Page 110 of Wild Card

“Teasing me isn’t smart.”

“Maybe not, but it’s a lot of fun.”

“Fuck,” I hiss, tightening my grip to keep her still. “Your dad is ten feet away and there is a field of kids behind us. Help me out.”

She doubles over in a fit of giggles, her body trembling all over as the sound fills the air.

Her brother and dad focus our way with identical expressions.

The surprise is easy to read, but there’s something else in their gazes.

Willow’s been living, but she’s been living on auto-pilot, functioning in her own way to get by.

The humiliation, blame, self-doubt—that shit is over.

It’s almost unnoticeable, but I catch the flicker of gratitude in Sterling’s gaze before he dips his chin and focuses back on the field.

I shift my position, tickling her until she’s howling and gasping. “Please, you h-h-ave to stop!”

People look our way but I don’t stop, letting her body jiggle against mine.

My dick throbs with each movement, and she freezes. “This is not helping your situation.”

“Love the sound of you happy, Princess. My cock will deal.”

Her already bright eyes glitter and her smile threatens to take me to my knees.

She will never feel another weight holding her down.

It’s time she knows—her happiness has become my purpose.

15

WILLOW

This is not my life.

A bout of food poisoning, my mom’s unannounced visit, and Rylee’s deranged outburst, all equal a one-way ticket on the crazy train.

Instead, I’m floating on cloud nine in another orbit.

In the span of a week, I apparently have a serious boyfriend who my family loves, a new set of friends, and I’m at a party with one of the world’s largest rock stars.

Yeah, this can’t be my life.

My eyes roam the large backyard where people are scattered everywhere. Children of all ages alternate between swimming and the games set up on the lawn. An intense battle of cornhole is happening with Talon and Ford versus Robbie Hayes and Finn Black.

When I met the two men earlier, I almost swallowed my tongue. There was barely enough time to recover when an insanely hot man walked in carrying a toddler on one hip and holding the hand of one of the most beautiful women I’d ever seen.

Declan and Raven Collins.

Rock Star Royalty… strolling casually into a backyard barbeque with their children in tow.

It took everything I had to remain standing. If it wasn’t for Talon at my back, who knows what would have happened?

Next came Harley’s cousin, Mike Jacobs. The man created his boutique label, signing small artists with who he saw potential. Now he’s a multi-millionaire who manages some of the hottest bands in the world. The founder and CEO of MJ Labels is nothing like I’d expect.

He’s as down-to-earth as they come and extremely charming.

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