The Cowbear's Curvy Christmas (Curvy Bear Ranch 2)
Read The Cowbear's Curvy Christmas (Curvy Bear Ranch 2) Online
Authors: Liv Brywood
Tags: #BBW, #Contemporary, #Romance, #Fiction, #Holiday, #Paranormal, #Bear Shifter, #Claimed, #Mate, #Adult, #Erotic, #Christmas, #Mistletoe, #Snowy Winter, #Seasonal, #Human, #Suspense, #Short Story, #Supernatural, #Bachelor, #Single Woman, #Action & Adventure, #Curvy Bear Ranch, #Series, #Cowboy, #Montana Ranch, #Scandal, #Hungover, #Job Interview, #Shifter Secret, #B&B Burned, #Danger, #Ex-Fiance, #Threatens, #Safety, #Protection, #West Yellowstone, #Jilted
The Cowbear’s Curvy Christmas
Liv Brywood
Description
Jilted bride Madison Collins needs a peaceful place to hide out from a disastrous pre-wedding scandal. After a drunken night in the arms of a sexy cowboy, she's hungover and unprepared for a job interview at the Curvy Bear Ranch. The moment she arrives at the remote Montana ranch, she knows she's in a heap of trouble. Its rugged owner, Mack Grant, is the cowboy who'd turned her into a quivering, moaning wild-woman the previous night.
Mack knows it's forbidden to go near the new hire, but he can't stop thinking about her curvaceous body and the way she melted in his arms. When she nearly burns down the B&B, his attraction to her is the only thing that keeps him from firing her. But when her ex-fiancé shows up intent on hurting her, Mack can't contain his bear. With his thousand pound secret out in the open, will Madison be able to see past all that fur and into his heart? With the magic of Christmas on his side, Mack will do whatever it takes to claim his fated mate.
Excerpt
Mack said, “I picked you up in a bar and had sex with you in the parking lot. I don’t know how honorable that makes me.”
She laughed. “That’s different.”
“Oh?”
“We were just having fun, blowing off steam. It didn’t mean anything.”
“And in the barn?”
She swallowed and looked away. “I’m sorry about that.”
He gently clasped her chin and turned her face back to his. “I’m not.”
With only a whisper of space between them, an arc of energy sizzled across her lips. She couldn’t turn away, not when his dazzling hazel eyes stared at her so intently.
He closed the distance and kissed her with a gentleness that made the world fall away. The only thing that mattered was the brush of his lips across hers. Tendrils of desire unfurled in her belly. She leaned into the kiss and let him pull her into his lap.
As she wrapped her arms around his neck, a blast of snow-drenched air whipped her hair to one side. He brushed the errant strands away and caressed her cheek with the back of his knuckles.
When he finally pulled away he murmured, “I can’t stop kissing you.”
The Cowbear’s Curvy Christmas
Liv Brywood
The Cowbear’s Curvy Christmas
Copyright© 2015 Liv Brywood
Amazon Edition
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Maddie slouched against the well-worn redwood bar. As she nursed the last few drops of a huckleberry martini, the bartender ambled over.
“Want another one?” he asked.
“No. I’m still working on this one.”
“Unless you plan on licking the glass, there’s not much left.” He flashed a good-natured smile.
“I plan on licking the glass,” she responded wryly.
He belted out a belly laugh. “A woman with spunk. I like that. What brings you to town?”
“How do you know I’m not from here?”
“West Yellowstone’s a small town. I know everyone who lives here.” He leaned forward with a conspiratorial grin. “And, I know all of their secrets.”
She laughed nervously. “I’m just passing through.”
“All right Ms. City Slicker, let me know when you’re ready for another one.” He moved down the bar to help another patron.
She returned her attention to the empty glass. A few droplets of condensation hugged the rim, but there wasn’t a drop of alcohol left. She cursed her stupidity for letting her ex-fiancé talk her into quitting her job. The second she’d called off the wedding, the bastard had frozen their bank accounts. She had twenty dollars in her pocket, one credit card, and a whole lot of regret.
She used the mirror behind the bar to watch the other patrons. Most sported winter coats, denim jeans, and cowboy boots. The tourists were easy to spot in their matching gloves, hats, and scarves. When she’d left Seattle, she’d stuffed a suitcase full of Aspen-ready snow bunny clothes. She hadn’t realized how many pink jackets she owned until she’d been forced to decide between them.
The door to the bar swung open, and a tall, bear of a man strolled in. Now that was a real man. Six feet tall with a broad chest, slim hips, and an intriguing bulge in his jeans, he was all cowboy. As he wound his way through the packed tables, he looked up.
Their gazes locked in the mirror. A rush of feminine need coursed through her veins. Without thinking, she licked the rim of the glass. He definitely noticed because he changed direction and headed toward the open seat beside hers.
