Sexy Stranger Read online

  Sexy Stranger

  Copyright © 2017 Kendall Ryan

  Copy Editing and Formatting by

  Pam Berehulke

  Proofreading by

  Virginia Tesi Carey

  Cover Design by

  Okay Creations

  Photography by

  Sara Eirew

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission of the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes only.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Table of Contents

  About the Book

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Other Books by Kendall Ryan

  About the Book

  Luke Wilder knows the lovely stranger doesn’t belong the second she struts into his sleepy little town. She’s a city girl who won’t stay longer than it takes to get her fancy foreign car repaired—which is why he should ignore his powerful need to make her notice him. It’s just that the moment she opens her smart mouth and gives it back as good as she gets, he wants to swap a whole lot more with her than insults.

  Charlotte Freemont instantly dislikes the rude redneck stranger she finds herself stuck with. Too bad he’s as hot as sin, and just as tempting. On the run from her messy past, she’s not there to get tangled up with a man, even one as hard to resist as the hotheaded Luke. But when he gives her a private tour of his craft whiskey distillery, their attraction ignites, and Luke seizes the chance to show her there’s a whole lot more to him than the rough, rugged side she sees.

  When he finally learns her secret, will it shatter his trust in her? Or do they have a chance to create a whole new blend?

  Chapter One

  Luke

  There was nothing quite like watching an out-of-towner get their first taste of Shady Grove. It didn’t happen too often. In my experience, you were either from here or you’d never heard of the place.

  The second I saw her walk through the door of What the Cluck, the local family-style restaurant, I knew she didn’t belong, and so did everyone else whose head turned in her direction. The ones who didn’t notice right away surely did when they heard her heels clicking across the worn wooden floors. Even the hum of the gossip mill couldn’t drown out the sound of stilettos on pine.

  My first impression of her was lean curves, dark shiny hair, and a round peach of an ass that was begging to be grabbed, spanked, and bitten. Then my sister leaned over and whispered in my ear, causing my dirty mind to screech to an unwelcome halt.

  “I heard her car broke down.”

  I acknowledged Molly’s comment with a nod. Instead of focusing on the whispers of the people around me, I found myself more intrigued with the expression on the newcomer’s face. It was quite a face, after all. Her big blue eyes were wide with bewilderment, her pretty pink lips pursed as she tried to flag down one of the waitresses busily rushing by her. Her cute little nose wrinkled in confusion when a passing waitress finally called out, “Seat yourself, honey!”

  I quickly dropped my attention when I realized the one open seat in the place was directly across from me.

  So much for quiet observation.

  I could certainly appreciate a beautiful woman, but the last thing I was interested in was getting mixed up with a passerby’s drama—despite how sexy her legs looked as she walked toward the table. This chick would be gone and forgotten before sundown, just like everyone else who didn’t belong here.

  My twin brother was seated across from my sister, and about to be shoulder to shoulder with the newbie. Duke smirked when I looked up. The unspoken conversation we had during the time it took her to sit next to him was totally inappropriate for Sunday lunch. It basically consisted of my brother silently saying, I’m gonna try and hit that, and me replying, Don’t always think with your dick.

  The connection between us was twenty-nine years strong. I didn’t need him to tell me what he was thinking. We’d been doing the same song and dance since we’d realized that our dicks could be used for more than just pissing. It wasn’t that I didn’t think about sex, just that Duke thought about it a whole lot more. And it had landed him in a few prickly situations over the years. Last thing I wanted was to clean up another mess of his.

  Duke wasn’t the only curious one. I looked over at my sister and saw she was champing at the bit to find out about the stranger. There was no stopping Molly when she wanted to get to the bottom of something. She’d been the most inquisitive child I’d ever met, and at twenty-four, she hadn’t stopped with her quest for the truth. If she were a cat, she would have burned through all nine of her lives by now.

  “Hi,” she said no sooner than the brunette was seated at our table and unfolding her napkin. “I’m Molly Wilder.” She reached across the table, practically shoving her hand in the poor girl’s face.

  I watched as the awkwardness unfolded and tried hard not to laugh at it all.

  “Oh,” the stranger said, staring at my sister’s hand for a moment. “We’re doing this.” She placed her hand in Molly’s and mustered up a smile. “I’m Charlotte.”

  “Welcome. These are my brothers, Duke and Luke.” Molly didn’t wait to dive right into the interrogation. “What brings you to our fine little town?”

  She released Charlotte’s hand when I elbowed her slightly in the ribs, a warning to tone it down. When she side-eyed me, I simply sat back in my chair and shook my head, then tugged my weathered A&M ball cap down a bit to shield me from it. There was no stopping Molly’s inquisition at this point, and Duke would probably hit on Charlotte before the biscuits were brought to the table. I knew I should have skipped today.

