Read Wilde Fire for Free Online

looked at me, there was something in them that made my stomach compress. When he took a step toward me, his jaw set in that way I’d seen a lot directed at me lately, something farther south compressed too.
    Suddenly, he stopped, staggering back into the hall like someone just shot him in the chest. “I’ve got to take a shower. And you’ve got to put some clothes on,” was all he said before continuing down the hall.
    What the hell?
    The sound of the bathroom door slamming was followed by the sound of the shower blasting on.
    Back to playing stand-in big brother, chastising me for running around in “my underwear,” because god knew who might walk through the front door. I wondered if he’d ever be able to see me as something other than the young girl he looked after.
    I was starting to believe he never would. I’d always be that little girl, no matter how old I was.
    Well too damn bad. I’d come here for a reason, and it wasn’t to assume our former roles. I might have started out the summer wanting one thing from him, but that had changed in the weeks since.
    I didn’t just want sex from Jake Wilde, I wanted what came before and after too. I wanted the rest. The waking up to each other the next morning, the date nights that came before, the adventure that was always there.
    He might not have wanted me like that, but fuck it. I hadn’t travelled this far and waited this long to leave without saying what I had to finally tell him.
    Shoving away from the counter, I marched out of the kitchen and didn’t stop until I was outside the bathroom door. I didn’t knock. I didn’t pause. I just threw the door opened and closed it behind me.
    “I’ve got something to say to you, Jake,” I said, trying to see through the steam billowing through the small room.
    “What the hell, Bree? I’m showering. We can talk later.” Despite his words, he didn’t sound pissed. He sounded . . . nervous.
    I couldn’t recall a time I’d heard Jake nervous. I didn’t think the emotion ran in his blood.
    “That’s perfect. You’re not going anywhere. You’ll have no choice but to hear what I’m saying.” I leaned into the sink, facing the shower. The glass doors were clouded, but I could still make him out behind them. My imagination filled in the rest. I felt my nipples harden watching him, so I made myself close my eyes because there was no way I could say what I needed to say with the view in front of me.
    “Go.” From his strained voice, I knew his jaw was clenched so tightly it was about to snap.
    “No.”
    He grunted in frustration. “Please go.”
    I kept my eyes closed. “No.”
    “Bree—”
    “I need to tell you something,” I interrupted, pulling every last reserve of courage I had at my disposal. I wasn’t sure how to put it, but I was a reporter by trade. We told the story as it was in as few words as possible. We didn’t do fluff and filler.
    When he stayed quiet, waiting, I sucked in a breath and got after it. “I need to tell you the reason I came here,” I started. “And it wasn’t just to gather research to write an article.” I paused and wet my lips. This was harder than I thought it was going to be. Then again, I never thought it would be so difficult to lure Jake Wilde into my bed.
    “Yeah?” Jake said after a minute.
    I shifted against the sink. Just say it, Bree. Be honest. “It was to get you into bed so I could finally get over you.”
    My abruptness surprised me as much as it seemed to surprise him. He was quiet. For so long. I opened my eyes. He was still in the shower, letting the water rain down on him, but he wasn’t moving.
    “What?” His voice echoed through the bathroom, dissipating into the steam.
    I pulled my braid over my shoulder and tugged at it nervously. He didn’t just sound surprised, he sounded . . . offended.
    Awesome, Bree. Just fucking awesome. Now he’s offended by you. Way to keep elevating yourself in Jake Wilde’s life.
    I continued though, because