The Wild Ones (The Wild Ones #1)(27)
Author: M. Leighton

“Hell yeah I want to! But I can’t. I shouldn’t.”

“I know. And I admire you for your…restraint.”

Before she even finishes the sentence, she’s biting her lip and tugging on the zipper to her shorts. She wiggles her thumbs under the waistband and shimmies her hips back and forth. But slowly, like she’s actually doing a strip tease. My mouth goes completely dry as I watch the material make its way down her slim legs.

When her shorts are pooled around her ankles, she steps out of them and flings them away. I notice she jacks her chin up a notch, like she’s not used to being on display but she’s determined to be cool about it. That makes it even sexier in my opinion.

The triangle of lace between her legs matches her bra. I don’t really much care either way. I’m as much as fan of white cotton as I am of sexy lingerie. I don’t pay any of it a lot of attention. I’m much more interested in what’s underneath.

Cami is built perfectly. At first I’m surprised that, with a body like that—long legs, tight stomach, curvy hips, narrow waist, awesome rack—she doesn’t wear more revealing clothes. But then, when I think of her personality, of what she’s really like, I’m not surprised at all. I’d say she’s picky about who sees her like this, and the fact that she saves it for a few select people makes me want her that much more.

“You do realize you’re perfect, right?”

She looks down, letting her hair fall forward to hide her face. But not before I see the smile of pure pleasure pulling at her lips. I can’t help but wonder what things are like with that boyfriend of hers. Doesn’t he tell her how beautiful she is? Doesn’t he know how lucky he is to have a girl like this? To touch her whenever he wants to, probably with her daddy’s blessing?

Those thoughts bring a very unwelcome dark cloud to the night, so I put them out of my mind and make a point to keep things light. For both our sakes.

“Now, are you getting in or am I gonna have to throw you in?”

She looks confused at first, but then I see her face light up when she captures the mischief of the night.

That’s more like it.

Although it works to relieve the tension, in my head I know all she has to do is move the wrong way or touch me the right way and my rock hard willpower will crumble like day old bread.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE – Cami

We play in the pool for a while. Believe it or not, Jenna and Rusty are fairly social, although I can tell they’d like nothing more than to be alone.

We talk about old cars and Rusty’s garage. We talk about horses and Rusty jokes about Trick being like the horse whisperer. We talk about the band and the fact that Trick can sing as well as play the guitar and the drums. That makes more sense now when I think about stumbling upon them playing make-believe instruments with Trick being the drummer.

“Did you tell her about your big dream?” Rusty asks Trick.

“Why do I ever tell you anything?”

“What? Was it a secret? You gotta tell me these things, man! How am I supposed to know?”

Trick rolls his eyes, but he’s still smiling. Now I’m intrigued and have to ask, “So, what is it? I thought you wanted to be a veterinarian.”

“I do. And I plan to. What Rusty’s talking about is more of a stretch than being a vet.”

When he doesn’t continue, I prompt him. “Well? Are you gonna make me beg?”

Trick raises one brow and my heart stutters in my chest. I wonder if he knows I’m almost to that point already. Only it has nothing to do with hearing his dream and everything to do with him kissing me.

“Not tonight,” he says softly.

I hear Jenna make a noise that’s a cross between a gasp and a snicker. I know which side she’s on. She’d love nothing more than for me to cut loose with Trick. I’m beginning to think I would, too.

“It has to do with a small herd of wild horses up around the Outer Banks.”

“Wild horses?”

“Yeah, some of them are from the original Spanish Mustang bloodline. They’d be incredible racers if they could be broken.”

I put two and two together. “And what? You want to try and break one?”

“You don’t have to sound so confident,” he teases.

“It’s not that, it’s just…well, I mean, has it ever been done? Has anyone ever broken one of the wild horses?”

“I’ve heard of it, but I don’t think anyone’s ever tried to race one.”

“And you think you could do it?”

Trick looks right at me, his smile slow and assured. “Yeah, I really do. Some even say the wild ones are the best.”

I think of how far he’s come with Highland Runner, who was too wild even for Sooty. I’ve heard tales of people who have a special gift, a special connection to horses, so much so that they can ride and train almost any horse. Maybe Trick has…whatever it is. If he could do it, and the horse raced well, he’d make an instant name for himself in the horse racing world.

I return his smile. “You know, as crazy as it sounds, I really don’t doubt it.”

His smile widens and he winks. “Smart girl. You should never doubt me.”

“That’s true unless you’re doubting he’d steal your virtue,” Rusty says with a laugh. “He’s wilder than any of those damn horses.”

“You’re such a liar,” Trick punches Rusty in the arm. It’s playful, but I see him glare in a way that seems like a warning. In my head, there is definitely a warning there, and it’s duly noted. He turns to me. “He’s exaggerating. He exaggerates everything!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rusty asks.

“Nothing. I just want the ladies to know how to do anti-Rus math. Take any length he gives you, divide by two and subtract an inch. That’s much more accurate.”

Rusty flings himself out of the water and tackles Trick, shoving his head under the water. They both laugh, as do Jenna and I, but the unease is still with me. Is he really nothing more than a player? After only one thing?

Shortly after that, we get out of the water and head back down to the stable. Jenna is still teasing Rusty about his exaggerations.

“You don’t believe me, but when this guy used to play regularly with the band, the chicks would go wild! He was like a rock star.”

“You’re so full of shit,” Trick mutters with a chuckle.

“You know it’s true, man. This dude can pick. More than just the other night in the field, I’m tellin’ ya. Makes the ladies’ panties fall right off.”