Page 20 of Cold Foot Revenge (Wreck’s Mountains #7)

“Look, it’s not for me to throw that in your face ever.

It’s not for me to make you pay for your past. I know you now.

I think you’re great. Dance moves and all.

Plus, when we get into fights and you’re wrong, you can make it up to me by working a pole like you were the other night.

Where did you even learn to do all those tricks? ”

She laughed, and now she was fully back. Defensive, grenading Roxy was banished from the sanctuary of this room, where only they existed.

“What makes you think I’ll ever be wrong in an argument?” she asked.

“Oh God are you one of those who thinks she’s never wrong?”

“I’m good at arguing.”

“You’re also probably awesome at starting those arguments. I’ll only accept apologies in the form of private lap dances.”

Her grin was lighting up the room right now, and his heart was pounding so hard in his chest at how pretty she was laying here beside him in nothing but his t-shirt.

“Deal. What will you do when you’re wrong?” she asked.

“I’ll eat your pussy.” He meant it.

Her eyes flew wider. “Dylan,” she murmured in a shocked voice.

He shrugged his shoulders. “What? It’s an honest answer. Also, honest admission, I know I’m going to enjoy eating you out, so I’m already thinking of all the arguments I’m going to start with you.”

She cracked up and rolled onto her back. “Monster,” she said softly as her giggling settled in her chest.

“Not yet,” he said, growing serious.

A slight frown confiscated her pretty face. “We don’t have to go back to the Rabbit Hole. We can just go forward.”

He shook his head slowly. “And look over your shoulder for the rest of your life? No thanks, Wolf Mask.”

“You don’t understand what could happen.”

“Mmm, you don’t understand what is coming for the Rabbit Hole. This is boring conversation, let’s talk about fun stuff.”

“Like?”

“Like breakfast. They have the free kind here, and a waffle maker that makes waffles in the shape of Texas.”

“Whoo, fancy. I’ve never had a Texas waffle.”

“Syrup or no syrup? I need to know how to make your breakfast.”

“You would make me breakfast?”

“Hell yeah. I’ll figure out what you like. It’ll be fun.”

Her eyes were so big and vulnerable right now. “Okay. No syrup, only butter. Lots of butter.”

“Oooh, I don’t know if this is going to work anymore,” he joked. “I would do some shady shit for syrup.”

“Sweet tooth?” she asked.

“Yep. You?”

“I like salty better,” she admitted low, and cupped his dick with her hand.

Oh gah, this girl. Fuck, she was sexy. His cock swelled and hardened in an instant with her hand pressing against the zipper of his jeans. He rolled his hips against her touch and pulled her closer.

“I have to tell you something,” she told him.

“Tell me anything,” he urged her.

“It’s been a while for me.”

“Since what?”

“Since…you know.” She rubbed his dick. “I’ve been single for a while.”

And he knew what he would do. He sighed and pulled her hand up to his lips, kissed her knuckles there and then pulled her in close, hugged her against his chest. “And we can wait. There’s no rush. Today was a lot for you, and I didn’t bring you to this hotel for that. That’s not all I’m after.”

“Oh.” She looked confused. “You don’t want it?”

He snorted and hugged her tighter. “I can’t even physically list anything I want more than to bury myself so fuckin’ deep inside of you that you forget the day completely, but we’re new, and you still grenade. I can’t imagine what you would do in the morning if we fucked right now.”

She giggled. “I would probably be really well-behaved and maybe make you breakfast.”

He belted out a single laugh. “Or, you would wake up early, stare at me while I’m sleeping, convince yourself you need to leave me because I terrify you, and then sneak out and hitch a ride to who-the-hell-knows-where, and then I’ll be left wanting your body for the rest of my rotting life, and will always think about the girl that got away, and if I pushed us too far too fast. No thanks. ”

She’d gone quiet. “That actually sounds really accurate.” She eased back and looked at him. “You get to know people fast, don’t you? You understand people.”

“Only when I want to. It’s rare that I want to, just so you know.”

“When was the last time you had…you know?”

“Had sex?” He shook his head. “That’s a trap, I’m not answering that.”

“I won’t judge! Was it a long time ago?”

Dylan pursed his lips. “Let’s talk about something else.”

Roxy’s smile faded from her full lips. “Was it recently?”

“Wolf Mask,” he warned.

She went completely quiet, and he cursed internally.

With a sigh, he released her and scooted far enough back that he could see her face without crossing his damn eyes.

“What do you want to know?” He hated conversations like this, but maybe she was one of those women who needed to know exactly where she stood with a man.

“What was her name?” she asked softly.

He puffed air out of his cheeks and hated everything. “Rebecca? Or Carly? I think?”

“You don’t know her name?”

“I met her at a bar and took her home. She left right after and we never exchanged numbers or saw each other again. It was…emotionless.”

