Wild (Wolf Ranch 2)

“Next week,” he replied.

“Boyd told me you might not re-enlist.” She swirled her drink around with her straw.

Colton glanced at his brother. “Did he?”

“Are you?” I asked, curious. We may have done things a little backward, having sex first and the whole getting-to-know-you thing second. It was probably a good idea to see where he stood on the priority of his career. I assumed, like most people, it was pretty high. “Leaving the military?”

He gave a negligent shrug, as if it wasn’t a huge decision. “There might be another tour in me.”

“To Afghanistan?” My mouth was suddenly dry. From our little middle of the night chat at the motel, I knew he’d been deployed before. Multiple times. The basis for that nightmare. Why would he want to go back if he had a chance to retire? He wasn’t old, but still…

“Wherever they send us. What about you? You’ve got one year left of school.”

It was my turn to shrug. “Yeah, but there’s no threat of the enemy or IED in the engineering department.”

“Coming to Montana’s a vacation for both of you,” Audrey replied. “I’m just glad you could be here.” She leaned toward me. “Maybe we’ll do some line dancing tomorrow night at the reception.”

“Hell, no. We agreed to the wedding,” Boyd said, picking up Audrey’s left hand and kissing the engagement ring. “And one hour at the reception. Then I get you all to myself.”

“We agreed on two hours,” she countered. “Besides, we’ve already made the baby you said you were going to put in me… tomorrow night.”

“I can’t help it if I’m so potent.”

“It’s that Wolf blood,” I said.

Audrey’s and Boyd’s heads whipped my way so fast I thought they’d get whiplash. Colton’s body tensed against mine. What had I said wrong? Glancing up at Colton, I asked, “What?”

“What do you mean, wolf?” he asked, his voice slow.

I frowned. “That’s your last name, isn’t it?”

The corner of his mouth tipped up, and he exhaled. “Sure is.”

Boyd laughed and took a swig of his beer. Audrey brought her drink to her lips and sucked on the straw. I looked between them, wondered what was up.

Becky, Leigh and Anna invaded then. Boyd and Colton stepped back for us to make a small circle around Audrey.

“I am so excited for their baby,” I said to Colton.

He inched back from me when I moved closer. He kept sniffing me. Did I smell bad?

Ouch. Was he no longer interested?

No, that was impossible. I’d felt how hard he was for me riding on his lap over here. He stared.

It must be the PDA thing. Right?

“You want babies?” Colton asked, his eyes dark.

“I’m excited for their baby. I’m not interested in my own baby right now… or anytime soon.”

Colton made even more space between us. “Right. You’re young. You’ve got your whole life ahead of you. Life in the big city, a job at an engineering firm.”

All of a sudden, and perhaps because it was Colton who said it aloud, it sounded awful. I’d finish my degree, definitely, but the thought of living in LA, perpetually stuck in traffic to get to a dry job inspecting bridges or construction plans… gah.

I wanted what Audrey had. A man to look at me like Boyd did Audrey. How he treated her like something precious, yet I knew their love life was anything but tame. Tame and wild, that was Audrey.

I felt like I had that, at least the start of it… the framework of it, with Colton. The connection was undeniable. The heat. Maybe it was the way the Wolf brothers were raised, but I liked it when Colton took charge. In bed and out. I liked that he felt the need to watch over me even at the bar. Even when he acted grumpy about it. As if he didn’t dare let me out of his sight.

I wanted everything with him, but it wasn’t even an option. He had made it clear he was a military man. Stationed across the country, he was devoted to his men, being a leader. Taking their training, their lives seriously. Going to war. Why would he give that up for me?

He wouldn’t. I’d made it clear it was just a fling when I’d seduced him in the motel room. He’d agreed and seemed to be Mr. Hands Off now. End of story. I’d gotten exactly what I wanted. And that felt pretty crappy.

“Come on!” Becky cried, and tugged Audrey off her stool so fast, she practically tossed her drink at Boyd.

“Let’s go, Marina,” Anna said, her shoulders shifting with the beat of the music. “Ooh, I love this song. Time to dance some more. It’s time for The Git Up dance. You’ll pick it up quickly.”

I set my drink on the bar and tagged along behind the others, giving one last glance at Colton before the crowd blocked him from view.