When I walk through the door, I see him standing in the middle of the kitchen, and I smile at him.
“Great effort tonight. It smells good, and they guys are ready to dig in.” I look over at the counter and see five pies sitting on it, cooling. I’m in shock because I can’t remember the last time I had a homemade pie, and I know Earl didn’t make them. “Where’d those come from?” I ask, making my way into the kitchen.
“Me.”
I hear a soft feminine voice to the side, and I look over to see a beautiful woman with golden ringlets piled on top of her head standing in the pantry. She’s so tiny, maybe five feet tall, and she’s got rosy cheeks and big blue eyes. She’s utterly gorgeous, and as my eyes travel down, I see she’s wearing one of my mama’s old aprons. She looks so perfect, and I immediately want to go to her and scoop her up in my arms. But before I can say or do anything, Earl speaks.
“This is Miss Clare Stevens. You know, your mail-order bride.”
With that, Earl walks past me to the pantry. He stops and looks at Clare. “Dinner looks wonderful, Miss Clare. Come on out of the pantry and let the boys thank you.”
I see her rosy cheeks blush and she bites her lip, but she goes to take a step towards the door.
What does she think she’s doing? She can’t go out there and let those men see her. Is she crazy? She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life. No way are those hound dogs gonna lay eyes on this sweet, innocent, little thing.
In three long steps, I’m in front of her. Reaching out, I grab her arm and halt her motion.
“No,” is the only word I can say. My brain and tongue can’t seem to work together, and that’s all I can get out to stop her from leaving me.
Chapter 3
Clare
I stare up into the grayest eyes I’ve even seen. I didn’t even know eyes could really be a gray that dark. His tanned hand around my arm tightens a little more. Firm but not painful. My eyes go to the hand engulfing my arm as it wraps around it.
I thought he was big in the picture he’d sent me. That was nothing compared to him in person. The man is well over a foot and a half taller than me. I feel his thumb brush up the sleeve of my shirt, almost like it’s petting me in small circles. The rough texture feels good on my skin, too good for a man I want to smack right now for being a jerk. A sexy jerk.
I lick my lips. They suddenly feel dry. His eyes go there, narrowing at my action. His jaw clenches hard, making the stubble that coats his face seem a little more prominent, and I wonder if he shaved just this morning or if it’s a few days old. If I had to guess, he shaved this morning and it grows fast.
“No? You just going to keep her locked in the pantry?” Earl laughs at his own joke. “I know you run a tight ship, boss, but that’s—” His words cut off as Cash pulls me by the arm, my body coming up against his like he doesn’t have any intention of letting me leave the pantry. He smells like the sun, and it catches me off guard just as much as him pulling me into him does.
I use my other arm to tuck a loose blonde curl behind my ear. It’s something I always do when I’m nervous. The air in the pantry starts thicken with uneasy silence.
“I should really take the last pie out of the oven.” I pull at my arm, and Cash reluctantly frees me. I take the opportunity to flee the pantry, sliding past Cash and Earl like my ass is on fire. I have no idea what to make of what just happened in there, but that wasn’t how I thought I’d meet my new husband.
I head straight for the oven, and a squeal leaves my mouth as I’m picked up and placed on the counter. I know a good wind might be able to blow me over, but he moves me like I’m nothing.
“You’ll burn yourself,” he says in a deep, commanding voice. The one I’m sure makes everyone jump, too. It even freezes me for a moment as I watch him grab the oven mitts before opening the oven and pulling out the peach pie, placing it on the counter next to the others.
“How do you suppose the others made it onto the counter?” I reply tartly. I’m not sure what to make of this. The only thing the man has done in the two minutes I’ve actually known him is boss me around. Now I’m getting why Earl calls him boss. The title fits well.
He pulls the oven mitts off, tossing them onto the counter. His hand goes to his face and he squeezes the bridge of his slightly crooked nose. It’s probably been broken a time or two. He’s clearly irritated with me. Maybe it is better I keep it zipped and don’t mouth off. I need this place. I have nowhere else to go, but what the heck. If I can’t touch the oven, what am I supposed to do around here?
