Sweet Seduction (Cowbear Haven Book 1) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Sweet Seduction

  Cowbear Haven

  Vanessa Devereaux

  Copyright © 2017 Vanessa Devereaux

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, or events, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Published by Coldstream Publishing

  After Dark Imprint

  This is the work of erotica and therefore intended for a mature audience.

  All characters depicted in sexual acts in this work of fiction are 18 years of age or older.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  “I’m leaving town and I suggest you do the same.”

  Joely looked at the man, who for the last year, had been her boss. She’d always thought of him as a guy who had his act together, and not the type who’d even go to pieces if the zombie apocalypse was about to begin. However, right now sweat was breaking out on his face and pit stains were forming faster than you could say deodorant.

  “Why, what’s wrong?” she asked him.

  “I’d pretty much say just about everything,” he said, as he threw papers and folders into the box he’d brought into work that morning.

  She glared at him, clearly so intensely that he stopped what he was doing and looked back at her.

  “Look Joely you’re a nice young woman so I should have been more honest with you about just how temporary this job was really going to be.”

  “You’re saying I no longer have a job?”

  “Hey kiddo I’m sorry to dump this on you but I’m a scam artist. I don’t usually stay in one place for more than six months and I guess I’m paying the price for staying twelve.”

  Joely went cold, her skin feeling like pins and needles were invading it. She didn’t like the words scam artist and the way he’d emphasized them in his last sentence.

  “Just what sort of scam are we talking about?” she asked him.

  “You’ve heard of a Ponzi scheme right?”

  She nodded, feeling sicker by the minute.

  He looked out of the window and began to gather up more of his stuff.

  “Guess I crossed the wrong people this time and they’re coming for me. So kiddo I suggest you leave just in case they think you know more than you do.”

  “I don’t know anything.”

  “Yeah, but they don’t know that.”

  He dug his hand in his pocket and pulled out two one hundred dollar bills. “Take this and get the hell out of Dodge.”

  He didn’t say another word just simply picked up the box and fled, leaving her with the money in her hand and her mouth wide open.

  She’d taken the job so she could earn enough money to go to art school. She knew her dad and step-mom didn’t have those sorts of funds and she’d always been independent. Now she was not only being short-changed, but it looked like she might have some bad guys on her trail too.

  Joely rumpled up the money. She wanted to throw it across the room but if she needed to flee, and it sounded like maybe that would be a smart thing to do, at least until things quieten down, then she’d need every penny.

  She grabbed her bag off her desk and looked around the office which for the most part had been a half decent place to work. Where would she go? Her dad’s place in Billings? Nope that might be the first place someone would look for her, and she didn’t want to bring any trouble to his door. She’d go to the store and pick up something to eat while she had a good think about her next move.

  She’d even given up her car to speed up her savings so wherever she went it would have to be by bus or plane. Plane would be more costly so it would need to be somewhere she could catch the bus. She walked to the next block and headed into the supermarket.

  Joely usually came in here to grab her and her boss doughnuts and coffee each morning. Right now she was feeling the need for one with the most gooey calorie laden center she could find. She stopped in front of the notice board in the entrance of the store. Maybe something on it would spark an idea about where she should go.

  A help wanted sign caught her attention.

  Cook Wanted-Live in Position, Free Room and Board and Small Weekly Wage.

  Cook, now that sounded interesting. Not that she’d ever been one, but she knew how to make toast and scramble eggs, and not to mention the times she’d whipped up brownies and cookies too.

  She read some more, but the words Cowbear Haven flashed like beacons in front of her eyes.

  Cowbear Haven was the place people barely spoke about because of the people, or as folks referred to them, creatures who resided inside its walls. It had to be at least an hour’s drive outside of town but still the place spooked most of the residents.

  However, that might work to her advantage. Its reputation would keep people away. Yeah, no one would think of looking for her there. Perfect.

  She pulled a pen out from her bag and made a note of whom to contact.

  If interested in the position please call Trey Whelan at 555-1769.

  Chapter Two

  Trey couldn’t believe he’d finally found someone willing to take on the job of ranch cook. He’d advertised the position for three months and they’d not even been one applicant respond. Not that it had surprised him because he knew what people thought about this place. About him and the other guys living with him. Maybe all the prejudice was about to end. Perhaps the new cook, a human no less, would break the ice and show everyone there was nothing to be scared about at Cowbear Haven. They weren’t here to hurt anyone. In fact, most of the werebears came here traumatized, scared, beaten and battered, and they were the ones who were weary of the outside world.

