Wilder (The Wild Ones 3)

His hand comes up to cup one, his thumb teasing my nipple in a way that has my hips arching into him.

I’m the one to break the kiss, idly worrying about how easy it is for him to get my body stirred to the point of desperate need.

“You love me?” I ask him, grabbing both sides of his face when he tries to kiss me again.

He arches an unimpressed eyebrow, as though I’m rude for interrupting his seduction.

“Is that a problem?” he asks me.

I can’t help but notice how he settles himself more firmly between my legs, caging me in more effectively. Does he really think that’s going to make me run after I admitted moved to Tomahawk to be with him?

“I love you too, Kai Wilder,” I tell him as my stupid smile stretches so uncontrollably wide that it’s almost embarrassing.

He goes rigid against me for a second, his first reaction to something surprising, it seems.

I genuinely don’t even know why it’s surprising, considering I tried baking and I—the fashionista queen—am wearing his shapeless, unflattering flag like it’s the pinnacle of all fashion.

He pulls my hands away from his face very slowly, and with a smooth, measured movement, he lowers his head until our lips just barely touch. His hand gently moves into my hair, and I’m the one to initiate the next kiss.

It’s slower this time when we make love, because that’s exactly what it is.

We’ll talk later. Tonight, I just want to enjoy my first real love, because I had no idea it could feel this good.

From now on, I’ll just wear this flag when I want to seduce him. At least I finally found a secret weapon to use against him.

He’s mine now.

It’s more fun to be with him when I’m not dreading the days that flit by too quickly. I guess we have plenty of time to talk about the future.

Wild Ones Tip #237

Wild Ones are crazy by nature, but they’re competitive by choice. Stand back. This could get ugly.

Chapter 24

PIPER

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“I thought Killian was the axe king,” Reese says like she’s confused, deliberately not looking in Hale’s direction.

She even brought her pregnant assistant along to help thwart any chance of being caught alone. She’s paying Sally to essentially be her shadow and never leave her side during her visit, so that Hale Vincent doesn’t get a chance to speak to her privately.

I don’t know who this stranger is, but it’s not my sister. My sister doesn’t try to avoid boys who’ve dumped her. She likes to flaunt her stuff and make them regret it.

She’s deliberately trying to look as unappealing as possible right now—no makeup, hair slapped up in a ball cap, prudish clothes that hide her figure, and the ugliest boots I’ve ever seen in my life.

I’ve lived here a month now, and this is her first time to visit. It’s been…uncomfortable, tense, and awkward, to say the least.

“He’s the axe-throwing king. Not the double-axe wood-splitting king,” Bill explains to her…sort of.

To be honest, I’m a little confused why they’re all holding two axes. How can you chop wood with two different axes at the same time?

When you ask a Wild One if they have any hobbies, you’d be surprised at how quickly they fire off a bunch of things you’ve never heard of. The list is daunting.

However…I now feel as though I should have asked for more details.

Kai grins over at me and wiggles his eyebrows, his flannel shirt unbuttoned and showing off all his very tempting upper body. He uses his body against me like a weapon these days. It’s frustrating when we can’t slip off to be alone.

The honeymoon phase hasn’t come close to ending yet, and I’m left squirming in my seat.

“The Wild Ones end up in the finals every year. Kai usually walks away with the crown in this event,” Greta tells me, winking very obviously at me. “May get my grandbabies started tonight, huh?”

“I just threw up in my mouth,” Nila says with a disgusted, dramatic shudder. “Could you please not say things like that, Ma? It’s getting weird, even for me.”

I nod in full agreement, but Greta just bats a dismissive hand. “I have to beat Penny. If she gets a grandbaby first, then she’ll get all the best gifts. People will be over it once the first baby is born, and my grandbaby will get the shaft! I’ll not have that!”

She lifts a fist in the air, her voice growing louder there toward the end, as she stares heavenward.

“Lilah’s married! It’s only fair she has a baby first!” Penny argues.

Sally startles at the abrupt yelling fit the two women break out into, both of them redundantly arguing the case of why they should get to have the first Wild One grandbaby from this group.

I’m still not sure I understand all of the competitive goals within this group, but it’s always entertaining.