Page 21 of Wrangling Wade

"Appreciate that," I murmur. "I've got shit to do."

"So long as that shit isn't hitting Palmer in the face again." He arches a brow at me. "You two were already in a bar fight last week. And now this."

"How do you…" I trail off, shaking my head. Of course he knows about the bar fight. Dillon is a nosy bastard. He probably knew about the fight five minutes after it happened.

I step out of the cell, shoving my hat back onto my head, and then pause. "How much did she pay to bail me out?"

"Five hundred," he says. "Debit card."

"Goddammit." I pinch the bridge of my nose. "You couldn't have told her no?"

"Motherfucker, do I look like I make a habit of telling women in this town no?" he asks, shooting me a look. "I'm not that stupid. You assholes stress me out enough. I'm not trying to have every woman in town on my ass, too. If one wants to bail one of you out, I just smile and agree. Not my woman, not my problem. You have fun sorting that out."

"Chickenshit."

He just laughs in response to the insult, smirking at me. "Sticks and stones, Jessup. Sticks and stones."

I step around him to leave, but he halts me with a hand on my arm.

"I meant what I said," he says, his voice pitched low. "I'll deal with Palmer. You stay out of it, all right?"

"Happy to," I agree. "Just so long as he stays the fuck away from Harlow."

"Well, we can actually make that happen," he says with a grin. "There's a No Contact Order on account of you breaking his nose. The order goes both ways. If he violates it, he goes to jail just like you do if you violate it. So keep her close to you, and your problem is solved."

That…actually, that might work. Palmer is a prick, but he's also a fucking coward. He won't risk jail time just to piss me off.

"Thanks," I mutter, relaxing for the first time since Dillon's deputy slapped cuffs on me hours ago.

"No problem."

Irelax further whenI step into the lobby to find Harlow pacing a hole in the floor, her hands clasped in front of her. She looks worried as hell.

The sight of her loosens knots all over my body.

"Hey, beautiful," I murmur.

She whips her head up, her steps faltering. I know she's happy to see me the moment our eyes meet. The way she looks at me…fuck. I want her to keep looking at me just like that, forever.

"Wade!" she cries, practically flying across the tiled floor to me. She hits my chest like a meteor, knocking me back a step. "I was so worried!"

I catch her, hauling her up against my chest to bury my face in her throat. Christ, she smells better than the cell. So much fucking better. I inhale deeply, my lips brushing her throat. "I'm all good, baby."

I'm an asshole for loving that she was worried about me; I know I am. But I love it anyway. It means she cares. Even if she doesn't realize it yet, she's falling for me. It's why she bailed me out. It's why she stayed. It's why she's worried.

God, please let her be falling for me.I'm not a man who needs much. I'm not one who asks for much, either. But I need this woman to fall for me. I need her to let herself love me.

I need her, every beautiful, fragile, fiery, perfect piece of her.

"Can we go home now?" she asks, clinging to my shoulders.

"Yeah, we can go home now."

She sighs softly, tensing like she's going to step back. I scoop her up into my arms instead, not ready to let her go just yet.

"W-what are you doing?" she whispers, her eyes wide in her pale face.

"Carrying you," I murmur, already striding toward the doors.