Sweet Seduction (Cowbear Haven Book 1) Read online

  She smiled at him. No, in fact, it was more of a grin. Wouldn’t that be something if she had some paranormal skill and could read minds?

  “This is the room,” he quickly said, putting all thoughts of her knowing what he was thinking, out of his mind. She stepped inside. “I think you’ll like it because it has a wonderful view of the mountains to the west and you can see most of the ranch from here.”

  She walked over the window and pulled back the curtains.

  “Is everyone here a werebear?” she asked.

  “Yes, that’s the rule if you want to live and work here.”

  “Does that mean you couldn’t find a werebear cook?”

  “Not one good enough and who wouldn’t cause a mutiny due to bad food.”

  “And how about female werebears?”

  “None of them want to be cowboys so they don’t usually head here.”

  “But females are allowed in here right?”

  “Absolutely some of the guys venture out and bring women back for a…”

  He was about to say fuck but caught himself just in time. He hadn’t been around females in quite some time. Being around guys, rough and tumble ones at that meant they let their guard down, swore, walked around naked, and yes, farted and belched too. Now they had a female under their roof, things would need to change. He’d call a meeting tomorrow to make sure everyone was on the same page.

  “I’ll let you settle in and get unpacked and then how about you come downstairs to the kitchen and I’ll have two of the guys who have been working there help you put together something for dinner. Oh and we should get together sometime soon and talk about the upcoming Bear Run.”

  “Bear Run?”

  “Yep, it’s when we get a lot more werebears heading here so there are usually more mouths to feed. You’ve arrived here just in time to help out.”

  “Just how many?”

  “It’s hard to say but last Bear Run we had fifty,” Trey told her.

  She seemed to lose the rosy glow on her cheeks. Maybe he’d sprung that on her a bit too quickly and perhaps she was going to quit before her first day of work. Me and my big mouth.

  “You can handle that, right?” he asked her.

  “Sure, piece of cake,” she said

  Chapter Three

  Just what had she gotten herself involved with? Cooking for over 100 guys? Werebears no less. Trey had mentioned mutiny. What if she caused them to go on the rampage, tear up the place, and hurt her in the process?

  Nope, Trey wouldn’t let that happen to her. He was the big strong alpha type. She could clearly see that when he’d told the two guys off for stimulating having sex with her. A big protective bear around was what she needed right now. Even if bad guys came bursting through the front door she knew he’d protect her. Her knight in shining armor. She shook her head. Her step-mom always said she was a dreamer with her head in the clouds.

  Joely unpacked her bags and set everything out on the bed. She put her sketchpad and pens on the table. Her nighttime ritual was to sketch before she went to sleep. Hopefully by the time she had enough money to enroll in the art program, she’d have one hell of a portfolio to show prospective clients. She glanced out of the window. Trey had been right about the view. It was beautiful and breathtaking. Downright romantic looking as the sun started to go down behind the tallest peak. Definitely something to sketch and even paint while she was here. Next time she went into town she’d pick up a few supplies, like watercolors, brushes and a canvas or two.

  The sun going down meant she should get a move on because they’d be expecting dinner soon. At least she’d have some help tonight and maybe she could bluff her way through and learn along the way.

  She hung all her clothing and put her shoes in the bottom of the closet. She opted to wear her jeans and t-shirt so nothing got ruined while she cooked. She tied her hair back with her purple bow and then headed outside while trying to remember the exact route they’d taken when they’d left the kitchen.

  The stairs, yeah, she remembered now, and when she reached the foyer of the house she noticed a couple of guys mopping the floors and the entryway. They nodded to her.

  “Hi, I’m Joely, the new cook,” she said.

  “Pleased to meet you and we’re looking forward to some great meals.”

  She hurried along the corridor and ran straight into the chest of Trey who was heading in the opposite direction. She looked up at him. He didn’t have a bad angle and she guessed that if they kissed she’d have to stand on tip toe to reach his lips. Why she’d thought of that she had no idea. Yes, she did. She coughed, thinking, clearing her thought would also clear her head of any crazy ideas she had about her and Trey becoming an item. She was only going to be at Cowbear Haven for a short time. As soon as she earned enough money for the school and the mess with Bob’s wrongdoings died down, she was off to Denver and her future career in art. Getting involved would be pointless.

  “Wow, you’re in a hurry,” he said. He put his hands on her arms. Tingles went through her whole body. She’d never had that happen before. Maybe it was because he was a werebear and had electricity within his body. After all, what was it that enabled these guys to shift into other beings?

  “I thought I should start making dinner,” Joely said.

  “Mikey and Seamus are already in the kitchen. I’ll take you along and introduce you.”

  He got hold of her hand and another tingle went through her body but this time it was concentrated in her belly and pussy area.

  They reached the kitchen where two guys were busy chopping vegetables.

  “Guys, this is our new chef and resident of Cowbear Haven, Joely,” Trey told them. “Joely, the taller of the two is Mikey, and the red haired guy is Seamus.”

  They both wiped their hands down the front of their aprons and took two big strides over to shake her hand.

  “They’ve agreed to continue to be your assistants,” Trey said.