  Trey had been so excited about someone being remotely interested in the job that he’d chosen to interview her over the phone and hired her the minute she’d told him she had prior experience with cooking and was keen to get started. Mikey and Seamus were going to be especially relieved that the whole burden of cooking wouldn’t fall upon them anymore.

  One thing he loved was enthusiasm, and it sounded like she had plenty of it. If her cooking skills matched it then they were about to have some great meals. He looked at the clock on the wall and knew she’d be arriving within the next hour. He had a room to get ready for her and after that, he’d round up everyone and tell them the good news. He also needed to warn t
hem they needed to be on their best behavior because should Joely quit they’d be back to square one with nothing but burned food and under cooked pies.

  Yes, help was on its way and he felt like a burden had been lifted off his shoulders.

  *****

  “This is as far as I’m going. Any farther and I don’t feel safe,” the bus driver told Joely about thirty minutes into their journey. She looked up from the book she was reading and saw nothing but open land around them. She quickly checked the GPS on her phone and noticed they were still a good mile and a half from where Cowbear Haven was located.

  “I’ve paid to go into the town,” Joely said.

  “You’re lucky I’ve come this far and as you can see no one ventures past the town limits into this neck of the woods.”

  It was true she was the one and only passenger now left of the bus. She knew it wasn’t worth arguing with him because he clearly wasn’t going to change his mind. She’d obviously chosen the right place to lay low for a few months.The walk would probably do her good and lucky thing she’d worn her sneakers. She grabbed her suitcase and backpack and made her way to the front of the bus.

  “It’s all rumor and superstition you know,” she told the driver when she reached his seat.

  “I hope so for your sake. Just watch out for yourself. I’ve heard those werebears can charm the panties right off of a lady…sorry I didn’t mean to be so blunt.”

  Joely tried to conceal her grin. No one had charmed her panties off in what seemed like forever so maybe she’d get lucky at Cowbear Haven.

  “I’ll remember that,” she said, stepping off the bus.

  The driver waved to her, closed the door and then turned the bus around while setting up a swirl of dust. Joely coughed and waved her hands in front of her face. Wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t so damn hot. Hopefully the walk wouldn’t be as bad as she thought. She pulled out her straw hat and perched it on top of her head and began her trek down the road. Not one single car past her. Not even a bird flew overhead. The sound of silence. Her father had played that song when she was young and he’d often sang along to it. She’d always thought it strange that silence had a sound but right now she guessed it did and it was downright eerie.

  She took a rest to get some water from the bottle in her bag. A sudden gust of wind picked up, sending a hissing noise through the tall blades of grass on the side of the road. Goosebumps broke out on her arms and legs and Joely began to wander if she had done the right thing taking this job. For opting to be miles away from town, and in a house with guys who were really bears under their human disguise.

  Would they howl and make lots of noise when the moon was full and they needed to shift? She took two gulps of water and prayed she’d be able to handle it. She’d never been scared of horror movies. While other kids had hidden behind pillows and blankets, she’d watched movies like Dracula and Friday the 13th with no fear whatsoever.

  She popped the top down on the water bottle, slid it back in her back pack and set off again. Five minutes later as she headed up a hill, she saw what she guessed was Cowbear Haven up ahead. A sprawling ranch on acres of ground with absolutely nothing else in sight.

  She looked back at the deserted road. It wasn’t too late to turn back. She bit her lip, on the one hand, and if she was honest, she was scared shitless, on the other, determined to hurry along and start her new job. Back in town people were probably looking for her boss and maybe her too.

  Yeah, she’d do it, after all, it wasn’t forever and she just wouldn’t look at any of the guys when they turned into grizzlies.

  She hitched her bag up higher on her shoulders and marched toward the ranch with more determination than ever. She saw the sign that said Cowbear Haven and turned down a dirt road. To the left she could see cattle, and up ahead, a field where two black horses were grazing. She reached a set of brown iron gates with the initials CH in their center. She tried opening them but they were locked. She wiped the perspiration off her forehead while noticing one of those fancy intercoms to the left of the gate. Obviously they didn’t want just anyone walking in this place. Maybe they were just as weary of outsiders as outsiders were of them. Joely pressed the button. A crackling noise suddenly broke the silence.

  “Hello, can I help you?” asked a man.

  “Yes, my name’s Joely and I’m the new cook.”

  “Joely, hi, it’s Trey. You want me to come down to meet you or you okay walking up to the house by yourself?”

  She didn’t want him to think she was scared just because these guys were a little different.

  “I can walk, no problem,” she said.

  “Okay, when I open the gate head up the road and then turn left and you’ll see the house straight ahead. I’ll be standing out front waiting for you.”

