Page 18 of Another Man’s Treasure

Willa sits on the bench next to Wilder, bumping his hip with hers to urge him over. His body crowds mine until I’m smashed in the corner of the booth.

“Hadrian as in Hadrian Alkazar, star player of the, drum roll, Pine Gulch Punishers?”

“That’s the one,” Bluebell says with a bright smile. “Formerly my best friend, and now my mate.” She tosses her long blue hair over her shoulder to reveal the newly healed mating bite at the base of her neck.

“Love that for you,” Willa says. “Pine Gulch seems like just the place a monstress could come to find the perfect guy, or gal.” She nods at us.

Lemon cocks her head to the side. “Bloob, that’s Bluebell, and I are going over to the abandoned Keeper’s mansion in a bit so she can work on the gardens. Want to come with us, and we can have a little girly coffee chat?”

By which I’m certain she really means “tell us what the fuck is going on?!”

I nod. “That’s a great idea. Y’all should go now. Wild is crowding my wings a little bit.” I glance at Willa. “Not that I don’t love you, darling, but we’re big boys, ya know?”

She winks again but stands with coffee in hand, glancing at Lemon. “I’m down if you ladies are?”

My besties join her, shooting me a final look before the trio disappears toward the front.

Wilder immediately slides over and flashes me an irritated look, which I’m learning is just his face. “Those two gonna get my sister into trouble? She tends to find trouble all by herself without help.”

“Oh, no,” I chirp brightly. “Lemon about got herself arrested when she moved here, but she’s not really an into trouble sort of girl these days.” When Wilder looks horrified, I widen my eyes and shake my head. “It was just a misunderstanding. And Bluebell’s too busy for trouble.” Shrugging, I return my focus to my notebook.

That was too close for comfort, honestly. I promised Wilder I wouldn’t tell anyone about our little arrangement, but everyone in town knows me. I honestly think we’d do best to just hide somewhere for two weeks and only meet Saint when we absolutely have to. But if Wilder prefers to keep our fake relationship public, I can do that.

And actually, as we sit there in silence, the wheels of my mind start turning, and the nugget of an idea comes to me. Grinning, I start sketching in my notebook until a smile fully overtakes me. Oh, yes, yesssss, this is gonna be perfect.

Wilder

I spent most of the day wrapping up details to move my things from Laporte to the new ranch once the paperwork’s done. Then Willa reappeared from her time with the girls, and I took her to lunch to discuss the deal details.

Hours later, I’m lying on the sofa considering all the ways my ranch deal could go south, when Oz sneaks quietly in. Ginger follows him, tail tucked as she skirts inside and heads for the bedroom. He follows her, hitting the bathroom before eventually dropping into the bed. The mattress springs creak beneath his weight, and he leaves the light on.

Pages flip in a book. He must be reading or something. Maybe he’s like me and sometimes can’t turn his mind off. Yet his breathing is slow and deep. I listen for the sound of his heartbeat before remembering he’s a gargoyle, and his heart will be silent until a mate claims him.

That must feel so odd, for nothing inside you to ever race or pound?

Makes me think about bull riding, that heart-pounding sensation while the bull’s doing his damned best to throw you. In that moment, a heartbeat’s the only thing I ever heard, and I felt it all the way to the tips of my toes. Not having that? I can’t even fathom it.

I wake to sun rays drifting lazily through the window and across my face. Normally, I’m up with the birds, but I didn’t fall asleep until after Oz got home, so I didn’t wake up when the sun rose. An ache in my bad shoulder has me rolling onto the floor and stretching long, trying to pull the muscles into a more comfortable position. I hold five or six positions for a minute each, doing the poses my physical therapist suggested. It’s not real clear to me if they’re actually helping, but they’ve gotta be better than doing nothing.

The cottage is chilly this morning, so I stalk to the corner and start the fire in the wood-burning fireplace. I’ve got no idea what Oz plans to do today, but it’s an hour until BrewHaHa opens up, so I assume he’ll want to march over there straight away to get to his table.

I grimace thinking about the table war. It already feels so far away. I need to take it as a good sign that Willa took to Oz so quickly. If she feels like this is gonna be fine, I’m sure it will.

Yeah, I’ll just keep repeating that to myself.

The sound of a throat clearing has me turning and standing. Oz is across the room on the other side of the dining table, holding something behind his back with a little smile curving his dusky purple lips upward.

“Err, good morning, hubby,” he says in a sweet little tone. “I made something last night because I’m more of a visual learner. I’d like to go over it with you this morning if that’s okay? Then I’m going to head to BrewHaHa and, well, you can come…if you want.”

My brain’s blanked out, though, because he’s talking, and I barely comprehend the words. “What in the hells are you wearing?” I wave at the getup draped over his lithe musculature.

He glances down his body, running his left hand down his abs like he’s trying to find what I’m referencing. “My conversation hearts onesie? These are my literal favorite pajamas because they keep me warm.” His smile falls. “I get cold a lot, and I prefer to be warm.”

I stare at him. It’s one giant outfit all connected together…purple long sleeves and legs, and it’s fitted enough that it hugs tight to his junk. Fuck, I’m staring at it now. But the bulge between his thighs is neatly outlined and covered in tiny conversation heart candies. I’d bet ten dollars if I look closely, they have dirty messages on them.

“You gonna wear that every night?” I force my gaze away and head to the coffee maker, going through the motions as I stop trying to picture Oz’s dick beneath that fabric.

“Umm.” He sits at the breakfast table. “I just wore shorts and a tee last night, but I was pretty freezing, even snuggling Ginger and your sister.” He lets out a wry little laugh. “Speaking of, where did Willa even get to?”