Let Them Talk

“Isabel Bennett.”

“Izzy? The librarian?” He had known her since kindergarten. They’d gone on one date when they were teenagers and they hadn’t even held hands much less shared a kiss.

“She’s showing a little more spirit and a lot more skin lately. It has to be a man.”

“It’s not me,” Matthew said. “I recommend you change your bet or you’re going to lose your money.”

“You’re telling me you’re not interested in any of the women in Seedling?” Miss Doris watched him closely. She gave a cackle when he tried to keep his expression blank. “Oh, you are. She must be off-limits if you’re not already dating her.”

Yeah, Sydney Tate was definitely off-limits for the next six months. Even longer if he won the next election. But he wasn’t sure he could wait that long. “There’s no one,” he said.

“Yes, there is,” Miss Doris said as she walked away. “You are flirtatious and charming to every female over the age of twenty-one, but I’m going to figure out which one of them is special to you.”

“Don’t you have something better to do with your time?” Matthew asked, his voice tinged with exasperation.

“Everyone is curious why you are being so secretive about your love life. You’ve never been secretive before. It can’t be good.”

“Maybe it’s because I’m focusing on my job.” And maybe he didn’t want unfavorable comparisons between him and the previous mayor.

“Matty, there are only two kinds of entertainment in Seedling. You either have your own sex life or you’re discussing someone else’s. Most of the bets made in town are about who is in whose bed.” She looked over her shoulder. “And I was the only one who bet correctly about the previous mayor. I’m going to get this one right, too.”

2

X LEANED BACK in his red leather chair as he waited for me to come to him. The sexual hunger that tore through him stole his usual easy smile, and a ruddy color streaked across his cheekbones. He was holding back...for now.

I could tell it wasn’t easy for him, but this time I was in charge. He clenched the chair’s armrests with his large fingers as his uneven breath echoed in his office. I couldn’t wait to straddle him in that chair and have the ride of my life.

I stripped off my dress and tossed it on his cluttered desk. I stood naked before him. I should have felt nervous. Anyone could walk in on us. The open windows behind him overlooked the busy town square. Anyone could see. But I didn’t care. I loved the way he stared at me. It made me feel desirable. Beautiful. Invincible.

Tilting my head back, I allowed my hair to fall past my shoulders. I had nothing to hide. I arched my spine as if I was offering my bare breasts to him. My nipples were tight, my breasts heavy, as anticipation flowed through me.

X parted his lips and said—

“Morning, Sydney.”

Sydney yelped and jumped in her seat, her heart lurching at the sound of Matthew Stone’s voice. She dropped her pen and glanced up, just as Matthew set his coffee mug on the table.

“Uh, hi.” She blinked and looked around. The scent of coffee and baked goods suddenly hit her. Multiple conversations overlapped as the clink of silverware sounded loud to her ears. She’d forgotten that she was at Dawson’s Diner, the most popular meeting place in Seedling. Today it was even more crowded than usual as people grabbed their morning coffee or had breakfast with friends.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” Matthew said as he sat down across from her.

“It’s okay. I was just working on something until you arrived.” Sydney stared at Matthew, noticing every detail of his white T-shirt and blue flannel shirt to his jeans and boots. She wished she didn’t feel so hot and jittery. Why had they set up this meeting? For an interview. Right. She was writing an article on the proposed walking trail and he’d agreed to comment.

“Is that your writing assignment?” Matthew gave a nod to the notebook in front of her. Words covered every inch of the page, crowding each other and spilling past the margins, as if she had too many ideas for the paper to hold.

“Uh, yeah.” She quickly closed the cover and stuck the book under the short pile of notebooks she kept for taking notes. Sydney wondered why she kept writing the fake erotic diary when she was in public. Someone could easily lean over her shoulder and read her work. Maybe it had something to do with the reoccurring theme in her diary—exhibitionism. In almost every scenario she had written in the past week, she and Matthew were so overwhelmed with desire that he’d taken her between the stacks in the library, over a desk in his office or in the park after midnight.

“What kind of book club has a writing assignment?”

“It’s not your typical book club,” she muttered as she grabbed her cup of tea and took a big gulp. It had grown cold and she had to choke it down.

