by J. K Harper
“Okay.” Sasha grabbed a plate and loaded it up.
She ventured onto the back deck. Two tables with red-and-white striped umbrellas sat to one side. The women from the yoga class were already seated at one table.
“Come sit with us,” Mary Margaret said.
“I can’t believe this view,” Sasha said as she slid into a white plastic chair.
“And the fresh air…” Mary Margaret inhaled deeply. “We don’t get this is New York City. You have to go out to the country to even get a breath these days. Where are you from?”
“Bozeman. It’s not too far from here,” Sasha said.
“I landed there. Nice little city. Not too far off the beaten path, but not a big metropolitan either. Back when my husband Ronnie was alive, we spent a lot of time in that airport. Boy has it changed over the years!”
“You came here a lot?” Sasha asked before spooning scrambled eggs into her mouth.
“We spent our summers in Yellowstone camping in the backcountry,” Mary Margaret said. “Probably what messed my back up, all that sleeping on the ground. We had sleeping bags, but honey, those don’t do a damn thing to keep you from getting as stiff as a board the next morning.”
“I used to camp in Yellowstone a lot, but I haven’t been in a couple of years,” Sasha said.
The sliding glass door to the house opened and Jack walked out. Sasha’s heart kicked. He’d changed into a brown-and-white checkered long-sleeved shirt and jeans. His hair, still damp from a shower, hung in a cowlick over one eye. He pursed his lips and blew at it.
“Damn thing never wants to stay straight.” He flashed a lopsided grin. “Do you guys have room for one more?”
“For a tall drink of water like you? We sure do, sugar,” Lonnie said.
Jack pulled a chair over from the second table and slid it between Sasha and Mary Margaret. He set a plate piled high with bacon, biscuits, and gravy down.
Madison walked out holding a frothy iced coffee drink with whipped cream on top.
“Here you go.” She set the cup in front of Jack. “A blended mocha latte with peppermint and a dash of cinnamon.”
“That looks amazing.” He took a sip. “Tastes great too.”
“That’s a guest favorite, especially in the summer,” Madison said. “I’m heading back in, but if you need anything else, let me know.” After everyone murmured their thanks, she strolled away.
“You drink iced mochas?” Sasha raised a brow as Jack took another sip.
“Never had one before,” he said. “I asked her to surprise me with the house special.”
“You have a little…”
“Oh,” he licked the whipped cream off of his top lip.
The sensual move awakened her bear. The creature turned her attention to Jack. She clawed at Sasha’s chest as if asking permission to shift. Not right now, bear.
The group chatted over breakfast. One by one, everyone peeled off to get started on their projects, leaving Sasha alone with Jack.
“So you work with clay?” he asked.
“It’s my favorite medium,” she said. “There’s something about feeling the wet clay sliding through my fingers that excites my creative spirit.”
“I get that. When I work with fire and metal, something primal takes over. My bear loves it.”
“Mine does too,” she said.
“Grizzly?”
“Yep.”
“Same here,” he said. “So why did you come to the ranch? It sounded like you have a studio in your garage at home.”
“Honestly, I’ve been stuck,” she said. “I can’t seem to find anything inspiring in the clay. I keep working it to death but nothing happens. I was hoping to get that feeling back—I have to get it back.”
“It will come back. It just takes time.”
“I don’t have any more time,” she said. “I have to finish this project for an art patron or I’m going to lose my business.”
“You create art full-time?” he asked.
“Yes. But the last two years have been brutal. The economy is in bad shape and people don’t have as much discretionary income. I’m lucky I’ve been able to stay afloat this long. But I’m getting behind on my payments and if I don’t get this piece done this week, I could lose everything.”
“You’ll get it done.” He leaned over to place his huge hand over hers. As he gazed into her eyes he added, “You just need to reconnect with your inner passion.”
Her bear roared with pleasure. It wanted to roll around in his arms and claim him. Damn creature could be so demanding. But he was just trying to be supportive. And even if he was implying something more, she wasn’t mentally ready to have a casual fling.
“I’m going to head over to the barn.” He withdrew his hand. “Will I see you later?”
“I’ll be around.”
“Good luck today.” He pushed back from the table, and after gathering up both plates, he headed into the house.
Sasha trailed her fingers across the top of her hand where he’d touched her. Oh he’d awakened something all right, but she’d have to ignore her naughty impulses. Maybe at the end of the week she could get his number, but until then, the only thing she’d be getting intimate with was a big block of clay.
* * *
Jack swiped his hand across his forehead as he surveyed the monstrosity of twisted metal behind the barn. He’d hauled a bunch of pieces up from the scrap pile so he wouldn’t have to keep making trips. Although he’d only just begun his creation, he knew it would be awesome. His bear scampered around in his chest. The beast loved the wild, primitive feel of working with fire.
He’d been bending, twisting, and soldering for hours. As he stepped back to assess his creation, he nodded. Yep, right on point. After the conversation he’d had with Sasha earlier, he’d been inspired to create a sculpture of two people dancing the tango. What could be sexier? When he’d been in Argentina, he’d learned the provocative dance from an eighty-year-old woman who could dance circles around him. He hoped he’d be able to move half that good when he reached her age.
