“Thank you. You read my mind. Though I’ll still need to get home in these heels.” She winked as she put her mouth the straw and slurped down the last of her first drink, then went to work on the second. She could stumble three blocks without twisting an ankle, right?
“Take it easy, champ, or I’ll have to drive you the whole quarter mile home.”
Mmm, that’d be awfully convenient, wouldn’t it? She stole a sidelong glance at him, pleased to see he’d leaned back in his chair and had an amused smile on his face.
Holy hell. Had she really just gone from zero to sixty just because he’d cocked his smile just right?
She sighed and slowed up on the drink. Inevitably, her thoughts always wandered to sex when she was with Josh. But there was something different about tonight and last night, too. She genuinely enjoyed spending time with him. It was something she hadn’t experienced often with him. Most likely because, until they’d had sex again, every one of their encounters had been riddled with secret longing and guilt.
But now that edge had been taken off and, for the first time in a long time, she was seeing him simply as the man she’d met so long ago. And she really, really liked him, even if he was being a pain in the ass about the wedding. He was good company and he made her laugh and smile until her cheeks hurt. He also smelled delicious, so when he leaned forward again, wafting the air around him in her direction, she took an appreciative breath and thanked her lucky stars that, these days, she was the woman who got to snuggle up close to all that sexy goodness.
Across the table, Dan cleared his throat. “So, back to the wedding. Maddie and I are also hoping the two of you can take over hosting at the reception when we leave to catch our flight. You know, make sure people don’t trash the place and end up costing us a ton of money. Carissa, I’m pretty sure we can count on you to make sure that anyone who ends up sloppy drunk gets a room or at least a safe ride home, right?”
“Of course.” Anything she could do to help out at the wedding might help alleviate some of the guilt she felt for deciding to flip a house in the middle of the summer that was supposed to be all about Maddie and her big day. And for making a habit of doing the best man.
“What about you, party pooper? Do you think you can refrain from dropping trou long enough to help her out?” Maddie eyed Josh skeptically from across the table, her arms crossed over her chest.
Josh simply blinked at her.
Nope, no love lost between those two. Just further validation that Maddie would totally flip if she found out they were sleeping together.
“I’ll see what I can do,” Josh said drily, lifting his beer to his mouth.
“Glad to hear it. And, hey, look who just walked in.” Maddie angled her chin toward the restaurant’s entrance. Given her friend’s waggling eyebrows, Carissa didn’t have to turn to see who the arrival was.
Beneath the table, she reached out and brushed the backs of her fingers against Josh’s thigh. He surprised her by wrapping his fingers around hers, squeezing and then holding her hand loosely in his, despite the risk of being busted.
How was it that this man could make her feel so aroused, so safe and so terrified all at the same time?
***
He should have expected Fletcher to show up. These days, it was just his luck.
Josh lifted his chin in greeting as his friend approached the table. Reluctantly, he let go of Carissa’s hand, because as much as he wanted to stake his claim, he wasn’t ready to be found out either. Better safe than sorry.
“Fancy meeting you all here,” his friend said as he came to a stop nearest Carissa. He put his hand on the back of her chair and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “Hey, angel, you look amazing as always.”
Josh bristled, not liking the low, private intonation in the other man’s voice. Was he flirting with her?
“Thanks.” Carissa smiled, but to Josh’s relief, she looked decidedly uncomfortable with Fletcher’s attention.
Across the table, Maddie spoke cheerfully. “Are you here alone? We haven’t eaten yet. We could pull up another chair.”
“Thanks, but I’m meeting the ordinance staff for a working dinner.” He responded to Maddie, but his eyes hadn’t left Carissa. “I’m actually glad I ran into you, Car. Do you have a minute?”
She’d angled away from him so he couldn’t see her face, but Josh didn’t miss the tension that had set into Carissa’s shoulders as she nodded and stood.
“Sure. If you’ll excuse me.” She passed a quick glance to Dan and Maddie and, if Josh had it right, purposely avoided any eye contact with him.