“So I’ve heard.”

Sydney froze and glanced at the counter where her friend Laura was working. Some of the discussions they had at the book club were frank and personal. She couldn’t imagine Isabel or Laura describing them to someone else. “Really?” She carefully set down her teacup. “What have you heard?”

His smile was slow and sexy, and she wiggled uncomfortably in her seat. Matthew Stone’s smiles always teased her senses.

“I heard about the book you’re reading now.” He frowned as if he was trying to remember the title. “It was written by a madam who owned a brothel. Tips on seducing a man, or something like that.”

Sydney nodded. “Laura recommended it. She chose it because it’s being challenged at the library and a few people want it banned. I’m not really sure why they are suddenly making it an urgent matter since the book has been in the library for almost twenty years.”

“They probably didn’t know it was there until now.” Matthew leaned back in his chair. Sydney stiffened as she noticed it was the same move she had imagined him making in her fake diary. “What do you think of the book so far?”

She shrugged. “It’s written to shock the reader, and it doesn’t offer a lot of insight or information. Then again, seducing a man isn’t rocket science.”

Matthew tilted his head and crossed his arms. “Is that right?”

Sydney stared at his muscular arms, wondering how they would feel around her as he gathered her close to his chest...or braced on either side of her as he lay on top of her...or lifting her as he took her against the wall... She cleared her throat and focused on his eyes. “Although the author describes some male fantasies that seemed ridiculous to me.”

He gave her a thoughtful look. “Such as?”

“Such as having your lover meet you at your office wearing nothing but a coat and heels.” She scoffed at the idea and tossed her hands in the air. “Would you want your lover to do that?”

“Hell, yeah.”

His gruff voice pulled at something deep inside her. “Really? Why?”

“What’s not to like about that scenario?” His eyes glittered as he considered the fantasy. “A woman is taking the initiative and making it clear that she wants you right here, right now. That’s always a turn-on.”

“I don’t think that’s the thing that’s turning men on.” At least, that hadn’t been her personal experience. “It’s the fact that the woman is exposing herself to a great deal of risk.”

“The guy wouldn’t let her get caught. It’s for his eyes only.” From his tone, Sydney realized Matthew would take care of his woman even in the throes of passion. “That’s part of the fantasy.”

“No, the most important part of the fantasy is that everyone knows what you are doing. If I visited a man at work and was wearing a trench coat, all of Seedling would be aware that I didn’t have anything on underneath. And that’s the turn-on for men.” She frowned and looked away. “They want to show how much power they have over women. Show the world that they can make normally reasonable women take stupid risks.”

Matthew took a sip of his coffee. “How many men have you played out this fantasy for?”

“None,” she said with a proud tilt of her chin. “I’m not into power plays.”

His mouth tilted into a lopsided smile. “It’s supposed to be a fun fantasy.”

Sydney pursed her lips and wrinkled her nose. “If a guy I’m dating showed up at my work in nothing but a trench coat, I’d worry he was a flasher.”

“Women have different fantasies,” Matthew said, his smile widening. “Some want the romance, others want it rough and dirty.”

“And what do you think I want?” Sydney winced. She wished she could take back that question. It was too personal. What if Matthew got it wrong? Her chest tightened. What if he got it right?

Instead of dismissing the question, Matthew gave it some consideration. He leaned forward and propped his chin on his hand as he studied her. He was very near and she was tempted to move back. The intensity in his gaze unnerved her but she refused to look away.

Matthew suddenly dropped his hand and grabbed his coffee cup. “You’d want it in public.”

Sydney’s lips parted as her heart skipped a beat. “Say what?”

“You’d like the trench-coat fantasy as long as the guy was taking an equal risk.”

She vigorously shook her head. “The risk is always unequal. If the couple gets caught, the man gets a pat on the back and the woman’s reputation is torn to shreds.”

“I’m thinking you’d want a public place with an element of danger,” he continued as if she hadn’t spoken. Matthew tapped his finger against his chin. “Two people who are so hot for each other that they forget where they are.”

