2. Barrett
Chapter 2
Barrett
I blink and watch the curvy goddess that was plucked from my dreams disappear.
The sound of my mom’s motorized wheelchair shakes me from my fantasy that involves breeding my good girl against every flat surface in my home. I didn’t even realize I wanted kids or the whole picket fence thing until I saw her. Then all at once, everything slotted into place for me. The reason I’ve never found a woman I wanted—it’s because I was meant for her. Meant to be her soulmate.
“Sorry, I’m late,” I apologize to my mom. She adopted me and my three brothers. The four of us were just unwanted troublemakers, moving from house to house. But she gave us a home. I’ll always be grateful for that.
“Did Skip get out again?” She asks, her tone laced with amusement.
Skip is my three-legged mutt. Found him on the side of the road with an infected leg. I got him to the vet, but by then the damage had been done. Despite everything, he’s a happy guy who follows me around. Well, most of the time. He’s known for pulling a runner every now and again.
“Yeah, I tracked him down to the creek. Who was the woman?” I don’t bother trying to keep the curiosity out of my tone. Don’t reckon I’m going to be able to hide these feelings for very long, not that I want to. I want the world to know the curvy goddess is mine. Just have to get her name first.
Mom’s face lights up. I swear this woman has never met a stranger a day in her life. She always sees the good in everyone, even a mutt like me. “That’s Sadie. I told you about her, the girl from the donut shop. She left you something over there on the counter.”
I charge toward the cash counter, barely able to keep myself from running. There are two white boxes. The bigger one holds six donuts, and the second one has a small notecard on top of it.
I open the box first. I’m greeted by the sight of a cream-filled donut with frosting intricately placed. It takes me a minute to understand what it is—a bear’s face.
Sadie made this for me. She doesn’t even know me. At least, she didn’t until a few minutes ago when I proudly told her I could give her all the O s she’d need for a lifetime. There was just something about coming upon her cute heart-shaped ass. Then the way she responded when I teased her, blushing that soft pink color.
Reaching for the brightly colored card designed for kids, I quickly read the delicate, feminine scrawl: Tiny bear, come by the bakery and you can sample the frosting anytime.
Well, hell, my woman knows what she wants. I’m the cowboy that’s more than happy to oblige as my mouth waters just imagining Sadie’s frosting. Will she be just as sweet as I’m thinking?
“Oh, that’s cute,” Mom mutters when she peeks at the donut for me.
I tap the card against my palm. “Why did she call me Tiny Bear?”
“Because that’s your name,” Mom says. She’s the only one who calls me by the nickname. She started it when I first came to live with her at eight years old. It was cute then, a habit that made me feel closer to this stranger that brought me into her house. “Oh, I guess she thinks you’re a youngin.”
I chuckle. “Doesn’t matter. I have frosting to sample.”
Sadie
“What are you going to do?” Dotty asks as she smothers another laugh. She’s been doing that this entire phone call.
As soon as I got back to the bakery, I called my bestie here in Courage County. Dotty and I haven’t known each other long, but she feels like my long-lost sister. She’s the first person I want to tell when I have a good day or a bad one, and today was definitely bad.
“What do you mean?” I ask when the answer is completely obvious. “I’m going to post a ‘for sale’ sign in the window of the bakery, dye my hair, change my name, and leave town forever.”
“You can’t do that!” She cries out. “I’m still stuck as an intern here at the stupid newspaper!”
“Fine, but if I die of utter humiliation the next time I see the cowboy, it’s going to be your fault,” I warn her as I measure out the ingredients for another round of sticky frosting. I’m running low on ingredients, but I’m due to get a delivery later tonight. Hopefully.
“I solemnly promise I will take the blame,” she cackles.
“The worst part is that he’s crazy hot,” I sigh, unable to believe my luck. I knew a couple of my girlfriends have fallen for some of the Maple brothers. I just didn’t realize that Barrett was well…big. So big. What would it feel to have a man like him wrapped around me, holding onto me? Would he say filthy things to me as he made good on the promised orgasms?
“He actually made me feel light-headed,” I confess. I’ve seen a lot of hot guys since moving to Courage County, but there’s something special about Barrett.
“Are you sure you remembered your salt pills today?” Dotty teases, knowing full well that those big white pills help with the frequent dizzy spells I experience.
Before I can respond, the bell above the door jingles. It’s just after lunch which is the normal quiet time in the bakery. I get most of my customers first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon when everyone is craving that sugary rush to get them through until dinner.
I turn with a smile on my lips, ready to greet my customer when I see Barrett. He strides to the counter with a determined glint in his eye.
I gulp and tell Dotty, “I’ll have to call you back later.”
Before she can ask what’s going on, I end the call.
He gives me a grin. I swear it’s nearly the same expression Coco gets every time she foils the doggy gate and makes her way into the kitchen. “I’m here to take you up on your offer.”
I narrow my eyes at him, doing my best to look intimidating. Granted, my chin barely comes to the height of the counter. I step around it so he can get the full effect of being glared at by a five-foot, two-inch girl with powdered sugar dusting her apron. I’m certain I look like one fierce baker right now.
