Tackling Tobias (Big Sky Universe)

“I’m in my home, as a matter of fact. Who the fuck are you, and what are you doing here?” I growl out, trying to fight the need to cross the room and dominate her.

“I’m Ava. Your new cook.”

“New cook?” I haven’t hired anyone. I wonder if she’s on the wrong ranch, and they told her to make herself at home here. No. That can’t be. I’m sure she can’t be confused. God, she’s beautiful.

“Didn’t John tell you?” she says, putting one hand on her hip as she sets the spoon down on a little thing on the middle of the stove that I never noticed before. Something about the familiarity she has with John makes me angry. Yep, that’s what I’m feeling. How does she know him? Why is she here and so close to my foreman?

“No. He sure did not fucking tell me,” I bite out, trying to avoid this pang of jealousy. First Landon knows her, then John too. This is some bullshit.

“I thought you’d be old.” She looks a little bothered. Her brows knit together, and she frowns slightly.

“Why would you think that?”

“He said you were an asshole.”

“Oh, an asshole?”

“Not in quite those words, but something like that. He says you chase your cooks away.” I shrug because he’s absolutely right about that. I’m an asshole who chases shitty employees out, but this little thing can stay forever as far as I’m concerned.

“And what about you, darling? Are you going to run?” I challenge, licking my lips like the big bad wolf. That’s when I notice that it’s not fatigue marring her eyes. She’s got one hell of a shiner.

“Nope. Got nowhere to go. So I apologize about the pasta sauce,” she says, wiping it from my face with her hand. I’m shocked, and I’m even more shocked by my next move. I catch her hand and lift it to my mouth, sucking the sauce from her finger. A moan escapes me and then I turn on my heels.

I step out of the kitchen to let out a harsh breath. I step back in and say, “You’re hired.” Then, I march right out the front door to find John. He and I are in need of a serious discussion. I stop mid stride, thinking about the mark on her face. Did I imagine that? Somehow I doubt it.

Hurrying up, I see John approaching me. “Unless you want to get dropped, you better explain why there’s a woman in my house who seems to know you well.”

“Are you insinuating that I’d cheat on Louisa?” he snarls out, narrowing his eyes at me. Damn. Okay, I asked the wrong motherfucking question. Not that he’d win in a fight with me, but I might push him to snap off on me.

“What the fuck is it, then?” I growl.

“We found her on the side of the road, sleeping in her car. Louisa and I thought she’d be a great cook. It’s only temporary. She’s only here until her birthday. She can stay with us if you don’t want her here. She’s a great cook, though.”

“She’s staying right where she’s at. Why didn’t you tell me before I spotted her on my camera in my bedroom?”

“Because you would have tried to fire her on Christmas. She was just trying to make it nice for when you got home. I told her afterward that you didn’t like anyone in your room.”

“How do you know she’s not the crazy stalker I have?”

“She’s not. She’s running scared from her past. She was willing to sleep in her fucking car in the middle of the storm to get away from whoever she’s running from.”

“He’s a dead man.”

John nods, running his gloved hand over his skull cap. “So you saw his handiwork?”

“Do you mean I’m not losing it? That bruise on her eye isn’t from exhaustion.”

“Yes, she put some makeup on, but it’s still visible.” The bastard that did that to her may find himself at the wrong end of my gun.

“She stays with me. None of the guys end up in my house. Give them that warning. If I see them inside, I’ll beat the shit out of them and I’ll fire your ass.” I can’t stop the viciousness when it comes to protecting her.

“Merry Christmas to you, too,” John scoffs.

“I’m serious. If she’s here only for a couple of months, I don’t want anyone scaring her away.”

“Don’t you think that means you should stay away too?”

“Yes,” I grumble, knowing that’s not going to happen. I’m already itching to get back into the house when we have a serious problem that needs my attention. Pulling myself together, I ask, “So about the outage?” Just then the power comes on. “Well, never mind about that. How are my animals?”

“Good. It seems Dillon’s got it all worked out. We need to check the fences before we lose the rest of the light. The sun’s getting low, which means we have less than an hour.”