Page 6 of Wild Love

When we found ourselves alone, I pulled out my phone. "I'm ready to head home."

"There aren't any drivers this time of night. I'll take you."

"I don't want to pull you away from your friends."

"Let me find Eli, and I'll say my goodbyes."

"Is that necessary?" I didn't think I could be in the vicinity of Eli for the rest of the night. Whenever I was around him, I felt like a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at any second. Yet when his brother Xander asked me to dance, I'd felt relaxed. I was confident I could handle him. He was a golden retriever with all that charm. I knew he knew how to make a woman feel good. But I also knew he didn't care beyond that.

"Of course." Chance scanned the room, finally finding Eli against the wall. "There he is."

I tensed as Chance led me toward the man who'd set everyone of my instincts on high alert. I wasn't sure what my body was warning me of—a man who could dole out multiple orgasms or one who'd hurt me?

I tingled from the thought of multiple orgasms. I shouldn't be attracted to a man when my life was unsettled, especially not my brother's best friend. When we were kids, Chance spent many nights at the lodge with the Wilde brothers. So much that my parents joked they'd adopted him as another brother.

I'd always been a little jealous of his relationship with the Wildes because he fit in everywhere he went. The town accepted him. But I didn't belong here.

"You heading out?" Eli asked as we approached.

"Scarlett's tired. She wants to head home."

Eli raised a brow in my direction. "Is that right?"

Every word out of his mouth felt like an accusation of something; I wasn't sure what. He was suspicious of my motives, and the clenching of his jaw made me think my very presence caused him pain.

"I've been traveling all day so I didn't have to get a hotel room.

"I didn't realize," Eli said, slightly admonished. "From where?"

"California."

Eli raised a brow in Chance's direction.

I didn't want them sniffing around my circumstances. I wasn't ready to share anything and especially not to Eli, who seemed to have an issue with me. "I can get a driver if you want to stay."

"We've already established I'm taking you home," Chance said with a hard set of his jaw.

Over the years, he'd appointed himself my protector, but I dodged it more than he would have liked. And maybe that protectiveness is what made me run so far.

"Have a good night," Eli said to Chance as we turned to go.

In Chance's truck, I asked, "Why does Eli seem upset that I'm home?"

Chance drove down the resort's long driveway. "He's worried about me, I guess."

"Why would he be worried about you?" I shifted so I could face him.

Chance glanced over at me. "I like when you're home. Mom and Dad do too."

My heart skipped a beat. I'd convinced myself over the years that I was more of a hindrance to my family than anything else. "Don't I just cause chaos wherever I go?" I said, bringing up one of our reoccurring arguments. "I thought you'd be happy that I was gone."

Chance bit off a curse. "I'm sorry I said that. I shouldn't have. It's just?—"

"I get it. I can be a lot." I settled back into my seat. I lost count of the number of people who told me I was too much. The lifestyle of moving from one place to another prevented me from forming many attachments. People got sick of me soon enough. It was easier this way.

"That's not what I said. Why do you put words in my mouth?"

I blew out a breath. "You're not happy I'm home. Neither are Mom and Dad."

---