Page 4 of Wilde and Deadly

“Borrowed?” Rue’s eyes bugged out almost comically. “You can’t borrow a living creature!”

“I’m going to give him back.”

“You’d better. Elliot says Davey’s been tearing the country apart looking for you two.”

“Wait. Since when do you and Elliot talk?”

Rue’s cheeks flushed a soft pink, and for the first time in weeks, a real smile tugged at Rowan’s mouth.

“You like him.”

“Of course I like him. He’s a nice guy.”

“No, youlike him, like him.”

“That’s not—” Rue sputtered, her cheeks flushing a deeper shade of pink. “This isn’t about me. It’s aboutyou stealing Davey’s dog. I thought you were trying to avoid him, but you might as well have sent him an engraved invitation to come after you by taking Luka. What were you thinking?”

Rowan looked at Luka, who was still watching her with almost human-like focus. She stroked his ear and realized she had no answer, so she stayed quiet.

Rue nodded. “You want him to find you. I see it all over your face.”

“No.” The denial was automatic.

“Oh, come on. You’ve had a crush on Davey since we were kids.”

“And apparently, you’ve had a crush on Elliot?”

“Rowan. Deflecting won’t work on me.”

“No, I don’t have a crush on him.” That would be simple. Manageable. What she felt was worse—messier, tangled, impossible. But she wasn’t going to tell Rue that. “I don’t like him, and he hates me.”

“Which is why you’ve been fucking each other’s brains out every chance you get, right?”

“Jesus, Rue.” Her sister may look sweet and innocent, but she’d been raised by badasses, too, and had the mouth to match.

“I’m just saying. Elliot mentioned how he and Dom found Davey naked and tied to his bed on Christmas morning. But I’m sure you knownothingabout that, right?”

“Elliot needs to keep his mouth shut.” Rowan’s whole body lit up like a sparkler at the memory of all of that powerful muscle and stubborn man tied up under her, at her mercy, helpless and wanting. She shook her head, trying to clear the image. “And that was… I needed to get away, and he wasn’t going to let me go.”

Rue snickered. “You left him there forhours!”

“He deserved it,” Rowan muttered, but even she could hear the lack of conviction in her voice. “He was being an ass that night.” While simultaneously giving her multiple shattering orgasms. But, still. An ass.

“Uh-huh,” Rue said.

“Seriously, Rue, it’s not what you think.”

“Oh really? Because I think you two have more chemistry than a meth lab, and you’ve been dancing around each other for years, pretending to hate each other while secretly pining away.”

“We’re not pining,” Rowan snapped. “It’s not like that with us.”

“Then what’s it like?”

She exhaled in a rush. “I don’t get your sudden interest in my sex life, but we… made an agreement. We don’t like each other, so there is no chance of ever becoming more than fuck buddies. It works for both of us.”

“Uh-huh,” Rue said again, doubt heavy in her voice. Then she sighed, and she suddenly looked exhausted, which was more than a little worrying. Rue was caffeine personified, constantly bouncing around the globe from one adventure to the next, thriving off thrills and spontaneity. But right now, she just looked tired and sad.

“Rue, is everything okay with you?”

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