He holds up the brightly colored note that I instantly recognize from his treat box. “You said I could come by anytime to sample the frosting .”
It’s not my imagination that his voice drops on the last word. “I thought you were a kid!”
His smirk sets my panties on fire and makes my core ache. “Take a good look, darlin’. I’m all grown up and itching to lick your sweet frosting.”
I roll my eyes, trying desperately to ignore how empty my body is. I’ve never craved to be filled this way before. “What will you have?”
He steps closer, his voice falling to a sultry whisper. “You’re thinking about it now, about how it’d feel for me to drop to my knees and lick that sweet cream.”
I try to feign outrage, like I don’t secretly love the dirty things coming out of his mouth. We just met. This whole day has been insane. “Why are you making it sound so filthy?”
He reaches for my hand, and I let him. I let him pull my hand up to his lips. He kisses each knuckle one by one, his soft beard rasping against my sticky hand. “Because you’re a good girl who’s craving something filthy. We both know you’re squeezing your little thighs together right now. And if I put my fingers in your panties, I’d find them damp.”
I whimper at the sight of my small hand in his big, work-roughened one. Energy crackles around us, the filthy cowboy reminding me of a summer thunderstorm. Unexpected and powerful. He’s a force to be reckoned with, one that’s already making me soaking wet. “You’re not tiny bear.”
“Nothing about me is tiny, sweetheart,” he promises, with a hint of a southern boy drawl. What is it about this country boy with his big, strong body that hints at years of demanding, sweaty work? Would he be just as sweaty in bed? Would the sweat roll from his skin onto mine as he thrust deep inside my body?
I snatch my hand back, trying to clear the mental image from my mind. I definitely don’t need to be wondering how his sweat would taste. This is Linda’s son. Linda who I like. Linda who treats me like a daughter. “There was clearly a misunderstanding. I thought you were a young boy which obviously you’re not. So why don’t you pick a donut on the house, and we’ll call it even?”
“There’s only one treat I’m craving. I won’t settle for less than your sweet cream, Sadie.” The way he says my name. I could dissolve into a puddle of happiness right here. He could scoop me up and carry me around in a bucket for the rest of time.
I need to get away from him, away from this ache he’s creating. “That’s not on the menu.”
He smirks. “Not yet. How about this? Instead of a donut on the house, let me take you on a date.”
My girl parts are completely on-board with spending more time with the hot cowboy, but the rational part of my brain knows that’s a terrible idea. “I don’t think so.”
He tucks a strand of hair that’s come loose from my hairnet back up. His fingertips brush the shell of my ear and send a shiver down my spine. “Why not? Afraid you might like being my good girl?”
“No!” I step back. I have to put some distance between us, or I’ll never be able to resist this man. “I have plans tonight. Very important stuff.”
He shrugs. “Change them.”
I do my best to scowl at him. He’s so overbearing. Are all the cowboys in Courage like this or did I just manage to find the one that was dropped on his head as a baby? “Stop bossing me around. I don’t like it.”
He chuckles. It’s a rich, dark sound that fills me with longing. I want that date with him. I want to listen to him tell me funny stories about his life and listen to that throaty, sinful laugh. “Hasn’t anyone ever told you that good girls are terrible liars?”
“I’m not.” As denials go, it’s a terrible one. But it’s hard to think clearly with Barrett staring at me like I just might be the center of his world.
He raises an eyebrow. “You’re not a good girl?”
Why does he keep saying good girl? Why do I keep wanting to be his good girl? Wrapping my arms around myself is a protective mechanism. It has nothing to do with the way my nipples are suddenly hard. Also, it’s drafty in here. “I’m not a terrible liar.”
“Well, I wouldn’t call you good at it.”
The bell on the door rings, and I recognize Bailey coming in for her afternoon sweet treat. She runs the barbershop here in town. The moment she knows anything, the whole town knows it. The last thing I need her thinking is that I’m crushing on one of the Maple brothers.
Pulling myself up to my full height, I point my finger at him. I try to summon all of the ire I feel toward him, which admittedly ire and arousal feel like the same thing today. “The great thing about owning my bakery is that I can throw out big, filthy cowboys like you.”
Bailey looks between the two of us, the flower tattoo above her chest heaving. “You OK here, Sadie?”
Barrett doesn’t even spare her a glance. “Seems like it’s time for me to head back to the farm.” He leans in close, whispering for my ears only, “Give me a call when you’re ready for those O s you’re craving. I’ll pick you up for our date and take care of your sweet little body.”
Before I can respond, he’s leaving the bakery, the bell tinkling softly behind him.
I paste on a smile for Bailey’s sake even though some part of me wants desperately to chase after Barrett and beg him to take me right here.
Bailey laughs, her big stomach jiggling, before she breaks into a smoker’s cough. “The men in this town are obsessive.”
I nod and step behind the counter to serve her. “You can say that again.”