Free Wilde Edge by Susan Hayes

and then it was
gone as suddenly as it had come. It was the same feeling she’d had when she had
caught Tag staring at her office window the day they’d met. Maybe what she felt
was fate, giving her a nudge.
    More
likely it’s Dad, kicking me in the ass and telling me it’s time to get on with
my life.
    The thought made her smile for a
second before she remembered Tag’s warning. She had no doubt that, if she was
more than five minutes late, he’d be coming after her. She sprinted to the
bathroom, the grin still on her face.

 
    Chapter Six
     
    Tag had taken a second to will his
dick to go back to sleep before walking back into his new suite. His entry was
met with another round of applause. Even Dave was laughing while the rest of
his bastard brothers were outright cheering.
    “I’ve seen that look on someone
else’s face recently, and it does not bode well for you,” Jared said between
sniggers of laughter.
    “Yeah, where?” Tag asked, heading through the open living space toward the kitchen. He needed
a beer.
    “On Ben’s face, the first night he
brought Kelly to the pub. I remember it, because when he caught you flirting
with her he glared at you the same way you were glowering at us a few minutes
ago. Looks like Ben’s not the only possessive male in
this family.”
    “Damn right I’m possessive. And if
I catch any of you flirting with Jolena I will do a
lot more than glare.” He twisted the lid off the bottle and tossed it onto the
countertop with enough force it skittered and skipped until it hit the wall.
    He took a long pull of his beer and
tried to get a hold of his runaway temper. He knew the guys were only teasing
him, but somehow the idea of another man looking at his angel had him ready to
commit fratricide. Suddenly he had a whole new perspective on what it must have
been like for Ben the first time they’d all met Kelly.
    Fucking hell, how could Jolena get so far under his skin after just one date?
    The faint patter of footsteps
coming down the outside stairs announced Jolena’s arrival, and he shot a warning look at his siblings. “Behave yourselves.”
    He met Jolena at the door, tucking her smaller hand into his before leading her back inside.
He loved the strength in her hands, the slight roughness to her fingers that
made her touch different from any other woman he’d been with. Those fingers
were gripping him tightly as he introduced her to everyone. “You already know
Nick, and you met Ben and Chase earlier. The two blonds are my older brothers,
Jared and Dave.”
    “Hi. It’s nice to meet everyone.”
Jo said, glancing around the room with interest.
    “It doesn’t look like the same
place, does it?” Tag asked and she shook her head, gesturing to the leather and
chrome furniture and his large, flat screen television.
    “Not at all. Now it looks like a guy lives here.”
    Several of them laughed at that,
and Jo relaxed a little. After that, conversation flowed easier, and soon all
six of them were eating pizza and talking. Nick kept unpacking as the others
chatted, trying to get the kitchen organized. He was kneeling on the floor,
putting away a batch of cookware when the laughter got louder, piquing his
interest. He tuned into the conversation going on a few feet away.
    “...So Tag’s hanging onto the
window ledge, mom’s beloved climbing rose trellis is busted and lying all over
the lawn, while Mom is yelling and Dad is trying to haul his sorry ass back
inside the house,” Jared said, and Tag cursed.
      If you couldn’t trust
family…
    He stood, ignoring the pain in his
leg as he slapped a hand down on the countertop, drawing everyone’s attention.
“If we’re down to telling that tired story, then it’s time you guys went home.
Angel, don’t you believe a word of this shit they’re spewing. I was a saint
growing up, unlike these miscreants.”
    “Uh huh. Sure you were. That’s why you were the one working undercover, because you just
scream innocence and