“Noah tells me that you’ve moved out of the apartment,” she says.
I shrug and stare straight ahead. “Not officially,” I mumble.
“Is there a reason why you can’t stay at your place?” She pauses for a beat. “The one you pay rent for?”
I’m not sure how to answer that question, so I remain silent. Maybe I am a pussy just like Noah accused.
“My guess is that Daisy has something to do with this new living arrangement,” she continues.
“I, ah, just thought it would be best for everyone involved if I wasn’t there.” I’m trying like hell to avoid her penetrating stare.
“Is that what Daze told you?” Her voice sharpens. “That she would be more comfortable with you gone?”
My gaze arrows to hers and I hastily shake my head. “Of course not. Daisy would never say that.” Even when she hated my guts, she still agreed to live with me.
A satisfied smile curves her lips. “I didn’t think so.”
“I just…” I have no idea how to explain the situation or my fears to her. The only way I can keep myself in check is to keep my distance from the one person who makes me feel too much. Who makes me feel out of control. It’s the scariest fucking feeling in the world and I hate it.
“You’ve liked Daisy for a long time,” she says.
Even though Noah told me that his mom suspected my feelings, it’s still a surprise to hear her say it.
“What? You think I didn’t notice all these years?” She smirks. “I knew how you felt about Daisy before you did, Carter.”
“Noah mentioned something about it,” I mumble in embarrassment and stare down at my fingers.
After a silent moment of me fiddling with them, Marnie reaches out to still my movements.
I glance up as my voice drops. “You have to believe that I never meant for any of this to happen.”
“I don’t understand.” She searches my eyes. “What do you mean?”
“It was never my intention to get involved with Daisy.”
“Why not?” Her brows draw together, and she frowns. “Daisy is a wonderful girl. She’s like a daughter to me.”
“I know,” I whisper. “I’m sorry that I allowed my feelings to get the best of me. I should have kept them in check.”
As Marnie shakes her head, her blond ponytail swings back and forth. “Carter, you’re not making any sense. What do you have to be sorry about?”
I don’t know why I’m having such a difficult time articulating my feelings. Frustrated with myself, I blurt, “We both know that Daisy deserves better than me. You trusted me not to look sideways at her and I broke that trust.” I drag a hand over my face. “It was a mistake to think I would be good for her. I’m not.”
She straightens and slaps a hand on my thigh. I wince in surprise.
“Carter Prescott!” she growls. “What the hell kind of nonsense is pouring out of your mouth?”
My eyes widen at her sharp tone. Sure, I was expecting anger. Just not about this. I expected her to agree with the sentiment.
“I—what?” I ask with a frown.
Her expression turns thunderous as she grabs the sides of my face with her fingers and squeezes until it’s just shy of painful.
All right…it’s painful. If she’s trying to get my attention, the woman has it.
“You need to listen carefully to what I’m about to say,” she bites out. “Do you understand me?”
Her brows rise as she waits for me to answer in the affirmative, which I do by giving a tight nod.
“Good.” She drags my face closer which makes my jaw ache. “I love you, Carter. I love you as much as if you were my own. The first time my son brought you home, I knew there was something special about you and I was right. You may not be a Walker by name, but you are in all the ways that matter. You’re part of this family and that will never change.” She pauses. “No matter what.”
Moisture fills my eyes.
But it’s not tears…it’s allergies.
“I think we can both agree that you were dealt a crap hand when it comes to your father. And it would have been easy for you to learn from his example and turn out to be exactly like him, but that’s not what you’ve done. You are a hundred times the man Philip Prescott will ever be.” Her fingers bite into my cheeks. “I’ve watched you mature over the years and I’m proud of the man you’ve grown into. I trust you with my son.” She pauses. “And more than that, I trust you with my niece. We’re lucky to count you as one of our own.” Her expression softens. “And just so you know, nothing thrilled me more than finding out that you and Daisy had finally gotten together.” She smiles. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for the two of you to stop dancing around one another?”
