To Tempt a Wilde Read Online Free

enough to cause the small slip-up was even more disturbing to Althea.
    When he removed his hat his face was fully revealed. Altheadrew in a swift breath, slowly expelling it.
    To say he was handsome was too mild…too tame a description for the man standing in front of her.
    He exuded raw, male earthiness in scalding waves. His skin, the color of molten chocolate, made her want toreach out and run her fingers over his face…she barely resisted the urge. She continued to keep her hand on the horse, thankful for its presence.
    So this was Nathan Wilde, the oldest of the Wilde brothers, the one she’d heard about but had yet to meet.
    When she’d arrived a few days before she’d been introduced to the men who worked the ranch, hiding her surprise when there’d only been one female who worked for Wilde Ranch, the housekeeper, Lilly. Lilly had been the one to take her to the guest cottage she’d live in during her stay. Theolder black woman had been open and friendly as she showed Althea around, her love for the ranch obvious in the pride in her expression.
    After that, she’d been given the full tour of the ranch by Holt and Shilah, which had taken the majority of the day, as their land and livestock spread over two hundred acres.
    The brothers had mentioned their oldest brother, Nathan, only briefly, simply tellingher he was away buying cattle and wouldn’t return until the end of the week.
    â€œToo late for him to do anything about it then,” Holt had said, turning to his brother. Althea’s radar had gone on full alert at the comment, knowing it had something to do with her, but she hadn’t asked. She’d simply filed it in the back of her mind for later thought.
    They’d given her three weeks pay upfront, no stringsattached, something that surprised Althea but at the same time made her instantly at ease, just in case she had to move on unexpectedly.
    Later that evening, after the men had shown heraround, she’d gone to the main house where Lilly had invited her to eat. Not having had the opportunity to go into Landers and pick up supplies, she’d been thankful for the invitation.
    Remembering Holt’s earliercomment, she’d casually mentioned it to the older woman, watching her as she bustled around the kitchen, removing a storage bowl from the refrigerator to heat up leftover food from the afternoon meal for Althea.
    The older woman had paused, one hand on the chrome handle of the microwave, and glanced at Althea. She’d held her gaze for such a long time that Althea had immediately regretted her impulsein bringing up the question.
    â€œBaby, did you notice there weren’t any women working on the ranch?” She finally spoke, closing the door and setting the cook time.
    Althea nodded her head, slowly.
    â€œThere’s a good reason for that,” she’d said, her expression, although light, serious as she turned and fully faced Althea.
    â€œAnd that would be?”
    The older woman turned away, moving toward the stoveto pour the boiling water into two mugs she’d set out before tossing tea bags into both.
    â€œBesides me, you’re the first woman in over two years who’s been on the ranch. Let’s just say women living at the Wilde Ranch has never been an…easy thing.”
    Before Althea could digest that comment, the older woman had continued. “And if you want to stay for any amount of time, my suggestion would be to laylow, doyour job and everything will be fine. Particularly around Nate.”
    Something in the woman’s expression warned her not to ask questions, so she simply nodded her head and sipped the tea Lilly placed in front of her, feeling a kernel of apprehension knot in her belly for the first time in the week she’d been on the ranch.
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    Now she straightened, dusted her hand down the side of her jeansand cautiously extended it toward him.
    He glanced down at her hand and hesitated