Page 79 of Reckless Hearts

He dips his head in confirmation, then nuzzles into my hand again, but I pull it away, holding it to my chest to show that it’s empty. “I’m sorry. I can’t give you too much sugar, and I don’t know who your owner is.”

This time, his annoyance is directed at me. My lips purse around a hidden smile. Whoever owns him is lucky.

Distinctly familiar voices yell from down the hall, and I groan low in my throat. “See? You’re not the only one who has to deal with problems.”

He huffs his agreement, my ally in this. I rub my palm along the bridge of his nose one last time before making my way to the locker room door, prepared to stand between these two.

Closing the short distance, I go to shove the locker room door open but freeze when I peer through the crack just in time to see Maverick grab hold of Colt, kissing him hard. My mouth drops open as the air catches in my throat. A buzz hums underneath my skin. Mesmerized by what’s playing out in front of me, I can’t look away.

Their kiss turns desperate, clinging teeth, biting lips, sounds of pleasure escaping them.

Colt’s fingers wrap around Maverick’s neck, drawing a low groan from him. Maverick leans in, pressing Colt’s back into the locker, the two of them lost to their own world, running on instinct.

My legs are weak, but I keep watching, everything spinning wildly out of control. The edges of the world blur as I slide my hand downward.

The soft ridge of my pants grazes my fingers as I move lower, cupping my core. Each sensation echoes theirs.

Wet heat pools between my thighs as my fingers slip down the inseam, every stroke like electricity through my nerves.

Watching them attack each other is the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.

The dam they’ve been holding back, buried under brittle anger, explodes with each brush of their lips. Maverick’s growl fills the room as he pulls Colt closer, pressing their hips together.

Suddenly, Colt rips away, shoving Maverick back. Emotions flash behind his eyes, but I’m too far away to make any of them out. Colt escapes from behind him, his large strides coming directly at me.

Oh shit. I scramble back, nearly knocking over a bucket of feed, and land on my ass in front of the stallion’s stall. My heart is pounding in my chest, pulse flooding my ears as Colt walks straight down the aisle. All he’d have to do is look to the right, and he’d spot me.

I have nothing to worry about. Colt’s stunned like a deer caught in headlights as he walks forward on autopilot. A pink flush crawls up the back of his neck and colors the tips of his ears. I can just make out the slight tremble in his hands as they open and close before he forms fists at his sides.

I kick my feet as giddiness rises in my chest and clamp both hands against my mouth to stop it from bubbling out.

Well, I mean, a girl can dream.

The stallion neighs, his lips nuzzling my hair gently, and I look at him, beaming. “Right?”

He’s my partner in crime, and I can’t help but feed him another apple. It crunches between his teeth while my mind swirls as I try to process what I just saw.

Sure, it ended with Colt shoving Maverick back and storming off, but it wouldn’t have happened if, on some level, they both didn’t want it.

Plus, Colt was shaken when he left. Not angry. He’d been blushing so hard it would be impossible not to notice.

My lips curl at the corner as an idea takes shape. They’ve always been stubborn. Once they dig into something, it’s almost impossible to get them to change their minds.

They thought one kiss wouldn’t change everything? Cute.

I just need to give them the right push.

Chapter 25

Colt

It’s late,and the other guys have gone to get enough sleep for the event tomorrow, but the fire in front of us is still roaring.

I’m in no hurry to head back to our room with Callie sitting in my lap, her head against my chest, hair tickling my chin. Her legs are thrown over Maverick’s chair. Her hum travels through me as he massages his thumb into the arch of her foot.

She’s stunning, the glow of the fire flickering over her features. I could stay just like this forever. Thinking about her heading back to the city has an ache forming in my chest. She belongs here with us. Always has.

And I’m going to do everything I can to convince her.

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