  Like it was even an option.

  Sunday lunch with my family was set in stone. Ever since our mother left when I was seven, the Wilder family had spent Sunday mornings at the Lutheran church and dined on fried chicken directly afterward. In fact, everything in this place was set in stone. Every day had a purpose, and every purpose had an end goal. There was routine and order, just the way I liked it.

  What I didn’t like was a disruption. Much like the one sitting across the farmhouse table from me. No, the pretty brunette with Tourist practically stamped on her forehead was a disruption wrapped in distraction and dipped in temptation. She’d already hooked my brother with her good looks and my sister with her mystery. And there I was, caught in the middle.

  “There’s something wrong with my car,” Charlotte told Molly. “And apparently, I have to wait until tomorrow to have it checked out.”

  “That’s too bad.” Molly gave her a sympathetic look. “So, you’ll be here
for a few days?”

  “Oh, I hope not,” Charlotte said, as if spending time in Shady Grove, Texas, was the worst thing she’d ever heard of. “Hopefully, it’s a quick fix.”

  “Duke’s pretty good with cars,” Molly said, casting a stare across the table. “Maybe he could take a look.”

  “Yeah,” he said with a grin that bounced from Molly to Charlotte. “I could get up under that hood. Take a look.”

  “I think I’ll pass,” Charlotte said without missing a beat or letting Duke’s charms get the better of her.

  I couldn’t help the laugh that managed to break from between my pursed lips when she gave him the old thanks, but no thanks. I loved it when a woman gave my brother an ego check. Didn’t happen too often, so I let myself enjoy the moment.

  “Your loss, sweetheart,” Duke said, clearly taken aback by her directness.

  “I wasn’t trying to sound like a bitch or anything.” Charlotte gave him a tight smile. “I just . . . it’s an Audi. It’s probably really complicated, and a trained professional is probably better suited. I don’t know that you’d be able to help me.”

  It was one thing for her to shoot a man down because she wasn’t interested romantically, but it was quite another to shoot down his mechanical skills. Duke, like every other guy in this town, knew how to fix a car. Even a fancy car like hers.

  “So much for not sounding like a bitch,” I said.

  “Excuse me?” She quickly looked at me.

  “You heard me.” I sat up straight in my chair. “He could fix your car just fine,” I assured her.

  “Well, excuse me for not wanting some cowboy to poke around under the hood of my hundred-thousand-dollar car.” She looked back at Duke. “No offense.”

  “None taken.” A small smile played on his lips as he sat back and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “You’re just going to take it?” I asked him, confused that Duke was bowing out so easily.

  “You got this,” he said, giving me a nod.

  I didn’t know what game he was playing, but if he wasn’t going to set this woman straight, I sure would. “Just because we live in Texas, we’re all cowboys?”

  “I just assumed. But if the boot fits,” she said with a smirk, her agitation now clearly directed at me.

  Which was fine. I could take it. “You know what they say about making assumptions. And you’re from where? Wait.”

  I paused and took a second to turn my ball cap around. I wanted to make sure I was looking this snooty woman in the eye when I gave her the reality check she clearly needed. Her gaze flicked from me to Duke as the realization that we were twins sank in, but I wasn’t in the mood to discuss just how much we looked alike.

  “Let me guess,” I said. “LA?”

  “New York.”

  “Ah.” I nodded. “Makes complete sense. I’m surprised you can even sit there, what with the stick up your ass and all. You know, because everyone from New York has one up theirs.”

  The oohs and aahs that came from the nearby patrons listening in on our conversation were deafening.

  “Wow,” Charlotte replied with a look of complete calm.

  I’ll be the first to admit, I was kind of impressed that she wasn’t more rattled. Hell, maybe even a little turned on. Wasn’t every day you met a woman who could give as good as she could get. I thought for sure she’d get up and storm out like the spoiled brat I’d pegged her for.

  “I shouldn’t have assumed that you were all cowboys.” She gave me a smug smile as she shook her head. “You’re clearly just an asshole.”

  I’d never seen a woman so manicured and polished and cleaned up, it made me want to get her all dirty. And that sassy streak that ran a mile wide? Fuck, that just made me want to put her on her knees and show her who was boss.

  Chapter Two

  Charlotte

  Never in my life had I met anyone more arrogant than the man sitting across from me. And that was really saying something, considering the high-society assholes I’d been surrounded with my entire life.

  Didn’t matter one bit to me that his shoulders were broad and he looked like he worked with his hands. I didn’t let the image of him tossing hay bales or shoveling dirt pop into my head, or whatever it was that “not cowboys” did. The perfectly sculpted arms revealed by the short sleeves of his T-shirt didn’t distract me. Not one damn bit.

  “Takes one to know one, sweetheart,” he said, narrowing his eyes on mine.

