Just when Caden thought the weekend problems looming ahead of him couldn’t get any worse, she shows up again. Not only does she land on another one of his doorsteps but claimed to be the new employee he’d been desperate for ever since Mattie, the ranch’s cook for the last twenty years, broke her hip, cementing her decision to retire. The same green eyes filled with open curiosity and a glint of teasing humor that plagued his dreams last night gazed up at him with guileless unconcern. Too bad the slight tremor when he clasped her hand revealed she wasn’t as sure of herself as she tried to pull off.

“Caden Dunbar. First rule, don’t be late. Since you’re new to the area, I can let that infraction lapse this time. If you’re late on meals, you’ll not only answer to me, but twenty other hungry hands. I don’t have a lot of time and need you to have something ready for the noon lunch break, so let me show you your room first then I’ll walk you over to the dining hall and kitchen.” He released her hand and immediately missed the contact. The uncharacteristic reaction was another mark against her. He needed to set aside whatever it was about Sydney Baker that kept pulling at him and needed to do so fast. Mixing with his employees outside work was something he never did, and he always kept work, including those on his payroll, separate from his pleasures.

The relief on her face couldn’t be missed even though she tried to hide it by turning away. “Thank you. I’ll grab my bag out of the back…” Before she finished, he had the door open and her one suitcase in his hand. “Or, you can get it,” she finished with another one of those small quirks of her mouth, her very soft, tempting mouth.

Pivoting, Caden shoved that observation aside and strode back up the steps, expecting Sydney to follow. Holding the front door open, he said, “Your quarters are in the north wing, just past the kitchen.” When she stood in the tiled entry without turning in the right direction, he released a frustrated breath and pointed. “North is that way.”

“Hey, I had enough trouble finding your place. Don’t expect me to know my way around anytime soon. Not happening, boss.” The emphasis she put on ‘boss’ almost drew his smile, but it wouldn’t do to encourage her.

“As long as you stay away from my personal quarters on the far south end of the house and can find your way to the dining hall, you’ll be fine. Just don’t go wandering out after dark. There are too many pitfalls around the ranch for someone unfamiliar with the property.” He couldn’t help feeling miffed she didn’t appear in awe of his spacious, six thousand square foot home as he led her through the open great room with its wall-dominating stone fireplace, large dining area and state-of-the-art kitchen, down the back hall to a bedroom with an attached bath. “You should be comfortable in here.” He set her suitcase on the queen size brass bed covered with a multi-patterned quilt and nodded toward an antique cupboard. “The dresser is empty so feel free to use it.” Pointing to another door, he added, “There’s a linen cabinet in the bathroom with extra towels and sheets. Laundry’s off the kitchen.”

Sydney padded over to the bathroom and looked inside, and Caden couldn’t prevent his gaze from wandering to the snug fit of her jeans molding a very nice backside. He liked her height, not too short, not very tall. And why he was musing over her attributes when he had work to do, he didn’t know, but it needed to stop.

“This is nice. Where does that door lead to?” She strolled past him toward the French door that opened onto a small, covered patio. “Oh, what a beautiful view.”

The awe in her voice as she gazed out at the snow-capped mountain vista drew his eyes over her bright red head to a sight he never tired of seeing. Born and raised on the ranch, Caden had never desired to live anywhere else, to do anything except run the homestead he and his brother took over when their father retired several years ago. Breeding cattle was in his blood, and when he and Connor expanded the ranch’s operations to include raising Quarter horses, the extra work had paid off in spades.

“Wait until it snows. It’s even prettier then.” Her shoulders slumped, and he wondered if she didn’t care for snow, or if there was another reason she wasn’t looking forward to the winter months. Newcomers to the state often found the long, cold winters intolerable. “Come on,” he ordered in a gruff tone, annoyed with his curiosity and a growing need to learn more about his new cook. She’s an employee, remember that. Why did he think he would need to repeat that reminder a lot in the coming days and weeks?

Sydney relished the morning sun on her face when they stepped back outside, the warmth helping to dispel the coldness inside her when she thought of still being so far from home come winter. She’d been enjoying listening to Caden’s deep voice and looking around the rustic but appealing interior of his home so much, she’d forgotten for a few moments the reason she was here in the first place. At least being stuck cooking boring meals for a bunch of cowhands came with the benefit of having Caden as her boss. Tall, dark and handsome didn’t begin to do his sex appeal justice, which the constant quickening of her girly parts could attest to.

