Wild Temptation (The Wild Brothers), page 1
WILD TEMPTATION
THE WILD BROTHERS
HOPE FORD
CONTENTS
1. Madelyn
2. Asher
3. Madelyn
4. Asher
5. Madelyn
6. Asher
7. Madelyn
8. Asher
9. Madelyn
10. Asher
11. Madelyn
12. Asher
13. Madelyn
14. Asher
15. Madelyn
16. Asher
17. Madelyn
18. Asher
19. Madilyn
20. Asher
21. Madelyn
22. Asher
23. Madelyn
Epilogue
The Wild Brothers Series
Also by Hope Ford
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Wild Temptation © 2024 by Hope Ford
Editor: Kasi Alexander
Proofreader: Nicole Graf
Cover Design: Mayhem Covers
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CHAPTER 1
MADELYN
I drop my mascara wand for the second time, and this time it goes down the front of my silk shirt. I don’t even try to catch it, I just watch the wand fall and then the black cosmetic smear on the front of my shirt before it falls into the sink in front of me. I groan in frustration, knowing I need to get myself together. I shouldn't be nervous. I'm more than qualified for the job that I'm going to start today, but I can't seem to help it.
I grab a tissue off the shelf and start wiping at the makeup that is now all over the counter and in the sink. I really don’t have time for this, and somehow I need to pull myself together.
My friend Delilah walks into the bathroom and looks at me in the mirror. "Again?" she asks.
I shrug and wipe my hand down the front of me, smearing the black makeup across my shirt even more.
"Yep, and this time it looks like I'm going to have to change."
She nods in agreement. "Yeah, it sure does. Do you really think silk was a good idea, anyway? I mean, you're going to work on a peach farm."
I turn to the side so that I'm facing her instead of looking at her in the mirror. "I was just trying to make a good first impression. You think I’m overdressed?"
She looks down at my silk blouse, jeans, and boots. "Well, the shirt definitely needs to go. The jeans and boots are fine."
I finish cleaning up and applying my makeup and then walk into Delilah's bedroom. I pull off the silk shirt and wad it up. It’s going to be impossible to get the black stain out of the material anyway. I’m hoping this is not an omen on how this day is going to be. After rummaging through my overnight bag, I pull out another shirt and pull it on over my body. It’s my lucky shirt, and I should have put it on in the first place. The blue in the material matches my eyes, and I usually get compliments when I wear it. Yep, I definitely should have gone with this one on the first go-around.
I smooth down the blue checkered material and gesture to myself. "Is this better?"
Delilah is leaning against the door frame and takes in my new outfit. "Way better."
After stuffing my makeup bag into my overnight bag, I zip everything up and throw it over my shoulder.
Delilah grabs my other bag. "I can't believe you're this nervous, Madelyn. You never get nervous. What’s wrong with you?"
“Nothing.”
She laughs. “Don’t tell me nothing. I know you, and there’s something up.”
I put my hand on my hip and stare at my friend. We were college roommates our freshman through senior year of college, and even though we both sort of went our separate ways after getting our bachelor's degrees, we've still kept in touch and remained very good friends.
She's the reason that I was able to secure the job at the Wild Peach Farm. Well, her dad was. He’s the police chief here in Peach Springs, and he pulled some strings to get me this job. And even though Delilah and I are so different, like how she’s an accountant and I’m a farmer, we still get along great.
I let my hands fidget in front of me and bind them together. She’s right because I never get nervous, but today feels different. “I don’t know. I just don’t know. I feel all twitchy about this. It could be that I’ve said over and over that I want to stand on my own two feet and not depend on my dad to get me a job, and then instead of doing that, your dad has to step in and help me. Maybe this is a bad idea.”
Delilah stands up taller and is shaking her head. “No way, you’re not backing out now. I finally get my best friend close again. You’re just nervous, and anyone in your place would be. It’s fine. You’ll get there, and everything will be great. You’ll see. And forget about my dad getting you this job. You got the job. Trust me, if you didn’t have the qualifications, Asher wouldn’t have hired you. They’re pretty protective of their farm.”
I suck in a breath and nod. "You’re right. Thank you for letting me crash here last night."
She playfully slaps me on the shoulder. "You know you're welcome here anytime, and if the farm wasn't so far from here, you could just stay here and commute."
I shrug. "It's no big deal. It makes more sense for me to just stay there anyway, but we'll definitely see each other soon. We can go to dinner and do more catching up."
Delilah walks with me outside to my car, and we load everything in. We stayed up way too late last night talking about a little bit of everything, and I'm sure she's going to regret telling me about the crush that she has on a local police officer. "So are you going to talk to this Fletch? Maybe let him know how you feel?"
She just smiles and opens the driver's side door of my car, holding it for me. "I don't know. Did I tell you that Fletch and Asher are brothers?"
"Asher Wild, my boss?"
She nods. "Yep, that's the one. And talking about Asher, I feel like I need to warn you a little bit."
