Wylde (Arizona Vengeance 7)

So yeah, he’s hot, and interesting, and smart, but I just don’t think I’d ever be able to get past the fame issue. It’s definitely a deal-breaker for me, and I can’t believe my luck. I’m just a small-city girl, who spends her days with her nose stuffed in a book. When I had my one awful, horrendous, humiliating brush with fame—at one point believing it to have fully destroyed me—I never thought it would cross my doorstep again.

What are the chances?

Throughout the evening, I’m also introduced to Aaron’s teammates’ significant others. They’re all sweet and incredibly accepting of me. All are surprised to see Aaron with a date and seem incredibly pleased he brought one. Soon enough, I’d figured out Aaron must be the devoutly single dude everyone wants to find true love, but who is resistant to it. This became patently obvious when Tacker’s girlfriend, Nora, leaned into him as we were all standing around talking and whispered, “I really like her. Good for you.”

I don’t think she meant for me to hear it, or maybe she did, but it was definitely clear I’m an anomaly in Aaron’s life.

Which actually makes me feel a bit better over the fact I’m going to leave him in the dust after next weekend’s wedding.

I do believe the reception would have gone on all night if it weren’t for the fact Erik and Blue are catching a late-night flight out for their honeymoon in Australia. Attendants started clearing off the tables and caterers packed away the food, offering little to-go boxes to guests who wanted them.

It takes a while to say our goodbyes. As I’m receiving hugs from the women I’d met and whose names I will never remember for the long run but remember right now—Blue, Brooke, Pepper, Regan, and Nora—I have a moment’s regret I’ll never be friends with them. I can say they are all genuinely nice and welcoming. As Aaron promised, everyone seems down to earth and humble.

I figure it’s an act, or maybe it isn’t. Not up to me to figure these people out. It’s enough to know they are in a certain class and I’m in a different one, meaning I don’t belong.

Aaron leads me out of the house into the warm, dry evening, and we meander over to the valet stand. He walks casually beside me, hands tucked into his pockets. “I assume you wouldn’t have any interest in going out for a drink somewhere?”

I give him a small smile. Handing my ticket to the valet, I watch as he rushes off to get my car. “I’m tired. I think I’ll call it an evening.”

“Going to tell me why you don’t like me being a professional athlete?” he asks, still correctly guessing about my discomfort, but not exactly the reasoning behind it.

“Nope,” I reply, then try to sugarcoat it a bit so he leaves it alone. “I promise… it’s not a big deal.”

“Still intend to honor our date next weekend?” he asks.

“Of course,” I reply, but there’s enough aloofness in my tone he knows it will be our last date.

“Hmmm,” he muses and before I know it, he’s leaning into me. “Then I’m not going to regret doing this at all.”

It’s completely unexpected and given my reticence about Aaron and all he represents, it’s shocking how quickly I respond to his warm mouth on mine. It’s not a goodbye peck thanking me for a wonderful evening.

It’s a penetrating kiss that tells me he could show me oh so much more if I’d give him a chance past next weekend.

It’s over as soon as it starts, but the tingling of my lips leaves me a pointed reminder left by a sinful man I want to despise, but I really just can’t.

As Aaron turns to walk back toward the house, I watch his retreating back, knowing he’s going to be on my mind for quite some time.CHAPTER 5Wylde“Dude… I don’t understand what you had in all these boxes,” I say as I break another one down, pulling the flaps out and flattening it.

I’ve spent the morning at Kane’s condo, helping him clear out the mounds of cardboard he has left from his move. There have to be fifty empty boxes, yet I don’t see what he had in them as everything is neatly put away. Nothing out of place.

Kane snickers as he flattens a box out, adding to the pile we’ll carry down to my truck and then haul to the dump. “Word of advice… don’t open any of the closets in this place.”

Now that makes more sense.

“Duly noted.” Laughing, I grab another box. “But you got a great place here.”

“Thanks, man. Lucked out really.”

I’ll say. His condo is about the same size as mine in square feet, but his comes with an amazing outdoor balcony that overlooks downtown with a stunning view of the arena the Vengeance plays in, which is all glass and steel, sparkling in the late afternoon sunset.