flash of polar blue that Basil knew meant that Mace’s bear was roaring. The only question was, was the bear roaring for the same reason it had roared for Basil, and for his brothers Herb, Clove, and Sage? That was a question only Mace could answer, with an answer only Mace could deny.
Basil looked to Savina.
“No,” said Basil. “He’s not pranking you. I can tell.”
Savina extended her fist toward Mace. Mace flinched and then realized what the heck she was doing, and he bumped his fist against hers.
“Guess it’s on,” said Savina. “Mace and I are gonna take you down, all six of you, heck, make it eight. Alice and Herb, let’s raise the stakes. If I win, there’s gonna be a chocolate fountain at your wedding. If I lose, I’ll clean the bathroom at The Feminine Mesquite and The Matchstick Grill every day, full-time, next summer.”
“You’re on,” said Alice. “Get prepared to get scrubbing.”
“If you start melting the chocolate,” said Savina. She sat back down and finished up her meal. She couldn’t believe what had just transpired. Something inside of her had told her to take a risk, to trust in Mace, even though just minutes before they’d been fighting about their prank war. The only question was, would this bear help her get the gold, or would he go full wolf and eat her right up?
About the Author
I’m Sable Sylvan, and the only thing I love more than reading hot paranormal romances is writing down my fantasies and sharing them with readers like you. My heroes are strong alpha male shifters who can be grizzly and gruff at times…but when it comes to their mates, they turn into absolute teddy bears. The curvy heroines in my stories are strong, sassy women, and that’s why the bear shifter men who love them will do anything for their fated mates.
You can check out my site at www.sablesylvan.com and buy merchandise via www.shopsablesylvan.com . Shirts are available in up to a unisex 5XL, and you can find them on Amazon and RageOn.com .
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Be
ar-y Spicy Fairy Tales:
A Small Town Menage Series
Goldilocks And The Three Bear Shifters
Little Red Riding Bears
Three Grizzlies Gruff
The Shifter Princes:
A Fairy Tale Billionaire Series
Shifterella And The Billionaire Bear
Beauty And The Billionaire Bear
Sleeping BBW And The Billionaire Bear
Rapunzel And The Billionaire Bear
Seattle’s Billionaire Bears:
A Fairy Tale Billionaire Series
Rumpled Bear Skin
Blue Bear
The Bear Prince
The Little Bear Maid
The Twelve Dancing Bears:
A Male Entertainer Menage Series
Grizzly Bear Buns
Polar Bear Buns
Black Bear Buns
Cinnamon Bear Buns
Panda Bear Buns
Koala Bear Buns
The Feminine Mesquite:
A Fairy Tale Billionaire Series…
featuring BBWs + BBQ + BDSM
The Cinderella Cook-Off
Beauty And The BBQ
Spicy Beauty
The Matchstick Grill
Little Red Hot Sauce
Bear Buns: Denver:
A Strip Club Menage Series (coming soon)
Mountain Bear Buns
Glacier Bear Buns
Sun Bear Buns
Moon Bear Buns
Spirit Bear Buns
Yeti Bear Buns
You can find me online:
@SableSylvan
SableSylvanRomance
www.sablesylvan.com
[email protected]