I slam the trunk of my car and come around to meet her. "Warn me. Warn me about what?" I ask. "I thought he was on board with this. He does know I'm coming today, right?"
Delilah nods her head. "Yes, of course he knows you're coming. Chill out. I wouldn't set you up like that. I'm just saying Asher's a little bit older and grumpy and set in his ways. That's all."
"You know I can handle grumpy old men. Have you met my dad?"
She laughs out loud at that. "You're right. You're right."
I hug her neck and thank her again. “Please tell your dad thank you again. I really appreciate him helping me with this job.”
She lifts her shoulders. “You know he’d do anything for you.”
I laugh at that because we both know the truth. “Come on, we know why he did it. He’d do anything for his little princess,” I tease her.
I sit down into my car and look up at her. "So we'll talk soon?"
She nods and then points down the street. "It's that way. At the big intersection, turn right. You’re going to be driving for awhile but there's no way you're going to miss the Wild Peach. It's sort of a landmark here."
"Got it. I've already put it in my map app."
After telling Delilah bye and thanking her again for letting me stay, I pull out of the parking lot of her apartment building and drive toward the peach farm.
The whole way there, I give myself a little bit of a pep talk. There's no doubt that I can do this job. I know I can, but I can't believe that I'm this nervous. As I get to the edge of town, I follow the directions as my phone calls out turns through the speakers in my car. I don't need them to tell me that I'm arriving soon because I start to drive right by the peach farm, rows and rows of big, beautiful trees. I start to imagine what they'll look like when they are fully ripe. The closer I get to The Wild Peach, the calmer I start to feel and the more at peace I am with my decision.
I pull down the long gravel driveway and park in front of the big white two-story house. After taking a deep breath and letting it out, I climb out of my car and walk up the path to the house. I knock on the front door and then take two steps back to put some distance between myself and the door.
I can hear footsteps on the other side, and in anticipation, I hold my hands together in front of me, but I was not prepared for what I was about to see. As the door swings open, I gasp and feel heat rush to my face. Honestly, that’s probably not the best reaction to have, but there’s no holding it back. He's tall with wide shoulders, a broad chest, and deep brown eyes. His hair is a little shaggy and hangs across one arched brow. He gazes at me and looks up and down my body before settling on my face once again. I feel that gaze from the tips of my red hair down to the toes in my boots. His voice is gruff, and I swear my body vibrates as he starts to talk. "Whatever you're selling, I'm not buying."
He slams the door, and all I can do is jump in surprise. Did he really just say that?
CHAPTER 2
ASHER
I shut the door and lean against it, letting my forehead rest on the cool hard wood. I fucked up. I should have asked more questions when Chief Taylor asked me to give Madelyn Weston a job. I didn’t think of it because I was so surprised that the chief was asking for a favor. He had to know that I wouldn’t tell him no. He was a good
There’s another knock on the door, and I curse under my breath. “Fuck.”
I clench my eyes shut and shake my head. I have to do this. I told Chief Taylor I would. I rip the door open harder than I should. “Yeah?”
I train my eyes on her face and not let it scan it down her body like I did before. I think that’s what got me off track, but the longer I stare into her angry blue eyes, I realize that they are enough to get me off kilter, and my scowl deepens.
“Uh, I’m here to see Asher Wild.”
I lean against the open door. “That’s me.”
She grits her teeth. “Right, well, I’m Madelyn Weston. I’m here for the farm labor position.”
As an afterthought, she holds her hand out for me to shake. I shouldn’t do it, I know I shouldn’t, but I reach out and wrap my big hand around her smaller one. The feel of her smooth fingers against my rougher ones has me holding her hand a little tighter.
Before I can make a fool of myself, I release her hand, and she holds it against her chest, over her heart. I told myself I wouldn’t, but I look her up and down again. I take in her expensive jeans, boots, manicured hands, and flawless skin. I step out onto the porch, and she backs away the closer I get. After glancing into the driveway and seeing the high-dollar Bentley, I know she’s in the wrong place, even though she doesn’t know it yet. I cross my arms over my chest. “There’s been a mistake.”
She puts a hand on her shapely hip. “What do you mean?”
Instead of irritating me with her sass, it makes me enamored with her even more. “I mean, I hired a farmer. You don’t look like any farmer I’ve seen before.”
“I have a master’s degree in agriculture management. I’ve spent years learning about everything that happens on a fruit farm. I’ve either volunteered or worked at farms since I graduated high school.”
I run my hand across my chin, “That couldn’t have been that long ago.”
She bristles, causing her cheeks to turn a bright pink. “I’m twenty-eight, but thank you for the compliment.”
I slap a hand on my thigh. “Look, you’re obviously qualified because Chief Taylor wouldn’t have recommended you if you weren’t. But the position has been filled.”
Her mouth drops. “Filled?”
Before I can admit to her I’m lying, I bite my lip and say nothing.
