by J. R. Ward
Carter had no idea how to respond. She’d clearly read him wrong and was stuck scrambling to find the right words to let him down.
“So what do you think?” he prompted. His body was strung tight and his awkward expression had begun to fade into a worried look.
Carter ached for the courage it had taken for him to ask. And because there was no way she wasn’t about to hurt his feelings.
“Well, thank you. But I don’t think that would be a good idea,” she said gently.
“No?” he croaked.
“No. I—”
“Don’t you like me?”
“Of course I do. But—”
Ivan McNutt appeared in the clearing. He looked grim.
“What is it?” she asked anxiously. Going by his expression, she’d have thought someone lost a limb.
“Your team’s here.”
“Oh. Thanks for letting me know.”
He grunted and disappeared back down the trail.
Getting to her feet, Carter brushed pine needles off the seat of her pants while offering Cort an apologetic smile.
“I think we better get going before Ivan decides to drag out his twelve-gauge welcome wagon. Buddy faints easily.”
The teenager got up, his eyes drifting over the trees and the camp carelessly.
“Cort, I—”
“Hey, just think about it, okay? Don’t give me an answer right now.”
“But—”
He cut off the discussion by starting down the trail. With a heavy heart, Carter followed him. She felt as though she hadn’t handled the situation all that well and struggled for a way to bring up the subject again. Cort, however, was walking ahead of her with a stiff back and didn’t seem to be in the mood for talking. She let him have some space.
When they cleared the woods, they saw a Range Rover had pulled up to the mansion. A group of people were gathered around it, staring intently at the front grille.
Getting closer, Carter picked out Nick and Candace, and she had to groan as she took in the other woman’s clothes and hair. With a hand lying possessively on her man’s forearm, Candace was dressed in a pale yellow sundress that played around her ankles in the summer breeze. Her hair was loosely curled, falling onto her shoulders in pretty blond waves, and her face, which was tilted toward Nick, was discreetly made up. She looked like a golden statue.
Carter felt like a grunge ball in comparison. She figured her hair was probably stringy and wished she knew whether she had any dirt on her face. Glancing down at her shorts and her hiking boots, she noted they all needed a good cleaning. She wished like hell she’d taken a moment to dress herself up a bit.
Or at least hit the stream with a washcloth.
Nick looked over in her direction. His expression was remote, but what was behind his eyes was so shocking, she almost faltered. Passion, hot and hungry, seemed to be reaching out to her. Abruptly, she was taken back to what it felt like to be in his arms, his lips moving against hers, his tongue sliding into her mouth—
Carter caught the tip of her boot in a chuckhole and almost fell on her face. Cort’s swift reflexes were the only thing that kept her from hitting the ground, and she flushed, feeling even more sweaty and disheveled.
As she pulled herself together, Candace flashed a condescending look her way. Watching as the woman nestled even closer to Nick, Carter thought morosely that the two belonged together.
But to her surprise, his penetrating gaze never wavered from her. As she walked up to the group, his eyes watched her every movement. Even when Candace frowned and gave him a nudge of protest with her arm, he wasn’t diverted.
Flustered, Carter looked past the pair, to her friend who was standing by his car. It was such a relief to see him.
“I never saw it coming,” he was saying while shaking his head.
“What happened?” Carter asked.
Buddy Swift broke into his trademark grin. Wide and friendly, it showed the small space between his front teeth and one gold cap that covered a back molar. Although he was tall and wore conservative, wire-rimmed glasses, when he smiled he looked more like a student than a professor.
“It’s my favorite partner in crime!” He wrapped his long arms around her.
“I’m your only partner,” she said into his shoulder. “You refuse to work with anyone else.”
“That’s because they’re all stiffs.”
Carter risked a glance in Nick’s direction and was struck by the disapproving way he was regarding Buddy.
She pulled back and focused on the front of the car. “Good Lord, Swift, what did you do? And where’s Ellie?”
“I had an unexpected communion with an oak tree. She’s having the expected communion with some indoor plumbing.”
The hood of the Range Rover was mangled and the front bumper was hanging by a prayer. Inside, the air bags had deployed and were lying deflated over the seats. She reached out and pulled a tree branch from the grille.
“Are you all okay?”
“Yup. Just an unforeseen trip into the bushes that ended a little too emphatically.” He put his hand on her shoulder. “But your concern touches my heart.”
“Hey, I’ve got a lot vested in your health and safety. Not everyone makes coffee like you do.”
As Carter playfully elbowed him in the ribs, she noticed that Nick and Cort wore matching expressions of displeasure. Candace, on the other hand, was looking a little more relaxed.
“C.C.!” Ellie exclaimed. As she shot out of the mansion’s front door, strawberry blond hair streamed behind her. She was wearing a cornflower blue sundress and had a pair of coordinated Skechers on her feet.
Carter laughed and embraced the girl. “So I see your father’s driving hasn’t improved.”
“It’s his second accident since he bought the car. Two months ago.”
“That other one was just a fender bender,” Buddy said pointedly.
“Dad, you hit a police car.”
“It was in the middle of the road.”