  The gates swung open and this was it… she was going inside Cowbear Haven. No turning back now. She looked to her right and saw men riding horses and two sets of stables in the distance. As she got closer, some of the men were out front and they wolf-whistled her.

  “Hey, that’s enough of that,” shouted a man’s voice.

  She looked up to see a guy standing on the front door step of the house. Wow, if they all looked like him then she was in for a treat. In fact, this was the best looking guy she’d ever set her eyes on. Six three if she wasn’t mistaken, broad shoulders and dark hair…She was ogling him and she knew that was so-so wrong.

  “Joely, I’m Trey. I thought it best that I meet you half way,” he said, stepping toward her.

  He touched the cowboy hat on his head and extended his hand. She slipped hers into it and her hand almost got lost in it because it was huge. Strong too as he curled his fingers around her hand and squeezed. She looked up into his eyes. Big brown eyes with eyelashes so pretty she was jealous that she wore mascara and still didn’t looked even half that good.

  “Welcome to Cowboy Haven. Let’s go inside and I’ll show you around,” Trey said.

  Joely followed him into the house which wasn’t really a house but a mansion. Inside were paintings of horses and a man’s portrait hung on the wall by the entrance.

  “That’s JD Bentley, he’s the cowboy whose property this used to be.”

  “He has kind eyes,” Joely said, half thinking out loud.

  “Yeah he was a great guy. You look hot so how about we head to the kitchen for some lemonade and I can show you where you’ll be working?”

  Lemonade sounded perfect so she followed him along a hallway and to the back of the house where the biggest kitchen she’d ever seen came into view. Her dad and step-mom’s kitchen would fit into this place ten or more times. You could even throw a party in there.

  “I hope this will be to your liking. I know some cooks are sort of picky about things but if there’s any utensil or pot you think we need to make a certain dish, you just let me know and I’ll order it.”

  Saucepan, mixing bowl and a wooden spoon were the only things she knew how to use.

  “I sure will,” Joely said.

  “We have three ovens and sets of double burners here. It’s a walk in pantry and it’s over there where we keep both food and things like baking sheets, pots and pans. We’ve been serving breakfast around 6 a.m. lunch is casual around noon, and then at 7 p.m. we serve dinner. Be prepared because after a day’s work, these guys are always hungry. The men take turns clearing tables and rinsing dishes to put in those three dishwashers.”

  Joely hoped he didn’t see her mouth open wider. Why hadn’t she thought this through? This wasn’t simply making PB and J sandwiches for a bunch of preschoolers. This was a job for a professional cook who actually knew what they were doing.

  “And they also take turns helping with peeling and chopping vegetables so make sure they all do their fair share. It’s one of the conditions of being able to live here.”

  Maybe I should own up now but I think it might be too late.

  He walked to the fridge, pulled out a bottle of lemonade and poured two glasse
s, one of which he handed to her.

  She took a sip. “How about I show you to your room and then you can rest up and if it’s no trouble, maybe you can start straight away and cook dinner. I know it’s short notice but maybe something quick and light for tonight. The guys will understand.”

  Oh geez, this is going to be worse than I thought.

  *****

  Trey hadn’t expected their new cook to be quite so young, and definitely not so pretty. Both factors might be a problem living and working here with a bunch of werebears. Like any other male, these guys had needs. Some of them hadn’t been with a woman in a long time so he had to put things straight with Joely as well as the guys living under his roof.

  “Your room’s up here on the top floor,” he said, pointing up the stairs.

  Two of the residents walked by and turned to take a second look at Joely. Yeah, so it wasn’t only him who thought she was sexy and pretty. Trey turned back to look at them and saw both making mock thrusting actions with their hips. He shook his head at them.

  Joely happened to turn around at that very moment, no doubt catching their crude movements. Trey shouldn’t be the one feeling guilty but he did, and he also felt embarrassed too. He sensed he might be blushing because his cheeks and neck suddenly felt like they were burning up.

  Should he say anything or should he apologize to her? He didn’t want her thinking she was coming to work and live in a place where guys treated women like sex objects and she was going to get hit on every day. She was his last hope of filling the cook’s position, and if the guys didn’t get some decent food soon, he’d have a rebellion on his hands.

  They both continued up the stairs and Trey decided to address the issue right now.

  “If any of the men make any crude remarks or gesture, if there’s even the merest hint of sexual harassment then I want you to come talk to me immediately,” Trey told her.

  “That’s okay, I grew up in a neighborhood of boys so I know what you guys can be like,” she said.

  They arrived at the door and Trey opened it back. He didn’t want her thinking, he was like that. Okay, sometimes he was, but not with people who worked for him. He had standards and rules about that. No hanky-panky with the hired help.