After turning off the welding equipment, he set it aside. Mack and Logan had been by to let him know that he was free to swim in the lake in either human or bear form. Although the ambient temperature hovered around sixty degrees, he’d worked up a sweat. Time to cool off.
He strolled across the ranch to the B&B. After changing into a pair of swim trunks, he grabbed a towel and headed outside. On the way to the lake, he spotted Sasha sitting at a picnic bench. An extension cord stretched from the house to a spinning potter’s wheel. Eager to check out her creation, he walked toward her. A frustrated huff punctuated the air a moment before she smashed a half-formed vase.
“Hey,” he said slowly. “How’s it going?”
“I’m just so frustrated. I’ve tried pinching. I’ve tried coiling. I’ve tried freeform hand molding. Nothing is working.”
“Maybe you need a break?” he said.
“I don’t—”
“Have time? I know,” he said.
“You don’t get it. I’m going to lose everything I’ve worked for if I don’t get this done.”
“I understand. But I also think that sometimes you have to step back from work and give your ideas time to cook. Even chefs have to let their soup simmer for hours to get the right consistency.”
“I’m not making soup,” she said.
“I know.” He couldn’t help but smile. “But trust me, sitting around being mad isn’t going to help you right now. I know what you need.”
“Really?” she asked in an amused tone.
“You need to go skinny-dipping in the lake with me.”
As she tossed her head back to laugh, sunlight sent fiery streaks through her hair. Joy cast radiant beauty across her face. He licked his bottom lip. The sudden urge to kiss her rose up, but he managed to keep his desire in check.
“I can’t do that,” she said when she finally caught her breath.
“Wha
t? Go swimming?”
“No, skinny-dipping.”
“Why not?” he asked.
She twisted to one side and pointed at her voluptuous butt. “My ass is far too big to be parading around naked.”
“Good thing I like curves.” He flashed a charming smile.
“You’re the devil in disguise, trying to tempt me like that.”
“It’s not me,” he said with mock innocence. “It’s my bear.”
As if on cue, the beast clawed at him. Jack ran his palm across his chest.
“Has he been acting up?” she asked.
“He always does when there’s a beautiful woman around.”
“I … thank you.” Her cheeks turned crimson. “You’re a very convincing man.”
“So you’re coming?”
“I’m going to run back to my room and get a bathing suit,” she said.
“Bummer.”
“Consider it a compromise.”
“Hey, I’ll take what I can get,” he said.
“You don’t seem like the kind of man who needs to beg a woman to join him,” she said.
“I do tend to draw them in like moths to a flame.”
“And so humble too.”
“I try,” he smirked.
“Let me get this clay cleaned up and I’ll be right in,” she said.
“See you soon.”
Ten minutes later, she reappeared in a black-and-pink polka dot halter-top bathing suit. The bottom half consisted of a skirt which was slit up the thigh, giving him a hell of a view. It was sexy without being sleazy, just like her. She sauntered toward the lake and dropped a towel next to his on the shore. She looked like a curvier version of a Bond girl. Feisty too. Exactly the kind of woman he’d love to take to bed.
Arousal rushed through his veins. Oh hell. He backed into the lake to hide his growing erection. His bear flailed and clawed at his chest.
Mate! Mate! Mate!
“Shut up, bear,” he whispered under his breath. Now was not the time to let the beast out. He silently promised the creature that he’d let him out to run off the sexual tension later. Right now he needed to focus on keeping his libido under control.
“Is the water cold?” Sasha yelled from the shore.
“Nope. It’s perfect,” he said.
As she waded into the water, her face screwed up in a grimace. “It’s freezing.”
“You’ll get used to it in a minute.” He waded toward her and she moved deeper into the lake. “It helps if you dunk your head.”
“No way, it’s too cold.” She flashed a wicked smile before splashing him.
“Oh, now it’s on,” he said.
He lunged forward and grabbed her. She shrieked as he hoisted her into the air.
“Hold your breath,” he teased a second before dropping her into the lake.
When she emerged, she pushed her hair away from her face. Rivulets of water cascaded down her body, flowing down her throat and across her full breasts. He wanted to lap up every inch of her.
“You’re so dead.” She splashed him mercilessly until he ducked under the water.
He waited several seconds before returning to the surface. Her laughter rang across the lake as she played and roughhoused with him. When she finally slowed down, he waded beside her.
“You were right,” she said. “I did need this.”
“Sometimes you have to stop being so scared and uptight and just enjoy life,” he said.
“I’m not uptight.”
“Not even a little?” he asked in a teasing tone.
“Okay, maybe a little.”
“I’ll wring it out of you,” he said.
“Really? And how do you plan on doing that?” she asked.
“With my bear hands.” He shifted just enough to reveal a pair of huge furry paws.
She glided closer to him.
“My, what big paws you have.”
After taking his paws into her hands, she ran the pads of her thumbs across his palm. Shivers of delight raced down his spine. His bear fought to finish the shift, but Jack managed to keep him inside. He’d have to be very careful around her. If he lost his concentration for more than a few seconds, the big, hairy beast would burst free and wreak havoc on their budding friendship.