He watched as Fletcher led her to the dimly lit alcove near the end of the bar.
When Dan’s foot connected with his under the table, jarring him out of his trance, he tore his eyes away from the scene that was too familiar and almost painful to watch.
He couldn’t just sit there and pretend he didn’t want to put his fist through his so-called best friend’s face, so he pushed to his feet, the legs of his chair screeching against the hardwood floor.
Hold up, Rocky. You kick his ass, you lose the girl.
Shit. Much as it killed him, his ego would have to wait.
He met his brother’s questioning eyes with his best attempt at a casual smile. “Nature calls.”
***
“I stopped in at the flip today, but you were out,” Reed said as he led her to the bar. “The place is looking phenomenal, by the way. Just about livable.”
“I don’t know about that, but it’s definitely coming along.” Carissa smiled, despite her nervous curiosity at his request for a private conversation. She leaned up against a stool, trying to keep a respectable distance between them. “You wanted to talk to me about something?”
Reed’s full intake of breath as he hesitated on his words had her holding her own. Did he have bad news about the flip? A paperwork issue? Something that would put off her move-in date?
“Come on, it can’t be that bad,” she teased, though her pulse had already kicked up.
He chuckled, met her eyes again and, oh crap, she recognized the glimmer shining in them, all soft and warm and not-so-platonic.
This was definitely bad.
His fingertips grazed her elbow and then slid slowly down her forearm until they touched her wrist and then her palm. The blood rushing in her ears distracted her from him taking her hand in his until she felt his thumb press against her pulse, felt his body inch closer.
“Listen, I know this probably isn’t what you expected, but I’ve been doing some thinking.”
Shit, shit, shit.
“What are the chances you’d do me a favor? Like old times.”
Carissa’s heart hammered so hard in her chest, she thought she might hyperventilate. She felt only a small amount of relief that he hadn’t declared an undying love, but asking for a favor, when they both knew how that request had ended last time, wasn’t much less threatening.
“The State Association ball is in two weeks,” he continued on, his typically cocky grin slightly off kilter. Enough that Carissa felt a little lightheaded, because Reed didn’t typically get nervous. “I was wondering if you’d consider joining me.”
“Why?” she blurted out. Why, in God’s name, would he ask her? What about Heather? Or Jenny even?
He squeezed her hand. “Because you fit in with that crowd. And you have an uncanny ability to keep me from making an ass of myself.”
Not because he missed her or wanted another chance or any of that other nonsense. Thank God.
“I don’t know,” she hedged. How to turn him down tactfully? How to let him know she wasn’t interested without alerting him that there was someone else? That there was Josh?
“Don’t give me an answer now, okay? Just think about it. We’ll touch base again this weekend. That’ll still give me plenty of time to get us a hotel room.”
A hotel room? Oh, hell no.
Chapter Eighteen
A hotel room? Over his dead fucking b
ody.
After a quick trip to the john, Josh approached the bar under the guise of needing another beer, but he stopped cold in his tracks when he heard Fletcher’s last words. He’d missed the prelude, but it didn’t matter—he’d gut the bastard before he so much as got into the same vehicle as Carissa.
“Listen, Reed, I appreciate all the pointers and consideration you’ve given me on the flip over the past few weeks. But I’m not sure a date is a good idea. Even as friends.”
“Come on, angel. You’ve schmoozed these people before. You know what to say, what to expect, how to act like a lady. Simply put, you make me look good. Please?”
Josh watched as Fletcher shifted forward, crowding Carissa against the back wall of the restaurant. His hands clenched at his sides and it took everything he had not to grab the guy by the back of the neck and throw him like a goddamn bowling ball down the bar.
“Reed, I can’t.” Her last words were more assertive than her first, but Josh still heard the discomfort in her voice. He carefully weighed his options: choke his friend and give himself away or let Carissa handle it and draw out their fling a little longer.
