Page 42 of Casual Felonies (Wildlings #1)
TRUETT
“Oh shit.”
I don’t have time to move out of the way when I spy Oakley barreling down at me. He grabs me at a run, pulling me into the water with him, both of us fully clothed. Oakley’s a big wall of a guy, so it’s a good thing he likes me.
We break the surface to laughter and loud clapping.
“Welcome, Truett. You’re officially a Wildling now,” Maya calls out, grinning broadly.
I step out of the pool, my T-shirt and jeans spackled to my body, and send middle fingers to everyone. “I was told this was a dinner party, not a pool party.”
Oakley lifts a shoulder. “Sometimes it’s both. You should always bring trunks just in case.”
I pull the wet material away from my chest, and Rami lets out a long wolf whistle, which starts off another round of teasing and laughter.
“Take your shirt off!” Someone— Maverick —shouts.
He should really stop teasing me because I’m the only reason Rami didn’t invite Booney to this little soiree.
“No, take off your jeans. ”
That was Maya.
Rami cackles. “No, ma’am. Y’all cannot handle what this man brings to the table. The jeans stay on.”
Grumbling under my breath, I pull him in close. “Are you hazing me? Is this some sort of hazing ritual?”
“It’s all done with love.”
Rami’s grin freezes and his eyes widen. “I didn’t mean love love. Just, you know, family-slash-Wildling love. Unless that freaks you out, and then?—”
It’s been a few weeks since Rami last freaked out around the L-word, and while I’m tempted to drag this out, I don’t have it in me. Instead, I cut off his panicked rambling with a kiss.
Then, before he can overthink it, I pull him to me, wrapping him in all of my sopping wet goodness. He screams and I throw my head back in laughter. More free than I’ve felt in a long, long time.
Adoring his disgruntled pout, I take a page out of Oakley’s book, pick Rami up, and jump into the pool with him.
The water rushes up all around us, and Rami, surrounded by bubbles and light, his eyes scrunched closed with his mouth in a wide grin, takes my breath away.
We break the surface and he sputters, “ Ugh . Why do you hate me?”
“You know I could never hate you,” I say, pushing the hair off his forehead before kissing his chilled lips. “In fact, I bet you know that I have one hundred percent, completely, helplessly fallen in love with you.”
Rami’s Adam’s apple bobs. “Really?”
Ignoring the various cat calls, I wipe the water off my face and look into his dazzling eyes so he can see the truth of things. “Really. I never thought I would find my person. But you are it for me, and I love you.”
He lowers his chin into the water, his cheeks flushed. “You know I feel the same, right? ”
I hold my hand to my ear. “What was that?”
He smacks my wet shoulder. “You know I love you too. I’ve practically been in love with you since the beginning.”
“I do know that. I just enjoy making you say it.”
“You are the worst !” he says, splashing me. “I take it back. I don’t love you at all!”
I laugh and pull him into my arms. “Liar,” I say, kissing his nose. “You love me as much as I love you.”
The party swirling around us goes quiet, and we look up to find the Wildlings standing around the pool with grins as big as Texas on their faces.
“You love him, brother?” Maya asks, her eyes shiny.
“More than I’ve ever loved anyone in my life.”
She looks at me, hopeful.
“Same. I love him more than I ever thought possible.”
With that, a shout goes up and the rest of the Wildlings jump into the pool with us, every single one of them fully clothed. They surround us, hugging us, roughing our hair, kissing our cheeks.
“You’re definitely one of us,” Silas says, grinning as water drips off his chin.
“And so are you,” Maya says, placing a kiss on his temple.
Silas blushes and touches his temple to hers. “Thanks, cousin.” He turns back to me. “You should move into the penthouse. There’s plenty of room.”
“Dude,” Maverick says, bumping into his cousin. “You don’t even live here.”
“I’m just being practical. Truett’s over here almost as much as I am.”
He’s not wrong, but Rami’s worried expression tells me I have some work to do. I pull him in close, kissing him softly. Thoroughly.
“There’s nothing about the thought of moving in with you—when it’s the right time—that scares me. ”
“Wow, you really do love me,” he cracks, though there’s too much adoration in his eyes to make me worry he’s not right there with me.
“That I do.”
We spend a little time in the pool, then troop downstairs to change into dry clothes and get ready for dinner. Oakley’s got a grilled salmon recipe on the menu, and Sy is helping him with the prep.
Hopefully, those two will figure it out.
As for Rami and me, there are a lot of question marks in our future, but something tells me we’ll keep finding the answers at each other’s side.