by Ophelia Bell
“If you don’t want to wind up in love with her, I don’t recommend tasting her food.”
Gaius stared at the meal like it was about to attack. He snatched the piece of paper and flipped it over, scrawled a quick note on it, then shoved it back under the plate and slammed the dumbwaiter door shut. Only when the thing was headed back south did he finally let out a long breath.
Feeling like he’d just dodged a bullet, he immediately went to the corner where his lunch was stashed and carried it out into the garden to eat. If there’s one thing he’d learned, it was not to deal with bossy women on an empty stomach.
Six
Nessa stared at the piece of paper, perplexed by the swift return of her offer of food to the big bear upstairs. “Not hungry,” was all it said.
Not hungry, her ass. She knew what a hungry bear looked like, and Gaius looked ravenous pretty much every time she saw him. Well, that’d teach him to turn down her food. She wasn’t likely to make the offer again if he intended to disregard it out of hand.
She removed the plate and the note from the dumbwaiter and set it on the kitchen island, confident it wouldn’t go to waste. Not two seconds later, Levi buzzed in, filled with more energy than a hummingbird.
“Ig wants to know if your last list of kitchen equipment is final. He’s approving orders for all of it today. Oh hey, what’s this?” His attention immediately diverted to the burger.
“Your lunch, if you want it,” Nessa said, waving at the food.
“Sweet! Thanks, Ness!” She’d barely given him the go-ahead before the lanky young man grabbed the burger and inhaled half of it before she could blink.
While he chewed, his eyes settled on the scribbled note on the countertop. He pointed a potato wedge at it. “Gaius?”
Nessa nodded and Levi chuckled. “Dumbass. His loss!” He grinned around the last bite of burger.
She chuckled at his enthusiasm and was nearly bowled over when he gave her a peck on the cheek with more hearty “thanks” before charging back out the door, leaving her dizzy.
A second later, he ducked back in with a question about to pop from his mouth.
“The list is final,” Nessa said. Levi nodded, smiled, and was off again in a blur.
She washed his empty dish, a little disappointed that Gaius hadn’t accepted her gift. It made no sense, but apparently the man had an issue with her. She just hoped it wouldn’t affect his work. She trusted Ignazio’s opinion of the man’s skill. If he was the professional her friend made him out to be, it shouldn’t make a difference. But she wasn’t going to waste precious energy trying to win the guy over if he was going to be so damned stubborn about accepting her friendship.
She remained aloof to him after that, merely commenting on his work each day in as neutral a way as possible. She couldn’t help but be excited at the progress he was making. By the end of the week, the cabinets and sinks were installed and the pantry was close to completion. He had enlisted Levi’s help laying tile after the energetic shifter ran out of garden work to help her with.
The afternoons were far too hot to work outdoors, though, so she retreated to the old kitchen that was as cool and dark as a cave, with chilled air flowing through from the ventilation ducts. She also felt the need to wallow in sentimental memories down here as much as possible. All too soon this old sanctuary would be torn down and replaced by Ig and Bry’s rehab center. More white tile and stainless steel, if the plans were any indication.
Nessa was a little at a loss this afternoon. She’d finished cleaning up after lunch, and the boys had some kind of weekend-long event they were attending for League Champions, so she had no particular dinner obligations. It was still early afternoon and too hot to garden, but too nice a day to waste holed up with her memories.
She quirked her mouth at the dumbwaiter that sat idle, having only been used the one time for the rejected meal she’d sent to Gaius. Now was as good a time as any for him to tear the thing out.
And who the hell knew? Maybe after a week, the surly old bear had managed to cool off some and get used to her.
She hung up her apron in the pantry and headed outside where the heat blasted her hard enough to make sweat instantly pool between her breasts. She eyed the serene surface of the lake, thinking she ought to take a dip later. Bry and Ig’s event lasted the full weekend, so she was off the hook for meals. After a week of their long-missed banter, she wasn’t quite sure what to do with herself for an entire two days off. Probably work more on the garden and swim, and spend more time in her dad’s old kitchen cooking her own favorite meals instead of the ones on her boss’ special diet.
When she got up to the new kitchen, it was unexpectedly devoid of the sounds of hammers or power tools. She found Levi washing his hands in the big sink and the tilework was finished, but one of her countertop slabs was leaning against the wall and the other was nowhere to be seen. And of course, the dumbwaiter was still there when Gaius had promised he’d get to it by the end of the week.
“Where the hell is he?” she said.
Levi’s head snapped up and he gave her a shocked look. “Who?”
“Gaius. What the hell happened to his stupid schedule? He said he’d have this stuff done. I need him to tear out that dumbwaiter when I’m not cooking.”
“Don’t know,” Levi said with a shrug. “He just got all irritable and grumbly. He isn’t exactly the most articulate guy, you may have noticed. Next thing I knew, he said something about ‘finish if you want, I’ll pay you double’ and was gone. I don’t think he realized that Ig’s the one paying me.”
“Dammit! I need him to at least get rid of that stupid . . . thing!” she pointed at the dumbwaiter, offended by its very presence.
