Page 13 of Maddox: Wild Alaska
"I'm wondering that as well," I mutter, just as my stomach rumbles loudly.
"You're as hungry as I am. Do you want to sneak away and find some real food?"
"Judean, I think I would love that!"
I slide off the barstool and wobble slightly on my heels, wondering if I'm going to fall flat on my face when I try to walk.
Ryland huffs out a laugh. "Ladies, if you want a burger and fries, I can help you out."
"You have our attention," Judean says.
"Follow me." Ryland leads us behind the bar and down a hallway until we burst into a huge kitchen.
Judean stops suddenly, and I bump into her as I hurry to the food. It has nothing to do with the three double whiskeys I just consumed. "Um, do the men come with the food?" Judean asks in a loud whisper directed at Ryland.
Ryland snorts. "Ladies, meet my brothers: Maddox, Hunter, Garrett, and Gabe. Bros, these ladies are hungry."
"Good thing we're cooking up some burgers," Maddox drawls as he moves toward me.
I meet him halfway, giving him a drunken grin as I wrap my arms around his waist. "You smell good."
He chuckles. "You look hot." He squeezes my butt and pushes me away. "How much have you had to drink?"
"Three."
"Three double Jack and Cokes," Ryland shouts.
"Fuck!" Maddox walks me backward and then grabs my hips, plopping my butt down on the table. "Stay there while I make you food."
"Okay." I sigh, staring at the nice, firm backside in front of me.
Maddox chuckles when he catches me staring. "Behave."
"I think I need an ice-cold bath," Judean says beside me. "The man who had his hands all over you is hot." She nudges me with her elbow and whispers, "Who is that?" She's not quiet at all, and all heads swivel toward who she's looking at.
I frown, not recognizing the man who just entered.
"Um," Gabe snickers. "That would be our brother, Branson."
He is as tall as his brothers, but he wears a more serious expression. Then I remember that he's the sheriff. I wiggle down from the table, walking slowly so as not to make a fool of myself, and continue until I'm right in front of him. "Hello, Branson. I'm Sofie, and this is my new friend, Judean.” I smile. “You look tired and hungry. Your brothers are making food." I grab his arm, lead him to the table, and push him into a seat. "Are you okay? I know you've had a bad day."
Branson glances at his brothers, shakes his head, and lets out a long sigh. "It's been a long time since I came home to a woman."
"Asshole. She's mine." Maddox sets plates of food on the table and motions for me to sit in the chair across from his brother. Judean dives into her food, her eyes riveted on the men. Maddox grabs a plate for himself and sits next to me, making sure our thighs press together.
Branson keeps his eyes on us while he eats, his lips twitching. Maddox nudges my plate closer, and I decide to dig in. Breakfast was a long time ago.
"So,"Sofie says, waving a fry toward Branson with a delicate hand. He raises a brow, clearly amused. "You're the eldest, right? That means you have more insight into your brothers. I want to know why none of you are married."
A few snorts fill the silence while Branson shuffles in his chair, clearly uncomfortable with the question. I could help him out, but I decide to stay quiet and hear what he has to say. After clearing his throat a few times, he shoots me a dark look before softening his gaze as he stares at Sofie. “We haven’t met the right woman yet."
"Huh, well, I have a friend. She'd love you. Her name's Jamaica, and she would be a comfort to come home to. She’s feisty as well. So, plenty of excitement in the sack!” She smirks. "I'm going to tell her about you."
I try to muffle a laugh, but Branson shoots me a nasty look before turning it on our brothers. He hears our amusement and curses under his breath. He points his fork at Sofie, then at me. "Your woman needs to sleep it off.”
"Are you insinuating that I'm drunk?" Sofie asks, glancing around. "Where'd my burger and fries go?"
Judean snorts. "You ate it. That hunky guy took your plate away while you were grilling the sheriff."
