by Mandy Baxter
He pushed himself up from his chair and jogged for the house. Damn. What he really wanted to do was turn around and finish what he’d started with Tess. Maybe he was finally ready to move on.
Five
Tess loaded the last of the dishes into the dishwasher and started it. She could have sworn that Carter had been about to kiss her. The ghost of heat from his parted lips had brushed hers and the anticipation had almost killed her. A sweet moment had turned sour with disappointment but Tess wasn’t upset. She could only imagine how hard it must be for Carter to have any sort of social life as a single parent. It was late. The girls had been tired and cranky. It was all part and parcel of parenthood.
Did she want that baggage? Could she handle being involved with a guy who didn’t just have kids, but twins?
Abso-freaking-lutely.
Cranky little whirlwinds of trouble or not, Jenny and Jane were adorable. Carter was unlike any man she’d ever known. He was the calm after a storm. Tess couldn’t help but feel at ease in his presence. He was a real man. A responsible man. A loyal man who would never hop into bed with her best friend on a whim. God, she’d wanted to kiss him so badly her body practically burned.
A familiar knock sounded on the patio door, and Tess’s heart leapt up into her throat. She loved that they didn’t use each other’s front doors. As though skipping from one backyard to the other was their quirky thing.
She slid open the patio door and looked up into Carter’s face. A crease cut into his forehead above the bridge of his nose, and for a moment Tess thought he might be angry with her.
Carter pulled her hard against him and put his mouth to hers. The kiss was urgent, full of heat and longing that caused Tess’s heart to hammer in her chest. She came up on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. He was built like the oak in his backyard, tall, strong, unyielding. There wasn’t an inch of his body that wasn’t packed with muscle. His sheer size overwhelmed her as he reached up to cup her cheek in one large palm.
Carter slanted his mouth across hers. His tongue flicked out at the seam of her lips and Tess parted for him as he deepened the kiss. His other hand gripped her hip. The blunt tips of his fingers dug in as he pulled her tight against him.
His body vibrated with restraint and yet he held her gently, as though she might break with the slightest shift. Tess’s fingers found the silky hair at the nape of Carter’s neck, and when she raked her nails against his scalp, he groaned. A sound that was just as much pleasure as it was pain. Carter gave a shallow thrust of his hips, the length of erection pressed into Tess’s hip.
She pressed herself tighter against him. Heat swamped her and settled low in her abdomen. Her clit pulsed in time with her rushing pulse and a rush of wetness spread between her thighs.
Too soon, Carter pulled away. Their ragged breathing was the only sound in the quiet kitchen. “I thought you should know that I always follow through,” Carter said. “And I’ve wanted to do that all night.”
Tess’s body hummed. No man had ever affected her with such intensity. She wanted so much more than a kiss with him. And she thought her body might spontaneously combust if she didn’t get it.
“Follow-through is important,” she murmured.
“I need to get back to the girls.” And just like that, Tess’s bubble of hope burst. “Good night, Tess.” He kissed her once more, a light brush of his lips against hers before he turned and strode back across the lawn to his house.
She stepped out onto the porch to watch him go. His body rolled with athletic grace, each step executed as though carefully planned and yet effortless. A tremor passed through Tess’s body as she brought her fingertips up to her lips that still tingled from the contact. Carter’s life was complicated and Tess wasn’t sure how she’d fit into it. She wasn’t about to run away, though. She welcomed the challenge.
* * *
Carter placed one foot in front of the other, willing himself to head back to the house when what he really wanted to do was turn around and run for Tess. It had been so long since he’d felt this way, his desire was damned near foreign. His cock pulsed in his jeans, his erection so damned tight that he thought he might suffer long-term damage if he didn’t hit the release valve. The bastard was punishing him for his years of celibacy, it seemed. Nothing short of a tackle from a three-hundred-pound linebacker was going to distract him from the memory of how good it had felt to hold Tess in his arms. The softness of her body, the sweetness of her lips. Her passion and responsiveness as she’d kissed him back. The scrape of her nails against his scalp. Carter let out a gust of breath. Jesus. He wanted her so bad he hurt.
