Wilde Ink (Wilde Brothers Book 3) Read Free

back here in ten minutes. Don’t be late or I’ll come find you and carry you out over my shoulder if I have to.”
    Lia started to laugh but then stopped and her expression grew wary. “Your family is here?”
    “Afraid so. See, my brother is the one who got married.”
    “You’re a Wilde?” she asked, putting an odd emphasis on his last name.
    He bowed low and grinned at her, still trying to figure out what had changed in the last few seconds. “Nicholas Wilde at your service, fair lady.”
    “You’re not a cop, are you?”
    Nick had certainly never been asked that question before. People had thought he was a criminal more than once, but a cop? That was a new one. “Do I look like I’m in law enforcement?”
    “Well, no, but…” she trailed off and shrugged.
    “My dad was a cop, and three of my brothers are, or were. I’m not like them. Do you not like cops or something? If that’s the case, then you are really at the wrong party.”
    She laughed then, but it wasn’t the low, sexy purr he’d heard before. There was a brittle edge to her voice now, and he didn’t like it. Something was very wrong. “No, nothing like that. I have to go talk to Danny.” She started to walk away, then turned and smiled at him. “Thank you for the dance, by the way.”
    “You’re welcome. I’ll see you back here in a few minutes.” He headed back into the ballroom, intending to make his goodbyes short and sweet. Only it didn’t work out that way. By the time he made it back to the hall, twenty minutes had passed. Swearing under his breath, he half jogged back to where he’d told Lia to meet him, only to discover she wasn’t there. Ten minutes later, he’d looked everywhere, but she was gone.
    For the first time in his life, a woman stood him up. What the fuck had happened? Disappointed and angry, Nick went back out onto the balcony where they’d danced and kissed only a little while ago. He thought about going back to the party to track down the guy she’d come with. Maybe he’d at least tell Nick her last name, or why she’d left in such a rush.
    In the end, though, he didn’t. Lia had made her choice, and that was that. As he stood out in the January night, the scent of her perfume still clinging faintly to his jacket, he wondered what the hell went wrong.
    ****
    Shit.
    Lia sat in the backseat of a taxi and watched the city flow past, wondering if she’d just made a terrible mistake. Nick was the first guy to pique her interest in a long time, and those kisses…holy hell, just thinking about the way he’d kissed her had her toes curling in her shoes. Dancing with him had been the most impetuous thing she’d done in years, and it had felt good to cut loose, even if it was only for a moment. The problem was, men like Nick Wilde were her weakness. Usually she kept her distance, but tonight she had given in to temptation, and temptation wasn’t a luxury she could afford to indulge in. The last thing she needed was to be distracted from the goals she had set out for herself the day she’d applied to Chicago P.D. She should be focusing on her career, and taking care of her parents.
    It was bad enough she’d been tempted by Nick, but when she found out who he was, she’d had no choice but to leave. What were the odds she’d wind up wrapped around her new boss’ little brother? She had spent years scrupulously keeping her professional and personal life separate, and tonight that had all gone to hell in a rocket-powered handcart.
    This is why I don’t date.
    She stared out the window for the rest of the journey home, doing her best to convince herself she’d made the right decision. Even though she knew that there wasn’t room in her life for distractions, part of her mind kept replaying their dance, and the kiss that had followed. If leaving was the right thing to do, why did it feel like she’d made the wrong decision?

Chapter Two
     
    Lia was not having a good day. Not that Valentine’s Day was