Chapter 4
Claire
What in the hell is happening? I feel like I’ve slipped into another dimension. Surely, Ryder did not just lick my fingers clean. And there’s no way in hell his finger just popped out from between my lips.
I’m panting. He’s so unbelievably sexy. Even the fact that he’s far too old for me is sexy. Now I’m wondering how old he really is and praying he’s not older than my father. Except I know he can’t be that old. I’m pretty sure the oldest grandson is forty-five.
And why is that my first concern? The man just licked my fingers. He didn’t ask me to marry him. He’s probably a player. I’m the only woman in town he’s met, so he’s making a move on me.
I’m a fool for letting my body react to him. My panties are soaked from this little erotic display, and my nipples are so hard he can probably see them through my bra.
He holds my gaze for long seconds before lowering his eyes to my lips, and I think he’s going to kiss me, which is madness. But then he slowly sits back, picks up his Danish, and takes a huge bite.
I watch as he chews, and nearly choke when he moans as he swallows. As his gaze comes to mine, he continues the charade, keeping the sexual tension high by bringing his fingers to his lips and sucking them this time. The same fingers I just licked.
Damn, he’s good. He’s…intense and way the hell out of my league. Experienced. He knows what he’s doing. I’m a fish out of water here.
I jerk my gaze away from his, feeling like he might actually hypnotize me if I don’t. My hands are shaking as I lift my cup to take a sip. Maybe the caffeine will clear my head. Instead, coffee sloshes over the edge to dribble over my fingers onto the small plate.
It takes every ounce of strength I have to take a fortifying sip, set the cup down, and suck my fingers clean of the coffee. Thank goodness it wasn’t too hot.
Ryder pushes from the table and casually strolls across the room to grab something from the counter. When he returns, he smirks as he hands me a napkin and returns to his seat. “So, now that we’ve established I don’t actually have any money at my disposal, I hope you came here as a town representative as opposed to a gold digger.”
I wince. I can’t believe he just sucked on my fingers and now he’s back to being an asshole. I kind of want to slap him, and I wish my body would catch up with that. The whiplash is killing me. The switch was so fast that my nipples haven’t gotten the message. They’re still hard.
I may be young, but I will not be trampled by this man. “Mr. Wilde?—”
“Please… We’re past that. After I’ve tasted a woman, I prefer she calls me Ryder.”
I gasp. He acts like he pulled my jeans off and went down on me. The thought rattles me, and now I can’t get the image from my head. Plus, he knows exactly what he said, and now he’s smirking again.
“Ryder…” I begin, not wanting him to see my frustration. “I can assure you I am neither a gold digger nor here to represent the town. There was no town meeting last night.”
“But there has been recently,” he says. He’s not asking. He takes another bite out of his cherry Danish, the appreciation for my family’s pastries beyond evident on his face. His eyes roll back a bit, and he doesn’t even try to suppress his moan.
I squirm, trying to ignore the effect he has on me. “There are town meetings, yes. All towns have meetings. None were held last night, and no one sent me to talk to you.”
“So, you’re either extremely spunky, or you saw me get out of my truck yesterday and found me attractive.” He’s teasing me. It’s hard to keep up. I don’t think he’s actually angry. He’s just goading me over and over.
Instead of denying my attraction, I go with something in the middle. “I’m forward, Ryder. I’m concerned about my community. The fact that you’re also easy on the eyes is not something I can control.”
He chuckles. “At least you’re honest.”
“Always.” I meet and hold his gaze.
He glances up and down my body before returning his gaze to mine. “You’re not bad to look at either, Claire.” Leaning forward again, he puts his elbows on the table. “If you promise to be honest with me, I’d love it if you’d bring me up to speed on all things Wilde. It would be helpful. If you have an ulterior motive, please don’t waste my time.”
“My only motive in coming here is to discover your intentions for the town so I’ll know if my family needs to close the bakery and cut our losses. Most of the citizens are in the same boat. Holding on by a thread. If you and your brothers and cousins intend to drain the town of money and leave, we’re all screwed.”
He doesn’t look away while I speak. At least he’s a polite listener. “I’ll be honest with you, Claire. I know nothing about Wilde, and neither does my brother or my cousins. Whoever shows up in town is arriving out of curiosity. I had no idea my grandfather owned all the land and businesses until I got here. I’m grasping that the situation is dire, and I’m willing to listen to you or anyone else who wants to discuss the needs of the community. Contrary to what you may think of me, I’m not an ass.”
I stare at him, hoping he’s being truthful. His demeanor has changed. He looks serious. At least he’s no longer smirking…or flirting with me.
He glances at the pastry box. “Thank you for the treats. Please thank your parents, too. This Danish is truly delicious.”
Is he dismissing me?
He draws in a breath and looks around the kitchen. “Do you know this house? Have you been here before?”
“No. This is my first time.”
He frowns. “Has anyone in town been here?”
“Sure. Lots of them have worked here at one time or another. My parents say that decades ago, this was a thriving estate with a dozen full-time employees. There were stables with horses at one point. It took several people just to maintain the interior. My understanding is that when your grandmother was alive, the mansion flourished. Amos and Carolyn Wilde raised their four sons here. They were an integral part of the town. After Carolyn died, Amos became a hermit and shut down, literally and figuratively. Apparently, his sons found him intolerable and left.”
Am I oversharing? I’m yammering on and on about his family.
Again, he holds my gaze intently. Finally, he swipes a hand down his face. “Shit, you know more about my family than I do.”
I startle. Is he serious?
“My parents rarely spoke of my grandfather. Hell, my mother never even met him. He was off-limits. To this day, my father won’t discuss him. I was aware that my grandmother died and then my father left home. And I was marginally aware that my grandfather might have had some money and was from Arizona, but that’s about it.”
“Wow.” Now I feel kind of bad for how I’ve acted since meeting Ryder. I’m not sure I should because it’s still possible he and his cousins intend to drain the town of its resources and walk away. I can’t know his intentions yet.
“Let me share something with you to ease your mind,” he says. “My grandfather left a lot of his personal wealth to his grandchildren. Not a dime to his own children. I haven’t spoken to my father yet about the fact that I’ve come here. However, the will stipulates that each of the grandchildren will be allotted a specified sum of money only if they move to the town, live here for ten years, and contribute to the greater good of keeping the town afloat.”
My eyes pop wide. “That’s in the will?”
“Yep.”
“Your grandfather must have written that decades ago. He hasn’t shown much of an interest in the town at all since before I was born. All he’s done is collect rent and make people’s lives difficult.”
Ryder winces. “Then let’s hope my family has the power to fix that.”
For the first time since Old Man Wilde died, I feel a weight lifting from my chest. Maybe this won’t be the total disaster most of the town is expecting. Maybe these grandkids will step up to the plate and try to improve things.