Football and the girls had been his life for the past two years. The thought of jumping back into the dating pool had filled him with dread, mostly because he wasn’t interested in dating. He wanted a relationship. He wanted what he’d had with Steph.
His life was so damned complicated. Was it even fair to want what he wanted with Tess? Insta-family, a schedule that had him away from home more often than not. The media attention, football groupies, late nights … god, the cliques. Not to mention the notoriety that simply came from being a Christensen and Texas oil royalty.
The past couple of years had been one sacrifice after another. Selflessness for the betterment of the girls, his career, his family. Wasn’t he entitled to want something for himself for a change? Couldn’t he be selfish just this once? He wanted Tess. Wanted her so badly that he ached.
He hopped the fence and turned when he made it to the patio. Tess stood out on her porch, watching him.
For a long moment they simply stared at one another. Even from across their lawns, Carter recognized the longing in her expression. She brought her hand up and waved. A knot formed in the pit of his gut as Carter waved back. They continued to stare, and Carter had to dig his heels into the bottoms of his shoes to keep from vaulting the fence and sprinting to her. Instead, he waved one last time and forced himself to go inside.
Carter glanced toward the staircase as he headed for the living room. Want warred with guilt, desire with responsibility, and it left him feeling so goddamned weak he wasn’t sure how he managed to put one foot in front of the other. He flopped down on the couch, his body every bit as heavy as it felt, and grabbed his phone from the end table. Carter opened the favorites tab and dialed Nate. Hopefully it wasn’t too late to call.
“Hey brother.” Nate’s voice didn’t sound too sleepy, so maybe Carter hadn’t woken him. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah. No.” He let out a huff of breath. “Shit. I don’t know.”
Nate’s tone changed in a beat, spiked with concern. “Do you need me to drive down?”
“It’s not an emergency,” Carter replied. “We’re all fine. I have a new neighbor.”
A space of silence stretched between them. “And that’s a problem, why?”
“For starters, she’s—”
“Say no more,” Nate interrupted. “I know exactly what your problem is.”
Was it that bad? Did a few simple words give away everything he felt right now? “I don’t know if I can do this, Nate.” A kiss wouldn’t ruin him. But if Carter let things go farther with Tess, he had a feeling she’d be his undoing.
“Do what? You sound like you’re about to commit a felony.”
Hell, some of things he wanted to do her might still be classified as one in some counties. “I don’t know if I can do this to Steph.”
“Carter.” The pity in Nate’s tone gutted him. “You’re not cheating on her. It’s been two years, cut yourself some slack. It’s okay to move on. And I know for a fact it’s what Steph wanted.”
“I know that.” It had been the hardest conversation of his life. He’d told Steph there would never be another woman for him but her. She’d laughed and cupped his cheek before she called him a jackass. Love isn’t a one-way ticket. There’s someone else out there for you, Carter, and I want you to find her. “I feel guilty about it though.”
“Tel
l me about her,” Nate said. “The neighbor.”
She’s Millie’s niece,” Carter said. “Millie left the house to her. She used to live in New York but her boyfriend cheated on her so she moved out here.”
“No,” Nate said. “Don’t tell me her history. Tell me about her.”
“She’s…” Beautiful. Thoughtful. Feisty. And she kisses like she invented the act. “Amazing.”
“Then go for it,” Nate said. “Don’t let a chance at being happy slip through your fingers.”
“It’s not that easy,” Carter said. “I have the girls here with me.”
“Does she hate kids?”
“God, no.” Carter wouldn’t have anything to do with her if she had. “She seems to really like the girls and they like her.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
Carter didn’t respond. He’d had to sneak out after they’d gone to bed just to kiss Tess. And he didn’t want the girls to see him be affectionate with another woman if it wasn’t going to go anywhere. He wouldn’t want them to get their hopes up.
