Wilder (The Wild Ones Book 3)

by C. M. Owens

  My eyes widen, my stomach hurdles up to my throat, and the air gets trapped in my lungs when I’m suddenly falling.

  Falling.

  Falling.

  “I’m so proud of you!” Reese shouts, her echo surrounding me.

  As if it all sinks in that I’m zooming toward the forest, fear spikes to its peak. All the air trapped in my lungs comes out in an ear-splitting scream that seems to scare the birds out of the trees.

  With one harsh gulp of cold, buzzing air, I release the follow-up scream that hits even higher pitches. I don’t even think I’m able to blink as everything around me soars by at outrageous speeds.

  How do I brake?

  When I do brake?

  Where is the fucking brake?

  In a survival situation, I’m the first person who’s going to die. I wasn’t a screamer before I came to Tomahawk, but as my lungs burn with the exertion my next scream has, I realize I’ll never be the same again.

  I spot Kai’s wide eyes as the line tries to level out, and he shouts something at me. It’s too loud to hear what he’s saying, because my screams are all I can hear.

  With the line leveling out like it does, I slow down a lot, but it’s still way too fast by the time I reach him. He snatches me at the waist, the force of his arm across my middle knocking down a lot of my speed. But…the momentum flings him off the platform’s side, as I’m jolted to a halt by the foam pads that are haphazardly taped to some surface.

  My face slams into it so hard that tears spring to my eyes, and my entire body seems to get jarred by the abrupt impact.

  “You okay?” Kai asks around a groan, as my throat aches and burns.

  With completely shaky arms and legs, I shove back from the mats and go completely limp, hanging only by the harness as I stare up at the levers marked BRAKE.

  Damn. I knew I was forgetting something.

  “Are you okay?” I ask him instead of answering.

  My body is too limp to be certain I’m not damaged yet.

  “I’m not dead and nothing’s broken, so…yeah. I think,” he groans.

  “Sorry. I forgot to brake,” I tell him around a grimace.

  “I noticed,” he deadpans.

  So much for the ultimate rush of endorphins that would give me courage. Sex is the last thing on my mind right now. I just want to be able to move.

  I don’t want to feel my body though. Something tells me it’s going to hurt…when I stop being numb.

  I think I’ll ignore Reese’s advice from now on.

  ***

  “Stop questioning me. My plan only failed last time because you forgot to brake and damn near killed him,” Reese says as she sits on the snowmobile.

  We’re out with all the Wild Ones today. It’s hard to spend time alone with Kai, since he seems to stay busy.

  “Just don’t freak out. Trust him as he drives the sled. That was my mistake, and because of that, I have to sit out,” she says, lifting her arm that’s still in a cast up to the elbow.

  Gotta hand it to her; Reese makes a cast look like child’s play. I’d have been a big baby if I’d broken a bone.

  Fortunately, my latest excursion left me with even fewer bruises than it left poor Kai.

  I didn’t try to seduce him yesterday. I needed a minute to feel all the aches and pains that started the second I got feeling in my body again.

  “When you get to the bottom, you’ll giggle like a refined woman and knock him to the snow. Your eyes will meet, and if he doesn’t make the first move, you will. Just make sure you’re kissing like there’s a goal to be reached, so that he’s left desperate to have you by the time you get back,” she says, rehashing the plan as she gives me another little motivating shake. “You’ve got this.”

  I give her a firm nod, tighten the strap on my helmet, and turn around just in time to see Kai moving toward me.

  Hunter is helping him unwind a roll of…is that bubble wrap?

  I watch with confounded curiosity as the two of them cut it, hold it up toward me, and start pulling out more.

  What the…

  Kai walks toward me with bubble wrap in one hand, and a roll of tape in the other.

  “What are you—”

  My words cut out abruptly when Nila comes to help him wrap the bubble wrap around me at my waist, causing my eyes to widen a little more.

  “What the hell?” I ask as they strap my arms down with it.

