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This was where nice and polite got him. A coy smile from a woman who was as shallow as she was mean. But he had a whole crew that depended on him for their living wage. Most of the guys on his team had families to support. It was all about the bottom line. And bottom line was that Ryder wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize the business he’d worked hard to build, or the people that relied on him.
“You’re such a flatterer.” She giggled then turned her attention to Whitney. “Hello, miss?” She snapped her fingers twice.
Whitney’s head popped up, and a glare lit her lovely features when she zeroed in on Clara’s snapping fingers.
“You beckoned?” Whitney said, walking up and drying her hands on the rag that hung near her thighs. She was clearly upset with Clara’s behavior. Ryder couldn’t blame her. If anyone snapped at him like that, he might break their fingers.
“I’d like a chardonnay and a small salad,” Clara said. “Dressing on the side. Oh, and a fruit cup. No melon, though. If there’s melon, I’ll send it back.”
Whitney just nodded, spared Ryder a quick glance, then walked away and put Clara’s order in.
Ryder took another drink of his beer, hating this moment. Hating that he stood next to a woman that lacked any real warmth while another who was hotter than heaven and smiled all the time was just out of reach.
There was so much he wanted to say to Whitney. So much he wanted to do. But control was key. Keeping cool was key. It was how he dealt with everything.
If he went off doing whatever he damn well felt, he’d lose everything his family had built. He’d already put everything at risk once. Now he had to stick to a persona that was wholesome. Even his sister struggled with balancing her wholesome reputation with her sinful side, but she’d found her own brand of freedom in Sebastian. With Bass, Penny could let out her wild side, do all the things she’d fantasized about…
Ryder shuddered and pushed those disturbing thoughts away. Gross.
“Here’s your chardonnay,” Whitney said, placing it in front of Clara. “And for you, big guy,” she said with a saucy smile, and put a cup of coffee in front of him.
Smart-ass. A sexy as sin smart-ass, but a smart-ass all the same.
Clara frowned between the two of them. “You’re new,” she finally said to Whitney.
“Yep, just started yesterday.”
“And you know each other?” She motioned between Ryder and her.
“We met briefly,” Whitney said with a long sigh, then placed the heel of her hand on the edge of the bar and leaned in casually. “Very briefly, actually. In fact, I barely recall the details.”
“Is that right?” Ryder asked, tenacity lining his voice. Barely recalled the details? Oh, the little minx was playing with fire, and that fire had his blood boiling with the need to refresh her with all the details. “If memory serves, you were enjoying yourself. In fact, you were begging for another round.”
Her brows shot up.
Didn’t see that coming huh, city girl?
“I’m lost,” Clara said. “Another round?”
Whitney nodded but kept her eyes on Ryder. “Yeah. We were playing pool,” she said. “I beat him pretty badly. He’s afraid to play again. It was too devastating to his ego.”
Ryder laughed. “I don’t know what game you were watching, sweetness, but I walked away a winner. I think the final score was three to one.”
He tasted his bottom lip, recalling how sweet she’d tasted on his tongue, then took a long swallow of his beer. He didn’t miss the way she watched his throat work. Yeah, he got to her. The challenge, and the daring way she spoke, was fucking drugging. God help him, he wan
ted to play with her. All damn night.
“Maybe I let you win,” she said. And Ryder wasn’t buying it. Not for a second. He’d felt how hot she was. How wet she got for him.
Let me win, my ass.
Before he could say more, she lifted her chin at him. “Enjoy your coffee.”
Shit. So Whitney was not only sexy, she was smart. She also wasn’t one to be tied down. With coffee, dates, or politeness. She was raw and edgy, and she challenged his instincts.
Her words from earlier replayed in his mind.
Can that naughty Ryder come out to play?