She blows out a breath, “Look, I came a really long way to get here. Can I come inside so we can at least talk?” She pauses and must realize that I’m about to tell her no because she blinks her long lashes at me and pleads, “Please.”
Fuck, there’s no way I can say no to that. I walk back to the door, push it open, and hold it open for her. “Come on in.”
She walks in, and I follow behind her. I avert my eyes from what I know is going to be a shapely ass in tight blue jeans and walk past her. “We can talk here in the office.”
I stop on the other side of my desk and then gesture to the seat across from me, making sure to put the big wood desk and some distance between us. She’s looking around the office, and I take the opportunity to look at her. My first assessment still rings true. Madelyn Weston doesn’t belong here.
I gesture to the chair closest to her. “Have a seat.”
Once she sits down, I do the same.
She’s sitting on the edge of her seat. “Mr. Wild.”
“Asher,” I correct her.
“Asher,” she says, and the sound of my name rolling off her tongue sends a vibration through my body. I do my best to ignore it. “Chief Taylor assured me that I had the position. Did he lie to me?”
I take a deep breath. It’s tempting to say yes, just so she’ll leave and take it up with him, but I can’t do that. “No, he was told that you had a job here.”
She lifts her shoulder in a shrug. “I’m a hard worker. I have impeccable references. I can make a difference here, I know I can.”
I cross my arms over my chest and lean back in my seat. “Do you know what this job consists of? Do you know you’ll get dirty? Heck, you might even ruin your pretty clothes.”
She pulls at the collar of her shirt. “I was trying to make a good first impression, but I understand now that you might have been more impressed if I came in here with dirt under my nails and on my face.” She huffs her breath and shakes her head. “Look, Asher, I’m not sure what I did to rub you the wrong way this morning, but I have work clothes, and I’m not afraid to get dirty. Actually, I prefer it.”
My hands tighten into fists. The very last thing I need to be thinking about right now is Madelyn “dirty” or rubbing me any kind of way.
She stands up, crosses her arms over her chest, and pushes her breasts up in the process. “Look, I’m good at what I do.”
I’m saved from answering when the screen door slams, and I hear Beau hollering through the house, “Ash, whose Bentley is that in the driveway?”
He comes to a halt as he passes the office door and stares at Madelyn before coming into the office. I jump out of my chair and come around the desk, cutting him off. Stunned, he almost plows into me and says, “Well, hello—”
I cut him off and give him a look that he’ll understand. “Beau, this is Madelyn. Madelyn, this is my youngest brother, Beau.”
Beau starts to put his hand out, and I grunt at him. I can feel my face get hot from my caveman behavior. This is not who I am, but the thought of Beau touching Madelyn—even just to shake her hand—goes all through me. I ignore the stares from each of them, and Beau drops his hand. “So the Bentley is yours?”
She nods and asks her own question, directing it at me. “Wait, there’s more of you? Delilah told me about Fletch, but I had no idea there were more of you.”
I scrunch my nose up. Why would Delilah mention Fletch? Is it because he works for her dad? Or was she thinking of fixing Madelyn up with him? I clear my throat. “Yeah, there’s six of us.”
Beau points at me. “And this is the grumpy one, in case you couldn’t tell.”
“Har har. Did you get that irrigation system fixed on the south side?”
He shakes his head. “No, but we figured out the problem. I had to come in and get a bigger wrench and got sidetracked with the Bentley.”
“Okay,” I tell him, looking between him and the door.
He laughs and holds his hands up. “Okay, I got it. I’m out. Nice to meet you, Madelyn.”
She calls after him softly, “You too, Beau.”
The smile she had for my brother disappears when she looks at me. “Soooo…”
From where I’m standing, I can see the freckles on her nose and the gold specks in her eyes. I would have sworn her eyes were blue earlier, but now they look more green. “I thought your eyes were blue.”
She seems taken aback. “Uh, yeah, well, they’re hazel really. My grandma always said she’s never seen anything like it. Depending on where I’m at in the light, they can appear green or blue.”
I stare into her eyes as if I’m searching for something. For the longest time, I’ve put off women. I’ve been down this road, and it only led to heartbreak. There’s no way I’m interested in going through all that again.
I take a step back and then another. It’s like I’m having to move away from her just to be able to think clearly. Surely I can do this. I can hire Madelyn even if I’m attracted to her. I can remain professional and follow through with my promise to Chief Taylor.
CHAPTER 3
MADELYN
He’s staring at me as if he’s a caged animal or something. He shoves his hand through his dark hair and shakes his head. “This is a bad idea.”
I point at him. “You think so. I think it’s perfect.”
He points toward the window, and I’m assuming he’s pointing at the peach trees. “Trust me, this is far from perfect. It’s hard work, long days—”
I cut him off. “I swear I’ve never been interviewed for a job where the boss tries to talk me out of wanting it. You’re telling me things I already know. This is not the first farm I’ve worked on.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. You’re qualified and have all kinds of experience. I got it.”