  Now that his hat was out of the way, I could see the almost evergreen color of his eyes plain and clear. Or if I really wanted an up-close look, I could glance over at his twin brother sitting next to me. They might have been the most identical twins I’d ever seen—from their green eyes to the slope of their noses, right down to the dimples they both had on each cheek. The two were practically carbon copies. If I weren’t so annoyed by the one sitting across from me, I might have cozied up to the idea of spending a little time with them while I was stuck in this town, because the sexiness factor was definitely doubled too.

  “I just came here to eat,” I finally said, wanting to end the pointless argument.

  He tugged his hat back around. “Me too.”

  Our conversation ended there. The glaring, however, continued for the next several minutes.

  I took a deep breath and tried not to let his arrogance get the best of me. The only problem was that he was the sexiest man I’d ever seen in real life. They didn’t make men like him in New York, all rugged and rough around the edges.

  “All right, folks,” the waitress said, finally stopping at our table. “Can I get ya some drinks, or just sweet tea all around?”

  “I’ll take a water with lemon,” I said as the Wilders all nodded for iced tea.

  The waitress nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “And can I get a menu?”

  As soon as the question was out of my mouth, the waitress and everyone within earshot snickered.

  I was confused. This was a restaurant, right?

  “Lunch is up on the board.” The waitress turned to point at a chalkboard on the wall. “What you see is what you get.” She smiled and left to check on another table.

  “It’s family-style,” Molly explained.

  “What does that mean?”

  “One big meal brought out all in big bowls. All served at once.”

  “Oh.” I finally realized what she meant. “Like Thanksgiving.”

  “Exactly!”

  Not that any of my Thanksgiving dinners had been served that way. My family always had a fully catered meal with some fanciful version of turkey and stuffing. I imagined this particular meal was going to be more like what I saw on television. Happy families, one big bowl of mashed potatoes, and smiles all around. Definitely not like the dinners in my memories.

  Family-style wasn’t in my vocabulary. And more than that, I was used to my privacy, not having to fight for elbow room and listen to other people’s private conversations.

  I flagged down the waitress as she passed by with a tray of biscuits. “Excuse me, but do you have a booth, or maybe just a private table in back? It’s been a hell of a day, and—”

  She tucked a loose lock of hair back into her braid. “I’m going to take a wild guess and wager you’re not from around here.”

  What does that have to do with anything?

  My gaze wandered back to the hottie across from me. He was smirking.

  “Does this make you uncomfortable?” he asked. “Sitting close to me?”

  I looked back to the waitress for help, but she was already gone.

  “I’m not uncomfortable,” I said, straightening my posture.

  His eyebrows jumped up as he studied me. “You look uncomfortable.”

  Realizing that my spine was ramrod straight and my hands were fisted in my lap, I huffed out a sigh.

  A few moments later, platters generously piled with home-cooked food were delivered, and th
ose seated around me wasted no time in loading up their plates.

  “You’re not going to eat?” Duke asked, leaning over to inspect my plate.

  And this was why I wanted a private table. I didn’t want someone checking on my progress like I was a finicky toddler who needed supervising. I didn’t generally eat carbs, or things that were deep-fried in lard.

  “I am eating,” I told him, forking up one of the beans on my plate. “These green beans are delicious.”

  “Probably because they’re cooked in bacon,” the hottie said, his first words since the meal had started. “So, I hope you’re into fat,” he added with a smirk.

  Not wanting to give him a bit of satisfaction, I bit into the green bean and smiled as I slowly used my lips to pull it from the fork. I didn’t miss the way his eyes widened as I ate. I learned a long time ago via Clueless that drawing attention to your mouth was always a surefire way to garner a man’s attention. Bacon fat be damned.

  “I am, actually,” I said. “Makes it slide down easier.”

  I watched with delight as he swallowed hard. Serves you right, pal.

  I wasn’t sure exactly why I was so happy that he was caught up in my little performance, but it pleased me and stoked the small fire I could feel burning deep in my stomach when I looked at him. It was too bad he was such a jerk and that I’d sworn off men for the time being. We could have had a lot of fun together.

  “You know you want some of my chicken,” Luke said, his voice low and teasing.

  I hated the shiver that raced along my spine. “I do not want your chicken.”

  “It’s okay. You can have some, duchess.”

  Duchess? I wasn’t sure where he’d gotten the nickname until I realized he probably had me pegged for a spoiled little rich brat. To anyone who didn’t know the truth, that’s probably what I looked like. But in my heart, it wasn’t who I was.

  Which was exactly why I’d fled and left everything behind.

  Once I’d picked my plate clean of salad and green beans, I stood up without a word and went to the register to pay, and then hurried out the door. This entire meal had been a disaster, and I wasn’t even close to full.