“It was parked on the shoulder. With the lights going.” The girl turned back to Carter. “But this time he had a good reason. He swerved to avoid killing a deer and fawn who had wandered into the road.”
Buddy laughed. “I thought for a minute we were going to end up as the Swift Family Robinson in the Adirondacks. I was prepared to build Ellie a house in the trees and live off boiled bark until we were rescued.”
His daughter rolled her eyes.
Nick stepped forward, breaking the contact with Candace.
“You may want Ivan to take a look at it,” he interjected darkly. “No telling what it’s leaking. We can have it towed into town if we have to.”
There was a cautious and assessing light in Buddy’s eyes as he looked at the taller man. “Thanks. I’d appreciate any help you have to offer.”
Carter turned to introduce the Swifts to Cort. “The demolition expert is Buddy, my partner. And this is his daughter, Ellie.”
“Hi,” the girl said, raising her hand and offering a tentative smile.
Cort nodded in her general direction. “There’s a lot of stuff in this car. Should I get the four-wheeler?”
“That would be great.”
She watched as he stalked off, his expression no more affable than his uncle’s. With all the complicated emotions swirling in the summer air, she couldn’t wait to get back to camp.
“I think you all should come to dinner tonight,” Nick announced abruptly.
Carter swallowed a grimace.
“Yes, do come down,” Candace said, stepping in close to Nick again.
“That’d be great,” Buddy said happily. “Camp food is okay but it gets old real quick. Might as well start out on a high note.”
When Carter sent him a glare, he responded with a shrug.
“Darling,” Candace crooned. “Shall we take that swim now?”
Nick nodded with distraction. His eyes were boring into Carter.
“I’ll see you tonigh
t,” he said to her.
As soon as the pair were out of earshot, she hissed, “Nice move, Buddy.”
“What?”
“Don’t what me. You know exactly what you’ve done.” When he feigned innocence, she grumbled, “And don’t give me that look.”
“What look?”
“That I-didn’t-just-stir-up-trouble look.”
“Who said there was trouble to stir? I didn’t.” But the smile he gave her was lopsided. “Although while we’re on the subject, what’s up between you and Farrell?”
She felt the blood drain out of her face and prayed that he didn’t catch the reaction. “Nothing is up.”
“That man looks at you like he’s half-starved—”
“He does not! And you better enjoy this dinner because it’s the only one we’re having in that house.”
“I’m thinking I will. Even if the food sucks, I’ll bet you could pull up a chair and grab some popcorn for all the theatrics.”
Carter hip-checked him. “You’re officially being removed as the camp’s social director.”
“Does this mean I get to be head nurse instead?”
“Yes, and you can start by bandaging your own butt as soon as I’m finished kicking it.”
He was still smiling when Cort pulled up beside the car in the four-wheeler.
“Hey, that’s cool,” Ellie said, looking at the machine. “Can I drive it sometime?”
Cort shrugged and turned away carelessly, missing the girl’s hurt look.
With four pairs of hands, the back of the Rover was unpacked in short order, and Cort ran a couple of loads up the mountain. While he was on his last trip, Ellie changed into shorts and then Carter led the way to camp.
“Nice setup,” Buddy said as he looked over the place. “Papercut Central is back in working order, I see.”
“And ready for business.”
“Good thing I packed all those Band-Aids.”
When Cort was finished moving the Swifts’ things, he gave the group a stiff nod and disappeared. Ellie watched him go and then said she was going to look for firewood.
“That boy takes after his father,” Buddy commented as he and Carter faced the daunting mountain of bags. “Not exactly the warm and friendly type.”
“He’s Nick’s nephew.” Carter helped him pull out two tent rolls from the bottom of the pile. “He’s a good kid but whenever the two of them are together he’s different. I hope he and Ellie can become friends.”
While Buddy smoothed the tent out flat on the ground, she got a hammer and started securing the corners with stakes.
“So, seriously, what’s going on with Farrell?”
Carter missed what she was aiming for and nailed her thumb a good one. The curse that followed wasn’t only because of her bad aim.
“You okay?” Buddy asked.
She was far from okay but nodded, raised the hammer again, and this time made sure her targeting was better. When the stake was in and she began wrapping cord around it, Buddy repeated the question.
She shot him a look. “Farrell owns this mountain and he’s tolerating our presence. End of story.”
“You sure about that? When I put my arms around you, I think that man’s eyes burned a hole in my skull.”
“Then it matches the ones you already have.”
“Who’s the blonde?”
Carter stopped what she was doing. “Since when did you get into sociology? I don’t remember your ever being so interested in people before.”
“I’ve never seen you attracted to someone before.”
The bald statement made Carter feel like she’d bashed her thumb again. “What are you talking about?”
“Am I wrong?”
“Of course you’re wrong!”
“What are you torturing C.C. about?” Ellie asked as she emerged from the woods. Her arms were filled with twigs and branches.
“Tall, dark, and hostile down there,” her father replied.
“Oh, him.” Ellie dumped the load in the vicinity of the fire pit. “He seems a little scary.”