  “Kai wanted me to help instead of Hunter because he’s territorial and didn’t want a guy to touch you,” Nila answers like that’s the question I’m asking.

  But…awwww.

  I wipe the stupid smile away as Kai rolls his eyes and starts taping all the bubble wrap around me.

  “Seriously, what are you doing?” I ask him.

  “After what happened with the zipline and your sister ending up in a cast, I’m not taking any more chances with you,” he tells me as he steps back and admires his handiwork.

  I can’t move.

  My legs are wrapped individually, but my knees can’t bend. My arms are strapped to my sides, and the bubble wrap comes all the way up to my neck. He removes the helmet I’m wearing without any warning, and a full helmet comes down over my head. Next comes a thick set of goggles.

  There’s no way I’m sexy right now.

  He adds more bubble wrap, even though I’m already almost too thick to sit on that narrow sled.

  This time when he steps back to inspect me, he looks pleased.

  “Seriously?” I ask incredulously as I blink at him a few times, hearing my voice muffled by the helmet that covers my mouth too.

  “Seriously,” he confirms with another nod.

  Since I clearly have no choice in the matter, I huff out a breath of frustration and waddle like a fool toward the sled.

  Tate and Porter snort and turn away as their bodies shake with silent laughter. I no longer feel guilty about how bad they still smell. The next time they complain about it, I’ll laugh like an evil bitch.

  Those must have been some rancid fish.

  A few bubbles loudly pop when I can’t bend my knees enough to lower myself down gracefully and end up plopping down on the sled.

  This sets off a few more rounds of hushed laughter.

  It’s hard as hell to do, but I look over my shoulder to find Reese palming her face, staring at me through a crack in her fingers. She shakes her head as though she truly pities me right now.

  On the plus side, I feel pretty safe by the time he gets in behind me and we shove off.

  That is…until the sled dips straight down and I realize just how steep this drop really is. It didn’t seem all that bad…until now.

  Just as my stomach finally climbs all the way to the middle of my throat, a scream erupts.

  Kai curses from behind me, my eyes widen in horror at the trees at the bottom of the hill, and I question why he has a death wish or something.

  “Don’t wiggle!” he shouts, but I don’t think I’m wiggling.

  I think I’m vibrating right the hell off the side of the sled, and with my arms and legs out of commission, all I can rely on is him. I don’t think he knows that.

  Or I don’t think he’s strong enough to keep me on the sled, steer it, and keep himself on it, all while leaning and balancing just right to keep us from—

  My breath leaves in a rush when my side pounds the snow, the sled finally tipping. He grunts somewhere close by, and rolls right over the top of me in the next instant.

  The world spins round and round and round and…sheesh. It won’t stop spinning.

  Wet snow splashes up my legs and all over my neck, the two main access points to my body.

  Things are still spinning a little even when Kai is suddenly leaning over me, eyes narrowed as he just stares at me.

  Did we stop rolling downhill?

  “That wasn’t my fault!” I shout.

  He sighs, drops back on his haunches, and shakes his head until laughter slowly starts to bubble out of h
im. From there, his laughter only gets louder as I wiggle on the ground, trying and failing to sit up.

  I’d be humiliated, if I didn’t find his laughter infectious. As he starts laughing so hard he has to lie back, clutching his side, I find it impossible to even breathe through my own guffaws.

  I’ll go back seducing him the old-fashioned way. Clearly I’m not cut out for this.

  Wild Ones Tip #471

  Subtlety is usually lost on us. Blame it on our obnoxious raising.

  Chapter 18

  KAI

  *******

  “Look at the cute little onesie I bought!” Ma says as she follows me out the door.

  “Why are you in my house again?” I groan. “And why are you buying baby clothes?”

  “It’s green. Green’s a neutral color. I’m not an idiot. It’s not wasteful,” she argues…

  “Ma, for the last time, Piper’s not having my kids. She’s leaving in nine days.”