Sydney stared at him. It felt as if she’d been found out. Caught. Her heart pounded against her chest as adrenaline sizzled through her bloodstream.

“Am I right?” he asked.

“I don’t have any fantasies,” she lied as she straightened in her chair.

His eyebrows rose. “Sure you do. You have to have at least one.”

“I acted out my list of fantasies years ago,” Sydney declared. She grabbed her pen and opened up a new notebook. “Some of them just weren’t worth the effort.”

“Maybe you did them with the wrong guy,” he said softly.

“That’s quite possible.” Sydney gave her pen several clicks. “I’m not sure how we got on this topic. I’m supposed to be asking you about the new walking trail you’re proposing.”

Matthew smiled. It was confident and knowing.

“What?” she asked suspiciously.

“Nothing.” He spread his arms wide. “Ask me whatever you want.”

* * *

SHE WANTED HIM. He wasn’t imagining it. This had just gotten real.

And he couldn’t do a thing about it, Matthew decided as excitement, frustration and the call of the hunt swirled inside him. He silently watched Sydney scrawl something in her notebook and took the opportunity to study her.

Sydney Tate, dressed in trendy black clothes, didn’t blend in with the other townspeople. She wasn’t glamorous or refined, but she possessed an urban edge. He hadn’t believed she’d be interested in a guy like him until he’d sat down at the table. When lust had flared in her eyes and sharpened her features, he’d known he had a chance. He’d been tempted to drag her out of the diner and find the nearest bed.

He still hadn’t ruled it out.

“Okay, that’s about it,” Sydney said as she crossed out the last question on her list. “I just have one more thing to ask.”

He quickly schooled his face before she glanced up.

“Why are you running for mayor in the next election?”

“I want to take care of Seedling,” he said. He loved his hometown and always had. While some of his classmates had left the moment they graduated, he’d stayed behind with no regrets.

She frowned as if she didn’t believe that was the full answer. “Is this a stepping stone for something else? Do you want something at the state level?”

“I have no interest in leaving Seedling,” Matthew explained. “My family and friends are here. My family’s business is here. This is my heritage and my future.”

Sydney leaned forward. “I don’t understand.”

He’d known she wouldn’t. Sydney was from the big city, where people craved money, power and influence. “I’m doing my civic duty. That’s it. If I wasn’t mayor, I would volunteer or participate in local government the same way I’ve done for years.”

Sydney glanced around before she lowered her voice. “You realize you’re going to win by a landslide.”

The suggestion of an easy victory didn’t mean that much to him. “That’s not why I’m running for office. I’m interested in protecting Seedling and watching it grow.”

“Is civic duty the only reason you work with local government?” she asked. “This isn’t jury duty.”

Matthew should have known that Sydney would sense he had a deeper motivation. “If I do a good job as mayor, I hope people will see me differently,” he admitted. “I’m thirty years old and half of the town is still convinced I’m a reckless Casanova.”

“And the other half calls you ‘Little Matty Stone,’” Sydney added, pressing her lips together as she tried to hide her smile.

“Exactly,” he said with a sigh. The moment someone had called him that at the first town meeting Sydney had attended, Matthew knew any chance he had of creating a sophisticated image of himself in her mind was shot. “They remember all of my mistakes and mischief from years ago. I admit, a lot of the stuff I did was stupid, like drag racing tractors on Main Street and crashing into the old bandstand in the town square, but I’ve changed. And this is my chance to show what I’m capable of.”

“You’ve already proven your leadership skills with your family’s orchard. It’s one of the most successful businesses in the region.”

“I can’t take credit for that. The orchard has been in my family for generations. My job was to bring it into this century.”

“I’m sure that was more difficult than you’re letting on. And what about the fact that the town loves you? Or how the council members look to you for direction? You have great ideas, and I believe you could be the future of Seedling.”

Matthew’s skin heated under her praise. He’d had no idea she thought that highly of him. Her opinion mattered a lot. “Thank you.”

“I have a feeling Seedling will keep reelecting you as mayor,” she said.

Despite her assurance of the town’s goodwill toward him, Matthew knew he couldn’t pursue Sydney while he was mayor. This town would not take kindly to the idea of a mayor who got involved with the local newspaper reporter. They would complain that it was a conflict of interest and would not let up unless either he or Sydney resigned.

