Mister McStudmuffin (The Hotties of Saddle Creek Book 1), page 1
mister mcstudmuffin
the hotties of saddle creek
book one
Kat Baxter
Mister McStudmuffin
Kat Baxter
Copyright 2024 by Kat Baxter
This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system, without the express written permission of the author or publisher, except where permitted by law.
Edited by: Emily Beierle-McKaskle
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With regard to digital publication, be advised that any alteration of font size or spacing by the reader could change the author’s original format.
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contents
Untitled
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Untitled
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Thank you for reading!
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Excerpt from Lone Star Playboy
About the Author
* * *
The past…
* * *
chapter
one
Chelsea
Three years ago…
I’ve always had a thing for Elliot Stabler.
Something about the scowl, the tense jaw and the hard body. But I’d be a damn liar if I said that his tightly shaved—nearly bald head didn’t make him ten times hotter.
For those of you who might have been living under a rock for the past two decades, Elliot is a detective on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and he is scrumptious.
Television detectives aside, it’s probably not all that unusual for a woman to have a thing for attractive, bald men. Especially if he’s a guy who knows how to rock the facial hair. A guy with tattoos crawling up his arms. The kind of tattoos that he keeps locked down. The kind he doesn’t show off, but that are hinted at by the dark ink on his wrist and the backs of his hands. He’s got a scowl that tightens all of his features into sharp ridges. Makes him look intense and so damn sexy. Yep, like Elliot Stabler.
Him, as in the seriously delicious man who just stepped into the bullpen next to another guy who looks like he might have just walked out of a men’s cologne ad. Who knew there were men this hot working here? I mean, I would have still accepted the job regardless, because I’m here for a reason.
That reason is not to meet hot men.
I half-heartedly laugh at something the woman from HR—Angela, I think—is saying about conference room B.
“Really, just wall-to-wall snacks all the time.” She glances down at my full figure.
I hope she doesn’t say anything about me needing to watch out for extra calories. I’d hate to get fired on my first day for throat-punching the head of the human resources department. Especially because I really want to work here. Specifically, H & J Funds. Most finance companies don’t offer full tuition for MBAs and if they do, you have to have worked for them for upwards of three years before benefiting. H & J Funds pays a hundred percent of tuition for continuing education after six months of employment.
And their employee retention is the highest in Austin. Among any employer, not just in the financial district. Not only that, but I can learn from the best in the business.
My eyes stop again on the tall, bald, and grumpy one across the room. His steely gaze is locked on me. I suck in a breath, because being the object of so much intensity is a heady experience. The dark blue pinstripe suit—obviously bespoke—only serves to accent the breadth of his shoulders and the thickness of his thighs.
I pull my gaze away, then wipe my chin, because maybe today is the day I start drooling. I mean, that happens, right?
Then it occurs to me that maybe I’m not dressed professionally enough.
“Is there a dress code?” I ask Angela.
“Business casual Monday through Thursday and blue-jeans casual on Fridays.”
“What’s with those guys, then?” I ask, nodding to the handsome duo.
I sneak another glance at the tall one and find him staring at me again. This time when our eyes meet, a slow and very deliberate smile appears on his face. That one right there, that’s the smile they call the panty-melter. Panty-dampener? Whatever.
Either way, I’m now questioning my choice of wearing a pencil skirt today.
“Those are our CEOs, Hayes Crawford and JD Granger.” She leans a little closer. “Gorgeous, aren’t they?”
“Uh… yeah.”
“They know it, too.” She makes a noise of clucking disapproval. “Not to say they’re not good guys. They’re the best bosses ever. But they’re also big-time players. Best to stay away from them in that area so you don’t get fired.”
“Has that happened before?”
“Not since I’ve been here. But I heard there was a woman named Brenda who slept with JD and then got fired a month later.”
“Isn’t that illegal? Did she not sue for sexual harassment?”
“There was justifiable cause. And to be honest, after working here, JD is a teddy bear, so I’m sure there was more involved with that situation. Just be forewarned.”
“Players. Got it.” In other words, keep my lady boner to myself and do not develop a crush on my new boss. “Uh, so dress code, because they don’t look business casual?”
Angela chuckles. “They only dress like that when they’re meeting with new high-profile clients. Normally they look like the rest of us.”
“That’s hard to imagine.” My eyes widen when I realize what I just said. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Don’t worry, girl, I get it. Those men are finger-licking good. At least to look at. Oh, they’re heading this way now.”
