Page 51 of This Wild Heart

I nodded, letting my eyes linger over Anya’s features. “She was engaged, so I’m sure it was just a simple conversation to her. But look at her. She’s impossible to forget, isn’t she?”

Anya’s eyes flickered, glancing between mine.

“So you … carried a torch for her this whole time?” Milicent asked.

“No,” I answered honestly. “I was attracted to her almost immediately. But I can set that aside when it’s necessary. Respecting the boundaries of someone’s relationship is important to me. I’d never put someone I cared about in a position where they might compromise their morals. That’s … weak,” I said. “I was raised to respect women, and dishonoring those lines is the opposite of that.”

Milicent’s eyebrows arched slowly. “Shots fired,” she whispered around an amused smile.

I inhaled slowly, glancing over at Anya, who was fighting a huge grin. “Parker saw me with a friend in Vegas. It was kismet that we both happened to be there at the same time.”

“What did you think when you saw her, Parker? Especially knowing she was single.”

“Finally.”

I said the word without thinking, and Anya’s eyes went slightly wide with shock, but she recovered quickly. “You did?” she asked.

I nodded. “It’s been a rough year. And seeing her there…” I fought to keep myself in check. It rode a fine line; one step too far, and my brain would immediately want to shut down. I fought like hell to stay on the right side of that line. “Like she said. It was kismet. I couldn’t stop myself from taking a chance.”

“But marriage?” Milicent asked. “That’s a hell of a first step.”

Anya licked her bottom lip as she gave me a teasing look. “Seriously. You could’ve just asked me out on a first date.”

I hummed. “What’s the fun in that? Then I wouldn’t have you here all the time.”

Her cheekbones looked so fucking pretty when she blushed. “Good point. Who would pester you at four thirty in the morning when you’re in here making me cinnamon rolls from scratch.”

Milicent made a delighted little sound. “He didwhat?”

That fucking minx. Her eyes glinted, and I gave her a mock glare, growling slightly under my breath. “Well, I’m not going to now. You’re not supposed to give away my secrets, wife.”

She grinned. “He has a second career waiting for him when he retires from football, that’s for sure.”

“This guy?” Milicent asked doubtfully.

“Oh yeah,” Anya said. “Best I’ve ever had.”

The double entendre wasn’t lost on anyone in the room, and Milicent smirked. My hand tightened on her thigh, and I licked at my bottom lip without moving my gaze from hers. A camera guy cleared his throat, and I blinked away.

Milicent tapped a pen into her notebook. “Right. Sexual chemistry has firmly been established. Let’s get this back on track, shall we?”

Sure. Tell that to my dick. I thought about algebra again and listened attentively while they made some small talk about Anya’s background.

“Anya, you were telling me about this nonprofit that your friend launched. What’s the extent of your involvement?”

She sat up, and I shifted my arm back behind her shoulders again. This time, Anya laid her hand on my thigh, which did not help anything south of my waist.

“My background is in non-profit management, but I had another job when she got started, so I just wanted to help wherever I could. Packing boxes, sending mailings, making graphics—you name it, I’ve done it. Vida and I met in college, and she had this incredible idea to offer reading support for underprivileged families who can’t afford private therapy to get their kids caught up, whether they’re slow readers or they have dyslexia.” She smiled, doing a slight double take when she saw me listening so attentively. She blinked, refocusing on Milicent.

“My youngest sister, Willa, was diagnosed with dyslexia when she was seven. She had an amazing teacher who recognized the early signs, and my family got her interventions immediately, and she’s reading above her grade level now. It definitely gave our entire family a lot of awareness that we didn’t have before. Vida got her master’s in reading science, and she’s passionate about making sure there’s equal access to the interventions that the kids need, and they won’t be limited by income or school district.” Anya shrugged. “So it’s a lot of education, reaching out to schools and networking with teachers and principals so they can give our information to families needing this kind of help. I help with that too. The kids get two new books every month, parents have access to online tutorials for general tutoring help, as well as a reading curriculum that’s evidenced-based in helping kids exactly like Willa, and right now, Vida is trying to get enough capital to hire a handful of reading specialists that can do virtual therapy sessions on a scholarship basis. No cost to the kids who are approved.”

Milicent had leaned in, forgetting to take notes. “That’s incredible. And a huge undertaking.”

Anya nodded. “It is. Right now, it’s just me, and Vida’s parents, who help out where they can. My family has donated quite a bit, but we’re looking to level up over the next two years, and I can’t wait to see what happens when we do.”

Was my mouth hanging open? I tightened my jaw to make sure it wasn’t because I’d married a freaking saint, hadn’t I?

Milicent gathered herself, then cut me a sly look. “And how much has Parker Wilder pledged to donate to such a worthy cause?”

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