Page 28 of Wild As Her

A figure slides onto the booth beside me, and my heart skips a beat when I look up and it's Jack. He’s so close, our thighs are touching, and my heart does a stupid little flip.

I close my eyes for a brief moment as the sensations of him being close pass over me. The smell of him is familiar andcomforting. The leather, cedar, a hint of hay hit one after another, and my chest tightens with a rush of something warm and dangerously familiar. I'll never admit that to him, but he feels familiar. Like a safe space.

Damn him.

I close my eyes for half a second, just long enough to get my reaction under control. Because even after the bickering and banter and emotional whiplash, Jack still feels like home.

Not that I’d ever admit that to him.

“Wilder,” he drawls, voice low and lazy like he owns the air between us as he reaches over and takes a sip of my drink. Hell, I forgot Cash had set it down, I’d been so lost in my thoughts.

I close my eyes and grunt, “Jessop.”

He’s got that grin, the one that’s equal parts charm and trouble, and leans an elbow on the table like he’s settling in for a good time giving me shit. Something he seems to live to do.

“Care to have lunch with me?” he asks, all innocent.

I narrow my eyes. “What’s the catch?”

He lifts both hands like he’s unarmed. “No catch. Just two neighbors. Sharing a meal. Like civilized ranch folk.”

I snort. “Right. Civilized.”

He shrugs, still watching me like I’m the most entertaining thing in the building. “It’s a free country, Wilder. I figure I’m allowed to sit where I want. And I want to sit by you.”

I sip my drink, closing my eyes and picturing his lips on the same glass, and glance at him sideways. “Guess I can’t stop you.”

His smile widens, just a little. “Wouldn’t want you to anyway.”

And damn it, I hate how much I like this game.

Because somehow, every time he’s near, I stop caring a little more every time who’s winning. It's like a ride at the carnival that I don't ever want to stop.

Cash comes over, and Jack holds up two fingers for the special. We're both creatures of habit.

“So, given any thought about moving your trailer out to the ranch?" he asks with a grin.

"I've given your proposition some thought,” I admit.

Something hits me in the back, and I look around to see Granger and Jace standing behind us across the bar, leaning against the pool table, glaring over at us. I look over at Jack, and he looks livid. I look down, and it was an empty plastic cup that one of them threw at me.

Jack tenses up beside me, and his fists clench. He slides out of the booth and looks ready to murder these guys. He’s fired up. I slide out of the booth and put my hand on his arm, a beat of something passing between us because we don’t usually touch each other. I shake my head lightly, eyes on Jack telling him not to kill them. His fury-filled eyes, clenched fists, and grinding jaw make me feel tingly. Like a good tingly.

My own anger is mounting. Guys like this, who think it’s okay to assault and harass a woman, need to be humbled, preferably with an audience. “Aw, the poor little babies are throwing their pacifiers out of the stroller.” I scoff and roll my eyes, demonstrating how juvenile I think their actions are. “Grow the fuck up,boys.”

Cash strides over and says to them and gets in their faces. "You want to fight someone in this fucking bar, you can get the fuck out. There’s no harassing anyone, let alone a woman. You do that, you better be prepared to take on all of us."

"Our business isn't with you, it's with those two assholes." Jace fumes as he glares at Jack and me.

"Which one of you fuckers are trying to sabotage me?" Granger barks.

Jack and I exchange a look, one where a silent conversationpasses between us, even though no words are shared. Yeah, these fuckers are going down.

"What are you talking about?" Jack asks.

I watch, waiting to hear what they have to say. Because I'm pretty sure Jack is going to destroy them after what they did to his fence and cattle.

"You put a fuckin’ skunk in my truck!" Granger thunders.

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