by J. K Harper
* * *
Brody swung a duffel bag over his shoulder as he climbed out of his big black truck. He’d been out to the ranch once before to buy a horse, but he’d forgotten how majestic their land was. As he gazed across the sparkling snowdrifts, his bear sighed with pleasure.
A short walk away, Hebgen Lake’s frozen surface reflected a deep blue winter sky. Pine trees bedazzled with clumps of show decorated the shoreline. In the distance, mountains rose up to kiss white, fluffy clouds.
With Christmas only a few weeks away, he’d expected it to be colder, but it wasn’t. As a Montanan, he enjoyed temperate summers, but his bear preferred cooler weather. The beast didn’t like being overheated.
According to the flyer he’d seen, Curvy Bear Ranch was shifter-friendly. He’d be able to let his bear out whenever he needed to and he wouldn’t have to hold back. After all the pressure he’d been under lately, he couldn’t ask for a better place to go to decompress.
After yanking his suitcase from the truck bed, Brody walked up to a couple of the guys he’d met during his last trip to the ranch. Mack and Logan—fellow shifters that ran the place—were out by the barn.
“Hey man, nice to see you again,” Brody said.
“Howdy. Brody, right? It’s great to have you back, man. Need any help?” Mack clapped him on the back.
“Nah. I got it, but thanks.” Brody smiled, waving them both off.
“Good to see you again,” Logan said. “Are you here for another horse?”
“Nope. I’m here for the cooking class.”
“You’re a brave man,” Logan said.
“Eh, it can’t be that hard,” Brody said with a shrug. “I already know how to cook some stuff, but I’m looking to expand my culinary repertoire.”
“Word to the wise—if you see my wife taking out a flambé’ torch, make sure to duck,” Mack said, nudging Brody with his elbow.
“Hell, you might want to just run for the hills while you’re at it,” Logan chimed in, sending the two men into hysterics.
“Should I be worried?” Brody arched a brow.
“Nah, I’m just playing with you. My wife’s a great cook,” Mack said.
“Yeah, now she is,” Logan said. “Remember what she was like when she first came to the ranch? She set the kitchen on fire.”
“She’s come a long way, hasn’t she?” Mack asked with a note of pride in his voice.
“She has, I’ll give her that,” Logan said.
“She’s been practicing a lot, so don’t listen to this knucklehead,” Mack said.
“Hey, I admitted that she’s improved. She’ll be a great teacher,” Logan said.
Brody smiled. Hopefully he’d learn a thing or two from her. As long as he learned how to bake a proper cake, he’d be happy.
“So what got you all interested in cooking?” Mack asked as he wiped his hands on his jeans. “I thought you ran a ranch.”
“It’s kind of a long story, but my sister has Down syndrome,” Brody said. “My parents are getting older and she’ll need my help eventually. So I want to make sure I can take care of her. She keeps asking me to bake a cake for her birthday, but I don’t want to make one of those cakes out of a box. I want to do it right and make it from scratch.”
“I’d go with the box cake,” Logan said. “It would be easier.”
“I couldn’t do that.” Brody shook his head. “She’s amazing and deserves the best that I can give her. Besides, it’s going to be her twenty-fifth birthday next week, so I want to do right by her.”
“Hey, that’s great, man,” Logan said. “I really respect a guy who wants to step up for his family. You’re in good hands. We like to tease Madison, but she knows her stuff. I’m sure she’ll be able to teach you everything you need to know about baking a cake.”
“Don’t get me wrong,” Brody said with a grin. “I cook a mean omelet and I can grill steak in my sleep, but the rest of it? Baked goods are an elusive beast. I can’t ever get it quite right. Either the middle implodes or the whole thing tastes like chalk. But I’ve got to admit, I’m really looking forward to working with the flambé torch. What red-blooded man can resist working with an open flame, right?”
They all laughed.
“Good luck,” Logan said. “I’m heading up to the B&B. I’ll show you the way.”
“I’ve got a few new horses that need some training. So I’ll catch up with you later,” Mack said.