As he slid onto the bar stool, she averted her eyes. What was she doing? She’d just cancelled her wedding a week ago and she was already checking out another man. Maybe she’d lost her mind. And why not? In an instant, her entire life had imploded. She’d gone from being the future wife of multi-millionaire Ben Illingworth, to penniless.
The cowboy next to her took a long swig of beer. His gaze met hers in the mirror for a moment before he turned his head to look at her.
His voice rumbled low and sexy. “You here on vacation?”
“Yes,” she lied.
“Going into Yellowstone?”
“Uh-huh.” Now she really wished she had enough money for another drink. But she couldn’t risk spending her last twenty dollars.
“Hey, Steve,” the cowboy waved at the bartender. “Get this lady another martini.”
“Oh, I can’t… I mean…”
“Are you getting ready to drive somewhere?”
“No.”
“Well then, have another drink on me. I’m Justin, by the way.”
“Candy.”
She blinked as she said the name. Why was she telling so many lies? She was usually a very honest person. Maybe she’d finally snapped. She’d finally stopped crying two days ago when she’d found the advertisement for a management position at a bed and breakfast. She had an interview in the morning, so why not have some fun tonight? After all, if she got the job, it would be her last night of freedom for a while.
Justin smiled. “Candy? Okay, Candy.”
God, why’d she give him a stripper name?
The bartender returned with another huckleberry martini. After setting it on the bar in front of her, he gave Justin a sly grin. Maybe the cowboy was a regular.
“Come here often?” she asked.
“Not much.”
“It’s a nice little town.”
“Sure is. I’ve lived here my whole life.”
She took a sip of the drink. A bolt of white lightening burned down the back of her throat. This one was definitely stronger than the last. Maybe they poured stronger drinks for the locals.
Justin leaned his right elbow on the bar and half-turned toward her. “So what’s your story?”
She froze for a second before remembering that she’d never see him again, so she could literally make up anything and it wouldn’t matter. For the first time in years, she could be anyone she wanted to be. She didn’t have to sit up straight and mind her manners. She could slouch and drink with a handsome stranger without worrying about the consequences.
“I’m meeting up with some girlfriends tomorrow. We’re going into the park on snowmobiles. I can’t wait to see Old Faithful in the winter.”
“So you’ve been here before?”
“Uh-huh.” She took a gulp of her drink. She wasn’t a liar at heart, so this was harder than she’d thought it was going to be. At least it hadn’t been a
total
lie. She’d been to the park a few years ago with some friends.
“I like going into the park, especially in the winter. It’s peaceful, quiet. Not like summertime. When do you usually come, in the summer or winter?”
“We usually drive through the park in the winter.”
He arched a brow. “That’s kinda hard to do considering the roads are closed to cars in the winter.”
“Uh, I mean, we drive through on snowmobiles.”
“That’s a heck of a long trip.”
“We manage.”
As she swallowed more of the martini, warmth spread throughout her body. She started to care less about being caught in a lie. So what he if found out she was in town for an interview? Even if she did get the job, she probably wouldn’t ever see him again. The job was out near Hebgen Lake at a place called the Curvy Bear Ranch.
She loved that name. The brothers who lived there wouldn’t care that she’d packed on thirty pounds in the last six months. So much for her brief stint with bridal anorexia. After two days of starving, she’d fallen off the wagon and had stuffed her face with everything in sight. Ben had accused her of wanting to make him look like a fool for marrying a cow. Seriously? He’d called her a cow. Who did that to their future wife? Although, who would do anything he’d done to her. Jerk.
Justin asked, “Can I buy you another drink?”
“You tryin’ to get me drunk, cowboy?” She noted the slight slur in her voice and dismissed it. She was here to escape, and what better way to forget the past than to fall into the arms of a rugged, sexy cowboy?
He chuckled. “Nope. Just trying to be friendly.”
She smiled and inched closer to him until her thigh rested against his. “You got a wife at home waiting for you?”
“No wife.”
“Kids?”
“No kids.”
“Me either.”
“No wife or kids?” he asked with a smirk.
As peals of laughter rolled across her tongue, she lost her balance slightly and fell against him. “I like you cowboy.”
He brushed a lock of hair out of her face. “You’re going to have to give me time to catch up.”
She winked at him. “I’ll sip.”
He helped her get both butt cheeks back onto the stool. He left his arm wrapped around her waist. Aftershave as spicy as a Moroccan market curled up from his skin to tempt her into throwing all of her inhibitions away.
He sported a neatly trimmed beard and moustache. An urge to touch his face overcame her good judgment.
She brushed her fingertips across his beard. “Sexy.”
He leaned over and whispered, “People are staring.”
