Read Online Cooking For Cowboy (Stampede Sizzlers) by Brenda Sinclair - Free Book Online

got a mess of tack to clean, so I’ll be getting back to work.”
    Chad and Sierra watched the old cowboy lumber back down the track toward the main barn.
    “That old guy has worked here since he was in his mid-twenties. Married one of our housekeepers, but she passed away almost fifteen years ago now. Celia handles everything herself, won’t hear of me hiring any more help except for spring and fall cleaning. Charlie turned seventy-five last month. Mom baked him a cake, bought him that fancy belt buckle he’s wearing, embarrassed the crap out of him. That man won’t stop working until he’s six feet under. The word retirement isn’t in his vocabulary.” Chad chuckled and slipped his arms around her waist. “He’s still a competent foreman; I never worry when I’m not around.”
    “Charlie will live to be ninety if he keeps himself busy and useful.” Sierra looked deep into Chad’s eyes and smiled while a tingle raced up her spine and her heartbeat quickened at his touch. God he still smelled good. A trace of the musk aftershave she’d noticed last night met her nose. Her hands shook slightly and she could feel his muscular biceps through his shirt as she settled her hands on his arms. She leaned into his embrace and savored his warmth. His casual show of affection suggested he was a kind, caring man who’d make some woman a wonderful husband some day. Would he choose her? Whoa! She had to stop thinking along these lines. She’d just met the guy last night. “I’d better get back up to the house and decide what’s for dinner.”
    “I would hope so. I can’t tolerate a slacker,” teased Chad, laughing. And then he leaned down and claimed her lips.
    He thoroughly kissed her for a least a full minute, but it ended all too soon.
    Sierra’s breath caught. When had those thousand butterflies inhabited her stomach? Chad and Sierra stood, staring into each other’s eyes, bodies pressed together. His breath had quickened, too, and his eyes appeared as dazed as she felt. Her heart pounded in her chest; she was certain he could hear it, he was standing so close. For the moment, only the two of them existed in the entire universe.
    She couldn’t read his expression. Stunned? Surprised? She’d felt shockwaves too intense to measure on any Richter scale clear down to her toes. The earth had moved beneath her feet. No man had ever kissed her like that.
    After the go-around with the handsome cowboy over the bedroom arrangements, she should be furious with him. But she yearned to drag Chad’s head down for another kiss. She brushed a strand of hair off her face. If he kissed her again, he might singe her bangs.
    She needed to regain her equilibrium and pulled out of his embrace.
    “I hope you don’t mind. I wanted to kiss you since last night…” he confessed.
     

 
     
    Chapter 6
     
    “It’s okay.” She didn’t elaborate or confess she’d wanted him to kiss her again. Spotting the dogs off in the distance, she called, “Here, Barney!”
    Sandy’s and Barney’s heads whipped up and they turned toward her. Both of them raced back to the track, and Sierra smiled watching Barney’s ears flopping with each bound.
    “Here they come,” observed Chad, sounding a little breathless. “Old Sandy’s going to get a lot more exercise with Barney on the ranch. And I don’t think Barney will wander off with Sandy here to play with.”
    The dogs halted at their feet, tongues lolling and eyes darting from one human to the other. “You guys want a treat?” asked Sierra. She sounded a little breathless, too. Locking lips with a gorgeous cowboy did that to a girl.
    “A treat? Do these guys need a nap would be a better question,” suggested Chad, laughing. “Especially for Sandy. He’s probably ready to drop.”
    “Okay, let’s go back to the house and the dogs can have a nap while I do some meal planning.” Sierra glanced toward the ranch house.
    “You guys go ahead. I’m going to catch up with the team