“Never mind,” Nate said. “I know what the problem is. How about I take Jenny and Jane out for an adventure? Chloe and I will bring Derrick and we’ll make a day of it. A full twenty-four hours kid free.”
Carter’s libido wanted to respond before his brain could even contemplate Nate’s offer. “I don’t want to bother you guys.”
“Family doesn’t bother each other,” Nate said. “We have each other’s backs.”
“Okay.” He needed to know if whatever it was he felt for Tess had legs. A trial run to know if he was truly interested in her or just so goddamned horny any woman would do. Though deep down, Carter knew. His interest in Tess wasn’t casual. And a full twenty-four hours with her would be amazing. “I’m going to take you up on that offer.”
“Good. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Thanks, Nate.”
“No thanks needed, brother. Just go out and get yourself some happiness.”
For the first time in a long time, that’s exactly what Carter wanted to do.
Six
It felt weird knocking on Tess’s front door. As though they’d been casual backyard friends from day one and coming through the front was too formal. After last night, Carter was hoping for more. Nate and Chloe had driven down early and picked up the girls for an overnighter with Chloe’s foster son, Derrick. They had a full twenty-four hours’ worth of activities to keep the kids busy, which would undoubtedly earn Nate the Uncle of the Year award.
It had already earned him the Brother of the Year award.
“Carter?” Tess answered the door, her brow puckered and an adorably confused expression on her face. “Did you knock at the back? I didn’t hear you.”
He suddenly felt like the world’s biggest jackass. The day he’d planned seemed so perfect in theory, but now? Shit. “No, I uh … my truck’s in the driveway and there’s too much to haul around to the back.” He’d been confident enough to march over to her house and kiss her last night. Today? He could barely articulate.
A smile tugged at Tess’s lips as she craned her head to look out at the driveway. “Where are the girls?”
They were always on her mind. That alone made Carter want to sweep her up into his arms and kiss her again. “With their uncle Nate,” he said. “Until tomorrow.”
Tess’s eyes widened a fraction and her smile grew. Carter’s gut tightened and his heart began to pound. “What’s in your truck?” Her voice had gone low and breathy which only served to increase Carter’s heart rate. He was as eager as a fourteen-year-old kid on his first date. Totally pathetic. Times like these, he wished he could be more like Travis. Confident, forward, a little wild. A hell of a lot more experienced.
“Paint, molding, some wainscoting. I thought I could help you get started on the inside. So it felt a little less like Millie’s place, and more like yours.”
“Carter.” Tess’s voice softened with emotion and his chest swelled. She jumped up and threw her arms around him and as though as he was helpless not to, he wound his arms around her. “This is awesome. Thank you so much.”
She angled her head back to look at him and put her mouth to his. It caught Carter off guard, but he wasn’t about to complain. The kiss was slow and sweet, and only made him want more. She was breathless when she finally pulled away, and Carter was reluctant to let her go.
“You have to let me pay you for what you bought, though.” Tess headed down the front steps and rushed toward Carter’s Ford with an excited bounce in her steps. “So far, all I’ve managed to buy is white paint for the ceiling. Oh my god, Carter, this is awesome!”
She hopped up on the bumper and climbed into the back of the truck with all of the enthusiasm of a kid at Christmas. Carter grinned as he followed her down the stairs. That he’d made her happy filled his chest near to bursting with pride. “No way are you paying me back,” he said. “It’s a housewarming gift.” She pursed her lips as though about to argue. “Try to pay me,” he said, “and I’ll call a contractor to do a full remodel.”
Her answering laughter was the sweetest sound he’d ever heard. “I can’t wait to get started. These projects are always more fun with a partner.”
Partner. Carter agreed. “Everything in life is better with a copilot.”
Tess’s gaze met his and the depths of her blue eyes shone with emotion. “Definitely.”
