Page 163 of Wild Card

I go to my bathroom and sit her on the vanity to start the shower when my phone rings.

“That’s weird we both get calls in twenty seconds of each other.” She reaches in my pocket and frowns at the screen, handing it over. “It’s my dad.”

“Yeah,” I greet him.

“You home tonight?” he asks right off the bat.

“Yeah, work the next three nights, why?”

“Willow with you?”

“Where the hell else would she be?”

“We need to talk.”

Willow stills and I straighten, not liking the acid in his tone.

“About what?”

“Rather do it in person. Think you can meet me somewhere.”

She grips my wrist, her fiery glare daring me to agree with him.

“Gonna be hard to keep whatever it is from her since she heard you.”

“Shit, should have figured she’d be glued to you.”

There’s the sound of a horn in the background. “You on the road?”

“Yes.”

“Come on over, Ford and Rowan are out.”

At my offer, Willow wedges around me and hops off the counter. I reach out to balance her when she sways.

“Not sure that’s a good idea?—”

Whatever he says next is drowned out by her loud gasp and screech, “Talon!”

“See you in a few.” I hang up and follow the motion of her hand waving over her chest.

Pride swells inside at the pink and red scratches surrounding a large purplish mark.

“You have got to stop giving me hickeys.”

“Not gonna happen.” I step around her and turn on the shower, stripping and moving under the spray.

She huffs out, hesitating before joining me. I wash myself, peeking out of the corner of my eye as she mutters and mumbles under the other shower head.

“Baby, come here.”

It’s her turn to ignore me, not even sparing me a glance until I take her washcloth and edge between her legs.

Her breath hitches as I clean her softly. “Wherever you are without me, or whatever you’re doing, I like my mark on you.”

“That’s archaic.”

“You’ll get used to it.”

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