As Brody followed Logan up to the main house, they discussed horse training. Brody was mid-sentence when a beautiful, curvy blonde stepped onto the front porch. He nearly dropped his suitcase.
It was like watching a movie star strut down the red carpet. Long blonde hair cascaded down her back, swaying as she brushed something away from her chest. A tight red blouse barely contained her luscious breasts. Painted-on jeans hugged her curvy hips in a way that had his bear all riled up.
A large fancy suitcase sat just outside the front door. As she tried to pick it up, her cheeks flushed. She looked as if she might keel over.
Brody dropped his suitcase and quickly hurried over to help her. He nearly tripped over his own damn feet as he took the suitcase out of her hands. “Here, let me.”
She raised her delicate brow before flashing a bright smile. “How sweet of you. Thank you so much.”
The suitcase wasn’t very heavy. She probably could’ve managed it, but he kept his mouth shut. He didn’t mind playing knight-in-shining-armor to a stunning woman.
The scent of her very expensive-smelling perfume tickled his nose. It was subtle, but just enough to get his bear’s attention. And his bear was definitely at attention. And so was he. Good thing he’d worn a long shirt today.
“My room is this way,” the blonde said over her shoulder.
“Yes, ma’am.”
He followed her up the steps and down the hallway. When they reached room number twelve, she pulled a key out of the back pocket of her designer jeans.
“Here we are.”
When she smiled, his groin tightened. For a split second, he fantasized about tossing her onto the bed and tearing her clothes off with his teeth. Then he’d nibble and lick and suck every inch of her. He shook his head to clear the erotic images.
“I’m Brody.” He held out his hand. When she took it and gave it a gentle shake, his bear shivered with pleasure. “I probably should’ve introduced myself before I grabbed your bag.”
“I’m just thankful I didn’t have to carry it up the stairs,” she said. “Apparently I had left one of my bags in the heli, but my pilot brought it back.”
“Your heli? As in, helicopter?”
“Yep. I really hate driving. I don’t live too far away, but I can’t stand the thought of accidentally hitting the wildlife around here. So I flew in. I’m Donna Bluestone, by the way. Would you like to come in for a minute?”
Would he? Hell yeah!
“Sure.”
“Where would you like the bag?” he asked.
“On the bed is fine.”
After situating the suitcase on the edge of the bed, he stepped back to survey the room. His eyes widened when he spotted the bathroom. It looked like a bomb had gone off in a department store makeup area. Bottles and jars of every shape, size, and color littered the counter.
Across the room, the closet door stood open to reveal a huge wardrobe of clothing. How could one woman own so much stuff? Had she packed up her entire house before coming to the ranch?
“That’s quite a lot of clothing. Are you here with a friend?” he asked.
“No, I’m here all by myself.”
Her mocha-colored eyes sparkled mischievously. Flecks of gold lined her irises. She was stunning in every way, but he couldn’t quite catch her shifter scent. If he had to guess, he’d say she was a cheetah shifter. But he had all week to figure it out.
His bear disagreed and wanted to know everything about her immediately. Brody fidgeted and tried to tell his bear to calm the hell down, but the beast
seemed content to claw at his chest. The creature’s one-track mind was fixated on mating and he wouldn’t let up until he could have her. Damn bear.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“I’m... I’ve never seen someone pack so many things for a one-week trip,” he stammered. Great, way to say something stupid.
“What can I say? I’m full of surprises. Now if you don’t mind, I need to get changed for lunch.” She flashed a coy smile as she gestured him out of the room.
She shut the door, leaving him gawking on the other side. Holy hell she was hot. Scorching hot. Movie-star hot.
His bear nodded in agreement.
One look at those round, supple curves and he’d lost his mind. He shook his head. He wasn’t here for a quick romp with a high-maintenance woman. He was here for his sister, and he’d best remember that going forward.