They started in the living room and talked while they worked. With every minute he spent with Tess, the more Carter marveled at how easy she was to be with. He didn’t need to be anything but himself with her. He realized, though, that there was still one big part of his life he hadn’t told her about.
“So, what is your brother doing with the girls?” Tess dipped her roller into the sage-colored paint and began to spread it on the wall.
“Zoo, FC Dallas soccer game.” he paused. “Helicopter ride.”
“Helicopter ride?” Tess laughed. “How’d that fall into the mix?”
“Technically it belongs to Christensen Petroleum,” Carter said. “Nate usually refuses to use it but he made an exception in the interest of entertaining the girls.”
Tess nodded as though following along with the conversation. She stopped, the paint roller frozen on the wall. “Wait. Christensen Petroleum as in Carter Christensen Petroleum?”
He cringed. “I own shares, but Nate has the controlling stock.”
“Holy shit Carter! So you’re like, loaded.”
He hated being judged by his money. He didn’t think that Tess would care either way, but it still reminded him of why he and his brothers liked to distance themselves from their family name.
“We grew up with nothing,” he said. “Okay, that’s not entirely true. But when we graduated high school, our dad cut us loose. He wanted us all to be self-made men. He didn’t give any of us a dime. I paid my own way through college—the portion that my scholarship didn’t cover—and paid off the student loans on my own, too. He died about nine months ago and left us the company. Not that any of us had any use for it by then.”
“Wow.” Tess shook her head. “I can’t even imagine. So, Texas oil family, huh? You guys must be famous.”
He shrugged. “Only in certain circles. Circles that I don’t want anything to do with.”
“You’re sort of an anomaly, you know that?” Tess resumed painting, but a smile played on her full lips.
“Why do you say that?” Carter could listen to her talk all day. The smooth slightly husky tone of her voice was like slipping into a tub of warm water. It instantly relaxed him.
“You’re famous in more ways than one. Gorgeous. I’m going to assume you have more money than ninety-nine percent of the state—or the world—and you’re the most laid-back guy I’ve ever met. You’re a great dad and conscientious. You’ve got this everyman vibe and you could easily—” She cut herself off as though about to say something she shouldn’t.
“What?” Curiosity burned thr
ough him.
Tess focused her attention on rolling the paint on the wall. “Nothing,” she said. “You’re a great guy. That’s all.”
“Great guy. Nice guy. Everyman type of guy.” Carter laughed. It was the story of his life. He’d always been the nice guy while Travis had been the one the girls went crazy for. He’d always felt lucky to have won Steph’s heart. Travis’s personality was so big that Carter got passed over more times than not. “Dependability. Not exactly what drives women wild.”
“I like nice guys,” Tess said. “Nice guys don’t break your heart. They don’t sleep with your best friend. They don’t lie or disregard your feelings.” She took a deep breath and met his gaze once again. “A nice guy is exactly what I go crazy for.”
He was crazy for her. He’d only known her for little over a week and Carter was falling fast. Would falling for Tess be exactly what he needed? What his girls needed? He didn’t think his little family could sustain another broken heart.
* * *
What Tess had wanted to say to Carter was that he could easily make her fall in love with him. Hell, she felt like she was halfway there already and she hadn’t known him for much longer than a week. The last thing she’d expected when she moved to Nacogdoches was to crush on her neighbor. And a neighbor with kids at that. Tess had sowed her oats, though. She was more than ready to settle into a committed relationship with a rock-solid guy.
And Carter was about as solid as they came.
She turned too fast toward the paint tray and at the same time as Carter. Their rollers collided and paint splashed up onto his bare forearm. “Sorry,” she said with a laugh.
Her gaze roamed up his arm to his face, where a large smattering of sage green dotted his forehead. Her giggles turned into earnest laughter. Carter swiped at his head, which only served to cover his forehead in paint. Her stomach ached as she laughed, and he reached out with his roller and ran it up the length of her arm.