  And she’s been acting weird lately. I’ve been struggling to behave myself, and she’s been cuddled up to me, touching me, and apparently not realizing how real my struggle is. Just the slightest touch has my dick at attention.

  It’s all I can do not to shove her to the ground, rip off those fancy clothes she likes so much, and keep her to myself for what time I have left with her.

  I know how fucking stupid that would be though.

  “You spend every waking moment with that girl. It’s only natural for me to assume my precious babies are being formed as we speak,” Ma sighs wistfully.

  “Stop following me,” I tell her as she gets in the Jeep, ignoring me.

  “I want to show her my onesie,” Ma states in interruption. “Baby clothes always give girls baby fever.”

  “If you show her that onesie, she’ll be on the first plane out of here earlier than expected.”

  “That girl gets hearts in her eyes every time she’s around you. She’s not going anywhere,” Ma states, saying something flippant that she shouldn’t be so flippant about.

  Piper has reaffirmed numerous times that she has to go home. Saying anything to contrary is pretty fucking horrible to do, since it’s giving me false hope.

  I drive us toward Piper’s, wondering how much my mother is going to embarrass her today.

  Yesterday, she examined her stomach in front of everyone in town. Then she measured it. And she wrote the measurements down in the baby book she’s carrying around.

  Unbelievable.

  Piper tried getting me to stay in with her to watch some old movies, but with how much cleavage she had showing, I knew it’d be a bad idea.

  She doesn’t know what she does to me.

  The day before that, she was just in her underwear when I showed up. Obviously, I apologized and walked out for her to change, but then she acted pissed the rest of the day while claiming she was fine. She didn’t act fine at all. I told her what time I’d be there. It’s not like it’s my fault she wasn’t dressed yet.

  I’m not sure what the big deal was. I’ve seen her naked.

  A groan escapes me, and then…I remember Ma is in the Jeep with me, and all feelings of lust get squashed real damn fast.

  “The town really likes her. And she fits in so well with all you rowdy kids.”

  “Ma, I’d hardly call me a kid. I’m closer to thirty than twenty these days,” I remind her on a tired sigh as I park in front of Piper’s cabin. “Behave the best you’re capable of behaving. Don’t measure her stomach. In fact, don’t touch her at all. Your lack of personal boundaries with people is just too much.”

  “I don’t think I have personal boundary issues,” she says with a frown.

  Arguing will get me nowhere with her on this matter, so I get out, hoping Ma doesn’t do something outrageous.

  I knock really hard, just in case she’s not dressed. I don’t need her pissed at me again.

  “Come in!” Piper says in a slightly high-pitched tone.

  Why does she sound nervous?

  I picture someone holding a gun to her head, so I shove inside, ready to beat someone to a pulp, and…

  And…

  And…

  I don’t really know what to say or do.

  Piper is bent over the kitchen counter, looking over her shoulder as she bites down on her finger. All she’s wearing is an apron.

  All she’s wearing is an apron.

  All…she’s…wearing is…an apron.

  It’s pink.

  It’s all she’s wearing. Did I mention it’s all she’s wearing? It’s a pretty important detail I can’t seem to look away from.

  I sniff the air, wondering why there’s no scent of food. What’s she cooking?

  Two powdered handprints are on her bare, perfectly round ass, and she blinks at me several times as my mouth opens and closes and—

  All of the sudden, Piper screams, her eyes widen, and she falls to the floor as she scrambles around on her hands and knees, her bare, hand-printed ass still exposed, as she darts behind the couch. She falls before she’s hidden from sight and lands on her stomach, only confusing the actual fuck out of me as my mind tries to process what I’m seeing.

  “Oh, dear. I interrupted baby making,” Ma states flatly, fanning herself as she stares at Piper’s ass that is still sticking out from behind the couch. “Or the abominable snowman got his hands on her ass before you could. One or the other,” Ma adds.

  Piper whimpers and bounces to her knees, before crawling out of sight completely. Why was her entire body turning red? Is she okay? Is she sick? Why is she just wearing an apron?!

