Page 46 of Jilted

I smiled and looked at Olivia. “My super-talented niece painted it.”

Lucas’s eyes widened. “Really? You’re into manga?”

She shrugged. “I drew that a few years ago when I was into Shojo, but I’m more into Josei now.”

“Josei’s cool. I spray-paint Seinen.”

“Youused tospray-paint,” Wilder said. “You’re not going to destroy public property anymore,right?”

Lucas rolled his eyes.

“There’s a comic book store around the corner,” Olivia said. “They just had a big Seinen mural painted. You want to go see it?”

“Hell yeah.”

Olivia looked to me.

“It’s fine with me, if it’s okay with Wilder.”

Wilder shrugged. “Go for it.”

I wagged a finger at my niece. “Just be back in twenty minutes. We’re going to eat soon.”

“Alright.”

The two of them rushed out the door, and I shook my head. “Well, that was a quick bonding moment.”

“He’s super into that Japanese art stuff. A little too into it. He was grounded for a month after he spray-painted the side of an abandoned building in London. He and his buddies used it as their canvas.”

“Oh, that’s not good.”

“I would never let him hear me say it, but the art was pretty kick-ass. It was an improvement to the crumbling old building. Obviously he shouldn’t have done it, though.”

I nodded. “You want some wine?”

“Definitely.”

I took down two glasses and poured while Wilder looked around. “Your place is nice. It fits you.”

I passed him a glass. “I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.”

He looked over at a small crystal chandelier I’d hung in the kitchen. “It’s girly, but not over the top. Sophisticated, but curious. Makes me want to look around a little more.”

I chuckled and leaned my hip against the counter, sipping my wine. “So is Lucas why you aren’t out celebrating the big announcement today?”

Wilder’s brows pulled together. “I am celebrating.”

“I meant celebrating somewhere good.”

“This is exactly where I want to be.”

“You just became the owner of a professional team you’ve worked two years to obtain, and you want to be at a fourth-floor walk-up?”

“I guess I misspoke. If I had my choice, we’d be out celebrating somewhere you didn’t have to cook. But I’mwithexactly who I want to be with.”

I tried to ignore the warmth that spread through my chest, which had nothing to do with the wine in my hand. “So what happens next with the team?”

“A lot.” Wilder took a deep breath. “And fast. I’m flying to Spain tomorrow morning and Sweden the next day. We’ve been in negotiations with a few players, and first priority is getting them signed.”

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