Page 41 of This Wild Heart

“Pretend?” I whispered.

He let out a small hum, his eyes still locked on my mouth. “Pretend we couldn’t help ourselves. Pretend whatever’s between us is so fucking powerful that logic didn’t factor into a single decision we made.” My heart clenched painfully the longer he spoke, a yearning breaking open so fast I wasn’t even aware it happened until my fingers curled into the front of his shirt. Parker’s eyes pinched shut, his chest heaving on a great big breath.

“Pretend every second you’re not touching me is torture,” I added.

“Yes,” he said in a low growl. “Pretend I didn’t say no that first night. That I was the one who tore your clothes off. Pretend I didn’t have the strength to resist you, and I fucked you all over that hotel room because I was out of my mind by the time we were alone.”

A helpless whimper pushed past my lips, and Parker rolled his forehead against mine. The fantasy wrapped itself around me like a thick vine, twisting and coiling until I had no choice but to imagine everything he’d just said.

To be wanted, to be desired like this, it waspowerful. Some parched, shriveled part of my heart, the part that still felt broken, bloomed underneath whatever spell he’d conjured, fortified and strengthened as I tried to tug him closer.

“Pretend this isn’t exactly why I stayed away all week,” he groaned. The hand in my hair slid firmly around my waist, ducking underneath my shirt so that his palm and fingers were tight against my skin as he anchored me to his chest.

When those calloused fingertips brushed along my ribs, my hips pushed forward restlessly, and my eyes snapped open.

Either Parker snuck a metal bat into his pants—a big bat—or he was just as into this little game as I was.

My hands tightened in his shirt.

“Pretend I might die if you don’t kiss me,” I risked on a whisper.

In the next heartbeat, his mouth slanted over mine, his body pressing me into the wall until we didn’t have a single inch between us as he stole a kiss so fierce that I couldn’t breathe.

I didn’t want to breathe. I just wanted this. Just wanted him.

All the thoughts in my brain—jumbled and angry and confused and heartbroken—went silent as the grave from the feel of his lips on mine. It was all static, and everything was muted except for this.

He kissed like he was born to do it. Like he was born to kissme. The sudden thought of him doing this with another woman, ever, had me pressing up onto the balls of my feet, digging my hands into his hair, and meeting the slide of his tongue with my own. It was wet and hot, and God, I wanted to feel it everywhere.

Then I bit down on his bottom lip, and he groaned, the sound pulling goose bumps along my arms.

Parker slowly wound my braid around his hand and tugged. I broke away from the kiss on a gasp, melting against the wall when he placed a sucking kiss on the sensitive skin underneath my jaw. His other hand gripped my ass, and I rocked against him, shivering when he groaned against my skin. The drag of his teeth on my neck had me tossing my head back.

A shocked squeak came from the doorway. “Ugh, my eyes. My eyes!”

At the sound of Greer’s voice, I shoved at the wall of Parker’s chest, face flaming with utter mortification. He hung his head down into the crook of my neck while his chest heaved with great, big gulping breaths. His arm didn’t move from around my waist.

Parker slowly lifted his body off mine but kept a hand braced on the wall as he swiveled his head and leveled a glare at his sister, who had her hands slapped over her face. “Ever heard of knocking, Greer?” he snapped.

“You left the door unlocked.” She peeked through her fingers, then slowly lowered her hands when she deemed it safe. “Do you know what? This isn’t the first time I’ve innocently stumbled on incontrovertible proof of my brothers having a sex life, and itnevergets less traumatic.”

I smoothed a trembling hand over the top of my head, and after getting an eyeful of Parker’s very obvious hard-on, I took pity and smoothly stepped in front of him. “Hi, Greer,” I said with a pained smile. “Good to see you again.”

Everyone in the Wilder family was incredibly attractive, and even though Greer and Parker were stepsiblings, she was just as hot as her brother—long dark hair, big dark eyes, and a wide smile that looked exactly like Adaline’s. It was that smile that she aimed at me now.

“Holy shit, he actually married you,” she said, a slow, wondrous shake of her head as she studied me head to toe. “Unbelievable.”

Behind me, Parker let out an aggrieved sigh. “It’s not like I made it up. There were pictures, Greer. Pictures and videos and a signed marriage certificate. Some of us do it legally when we decide to get married.”

I gave him a curious look, but Greer simply flipped her middle finger up and scratched her nose with it. “Look who’s all high and mighty now that he’s got a wife. Nice to see you acting like yourself again, you giant horse’s ass.” She motioned. “Now, come give me a hug.”

“No.” When her mouth fell open, he held up a hand. “Trust me, Greer. You want to give it a few minutes.”

Her nose wrinkled. “Gross,” she whispered.

Honestly, I just wanted to go hide, and Paige and Logan weren’t even here yet. “This is not the way I wanted to meet his family,” I admitted with a wry grin. “Officially. Obviously, I’ve met you before.” I cupped my cheeks, which were flaming hot. “You know what I mean.”

“I sure do.” Greer held up a bag. “I brought wine. That should help.”

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