Chapter 3
Sasha sluiced water from her arms as she padded across the shore toward her towel. As the lazy afternoon stretched toward night, contentment calmed the restless hum in her soul. She sat on the towel and turned to watch Jack emerge from the lake. Every inch of his masculinity—every inch—was on display as he prowled toward her. His swim trunks did little to hide the huge bulge in front. She averted her gaze before he caught her.
After settling onto his towel, he shaded his eyes and turned to face her.
“You’re thinking too hard again,” he said. “Are you still worried about your sculpture?”
“Yeah,” she sighed. “The longer I go without creating something new, the more I feel like maybe I’ve already exhausted all of my ideas.”
“Have you ever had a dry spell before?” he asked.
“Never. Usually I have so many ideas flowing that I don’t have time to do all of them. But the last few months have been brutal.”
“Has anything changed in your life recently?” he asked.
“I’ve been plowing through my savings,” she said. “After the economy took a nosedive, I cut back my expenses as much as possible. I shouldn’t even be on this retreat right now, but I had to do something.”
“You’ll be able to create something.”
“You seem so sure about that,” she said. “I wish I had your confidence. It’s hard to know what’s going to happen now that my client base has dried up. I never used to worry about getting new commissions, but now it’s all I do. With all the pacing I’ve been doing, I’ve practically worn a hole through the floorboards in my studio.”
“You need to get out more.” When she laughed, he added, “Maybe you need to explore the world to get more ideas.”
“That takes money,” she said.
“True,” he said. “But it might be worth it in the long run if you’re able to find your muse again. I find that the more I travel, the more I learn about life.”
She nodded. He had a point, but she didn’t have enough time to do any traveling right now. If she could just get one piece done, it would buy her the time she needed to dream up new designs.
“Where have you traveled?” she asked.
“I’ve been to six of the seven continents. I haven’t made it to Antarctica yet, but I’m planning a trip for next summer. Which would actually be Christmastime here. The sun doesn’t set during the summer, so it’s the best time to go.”
“What are you going to do while you’re there? I never thought of it as a place for tourists,” she said.
“I’m going as an electrician.”
“An electrician?”
“A couple of years ago, I spent the summer in London as a mechanic on a private air field. I learned everything I could about how electricity works in planes. Once you have the basic principles down, you can apply it to pretty much any machine,” he said.
“What made you want to learn about the electrical intricacies of an airplane?” she asked. “It seems oddly specific.”
A shadow passed over his features. As he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbed. The sudden change in his demeanor set her on edge.
“I was in a plane crash a few years ago,” he said. “Almost a decade ago now that I think about it.”
“Oh my God.” She placed her hand over her thundering heart. “What happened?”
“I was flying the red eye from Dallas to New York. We took off and everything was fine at first, until the lights flickered in the cabin.” He paused and took a breath. “A few seconds later the power went out completely. We pitched to the right and started falling.”
She reached for his hand and held it. His trembling fingers gripped hers.
“My br
other was in the seat next to me,” he continued. “We were on a smaller plane. Two seats on each side of the aisle. He wasn’t wearing his seatbelt, not that it would have mattered much. I was the only survivor. My brother didn’t make it.”
“I’m so sorry,” she said. “I can’t imagine how terrifying that had to have been.”
“I thought I’d known what it felt like to be scared and helpless before that moment, but I was wrong. So wrong…” He interlaced his fingers with hers. “I didn’t know the first thing about fear. The moment we started falling, my brother turned to me. I’ll never forget the expression on his face. Shock, followed by terror, a split second before he flew up from his seat and slammed his head into the ceiling. Sometimes I wonder if he would have lived if he’d had his seatbelt on.”
We were in the center over the wings. I always sat there because it’s the most stable part of an airplane. I had the window seat. The impact knocked me unconscious. But the heat from the fire woke me up. My brother—” his voice cracked. “His neck was broken. I knew right away that he hadn’t made it.”
Her heart broke for him. She couldn’t even begin to imagine the level of horror he’d endured. She leaned over and pulled him into her arms. He clung to her, wrapping her in a tight embrace. As she brushed her cheek against his, soft stubble tickled her skin. She sighed as she sensed his inner torment. Pain radiated from him, awakening her bear. The creature clawed at her chest. She longed to shift so she could protect him. It had been years since she’d been this close to another person. She craved his touch, even if it was born of heartbreak.
“I still think about him every day,” Jack whispered. His soft breath slid down the side of her throat. He released her and sat back. A pensive expression crossed his face. “I try not to dwell on it.”
“It would be impossible not to,” she said.
“I spent a month in the hospital recovering from my injuries,” he said. “It gave me a lot of time to think. At first, I didn’t even want to speak to anyone. But a chaplain came in and sat with me for a few minutes every day. We talked about the impermanence of life. He said my brother was in a better place.”
“He is,” she said.
“I know.” He plucked at a blade of grass. “But it doesn’t make it hurt any less. Do you have any siblings?”