Page 23 of Wild Bliss

Partnerwas a good word. It was one of those middleof the road words with the potential to mean any number of things.

“I know there’s more to life than college, but…” Sawyerseemed to stop, his body going oddly still. “Partner? What do you mean?”

What did she mean? Panic flashed through her. She shouldn’thave used the wordpartnerbecause she’d started thinking they were acouple. Oh, Wyatt had told her she was beautiful, but he was only being kind.These were grown men, not boys. There was zero reason for them to live togetherunless they were…together. Was it hard to be a couple in rural Colorado? Wasthat why they weren’t open about it? Teeny and Marie seemed to be fullyaccepted. But then she had a student who didn’t feel like he could come out tohis parents. She hadn’t been here long enough to truly understand all the waysBliss worked. It might be why they lived on this mountain and didn’t seem tospend much time in town. “I mean you’re partners. It’s okay. I don’t have aproblem with it.”

He leaned forward slightly, seeming to get serious. “Look, Ihave to be honest with you. We’ve definitely done it, but it’s not like we’reformally partners, though I do think it’s what Wyatt’s angling for. I justcan’t give it to him. The sex, yes, but you should know I’m not great withanything long term. I’m not built for it.”

Poor Wyatt. Her heart ached for him, but there was somethingcalming about having the truth out there. She didn’t have to worry she wouldmake a fool of herself. She knew the boundaries, and she and Wyatt could befriends. Though she might advise him to leave the glorious grump and find akinder boyfriend. “You should be honest with him about what you want. How longhave you been together?”

“He’s been here almost a year,” Sawyer replied. “We’ve doneit probably four times. I’ll admit I don’t do it the way I used to when I wasyounger. Ty and I used to do it all the time. Like we would walk into a bar,and it was a free for all. I’m getting way pickier as I get older. There’s atime and a place, you know. I’m worried Wyatt wants more than I can give, andthat’s something you should think about when he inevitably talks to you.”

Was she about to become their therapist? And was he talkingabout the Ty her sister sometimes worked with? The EMT? They were exes? Well,Sawyer seemed to have a type. Hot and charming. “You want me to tell him youdon’t want something long term with him?”

Sawyer sighed like he was happy she understood. “I want youto think about what he can offer you and how hurt he might get if you dive intosomething physical with him.”

She was so confused. “I don’t see what I have to do with thefact that you’ve only had sex with your boyfriend four times this year.”

Sawyer’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped, and then the mostbrilliant smile came over his face. “Baby, we’re not gay. We’re both straight.We’re trying to figure out how to seduce you. That’s what I meant by partners.Given who your sister is and the fact you live in the valley, I assumed we wereusing the word in the same way.”

The world seemed to stop. He…Wyatt…they… “I’m sorry. What?”

Sawyer was giving her his “you’re a dumbass” stare. “Helikes you.”

She set her spoon down because she wasn’t hungry anymore.What was Sawyer trying to do? “We just met.”

“You might have met him recently, but he’s seen you andliked you. It’s a dude thing. See, we don’t actually have to know a woman toknow we want a woman. Same thing for me, but I thought you weren’t the kind ofwoman who could handle me. Now I know you’re mean.” The last was said with asmirk that lit his whole face with arrogant charm.

What the hell was going on? Ah, maybe Wyatt wasn’t the onlyone Sawyer was bullying today. She wasn’t sure why the man had taken one lookat her and disliked her, but she wasn’t going to take his abuse. “That’s notnice of you, but it’s easy to see you’re not a nice man.”

“I never hid my personality.” He actually seemed happy sheunderstood. “I’m not nice but I can be kind, and I can be good for certainthings.”

“Like humiliating the women you take a dislike to?”

“What?”

She stood up, placing her napkin on the table. “I don’t haveto sit here and listen to you make fun of me. I am well aware I’m not somebombshell.”

He stared at her as though pure willpower could keep herstanding where she was. “Sabrina, why do you think I ran? And I did. I took onelook at you with your soft eyes and hips I could hold on to, with all thathair, and a mouth I knew I’d want to kiss, and I ran like a fucking coward. Whydo you think I ran? Do you think it was because I saw you and said no, I don’twant to know her? It would have been far easier to simply be polite to you andthen never speak to you again. Instead, I made an ass of myself the likes ofwhich the town below us still talks about to this day. I took one look at youand knew I wanted to fuck you, but I also made a few assumptions about you.”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Assumptions?”

He stood slowly, unfurling his tall, muscular body like thegift it was. “I assumed you were the type of woman I stay away from. Innocent.Sweet. Nice. The kind of woman who would slap me if I offered her a hot nightor two in bed. The kind who would never consider letting me touch her because Irun a bar and I used to be a criminal. Think about the last part as you’restanding there looking like you could eat me alive.”

He used to be a criminal? She stashed those words away forlater perusal. There was too much going on for her to handle it all. She had tofocus on the immediate threat. “Not true. I’m not…looking at you like I wantyou.”

“You’re looking at me exactly the way you did the night Iran,” Sawyer said, his eyes narrow.

“I was only trying to get a drink.” It was the lie she toldherself every time she thought about that night. Which was way too many times.

A low chuckle came from Sawyer. “Sure you were. You onlywanted a drink. You didn’t want me. You shouldn’t want me. If you were as smartas I think you are, you would run the way I did.”

There was one problem with the scenario. “I can’t. If Ileave, I’ll probably die.”

“And that’s why you’re going to fail, baby,” Sawyer said ina low tone that stroked over all of her senses. “You’re making all the wrongchoices, and it’s going to get you straight into bed with two men you have zerobusiness fucking around with. Do you have any idea the things we want to do toyou?”

Wyatt and Sawyer? Both of them. At the same time. Four handson her. Two pairs of lips caressing her skin. The thought took her breath away.She wasn’t sure why she was so shocked at the notion. A few days before she’dbeen on a date with two men looking for a Bliss-style relationship, but shehadn’t felt this wild thrill of anticipation. Along with the thrill was theutter fear he was making fun of her. There was no way big, sexy Sawyer had beenplotting with gorgeous Wyatt on how to seduce her schoolteacher self. “Stopit.”

“I’ll stop it if you tell me you don’t want me. Make mebelieve it, Sabrina. Otherwise, you are fucking doomed, baby. You should haveplayed it sweet, but no, you showed me your claws and I liked them.”

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