As I watch the two most handsome men I’ve ever seen in real life walk towards us, I now understand why they don’t have pictures of themselves on the company’s website. People would want to work here simply to be next to someone so ridiculously attractive.
“Hayes, JD, this is the new employee you signed off on last week. Chelsea Ward, meet our fearless leaders,” Angela says.
“I remember your name,” Hayes says. “Your resume was quite impressive.”
I smile and shake his hand. “Thank you.”
Then he’s there, standing far too close to me. Near enough that I can smell his cologne or body wash or something that makes my mouth water and my core tighten. Good grief, this man is like my own personal fantasy.
“Nice to meet you,” comes his deep voice. He holds his hand out to me.
I clasp it and the first brush of his large, warm, palm lights my body up like he just copped a feel. What the hell? I should release him. Step back. Maybe even reconsider this job.
Still holding my hand, he says, “So, tell me a little about yourself.”
I stare at his hand, then up at his face. “I have a boyfriend.” The words fly out of my mouth before I can even process what I’m saying.
He drops my hand and takes a step back. One of his brows arches. “Congratulations.”
I release a tight chuckle. “Nerves. Sorry about that. I don’t even know why I said that. I mean we’re at work and just meeting and there’s no reason to even bring up my personal life.”
Hayes laughs, loud and rich. “You remind me of my sister, Madison. Welcome to H & J Funds.”
“Thank you,” I say.
Later that afternoon, I’m sitting at my makeshift desk. I don’t have an official place to sit yet, so they have me at a worktable in the middle of the bullpen. I pull out my phone to send my sister a text.
Judging by the heat in my face, I’m pretty sure I’m still blushing from my earlier faux pas.
ME: I just met my new boss.
ME: Wanna know who he reminds me of?
ME: Stabler.
CHARLIE: Uh-oh.
ME: And he’s tall.
CHARLIE: Whoa, sis, you are in trouble.
ME: You have no idea.
CHARLIE: Let me guess, you want to climb his tree and play with his monkey.
BRENDAN: For fuck’s sake. What is wrong with y’all? Can’t you have a sisters-only group text?
CHARLIE: Two people isn’t a group, Brendan, that’s just a regular text.
ME: She’s not wrong.
BRENDAN: I do not want to know about any of your sexcapades. EVER.
CHARLIE: Wow, he left a lot earlier this time than in our last chat.
ME: Focus, Charlie. I screwed up. Big time.
CHARLIE: What did you do?
ME: I saw him when he stepped into the bullpen. Tall, bald, tatted and so damn scowly. It’s legit like he walked out of my dream.
CHARLIE: I’m missing the scr ewup. That sounds fabulous.
ME: The HR lady giving me the tour told me ahead of time that he’s a major manwhore.
CHARLIE: Less fabulous.
ME: Right. So he came up and introduced himself and I blurted out, “I have a boyfriend.”
ME: Not: Nice to meet you too. Or: I’m so happy to be here. Nope: Went straight for the boyfriend.
CHARLIE: Which you do not, in fact, have.
ME: That is irrelevant.
ME: Why did I say that.
ME: You know what he said in return?
CHARLIE: How could I?
ME: He told me congratulations.
CHARLIE: *snort
ME: NOT funny.
CHARLIE: Pretty funny.
ME: You are no help.
CHARLIE: Don’t worry about it. He’ll forget about that in a week or two and then you can pretend you’re normal and not an awkward weirdo who says words without the assistance of her brain.
ME: Wow. You make me sound so delightful.
CHARLIE: I find you very delightful.
Fuck my life.
chapter
two
JD
Two months later…
“You have been in a shit mood for days,” Hayes says as we drop ourselves into the corner booth.
I shoot him a glare. “What the hell are you talking about?”
We order two beers. Hayes shrugs. “Just an observation, man.”
“Well, it’s a wrong one. I’m fine.”
“Jude and Donovan said they’d be about half an hour late,” he says.
“We have plenty of time to get to our box,” I say. “What are you thinking about the new starting quarterback?”
That question sets Hayes off on statistics and rankings of past University of Texas Longhorn football players. As I knew it would. Hayes might not look the part, but he’s as much of a math nerd as I am. Well, as any of the guys in our group.
While Hayes analyzes everything, I go back to the thoughts I’ve been having all damn day. Frankly, for the last couple of months. Finally, I decide to just say “fuck it” and go forward with my plan. It won’t be any less distracting for her to be in the same room with me as it is now with her still languishing at that damn table.