  “I’m so sorry, Greta!” she shouts from behind the couch. “I had no idea you’d be with him.”

  While I’m scratching my head, Ma slowly backs out of the house.

  “Be patient with him. I raised a bunch of dummies,” she tells her before the door shuts.

  What the hell is that supposed to mean?

  I guess it’s true that girls really aren’t ever ready on time. I’m sure as shit never letting my brothers come over here.

  Wild Ones Tip #780

  Regrets are for schmucks. You get one life. Live it with a helmet on.

  Chapter 19

  PIPER

  *******

  Kill. Me. Now.

  Please.

  Put me out of my misery.

  “Go bold,” Reese said. “Make it impossible for him to misinterpret your actions if you’re too big of a chicken just to tell him what you want.”

  This is what I get for not even knowing what I want and trying to skirt around having to talk about it. What am I doing?

  “Piper? You okay?” Kai asks, sounding genuinely worried.

  “Your mom just saw me mostly naked and thinks a yeti got his hands on me. No, Kai. No, I’m not okay,” I state through a whimper, feeling my entire body engulfed by the flames of pure, unadulterated shame.

  This is possibly the most mortifying experience of my entire life.

  The door cracks open, and I hear a loud throat-clearing. “I’ll just leave the onesie I brought by. Hopefully you’ll need it sooner than later,” Greta chirps.

  The door abruptly shuts again, and I whimper into my elbow as my entire body burns that much more.

  This is possibly the largest epic fail at being seductive in the history of failed seduction.

  “Why are you just wearing an apron?” he asks with what sounds like genuine confusion.

  Every failed attempt at using my subpar feminine wiles brings me closer to one grave realization: Kai Wilder is a bachelor because he’s completely and utterly oblivious.

  It’d be refreshing…if I wasn’t lying on the ground covered in flour, shame, and humiliation. It’d also be great if I was a girl who knew exactly what I wanted and went for it by jumping in with both feet, instead of timidly sticking one toe in the water at a time.

  Baked goods is their thing. I thought a sexy baker was the best way to seduce him. I was supposed to be freaking irresistible.

&
nbsp; Cursing, I push to my hands and knees and peer over the top of the couch. His eyes find mine, clearly bewildered. His eyebrows couldn’t get any higher unless he cut them off his face and glued them to his hairline.

  “Why are you so red?” he asks, blinking a few times.

  “Because your mother just caught me trying to seduce you in the most lewd way I’ve tried to seduce you yet,” I confess, keeping my face mostly hidden, only brave enough to continue peering at him from the safety of my spot behind the couch.

  His eyes widen like that’s shocking news he never could have figured out all on his own.

  Yep.

  I knew it.

  Completely and utterly oblivious.

  “You were trying to seduce me?” he asks as though he’s baffled by the notion.

  My annoyance heating and eating up some of the burning humiliation, I stand with an indignant huff and gesture down to the frilly pink apron that barely hides my nipples and my Brazilian wax.

  He swallows thickly and tugs at the collar on his shirt, the first indication in weeks that he finds me even remotely attractive. I feel so friend-zoned again, and I have developed a complex about that, since we’ve had sex!

  I found it to be toe-curling epic sex that has plagued my mind ever since. I wish I’d known how one-sided that was.

  “Of course I’m trying to seduce you! Why else would I be naked under a ridiculously girly apron?”

  He clears his throat a few times, and his mouth seems to struggle to keep a respectable firm line.

  Is that bastard fighting a smile right now?!

  “Your clothes are fancy. I just assumed you wanted to keep them clean. I was more confused about why you were in an apron when nothing’s cooking,” he confesses, his lips definitely fighting a grin.

  He coughs, but it sounds like he’s suspiciously masking another sound.

  Is that bastard fighting a laugh?!

  “Don’t you dare find this funny! This is mortifying!” I say…well…it’s more like yelling, because I just can’t pretend to be civil right now.