Page 49 of Another Man’s Treasure

Wilder’s quiet as we leave the Keeper’s mansion and head left toward the outskirts of town. His hands are tucked into the front pockets of his jeans. I wonder how he’d feel if I asked to hold one. Would that be too weird?

He smiles softly at me. “What’s got those elevens between your eyes, Oz?”

I cock my head to the side, confused. “Elevens?”

He chuckles, that low, throaty noise I love so much. “Something my mama says, the little lines between your eyebrows when you’re scowling or frowning.”

“I like it.” I beam up at him. “Your mama sounds sweet.”

He nods, pulling his hands out of his pockets. When he offers me one with a little smile, my heart swells a thousand times bigger in my chest. It can’t possibly be beating, but that little gesture is more than I ever got from Saint.

Fingers trembling, I take his hand, slotting my fingers between his in a way that’s comfy. He’s got five to my three but it works.

Gods it works.

He’s all smile as we walk in silence up the street toward the edge of town. We pass Glimmer Potions House and the Auction House before he says anything else.

“So…last night. Should we talk about it?”

I nod. “Last night was great.” Figure I might as well go first.

He looses a breath. “I was hoping you’d say that. I wasn’t expecting last night, Oz, but it was perfect for me and I thought about it all day.”

“Me too.” I glance up, wrapping my free hand around our joined hands, desperate to touch more of him. “And I kinda wish we hadn’t agreed to evening plans that start in a little bit, because it would be nice to stay in, wouldn’t it?”

He smiles and pulls me closer. Heat from his body warms my skin and I tuck against his side. At the last minute, I second guess myself and look up.

“Is this okay?”

“More than okay.” That’s all he says as he keeps focused on the road ahead of us.

We make it back to his cottage quickly but there’s just enough time to shower and change before we need to head to Bluebell and Hadrian’s place.

Wilder offers to drive, and to my intense surprise, opens the truck door for me like a fucking gentleman. I could cry at how nice that is. A door opener?!

We talk about everything and nothing on the way out to their ranch. Nothing important, really, just everyday things. Last night doesn’t come up again. When we pull up in front of the newly renovated ranch house, he hops out quickly and opens the door for me again.

I’m in the middle of a flustered thank you when someone clears their throat. Glancing up, I smirk at finding Bluebell in a gorgeous sweater dress, standing on the porch grinning at me.

“You two are a sight for sore eyes,” she calls out. “You ever bust Willa out of that lair?”

Wilder chuckles. “Not hardly. She won’t come up for days; she wasn’t kidding about that.”

Bloob waves us toward the front door. “C’mon, guys. Hadrian just found those books about your bulls, Wilder. He’s pretty excited to show them to you.”

When she disappears inside, Wilder and I share a look. The slightest downturn of his plush lips have me wondering how he feels.

Reaching for his hand again, I pull it close. “You okay? We don’t have to do this if it feels too…personal.” He’s having second thoughts about this, I bet. It pretty much feels like a date and⁠—

Wilder steps close, hovering his mouth over mine as he brings a hand to my left ear and strokes the length of it.

“I was buried inside you last night, Oz. Nothing could be more personal than that.”

A shudder wracks me. “Yeah but this is personal and public. I understand if that⁠—”

“Stop worrying about whether I’m comfortable.” His tone is full of command as he drags those warm fingers down my jaw line. “If I didn’t want to be here, I wouldn’t be. It’s as simple as that, alright? Don’t let Saint-Fucking-Ashbourne’s garbage behavior guide your expectations of me. What you see with me is what you get, alright?”

Gods is it ever that easy with someone?