Roxy lay there quietly, but she still had her leg thrown over his. “Did you do that very often?” she asked.

“Well, this is a boner-killer conversation.”

She huffed a laugh. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m asking you this. You don’t owe me anything. It’s none of my business.”

“Then why are you asking?”

“Don’t be mean,” she murmured.

“I’m not. I really want to know what you’re feeling right now. Why are you asking?”

She closed her eyes like she was mortified when she uttered, “I feel jealous.”

Dylan tried to hide his smile. Truly, he did, but it felt so damn good that jealously was her emotion when they talked about other girls. That was a good sign, right?

“I get jealous thinking about the guys you dance for on your shifts,” he admitted. “We’re both a mess.”

She chewed the side of her lip and studied his face. “I don’t need to know names or how many times.”

“It’s not often. I was lonely. I was in a long-term relationship when Garret was Turned, and that fell apart quick when I moved to Darby.”

“Your ex that is from here?”

He nodded, not really wanting to talk about old relationships that he rarely thought about anymore.

He didn’t want to talk about hers either unless she needed to talk about Grave.

Dylan was tired of looking into the past for now, and his protective and possessive instincts had been a little over the top since he’d met her.

He wanted to just stay anchored in the moment, and steady. She needed steady.

“So, you’re sometimes-a-player, and other times not-a-player,” she mused.

“Ironically, I was in the committed relationship when I was off-the-rails wild, and now that I’m steady and boring, I haven’t settled into anything long-term.

I talked to a woman online for a few weeks not that long ago, but we didn’t even get to the meeting part.

Everything just kind of fizzles out quickly because there aren’t those really intense feelings.

Maybe I’m better wild,” he said, only half-teasing.

“Do you think you have walls up?” she asked, like she knew how to build walls. He bet she did.

“Maybe. The connection just hasn’t been there.” Not like with you. He didn’t say that part out loud, but a part of him wanted to. He’d never had this kind of connection with any woman but telling her that would make her run. He just had a feeling.

“Are you sure the truck is hidden well enough?” she asked, and it got to him—the worry in her voice. He hated that these fucks were scaring her. They were an hour out, but maybe he should’ve taken them farther just to put her at ease.

“There are a hundred hotels between us,” he said softly.

Her lips ticked up into a smile, but it faded quickly. “You’re right.”

“They didn’t get you, Roxy. They aren’t going to get you. Tomorrow you’ll stay here where it’s safe, and I’ll fix it. Give me a few hours and it’ll be done.”

“I can’t let you do that.”

“Yes you can. Just pretend I’m going to the grocery store or something.”

“Yeah right.”

He inhaled deeply and pressed a kiss onto her forehead, then drifted down to kiss her lips, and distract her. That was enough talk about the past and the future. They had tonight, right here, right now. The here and now was the only guarantee, and he didn’t want to waste it on worry.

His phone vibrated with a call in his back pocket.

He ignored it and cupped Roxy’s neck as she fell into his kiss.

God, he loved the way her body responded to his touch.

His phone vibrated again with the double call, and frustrated, he released her and ended the kiss, apologized and pulled his phone out to read the caller ID. Garret was calling. Crap.

“I’ve got to take this,” he murmured.

“Who is the boner-killer now?” she joked.

“Uuuh, my brother,” he muttered, connecting the call. “Hey, Gar. Can I call you—”

“Call me back? Like you’ve called me back at all this week? I have a story, Dylan. Ready?” Garret sounded pissed.

Dylan sighed and cast Roxy an apologetic glance before he stood and paced to the window. “Look, before you light me up—”

“Once upon a time there were two brothers.”

Oh, here he went.

“The two brothers were inseparable and did everything together. They told each other everything, and nothing could tear them apart. They would die for each other. They went through hell together. If they hurt each other, it was by accident, and they would come back and fix it. And then one day, one of the brothers grew distant, and quiet. He stared off into space a lot and stopped joking. He stopped laughing. The other brother was finding his place in the world, and it should’ve been the happiest time, with his brother at his side, but the quiet brother grew sadder as the other brother grew happier.

The happy brother felt bad, like he was doing something wrong—”

“Gar—”

“No, let me finish!”

“Gar—”

“I know you told Tawk not to tell me what you were doing. I asked him, and he told me he can’t talk to me about you, and that’s a secret, right? You’re going through something, and you can’t lean on me? You can lean on Tawk though?”

“Garret,” Dylan gritted out.

“It’s me! It’s me, Dylan. I’m here, and I know I’m doing something wrong, but I can’t figure out what it is.”

“I found your Maker.”

Silence filled the line.

Dylan hooked his hand on his hip and turned just in time to see Roxy disappearing into the bathroom to give him space.

“What did you say?” Garret whispered.

Dylan inhaled deeply and stared up at the ceiling, praying that he could find the right words to make Garret understand he hadn’t done a single thing wrong. “I found your Maker.”