Page 11 of Wild Heart

While this wasn’t what I’d had in mind, this was how I’d get my chance today. “Wait. No. Are you okay?” I asked, having barely noticed the blood on his hand before he stepped out.

Through the partially closed door, he insisted, “I’m okay. I was coming in to get this cleaned up, but I’ll just run upstairs.”

No.

I couldn’t let him get away.

Moving toward the door, I placed my hand on the knob and pulled it open. My opposite hand had still been clutching the washcloth at my chest, but once my eyes connected with Tate’s, I lowered it.

I wasn’t shy about my body, and it wasn’t like I was completely naked. Tate had seen me in a swimsuit many times, so seeing me in a bra now was no different. Of course, since I always hoped for the best whenever I knew I’d be around him, I wasn’t wearing something unflattering. It was pretty, sexy.

Whether he wanted them to or not, Tate’s eyes dropped to my chest, heat and desire swirling in his gaze.

I tried not to let myself read too much into it, even though warmth spread through me at his response. He was having a natural reaction in a situation like this. It was likely most single guys would have reacted the same. If only he would have done something about it.

Wanting to increase my chances of that happening. I reached for his hand, tugging him into the bathroom, and asked, “What happened?”

“Battle wounds from the game,” he answered, his voice strained. “Really, it’s okay, though. I can run upstairs.”

I urged his hand toward the sink and ran it under the water to clean it. “Stay there. I’ll get something to treat and cover the wound.”

Digging through the drawers, I found the first aid kit. Then I grabbed a fresh cloth, took his hand out from beneath the running water, and dried it off. I held his hand up between us, his fingertips mere inches from my breasts. “Ava, you don’t need to do this.”

I lifted my gaze and noticed his other hand was squeezing the back of his neck. “Relax, Tate. I promise I’m not going to bite.”

I winked at him and watched as the muscle in his jaw twitched.

Unable to stop it, my mouth quirked up with a satisfied smile. Sometimes, I wondered what I’d ever do if Tate ever reacted to my advances and gave us what we both clearly wanted. There was a part of me that would miss this tensionbetween us. Being able to tease him like this had become a challenge that often left me feeling rewarded, even if he never took the bait.

Tate didn’t say anything as I focused my attention on his hand again. I worked on getting him bandaged up in the tense silence, loving the feel of his hand in mine and the heat radiating from his body.

As I worked and attempted to come up with my next move, I noted how he’d dropped his other hand from behind his neck but was now clenching it in a fist at his side. My eyes shifted toward his abdomen, appreciating the sight of his six-pack.

Yep.

Maybe I still stood a chance.

Maybe, if I was lucky, I could make it happen now. Tate and I could then spend the next two days wrapped up in each other before I had to leave and head out on tour. We could take the next year communicating through naked video chats. We could have phone sex.

“Are you okay?” Tate asked.

“What?”

I looked back up at his handsome face, those blue eyes littered with concern. He gestured toward my chest with his chin and said, “You’re breathing is shallow. What were you doing in here anyway? Why don’t you have a shirt on?”

I raised a curious brow. “It’s like you don’t even know me,” I said softly. His mouth set in a hard line, an indication he didn’t like what I’d just said.

I wanted to take a moment to consider why that bothered him. If he didn’t want me to say things like that, he could have proven his interest by acting upon whatever feelings he had for me. But since I didn’t want this to turn sour by sharing that with him, I explained, “I spilled my drink on my shirt, and I came in here to change.”

After he gave me a nod of understanding, I affixed two bandages to his hand. He noticed when I’d completed my task and said, “Thanks for doing this.”

I smiled at him. “How does it feel?”

“Good.”

I swallowed hard before licking my lips. “Are you sure?”

His eyes were burning with desire, and his voice was raspy when he answered, “Yes.”