“So, what do you do with all those cows?” she asked, nodding toward the pasture strewn with black grazing animals as they walked toward the clump of buildings a good city block from the house.

“Cattle,” he corrected. “And we breed them then sell them to either other ranches or farms or drive them to market.” Two large collies came bounding out of the closest barn and he stopped a moment to greet the friendly dogs.

“Oh, they’re so cute!” Stooping, Sydney laughed when wet tongues attacked her face and she sank her hands into their long, soft fur. “What’re their names?”

“Sadie is the tan and white. The black male is Spike. They’re working dogs, not pets, so don’t spoil them,” he warned, taking her elbow and steering her over to a dark green, one story building with neat white trim.

“I wouldn’t dream of it, boss.” Caden tossed her a suspicious look as he opened the door, but Sydney kept her expression bland. What he doesn’t know wouldn’t hurt either her or the dogs.

“This is where the hands gather for meals. Only five of them bunk overnight in the attached room, in case of an emergency and Connor and I need the help. You can fix breakfast and dinner for the seven of us up at the house. The others arrive by eight a.m. and work until five, some days a little longer. They expect a big lunch, not a salad or sandwich. Lots of carbs and calories. This hall is only used for the noon meal, or the large gatherings we hold with friends.”

The sparse, wood-planked big room held three long tables with chairs, a fireplace against the back wall and a door labeled ‘Restroom’. It was a far cry from the five-star restaurant where she enjoyed cooking gourmet meals from scratch, using nothing but all-natural ingredients. To take her mind off missing her job and friends, she resorted to teasing him again. “Friends?” Sydney drawled when he led her toward the large, industrial kitchen in the rear. “I saw how you like to entertain your friends, boss.”

Caden faced her, a scowl drawing his dark brows together. “The young woman you saw me with last night is not a friend, she’s a play partner, and you’re an employee. I don’t mix business with pleasure, Sydney. Remember that, and we’ll get along fine.”

Bummer. Her new boss sure could be a stick-in-the-mud. Turning her mind to her job, she admired the large kitchen and restaurant-grade appliances. At least she’d find some pleasure working here, even if the meals wouldn’t allow room to utilize her skills and preferences. Maybe she could play a little with the smaller breakfasts and dinners.

“I get along with everyone,” she told him as they left the building. Caden rolled his eyes but said nothing until he stopped at a corral and reached out to stroke the nose of a pretty, brown and white horse that trotted up.

“This is Daisy. She’s a sweetheart. Do you ride?”

Sydney wondered why she wanted to keep riling him. Maybe it was hormones, or lack of sex, or plain old attraction prodding her to goad him, to get under his skin the way he had hers. Looking up at him, her heart stuttered at his direct, blue gaze under the low brim of his hat. Shit. What the man could do to a girl’s insides with just a look ought to be illegal.

“I love to… ride,” she drawled with blatant innuendo.

His jaw tightened, his reply stated in a low, controlled voice. “Horses, Sydney.”

“Oh, well, no, I’ve never been on top of one of those. But it couldn’t be too hard. You said she’s a sweetheart.” She reached out a tentative hand to stroke the mare’s soft neck, enjoying the ripple of muscle under her hand.

“When I have time, I’ll take you up, give you a few lessons. Until then, don’t even think about it,” he warned.

“Another rule?” she quipped, beginning to chafe under the weight of his restrictions.

“Safety is high on our priority list, along with no employee membership, or even visits to our private club,” he stated, laying it on the line in blunt terms.

Sydney blew out a frustrated breath and gripped the rail. She may just end up as lonely on this busy ranch as she’d been traveling alone for the past few weeks. “You sure know how to suck the fun out of a new job, boss. I guess I’ll have to come up with other ways to enjoy my time off.”

Caden wanted his reply to confirm his distrust of the innocent look on Sydney’s face when she uttered that last question. He needed to squash her interest before he caved, and he was the one to break his own, steadfast rule. “You saw how I deal with little girls who let their mouths run away with them. Same goes for those who break the rules.” Which wasn’t true for employees, of course, but she didn’t know that.