“You can go ask him what’s up, if it’s that important to you. He lives just a few miles up the mountain.” Levi pointed out the door toward the purple-forested peaks that loomed behind the house.
“I think I will. Which way do I go?”
“Take a left out the driveway and keep going uphill until you see a big wooden gate with the Blackpaw emblem. Go through that gate and his is the only place. You can’t miss it.”
She thanked him and stormed out the doors, the heat only adding to her irritation.
“Nessa!” Levi called after her.
“What?” she snapped, ready to get on her way to tell the big bear she didn’t appreciate his attitude. If he was going to bitch at her about interrupting his schedule, he should have the courtesy to stick to it himself.
“You want the keys to the spare transport?” She turned back in time to see him toss the keys to her.
“Thanks, Levi. You’re the best.”
Seven
Once she shut the gate behind her, Nessa’s irritation subsided into curiosity. The higher she went into the mountains, the more intrigued she became about the bear who lived in such a remote corner of Nova Aurora.
Even more curious was the structure that came into view as she rounded a bend in the road. She wouldn’t call it a house, exactly, though it certainly had potential. She could make out the raw elegance of the architecture of what was likely to become a beautiful mountain cabin whenever it was finished. It was a sprawling, two-story structure that hugged the steep slope of the mountain like a mama dragon protecting her nest. But at the moment, it was no more than a skeleton with a very nice porch. An upper story had been built with a roof, at least, and a big stone chimney jutted out from the peak. The house had no real walls to speak of—just empty space that she could see all the way through to a spectacular waterfall beyond.
She parked the transport next to the other small transport in the gravel driveway and got out.
“Gaius!” she called, not wanting to surprise him if he was busy.
She stood in the driveway, marveling at the sturdy construction of the front porch for a moment before slowly venturing up the wide steps when nobody answered. The steps were flanked by a pair of massive posts that had been intricately carved with patterns sh
e recognized as belonging to one of Nova Aurora’s oldest and most prestigious Northern bear clans, and at the top was the same emblem she’d seen on the gate: the big, stylized bear paw symbol for one of Nova Aurora’s most famous Champions. She ran her hand over the smooth ridges of the design, intrigued. He really must be a huge fan of the sport.
The rest of the house was only intriguing in its overwhelming potential. The interior was an entirely bare, open space with afternoon sunlight streaming through its empty framework, broken only by the massive stone fireplace that took up the very center. One corner was occupied by a single folding chair with a half-empty liquor bottle on the rough wood floor beside it. The chair faced what would likely be a picture window with a gorgeous view someday, if the owner ever decided to finish the thing.
Nessa passed through the empty lower floor to the rear of the house and finally found signs of its missing occupant.
“Gaius!” she called again as she inspected the gorgeous rear deck that was clearly where the man had poured most of his inspiration so far. It butted up against the tree-covered hillside, with benches lining the uphill edge and railings along the side that overlooked the valley below. The corner closest to the house sported a sheltered area that had a quaint, but impressively outfitted outdoor kitchen, with a finished chopping block counter, a sink, a fridge, and a stone oven with a chimney that passed through the overhang above.
Smoke flowed gently from the chimney up into the vivid blue sky. A clothesline was the only thing that obscured the view, strung diagonally from the corner of the kitchen shelter to the far corner of the railing with laundry pinned to it and occasionally fluttering in the hot, barely there breeze.
The other side of the deck sported a big stone fire pit nestled low into the wooden planks. Fresh logs were already piled up inside it, ready to be lit. Another folding chair rested beside it.
Unable to restrain herself, Nessa opened his fridge and peered inside. She chuckled when she found a plate with a pair of perfectly constructed meat patties, and another with sliced vegetables and cheese. On the counter was a bowl covered with a damp towel. As expected, the bowl contained a dark, yeast-scented globe of rising bread dough.
“So you’re definitely a chef in your own right . . . but where the hell are you?” she murmured, looking around and frowning.
The deck extended farther toward the waterfall. Nessa wandered to the edge and peered over, gasping at the steep drop-off that ended in a deliciously deep and refreshing-looking pool fed by the waterfall. Following the railing, she found another set of steps that led down to a wide landing overlooking another section of the pool. Here there was a hammock stretched between two posts, holding what appeared to be rolled-up bedding and a pillow.
Even more curious about the big man, she continued down, following the deck that descended two more landings to a perfect open dock hanging over the water.
There she finally caught a glimpse of him, his big, tattooed torso half-concealed on the far side of the swimming hole, submerged beneath the heavy torrent of water plunging from high above. She cupped her hands around her mouth and called his name again, but the crash of the waterfall drowned out her voice.
She huffed and put her hands on her hips. The water looked so damn nice, the coolness of it already breaking through the summer heat where she stood. No wonder he’d come home and gone for a swim. She’d been about to do the exact same thing before she came up here, intent on nagging him as if he was some ungrateful, wayward child.
Her craving for a taste of that cool water destroyed her desire to complain. So what if it took an extra day before her kitchen was done? That just meant she’d have more time to spend in the old space, reminiscing.
