“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.”