His hot breath slid down her neck like a sensual caress. Maybe it was all of the alcohol, or maybe it was the pent-up frustration of having her life destroyed. Whatever it was, she wanted to throw caution to the wind and go home with the sexy cowboy. How long had it been since she’d felt this wanted? She couldn’t remember the last time her ex had looked at her the way Justin was looking at her right now.
“We should get out of here,” she murmured.
The hand Justin had been holding her with slid up to rest alongside her breast. “Are you sure?”
“Take me home, cowboy. Let’s get naughty.”
“Are you staying nearby?”
She pulled away. “So you
do
have a wife and kids?”
“No. I have a bunch of brothers and don’t want an audience.”
She grinned. “Well then, let’s get going.”
As she followed him out of the bar into the snow-blanketed parking lot, she eyed his firm ass. She couldn’t wait to wrap her legs around that trim waist and ride him like a wild beast. If nothing else, she’d be relaxed for her interview tomorrow.
***
Mack walked around to the passenger side of his truck to open the door. He couldn’t wait to get the curvy woman naked. His aversion to relationships made picking up hot women in bars one of his favorite pastimes. Although, over the last few months, he’d been too busy running the Curvy Bear Ranch to get away.
This was his last night of freedom before the Christmas rush at his family’s bed and breakfast. In the morning, he had several interviews to conduct to replace the bed and breakfast’s manager. He had no idea how he was going to find someone as good as the old manager, Sarah, but he had no choice. He just hoped Sarah’s mom would recover from her heart attack.
He pushed the sad thoughts aside as he helped “Candy” into the truck. Since she hadn’t revealed her real name, he figured she didn’t deserve to know his either. He’d lied when he’d said his name was “Justin.” He didn’t know why she’d lied about her name but frankly, his bear didn’t care.
The animal inside him took one whiff of the delectable female and had demanded that he mate with her. After getting a glimpse of her curvy butt, he was in full agreement with his bear. A rarity for sure, but he knew better than to ignore his instincts.
After he’d shut the door, he raced around to the other side and jumped into the driver’s seat. When he pulled the door closed, a veil of snow fell off the roof to cover the windshield. He’d parked in the back lot in an effort to stay away from drunk tourists and their rental cars. He couldn’t chance having his new truck get scratched. He’d worked his ass off all summer to be able to buy this rig and he wanted to keep it in good shape as long as possible.
He turned to ask which hotel she was staying in. She leaned into him, her full breasts pressed against his chest, her hand resting on his thigh. She smelled of sweet liquor and sin. And oh how he needed to sin. He’d been cooped up at the ranch for months and needed to get laid. Bad.
She whispered, “Kiss me, cowboy.”
He laced his fingers into her silky golden hair and drew her into a searing kiss. A flood of need surged into his cock. He wanted her naked. Now.
As he slid his tongue between her pliant lips, she moaned and eased her leg over his thigh. He wriggled into the center seat so that the steering wheel wouldn’t be in his way. He grabbed her hips and pulled her onto his lap. She writhed against him as if already riding his cock. They had far too many clothes on, so he yanked down the zipper on her jacket and pulled it over her shoulders.
She gasped and arched her back, forcing her still-clothed breasts toward his face. Clad in a low-cut thick cotton shirt and snow pants, she looked like she belonged on the slopes in Cody. She was an enigma, but they both knew the score. They weren’t in his truck to get to know each other. They weren’t here to trade family stories and share Christmas cookie recipes. They were here to indulge in one night of scorching hot sex with a stranger. And he intended to fulfill her naughtiest fantasies.
When she pulled her shirt over her head, he groaned. Twin globes of firm white flesh nearly spilled over the top of her red satin bra. His bear roared with approval.
He whispered, “You’re so sexy.”
“You’re not so bad yourself, cowboy. Now stop talking and fuck me.”
His eyebrows shot up. “You have a dirty mouth on you.”
“Better to suck you with.”
His cock twitched as he pictured her soft lips wrapped around him. “Don’t tease me.”
Her throaty laughter filled the car. The windows were covered with steam. Even the freezing temperatures outside couldn’t cool their passion.
She reached behind her back and unhooked her bra. He helped her slide it off. After setting it on the seat next to him, he reached for her. He caressed the tops of her breasts with his fingertips. Both nipples grew taut as if vying for attention. When he leaned forward to suck one plump nipple between his lips, she sighed and tangled her fingers in his hair.
He couldn’t believe how sweet she tasted. As her warm, honeyed skin glided against his mouth, her breath hitched. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him closer. Soft mewls of pleasure spilled from her lips. It was the most erotic sound he’d ever heard.
She reached between them and began to unbutton his flannel shirt. He squeezed her delicious breasts together and tugged on each nipple with his teeth.
