Page 50 of Sweet and Wild

“Don’t you sass me, Colton Hayes.”

He adds a log to the fire and the pop and crackle of dry wood soothes my soul, even though the window is still letting a considerable amount of wind howl through the open pane.

I take the rest of the magazine and place it up against the window frame, searching for something to hold it down when a roll of duct tape peeks out from under the bed at me. “Oh my Lord, Wyatt. I could kiss you right now, but y’all need Jesus.”

I grab the tape from the bed and head back to the window. I tape up the magazine, but a bloom of bright red blood against the painted frame catches my eye. “Colt, let me see your hand.”

“It’s fine,” he grunts and stands in front of the fire, shaking. I finish taping the window shut and draw the curtains to keep the heat in. It makes the cabin that much darker, but the sky outside is just as black, so right now I’d rather the warmth and safety of these four walls. My teeth chatter as I step toward him. “Let me see.”

“I said it’s fine.”

“Please?”

He sets his jaw, but his eyes are already resolved. Colton Hayes never could win when it came to betting against me.He offers his hand for inspection and I take his wrist and glance at his knuckles. They’re bloody and all busted up.

I suck in a sharp breath. “You’re hurt.”

“I’m okay.” He pulls away and turns back to the fire. “It’s just a scratch.”

“Yeah, with glass in it. Sit down. I’m gonna find something to clean it with.”

“There’s a gallon of Fireball whiskey on the counter.”

“Well, that’s a start.” I head to the bathroom. I don’t find much in the way of bandages but there is a salve in the cabinet and paper towel in the kitchen, so I gather my supplies and walk back over to Colt, who hasn’t moved from the fire.

“You’re soaking wet, Lemonade. You shouldn’t be looking to patch me up until you’re out of those clothes.”

I smile, because I know he didn’t mean anything by it, but even when Colt is trying to be a perfect gentleman, there’s always something just a little rugged and dirty about him. “You haven’t said those words to me for a long time.”

“Nope, I guess I haven’t.”

“It’s okay. I won’t take them to heart.” I smile up at him and set my materials on the counter. “I’ll make you a deal. Let me fix your hand, ’cause you can’t keep that glass in it all night, and I’ll take all my clothes off to dry out when I’m done.”

“You’re still just as big a tease as ever.”

A bold smile steals across my face. “I know.”

“Fine. Deal,” he grunts. “I don’t wanna sit on the bed and make it wet.”

“Okay, let’s do this in the bathroom then.” I take the bottle of Fireball and screw off the cap, sipping it on the way to the bathroom. Warm whiskey slides down my throat and sparks in my chest, settling in my belly. I wince as I remember the long nights we drank this stuff in the back of Colt’s truck, the tailgate laid down. Drunk and in love, we were untouchable then. Until we weren’t. Until our whole world fell apart and we hit the ground so hard we shattered.

I clean his hand over the sink and fish out what little glass I can see. He doesn’t need stitches, but he should probably still get it looked at tomorrow.Assuming we make it through the night and don’t kill each other first.

When we leave the bathroom, Colt grabs the bottle of Fireball and I head to the kitchenette, hoping like hell Wyatt had the forethought to stock the cabinets with snacks.

“Alright, Lemonade. It’s your turn. Take your clothes off.”

I frown and continue my perusal of Wyatt’s shelves. Granola bars and a pack of gum is all I come up with. “Nothing’s changed it seems.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“You’re still trying to get me naked.”

“Woman, the way I remember it, I never even had to ask. You were always shedding clothes at the watering hole, at our tree, or in the back of my truck where your brothers or your folks could have found us.”

I shrug and grab the box from the pantry before walking across the room and setting them on the floor in front of the fire. “I liked taking my clothes off in front of you.”

“Yeah, I remember.” Colt’s soft laugh causes my insides to stir. “You particularly enjoyed trying to get me killed.”

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