Honeybun at a Dude Ranch

CHAPTER TWO-3

FOR THE NEXT HOUR THEY chatted while he ate and drank several cups of the excellent coffee. Heathcliffe was amazed at the array of experiences she’d had, and the kaleidoscope of things she knew. Strange tidbits of knowledge lived in her head among an overabundance of real knowledge, like a packrat’s attic. Nita seemed to have complete recall of each and every morsel, able to pull it from the clogging debris with only a quick thought.

He was amazed to hear she had both a Master of Arts and a Master of Science and had travelled the world performing an array of jobs that had nothing to do with either.

“I like to think I’m a master of human science.” She grinned at him. “I study human nature and learning. I tend to take jobs that let me further that study.”

“Like baking?”

She slid a pan of muffins into the oven and closed the door, setting the timer before answering him. “No. That I do just because I enjoy it. I’m a type A personality and baking relaxes me.”

“No kidding?”

She slid a suspicious glance in his direction. “Are you makin’ fun of me, Heathcliffe Honeybun?”

He grinned, standing. “Okay. Point taken. I have a stupid name. Who am I to make fun of anyone?”

She reached to untie her flour-coated apron. “You ready to go to your cabin?”

“Yeah. But you don’t need to come with me, you have things in the oven. I can find it myself.”

“Don’t be silly. I have twenty minutes while my muffins bake. I’ll be back in plenty of time.”

He picked up his bag and followed her out of the kitchen, into the hallway leading to the back of the ranch house. The television was playing in the great room and voices and clacking noises told him people were playing pool. But since Peyton had told him the place was full for the weekend, he was surprised there weren’t more people milling around.

“It’s quiet in here. Where is everybody? I’d think, with the rain, they’d all be in here watching TV and playing the games.”

“It’s an industry outing. A conference. They’ve been in training sessions all day and they’re in a break period. They’ll be coming out for dinner in about forty-five minutes.”

“Oh. I didn’t smell any real food cooking in the kitchen.”

There was a tiny pair of hairy black boots beside the door. Slipping them on, Nita pushed the door open and lead Heathcliffe outside. The ground was covered in a light dusting of white stuff, the rain having turned to snow.

Laughing, she told him. “It’s the Indianapolis School of Culinary Arts. They’re doing their own cooking. I just need to get out of the way before they come down.”

The snow started to fall harder, faster, in supersized flakes. It was beautiful. Bouncing along in front of him, Nita pulled her thigh-length sweater closer and inhaled deeply. “It’s a gorgeous night. Great night for a naked ride, eh?”

Heathcliffe tripped and fell forward, barely keeping himself upright by grabbing hold of a thick tree branch intruding on the narrow pathway. Snow dumped on his head when he shook the branch. “Huh? What?”

Muted by the falling snow, Nita’s hearty laugh didn’t lose any of its power. It throbbed against Heathcliffe’s senses, sending a jolt of interest thrumming through his system.

He shook his head. “Are you gonna keep tweaking me, firecracker? ‘Cause I have seven brothers you know. Payback’s worse than a b***h in our house...she’s b***h’s terrorist cousin.”

Nita started running. “Bring it, Honeybun. I’m not afraid of you or your seven brothers.”

He caught up to her as she was unlocking the door to his cabin. Her fingers were blue and stiff and she couldn’t get the key to turn in the lock. “Here, give me that. Why didn’t you put on some clothes before we left?”

She huddled in her sweater and waggled her eyebrows at him until he laughed. “You’re incorrigible,” he told her. Heathcliffe pushed the door open and tried to usher her inside.

She resisted. “My muffins, remember? I need to get back.”

“You shouldn’t be out here alone in the dark. I’ll walk you back.”

“Then I’ll have to walk you back here, and then you’ll have to walk me back there. Then I’ll...”

“Okay, okay, I get it. Just...” Heathcliffe reached to swipe a snowflake off her nose. “Be careful, okay?”

Another snowflake landed on her lush bottom lip and her tongue came out, sweeping it away. “You’re thinking, what? A mad omelet maker might sneak up on me and whisk me into senselessness. Or wait, a crazy sous chef might decide I’d be better with drawn butter...”

Heathcliffe lowered his head and did the only thing he could think of to stop her from talking. He touched his lips to hers.

Big mistake.

Earth shattering, world changing, catastrophic mistake.

As soon as their lips touched, Heathcliffe’s mind shut down and his body exploded with sensation. Before he realized what he was doing, he’d pulled her into his arms and was wrapped around her so tightly she had no chance of escaping unless he wanted to let her go.

Though she shivered in his arms, the heat they created together was more than enough to melt the snow around them. Her lips were as soft as he’d imagined. Her sweet breath fluttered against his face in heated puffs. Heathcliffe inhaled her exquisite essence and it made him light headed. And when she twined her tiny hands in his shirt and pulled him more deeply into the kiss, Heathcliffe knew he was lost. He didn’t have the strength to break the kiss, didn’t want to. He wanted more of the tiny little spitfire in his arms. Right at that moment, in fact, he wanted all of her—needed—everything she had to offer him.

Then a tiny hand slipped inside his shirt and he squealed. Swimming with the polar bear club would have been less shocking.

“Yow!” Heathcliffe grabbed her hand and clasped it in his. “You’re freezing! Come inside and I’ll make us a fire.”

“I can’t. Muffins, remember.” Laughing, she pulled away and started running back toward the main ranch house. “I’ll see you at the stables for the morning ride, Honeybun. Six a.m. Don’t be late. And dress warmly.”

“Six o’clock in the morning!? Are you nuts?” The dark swallowed her up until all he had left was the sound of her unique laughter.

It made him smile. But it wasn’t nearly enough. Not with the incredible taste of her still tingling on his lips.