Wild Card

by Elsie Silver

And you are giving off some serious stay-the-fuck-away energy.” I quirk a disbelieving brow at the woman. “Stay-the-fuck-away energy?” She hits me with a conspiratorial smile. “Yes. If you were a house, I would sage you.”

“I never got your messages, and if I had…” I swallow, trailing off and licking my lips. “I…” A frustrated groan lurches from my throat when I see the devastation etched on this man’s face as he looks beyond me, staring blankly at the perfectly white wall. He’s gutted. I see it on his face. I feel it in his body. Hell, I can feel it in my own. This is a cruel, cruel joke. Because I may not know him well, but I ache for him all the same. I would have chosen him.

Sorry, I’ve been obsessing over your girlfriend for months, blew my shot because, in the fog of pulling an all-nighter, I missed one fucking number, and now I’ll never have her.

“But, Bash, what if you live?” Her question echoes in my head as her warm palm molds to mine. I feel her pulse. It thrums through my body. Hell, maybe I even feel the earth beneath my feet a little differently. All I know is that the first thing that comes to mind is, If I live, I’m coming after you.

As my hand wraps around the handle, I steel myself because every time I lay eyes on her, it’s this full-body, visceral reaction. I freeze up like a fucking teenager. My heart pounds. My hands get clammy. And I have to clamp my molars together to keep from sighing like an awestruck little boy. Because Gwen isn’t just hot as fuck. She’s kind. And fun. And thoughtful. And flexible.

“Oh, I tried to play strip poker with him. But I took my socks off and he got a massive boner, then acted all weird. Ran off to bed.” Then she laughs. A high, manic giggle. My jaw unhinges. Is she fucking kidding me? She’s going to pay for that one.

“You know what?” I snarl, yanking her toward me, staring at her plush mouth as her lips softly part—no doubt to say something infuriating. But I don’t let her get a word in edgewise. “Fuck it,” I mutter. Then I kiss her.

He catches me staring at his mouth, his gaze dropping to mine for only a beat. “Head out of the gutter, Dawson. I’m telling you some of the emergency protocols.” My stomach flips. He scolds me with such endearment. I haven’t caught a single word of his spiel. “Sorry, concentrating is hard right now. Have you heard of competence porn? It’s kind of my thing. And you, Bash, are extremely competent.” He shakes his head, amusement curving his lips as his hands work to restrain me securely. “Just trying to keep you safe.”

“Bash,” she says on a moan, her hand propped against the headrest behind me, full lashes drawn low. “Careful.” “Careful of what?” I ask as I pull away to take a turn watching where my hand disappears between her legs. “I’m close.” “Yeah?” She nods, and I add a third finger, reveling in the desperate cry that spills from her lips. “Good. Come on my fingers. Then I’ll make you come while you ride my cock.” Her eyes go wide now, her tongue darting out to lick her lips. “Here?” I lean in closer, trailing kisses up the side of her neck, my tongue darting out to taste her sweet skin. When I reach her ear, I return the favor and bite down on the lobe. “Yeah. And then at home. In my bed. In my shower. Bent over the balcony with a view of the lake. God, I’ve dreamed of this ass.”

“Tight as fuck,” I grit out, moving my hips in tandem with hers. “I love you like this.” “Like what?” she murmurs, entranced. “All mine.” Our eyes meet in the dim cockpit. “I am.” And fuck, it’s music to my ears. “Mine,” I repeat, increasing the speed of my shallow thrusts. “All yours,” she whispers, pulling me in for another kiss, clenching and releasing my girth as she does.

“What are you waiting for, Rousseau? You gonna fuck me or just stand there and stare?”

I hold a finger up to my mouth, reminding her to be quiet. “Shh, baby. We’re sneaking around here, remember?”

“Fuck, fuck!” she cries out again, and it’s too loud. I reach forward, cupping a hand over her mouth. “Gwen, baby, I need you to be quiet. You can scream for me later. But right now, I need you to shut your mouth and take this cock like the good girl I know you can be.”

“You’re a fucking wild card. Unpredictable and never what I expect. You scare the hell out of me every damn day. But today more than any of them.

I breathe him in. I breathe my anxiety out. I breathe him in. I breathe my doubt out. I breathe him in. I breathe my fears out. Because with Bash at my side, nothing feels as terrifying. “I’m never going to run again, okay?” I say, hoping he understands what I mean. I feel his head nod against the tops of my thighs. “Good, because I’m never letting you go.”

She catches sight of me on the balcony and grins. “Are you stalking me?” I lift my coffee in a silent cheers. “Of course. It’s one of my favorite pastimes.” “Creepy.” She winks. “But I like it.”

“Are you stalking me? Because I hope so,” I volley, shooting her a playful grin before taking her hand to help her down the embankment. “Nah. I just suddenly couldn’t feel the heavy weight of you staring at my chest and got to wondering where you went.”