Page 42 of This Wild Heart

“What a gracious guest you are,” Parker said smoothly. “Inviting yourself over to dinner and ignoring me when I said no.”

Greer winked at me. “He loves it when we do stuff like this.”

“No, I really, really don’t.”

She’d clearly been here before because she opened the correct drawer for the bottle opener. Greer poured a glass, then lifted it up toward me with a question in her eyes. I shook my head. No amount of alcohol in theworldwould help me get through this. Her gaze drifted over to the dining room table, where she saw five place settings and the pizza Parker had delivered while I was in the shower. “Who else is coming?”

Parker and I traded a glance. He laid his hand on my shoulder and squeezed, the casual gesture doing nothing to stem the flood of sex hormones continuing to course through my body. Lord, at this rate, if he held myhand, I’d probably still want to mount him like a friggin’ horse.

“Remember Emmett’s parents, Logan and Paige?”

Her face lit up. “She’s so fucking awesome. I want to be her when I grow up.”

Parker grimaced. “Trust me, you’re on your way. Just promise you’ll protect me if Logan decides to snap my neck or something.”

“Oh buddy, I’m gonna sit back and take pictures if that happens.”

Parker

Logan Ward was the single scariest coach in the NFL.

And for the last thirty minutes, he sat across from me in my own home, arms crossed over his chest, and stared me down like he had absolutely nothing else to do with his time.

Anya told him three times to knock it off, which he ignored.

Greer thought it was hilarious.

And Paige, Logan’s stunning wife, seemed content to watch how this all played out. They were both in their mid to late fifties, and neither looked like they’d aged much in the last decade, other than some faint lines around their eyes and silver around Logan’s temples.

I cleared my throat and stretched an arm out behind Anya’s chair, my wrist dangling off the edge. Logan’s eyes tracked the movement, then settled back on my face.

I forced a tight smile. “So … how’s the team looking this year? You had some great draft picks on defense.”

His eyebrow arched at a glacial pace. “You want me to tell you things that could help you during the regular season? Why the hell would I do that?”

Paige rolled her eyes, tossing her red hair behind her shoulders as she leaned forward. “Please ignore my brute of a husband. Been married for a couple of decades now, and I cannot get this man to relax when it comes to the women in his life.”

Logan cut her a quick look. “Aren’t you the little hypocrite?”

“No,” Paige said airily. “I simply know when to back down.”

Anya choked on her water, waving me away when I settled a hand on her back. “I’m fine,” she croaked. “I just … I’ve never heard such a load of bullshit in my entire life.”

Logan’s implacable features finally budged, a hint of a smile hooking the edge of his lips.

Paige sniffed. “Yeah, well, maybe I’m maturing.” When her husband snorted quietly, she ignored him. “Or maybe my reputation has preceded me. Notoriety is incredibly effective.”

Greer held up her glass of wine. “This is what I tell my brothers all the time. Someone has to take things right over the line. You know,justpast the point of comfort. Otherwise, how does anyone know you’re serious?”

“You are a girl after my own heart,” Paige said with a grin. “We should trade stories.”

“Don’t,” I groaned. “Greer doesn’t need any encouragement.”

“Hey, I only do it when it’s necessary.”

I raised a disbelieving brow.

“It’s true. When Emmett first came around for Adaline, I wassonice to him,” she insisted. “Not a threat in sight.”

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