Having made that decision, I shoot a quick text off to our assistant asking her to order the necessary supplies and that they be ready Monday morning. She confirms and I set my phone down.
Hayes is mid-sentence about the quarterback from last season, when I interrupt.
“I’m going to move Chelsea to my office. She’ll be my personal assistant.”
Hayes stares at me. “Why?”
“Did you know she has a degree in finance? She’s been working on her MBA at night. But without the scholarship she had for her undergrad, it’s going to take her years.”
“We have tuition reimbursement for that,” Hayes says.
“Yes, we do. But I can also offer her a more hands-on education while she’s waiting her six-month probationary period. I think we should foster that kind of initiative in our employees. Especially ones with her talent.”
Hayes frowns, and then opens his mouth as if he’s going to interject something else.
But I just plow on. “She would learn more working directly with one of us. Besides, don’t you think it’s ridiculous that we only have one assistant between the two of us?”
“Not re—”
“I mean, our company is successful enough,” I continue. “Definitely financially solvent. So why are we being so damn cheap? Sure, it made sense when we were a start-up, but now it’s not necessary. We should each have our own assistant and it makes sense for you to take Helen. She’s been with us from the beginning and you were the one to find her.”
“I’m not—”
“Before you say there’s not enough room next to Helen, I am well aware of the space issue in the outer office. But that’s why I’m going to just put Chelsea’s desk inside my office. I’ve got plenty of room in there.”
It’s right about then that Jude and Donovan walk up. They have another round of beers for me and Hayes, as well as a steamy order of cheese fries.
“Fuck, I’m tired,” Donovan says, dropping onto the booth seat beside me.
“Getting too old to play?” Hayes asks our friend who currently plays professional football with the Austin Armadillos.
“Fuck no,” Donovan says. He smirks and takes a swig of his beer.
“I’ll call to order this first official meeting of the Hotties of Saddle Creek,” Hayes says.
I’m about to ask him what he’s saying, but Jude beats me to the punch.
“The fuck?” His pierced eyebrow cocks.
Jude is that badass, tatted-up guy who look scary as hell. Like you wouldn’t want to meet him in a dark alley. But he’s just a little rough around the edges. In reality, he’s the guy who tends to his grandma’s flower garden because her arthritic knees are too bad now. And he takes care of his three younger sisters.
Hayes laughs. “My sister dubbed our little group that.”
“We are not referring to ourselves as that,” Donovan says.
“Facts,” I agree.
“Aside from that nonsense, what’s going on with you two pretty boys?” Jude asks.
“JD was just telling me that he has a crush on one of the employees. He’s making her his personal assistant.”
I pause with my beer halfway to my mouth. “What? That is not what I was saying.”
Donovan snorts. “A crush? What are you, twelve?”
“It’s not a fucking crush. I’m offering to mentor her.”
“Is that what they’re calling it these days?” Jude asks.
“JD, you just spent ten minutes listing off reasons to justify moving the woman into your office full time. Are you planning to build her a desk yourself?” Hayes asks.
Donovan laughs. “Sounds like a fucking crush to me.”
I glare at my best friend and business partner. “I wasn’t justifying anything. I was merely listing valid reasons why my plan is a good idea. As for her desk, I’ve already asked Helen to take care of that.”
“If you’ve got it this bad for the woman,” Jude says, “just fuck her and get on with your life.”
I glare at Jude. “Fuck off.”
Hayes puts a hand on my arm. “Hey, calm down. He didn’t say he was going to fuck her.”
“Fuck all y’all.”
Jude holds up his hands in a universal symbol of a truce. “Okay, so clearly this isn’t a one-and-done situation. My bad. I’m just saying, why all the machinations? It’s not like you’ve ever had trouble getting whatever piece of ass you wanted.”
“Do not call her a piece of ass. You say it again, they’ll be the last words you speak.”
“She has a boyfriend,” Hayes says.
Collectively, my three closest friends wince.
“That’s tough,” Donovan says.
I drop my head into my hands. For fuck’s sake.
Hayes claps me on the shoulder, gives it a squeeze. “You guys don’t know the half of it. She’s basically perfect for him. She’s even a huge Terminator fan.”
“Damn, son, you are in trouble,” Jude says.
I shrug away from Hayes’s touch. “How do you know that?”
“Don’t get your panties in a wad,” he says with a chuckle. “It’s not that I’m hitting on her. I just saw her tattoo.” He looks at our friends, then taps his inner bicep. “She has ‘No fate’ right here.”
