Secretly Wild: Wilder Brothers, #3

By Nicole Elliot

I'm not the daddy type.

I love women in all shapes and sizes.

All that I want is to be entertained, all night long.

One night with Bianca was perfect. A night I'd like to repeat.

But she has other plans.

She wants to be alone.

Keeps pushing me away.

I can't figure out why.

Until I realize she's hiding a secret that could shake the Wilder clan.

Forever.

 

Secretly Wild is the third of the Wilder Brothers Series, about five wild brothers and their quest for love. USA Today Bestselling Author Nicole Elliot really knows how to heat up the South in these books. Book 4, Mistakenly Wild is available for preorder now!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nicole Elliot
• Release date: May 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781540105820

Book preview

Secretly Wild

The Wilders Book Three

A Secret Baby Romance

By Nicole Elliot

Hi Kittens!

This book has all the drama you’ve been waiting for! Thanks for your patience, the next book is available for preorder now!

xxx

Nicole

ONE

Cayden

So where the hell did the girls go again? I asked, tossing the football back to Everett.

I don’t know. Just said they had some sort of emergency with a friend of theirs and left, Everett said.

I really hope everything’s okay. I tried to get it out of Jess, but she wouldn’t let me in on anything, Lucas said.

Yeah, well, get used to it. Women aren’t prone to offering up their secrets until they’re ready, I said, grinning.

I don’t know what you’re talking about. Jess and I talk fine about everything, Lucas said.

Probably because the sex is still good, I said coyly.

Hey. That’s my girl you’re talking about, Lucas said.

You’re a better man than I, Lucas. I’d already slugged him by now, Everett said, grinning.

I smirked. Want me to take my best shot?

Do you want to lose all your teeth? Everett asked.

After the girls left the picnic, there wasn’t much of a picnic to be had. Part of the reason the family put it together last-minute in the first place was to get us all together so we could get to know them a little more. I still couldn't believe my brother was getting married. Hell, I couldn’t believe one of my brother’s was already married. It was insane to me. I didn’t understand why people got married in the first place. Dedicating yourself to one person forever? One pussy, forever? That sex had to grow stale at some point in time. Monotonous. Boring. Part of the thrill of sex was experiencing it with someone else. Someone different. Exploring their body long enough to figure out what they like before blowing their mind with it.

That shit took hours on end. And I loved those types of sessions. It’s why I rented hotel rooms for the type of sex I enjoyed.

Because I sure as hell didn’t want to clean up the mess I made with the women I enjoyed.

Want to get out of here? We’re out of beer! Lucas said, beginning to pack up our stuff. We can throw this crap in the car and get a drink.

Sound good to me, Everett said, moving to help him.

You know what we should do? I asked as we walked towards a local bar after dropping our stuff at the car.

Oh, great. One of Cayden’s bright ideas, Lucas murmured.

Oh really? Because I’m pretty sure it was your bright idea to go to Vegas, and that’s where Everett got drunk and married some chick, I said.

Best decision I ever made, Everett said, smiling.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, want to hear my bright idea? I asked.

Fine. Lay it on us, Lucas said.

I smirked. A bachelor’s weekend in Vegas.

You’re an idiot! Lucas exclaimed.

I’m never going back to Vegas so long as I live, Everett said.

"We’d never be able to trust him again in that place. For all we know, we’d take him to Vegas again and he’d talk you into getting married," Lucas said.

Now you know there isn’t enough alcohol on this damn planet for me to get married, I said.

And who knows? I came back with a wife last time. There’s no telling what I’d bring back from another trip, Everett said.

A baby, more than likely, Lucas said.

Hence why it would be a bachelor’s weekend. As in, no girls. Because the last thing we need running around here is a child with Everett’s DNA running through its body, I said.

Or yours, Lucas said, chuckling.

Oh, that shit’s never happening. I’m as cautious as they come to stuff like that, I said.

You sure about that? Because out of all of us, you’re the one who take the most risks with the women you enjoy, Everett said.

By ‘risks,’ do you mean ‘kinks’? Because if so, then you’d be very correct, I said, grinning.

I still don’t get how you’re into the kind of things you’re into, Lucas said, shaking his head.

Vanilla sex is boring. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I have plenty of it. It’s got its place in time. But so do chains, leather, and candle wax, I said, smiling.

So weird, Everett murmured.

Trust me, you look at me like I have three heads because I enjoy tying my women up, but I look at you like you’ve got drunk-married in Vegas and wonder how the hell you could ever be happy, I said.

