Page 34 of Naughty & Nice

“Where’s Rix?” I ask when I step into the living room a while later and only find Wilder laid out on the couch, watching ESPN.

“He went out,” he replies absently.

“Out?” I ask, my eyes darting toward the window. There’s nothing but white, fluffy snow as far as the eye can see.

Jesus. How long was I in the bath for?

“But it’s?—”

“He’ll be fine,” Wilder assures me, finally pushing himself up and turning around to look at me.

I’m dressed much like I was earlier in one of Hendrix’s hoodies and a set of pajamas. I don’t have much other choice, seeing as I packed with never leaving the cabin in mind.

“Where?”

“Nowhere. Just wanted to clear his head.”

All the air rushes from my lungs and I look up at the ceiling.

“This is our fault,” I whisper.

“He’ll be fine,” Wilder repeats in that uncaring Wilder way of his.

“He’s hurting.Wehurt him.”

“Did you tell him?” Wilder asks, watching me as I move to the armchair opposite him.

“No. Did you?”

He shakes his head.

“We need to.”

One of his brows lifts. “Do we, though?”

“Wilder,” I groan. “This isn’t a joke. I’m not just some girl you had some fun with and turned your back on. This is different.We fucked up. We fucked up big, and now we need to fix it.”

When he doesn’t respond, my eyes widen to urge him to say something.

But he just slumps back on the couch like he doesn’t have a care in the world.

“Actions speak louder than words,” he finally says.

My brows pinch. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

He shrugs one shoulder.

“He wants you, Noelle. Give it to him. It is Christmas, after all.”

10

HENDRIX

The snow falls heavily around me. But it’s too soft. Too peaceful.

I need the anger of the lashing rain, not the gentle flakes.

Unlike Wilder, I actually packed for this trip and have some winter clothes, but that doesn’t mean I’m currently warm. Quite the opposite, in fact.