He headed back downstairs to retrieve his bags. After he found his room, he dumped them on the bed. His stomach grumbled. Lunch was about an hour away, but he decided to go look for the kitchen. When he’d called to find out more about the class, Madison had assured him that there would be snacks on hand 24/7.
The kitchen was located just off of the foyer. A wall separated it from the living room. He strolled into the kitchen and found Mack, Logan, and another pretty blonde standing in a corner with their backs to him. The woman was probably Madison, Mack’s wife.
They must not have heard him enter because they kept whispering amongst themselves. He almost cleared his throat to announce his presence, but his curiosity got the best of him. He moved closer.
“Well I’m sorry, Mack! I had no idea!” Madison hissed at her husband. “What else am I supposed to do?”
Mack pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. Logan glanced over at Brody and frowned.
“Uh, is everything all right?” Brody asked. Normally he wasn’t one to pry into other people’s business, but it sounded like they were having some sort of problem, and he wanted to be of help if they needed him.”
“I made a huge mistake,” Madison sighed and brushed a piece of her hair out of her face. “I posted about the cooking retreat online, but it was only supposed to appear on the private, bear-shifters-only website. I don’t know what happened, but somehow Donna found out about the retreat and she’s not a shifter.”
“Are you sure?” Brody asked.
“We all sniffed her, but none of us could scent her shifter type,” Mack said.
Disappointment flooded Brody’s heart. He’d specifically decided to come to the ranch so that he’d be able to enjoy being a bear. He’d expected a week of freedom during which he could shift whenever he wanted without having to worry about people finding out. It was one of the few times during the year that he’d be able to really let his bear loose.
“You didn’t screen her well enough, Madison,” Mack said. “If we hadn’t noticed that she wasn’t a shifter, all hell could have broken loose here.”
“I just assumed that since I posted it to a shifter-only website, we’d be safe.” Madison looked down. “I couldn’t just ask her if she was a shifter. If she wasn’t, then our secret would get out.”
“Our secret might get out anyway,” Logan said.
“What do you want me to do?” Madison asked. “She’s already paid for the week and we need the money.”
“You’re right, honey.” Mack’s eyes softened as he took Madison’s hand in his. “I’m sorry for being a jerk earlier. You just made a mistake. These things happen. We’re just going to have to be careful about shifting this week.”
“And we need to warn the other guests,” Brody said.
“It’s okay, we’ll figure it out,” Logan said. “We didn’t mean to drag you into this.”
“I’m happy to help you talk to the other shifters if you need a hand,” Brody said.
“You don’t have to do that. We’ll handle it. I’m really sorry for screwing this up, everyone.” Madison turned to Brody. “Wow, where are my manners? I’m Madison, and this is Mack and Logan.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Madison. I ran into Logan and Mack outside,” Brody said.
“Great. Well, I’ll be your cooking instructor for the week,” Madison said.
“I’m looking forward to it. And don’t worry about the mix-up with the non-shifter. We’ll all still have a good time this week,” Brody said.
He did his best to hide his disappointment. But as long as he learned how to bake a cake from scratch, he’d consider the week a good one. He couldn’t wait to see the look on his sister Lizzie’s face when he presented his masterpiece. Okay, maybe not a masterpiece. He’d settle for something that didn’t taste like dirt and have a hole in the middle.
And it wouldn’t be a total loss, because he’d still get to spend time with Donna. Even though she wasn’t a shifter, she was sexy as hell. There was no harm in looking, as long as he kept his hands to himself.
Chapter 2
As Donna slid into a chair at the dining room table, she couldn’t stop thinking about Brody. In addition to being the perfect gentleman, the man wore his Wranglers like a quintessential sexy cowboy. She toyed with the idea of using him to explore one of the seven deadly sins: Lust. After spending eight nearly sexless years with her ex-husband, she needed to get back on the horse, so to speak.
She suppressed a giggle and took a sip of water. When Brody settled into the seat next to hers, her heart kicked.
“Hey, Cowboy,” she said.
“Hey, yourself,” he replied with a wink.
