Wild for You (The Wilds of Montana, #1)

by Kristen Proby

“Six pounds, four ounces,” the nurse says, “and eighteen inches long. She’s perfectly healthy, Mr. Wild.”

“But, my sweet girl, your mama didn’t make it. I’m so sorry.”

“Like the dwarf. Doc. You’ve been happy and sneezy and even dopey that day you said you had a blonde moment. Then you tended to my burn.” Now those green eyes narrow on me. “So, that would make you Grumpy.” I can’t stop the bark of laughter at that, and when she smiles, it makes my blood hum in a way that it hasn’t in years.

“I’m not a baby!” “Yes, you are,” I shoot back. “You’re my baby, and you’ll do as I say for as long as you live in my house.” “I want to move in with Grandma.”

Damn it, maybe my dad’s right. I need some help.

I turn to glare at my brother, Brady. “So?” “So, what’s wrong with you? I mean, you’re usually a grumpy fuck, but you’re not typically an asshole on top of it. What crawled up your ass?” Leave it to my brothers to call me out on my shit.

“My boy. You always were the quiet, serious one. Don’t forget to have a little fun.” “Thanks, Mom.”

“Thanks for not yelling.” He shuffles from one foot to the other. “I mean, you don’t usually yell real loud, but we don’t usually mess up this bad, and you’ve been really mad lately. So, thanks for not yelling.” And with that, he runs off behind his sister, and I have to take a minute to myself. Yeah, I’ve been mad. I’ve been frustrated. And as of right now, I’m going to stop taking it out on my kids.

“I think you need a nanny,” she announces. “How will hiring someone else to be with my kids actually give me more time with my kids?” “You need help to get them to and from school. Taking them to appointments. Helping with homework and all the other little things that you don’t have time for. Then, when you’re here, you can just be with them, and not worry about all the shit you haven’t done. You can spend quality time with them, Rem. They’re craving that with you right now.”

“Are you lost?” I don’t know what it is about this woman, but my body fucking hums whenever I’m near her. And I had no idea that this was the person Millie was sending my way to interview as a potential nanny. Fuck me. How am I supposed to have her in my house all the time and keep my hands to myself?

“I like your kids a lot,” she admits with a smile. “They’re cute, and they’re not little monsters. Their dad has some alpha vibes going on, but I can deal with that.”

“Stop looking at your phone. Jesus, did you put a location tracker on hers or something?” “Wait, I can do that?” Brady rolls his eyes. “No, stalker, you can’t. It’s an invasion of privacy.”

Remington Wild is maybe the sexiest man I’ve ever met, and I guess that means that I like broody men because I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen him smile.

“Where was your favorite place to visit?” “Before I came here? Iceland. But now it’s here. I could be here in Bitterroot Valley for the rest of my days and never get tired of it. I knew the second I landed here that this was where I was supposed to be.”

Leave it to me to hire the hottest goddamn nanny on the planet. Her skin is luminous in the firelight, and those green eyes of hers… well, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like them. She’s fucking gorgeous, and my kids love her.

Erin Montgomery has a rock-solid work ethic, legs that go on for days, and an expressive face that never fails to show me exactly what she’s thinking. And right now, she wants me to kiss her.

“What?” “You’re not always grumpy after all.”

Erin bites her lower lip, and that’s it. My control snaps. “Fucking hell, those lips,”

“I shouldn’t have done that.” I nuzzle her nose with mine. “But damn it, you’d tempt a saint, and I’m not a saint. You’re so fucking beautiful.”

I don’t want her to leave yet. I want to talk to her, the way we did by the fire last week. Jesus, I want to kiss her again more than I want my next breath. She should be living here, on the ranch. She’s here most of the time anyway.

“No. Seriously, it didn’t hit hard. I just went into the ditch. To avoid a deer. And yes, I know that you’re not supposed to do that, but I couldn’t live with myself if I hit and killed a poor, defenseless deer.”

With a sigh, he rests his forehead against mine, and for the first time since I met him, he seems…vulnerable.

“Yeah,” he continues, “there’s chemistry here. Attraction. Fucking hell, I want to toss you onto that bed and kiss every inch of your body so bad that I ache with it, but I’m not an asshole. There’s a line.”

“Are you trying to play matchmaker?” “I don’t have to,” she replies with a big laugh. “Honey, I can see how you look at her.” “And how is that?” “Like you’ve waited for her all your life. And that’s something else that I love about her. She’s awoken something in you that’s been sleeping for a very long time.”

