Janna told herself it was just the cold winter air causing her breath to catch in her chest, but an uncomfortable tightening in her legs as she met Ryder’s eyes told her otherwise.
Gosh, she got turned on just by looking at him. Had she even fallen for Scott this instantly? She berated herself for being a silly woman and planted her hands on the counter to stay steady. She noted with some pleasure that Scott wasn’t pleased at all by the disturbance the newer, larger man caused.
Ryder, for his part, cocked an eyebrow at Scott and pulled his lips into a frown that suggested the other man should just disappear. Scott quickly complied, flashing Janna a look that said this was far from over. She sighed and rested back on the standing stool behind the counter.
“Did you need help with something?” she asked Ryder, who was still just standing there, hands in the pockets of his expensive black ski jacket, dark hair tousled by the wind and snow. When she spoke, his eyes flashed and locked on hers. She bit her lip in response and then flushed when his eyes moved down to her mouth.
“If I did, would you help me?” he asked, a bit of a tease in his words—and something darker. Something that made her press her legs together in anticipation. “You weren’t very friendly the other night.”
She pressed her lips together and tried to look relaxed on her chair. She didn’t often have billionaire tech investors in her shop, and when she did, they didn’t have movie-star good looks. “Well, I guess it depends on the type of help you need.” She nodded behind her. “But if you need accounting help, I’m probably your only option in this town.”
He exhaled as if disappointed that their banter was gone and there was actual business talk in its place. “Fine. Business it is. I need your help with the books up at the lodge.”
“Really? I thought the lodge had Barry?”
Barry had been the other accountant in town, but he worked exclusively for Ryder’s father. She was sure he was paid well enough that it hadn’t been an issue.
Ryder’s handsome face tightened and an angry flush heightened the color on his high cheekbones. “We discovered some… issues. He was let go.”
She swallowed. Had Barry been embezzling? She’d never liked the man, with his cranky, pinched look and the little smirk he gave her when they crossed each other on the road. But she’d just put it down to him not liking that they were competitors. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
Ryder waved her concern away with one hand. Probably the amount of money that Barry had taken was a tiny amount compared to the fortune this billionaire possessed. She wondered why he was even back here at all. She couldn’t remember ever seeing him around here before.
Gosh, she just wanted to hole up with him in a cabin for the winter and let him tell her everything about his life. By the hot, appraising look he gave her as she sized him up, she had the feeling the sentiment was somewhat mutual.
But why did she get the feeling that Ryder Hart had deeper secrets than anyone could fathom?
A chill went through her as the door opened and closed, and a little old lady named Ada came in to schedule a later time to work on some tax issues. She concluded the business quickly, trying not to feel Ryder’s eyes on her with each breath, but by the time Ada had given her a quick hug and left, she was all too aware of the presence of the large man in front of her.
“So what can I help with?” she asked. She pushed a signup sheet toward him. “Want to work out a time to come in and go over your books with me?”
He slowly removed leather gloves, revealing smooth hands and long fingers. This was a man who had made his fortune with his mind, not his brawn, though from the muscles bulging through his winter clothing, it was clear there was plenty of that as well.
“I was actually hoping you could come up to the lodge with me. I think it’ll take a good amount of time to go through what we need to go through. And I’d hoped to get to know you better while we were at it.”
She blushed at the words “at it,” thinking just what she would like them to imply. Oh no, she was doing it again. Getting romantic and dreamy-eyed and getting way too many ideas about where things could go. For the past year, she’d been the cool, cold accountant, and that had suited her fine. Everything by the numbers.
Nothing about Ryder Hart would be by the numbers.
She bit her lip as she tried to decide whether she’d give him his way.
“You know you’d be buying only my accounting services, right?” she said nervously. “Nothing more. I don’t know if you’re the type who thinks you can walk in and buy the local women, but I assure you, women here have their choice of partners same as anyone, and we don’t need men coming in and assuming we’re waiting here for someone to rescue us.”