Page 77 of Recklessly, Wildly Yours

“Okay, so when I said wicked, I didn’t mean morally grey. I meant mischievous.”

“I’ll accept that.” I smirk. “It beats the other words I’ve been called.”

Now, she twists her entire body my way and shifts her hand further up my thigh. “What words have you been called?”

The conversation around us stops as everyone watches the game again. I ignore the television and stay right in this moment with Maddie. “It’s not in my best interests to share that information with a woman I’m trying to impress.”

Her eyes sparkle with enjoyment. “We’re way past the up-front stage of this relationship, Black. Are you telling me I’ve been deceived?”

“You use such harsh words, Miller.”

“Well?” She tilts her head, waiting, doing her damnedest to appear serious.

I reach a hand along her leg, up to her waist, and try like fuck not to slip it under the hem of her shirt but fail. My fingertips meet bare skin as I say, “Asshole is a firm favorite of some when it comes to me. Bastard comes in a close second. Jerk might have been mentioned a time or two.”

“Give me their names,” she breathes, leaning closer. So close that it’s an effort for me to form thoughts of any use. “I’ll set them all straight.”

“Fuck,” I growl, and then I’m standing and dragging her up with me and looking at the people in my media room who I wish to fuck were not here. “We’re leaving. Do not come looking for us.”

I catch Liv’s grin on my way out. I also catch Madeline’s hesitation, the way her hand doesn’t feel quite sure of holding mine. It’s this that causes my steps to falter as we exit the room.

After I turn and give her a questioning look, she pulls her hand from mine and says softly, “We can’t just leave everyone. It’s your home. They’re here to see you.”

“They’re here to see the game.”

She gives me a look and from that alone, I know I’m not going to win here. “Ethan.”

“Fuck,” I groan. “We’re going back in there, aren’t we?”

“Yeah, baby”—she puts her hand to my chest, no clue how affected I am by that ‘baby’—“we’re going back in there. But you know I live for this grumpiness of yours, so just know that once everyone leaves, you’re in for a good time.”

“Not helping,” I mutter.

Her laughter leads the way back into the room and as I follow her to the sofa, my brothers both arch their brows knowingly at me.

Yeah, I’m so fucking gone on this woman.

27

Madeline

“We’re not leaving this bed today,” Ethan says on Saturday morning as he spoons me and cups my breast. His voice is so husky that I’m almost tempted to let him do whatever he wants to me and forget the work commitment he has today.

“Has dementia set in already, grandpa?” I roll to face him, loving the way he groans when I press the front of my body to his. “You’re busy today.”

“Smart-ass.” He reaches for my ass before sliding his hand down the back of my leg and pulling it over his. Then, after not kissing me, even though I know he’s desperate to but won’t because he knows I’m not a fan of kissing before teeth brushing in the morning, he says, “I’ll rephrase. I don’t want to leave this bed today.”

“I’ve got something to tell you that may make you happier.”

“Nothing will make me happy about leaving this bed, Miller.”

“How about if I told you I’m moving to New York?”

That slows his roll.

“What?” he finally says. “When? Why? Fuck, why am I only hearing about this now?”

“You’re cute when you’re in a tizzy.”

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