Page 113 of The Grief We Hold

She doesn’t seem hysterical or angry, just questioning. “Haven’t slept with her since the day I met you.”

“Wraith,” Isla says.

Both Raven and I look in her direction.

“I suggest you go look somewhere else,” Raven says, and I tuck her protectively under my arm. I like that she’s willing tostand up for me, to claim me, but she’s also tiny as fuck, and I know Isla can fight really dirty when she has to.

Isla looks to me. I can see the expectation in her eyes. “Wraith doesn’t have an old lady, as far as I know. Which means he’s still on the market.”

“Just a formality until she is,” I say.

And I lead Raven into my clubhouse, because I want it to be sooner rather than later.

36

RAVEN

One thing I am now sure of, I was born to be in wide-open spaces. It’s so freeing to be outside without fear.

The Oakum Ridge Ranch is beautiful. There’s still a whisper of snow on the mountain caps, but it’s warm like summer by the winding bank of the river. Trees shield us on one side, leading into a forest.

The river flows fast due to the melted snowcaps, Wraith tells me.

Grudge and Catfish stand in waders, fishing in water cold enough that I believe Wraith’s snowcap story.

We’re laid out on a thick picnic blanket, Wraith on his back, me dozing against his chest as the weak sun warms us.

I’m trying to rest. There’s no reason I shouldn’t. I’ve had my fill of good food. There’s easy rock playing. And I haven’t seen that woman, Isla, since Wraith asked Grudge to keep her away.

But somehow, I can’t relax.

Because that ride stirred me up. And now I think I’ve unleashed some kind of pent-up sexual desire because all I want is to lure Wraith back to the clubhouse so we can get into mischief.

His palm strokes my lower back lazily, and I’ve never been more aware of a man’s hand on me in my life. Even the way his chest moves when he breathes is turning me on.

I see Smoke head into the woods behind us with Nola, but before they disappear from view, he picks her up, slams her back against the tree, and kisses her aggressively.

I must gasp, because Wraith opens his eyes and glances in the direction I’m staring.

My cheeks heat, and I look away quickly.

“It’s okay to watch,” Wraith whispers, his voice gruff. “It’s hot.”

“It’s a violation of their privacy,” I say.

Wraith nudges me to one side so he can stand. “Trust me, he likes it. Come on.” He offers me his hand and tugs me to my feet.

“Where are we going?”

He moves us far enough from the others, then stops to hold my chin between his thumb and forefinger. “You think I don’t know when a woman is turned on and just waiting for the right time to seek out that orgasm she wants?”

I glance over at the people at the gathering, most of whom are paying us no mind. “Was it really obvious?”

Wraith presses his lips to mine and kisses me in a way that makes my knees weak. “You think I didn’t notice the way you’ve been unable to get comfortable? That you clenched your thighs together whenever I ran my hand over your ass? You’re the one who didn’t want to go for a ride and make out with me, remember? I’ve been waiting for you to ask, but now it’s time to take care of my girl.”

He leads us in the direction Smoke disappeared with Nola.

“But the clubhouse is back that way,” I say.

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