Sydney’s phone vibrated on the table and made a loud chirp. She jumped and her elbow knocked the pile of notebooks to the floor. “Oh, shoot! I didn’t mean to keep you this long.”

He saw a notification on the phone’s screen. “You have another meeting?”

“At the medical clinic,” she said as she bent down and scooped up her notebooks. “They want to promote summer safety tips. I swear, I don’t know how Wendy did all this by herself.”

“Here, let me help.” He crouched down and grabbed the notebooks that were out of her reach. “Have you considered getting rid of these and taking notes on a laptop or tablet?”

“No, I tried. I work better this way,” she said as she collected the notebooks before getting up from her seat. “Thanks.”

“I’ll walk you to your car,” he offered as he rose to his full height.

“Oh, there’s no need.” Sydney suddenly became flustered as she shoved the notebooks into her bag. “I’m parked on a side street because I couldn’t find any spots out front.”

“I insist.” Matthew fell into step with her. He automatically placed his hand at the base of her spine as he led her out of the diner. She tensed under his touch but she didn’t pull away.

* * *

SYDNEY’S HEART THUDDED in her ears as they walked to the car. Her movements felt awkward and stiff. Awareness was thick and heavy around them. She suddenly couldn’t put words together.

It had to be her imagination. Matthew always flirted and teased her, but this was different. Every erotic scenario she’d dreamed up rushed through her mind. But suddenly she didn’t just want to imagine how his hand would feel against her breast—she wanted to know. She wanted to taste his mouth, experience his kiss and find out how to drive him wild.

She felt as if she was breathing hard by the time she reached her car. She had no idea if Matthew was conversing with her or if she’d replied. Sydney opened the driver’s door and tossed her backpack on the passenger seat. She cautiously turned around and found Matthew standing right beside her.

She saw the need in his eyes. The need for her. Pleasure darted inside her. She shouldn’t have talked about fantasies with him. Now she couldn’t get them out of her mind.

Dragging her gaze up his muscular chest, past his broad shoulders and to his handsome face, Sydney noticed the restraint sharpening his features. She’d never seen him like this. She sensed he was trying to hold back as much as she was.

“Thanks.” Her voice was hoarse and low.

He swallowed hard as he stared at her mouth. “Anytime.”

Anytime. The tip of her tongue swept along her bottom lip and his intent gaze followed the movement. She wished she could have him anytime. She wanted the right, the privilege, of touching him whenever she wanted.

His proximity, his rough promise, was too much for her willpower. One kiss, that was all she’d give herself. She grabbed his flannel shirt and pulled him forward, slamming her mouth against his.

Matthew cupped her face with his hands and deepened the kiss. His mouth was rough and hard. She’d never been kissed like this and she found it addictive.

Sydney parted her legs and Matthew leaned into her. Being this close to him, surrounded by his heat, his scent and his body, was better than she’d imagined. She hadn’t expected his large and calloused hands to be so warm and gentle against her skin. His possessive touch made her feel protected. Cherished.

She wanted to climb his muscular body and explore. Slide her hands under his T-shirt, reveal his chest and lick her way down to the impressive arousal that was pressing against her.

Sydney heard the squeal of car tires in the distance and she went still. She broke away, gulping for air, and stared at Matthew. She wasn’t sure what to do or say. His touch shattered her carefully constructed facade.

“I...” Sydney dropped her hands abruptly and stared at the telltale creases on his shirt. She couldn’t believe she’d thrown herself at him. That wasn’t like her. She was more cautious than that. She didn’t allow her sexual side to rule her actions anymore.

“Don’t say you’re sorry,” he whispered as his mouth grazed her cheekbone.

She blushed. How could he predict her every move?

He leaned his forehead against hers. “And don’t say this was just a onetime thing.”

Sydney closed her eyes. He really did know what she was going to say next. It made her feel vulnerable, as if he was always one step ahead of her. “You’re the mayor,” she whispered. “I’m a journalist who reports about you.”

