Page 7 of These Reckless Hearts

And that part pisses me off. It makes me want to scream into a void because that’s exactly where I am right now. No up or down or backward or forward. I’m living in a state of nothingness.

I heave my pillow at the dresser, taking my anger out on the box. The pale wood skids across the top with the brunt force of my throw before coming to a stop on the edge, half teetering over. I groan in frustration because that actually did nothing to help the feelings ratcheting through me.

Stepping out of the room unburdens my heart a little. I walk down the hall until I get to Wyatt’s door, and I knock quietly. He opens it sans cowboy hat, and I marvel at how different he looks without his favorite accessory.

“Hey, Tits, how are you?”

He steps back, and I follow, closing the door behind me. I lean against it. “I needed some space from the box.”

The corner of his lips turn up. “And you came to me?” A smile overtakes his face, filling me with warmth.

“I came to you, cowboy.”

“Well, what kind of fun could we possibly get into to take your mind off shit?” He stalks toward me, each step a tease that I came here for. Already, worry has lifted from my chest piece by piece like the billowing of a dandelion’s petals on the wind.

I bite my lower lip. “I was thinking...maybe a little skinny dipping? I haven’t skinny dipped in a pool yet.”

His blue eyes flash a sexy, dangerous taunt that has me turning the doorknob at my back and running down the hall, leaving him to chase me. Wyatt’s quick footsteps close in as I shove the glass door aside and step out onto the cement patio still warm from the day’s heat.

I whip my shirt over my head and work my shorts off next. Standing there in my bra and panties, I watch Wyatt pull his shirt over his head, his abs stark in the moonlight. I unclasp my bra, slipping it off my shoulders and letting it fall on my discarded clothes as Wyatt stutters to a stop, gazing at me with a torrid heat that tells me everything he wants to do to me.

I shimmy my silk panties down my legs, slipping them past my calves before I’m completely naked, watching Wyatt finally disrobe the rest of the way. He doesn’t hide his semi-hard cock, letting it bob proudly. Courage builds inside me, a strong, feminine power that tells me I at least have control over some things. I may have lost some strength, but at my core, I still hold cards. Little by little, I feel myself start to piece together again.

I step toward the stairs. Gripping the railing, I lower myself into the warm water that caresses my heated skin until it laps against my thighs, and then hits my navel.

“I don’t know if I’ve said this to you enough,” Wyatt starts, swallowing, “but you are so damn sexy.”

I don’t know how he knew I needed to hear that in this moment. Goosebumps sprout over my flesh, hardening my nipples. He moves to the side of the pool and dives in gracefully. Neither one of us turned on the pool lights, so I don’t see him again until he starts to break through the surface. His dark hair plasters to the crown of his head as he emerges and wades over to me. His pecs are brilliantly taut and athletic, and I take my fill unabashedly.

“Why did you come to me, Dakota?” Wyatt probes, head turned in a way that his curiosity shines.

That’s an easy answer. Stone would’ve fucked me senseless after trying to get me to talk, and I’m not sure I’m ready to make the physical leap with him yet with the miles of baggage between us draped in wedding flowers and lace. Lucas would’ve held me, which also would’ve led to a good fuck, but the silence afterward would’ve made my mind wander right back to what’s plaguing me now. Wyatt, however, is the one who could bring a smile to my face. The one to play with, make me feel normal for a little while. “Because cowboy…” I blink, trying to memorize him like this. “You make me happy.” A smile teases my lips. “Somehow, you always know how to lift the stains from my heart.”

His lips part in the most beautiful picture. For a hot second, we just stare at each other until a slow grin spreads over his face. “And here I thought you were going to say something about finding me irresistible.”

“There’s that, too,” I admit, basking in what he does best. I’ll never hold back the feelings these three give me. Not from them. Not from me. I shrug, giving him a teasing stare. “Or maybe I just felt bad because you’ve been so jealous of all the time I’ve spent with Lucas.”

He throws his head back and laughs, as carefree as anyone I’ve ever met. I admire that about him. I used to think of his laughter and joking as a façade, and maybe they sometimes are, but maybe they’re not that at all. It’s possible Wyatt is stronger than any of us. To have emerged from the ashes of tragedy and set fire to the world in his own way—his teasing smirks, his smartass comments, his ability to bring joy into not only my life but others’…. That’s a fucking gift that I want, a gift that people need.

“Do you know how to do a handstand in the water?”

“Considering the first time I’ve been in a pool was a few weeks ago? No.”

“Well, get ready, Tits, because you’re about to get a lesson in pool games.”

First, he shows me how to go underwater without plugging my nose. That takes more time than I’d like to admit, but then we launch right into handstand training. The fact that we’re naked doesn’t deter me. It makes for a tremendous view, and I’m sure if anyone saw us splashing around in the pool like a bunch of kids, naked, they’d want our heads examined, but it’s exactly what I needed.

I dive into the water, placing my palms on the concrete floor. In the past, I might’ve been scared, but I’ve pretty much been through it all at this point, right? A little pool handstand isn’t going to take me out. I don’t get my feet up the first time, but the second time, I do. It’s surprisingly easy when you’re not worried about plugging your nose.

Wyatt smacks my ass on my fourth attempt, and I yelp underwater. I splash back down only to come up to swipe my hand against the surface of the pool to soak him. “Wyatt Longhorn,” I scold.

“Please, you liked it. Besides, I couldn’t help myself. Your ass is goddamn perfect.”

I roll my eyes and playfully shove him back. “What else can you teach me?”

“Somersaults?” He dives into the water, uses his hands to flip himself in a circle, and comes back up.

I tilt my head. “This is what kids do for fun in the pool?”

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