Page 67 of Sweet Escape
“You really want me to stay?”
“Forever, if I had it my way. I can’t do this on my own.”
The quiet confession leaves me breathless. This hardened man has a hidden softness to him, an insecurity he tries to bury, but it’s come out twice in the span of twenty-four hours. I’m finding I enjoy the softer side of Wilder Hayes more than I’m willing to admit to myself.
“I’ll stay,” I say. “Not forever, but for now.”
He grumbles something that sounds eerily like, “we’ll see” before turning back to the counter where his now lukewarm coffee awaits.
Wilder
Not forever, but for now.
Sounds to me like a challenge, one I won’t back down from. I’m not always an easy man to live with. My edges have hardened over the years, half of my heart turned to stone, but Olivia’s softness tempers me.
“Come on,” I say. “I’ll make you some breakfast before I take you to the diner to get your stuff.”
“You’re bossy, you know that?”
“If I don’t tell it like it is, you’ll second-guess everything. I know you, Liv.”
She opens her mouth to defend herself, but nothing comes out—probably because she knows I’m right. My shoulders shake with silent laughter as I turn to the fridge and pull out everything I need to make an omelet.
“Sit,” I say, pointing toward the stool at the island. “How’s that for bossy?”
She tries but fails to stifle a smile, and some of the tension dissipates.“You think you’re so cute, don’t you? With your grey sweatpants and that stupid smile.”
I place my palms on the island directly across from her, quirking a brow. “What’s that about my sweatpants?”
“Oh, come on. You know what you look like.”
I do a slow walk around the counter, stopping when I’ve got her trapped between me and the chair. “Why don’t you enlighten me?”
Our lips are barely a breath apart, and there’s a heady look of desire in her eyes. She leans in almost imperceptibly, like her body is moving of its own accord, drawn to me the same way I’m drawn to her.
“Not so mouthy now,” I whisper, gliding my hand up her thigh, my fingers digging into her soft flesh. My lips ghost over hers in just a whisper of a kiss, tempting her to close to distance.
Then the screen door slams in the entry, startling us apart.
“Wilder? You home? Oh—hey, Liv.” Jaxon strides into the kitchen, oblivious to what he almost walked in on as I sidestep the island.
She lifts a tentative hand in a wave, and Jaxon tips his cowboy hat in response.
“You free to help me with a project later today?” he asks. “I could use another set of eyes on the financials for the auction coming up.”
“Sure. I have to take Liv to Rosie’s after breakfast, but I can stop by your place when we get back.”
Jaxon’s place is a beautiful two-story A-frame cabin tucked away in the trees on his parcel of land at the back of the west pasture. He does all of the accounting from his home office.
“Cool,” he says. “Thanks.”
“Is that all you needed? That probably could’ve been a text, baby brother.”
He sits down on the stool beside Liv. Removing his hat, he rakes a hand through his curls. “Pops wants me to take on more responsibilities around the ranch, and he’s really turning up the pressure now that we’re looking at expanding. I’m great with the books, man, but I don't know about the rest of it. I’ll have enough on my plate when Griffin finally gets the sanctuary going.”
“You tell Pops any of this?”
“Well, no. Wanted to get some advice from my big brother first.”
