Page 66 of Pretty Wild
“Your place or mine?”
“Mine, Princess,” I tell her, reaching back and slapping her ass. “Definitely mine. We’re taking my truck.” I open the door and let Buddy out.
She starts to walk toward the gate, heading for my old Chevy in the main lot, my dog hot on her heels. Just as she walks through the opening, she glances back and says, “Race you.”
And it’s on.
I couldn’t get to her fast enough.
19
RYAN
It’s been the best two weeks ever. I never expected to feel so at peace in Pine Village.
Do I miss Los Angeles and the hustle and bustle of my life there? Of course. But it feels better than I ever could have expected to slow down and recharge my battery. Not to mention I feel so much better not dealing with the press every day. No one is following me around with a camera. No one is lurking behind cars or in bushes. I don’t have a microphone in my face or people screaming my name when I walk down the sidewalk.
Of course, a big part of that is no one knows where I am. I’ve remained hidden under the cover of my casual attire and a ball cap. My online presence is zilch, nada, and even though my phone blows up throughout the day, I don’t answer many of the texts. Or when I do, I reply with a polite note I’m taking a vacation and leave it at that.
Vaughn was still reaching out—daily—and I realized after my first full week here, it was time to cut the cord. I replied to his latest message without reading it or any of the previous ones and told him—again—it was over. I stated very pointedly not to contact me again and then blocked his number. I should havedone it from day one, but I think I needed a little time to clear my head. To confirm I was making the right decision in walking away from Vaughn. It didn’t matter what excuse he gave. What he did—or more specifically, what he said—was all I needed to hear.
I just wish I wouldn’t have heard it with the rest of the world.
Now that he’s behind me, I’ve spent time focusing on the here and now. A big part of that is Marcus. We’ve spent more evenings together in the last two weeks than apart, and that doesn’t upset me. Not in the least. The orgasms are plentiful, that’s for sure, and then at the end of the night, we part ways. It’s how we keep the lines from blurring, because this is temporary. A summer fling, as he likes to call it, and as much as I’d love to snuggle into his big, warm body at the end of the night—because something tells me that alone is something they write about in books—I’m afraid that might complicate things.
And I’m loving this completely uncomplicated thing.
Tonight, it’s girls’ night. I was invited to Gabe and Blair’s house, where we’re going to eat Mexican food, drink margaritas, and talk about guys. At least, that’s what I’ve been told. I’m a little worried about going, only because any other night that might constitute a girls’ night was always spent watching what I say so it’s not used against me or what I do because I’m always being observed.
Something tells me I don’t have to worry about it with these ladies, but I also don’t know them well enough. They could very well share all my dirty secrets to the highest tabloid bidder.
But if they were going to do that, wouldn’t they have done it after we met? After they figured out who I was, thanks to Hallie’s obsession with reality television? No, my gut tells me I can trust them, but I just need to be observant and careful with what I say.
I head out of the cabin, locking the door behind me. I was told to dress casually, that I’d know everyone in attendance,but something tells me their casual and mine are two totally different things. It probably took me longer to decide what to wear when dressing down than it does when I’m going out.
As I walk to the driver’s side of my rented SUV, I hear a dog bark in the distance. I stop and turn toward the path and only have to wait a few seconds before I see Buddy. The moment he spots me, he takes off running in my direction, jumping up with excitement.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, crouching down and giving him pets.
“He wanted to tell you to have a good time.”
I glance up and find Marcus making his way toward us. “Hi.”
“Hey,” he says with a familiar smile and warm eyes. “We were going for a walk.”
“Well, I was just getting ready to head out.”
“Ahh, yes, girls’ night,” he replies with a grin. “I’m headed over to Logan’s cabin. We’re gonna throw a few steaks on the grill and wait for the calls for rides.”
I hadn’t planned on drinking more than one margarita early, since I was the only one who wasn’t married or seriously dating someone and wouldn’t have a ride. Hallie did tell me she and Logan would give me a ride home—or more adamantly, Marcus could give me a ride, but I didn’t want to put him out. I’m not his responsibility, and since there’s no car service in Pine Village, I figured the safest option was to have one drink and switch to water.
“I heard you guys will have the babies.”
He runs his hand over the back of his neck. “Yeah, I won’t be much help with that. I have zero baby experience. Even when Brody was a baby, I wasn’t the first guy to jump in and help with the baby.”
I’ve heard all about how everyone helped Ellie when she got pregnant in high school and her conservative parents kickedher out. She lived in the apartment above the diner where she worked to support herself and her child. The father was a douche who split the moment she told him she was pregnant, insisting it wasn’t his baby. TD had loved her since high school and stood back, waiting for the right opportunity, which eventually happened when Brody was sixteen.
“Well, it’s not like you’ll have to babysit them while the moms are away. The dads will be there,” I reassure him, sensing his uneasiness.