“Angel. You thought going out with me was a bad idea before, too. But then you did and we had a great time. You haven’t forgot the Governor’s Gala, have you? The first time we—”
Josh cleared his throat loudly. He hadn’t planned on interrupting, but if he didn’t do something right now, while he was still thinking straight, his fist would do the talking in about two seconds, after his patience burned out. “Everything okay here?”
Fletcher swung around in surprise, eyebrows raised. A gritty scowl quickly replaced the startled expression. “Seriously, bro?”
The muscle in his jaw twitched ominously, and Josh lifted his chin and stood his ground. “Give the lady some breathing room, huh?” In his peripheral, he saw the panic wash over Carissa’s face. The breathy rise and fall of her chest and the flush that took over her cheeks. He hoped like hell she wouldn’t hate him for this.
Fletcher blinked for a moment and Josh could almost hear the wheels turning in his head. But then his face morphed from pissed to something slightly less annoyed. He looked back to Carissa, slid his hands down her arms, and took two purposeful steps backward. “Think about it, okay?”
She cast her eyes down to the floor, not giving him another response. Probably she was trying to avoid additional conflict, but something about the color in her cheeks had Josh curious. Was she questioning her refusal? Regretting it? Would she have changed her mind if he hadn’t stepped in?
“My group just arrived,” Fletcher muttered, looking reluctant to make an exit. His focus shifted to Josh, their expressions mirror images of raw testosterone and brooding male. He gave Carissa a quick wink and cocky, put-on smile. “Y’all enjoy your evening.”
***
“You sure you don’t want a ride?”
An hour and a half later, Josh held open The Lodge’s front door, letting Carissa and Maddie pass by into the warm, breezy evening while his brother took care of the tab.
“Thanks, but no thanks,” Carissa said, giving Maddie a polite smile as she held her hand against her stomach and groaned. “I ate too much. I need the exercise to keep my ass from looking like the Titanic.”
Josh grunted to himself, as he hung back by the door waiting for Dan, completely in awe of the silly conversations women had with each other.
“Oh, whatever. Your ass is to-freaking-die-for. Right, Josh? Tell her she’s got an amazing ass.” Maddie stared at him expectantly.
He couldn’t help but grin. “You definitely have an amazing ass, Carissa.”
“What?” His brother’s fiancée recoiled in disgust, then stomped over and shoved a finger in his face. “Seriously? Don’t look at her ass, okay? That’s just nasty.”
Hell yeah, it was nasty. Especially when those sweet little cheeks were naked and in his hands. He glanced down at his boots, knuckled his nose, and passed Carissa a secretive smile. She bit her lips together to keep from smiling back, her purse clutched in her hands in front of her, all prim and proper and totally put-on.
Fortunately, they were saved from further awkwardness when Dan emerged from the restaurant and pulled Maddie to his side. “Thanks for coming out tonight, guys. We’re still on for football Friday afternoon, right?” he asked, looking to Josh.
Josh tucked his hands into the pockets of his jeans and rocked back on his heels. “Looking forward to it.” He only had about a month’s worth of aggression and tension to work out. Sex with Carissa had helped burn off some of it, but then he’d gone and gotten tense all over again…for having sex with Carissa. And now this new development with Fletcher? Hell, he didn’t need a football game—he needed another weekend of drill. Or maybe another deployment.
“Me, too,” Dan replied. His smarmy, one-sided grin had Josh’s eyes narrowing curiously, but then his brother shifted his attention to Carissa. “And you’re going to break an ankle in those shoes. Come on, let us give you a lift.”
“Nah, I’m looking forward to the walk. But thank you. For the offer and for dinner.” She angled her chin over her shoulder, her eyes sparkling beneath the moonlight. “I’m gonna head out.”
After a quick exchange of goodbyes, both women walked off in opposite directions, Carissa toward her apartment and Maddie toward the car.
“You didn’t take my advice,” his brother said lowly, when the ladies were out of earshot.
“None of your business, bro.” Josh lifted a shoulder.
