Page 57 of The Untamed

The sarcasm in his voice has me breaking into a highly inappropriate grin. I bite down on my lip to make it go away. Ryder’s attention falls to my mouth, which in turn has heat prickling over my flesh.

Last night was supposed to be a one-time thing.

I’m supposed to be doing everything I can not to think about Ryder and what we did when we were all alone.

My dick, no longer trapped by my cotton boxers, twitches and swells, nudging against the zipper of my jeans.

Seriously?

I’m getting hard right now?

With three other witnesses, two of which are on the fast track to becoming enemies?

Unbelievable.

Ryder’s smile widens, a knowing glint in his eyes. That taunting, teasing expression he wears is not helpful. Not helpful at all.

“When you’re done with that shithead,” Ryder calls out to Rowdy, “do you want to take a few swings at this one?”

Right.

There’s a squirming man under my brother’s boot.

It’s not just me and Ryder, alone and flirting. These shared smiles are definitely some strange way of flirting. Fuck.

Rowdy lets loose a violent roar and then slings himself off Jace’s prone body. He staggers to his feet before scooping up his weapons. Jace, face bruised and smeared with blood, moans in pain. He tenderly touches his cheek and whimpers.

He’s alive, but that shit has to hurt.

Ryder finally releases CJ and steps away from him. CJ rises to his feet, shoots me a disgusted glare, and then rushes over to his cousin. Rowdy is busy shouldering his rifle and sheathing his knife, seemingly no longer bothered by Jace aside from the crimson rage still painting his cheeks. His chest heaves and his hair drips with sweat. Other than those tells, he ignores the moaning piece of shit on the ground.

“Let’s get something straight,” Rowdy says, voice deceptively calm as he turns to regard CJ and Jace. “You fell, had a fight with a bear, or ran into a fucking tree. I don’t give a shit what you tell them, but you won’t tell them it was me.”

Jace, whose face is swelling heavily on his left side, doesn’t say anything but instead glowers at my older brother through his one eye that’s not swollen shut.

“If you tell them it was me,” Rowdy continues, “I’ll tell my father what you want to do to his child.” Rowdy lets loose a dark chuckle. “What you just received will feel like a favor. My father won’t be so generous. Understood?”

Both CJ and Jace each nod once.

“Good.” Rowdy motions for me and Ryder to follow him. “Let’s get the hell away from these assholes.”

Ican’t explain what happened last night.

It was terrible and beautiful rolled into one confusing memory.

The flames from my jealous anger at Ronan kissing Logan lashed at my mind, singeing it irreparably. I wanted to burn Logan’s touch, scent, and presence from Ronan’s flesh.

This morning, I woke up right where I’d fallen asleep. Arm slung possessively around my brother. Cock hard and aching for some kind of forbidden release I don’t dare to think of.

His lips were slightly parted as he slept, punching me in the gut with the overwhelming urge to kiss him again.

I refrained.

Barely.

Ever since, we’ve been carefully avoiding each other’s stare and proximity.

That is, except when I had my boot smashing that cockroach, CJ. In that frozen sliver of time, Ronan’s nostrils flared, his eyes warmed with heat, and he ran his perfect tongue over his bottom lip. We had a moment, and it was dangerous. Dangerous because I wanted to forget anyone and everyone so that I could tackle my older brother to the ground.

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