Page 48 of Wild Rivals

She shakes her head. Mona—along with everybody in town—is aware of how much Wyatt dislikes us, especially Deacon. He’s made no secret of it, so for Wyatt to show up in my office when he’d normally dump whatever the problem is in the driveway must mean something is wrong.

Swallowing down my nerves, I force myself to relax. Whatever he wants, I’ll deal with it like I always do.

Dropping back into my seat, I clear my throat and refocus my attention on the papers in front of me. “You can show him in.”

Without looking up, I can feel Mona’s uncertainty. She hesitates for a beat before asking, “Are you sure?”

I nod, even though everything inside of me is screaming at me to demand that she send him away. No good will come of me and Wyatt being alone in my office; just look at what’s happened the last two times. Although maybe meeting here is the safest thing; there are people around and, more importantly, no beds.

“Do you want me to keep the door open?” Mona asks, gnawing on her bottom lip.

It would be safer if she did, but I find myself replying, “No, if Deacon comes around, I don’t want him catching sight of Wyatt. In fact, radio me with a heads-up if he shows up. No. Better yet, tell him I’m not here.”

Without another word, Mona backs out of my office. Thankfully, I’ll have a minute to steel myself before Wyatt’s here sucking all the air out of the room.

God, what is he doing here? Is he insane?

Maybe Chloe told him she knows and he’s mad about it. Well, tough luck. I can’t take it back.

He could be here for round three, but that feels too risky. It’s more likely the Chloe thing.

Damnit. I should have made her promise not to tell him, too, but I thought that was a given.

Dread fills my stomach, heavy and churning as I wait. After what feels like an eternity, I hear their footsteps approaching like a prisoner on death row waiting for their last meal. Every thud feels overly loud and makes my pulse kick up a beat.

I train my eyes on the doorknob as it twists, the movement happening in slow motion. Like the universe knows how on edge I am but wants to prolong my torture.

Come on, Maddie, get it together.

Mona pushes the door open, steps inside, and casts a glance in my direction as she holds it open for Wyatt. He moves into the room with the ease of a man who is used to owning them, and all I can do is sit behind my desk as heat fills my body.

We stare at each other when he comes to a stop in the middle of the space, his blue eyes watchful and filled with something that looks a lot like heat. He inclines his head and says, “Maddie.”

My tongue darts out to wet my lips, and I grip the arms of my chair when his eyes drop to my mouth. “Wyatt,” I murmur, my voice laced with lust that I hope Mona can’t detect.

Has he always looked this good? How did I never notice before? It’s like the moment we had sex, I’ve been seeing him differently and my body craves more of him every time he’s near. Sure, I’ve found him attractive before, but his arrogance always turned me off.

Today he’s wearing a pair of worn blue jeans, a white T-shirt that’s molded to the contours of his muscular body, and brown boots. It’s normal attire and what most of the people around the ranch—my brothers included—wear. And yet, it looks different on him. He looks sexy and masculine and like he’d clear my desk with one sweep if I asked him to.

I’m so caught up in taking every tiny detail of him in that I barely notice Mona slipping out of the room until Wyatt moves to sit in one of the chairs in front of my desk. I force my body to relax as the familiar tension swirls between us.

“Why are you here, Wyatt?” I ask.

He sets his hat on his knee, like he’s settling in for the long haul. “It’s nice to see you too, Maddie.”

I don’t reply; instead, I sit in the uncomfortable silence and wait for him to answer my question. He doesn’t just turn up here unannounced unless a guest has done something to his land—and he sure as hell never comes inside.

Wyatt looks out the window at the lodges and the lake that they surround, apparently unfazed as my eyes bore into the side of his face. “What were your plans for the Evergreen land?”

My brows draw together. Is he being serious? He’s come all the way out here to ask me that? Well, he’s wasted a trip.

“It doesn’t matter what my plans were,” I bite. The anger I felt two weeks ago when I found out he went behind my back swirls back to life in my chest. It’s hot and heavy, almost too much to bear.

“Humor me?” he asks. An emotion I can’t quite name swims in his gaze.

Uncertain of his motives, I shift in my chair, sitting a little straighter. “Why do you want to know? It’s not like your family is in the same business as me and you want to take my idea and replicate it. So, why are you asking?”

“Maddie… just answer the question,” he huffs out, like I’m the problem.