Rather than attempt another futile yell over the noise of the water, she simply stripped, tearing off her shirt and shorts until she was naked. Then she stepped back several feet and made a run for the edge, whooping with joy as she dove off in a graceful arc and plunged beneath the crisp mountain water.
Eight
Gaius tensed at what sounded for all the world like a Champion’s battle cry echoing through his private cove. Then a splash behind him made him spin around and nearly slip off the big rock he’d been sitting on while waiting for the swelling in his knees to subside.
He slid off the rock anyway and swam a few feet toward the ripples left in the surface by whoever had just joined him. The dark head that emerged a few seconds later made him do a double-take.
Nessa’s clear bell of a laugh rang through the cove, her brown eyes bright with elation. “This place is amazing! How dare you hoard it for yourself?” She swam in a slow arc and then rolled over to stretch onto her back, her gaze drifting around the cove from the waterfall to the dock and over his half-finished house.
Gaius’ gaze, however, fixed on the perfect globes of her breasts emerging from the surface of the water, brown nipples tight and pebbled from the cold. His blood rushed south and his previously cold-shrunk cock swelled to full hardness.
Fucking hell, of course it had to be her.
More irritated than aroused, despite whatever ideas his stupid pecker had, he groused at her. “Not hoarding it. It’s just half-finished.” Which should’ve been obvious. “Half-finished” was being rather generous, in fact.
“Why the hell not? This place is perfect. Gaius, you’ve been seriously holding out on me. What other secrets have you got?”
“Why are you here?” he asked, treading water and hoping his enormous hard-on wasn’t visible from her angle.
Far too enthralled by his house and property, Nessa turned and began a slow backstroke in the other direction. This time, she swam about two feet directly in front of him, giving him a tantalizing view of the entire length of her deliciously curvy body, from her light brown shoulders all the way to the dark triangle of silken curls between her legs. Even though he’d seen most of her in the skimpy shorts and top she wore while gardening, he’d had no concept of how beautifully graceful she could be. She was like some lost water nymph come to seduce him.
He shook his head when she said something and realized he hadn’t heard a word she’d said for the last several seconds. Then her words registered. “At first I came to find out why you left a whole pile of things unfinished . . .”
His teeth involuntarily clenched. “Had I known you’d come all the way up here just to gripe at me, I could’ve saved you the trip,” he snapped, surging past her with long sweeps of his arms through the water. He didn’t hear the rest of whatever she said through the water in his ears. When he made it to the dock, he grabbed the ladder and hauled himself up, shook himself off, then stomped up the steps to the main deck.
His cock was still hard. He stopped and stared down at the traitorous appendage, then shook his head in irritation. Pacing across the deck, he scrubbed his hands over his head, struggling to tamp down the whirlwind of conflicting unwelcome feelings—anger at her for invading his space, and desire and arousal for wanting her there for more than just simple company.
The fact was he’d been lonely for a long time. It had been so long since he’d retired and made that call to the matchmaker he’d concluded that he was a lost cause. And now this perfectly gorgeous, yet utterly infuriating woman had walked into his life, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to kick her out or fuck her brains out.
One thing he knew was that Nessa was the perfect example of the kind of woman he didn’t want. She was just too damn bossy and downright exasperating. He was retired now, making a job out of what had been a beloved hobby in his past. This was when he was supposed to relax. Find a mate he could settle down with. Not be set upon at every turn by a female whose life’s work seemed to be to get his blood boiling.
Still pacing, he caught a glimpse of her climbing out of the water, all tantalizing wet curves and long, sleek hair draped over her shoulders. She looked so soft everywhere, his palms just itched to . . .
“Fuck!” he yelled, scrubbing his hands through his hair again to dispel th
at urge. He took a deep breath and was gratified to see his cock had finally gotten the hint that he wasn’t intending to fuck Nessa.
When he turned again, she was coming up the steps with an irritated look, still naked and holding a dripping bundle in her arms.
Suddenly overwhelmed by modesty ,he darted to his clothesline and snatched a dry towel, slinging it hurriedly around his waist.
When she came up the last few steps, he prepared a litany of complaints to throw at her, but found himself struck dumb yet again by the beauty who stood defiantly in front of him. Holy fuck, was she gorgeous when she was pissed.
“You fucking soaked my clothes, you big oaf!” she snapped, holding out one of the sodden pieces of fabric she was carrying and wringing it out to demonstrate. “I don’t suppose you have a clothes dryer up in this unfinished shell you call a house? No? Didn’t think so.” She glared daggers at him, and if his cock hadn’t already gone soft, he was sure that look would’ve done the job—if she hadn’t been naked while giving it to him.
He’d barely shaken his head and formed a response when she stomped over to his clothesline. “I guess they’ll just have to dry the old fashioned way,” she said, pinning the garments to the cable where his other laundry swung in the warm breeze. “I’m going to borrow this while I wait,” she added, snatching one of his favorite old flannel work shirts and shrugging into it.
Gaius blinked at her as she fastened the buttons, unsure of how to respond. He couldn’t argue with her. He’d been the ass who shaken water all over her clothes in his need to escape.