Page 68 of Wild Heart

“Me, too. Wyatt and Rhea are up next when we get back,” Jules said.

There were swift movements around us as everyone dispersed from the table and made to follow Wendy in search of treats.

“You’re not getting up for cookies?” Tate asked once we were alone.

“Kind of difficult to do with your hand pinning my leg to this chair.” His lips curved into a smile, his hand stroking gently along my leg. “What are you doing, Tate? Why would you say that in front of everyone?”

“What did I say?”

“You called me wild one.”

He tipped his head to the side, his eyes searching my face. “If I recall correctly, you loved it when I called you that. It drove you to new heights of wild.”

A shiver ran along my spine, recalling the night we were together. “Tate,” I rasped.

His fingertips pressed in on my leg, his body leaning in my direction. His mouth was mere inches away from mine, and the scent of him was holding me captive. I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. I was barely breathing.

Tate’s lips brushed lightly against mine, forcing a whimper to escape from me. “Tate, please,” I begged.

“What is it, Ava? Tell me what you need.” His voice was just a touch over a whisper, and the need dripping from his words was palpable. I believed he was just as desperate for me as I was for him.

But this was too much too soon. And he couldn’t have picked a worse time or place to do this. “You have to stop.”

“What?”

I leaned away from him, my hand pressing firmly against his shoulder to ease him backward. “We’re not ready for this. I’m not ready.”

In a flash, he removed his hand and looked away. “Right. Sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize.”

“But I am sorry, Ava. I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable. I know we’re working on getting ourselves back on track, and it’s only been about a week since we became cordial again. I get it. It’s just that I’ve missed you, and even when I was upset with you for not coming back, I was still craving being with you again. It’s been months, and you’re gorgeous. Every time I look at you, all I want is to be with you. This last week, especially today, has been incredible for me. It’s been difficult not to remember how good we were together.”

I couldn’t say I didn’t understand. I’d been fighting that feeling the same as him. But if we hopped right back in bed with one another before we were sure about what we were doing, I was afraid we’d risk losing it all over again. “I just want to be sure that once we get there again that we don’t lose it.”

He nodded, even if there was a look of disappointment lingering in his stare. “I know. I’ll take it easy on the displays of affection.”

I sent an appreciative smile his way. “Maybe we should go get some cookies.”

Tate laughed. “Yeah. That’s not a bad idea.”

With that, he stood and held his hand out to me. I hesitated for just a moment before I placed my hand in his and allowed him to escort me out into the kitchen, where Wendy was serving up her cookies.

Best of all, when we all returned to the game and finished it, the tension between Tate and me had dissipated and we managed to come in second place behind Cooper and Skye.

18

AVA

I had just satdown on the edge of the bed when the knock came at the door.

“It’s open,” I called out.

A moment later, the door opened and the bedroom I’d been sleeping in the last several nights was a little less empty. Ivy, Jules, Rhea, and Skye had all entered the room, dressed to the nines, smiles plastered on their faces.

“Wow, you all look fantastic,” I said, marveling at their outfits and shoes. “What do you think about what I’ve got on?”

“It’s stunning, as usual,” Ivy insisted.