Mercifully, the subject was dropped when Ellie asked about the site. As Carter gave them an update about what she’d accomplished so far, the three finished setting up the new tents and then headed to the circle of stones. With the sun setting fast, there was only time for a cursory review before they had to head down the mountain. On the descent, Ellie and her father had a bounce to their steps.
Carter felt like she was dragging an anchor after her.
She couldn’t believe she was about to spend the evening with a sixteen-year-old who had a crush on her, a man she’d kissed on a regrettable impulse, and the latter’s socialite girlfriend whose nickname was Blondzilla.
Buddy was right. It was the stuff of a Monday Night Movie.
But the real problem was less the company she’d be in than the truth she couldn’t escape. Seeing Nick Farrell again had been like getting whipped with a high-voltage wire.
She had to get a grip if she was going to make it through the meal. Desperate for some reasonable explanation for her feelings, she reminded herself that she hadn’t had a date in God only knew how many years. Surely that had to count for something. The night she had kissed Nick had been the first time she’d kissed someone in ages. Of course she was going to feel something when she saw him again. It was called embarrassment.
Right?
And as for dinner, the minute it was over, she was going to hightail it up the mountain and not come down again until she could control herself.
It was only one meal. How long could it last?
Only a bloody lifetime, Carter thought later as she checked her watch.
The others around the dining room table had just polished off a strawberry mousse. She hadn’t touched hers, however, just as she’d only picked at the rack of lamb. Her stomach had been in knots as soon as she’d stepped through the front door.
The evening had been grueling. Nick continued to give her most of his attention. He spent the remaining time shooting Buddy cold looks. At the head of the table, Candace chafed at the lack of interest being thrown her way and made increasingly obvious and awkward attempts to get it. The kids didn’t seem to be enjoying themselves, either. Cort was stone-faced and silent and Ellie was quiet through the ordeal.
“I simply adore Paris,” Candace was saying. “Don’t you remember, darling, that wonderful weekend we spent there?”
Nick shrugged and took a drink from the glass of scotch he’d brought with him to the table. His eyes flashed to Carter and she looked away from him.
“We so enjoyed the shopping, didn’t we? Darling?”
“Yes, you did,” Nick countered.
Across the way, Ellie was nodding off in her chair. Buddy cleared his throat and dropped his napkin. When Carter glanced over, he nodded for her to lean down with him.
“We’ve got to get out of here,” he whispered when their heads were together. “My daughter’s melting.”
“Right.”
As they sat back up, Carter interrupted another one of Candace’s earnest attempts at engaging Nick in conversation. “Thanks for a lovely evening but I think it’s time we all headed back up the mountain.”
“You’re right, C.C.,” Buddy chimed in. “We’ve got an early start planned for the morning and it’s been a long day.”
“I’d like to see you in my study,” Nick said authoritatively as he got to his feet.
Carter was already out of her chair and halfway to the door when she realized no one was following her. Turning around, she saw all eyes were pointed in her direction. Nick had been talking to her.
“Can it wait until tomorrow?” she asked.
“No.”
Candace inserted herself in Nick’s line of vision. “Darling, do wait until the morning. You wouldn’t want to keep me waiting, would you?”
Carter felt a pang of jealousy and waited for Nick to acknowledge the offer being pressed against his side. He didn’t.
/> “My study,” he repeated. “Now.”
Carter frowned, angry at him and herself. Jealousy was not something she had any right to and she resented like hell his domineering attitude.
“Fine.” Anger seeped into her voice and she struggled to get in touch with the emotion, knowing it would save her.
“We’ll wait for you,” Buddy offered.
“That’s okay. I’ll meet you up there.”
Carter followed Nick out of the room, her heart beating triple time.
When they got to his study, Nick shut the door and poured himself another scotch over ice. Leaning against the bar with one hand planted firmly on the marble, he swirled the drink around but remained quiet. He was about to lose it and knew he needed a minute to calm the hell down.
Carter had been a source of torture from the moment she’d walked into his house with the others. He’d spent the evening watching the candlelight play over her skin and seeing different expressions flare in her face. He liked the way she fidgeted in her seat and incessantly crossed and uncrossed her legs. She was so alive, so vibrant, that he just wanted to reach out and touch her. Among other things.
Thanks to his fantasies, he’d been in a state of rigid arousal for most of the evening.
All of his pent-up need made the very air Buddy Swift breathed aggravating. The bastard had been shooting Carter looks all night long, his eyes soft behind those stupid gold-rimmed glasses, his expression tender like he couldn’t wait until they were alone. Nick wanted to toss the guy out on his ass.
Even worse to watch was Carter’s response to the man. Every once in a while, she’d send her partner a glowing smile. It was obvious there was something going on between the two, and he couldn’t believe they were carrying on in front of Swift’s daughter.
By the time the mousse had arrived, Nick was seething and infuriated with himself for letting them sit side by side. He was also frustrated as hell that she was with that archaeologist instead of him.
“So what do you want?” Carter asked him.
He looked over his shoulder at her. Her hands were on her hips, a stance that pulled her shirt tightly across her breasts. He was instantly distracted by the memory of what they had looked like doused in sunlight and river water.