  “We’re happy to meet you and it’s great to know the pressure of putting together meals doesn’t fall on our shoulders anymore,” Seamus said.

  “Looks like you’ve already started on tonight’s meal,” Joely said, half relived that she could see ground beef in bowls and maybe she’d just watch and learn.

  “We thought burgers, fried onions and some pan roasted potatoes would be simple enough on your first night here,” Mikey said.

  The sound of those three things made Joely’s mouth water and she was pretty sure her stomach rumbled too. She’d been so nervous about coming here that she hadn’t eaten since breakfast and that had only been a slice of toast.

  “Yeah, sounds like a good start so what do you need me to do?” she asked.

  “How about mix the meat for the burgers and we’ll cut the rest of the onions and potatoes,” Mikey said.

  “I’m going to put together our weekly grocery list so I’ll be over here,” Trey said, pointing to a desk at the back of the kitchen.

  Joely saw some aprons hanging up and decided to grab one. She put it around her and obviously it was made for big guys because it almost reached the ground, and even with her curvy figure she was able to wrap the tie around her twice.

  She saw Trey look up and then smile before he quickly got back to his work. She walked to the sink, washed her hands and then headed back to the island in the middle of the kitchen and looked at the huge quantity of ground beef.

  Mikey turned around and looked at her. “The guys like quarter pounders so make sure the patties are on the large size.”

  “Sure, yes, I can do that.”

  She stood looking at the meat and then began putting it into the large silver mixing bowls.

  “The spices are over in that cupboard,” Mikey told her, nodding toward the pantry.

  “Spices, right, yes of course.”

  Her step-mom usually just put some salt and pepper into the ground beef but she doubted that’s what he’d meant by spices. Werebear spices maybe. Hopefully it would be mark
ed as such. No, of course it wouldn’t. Perspiration began to break out on her cheeks and she hoped she wouldn’t have one of her panic attacks. She hadn’t experience one in years.

  She walked by the two guys in total awe of how quickly they were chopping onions and the fact, they weren’t even looking at the food, but instead chatting away as they did so which impressed her even more. If she did that she’d lose a finger or two. Maybe it was another werebear quality. She guessed she had a lot to learn and not just about cooking.

  Joely walked into the pantry and looked at the shelf. More spices than she thought even existed. Smoked cumin, Cajun, Mesquite.

  Shit, now what do I do?

  She stuck her head around the side of the door.

  “Do the guys have any particular favorite spices they like in their hamburgers?”

  Trey looked up from his work.

  “They like some heat,” Seamus told her.

  “Would Cajun work for them?” Joely asked.

  “We’ve never tried it but go ahead. You’ll soon know if they hate it.”

  That wasn’t what she wanted to hear and the word mutiny sprung to mind, but she’d give it a try and hope it wouldn’t lead to unrest. She carried it out to the kitchen and sat the bottle down next to the mixing bowl.

  “Spoons and measuring cups are in the drawer in the island,” said Mikey who was now standing behind a pile of sliced onions.

  Joely opened it up and stood staring in there wondering just how much she should put into all this meat. In fact, the jar was almost full so the whole thing would probably be about right. She guessed cooking in quantity would have to be something she’d need to learn how to do very quickly or Trey might get suspicious.

  Joely poured the whole jar into the meat, picked up a wooden spoon and began stirring the two ingredients together. Smelled and looked good. She turned the mixture out onto the table top and began to shape it into hamburger patties.

  “You want me to show you how to turn the grill on?” Mikey asked her.

  “That’s probably a good idea,” Joely said. She wiped her hands and followed him over to the side of the kitchen where a large grill sat into between the burners of the stove.

  “It can be temperamental so stand at arm’s length whenever you light it. I lost my eyebrows a couple of months back.”

  Joely heard a clicking noise as he turned the switch and then the flames shot up into the air immediately heating her cheeks.

  “Let it warm up for about ten minutes and you should be ready to cook the burgers,” Mikey said.

  Joely walked back to the kitchen island glancing Trey’s way and seeing that he’d stopped working and was leaning back on his chair with his arms crossed over his chest and seemingly watching her every move.

  She wouldn’t let it unnerve her. She got back to making the patties while looking at Trey out the corner of her eye. She piled the hamburgers onto a plate and headed over to the grill and began placing the meat on top of it. She noticed Seamus putting the potatoes on a roasting pan and sticking it into the oven in the wall.

  “How you doing?” Trey called over to her

  “Just fine,” she called back.

  “I hope the kitchen is as good as the ones you’ve been used to working in,” he said.

  “Yes, just as good, if not better,” she said. She flipped the burgers, noticing a few had gotten a little charred but that was a good thing right?

  “Glad to hear it,” Trey said.

  Mike carried over a tray of chopped onions to her.

  “How about you cook these with the patties?” he said.

  He poured them on to the griddle part of the grill and now she was dealing with two sets of food and began to feel overly warm and knew panic was now setting in.

  “Why don’t you two go help set up the tables for the meal and I can help Joely finish up here,” Trey said.

  “Okay,” Mikey said.

