by Liv Brywood
He kissed her again, this time slowly. His lips trailed across her cheeks before sweeping down to graze her neck. As his teeth scraped across her shoulder, her skin quivered in his wake. Raw need coiled in her belly. She wanted him. Here. Now.
The moment he released her hands, she reached to cup him through his jeans. He shuddered and pressed his forehead against hers.
“Wait,” he said in a strangled tone.
Her hands lingered on his thighs.
“I want you,” he whispered. “But I think you’ll regret this tomorrow.”
“If you want me, then take me.”
“Not tonight,” he said. “Not until I know you won’t hate me in the morning.”
“I’ll hate you if you don’t carry me off to bed right now.”
His eyes glimmered in the moonlight. For a second, the war going on inside of him flashed across his face, but it quickly receded.
“We have an early day tomorrow.” He held out his hand. “Let me walk you back.”
His sudden rejection stunned her. One minute he was tongue-deep inside her mouth, and the next he was playing the good guy. Maybe backing away was the right thing to do. They were playing a dangerous game which was so unlike her.
As he walked her back to her cabin, he held her close. When they reached the door, she considered asking him to come inside, but couldn’t face another round of rejection.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said.
He took her hand and kissed the back of it. When he was done, he turned it over and kissed her palm. Desire burned between them, but she couldn’t bring herself to act on it. If he’d wanted to make love to her, he would have. A man like that didn’t turn away a willing woman without having a damn good reason. And maybe he was right. Maybe she needed to stop messing around with the cowboy and get her head back in the game. The competition would only get harder with each round, so she needed to rest.
“Goodnight.”
As she watched him walk away, she sighed. The man had a killer ass. And abs. And tongue.
Good Lord, she was in trouble.
* * *
Most men took a cold shower when they got all hot and bothered, Zack cooked. He stood in the semi-dark kitchen and surveyed the bevvy of spice jars he’d pulled out of the cupboard. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t concentrate.
It had taken every ounce of willpower he’d had to walk away from her. Wet, willing, and ready, she’d all but shoved his cock into her. Even now, he wondered if he’d made a huge mistake not taking what she so eagerly offered.
His bear was furious. The creature clawed at his chest without mercy. After scenting her arousal, the creature had demanded that he mate with her. Normally Zack wouldn’t have hesitated to throw a woman like her over his shoulder and carry her back to bed. But he didn’t want to make a huge mistake that he’d regret in the morning. His bear didn’t want to hear any excuses. As far as it was concerned, he’d fucked up royally.
Since he knew he wouldn’t be sleeping anytime soon, he decided to play around with his barbecue rib recipe. The final challenge would involve barbecued pork or beef, so the more he could prepare now, the better chance he’d have at winning later.
He was in the middle of tossing ingredients into the dry rub when Kody walked into the room.
“What are you doing up? It’s almost two in the morning.” Kody grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and leaned against the counter.
“Nothing. Just experimenting with a recipe. I didn’t know it was that late.”
“Huh,” Kody said with a shrug. He took a long chug of water.
“Are you just getting in?” Zack asked.
“Yeah. Went to Boone’s Bar for a bit. They miss you down there. Said they haven’t seen you all week.”
“The contest is keeping me busy,” Zack said as he grabbed a rack of ribs from the fridge. “I’ll swing by when it’s over.”
“Is that all you’ve been doing?”
“That and working with the cattle.”
“I hear you’ve been having some fun with one of our new lodgers,” Kody said.
“Really?” Zack stopped rubbing the seasoning into the ribs. “Where did you hear that?”
“I talked to Beth.”
“Of course you did.” As much as Zack loved his sister, sometimes he wanted to strangle her. She couldn’t keep anything to herself when it involved her brothers, especially if it was about a woman. “What did she say?”
“She said you’ve been acting like an ass ever since you entered that contest. So what’s up with the lodger, are you two are getting serious?”
“It’s not like that.”
“Really?” Kody arched a brow. “I can smell her all over you.”
Damn bear senses. He should have run upstairs and taken a shower. Of course any bear within ten yards of him would be able to catch a whiff of her scent on his clothes.
“I made her dinner, that’s all,” Zack said as he returned his attention to the ribs.
He pounded the seasoning into the meat with his knuckles. If he wasn’t careful, he’d end up doing something ridiculous, like actually fall for her. He wasn’t good with relationships. He wasn’t the kind of guy Kim would want long-term, not that his bear cared. The beast couldn’t imagine having any other woman in his bed. Stupid feral—
“I can’t believe it. You’re actually falling for her, aren’t you?” Kody laughed as he took another sip of water.
“No. I’m not. What the hell is so funny?”
“Calm down,” Kody said. “I’m not laughing at you, I just never thought you’d be the first one to find your mate. With the way you’ve been chasing women around here, I never thought one would catch your eye long enough to earn a dinner date.”
“I’ve taken plenty of women to dinner,” Zack said.
“Sure, out to a restaurant. But Beth said you cooked for the girl.”
“I can’t cook for someone without you guys get on my back about it? Is that the deal?” Zack demanded. “This is why I want to move out. I don’t need you guys looking over my shoulder all the time. And, she’s not my mate.”