Madison set elegant plates of grilled chicken with parmesan asparagus down in front of each guest. As a hint of delicious garlic wafted up, Donna’s mouth watered. She smoothed the red linen napkin on her lap before sneaking a sidelong glance at the rugged cowboy.
He seemed completely unaware of her as he began to eat. Each time he brought a bite of food to his luscious lips, his bicep strained against his shirt. As the seams struggled to contain his thick arm, she stared, transfixed. Her ex had been a pudgy man whose muscles had probably atrophied by the time he’d turned twenty. The contrast between Brody and her ex was astonishing. She deserved to have someone like Brody take her into his arms and cover her with scorching-hot kisses.
The way he closed his hazel eyes while he savored the food made her squirm in her seat. Her bright pink pencil skirt rode up her thigh. Maybe she should have worn something looser and more flowing. Oh well. Next time.
When she took the first bite of chicken, her taste buds sang. If she could learn how to cook this well, she could get rid of her chef. Being endlessly pampered was fun to a certain extent, but she liked cooking from time to time. It gave her a sense of accomplishment.
She was just about to take another bite when she realized she was being watched. Brody’s eyes lingered on her for a second too long before he dropped his gaze to his food. The corner of his mouth quirked up. He knew she’d caught him. She smiled. Maybe it was time to play a little game.
After spearing a stalk of crispy green asparagus, she leaned in and slowly bit down on the phallic vegetable. She closed her eyes as she chewed and gave a soft sigh. All movement coming from his direction had ceased. She licked her lips before leisurely cutting another piece. As she brought it up to her mouth, she paused and turned to look him right in those sexy eyes. She wrapped her lips over the tip before slowly pulling it out of her mouth little by little.
His hazel eyes flashed with desire. She’d seen that look in so many men’s eyes over the years, but she’d stayed faithful to her philandering husband. Jerk.
“Seriously?” a woman whispered. The mousy woman sitting across the table from her narrowed a pair of jealous beady eyes. She leaned closer to her equally drab friend and rolled her eyes. “I swear, some women will do just about anything to get attention.”
Donna ignored the comment. She was used to women like her—women who couldn’t be bothered to make any effort in their appearance. Every woman had the capability of expressing their b
eauty, but not everyone chose to make the effort. As long as those frumpy women didn’t attack for her being beautiful, she wouldn’t judge them for going out in public in their muumuus.
She cast a naughty look at Brody. The cowboy’s cheeks brightened under his tanned skin. He quickly struck up a conversation with one of the older men in the room. Right, as if he wasn’t imagining what else she could do with her mouth.
She smiled to herself. If the urge to start dating ever struck her again, she’d go for a tall drink of water like Brody. He exuded the kind of sensual power that made her suspect he was good in bed. And how damn long had it been since she’d had a man-induced orgasm? Sure, her vibrator collection was plentiful and still growing, but nothing could replace human touch. She shifted in her chair as a twinge of sadness flickered in her heart. She hadn’t realized how alone she felt until that moment.
After lunch, she took Madison up on her offer of coffee. She carried the steaming mug out onto the back porch. As she leaned against the wooden rail, a chilly breeze floated across the frozen lake. She shivered and zipped her jacket all the way to the top, but she didn’t want to go inside yet. The peaceful expanse of rolling, snow-covered hills warmed her soul.
Heavy footsteps approached. She turned to find Brody strolling toward her. He held a mug of coffee.
“Mind if I join you?” he asked.
“Not at all.” She scooted over and patted the rail beside her.
“So…what brings you to Madison’s cooking class?” he asked before taking a sip of coffee.
“It’s a long story, but let’s just say that I live a charmed life,” she said. “I’ve been privileged enough to always have a chef prepare my meals for the last eight years. But I’m recently divorced and I want to get back to basics. I loved cooking when I was growing up and I’d like to get back to it.”
She delighted in the tiniest flicker of contact between their shoulders.
“So you’re trying to get back to your roots. I like that,” he said with a sharp nod. “From what I’ve heard, you picked a good place to start your cooking lessons.”