Page 38 of This Wild Heart

What in God’s name did it say about me that this was the hottest thing I’d ever watched in my life? I was pretty fucking sure if she whirled in my direction, I’d sink to my knees and beg her to do whatever the hell she wanted, looking like she did. Hurt me. Hit me. Whatever. Let me lick the sweat off her chest.

I’d need seventeen cold showers now that that image was in my head. Her hair, all that glorious blond hair, was pulled back tight off her face, but a few strands had escaped, sticking to her sweat-slicked skin along her neck, and fuck if my mouth didn’t water at the sight of it.

My wobbly sense of self-preservation had me stepping closer, trying to ease into her peripheral vision without triggering her attack mode because I didn’t particularly want to be on the receiving end of that elbow in my face.

Willa’s lessons flashed through my head, and I couldn’t help but smile.

Finally, she paused, eyes closed with her hands on her hips. Her chest heaved, and she tilted her chin up to catch her breath.

I moved closer, gently touching her shoulder. “Anya,” I said again.

She yelled, whirling around with her fists up and a fierce light in her eye.

“It’s me,” I shouted. “Holy fuck, don’t hit me. It’s just me.”

Her whole body deflated, and she ripped at the earbuds in her ears. “You scared the shit out of me,” she panted.

“Why are you trying to murder my bag?”

“Are you kidding? You’re lucky that’s how I chose to release my stress today. It was either that or you come home to my drunk ass watching sad movies and crying.”

“So you saw the Max thing,” I said carefully.

“Yes, I saw the Max thing,” she replied, voice sharp and biting. “And I hate him. Ihatehim. He does not get to embarrass me and make me look stupid and then publicly say that I have topaysomeone to be my husband.”

“You’re not stupid. He cheated on you.”

“I said I looked stupid. I know I’m not. It’s just … it’s such a mind fuck when you think you’re a good judge of character, and someone can lie to you so thoroughly for so many years.” She crossed her arms tightly over her chest, and it pushed her cleavage up higher. Somebody better have a fucking medal for me because I didn’t look. “I hate that he’s trying to make me look like the bad guy now.”

“Right? It’s obvious why you’d want to marry me.” I gestured at my body, and she didn’t even give me the courtesy of an eye roll.

“What are you doing here anyway?”

My eyebrows shot up. “I live here.”

She gave me a stern look. “All evidence to the contrary. Can’t wait to meet your family in a few days when I tell them I haven’t seen you since ourwedding.”

Oh yeah, she was wound tight.

Then again, so was I.

“Speaking of meeting my family, we have a problem.”

Anya snatched a towel off the stack next to her, sliding it across her neck and chest in a very distracting manner. Not intentionally distracting, of course. All the same, my eyes followed the motion, and she snapped her fingers in front of my face. “Focus, Parker. They’re tits, and I’m sweaty. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before.”

“Thank you for that reminder,” I said caustically. Like I hadn’t jerked off to it earlier that morning. And yesterday. The fantasy played out a little bit like this, actually, where we both stumbled sweaty and panting into the shower.

“What’s the problem?”

Right.Thatwas an excellent mood killer. “My sister,” I said grimly.

Her brow furrowed. “Which one?”

“Greer. She’s on her way to Portland.”

“What?”

“She wants to have dinner with us.” I ran a hand through my hair. “Believe me, if there were any way I could dissuade her, I would, but she’s like a dog with a fucking bone when she gets an idea in her head.”

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