“Wow, I didn’t mean to hit a nerve,” Kody said. “I don’t care what you do. Hell, if she is your mate—and I’m not saying she is—but if she was your mate, then it would free up a whole lot of women for the rest of us.”
“You act like I’m screwing half of Lost Hills,” Zack snapped.
“Well?” Kody flashed a knowing grin.
Zack stomped over to the fridge and pulled out a smoked potato salad. He’d prepared it earlier in the day, but the flavors had needed hours to meld together. As much as he wanted to slap the smirk off his brother’s face, he couldn’t. He needed an impartial person to taste the concoction because he wanted to use it in one of the competition rounds.
“Tell me about her,” Kody said.
“I’m not talking about this with you. Tell Beth to stay the hell out of my business. Kim’s not my mate. It was just dinner.” Zack held an empty spoon out to his brother. “Now, taste this before I lose it and let my bear out.”
“Okay, but I’m here if you need to talk.” Kody scooped up a clump of potato salad. He took a huge bite. After chewing a couple of times, he coughed and reached for his water bottle. “Damn, that’s spicy.”
“Spicy good or spicy bad?”
“It’s good. I don’t think I’ve ever had ghost pepper potato salad before. Is this for the contest?” Kody asked.
“Yeah.”
“You may want to add more mayo so you don’t kill the judges.” He gulped more water.
“There’s hardly any ghost pepper in it,” Zack said.
“My throat’s on fire. Trust me, there’s enough.”
“You’re such a lightweight when it comes to heat,” Zack grumbled.
“Hey, you asked. Besides, maybe one of the judges has a delicate palate. You don’t want to serve napalm-level food.”
“Fine. I’ll tone it down a
bit.”
“Want another piece of advice?” Kody asked.
“Shoot.”
“I were you, I wouldn’t be in the kitchen messing around. I’d be out there in Kim’s cabin getting to know her better.”
“Go to bed, Kody.”
“Fine, Grouchy. But if this woman’s got you this worked up, you can’t tell me there isn’t more to it. You need to figure it out before it’s too late. We don’t need you spreading misery around. Some of us actually enjoy being happy.”
Zack slapped his hand against the counter before turning to glare at him.
“Later,” Kody said with a smirk.
As much as he wanted to throttle his brother, he had a point. He’d never met a woman who was as prickly as a briar patch one minute, and as sexy as caramel apple crumble the next. In a matter of days, she’d twisted his knickers into a bunch and he didn’t like it one bit.
At the end of the week, she’d be leaving Bucking Bear Ranch for good. He wasn’t sure he’d be ready to let her go. But he did know one thing for sure: if he didn’t get his head back in the game, he’d lose the competition along with his only chance at stepping out on his own.
Chapter 7
Kim scanned the parking lot at the edge of the fairgrounds. She’d already been standing at their station for over an hour. Maybe she’d been a tad too eager to see him again, but she’d hardly slept the night before. She couldn’t stop thinking about the way his lips moved over hers, or about the way he’d heated her up in all the right places.
She glanced at the clock. The competition would begin in less than fifteen minutes. They were both sitting at the top of the leaderboard for now, but that could change with one wrong ingredient. He’d seemed so determined to win, so why risk being late?
As she paced the area behind the grill, she tried to stop thinking about him, but it was useless. Was he staying away because of her? Had she scared him off last night by being so forward? She’d all but thrown herself at him and he’d pushed her away, claiming chivalry. She didn’t buy that for one damn minute.
When she heard the roar of a motorcycle, relief washed over her. She looked up to find him hurrying across the field. She almost laughed out loud at the stupidity of her speculation. Of course he wasn’t staying away because of her. He wasn’t one to scare easily. Hadn’t he proven that over the last few days?
“Morning, ma’am,” he said.
“Morning.”
Damn, were they back to one-word greetings? This was exactly why she shouldn’t have gotten involved with him. Instead of focusing on the competition, she was standing around overanalyzing every move he made as he prepped his side of the station. He didn’t stop fiddling with the position of his utensils until Lori approached the judge’s podium. He turned his full attention toward her as she began to speak.
“Today, we’re going to narrow the field down to twelve finalists. For this challenge, we’ll be focusing on one of my favorite parts of a backyard barbecue: side dishes. You have two hours to complete two dishes. As usual you will be judged on taste, presentation, and creativity.” Lori pointed at a group of tables loaded with vegetables, spices, and other ingredients. “You’ll have access to a variety of options, so be creative and wow us.”
“Are you ready?” Zack whispered. Hearing his voice thrilled her far more than it should have.
“I’m ready,” she murmured. “Are you?”
“Bring it.” He flashed a devilish smile hot enough to melt her panties. Damn him.
“You’d better be on your A-game, Grant.”
“Oh, we’re using last names now? This just got serious,” he joked.
“As serious as a heart attack.”
“That’s my goal,” he said.
“What?”
“I’m going to cook something so incredible that the judges will die with smiles on their faces.”
“With the way you cook, I’m surprised they don’t have paramedics lined up,” she said.
“Keep laughing, Cupcake. I intend to get on top of you today.”
