Some Like It Hot (Sweetrock Cowboy Romance Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

expecting her to come back and start a restaurant. She’d told them that was what she was doing, and that’s what she intended to do. Never mind that she’d left out a few details like how she got fired from her previous job and led them to believe that she’d saved up money. She couldn’t tell them she was a failure. Her parents didn’t tolerate failures.
    A new wave of customers came, and she didn’t have time to think about anything but serving up chili. Chili that might not be hot enough. Was Nick’s hotter?
    Maybe she should adapt her grandmother’s recipe?
    During the next lull, she slipped the recipe out of her purse and went over the ingredients. She could add more jalapeños, or substitute some of the ones she had for ghost peppers. Ghost peppers were among the spiciest of all peppers. That would add some heat to the chili.
    “What you got there?” The voice startled her, and she jerked her head up to see Nick looking over her shoulder. Had he seen the recipe? She shoved it in her back pocket.
    “Just a grocery list.” She smiled.
    Nick scuffed his feet like a schoolboy and Sam’s heart hitched.
    Damn, he was cute.
    “I just stopped over to see how you did on the first day.” He sounded friendly enough, but Sam was suspicious.
    “Pretty good. How about you?”
    Nick glanced over at his tent and Sam followed his gaze. The place was a mess. Spice containers and cans of tomatoes everywhere. The stove needed to be cleaned, and the serving table had gobs of chili all over it. Compared to her own place, which was neat as a pin, it looked like a bomb had gone off.
    “Pretty good. I think I sold a lot of chili,” he said.
    “You don’t know?”
    Nick pulled a lot of cash out of his pocket. “Well, looks like I did here.”
    “Is that how you keep track?” Sam was astounded. She had detailed records in the logbook of her sales.
    Nick shrugged. “Is there a better way?”
    Surely he must be joking. Didn’t the man own a restaurant? How could he possibly manage it if that was how he kept track of sales? Maybe he had an accountant or someone else to do that for him. Either way, it was none of her concern. Her concern was winning the contest and their little side bet.
    “So, I was wondering if you wanted to go for a beer and celebrate our first day of competition,” he said.
    Sam’s heart leaped. Was he asking her out? Maybe if things were different she’d consider it, but right now they were competitors, and she wouldn’t be in town long enough to start something up. Though her heart seemed to want her mouth to say yes, thankfully her logical brain took over when she opened her mouth. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. We’re competitors.”
    Nick stepped closer. The nearness of him raised the heat in her body and caused a flutter low in her belly. Never mind that it was already eighty-five degrees out, and she was drenched in sweat from cooking—somehow, his nearness made her even hotter. He traced his finger down her arm, and she shivered, despite being overheated. “I was thinking maybe we could compare notes.”
    Sam's libido slammed to a stop.
    So, that’s what he was after. Last night she’d made the mistake of telling him she had a secret and now he was trying to wrangle it out of her.
    Well, she wasn’t that stupid. She had no intention of sharing anything with him. Nick already had a restaurant. He didn’t need the money like she did.
    She stepped away. “Not so fast cowboy, I’m on to you. I’m not giving away any of my secrets so you can win.”
    His face fell and for a minute she thought his invitation had been genuine and not a ruse to get information from her. Then again, he was probably just a good actor. Most men with his good looks were. “I didn’t mean it like that. Just a friendly beer.”
    “Uh-huh.”
    Nick’s eyes flashed with regret. Regret that she wouldn’t share a beer with him or that he wouldn’t be able to get her drunk and get her to spill her