Page 50 of Untamed

“And how would you know that?”

“Hayes wasn’t at family dinner.” She shrugs. “And you weren’t at the bar.”

“I want to glance over my shoulder right now to make sure he isn’t paying attention to us,” I tell her. “But I’m pretty sure he is, and I don’t want his ego to grow even bigger when he sees us talking about him.”

Her eyes slide past me and then back.

“How would he know we’re talking about him?” she whispers.

“Who else would we be whispering about?”

“Keep talkin’ about me, darlin’!” Hayes shouts, making me jump out of my skin. “Make sure you tell her all the good stuff.”

I raise a hand in the air, not even bothering to turn around, and stick my middle finger up high. They all laugh behind me, and I roll my eyes.

“What’s she doin’?” I hear Wade’s little voice ask.

“Saluting your uncle,” Wells says, laughing.

“It’s not a nice salute,” Rhett adds. “Even if it is warranted.”

“You’re the brightest shade of red I think I’ve ever seen.” Poppy’s smile is contagious.

“Fine,” I groan, admitting defeat. “I may not have been in my own bed last night.”

She squeals and gets out of her seat to come sit next to me. Grabbing a glass of lemonade, she scoots up close and lays her hand on my forearm.

“Tell. Me. Everything.”

“Well, he showed up at my date.”

“No, he didn’t,” she whispers, scooting even closer.

“He did. Interrupted us before we even finished our food. Carried my ass out over his shoulder like he was staking some stupid alpha claim on me.”

“Rhett did that to me once,” she tells me, grinning like an idiot. “Woof. When I tell you I melted for the man the moment he threw me over his shoulder… Just knowing he could lift me up like that was a promise he’d be fun in the bedroom.”

“Oh, my god.” I laugh with her as she erupts into a fit of giggles.

“Seriously! That shit is hot.”

“Maybe in the privacy of your own home. He did this in public, Poppy. In front of half the damn town.”

“You’re exaggerating.” She playfully rolls her eyes. “Twenty-five percent. Maybe.”

“Anyway,” I continue. “Then he kissed me senseless, apologized profusely, and took me back to his house.”

“How was it?” She wags her eyebrows at me.

I glance over my shoulder, and Hayes is playing with Jolene. So I lean back in toward Poppy.

“He kind of rocked my world.”

She tries to contain her excitement, quietly squealing and squeezing my arm.

“He was incredibly attentive, extraordinarily kind, and very, very blessed, if you know what I mean.” I can feel the blush spread across my cheeks. “I’m surprised I’m not walking with a limp.”

Poppy bursts out laughing, throwing her hand over her mouth.

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