Dan chuckled. “Wow.”
Wow didn’t even begin to cover it. “I know what I’m doing. She does too.”
His brother shook his head. “I didn’t miss the altercation with Fletcher earlier. You’re playing with fire, you know that, right?”
“I’ve already been burned. The damage is done.”
“Right,” Dan grunted. “I’ll be happy to remind you of that logic in a week or so when Fletcher catches on and kicks your ass.”
“Let him try.” He had a few reasons to be pissed off too. A good ole’ throw down might do them both good. “Look, I appreciate your concern, but this is between me and Carissa.”
“I might be able to understand that if you’d just friggin’ own up to whatever’s going on between you two. Why the sneaking around? This avoidance shit isn’t like you at all, man.”
Didn’t he know it. This whole thing with Carissa was unlike him. “Obviously it is, because it’s exactly what I’m doing.” He shrugged again and took a couple steps backwards, toward his truck on the far end of the parking lot. “I gotta go. Thanks for dinner.”
Dan muttered something under his breath, but Josh kept walking. He didn’t need his brother’s lecture when he’d spent the past few days feeding himself the same lines and the same self-reprimanding warnings. Yeah, this thing he had going with Carissa was complicated. Crazy even. But he couldn’t get past how fucking good it felt.
He rounded the back end of his truck, headed for the driver’s door when he saw her standing there, barely visible in the shadows. The beat in his chest kick-started and he felt the hot pull of desire stretch from his jaw all the way down his torso, easing away his tension.
“Hey,” he said, stopping only when he was standing right in front of her and close enough to feel her breath on the front of his t-shirt.
She bit at her lip and gazing up at him coyly from beneath her eyelashes. “We made it through.”
“We did,” he said, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering on the fast pulse in her neck.
She looked around him, presumably checking to make sure they were alone, then launched herself into his arms.
He groaned, caught her without effort, and then turned and pressed her against the side of his truck. Their mouths and tongues met in a hot, tangled mess and her legs went around his waist, her fingers frantic in his hair.
Déjà vu hit him like a wrecking ball. McCauley’s parking lot. Thr
ee years ago. A dress. Torn panties. The hottest, most public sex he’d ever had.
But this wasn’t midnight. And, while it was a Tuesday night, the parking lot of The Lodge wasn’t nearly as empty or as seedy as McCauley’s.
“Damn, babe.” His fingers dug into her ass as he pulled away and rested his head against hers, breathless and praying for willpower.
She licked her lips, her chest heaving against his. “Thank you for earlier.”
His eyebrows lifted. “You’re not mad?”
“No.” When she shook her head, her ponytail swung from side to side. “I told Reed no and I meant it. I’m not interested.”
Halle-fucking-luiah. “He said you didn’t want to go out with him before either.”
“I didn’t.”
“Then why did you?”
“Does it matter?”
He gulped and shook his head. “Not anymore.”
And he was pretty sure he meant it. He didn’t like that she’d been with Fletcher, but there was nothing he could do about it now. He’d have to be satisfied with knowing he was the one she wanted right now.
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. I didn’t know…” She waved her hand between them, then tipped her head to the side, frowned sadly, and sighed.
Yep, he got it loud and clear. And he had his own apologies, too. Not telling her how he felt right away, for one. He’d had the opportunity and he’d pushed it aside, assuming she wouldn’t be interested in waiting for him to come back from the desert. For a while, he’d even been sorry he hadn’t told Fletcher about his past with Carissa. But right now? He had everything he wanted in his arms. And he wasn’t sorry one damn bit. “I hear ya, babe.”
“But this is fun. This is good. Right?” She flexed her hips against his to make her point and, yeah, it was good. More than good.
“Yes, but it’s not going to be fun or good if we get caught.” Fletcher was still in the restaurant and they were in the middle of town. He took her mouth in another searing kiss before lowering her down to the ground. She gripped his t-shirt and clung to him until she had her footing again.
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