“No one needs to know,” he said as he gently stroked his fingers along her jaw. “We can keep it just between us.”

She was sure Matthew believed what he just said, but she couldn’t go through that again. She needed to retreat into the safe little world she’d created in Seedling that was devoid of passion.

With that in mind, Sydney splayed her hands against his soft T-shirt and gave a little push. He didn’t move. The man was solid muscle. “I have to go.”

He reluctantly withdrew, as if he sensed retreating was his best option. “Okay, but this is not the end of this discussion. Tonight—no, I have to attend a meeting. What are you doing tomorrow night?”

“I’m reporting on the junior baseball game.”

“I’ll meet you there.”

“I’m not going on a date with you. The whole town is going to be there.”

“I’ll be on my best behavior. No one will think we’re together.”

She wanted to decline. She should decline, Sydney thought as she shivered with expectation. Instead she gave a quick nod. She didn’t trust herself to say anything. She wasn’t graceful when she got into her car and her hands fumbled as she started the engine. Sydney drove away, her gaze drawn to the mirror as Matthew watched her leave.

What had she done? Curiosity had gotten the better of her. She’d wanted one taste. Just one. But now that she’d experienced the explosive chemistry she shared with Matthew, she wanted so much more.

His kiss was better than she’d imagined. She brushed her fingertips along her reddened lips. It was better even than she had described in her fake erotic diary.

She should write down her experiences now so she could clear her mind and focus on her next work assignment. Sydney drove a few blocks and slid into an empty parking spot on the worn cobblestone street. Her hands were still jittery as she reached for her backpack. The pile of notebooks spilled onto the seat and she searched for the one that she’d reserved for her erotic diary.

It wasn’t there. She froze, her chest squeezing with panic.

No, no, no! She opened and shut the notebooks, one by one. Where was the diary? She’d just had it. She’d been writing in it at Dawson’s.

Sydney dipped her head and closed her eyes as the panic washed over her. Dawson’s Diner. She’d lost her erotic writing in the most populated place in Seedling.

Sydney leaped out of the car and raced down the blocks until she reached the diner. She barely noticed the curious stares she was receiving. It was nothing compared to the stares she would get if someone read her notebook! She bolted inside the diner and glanced around frantically.

“Hi, Sydney,” Laura greeted with a curious look. “Weren’t you just here?”

“I forgot something,” she said breathlessly as she hurried through the diner. She spotted the table where she’d been sitting and exhaled sharply with relief when she noticed it hadn’t been cleaned yet.

“Was it your purse?” Laura asked as she followed. “You don’t have to worry about that. It will still be there. This is Seedling.”

Sydney didn’t see the notebook on the table or on the seats. She crouched down and looked on the floor. Nothing. Her stomach twisted with dread. “Did anyone find a notebook?”

“No,” Laura replied.

It was gone. Her throat closed up with panic. This couldn’t be happening. Her erotic diary—the one that described every scandalous thought she’d ever had about Matthew Stone—was missing.

If anyone reads it...

Sydney dragged her hands over her face. No, she wouldn’t think about that. She just had to find it. Immediately.

3

THE NEXT MORNING Sydney rushed into Seedling Library. The moment she crossed the threshold, she braced herself against the chill of the air-conditioning and the scent of musty books. The outdated dark green carpeting muffled her footsteps as she searched around the circulation desk for the notebook.

“Good morning, Sydney,” Doris Brown said. Sydney stopped and saw the older woman seated at the end of a scarred wooden table. Doris’s glasses were perched low on her nose as she flipped through a magazine.

Sydney halted her search and gave a polite smile. She had been in a panic for the past twenty-four hours as she’d searched everywhere for her notebook, hoping she had left it at home or at the office. But she didn’t want to show her concern and have people start asking questions. “Hello, Miss Doris. How are you doing today?”

“Finished reading a scorcher and now I’m trying to find something else to read.”

Sydney frowned. “A scorcher? Really? That doesn’t sound like something from the reading circle’s book list.”

“It’s not. Just something I...picked up.” Miss Doris’s eyes twinkled.

“You’ll have to tell me about it sometime. Right now I’m looking for Isabel and Laura. Have you seen them?”