Going Wild (The Wild Ones 2)

With one hand, I absently gesture toward the amused men watching us, but my eyes never leave his.

“I wasn’t really sure what you said,” I confess, swallowing a little insecurely as my other hand falls from his face and I just continue to awkwardly straddle him as he lies on the ground.

The look he gives me definitely doesn’t make me feel like he believes me. “How could you have possibly have misunderstood that?” he asks dubiously.

This is the absolute least romantic place in the world for private confessions. We’ve had many far more romantic moments where this confession could have been made, and we wouldn’t cringe when we looked back on it.

The weight of several nosy gazes on us doesn’t seem to bother him though, and I don’t have the option of taking it to a private location, because apparently I’ve already screwed up once today. I’d rather not delay.

“I thought there was no way I heard you right,” I say barely above a whisper, causing his look to soften a little as confusion creases his features.

He opens his mouth to speak, when we hear Krysta yell, “We can’t hear you! Speak up!”

Rolling my eyes and ignoring Liam’s twitching lips, I go on, keeping my voice quiet just to spite them all.

“I blame the two orgasms,” I explain very seriously, causing Liam’s smile to spread.

“More than I needed to know,” Jared groans from somewhere a little too close.

“Go. Away,” Liam tells them, but his eyes never leave mine as his smile starts to slip.

“Now that you know I said it, does that mean more blue paint? Did I move too fast?” he asks just as quietly, meaning the assholes haven’t left and we’re awkwardly having this conversation in public. Not that I’m surprised.

“Can we talk about this in private?” I ask.

“No,” comes a very unanimous reply from all the unimportant eavesdroppers.

Liam stands, holding me to him like it’s no big deal, and starts carrying me toward Lilah’s old cabin, even as everyone groans in protest.

My legs are wrapped around his waist, my arms are wrapped around his neck, and I’m looking over his shoulder as I flip off everyone who is watching us.

Which is everyone.

Dicks.

Krysta and Nila hop down from the tree, tossing down the empty plastic bowl that held their damn popcorn.

The second we’re inside Lilah’s empty cabin, Liam kicks the door shut and drops me to my feet so he can stare down at me with the most serious expression I’ve ever seen on his face.

“So, now that they’ve killed the most climactic part of a relationship, explain why you went and bought paint.”

I cross my arms over my chest a little defensively. “Why’d you run off to the Vincents instead of sticking around?”

He rolls his eyes. “I didn’t mean to blurt it out like that so soon,” he says as he holds my gaze.

“So you didn’t mean it?” I ask, swallowing a little harder than necessary.

“For fuck’s sake, Kylie,” he groans, exasperated. “You’ve dragged it out enough. Just tell me if it’s too soon or not and if you’re going to run.”

“Why would I run?” I ask him.

He just stares at me, and a slow grin spreads over my lips when I see the hint of insecurity in his eyes.

“You really think I’ll run scared because you love me? I’ve only avoided those three little words because I thought it was too soon,” I tell him, watching as an array of emotions cross through his eyes, even as hesitance keeps him still. “I knew if I said them, something terrible would happen.”

His grin forms before he can stop it.

“What’s that?” he asks quietly, moving closer as his hand comes up to cup my chin, a gentle hold that keeps my face turned upward toward his.

“Well, for starters, a huge fight between the Vincents and the Malones,” I state with a very serious tone.

His grin grows.

“That’s all?” he asks.

“That’s not enough?” I ask incredulously.

He shrugs one shoulder, that insecurity fleeing his features to make way for that heady confidence I love so much about him.

“I really expected more fireworks or something,” he tells me flatly.

Stepping into him, I crane my head back more to keep his gaze as our bodies press together. His hand falls away from my chin and slowly slithers into my hair, toying with the curls the way only he is allowed to do.

“I’ve loved you since the first time we locked ourselves in a house together,” I say on a shaky breath, watching as his eyes heat and his smile starts to slip. “I just didn’t realize it until you came back and I finally stopped hurting.”

His lips are suddenly crashing against mine, and my arms fly up to loop around his neck as he lifts me and presses me to a wall, kissing me stupid.