“Friends don’t dirty talk each other, Taylor.”
“I’m not your friend.”
“I need you to be.”
I sighed. “Why are you so afraid to give me a chance?”
“Because I can see it from a mile away. You’ll break me.”
“No, I won’t.”
“That’s what they always say.”
God, I wished I could see her face. Touch her. Show her how much I wanted her.
“When I get back from this away game, let me take you out. We can be more than friends if you just let me show you that I’m a good man, regardless of what the tabloids say.”
She let out a heavy breath, then hummed softly. “Come over for dinner. You, me, and Scarlett. I need a Savage buffer. You turn me into a hormonally charged teenager when we’re alone.”
I loved knowing she couldn’t trust herself around me.
“Fine. I’ll be there. Just tell me when.”
“Friday evening? I have a client I need to make a delivery for in the late afternoon, then I’m all yours.”
“Done. I’ll see you then, lass.”
“Taylor?”
Fuck, I loved the way she said my name.
“Aye?”
“Don’t prove me right about you.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
“Y’all lookedreal good out there,” Maverick said as the team gathered on the wide cement patio that served as the Wilde’s entertainment area. Apparently the main house at Wild Horse Ranch wasn’t used anymore now that their dad had died. The Wildes rented the space for events and weddings instead. They’d chosen to keep their ranch going but lived out of their father’s shadow. That was something I could respect.
“Aye, it was a good game.” I tipped my whiskey to my lips, enjoying the flavor. It might not be true Scotch, but the Langston distillery knew what they were doing,
“How’s the knee? You get it checked out?”
As if reawakened when he mentioned it, my knee gave a throb. “It’s fine.”
“That hit was pretty hard.”
“I’m fine.” I stood and walked to the bar, forcing myself not to limp or grimace. Then I filled my glass and returned. “See? No issue. Sometimes those hits look worse than they are.”
He shrugged. “I guess you’d know better than me.”
“Thanks for your concern, Mr. Wilde.”
“Mav. Just Mav.”
Mav’s brothers and their wives were seated around the fire pit with the rest of the team, everyone chatting, laughing, and drinking. When Clara joined her husband, settling herself in Mav’s lap, a pang went through me. She and Becca looked a lot alike. Down to their pretty smiles.
Fuck, I wanted Becca here with me. I wanted her in my arms, staring at me with that same kind of adoration. I wanted to make her smile like Mav did her sister.