style="font-size:15px;"> 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
