Page 9 of Reckless Hearts

“Tell him you’re coming with me,” Colt says, then instantly backs off at the look I give him. “I mean, will you please ride with me?”

My breath comes out unevenly as I chuckle, taking them in then it catches in my throat. So much was happening earlier that I didn’t get a chance to really look at them. And now, standing side by side under the setting sun, I’m not sure I’ll recover from this.

There’shandsome, and then there’s…this.Them.

Colt’s all sun-soaked charm and magnetism. Those blue eyes and that dimple could coax the panties off a nun.

Then there’s Maverick quiet, controlled, unwavering. There’s a steadiness in him that makes you feel safe without even trying.When his dark eyes meet mine, half-hidden beneath the messy fall of brown hair, there’s depth there, a hint of something that tempts me to dig deeper and uncover all of his secrets.

They’re opposites. Sun and moon. Fire and water. Yet somehow, always orbiting each other.

And right now? They’re both looking atme.

Their attention on me sends an electric shiver dancing down my spine, sparking a tingling sensation.

I always did have a secret crush on them. How could I not when they were…them?

It’s painfully clear time hasn’t changed a damn thing.

“You keep looking at me like that, I’m going to get full of myself,” Colt teases.

Heat climbs up my neck, coloring my cheeks, but I can’t seem to look away. Their gazes stay locked on me, long lashes lowered just enough to veil their expressions, but not enough to hide the pull between us. It feels like a rope drawn tight, humming in the space between us.

“Like you aren’t already,” I murmur, swallowing hard.This is not how we feel about our friends.

Colt tilts his head, grin deepening, that damn dimple appearing again. “I could be worse.”

“Jesus Christ, let the girl breathe,” Luke says as he walks out, arriving just in time to break the spell. My relief must show on my face because he turns to me with open arms. “You can hug me as a thank-you.”

“Not a chance,” Maverick snaps, his voice low and rough.

His whole energy shifts, darker, more intense, as his gaze drags from me to Colt. There’s tension in every line of his body.

We’re at a standstill, no one moving, like we’re all waiting for something to drop.

I nod once, mostly to myself. “Okay. Fine. You hate each other. Great. But I didn’t come back to walk into the middle ofsome pissing contest. I came back to see you.Bothof you. And while I’m here, you’re going to act like you don’t loathe each other’s existence. Got it?”

They don’t respond.

But they don’t say no either.

I take that as a win.

This isn’t over. Not even close.

But I’ve got time.

Time to remind them of who we were.

Time to fix what I broke.

And if I can’t?

At least I’ll know I tried.

Chapter 3

Maverick

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