Page 22 of Ryder

“We?” Her voice squeaks. “There’s nowe, Ryder. I met you yesterday. I’m not picking out a bedroom in your mansion.” She tries to tug her hand free of mine, but I don’t let go.

I need her to realize she’s mine. I’m not letting her go home tonight without ensuring she is solidly clear that we’re a unit.

She groans, but she continues up the steps. “You’re so pushy. How can you be so confident you’ll still like me tomorrow or the next day?”

I shrug as we reach the landing. “I don’t know, baby. I just know this feels right. You know it, too. We’re going to be together. I know it in my soul. You can fight me on it, but you’ll cave eventually.”

I stop walking and pull her into my arms, tipping her head back. “Pick a room with me.”

“This is crazy, Ryder.”

“You won’t think it’s crazy when you move in. You’ll kick yourself for not choosing it before someone else claimed it.”

She sighs. “I’m not having sex with you.”

“Not today, no.”

She lifts a brow. “You’re seriously not going to pressure me to take my clothes off if I help you choose a room?”

“Scout’s honor,” I say, holding up my fingers.

“You were never a scout,” she hedges.

I chuckle. “No, I wasn’t. I was a computer nerd. I had a computer before most people did. I wanted to know how it worked. That’s how I ended up becoming a web designer. Pick a room with me, Claire. We’ll need to get someone to come clean it. Most of them are dusty. I’m not sure I even trust the beds not to collapse. There’s no telling how old they are. We’ll need to order new mattresses. The one I slept on last night nearly killed my back.”

She holds my gaze. “I’m not moving in with you, Ryder.”

“Not today. We can discuss it again tomorrow.”

She rolls those pretty eyes. I love it when she does that. It means I’ve pushed her and gotten under her skin.

I step back and tug her hand, leading her down this second-floor hallway.

“You’re all going to live here together?”

I stop at the first room and push the door open. “I don’t know. I suspect some of us will live in town if there are homes available. Or maybe there’s land my cousins might want to build on. We aren’t required to live in the mansion, just the town.”

She enters the room. “Wow. My God. It’s like stepping back in time.”

“I know. It’s weird, isn’t it? Some of the rooms are more modern than others. Some look like they have the furnishings, wallpaper, and carpeting from at least half a century ago or longer.”

She wanders into the giant room. It has a four-poster bed that’s high off the floor. There’s a matching dresser, armoire, and bedside tables. The curtains, rug, wallpaper, and bedspread all match.

I watch my woman. I don’t care which room she chooses. I want her to pick. I want her to be happy.

She pushes open a door that leads off the room. “Do all the rooms have their own bathrooms?”

“The ones I’ve looked in have so far. It’s fascinating. I did a little research on that last night. Apparently, the super-rich did build homes with bathrooms in 1910. I’m betting they have been gutted and modernized more than once since then. They probably need to be remodeled again.”

She steps back out. “I hate to think what the plumbing and electrical system looks like behind the walls. This estate should be a historical landmark instead of someone’s home.”

“You’re probably right.”

She walks over to the window and looks out between the curtains. “Wow, the view…”

I join her, setting my palms on her hips and leaning in close. “I bet the gardens were amazing a few decades ago.”

“Probably. I’m sure there are quite a few residents of Wilde who remember what they were like and could restore the gardens to a time when they were flourishing.” She twists in my arms to face me. Her face lights up. “Seriously, Ryder. You should have this place renovated and open it up to the public. It could be a huge draw to get visitors to come to Wilde. People would come here to tour the famed Wilde mansion. They could stay in town if we got a few of the B&Bs back up and running. They’d shop and eat in the restaurants and get the economy restarted.”

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