Page 55 of Another Man’s Treasure

Everything inside me goes tense and tight, poised and hanging on his words.

I press forward until our upper bodies touch, but before I can speak, he silences any attempt by pressing his mouth to mine. It’s the lightest of touches, his lips cool. Everything that follows that touch is pure heat, though. It flares through me like a wildfire when he slants his mouth over mine and closes those sinful lips softly over my lower one.

“Are you real?” The words leave me without conscious thought as I stare at the beautiful smartass with his eyes closed.

He opens those amethyst eyes and pulls back, lips curving into a smirk. “I’m as real as⁠—

He’s interrupted by the sound of the giant window at the back of the apartment slamming open. I jerk my head up as he spins in my arms.

Willa leaps through the window with a big smile. “Boys, this little reunion is taking too long, and you’re never gonna believe what I found. We gotta go. We gotta go now.”

Oz’s mouth drops open as I glower at my sister. “The absolute worst timing, Willa,” I manage, putting a little bit of distance between Oz and me.

She waves my comment away. “You’ll have plenty of time for that later. I really need you two, alright?”

Oz sighs and turns back to me. “Well, honey bun, you ready for another adventure?”

Looking between Willa’s expectant face and Oz’s, I smile. What was about to be a romantic moment might have been interrupted by my sister’s trademark exuberance, but I know one thing for sure—this thing between me and Oz?

It’s real.

It’s real.

Oz

I don’t have time to bask in the glow of what Wilder and I just shared because Willa jogs through my apartment like she owns it. She grabs my hand and pulls me off the counter, yanking me toward the door. I nearly fall to both knees, but Wild wraps a big arm around my waist to prevent it.

Relief and pleasure fill me at being touched by him and knowing it’s real.

It’s real! Real real real. It’s real.

And just like that, I’m hooked on the feeling of Wild’s big warm fingers touching my skin because he means it, and it’s not for show. Which means I can touch him anytime I want, and that’s real too.

By the time we reach the bottom of the stairs, I’m starting to wonder how Willa even knew where to find us.

Pulling my hand from hers, I spin her in place at the door to the alley outside. “How’d you even⁠—”

She smirks. “Know where you live?” She shrugs. “I saw the way Wild looked at you that first day, so I followed you around for a little bit. Needed to know more about you to make sure you weren’t gonna be some asshole who broke my big brother’s heart.” Slapping a hand to my chest, she grins. “Something tells me I don’t need to worry about that.”

I glance over my shoulder at Wild, but he’s staring at me like he still can’t believe we just admitted our sexy night meant something. Willa grabs my hand again and yanks me through the door, so there’s no time to process it or say anything else. We’re out in the alley in seconds, following Willa up Main toward the Keeper’s mansion.

Wild’s by my side, shoulders hunched against the cold. We didn’t even have time to grab coats as a light snow falls from the charcoal-gray sky. The clouds are so low they’re almost a blanket over Main Street.

“Willa, can’t this wait until the m⁠—”

“Morning?” She scoffs. “Are you kidding me, Wild? I figured out how to get past that door so, no, it can’t wait. But I need your help… It’s been stuck closed for a really long time, since Sipan’s time, I’d guess.” She turns and walks backward, and even like that, she’s practically jogging, vibrating with obvious enthusiasm. “Aren’t you two the least bit excited to figure out this mystery? I already called Lemon and Bluebell, but neither of them answered.”

“They’re probably busy,” Wilder grouses, his tone low.

So sexy.

I turn and walk backward with her, winking at Wild. “We’ve got all night, honey boo.”

He stops in the street and frowns. “I don’t like that nickname. Give me another one.”

Will and I spin as one and walk up the street, although I shoot Wild a sexy look over my shoulder. He shakes his head, but starts following again, jogging to catch up to us. We’re silent all the way to the Keeper’s mansion, up the stairs, down the mystery clock stairs and across the entryway room we found before. It’s as still and quiet as this morning, but now the door itself is shiny and clean.

And covered in weird symbols that twist around the edges of the door in a floral pattern.