My cheeks start to burn at the dirty thought that comes to mind, and I drop my head, looking down at my worn boots, not wanting Cash to see my blush. Maybe I could blame it on cooking all day. The heat getting to me.
“What am I going to do with her?” I hear him mumble. This is really not a great start. He’s a total jerk. He hasn’t even bothered to say hi. Is that so hard? Hi, I’m Cash, the man you’ll be marrying tomorrow. It’s a pleasure to meet you. That isn’t so freaking hard, is it? The man has no manners. Or he isn’t happy with the bride he’s gotten. I’m thinking both at this point.
“Why don’t you join us, Clare? Get to know everyone?” I hear Earl say, making me look up. I suddenly remember everyone is in the dining room and can see us. They‘re all staring at Cash and me. Their eyes dart back and forth between us, waiting to see what will happen next.
“How about you mind you own fucking business, Earl?” Cash barks, not even looking over at the poor man who just smiles again. I’ve never seen smiles come so easily for someone before. It’s nice. Makes me feel like I have someone on my side already. He throws another wink my way like we’re sharing some joke I don’t know about. Getting the best of Cash on purpose.
“I’d love to.” I jump off the counter, ignoring Cash and hearing him mumble something about hurting myself. I grab a plate off the counter and head into the dining room. Earl nudges a man sitting next to him, who quickly moves, giving me a spot to sit after I fill my plate. I can feel Cash’s eyes on me the whole time I move about the table. I barely get my butt in the seat next to Earl and Cash is stomping into the dining room, heading for the chair next to mine at the head of the table.
“Everyone, this is Miss Clare Stevens.” Earl introduces me to everyone as I try to ignore Cash the best I can. Not an easy feat with his size and intensity. I get hellos around mouths full of food. They’re going at the dinner like they haven’t eaten in weeks. “We haven’t had a good meal in a while,” Earl adds, taking a big bite of his own burger.
I gasp as I’m once again picked up and placed on a hard lap. “Mrs. Clare McCallister.” Possession rings loud in Cash’s correction of my name. I’m not a McCallister yet, and I had a feeling I wasn’t going to be one just a few moments ago in the kitchen. I freeze like a deer caught in the headlights as everyone stops eating to look at the end of the table. Their eyes are on Cash, I assume, because they’re aimed over my head.
Reaching around me, he slides my plate over from where I had been sitting. His mouth comes to my ear. “Eat.” He gives yet another command. His warm breath against my ear makes little stray hairs tickle my skin. He pulls back a little, and I feel his nose barely brush against my skin. I hear him take a deep breath like he’s breathing me in. I clench my legs together, and I wish had on jeans instead of shorts. I’d changed into them when I figured out I wasn’t getting married today, and put away the only pretty dress I have.
As if noticing everyone is staring at us, he finally barks at them to eat as well. His tone is not as soft as it was when he’d whispered it in my ear. Everyone jumps at his command and goes back to shoving food into their mouths.
I don’t know what to do, so I just eat. Maybe the faster I get done eating, the faster I can get out of his lap. I pick up my burger and take my own big bite. The flavor hits my tongue. I moan around the bite, unable to remember the last time I had a full meal. I’ve been spreading my money thin, and a full meal isn’t something I’ve had in a long while.
Cash’s hand on my hip squeezes at the sound, then I feel it. A hard cock against my ass. I stop the cheeseburger midway to my mouth. I grew up around men when Mama and I worked on the Blackwell farm. I stumbled across many of the men talking about their nights out and so on when they didn’t realize I was in earshot, but I’d never been on the receiving end of a man wanting me.
When I was there, I was just too young, and all the men treated my mama and me with respect. The owner, Mr. Blackwell, demanded it, not that it even needed to be said. Everyone was like family to me, or the closest I’d ever had to one. I’d never known my father, and I was an only child. Then after we left, I was in and out of hospitals with my mama until she died. Men weren’t even on my radar.
I knew this was coming. Had been thinking about it since the moment I signed on for the whole mail-order bride thing, but having it pressed against my ass was making it all too real. He wanted me, and I didn’t know what to do with that. I was excited, happy, scared, and nervous all at once.