Trust me, when you find the right girl for you, Cayden? You’ll know, Lucas said.

Did you know with Jessica? I asked.

Almost immediately. From the second I stumbled into that bar and she rushed to my side, Lucas said.

How’s that injury doing anyway? Everett asked as I got the bartender’s attention.

Oh, it’s fine. Healed. I was cleared by the doctor a couple of weeks ago. I’m good to resume all work-and-pleasure-related activities. Not that it stopped me, anyway, Lucas said, winking.

At least one of you takes a little risk in your sex life, I murmured.

But, Lucas is right. I felt that way about Andrea, too. Maybe not as strongly the first time around, but after we had that first conversation over drinks? I was hooked on her line. I knew I’d do anything to get a second conversation, Everett said.

Like… marry her? I asked.

Okay. We get it. He got married in Vegas. I’m engaged to the woman who called 9-1-1 after I stumbled into her bar half-dead. But you mark my words, Cayden. You’ll get your love story. Whether you want it or not, Lucas said.

Thanks, but… I think I’ll pass, I said.

You know what I think? Everett asked.

What’s that, brother? Lucas asked.

Is this that weird thing where the two of you volley back and forth? I asked.

I think that our little Cayden here will get his happy ending, Everett said.

Oh, really? And how do you think that? Lucas asked.

Yep. This is that weird thing you two do where you volley back and forth, I said.

I think the only way he’ll get his happy ending is if one of his happy endings go wrong, Everett said.

Oh, you mean if he gets someone pregnant? Lucas asked.

I really need you two to stop it now, I said flatly.

I think so, Everett said.

You think if he got a girl pregnant, he’d stick around? Lucas asked.

The fuck kind of question is that!? I asked.

The bar around us came to a complete stop. I wasn’t sure how loud I’d said those words, but I knew I had startled my brothers. We sat in tall chairs around a table as the bar slowly came to a stop, and I watched my brother’s eyes widen on the spot. I gripped my beer. I tried to harness the anger rising up in my soul. What kind of man did they think me to be? Just because I slept around with women and enjoyed my fair share of beautiful, luscious bodies didn’t mean I’d skirt responsibilities of my fucking actions.

You want to run that by me again? I said through gritted teeth.

We were just playing, Cayden. Calm down, Lucas said.

Calm down? I asked.

People are staring, Everett said.

I slowly panned my gaze over to Everett. Then I’m only going to say this one. I’ll never settle down. I don’t want to. I don’t want to be with one woman for the rest of my life. But rest assured, if I ever got a woman pregnant?

I leaned forward and bounced my eyes between my brothers, just to make sure they heard me.

That woman and my child would want for nothing, I said.

Really. We were just joking around, Lucas said.

I don’t joke when it comes to responsibilities like that. I know the risks involved with what I do. And while I enjoy sex, I’m still a man. If a woman ever came to me claiming I’d gotten her pregnant and that was what happened? I’d step up, I said.

We know you would, Cayden, Everett said.

Then don’t you dare fucking joke about it again. My entire life has been fuel for the family’s jokes. I get that. I’m good with that. That’s my role with you guys, and I own that. But don’t you dare joke around with my morals as a man, I said.

Yeah. We got it, Everett said.

Loud and clear, Lucas said.

I settled back down into my chair and cleared my throat. The bar started moving around us again, with glasses clinking around and people resuming their conversation. I lessened the grip on my beer. I drew in a sobering breath as the afternoon sunlight began to fade through the windows. The day had been nice. The food Mom brought to the picnic had been spectacular, as always. Dad kept up with a game of frisbee with all of us brothers like he was our age. And even with the girls leaving because of their emergency, we all sat around and shot the shit like we always did when the family got together.

But my brothers were about to ruin the entire damn day over one idiotic beer.

Why don’t you want to settle down? Lucas asked.

I think maybe we should pick a different topic of conversation, Everett asked.

No. You’re fine. That doesn’t question my manhood in any way, I said.

It’s just that you’re the only brother who’s ever outright expressed the fact that you refuse to get married. I’ve always wondered why, Lucas said.

I took a sip of my beer before I cleared my throat.

What I’m about to tell you two stays between the three of us, I said.

You know we’re good for that, Everett said.

I do. But with this type of story, it need reiterating, I said.

So, there is an explanation behind this, Lucas said.

Of course, there is. You think I just woke up one morning and was like, ‘hey, marriage sounds like a good thing to hate. Let’s do this’? I asked.