“I’m not a little girl,” she returned, unfazed. He should’ve remembered how she hadn’t shied away from watching him spank Mindy, and how there’d been no reasoning with her last night.

“Then don’t act like one and we won’t have a problem,” he growled in frustration, doing his best to ignore the way the twinkle in her eyes stirred his cock.

Caden didn’t hear Connor come out of the barn until he spoke behind him, his voice laced with amused curiosity. “Is big brother giving you a hard time?”

“Connor, meet our new cook, and yes, she’s also our trespasser from last night. Sydney Baker, my brother, Connor.”

“Thank God.” Pushing his way between them, Connor held out his hand. “We may have had a mutiny on our hands come noon if the guys had to eat one more catered meal from the deli in town. It’s so frigging nice to meet you, Sydney.”

The smile Sydney bestowed on his brother lit up her face with pleasure, the look drawing Caden’s hands into fists to keep from giving in to the urge to shove Connor away from her. How the hell could she get to him so fast, and in a way no other woman ever had?

“It’s nice to be greeted by a friendly face, Connor. Caden was going over the rules with me, with an emphasis on safety and no more spying in the window of your ‘other’ barn.” The finger quotes she put up when she said other drew a reluctant smile from Caden. The girl didn’t give an inch and damned if he couldn’t help the thread of admiration that trait elicited.

“That’s funny. Caden was always the one to tell me rules were made to be broken when we were growing up and getting our butts walloped,” Connor drawled.

Since he couldn’t fight both of them at once, Caden yanked on his hat in exasperation. “We have work to do and Sydney has a meal to prepare. I suggest we all get to it.”

“Sydney, again, nice to meet you. See you at lunch.” Connor tipped his hat to her before catching up with Caden in the barn.

Why it should grate that his brother was so friendly and showed an interest in Sydney, Caden didn’t know, and didn’t care for the fact it did. Under any other circumstances, he’d enjoy the attraction, the interest in kink, and act on it. But he couldn’t afford to sour a much-needed employer/employee relationship by giving in to her and indulging in a brief fling.

“You could cut her a little slack. She seems nice.”

He flicked his brother a sharp glance. “She is nice, but rules are put in place for a good reason.”

“Yeah, I know,” Connor sighed in agreement. “But sometimes bending the rules doesn’t hurt anything and can be a hell of a lot of fun.”

The Dunbar brothers together certainly packed a punch, Sydney mused, watching the pair stride off. They were of the same height, but Connor had a leaner build than Caden, his hair a lighter, tawny shade of brown worn long enough to pull back in a short ponytail compared to his brother’s shaggy, collar-length, dark mahogany. The twinkle in Connor’s matching blue eyes belied the whole scruffy, rugged look he had going on with the shade darker beard that was sexy as hell. But the horny, perverse side of her only tingled when Caden drilled her with his irritated, cobalt gaze and warmed from just an innocent touch of his callused hand, leaving her no choice but to jump him if given the chance. Since that prospect seemed unlikely, she’d have to suck it up for now and concentrate on her job.

As she suspected, the pantry and large refrigerator/freezer in the mess hall held only the basics, ingredients that lacked imagination. After finding everything she needed for a large batch of spaghetti, which would take no time, she indulged herself by sinking her hands into yeasty dough for fresh, homemade bread. She just pulled the golden loaves from the oven when she heard the outer door open and voices heralding the arrival of the hands.

Snatching up the mitt hot pads, she lifted the heavy pot of spaghetti and meatballs off the stove and carried it into the dining hall. A lanky young man rushed forward and took it from her with a beaming smile, his tanned face shadowed by his Stetson.

“Billy Joe, ma’am. Welcome to the Dunbar Ranch. Oh, man, this looks fu… er, darn good.”

Amused, Sydney smiled at him. “Thank you. I’m Sydney. I’ll grab the bread.”

Another young hand swiveled his blond head toward her, his blue eyes widening at her announcement. “Bread? Is that what I smell?”

“Yes. Hold on.” She rushed back into the kitchen as several more guys strolled in, all hurrying to take a seat. Their youth surprised her, and as she returned to set the bread and butter on the table, the rest welcomed her with unreserved comradery.

