Page 27 of Haden

My face heats. These women are so blunt. I’m used to it. I’ve been listening to them overshare for weeks, but I’ve never been the subject matter.

“Did you?” Melody asks, her voice rising.

I shake my head. “No. He just… We, uh…” I’m not going to tell these women about Haden going down on me. No way. I can’t get the words out of my mouth. It doesn’t matter that they’re basically my sisters. I just can’t.

Claire leans in conspiratorially. “He got you off, didn’t he?”

I bite my bottom lip and nod, my face heating further.

“Are you still thinking about going to graduate school?” Arianna asks.

I sigh. “That seems unlikely now.”

“Yeah, it does,” Melody teases. “You’ll be married and pregnant by the end of the week.”

Reagan rolls her eyes, grinning. “Not all of us got married quite that fast, Speedy Gonzales. If we’re placing bets, I’d say ten days.”

I gasp. “You can’t bet on me!”

Arianna holds up nine fingers. “I’m going with nine.”

Claire shakes her head. “I choose thirteen, then.”

“Seriously!” I exclaim. “You can’t bet on my wedding day. That’s just wrong. Besides, all of those dates are too soon. Just because all of you got married within weeks of meeting your husbands doesn’t mean I have to. We don’t even know if Haden wants to get married. He hasn’t mentioned the M word.”

“Really?” two or three of them shout at once.

I shrug. It’s true. Should that concern me? The man made it clear that he intended to knock me up the first opportunity he got, but he didn’t say he was going to marry me. Hmmm.

“He will,” Arianna starts. “Dallas and Brody would kick his ass if he thought he could play house with you without dragging you to the altar.”

They have a point. Getting married is so…permanent. I haven’t considered that side of this madness. I knew Haden was coming to Wilde. I’ve been waiting for him to arrive for weeks. But my only thought had been to flirt with him and maybe get lucky. I’ve never pondered what might happen next.

Married…

To Haden? He just got here yesterday. But that fact means nothing to these four women. They had similar whirlwind relationships.

It seems like I’ve barely had a full conversation with Haden since he arrived. There was the grunting he did yesterday while I gave him a tour. A lot of one-word answers and muttering to himself. There was the bossy man who told me he wasn’t right for me last night and then spanked me. Then there was the bossier man who took my cup of coffee from me and told me he intended to knock me up.

Perhaps he and I need to have a few more real-life conversations in the near future. Clamping my thigh with his palm while whispering in my ear that I needed to clean my plate at dinner does not mean he intends to marry me. Nor does it mean I should want to do anything of the sort either.

I did like the way he gripped my leg, though. He settled his hand under the hem of my skirt and let his thumb graze my inner thigh almost absentmindedly while I ate. I’m certain he was completely aware of every single touch, but he pretended it was no big deal.

The door suddenly opens, and we all turn to see who’s coming in.

It’s Dallas. He has a brow raised as he leans into the room. “If your last name is Wilde, you’d better get your bottom upstairs. It’s time to wrap up this gossip session.”

Arianna groans. “We aren’t gossiping. No one has said a word that isn’t a fact. And everyone in here’s last name is Wilde.”

He smirks. “Exactly my point.” He opens the door wider. “Chop, chop.”

A low grumbling sound fills the room as we all file out as though we’ve been reprimanded and are in trouble. For the first time since I arrived, I know for a fact I’m in the same predicament as everyone else.

Haden is relaxing against the wall with the other men when I exit the parlor. He holds out a hand, and I go to him. Is this how things will be from now on? Me submitting to this man morning, noon, and night?

Probably.

I have questions. Lots of them.