Wilder (The Wild Ones 3)

“I’m not your rival, damn it. I’m your friend who can’t watch you make a fool of yourself anymore. I’m embarrassed for you!” Nila snaps.

“Then speak to him and prove it to me,” Krysta says, as though that’s supposed to make any sense at all.

Nila glares. “Just because I find a man attractive, it doesn’t mean I’m going after him. It’ll fade. I’ll be able to talk to him when he’s just one more member of the group. Just wait and see.”

“What does that mean?” I ask Kai.

“Nothing important,” he assures me.

“Romantic rival!”

“Best. Friend,” Nila argues.

Deacon shakes his head on his way by us, fighting his own smile as he goes.

I may not understand it, but I sort of envy the way they all are with each other. The comfort level is just so…amazingly obvious and genuine.

We pass by Liam as he corners Kylie in a private room, essentially devouring her. I quickly cut my gaze away, envious of that as well. And not because I have a thing for Liam. He’s too pretty. It’s sort of intimidating to see a guy who is that pretty.

I find it odd that Deacon, who is attractive but not Liam pretty, is the one getting the baked goods. To be honest, Kai is probably the sexiest, even if he isn’t unnaturally good looking.

He’s rough around the edges and rugged in a way that is really—

My inner ramble comes to a screeching halt when I spot my sister in a Jeep, her tongue down Hale Vincent’s throat, as she straddles him and makes out like she’s a teenager. Are you serious?

Kai stares for a second, mutters something under his breath, and starts dragging me toward his Jeep as I gawk at my sister shamelessly grinding on Hale.

Just as I get in on the passenger side of Kai’s Jeep, Deacon comes rushing by us with Krysta trailing him, heading toward an SUV that’s abandoned on the side of the road.

“Did you park all the way out here to hide from me?” Krysta asks very loudly.

“Stop following me,” he says over his shoulder, picking up his pace.

“Please! Just one picture! I want to show our kids how much their father loved their momma before he really knew it! It’ll be—”

Lenny’s hand abruptly closes over her mouth as he holds her back once again, cutting off the embarrassing scene, while Deacon hops into a truck and peels out while he can.

I glance down at the water bottle in my purse. Even the spring water here is from Tomahawk’s springs. I may already be doomed.

Kai wastes no time getting us on the road, and I lean back, smiling as I take in the events of the evening. Even though it was a lot to take in, it was also a lot of fun.

As Benson said, it’s a completely different way of life out here. And I really like the fact Kai doesn’t seem to draw women in like flies, even though he looks like he does. It’s like a hidden gem no one else seems to appreciate, even though he’s a hero, has patience for days, and never seems to get mad about much of anything.

“Do you want to come back to my place? Looks like my sister has other plans and won’t be home for a while,” I say while deliberately avoiding eye contact.

“Sure. I can cook up some deer and we can smoke while playing some video games,” he suggests. “I think Hale said he left one of his old systems there.”

I forget what a hardcore bachelor he is until he says things like that.

“Sounds great,” I tell him, trying not to smile. “Afterwards, maybe we can…see my bedroom.”

The second the words leave my mouth, I realize just how cringe-worthy they sound. Too forward. Way too forward.

What am I doing?

“I’ve seen it before. The door was open,” he states…so…obliviously.

I cut my eyes toward him as he drives, facial expression stoic.

“But I can look at it again if you want to show it to me yourself or something,” he adds like he’s being courteous.

I blink at him several times, wondering if he’s serious right now. I very clearly made a lewd pass that I already regret blurting out, and…that’s all he says?

“Um…no. Nothing special,” I state unsurely, studying his profile.

He nods like that suits him just fine.

I stare, waiting expectantly on him to crack a grin, but he keeps on driving without any follow-up…

“We’ll probably have the place to ourselves all night. Reese looked serious back there,” I add. “As in no one will be interrupting us.”

“Good. I’m sick of being around Hale when he’s getting cocky,” he says, again acting as though he can’t read between the very clear lines. “Not to mention, he talks so much shit whenever we play. You play much?”

“Video games?” I ask, really damn confused about what conversation we’re having right now.