Page 38 of Wild Blades

Scuffles from behind me tell me he got the memo, but before he leaves, I yell in his direction while holding eye contact with Wade. “He’s a better man than you.” I feel the change, a slight shift as Wade slowly comes back to me, as if the red haze is lifting. “And at least he can last all night.”

Amused, Wade lifts his brows and I ask, “What did Joe tell you to do when you get angry on the ice?”

“Breathe.”

“So, breathe. In, and then out.” Resting my hand on his chest while leaving the other clasped around his jaw, we breathe in harmony together as his hands move to cover mine.

His pulse is beating so fast it feels like his entire body is vibrating.

If he felt mine, he’d feel it racing from the thrill of the spat with Michael. I’m also concerned that Wade has a very long way to go with therapy if he can flip that fast.

“Feel better?” I ask after a couple of minutes, although I know he does; I can see and feel it. Shoulders dropped, heart much slower now, he’s calm.

The noise of the club comes back to me.

“Much better.” His hand snakes around my waist and pulls me into his chest. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Not knowing where to put my hands, I awkwardly rest them on top of his shoulders. Because we’re not togethertogether. It was all for show, to piss Michael off.

And I sort of feel sad about that.

It was fun being Wade’s fake girlfriend for a few short minutes.

I’m not his girlfriend, but you know, I could if I wanted to, but we can’t because we’re work associates, and Wade’s nearly a decade younger than me, and, yeah, he’s my client and all that.

Still would though.

Maybe.

Definitely.

I look over at the two bouncers who have multiplied to five. “Can you make sure no one comes near?” I ask one of them, making his gaze shift to Wade.

Wade lets go of me briefly and digs about in his pocket. Pulling out his wallet, he pulls out five hundred-dollar bills. “Do as the lady asks, please. Thank you.” He places the notes into the palm of his hand, and he signals for the bouncers to turn their back on us, shielding us from fans and the crowd.

He slips his arms around me again.

“What a prick. I should have punched your ex,” he mutters.

“He’s not worth losing your position on the team over.” Wade needs to stay out of any trouble if he wants to remain an Eagle, and it’s my job to help him not lose sight of that.

“It would make me feel better.” He studies the club, then tracks where Michael is.

“Short term, yes. Long term, no. Look at me.” I clasp his jaw again, forcing him to focus on me and not my spineless ex. “Don’t let what he did to me upset you. It’s all in the past and you need to stay out of trouble.” Liking touching him, I let my fingers edge along his jaw then rest them on top of his shoulders again. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but having touched him once, I can’t seem to stop.

“I fucking hate cheaters.” He sounds like someone who has experienced it. “Turns them into lying, sneaky fuckers.”

“It does, but hey, I’m okay.” Every day since the divorce, I feel stronger. “I’m better than okay. I’m great and better off without him. I’m happy, Wade.”

“You sure you’re, okay?”

“Promise. He did me a favor by cheating on me. Michael has Darcy to manage, so he’s living off of her.” Knowing him the way I do, I know he won’t appreciate Darcy taking time off to have the baby.

What a tosser.That’s what my British model friend, Sophie, would call people she didn’t like or found obnoxious. Which was quite a lot. Everyone was a tosser in her eyes.

“I ended up being the only model Michael managed, and he made a lot of money from my contracts.”

“But you got rid of the leech.”

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