I see the way you look at my daughter. I don’t exactly love it, but”—he shrugs—“not much I can do about that.” And that’s twice today that someone has mentioned to me that I look at Erin in a certain way. Jesus, do I have lovesick written across my forehead?

When I open the door, a very sexy Remington Wild is waiting for me, a towel in his hands. He steps forward and wraps me in it, and I’m surprised to find that it’s warm. “Did you put this in the dryer?” “No one likes a cold towel.”

“Fuck me hard and fast.” With his mouth on mine again, he starts to move, and I groan in frustration when it’s not hard and fast. It’s hard. But there’s no fast. “Rem.” “I’ve been waiting a long damn time for this,” he says in my ear. “If you think I’m here for a quickie, you’re dead wrong.”

“Open your pretty eyes and watch me when you fucking come.”

Do you have a favorite flower?” “Daffodils,” she says, her eyes still closed. “They’re happy, and they’re the first to pop up in the spring, as if they’re too excited to be here and can’t wait another minute.” Most women would say roses or something common. But not this girl.

“She’s more than a decade younger than me.” “But she’s not a kid,” he reminds me. “Is that the only thing that worries you?” “It’s the biggest thing. If it was Holly, I’d kick my ass.”

When I turn around, I see a sweatshirt folded on the end of the bed. It’s a Montana State University sweatshirt, in blue and gold, and when I pick it up and smell it, it smells like Remington. “He gave me his shirt,” I mutter before burying my nose in it once more. It’s definitely seen better days, so it’s obviously something that he once wore often. I absolutely love it.

Millie really is the best friend I’ve ever had.

“I’m full.” “Too full for cheesecake?” I bite my lower lip. “Are we sharing?” “Fuck no, we aren’t sharing.” “Yeah, I want cheesecake.”

He won’t touch my children.” “No, he won’t.” I have to pull in a breath as just the thought of either of those precious kids having even a hair on their head out of place fills me with absolute horror. “And he won’t fuck with you, either. I’ll kill him first.” I pull back and stare up at him in surprise. “Rem⁠—” “I mean it. He doesn’t know who he’s fucking with.”

“Good girl.” You know, I always thought I’d deck the first guy to say good girl to me like that, but it turns out that it’s hot as fuck.

“The way I lose myself in you every time,” he growls into my ear. “Don’t you see that I’m falling in love with you? It fucking scares me, but it’s true.”

“You’ll stay,” he says at last. “Because you leaving isn’t a motherfucking option.” “No.” I swallow hard, also fighting to catch my breath. “Leaving isn’t an option for either of us.”

“How did I get so lucky to have such an awesome community of people around me?” “You moved to Bitterroot Valley,” she says with a wink. “We take care of our own here.

“That’s what I’m asking you, but I’m doing a crappy job of it.” “That’s a swear,” Holly says. “No, crap isn’t a swear,” Johnny replies. “You’re thinking of shit.” “Oh, yeah.” I eye my son, who just smiles angelically.

“I asked the kids if they’d be okay with you and I…uh, you know…were together.” “He wants you to be his girlfriend,” Holly announces with glee, which makes Remington cringe. “Really?” I can’t help but grin up at him and step just a little closer. “Is that true, Grumpy?”

“I didn’t think I’d enjoy outside sex.” “And now?” “Ten out of ten stars. Would highly recommend.” “Oh, we can definitely do this under the stars sometime.” “That’s not what I—” I stop when he just grins at me.

“We need to check you for ticks.” Her eyebrows shoot up at that. “Excuse me?” “Ticks. It’s spring, and there are ticks.” “That might be the most unromantic thing anyone has ever said to me in my life.”

“God, you’re good at the dirty talk. It’s always the grumpy ones.”

“I fucking love the way you look here, in my bed, in my room. Naked and still buzzing from having my cock inside of you.” “Keep it up and you’ll be late for work,”

“You’re going to marry her.” It’s not a dare, not an accusation. It’s just a simple statement. “Yeah.” I push my hand through my hair. “I am. Haven’t asked her yet, though.”

“He is hot. And he’s a really good dad. Why is that so sexy?” “Because not all dads are good,” Abbi says ruefully. “So, when they are, it’s hot as hell.”

“I love you, too,” he whispers against my lips. “Madly. Stupidly. Irrevocably. I’m wild for you, Doc.”