I’d shake my head, but she still has a firm grip on my face. “But—”
“You are not your father.” The way she cuts to the heart of the matter knocks me off balance. “How could you think otherwise? You are the sweetest, kindest, most thoughtful man. Why wouldn’t I want my niece with someone like that?”
My shoulders slump because there’s no arguing with this woman. And I’m smart enough to realize it. But still, everything she’s saying, it’s difficult to accept. Not when I’ve spent years telling myself the complete opposite.
“Daisy deserves to be loved the way you love her,” she adds.
My eyes widen. “Who said anything about love?” Even as I bluff my way through the question, heat fills my face.
Clearly not fooled, she rolls her eyes and asks point blank, “Am I wrong?”
I huff out a breath as I hem and haw. Shoulders slumping, I give up the ruse and grumble, “No, you’re not wrong.” Even though I’m embarrassed, I force myself to meet her gaze. “Although we both know Daisy deserves better.”
I don’t tack on than me, but we both hear the unspoken words.
She yanks me closer and grounds out, “You are not him, Carter. You could never be anything like him.”
“You don’t know—”
“Actually, I do,” she cuts in swiftly, stealing the wind from my sails. “Do you know how?” She doesn’t wait for a response. “Because I know you. I’ve watched you for years. You’re not capable of that kind of physical violence. You’re just not. You need to get this out of your head right now.”
She releases my cheeks and I massage the ache in my jaw.
“I know what happened at that party,” she says. “Noah filled me in.”
My eyes dart to hers in surprise.
“I’m glad you were there to protect Daisy. Not that she can’t take care of herself,” Marnie adds. “But some guys have a hard time taking no for an answer. And he was obviously one of them.”
Everything within me deflates. “I don’t want to be anything like my dad.”
“Oh, sweetheart.” Unshed tears shimmer in her eyes. “Why can’t you get it through your thick head that you are nothing like him? All you were trying to do was protect Daisy and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“It doesn’t feel that way.” I glance away. “Do you have any idea how sick I’ve been about this?”
Her lips lift at the corners. “That only proves my point, Carter. You’re a wonderful man and you deserve joy in your life with a woman who makes you happy. I’ve watched you over the years, always keeping people at a distance. I would hate for you to miss out on all the wonderful opportunities life has to offer because you’re too frightened to open yourself up and take a chance.”
I blow out a long breath knowing that she’s right.
About everything.
I’m just not sure what to do about it.
Chapter forty-Three
Daisy
How does that old saying go?
Getting back on the horse again is never easy?
Well, it’s true.
I glance behind me and smile at…crap, I’m blanking on his name.
I’m pretty sure it starts with the letter—
Adam!
The
re we go.
We met in line at the coffee house on campus and got to talking. By the time we had our javas in hand, he asked if I was interested in grabbing dinner some time. Before Carter, I wouldn’t have given his invitation a second thought. He’s cute with messy chestnut colored curls and has a few tattoos on his arms.
What’s not to like?
And yet I went back and forth about meeting up with him. Believe it or not, it was Olivia who pushed me into going on this date. And she was right. There’s no reason for me to sit home alone pining for someone who doesn’t want me.
It’s time for me to move on.
And Adam is the perfect one to do that with.
I think.
He made a few odd comments while we were out, but I brushed them aside. If nothing else, he’s a good rebound guy. Someone I can practice on.
I shove my key in the lock and push open the door to the apartment before walking in. Adam is hot on my heels. I frown when his hands settle on my hips. This isn’t the first time he’s touched me this evening. Maybe I’m making too much of it, but the contact feels too intimate for a first date with a stranger.
He needs to back off.
I hasten my pace and slip out of his grip.
Normally, I’d hope that Noah wasn’t home to spoil my evening but that’s not the case this time. The further we move into the apartment, the more I realize that I’ve made a tactical error in judgment.
Inviting Adam up was a mistake. I should have ended the evening when he dropped me off.
The apartment is dark, which means that Noah is out for the night. I wonder where he went. Ever since he broke up with Ashley, he’s become more of a homebody. It’s been nice. We’ve been spending quality cousin bonding time together. We buy quarts of ice cream and lament our single status as we binge watch Netflix.