“Thank God,” a dark skinned, dark-eyed guy said with an appreciative sigh as he scooped spaghetti onto his plate. “If we had to eat deli sandwiches one more time, I was going to protest.”

“They weren’t that bad, Diego. I’m Tyler, miss.” He held out his hand and she shook it, bemused by the show of respect that was rare anymore in young men their age.

“Nice to meet you. If you’ll excuse me, I need to finish up in the kitchen.”

She was so pleased with their welcome, and their enthusiasm and praise for the simple meal and homemade bread, she was able to ignore the tightness in her chest when Caden walked in fifteen minutes later. Only midday, and already a sexy shadow darkened his swarthy cheeks, and she’d bet he shaved that morning. His eyes zeroed in on her all the way into the kitchen for a split second, just long enough to produce an instant rush of heated pleasure to pool between her legs. That reaction proved harder to set aside.

Sydney returned with another pot and passed on several offers to sit and join the hands, none of which came from her boss, opting instead to eat in the kitchen while cleaning up. She wanted to explore a little before raiding the house kitchen for something to fix for dinner later. There was also the lengthy list of ingredients she needed to make, but thought to save that chore for later tonight, assuming Caden would spend his Saturday night the same as he had Friday night, leaving her to entertain herself.

It took no time for the twenty hands to devour both huge pots and all of the bread, and she sent them back to work with brownies and beaming smiles of gratitude. At her job in St. Louis, she didn’t get the chance to mingle with the customers she fed and only got wind of compliments second-hand. She rather enjoyed receiving praise first-hand, even if it was for a simple meal anybody could toss together at home. Sydney spent the afternoon walking around the acres surrounding the house, investigating the barns, playing with the dogs whenever they came rushing by, petting a few friendly horses. The ranch hands all stopped to chat a few minutes if she wandered into their area, taking the time to answer her questions and gave her directions with a smile when she’d get turned around. Despite the cool fall temperature, the sun felt good and the view of sweaty, hard-working young guys a nice diversion from the looming, lonely night ahead of her.

Her mood improved even more when she inspected the large garden and brought in enough ripe vegetables for a salad to serve with the meatloaf and mashed potatoes she planned for dinner. She missed getting fresh produce from the farmer’s market back home, and from the looks of the garden and feel of the air, she doubted she would get many more days to pluck from the home-grown supply.

Right at six o’clock, the five hands that stayed full-time on the ranch came in with Connor and introduced themselves before taking a seat at the extended dining table. “Don’t worry, Sydney,” Connor assured her, squeezing her shoulder. “You’ll learn everyone’s names in no time. Grab a seat.”

She flicked an uneasy glance toward Caden, who had just entered and stood in the doorway. “Oh, I don’t think…”

“I do. Ignore my cranky big brother and join us. I insist.” Conner sent Caden a challenging look.

Caden shrugged. “Fine by me.”

Pleased to not be eating alone, she sat between her two bosses, but her mind, and body, couldn’t drum up any interest in anyone except Caden. What was it about the rancher that pulled at her with such a forceful tug? She wondered if her infatuation stemmed from watching him in such an erotic setting or if the loneliness and stress of the last weeks were getting to her in a different way.

“Great meal, Ms. Baker,” Jim, a short, stocky-built man commented as he rose, donned his hat and tipped it to her. “Nice to have you on board.”

“Thank you,” she beamed. The appreciation he and the others voiced over another simple meal pleased her in a way compliments for her more extravagant dishes never had.

They especially enjoyed the chocolate cream pie she’d baked hoping to mellow Caden’s attitude toward letting her at least visit their private club as a guest. The longing to explore, up close and personal, the happenings she’d stumbled upon last night continued to increase during the time she spent around the rancher, as did the need to discover why he did it for her on every level, more so than any other man. She’d never experienced such a quick, strong reaction to a man before, and she didn’t know whether she found him different from other men due to the sexual arena she’d first seen him in or his larger-than-life appearance and dominating air.

As soon as the ranch hands departed, Caden and Connor started discussing leaving for the club while helping her clear the table. “You’ll be fine here while we’re gone, Sydney,” Caden said, handing her his plate at the sink. “I showed you the line on my desk that goes directly to the bunk house if you need anything.”