  Trey now stood hip to hip with her, giving the onions a stir as she added another set of patties to the grill.

  “What made you want to become a cook?” Trey asked her.

  He hadn’t even thrown a question like that at her during the phone interview so did he now suspect that maybe she wasn’t a real chef?

  “I’ve always enjoyed it and I think you should make a living doing something you love.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.”

  She heard voices and noise coming from the next room and guessed the men were gathering in there.

  “You wanna check on the potatoes and I’ll keep my eye on the burgers,” Trey said.

  “Sure,” Joely said. She walked over to the wall and opened the oven door where the heat and steam greeted her face. When it cleared she was able to see that the potatoes looked pretty good so she pulled them out and sat the pans on the countertop.

  “I think we’re almost ready to serve the meal,” Trey said. “How about you sit at my table for meals and we can get to know one another. Nothing like doing that over some great food.”

  *****

  She looked hot and bothered. She also looked super pretty. She’d overdone it with the Cajun spices but he’d guessed she would as soon as he saw her beginning to cook, or at least trying to cook.

  “Holy shit, these burgers bite back but I sort of like them,” said one of the guys sitting at the next table.

  “Geez, I’m going to be farting all night,” said another.

  Trey smiled but didn’t envy the guy’s bunk mate one little bit.

  Trey took a swig of water, hoping to stop the burn in his mouth. Good thing ice cream was on the menu for dessert.

  Perspiration started to appear on Joely’s forehead and he guessed she was feeling the heat too. She smiled at him, he smiled back. His bear instinct told him she was no more a cook than he was but he wasn’t going to say anything, wasn’t going to confront her, and was definitely not going to fire her even if she had gotten this job under false pretenses.

  If DL Bentley, the former owner of this place, had taught him one thing, it was everyone was entitled to make mistakes but they also had learn from them. Everyone, werebear or human, deserved a chance and that’s what he was going to give Joely. Whether she proved him wrong or fucked up big time remained to be seen, but he was going to give her a chance to continue being their cook.

  Hopefully things wouldn’t get too fouled up and lead to mutiny. He’d have to keep a close eye on her which wasn’t going to be hard. Her obvious lies did make him wonder why she’d wanted the job so badly. No one ever wanted to come out to Cowbear Heaven to visit, let alone work. Whatever her reason, he had to admire her courage. She hadn’t shown any fear when she’d stepped foot in the door. That had sort of won him over the second he saw her. While being cute and curvy had also swung things in her favor too.

  “You want me to help you serve the ice cream?” he asked her.

  “Sure,” she said, standing up and taking his plate and putting it on top of hers.

  Trey followed behind her to the kitchen not able to help himself from watching her curvy hips move up and down. Several of the guys turned around to look at her too. He was going to have to keep a close eye on all of them…for her sake that was. He’d been the one who’d set the rules about no messing around with women co-workers. Up till now they’d never had one. So it had never really been an issue. However, he wasn’t going to break it just to satisfy his own needs. He was suddenly as thirsty as hell and guessed it was the spice in the burger. He opened the freezer.

  “We always keep a few gallon tubs of ice cream on hand for emergency desserts,” he told her. “But the guys do like pies and cakes. And by the way there’s a suggestion box you might want to pick up and take a look at. Once the guys heard a real cook was coming here they decided to put their meal ideas into a box. Maybe you can read through it tonight.”

  She almost lost her color and he knew why. That had been naughty of him to throw that at her but if she was going to learn anything from this experience the
n he needed to toss her into the deep end.

  “I’ll do that.”

  “Bowls are over here, you can take them on the tray and I’ll carry in the ice cream for you.”

  He didn’t know if the wolf whistles were for the ice cream or for her. He guessed the latter because as she leaned over each table to set down the bowl in front of the guys she definitely was a site to behold.

  “Hey baby you’re turning me rock hard. You wanna sleep in my bunk tonight and feel what it’s like to have a werebear inside you? Sorry but it’s tough having a woman around the place now,” said Joe, looking straight at Trey and obviously knowing he was going to give him a dressing down for his crude remark.

  She was also turning Trey rock hard too and when she slid in next to him and when their thighs bumped, he almost lost it. Trey had to set an example even though he wanted to put his hand on Joely’s thigh and squeeze it.

  “This is great ice cream,” she said.

  “Yeah, we make it ourselves from our own cow’s milk,” Trey told her. “Maybe you’d like to learn how to milk cows.”

  He expected her to say no or give one of her panicky looks again but she surprised him.

  “I’d love to,” she said.

  “Great, I’ll get something set up for next week.”

  She finished the last of her ice cream. “I guess I should start to clear up the dishes.”

  “Why don’t you let the guys do that as it’s your first night and we want you rested for your first breakfast on the job.”

  “Thank you, I appreciate it.”

  “Oh and don’t forget to take the suggestion box with you and look through it and maybe make up some menu plans,” Trey said, standing. “And why don’t you ride into town with me at the end of the week and we’ll pick up supplies.”

  “Sounds like fun.”

  He watched her walk away and he grinned. Getting to know her, them getting to the point where she was going to own up to not being a cook, was going to be so much fun.