Page 1 of Wilde Sanctuary

Chapter One

Charlie

If you thought Charlotte Sinclair, the daughter of the CEO of one of New York’s biggest property development companies, had never known hard work, you’d be forgiven. Most of her colleagues at Sinclair Properties certainly thought so. She was determined to prove them wrong.

Cape Wilde was the best chance she had at proving to her father—and to all his gossiping staff—that she was worthy of becoming his heir. All she had to do was buy the perfect parcel of land for the next Sinclair Properties development—a luxury resort—something even her father had failed at.

It was beautiful here, and a resort in coastal Maine would be the perfect place for visitors to relax and enjoy a break from the busyness of life in Boston or New York.

Charlie had arrived in Cape Wilde that afternoon, and felt an immediate glow of affection for the little town. It was perfect. The main street, with its glass-fronted shops with flowers in window boxes, enticed her to stop and browse. She’d arrived a little too late for that, and looked wistfully at the artistic displaysin the windows. Maybe tomorrow. She parked her rental and turned the engine off.

Shopping would have to wait until she’d taken care of business. All she had to do was convince the owner of the land to sell it to her, and she’d be on her way back to New York, triumphant. She grinned in satisfaction at the thought of her father being stunned that she’d closed the deal on the land he’d had his eye on for years. Her colleagues would have to be impressed. She would finally earn their respect and maybe they’d stop whispering about her when they thought she couldn’t hear.

Not one of them believed she was capable of more than the most basic of tasks. Because that’s all her father had ever trusted her with. Until now. This was her chance. For once, her father had given her a job that could actually impact the business. She wanted to prove she was more than just a trust fund socialite. The most she’d ever been encouraged to do in her 26 years was attend charity galas and art exhibitions. She snorted. It was all for show.

The reality was much less enviable. A motherless child craving her workaholic father’s attention didn’t gain sympathy when your family had as much money as the Sinclairs. But having money didn’t mean being happy.

Charlie sighed as she parked her rental and rested her head on the steering wheel, her long brown hair falling forward to hide her face like a curtain.

She lifted her head from the steering wheel and pushed her hair back from her face. Rubbing her eyes, she stifled a yawn. The drive had been long, and she was starving. There would be plenty of work to do tomorrow, but for now she needed something to eat.

Charlie grabbed her handbag and got out of the car. The air was still warm, even in the early evening. She felt her shouldersrelax a little as she breathed in the salty scent of the ocean. She turned, taking in the little town of Cape Wilde.

Main Street was quaint, lined with old timber buildings, the shops displaying their wares in the windows. Signs hung over the doorways, swinging gently in the breeze. Brightly colored flowers added a dash of color, and a faint, soft sweetness to the air.

Not a single piece of litter was to be seen, nor an overflowing trash can. A real estate agent’s window drew Charlie’s eye. She walked over to look at the offerings. Each property was listed on a printout, with a hand-written note on the bottom giving the agent’s suggestion for who might like it most.

She smiled as she read the cards. The personal note was a nice touch.

The land she had come to Cape Wilde to buy wasn’t listed, which she was thankful for.

Less competition that way.

Giving the window one last look, she turned on her heel and made her way down the gentle slope towards a bar that had caught her eye.

She pushed open the door of Wilde Brews’n’Blues, the expected sound of blues music filling the air. Charlie walked inside slowly, taking the time to look around as she did.

It was a craft brewery, with a bar to one side and a large deck overlooking the water. As you sat at the bar, you could watch the brewers at work, although nobody was working around the shining equipment right now. The place was busy, but not packed, and she was suddenly doubly thankful that she’d changed from her usual tailored business suit and stiletto pumps to more comfortable clothing for the drive. She felt much more herself in jeans, a plain white tank top, and a bright pink, lightweight cardigan over the top.

She would have stood out like a sore thumb in her usual work clothes. Charlie smoothed her hand down over the denim of her jeans and hitched her oversized purse on her shoulder.

The bar seemed like the obvious place to start as there wasn’t a greeter—it didn’t seem to be a place where people stood on ceremony—and she was hungry.

She marched over to the bar and slid onto a stool, dropping her bag onto the empty seat next to her with a thump.

“What have you got in that thing? Rocks?” A deep voice drawled from beside her in amusement.

Charlie gave a surprised squeak and twisted to look behind her, almost falling off her seat. The owner of the voice was a tall, broad man with dark brown hair that was cropped close at the sides and longer on top. He stood behind her in the nearby doorway, leaning one shoulder against the frame with his arms crossed over his chest.

Worn denim jeans encased his thick thighs, mud splattered where they met his equally muddy boots. His flannel shirt was faded from wear, the sleeves rolled up over muscled forearms, the front open to show a black t-shirt. A very tight black t-shirt that did nothing to hide his muscular torso.

Charlie’s eyes drifted up to his face. Dark lashes framed intense blue eyes, over which one of his thick brown brows lifted quizzically. But it was when her eyes met his and he grinned that she stopped breathing. Eyes sparkling, a dimple appeared in his cheek.

Holy fuck. Whoever this guy was, he was sex on legs. Charlie squeezed her thighs together, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat.

“So?” He asked.

Charlie blinked. He’d asked her something, hadn’t he? She turned a little further on the seat to face him fully, but lost her balance.

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