“Why can’t I go?” she asked, hating the tremor and whine in her voice. The thought of facing yet another long, lonely night depressed her. “Don’t you ever allow visitors, those who want to check things out for the first time?”

“All the time,” Connor put in before glancing at his big brother with a raised brow. “Surely we can make an exception to the no mixing employees with pleasure rule. I hate to think of leaving poor Sydney all alone tonight.”

Caden frowned and shook his head, dashing the surge of gratitude and hope Connor’s words elicited. “No.” He pinned her with those laser blue eyes and her body’s instant reaction made her want to both smack him and jump him, and she wasn’t sure which was stronger. “I don’t bend the rules for anyone. That would be a bad habit to get into. Other than my private quarters, you have free run of the house. Find a way to amuse yourself.” Slapping his hat on his head, he started for the door, tossing over his shoulder, “You coming, Con?”

“Right behind you.” Connor squeezed her shoulder, his eyes sympathetic. “I’ll work on him, Sydney. We’ve never hired an outsider before. All of our employees have been locals, including our cook for the past twenty years. They have their own homes, and own lives and friends away from the ranch, unlike you. He knows that.”

“Thanks, Connor. I just want to socialize, and watch,” she added with a cocky grin. “I’ve never…”

“Submitted to bondage, erotic pain, dominance?” he supplied for her when she paused, unsure how she wanted to phrase her inexperience with kinky sex.

Her face warmed. “Right. My… past doesn’t include any of those things, but I’m not opposed to experimenting… but, not with…” She floundered again, her face heating even more as she wondered how she could tell him her lust seemed to center on just his brother. From Connor’s low chuckle, she figured maybe she didn’t have to explain.

“Got it, Sydney. And don’t worry.” His eyes clouded, and his smile slipped. “I’m in a relationship, at least for the time being.”

Sydney followed him onto the front porch and spotted Caden sitting behind the wheel of his huge black truck, Connor’s matching vehicle parked behind him. “I hope it works out for you,” she told him softly, reaching out and squeezing his hand before he jogged down the steps. Folding her arms against the chilly night air, she stood on the porch watching until their taillights disappeared around the bend, a heavy weight pressing on her chest.

The dogs bounded up on the porch and, ignoring Caden’s orders not to pamper them, she held open the door to let them in. “You’re better than no company,” she told the pair, following them inside. In a fit of irritation and despondency, she cut up the leftover meatloaf Caden mentioned saving for lunch tomorrow and fed it to the grateful pups.

By the time she slipped into the comfortable bed a few hours later, the howling wind emphasized the loneliness of the big, empty house, stretching her already taut nerves. She drifted asleep aching for a large rancher to take her over, divert her thoughts from missing home and worrying over her relatives with his hard hand and even harder body.

Sydney blinked, the realization something was wrong hitting her like a ton of bricks. She cast Uncle Mike an accusing look as she tried to stand. Dizziness assailed her, sending the room spinning out of control and turning her blood to ice in her veins with the sudden dread infusing her. Why did I trust him?

“What… what have… you done?” she whispered, shrugging away from the hand he reached out to her.

“I’m sorry, Sydney, really I am, but you left me no choice.” He snatched her arm with one hand while pulling a folded piece of paper from his back pocket with the other.

She shook her head, knowing what it was, what he wanted. “I… I told you… no… way…” The sharp yank on her arm to force her hand down to the coffee table where he tossed the paper drew a cry from her numb lips. She knew if he succeeded in coercing her signature, he would have her shares in their family-owned company sold before she could do anything about it. “No!” With a burst of strength born of desperation, she pulled free and stumbled toward the front door of her apartment. Why, oh why did I let him in?

He took her down before she could grab the handle, the impact with the hard wood floor jarring her body and wrenching another cry from her. The floor swam before her eyes as she struggled under his weight, his heavy breathing sending goosebumps racing over her skin. She wasn’t the only one in a distressed state.

“C’mon on, kid. Cooperate and it’ll be over. I promised I would pay you back, didn’t I?” he growled as he hauled her back on her feet.

