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Whitney stood there in a red sundress, the thin straps draped over her delicate shoulders and the hemline dancing high on her thighs. All that olive skin was on display, and thick glossy hair hung down her back in large, natural curls.
Yep, he was definitely selfish. Because this was why he wanted her around. The woman was like a damn sex dream come to life. This was going to be harder than he thought.
“Good evening,” he said and let her in.
She stepped through the door and looked around. “Nice place.”
Ryder nodded and glanced at what she was seeing. He’d built the place with an open floor plan. Rustic wood and stone. Exposed beams that gave the house a log cabin feel. He’d worked hard on it, side by side with his dad years ago. Everything about it felt like home, and damn if Whitney didn’t look like she belonged there.
“Seriously,” she said on a wispy breath, looking out the large, floor to ceiling windows that gave a view to the setting sun and Diamond Lake off in the distance. “This is amazing.”
“Thank you,” he said.
“Did you build it?”
she asked. “I know you’re a contractor, but do you build houses or just remodel buildings?”
“Both. Land development in its entirety is my area. But my father and I built this place years ago.”
She nodded as she walked over to the fireplace and ran her hand along the smooth stone. “On my way here, I kept winding down this back road, and I thought for a minute that you were luring me out into the middle of nowhere.” She tossed him a grin.
“I did.” He smiled back.
“All this land is yours?”
He nodded.
“You must work very hard.” There was seriousness and respect in her voice, and Ryder clung to it. He did work hard. For every damn thing. But usually what he got from women were questions.
How much land do you have? How much are you worth?
But Whitney looked at his home and complimented his work ethic. She didn’t want to steal a piece of him or his family. And that made an ease settle over his skin.
She was different. He’d known that. There was something grounded about the tumbleweed before him. She’d said she didn’t come from anywhere, but the way she looked longingly at his home, as if she could take warmth from it, made him think she was desperate to have something stable in her life. Yet he also saw the vibrant wild-child in her eyes, the soul of a woman who refused to be tied down to things.
The timer went off on his stove. He took out the Bagel Bites and turned off the oven.
She came to stand by him and looked at the ramen and mini pizzas. “You didn’t tell me you were breaking out the fancy cooking skills. How am I supposed to resist you now?” She smiled.
“Told you this is part of my plan to—”
“Polite me to death?” she said. Just like she’d said the other day. Maybe that was what he was doing. It was all he could do, because he wanted to be around her, but he needed his control. So this was how he got both. He mentally made a note to take yet another cold shower tonight.
Yep, control…totally worth sexual frustration and freezing water. Totally.
“These are actually my favorite,” she said, lifting her chin at the mini pizzas.
“Don’t fib,” he said.
“I’m not. I had these almost every day after school when I was a kid. My sister and I lived on these.”
Her eyes shot down like she’d said something she hadn’t meant to.
“You have a sister?”
“Had,” she said, then walked toward the big window again. “So…” she said with a large smile. But it didn’t reach her eyes. “Now that you’ve lured me out here, how about a grand tour?”
She was changing the subject, and Ryder let her. Whatever memories her sister brought up looked like painful ones. Maybe he could eventually get some kind of history out of her. In the meantime, he’d stick with what he did know for certain.