Her eyes went wide. “What?”
“On the leaderboard.” As he smiled a small dimple appeared on his cheek. “You really are a dirty girl.”
Flustered and unable to come up with a snappy retort, she blanched as Lori yelled, “Two hours are on the clock. Your time starts now.”
Zack beat her to the first table, which was covered in vegetables. Her gaze snapped from him to the vegetables and back. She couldn’t concentrate. As he made his selections, his muscles bulged and flexed under his black tank top.
“Get it together,” she muttered under her breath.
“What was that?” he asked innocently.
Ugh! She forced herself to focus on the available ingredients. There was so much to choose from that with each passing second, she started to panic a little more. Several other contestants stood gaping at the array of options.
If she wanted to keep her lead, she’d have to go all out, which only meant one thing—she had to recreate two of her dad’s most amazing dishes.
As she gathered the necessary ingredients, she flashed back to the day her father had given her the old family cookbook. Held together by rubber bands and tape, the book contained a legacy of heirloom recipes. He’d told her that the book had been in his family for generations. Each generation had been tasked with passing it on to the most capable cook in the next generation. She’d never felt so honored in her life.
She’d spent hours reading over her family’s history. Each recipe told a different story of birthdays, weddings, and holiday celebrations. The book was a lifeline back to all of the women and men who’d worked their fingers to the bone to cook for their families. It was the best thing her father had ever given her. On nights when she really missed him, she’d flip through the book knowing that he was looking down on her from above.
After she’d gathered everything she needed for her dad’s famous sweet potato casserole, she rushed back to her station. When she was sixteen, she’d created the dish for the first time. She’d been so nervous when she’d served it to her dad. Would he approve? Would he hate it?
After he’d taken a few bites, he’d set his fork aside. When he’d finally spoken, he’d simply said one word, “Amazing.” That was enough to spark a fire in her that would never die. When lung cancer had claimed him two years later, she’d vowed to cook professionally as a way to honor his legacy.
For her second side, she decided on a salad of zucchini, tomato, and corn with a summer vinaigrette dressing. She wanted to balance the heaviness of the casserole with a lighter side. The combination was a winner, but she couldn’t get too cocky. Across the table, Zack was grilling strips of Japanese eggplant. As the spicy scent wafted through the air, she glanced toward him. He caught her staring.
“Do you like what you see?” he asked.
“I never thought I’d see you with an eggplant in a million years.”
“Sweetie, I’ve got tricks up my sleeve you couldn’t imagine,” he said.
Oh, she could imagine a few. If last night had been any indication, the man probably knew more tricks than Casanova—both in and out of the bedroom. She bit the edge of her lip. Although she didn’t mind a little competition, he was giving her a run for her money. She’d have to make sure both dishes were perfect before she plated them.
As time ticked down, she watched him out of the corner of her eye. The noon sun hung directly overhead against a deep blue sky. Beads of sweat pooled on his biceps. Every time he reached for something, his muscles flexed in a sleek display of pure masculinity.
Last night, she’d been wrapped up in those arms. He’d stolen her breath with seductive kisses that left her wanting more. Throbbing desire dampened her panties. She was wetter than a category five hurricane and headed for the same level of destruction. But no matter how hard she tried to stop thinking about him, she couldn’t.
She couldn’t stop a rush of yearning as she pictured his lips nibbling a trai
l of fire across her throat. She could still feel his hard cock pressed against her sex. And now that she’d enjoyed a taste of him, she wanted to savor the full, four-course meal.
She shook her head in an attempt to stop fantasizing about him. If she made so much as one mistake, she could lose the competition along with the money she needed to pay her mom’s medical bills.
As the clock finished counting down, she frantically plated her sides. She’d wiped the edge of the final plate just as the buzzer sounded. Whew, that was close.
The judges made their way over to Zack’s side of the table.
“What do you have for us today?” Lori asked.
“I made a spicy-sweet jalapeño honey cornbread, and Texas fire-engine chili.”
“I like the cornbread,” Sebastian said. “But why did you go with chili for your second side?”
“Chili and cornbread are a natural combination,” Bobby said. “But this is practically inedible, and I don’t understand the bits of charred eggplant in the chili. It’s non-traditional, sure, but it’s far too spicy.”
“I’m a non-traditional guy,” Zack said with a subtle wink in Kim’s direction. She smiled before quickly averting her eyes.
“I have to say, that’s one of the best chili dishes I’ve had in a long time,” Sebastian said.
“Thank you.”
“Once you get past the gag-inducing heat, it’s not bad,” Bobby said.
Not bad? Kim discreetly rolled her eyes. That guy never had anything nice to say to anyone.
As the judges moved to her side of the station, tension coiled in her gut. She took a deep breath and then presented her entries.
“I’ve created a corn, tomato, and zucchini salad with a summer vinaigrette, as well as a squash and sweet potato casserole.” She passed the plates to the judges. “I took a few old family recipes and made them healthier by omitting a lot of the butter and salt. I replaced the ingredients with additional herbs and spices.”
“This is very good,” Lori said. “You can barely taste the squash in the casserole. It’s almost like you didn’t use it at all.”