Sydney shook her head again, flashes of her grandmother’s pain-filled face dancing in her head. Nana could never learn of her youngest son’s deceit; it would kill her. She pulled on her arm again, refusing to let him drag her back over to the table. Reaching out with her free arm for balance, she connected with the small end table lamp and, without conscious thought, grabbed hold and swung. The metal base just grazed Uncle Mike’s temple, but it was enough to draw a trickle of blood and startle him long enough for him to loosen his hold. This time, she managed to make it out the door with no thought in mind except run… run…. run.

Sydney jerked awake, shaking and sweating from the nightmare that wouldn’t leave her alone, no matter how far she traveled from home. The night her Uncle Mike stopped by with a bottle of wine as a peace token to mend the bridge between them had ended with her drugged, struggling against his powerful hold as he tried to force her signature, signing the shares left to her by her mother over to him. Drowning in a gambling debt his two older brothers and mother knew nothing about, his only option, he’d been telling her for months, was to invest her shares and, with luck, turn enough of a profit to pay her back someday. She’d refused his first few, polite offers and then avoided him as much as possible after he resorted to nasty threats. His final act of drugging her and trying to force her hand ended with her fleeing in the middle of the night, aching, devastated and determined not to hurt her grandmother with what Uncle Mike had done. Nana had already suffered the trauma and grief of losing her only daughter, a tragedy followed by her husband’s untimely death just two weeks later.

Sliding out of bed on trembling legs, she stumbled into the kitchen and flipped on the small light above the sink. Gazing out into the inky darkness, her mind jumped to Caden, her imagination picturing him with that curvy blonde. She was so engrossed in her thoughts, the sudden sound of the back door swinging open startled her, causing her to fumble with the glass she’d been reaching for when she turned and saw him standing in the door.

Guilt, coiling through him like an insidious snake, kept Caden from enjoying himself once he arrived at The Barn. Instead of seeking a willing sub to spend the evening with, he’d sat at the bar brooding over a pair of hurt, green eyes and a lonely figure standing on his front porch as he’d driven away. Connor hadn’t helped, accusing him of being too hard on Sydney, not giving enough consideration to her new arrival in the state. Finally giving up on getting any enjoyment out of the night, he left it to his brother and best friend, Grayson Monroe to close up and returned home to check on their new cook.

He hadn’t expected to find her up, standing in the dim light of the kitchen wearing nothing but a skimpy nightshirt hiked up to reveal the edge of pink panties as she reached for a glass with a shaking hand. “What’s wrong?” he barked, striding forward and turning her to face him. Her slender body shook under his hands on her shoulders and her face was paler than usual, but those arresting eyes snapped with green fire when she jerked away from him.

“Nothing, I got up to get a drink and didn’t hear you come in.”

“The house is well-insulated against the harsh winters. What’s wrong?” he asked again, some insane part of him needing to know despite the way she crossed her arms in a belligerent stance of stubbornness.

“I couldn’t sleep.”

The evasive shift of her eyes gave away that untruth, drawing his scowl. “Do your hands always shake when you can’t sleep?”

She avoided his question again with a point-blank one of her own. “Did you have fun with your blonde?”

Exasperated, Caden swore and demanded, “Are you going to tell me what happened to upset you?”

Sydney tilted her head and regarded him with a probing stare before asking, “Are you going to let me into your club?”

She’s like a damn dog with a bone. “No.”

“Then goodnight, boss.”

Sydney moved to brush by him and, unable to let her go just yet, Caden gripped her arm and hauled her against him. Frustration with the entire, fucked-up night ripped through him. Fisting his free hand in her red hair, he tilted her head sideways and dipped down to nip at the soft, tender flesh of her neck. Her gasp went straight to his cock; her low moan when he stroked his tongue over the bite jerked him into a semi-erection. Lifting his head enough to coast over her lips with his, he warned in a low voice, “Be careful what you wish for, Sydney. You may just get more than you bargained for.” Before he could give into the temptation to toss her down and bury himself inside her slick heat right there on the kitchen floor, he released her and stepped back.

“Goodnight.” Caden left her standing there with a bemused expression, but that was better than the stress lining her face from whatever had kept her awake. He needed to learn to remain calm and unaffected by her, to remind himself she was just another employee, here to do a job, and that was the extent of their involvement.