Drew’s like that, Lucas said.

Drew watched his parents go through the nastiest divorce on the face of this planet. Yes, Drew’s like that. But for a reason, I said.

Okay. So, what’s your reason? Everett asked.

You guys remember Cecilia? I asked.

I watched my brothers look over at one another before they narrowed their eyes.

Take that as a no. Okay. Remember the fiery little redhead that bummed around with me during my sophomore year of college? I asked.

Oh! The one who always wore it in a braid, right? Everett asked.

With the freckles on her nose, Lucas said.

Yeah. That one. Well, her name was Cecilia, and I was engaged to her.

My brothers spat out their drinks.

You were what? Lucas asked.

Come again with that one? Everett asked.

I was engaged to Cecilia. Not formally. There was no ring involved or anything. But, the two of us were engaged, I said.

How the hell were you engaged to someone if it wasn’t formal? Everett asked.

In the same way you were married to someone, but it wasn’t formal. One night, Cecilia and I got drunk in my apartment just off campus. We talked about our futures and our lives and what we wanted to do with them. We talked for damn near three fucking hours. And at the end of it, we made a pact. If neither of us were married or with anyone come the time we turned thirty, we’d marry one another and save ourselves from a lifetime of loneliness, I said.

Okay…? Everett asked.

Well, you’re thirty-one. And not married. So, what happened? Lucas asked.

She died, I said plainly.

The entire table fell silent as my brothers hooked their eyes onto me.

Cecilia’s dead? Everett asked.

Don’t ask so shocked. You didn’t even remember her until I started describing her, I said.

Hey, don’t get pissed off at us. You brought her around twice. What happened, Cayden? Lucas asked.

She was dating some idiotic fool I didn’t like. She called me up all the time crying because of him. ‘He did this’ and ‘he said that’ and ‘he’s an asshole but the sex is good.’ Women always stick around if the sex is good. Remember that, I said.

How did she die? Everett asked.

I gripped my beer a little too hard, causing my hand to cramp. She had a fight with him one night and I told her to get out of there. I don’t want to go into specifics because the argument doesn’t look good on either of them and I don’t speak ill of the dead. But, I told her to get out of there and come to my place. I’d get her settled down. Get her asleep. Get her some damn rest before classes in the morning. And she never made it to my place.

Holy shit, Cayden. I’m so sorry, Lucas said.

She ran a red light crying. Trying to get to me, I said.

You know that’s not your fault, right? Everett asked.

There’s nothing you could have done to prevent her from running that light, Lucas said.

Doesn’t matter. I encouraged her to get behind the wheel of a car when she wasn’t in driving condition. I should have sent a taxi for her. Or gone and gotten her my fucking self. I got lazy, guys. A woman who was crying like she was should have never driven. I knew that. But I was too tired to think through anything that night, I said.

It wasn’t. Your—

Save the diatribe, Lucas. I get it. What I’m saying is, I’m not a man that skirts on his responsibilities. Because I know, first hand, what happens when responsibilities are skirted. The pact Cecilia and I made was one of convenience. Neither of us would have actually married the other out of love. Merely convenience. To ward off loneliness. To ward off having to fall asleep alone. That’s why I get the hotel rooms. That’s why I don’t ever take a woman back to my place. I can stave off the loneliness, wrap myself around her at night, and get all that comes with a marriage without the fighting, arguing, tears, and endless repercussions that come with fights that spin out of control, I said.

There are so many things wrong with that statement I can’t even begin to unpack it, Everett said.

Good. Because it’s not yours to unpack. I have my reasons for why I believe the things I do, and it’s not your job to change them. I’ll never marry, for personal reasons. I’ll never settle down, for personal reasons. But if something should happen that requires me to step up and be a man? I’ll do it in a damn heartbeat. Without marriage, I said.

Cayden. I’m really sorry for what you went through, Everett said.

Why didn’t you tell any of us about it? Lucas asked.

I shook my head and took another sip of my beer. Reasons.

And I was thankful my brothers left it at that.

TWO

Bianca

I looked down mindlessly at my ice cream as another tear fell into the sugary mixture. It looked melted. The container felt warm against my thighs. I picked up the spoon and stirred it around, watching the bubbles rise to the surface. How

Reviews for Secretly Wild

[Carol Hoover · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Writing was weirdly awkward. Characters were annoying. Plot was not believable. What hotel let's a person set up a S&M room with chains in their rooms? Liability insurance would be thru the roof.