I head into the kitchen to put a little distance between us and hit the lights. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Sure.” He shoves his hands in the pockets of his khakis and glances around the apartment. “Got any vodka?”
I almost snort. Yeah…That is so not happening. The last thing I need on my hands is another drunk asshole.
Instead I say, “Nope, fresh out. How about a water or Gatorade?”
He shrugs and positions himself in the middle of the couch. “Gatorade’s fine.” He pats the spot next to him in invitation. “Why don’t you get your sexy self in here.”
Sexy self?
Seriously? It takes everything I have inside not to burst out laughing. Poor Adam. He’s going to be disappointed by the way tonight turns out.
I grab a bottle of water for myself and a Gatorade for my unwanted guest and head back into the living room. I toss him the bottle as I bypass the couch, heading to the recliner which is on the other side of the coffee table. Hopefully he’ll get the hint that my sexy self isn’t interested.
Apparently, he doesn’t understand what social cuing is because he sends me his version of a smoldering look.
It falls flat.
My lips tremble and I press them together in order not to smile.
“You’re so far away.” He crooks his finger. “Come sit over here.”
I have now received official confirmation that this was a terrible idea.
What the hell was I thinking?
I bite my lip, wondering if I should point-blank ask him to leave. Stalling for time, I unscrew the cap from my water and take a drink from the bottle.
His gaze drops to my lips. “You seem like a champ at swallowing. I’d love to find out for myself.”
Water goes down the wrong pipe and I sputter, spraying liquid everywhere. I wipe the droplets from my mouth and chin. There’s no damn way that he just said what I thought he did.
My eyes turn glassy with tears as I croak, “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
A lazy grin curves his lips.
Apparently, I did hear correctly.
What an asshole!
All right, that does it. He’s definitely getting booted.
Adam opens his mouth and I wince, mentally preparing myself for what’s going to pop out next.
But there’s nothing.
Instead, he snaps his mouth shut. His eyes widen as he stares past me.
I’m about to turn and see what has caught his attention, when a deep voice says, “I believe what your date meant to say was that it’s time for him to take off.” The voice sharpens. “Isn’t that right?”
I bolt out of the recliner and swing around to face Carter. The first shock is that he’s here at the apartment. The second is that he’s wearing the tight, leave-nothing-to-the-imagination rooster underwear and nothing else.
I slap a hand over my mouth as my eyes lick over him. Forgetting about Adam, I whisper, “What are you doing here?”
Carter shrugs and casually leans against the doorframe. His muscles ripple with the movement. That’s all it takes for my panties to flood with heat. I’m like one of Pavlov’s well-trained dogs. When it comes to Carter, I can’t help myself.
“I was hoping we could talk,” he murmurs, and his eyes soften.
I wave a hand at his practically naked state. “Like that?”
A lopsided smile curves his lips. “You seem to go all mushy when I’m naked, so I thought it was worth a shot.” He jerks his head toward Adam. “Plus, I heard we had a guest.” He raises a brow. “So, I figured, appropriate attire was mandatory.”
I spin toward Adam, only now remembering that Carter and I aren’t alone. My date for the evening frowns and shoots to his feet. He spears a finger in Carter’s direction.
“Who’s this guy?” He pauses for a beat. “And where the hell are his clothes?”
The last time this scenario played out, I was pissed as hell. This time, I couldn’t be more thrilled.
A smile tugs at the corners of my lips. “Oh, him?” I blink innocently. “He’s one of my roommates.”
“Actually,” Carter cuts in, “I’m the boyfriend.”
My widened gaze collides with his. I wasn’t expecting him to say that.
He clears his throat as if suddenly unsure. “If you’ll have me back, that is.”
Everything in me melts into a gooey puddle as I nod. He’s right. His nakedness does make me go all mushy inside. Sure, I could play games and tell him that I needed some time to think it over, but I’m not going to do that. As much as Carter’s rejection hurt, I understand his rationale for pushing me away.
“You know,” a disgruntled Adam says. “I paid for dinner. I deserve a little compensation in return.”
Does a kick in the nuts from yours truly qualify as compensation? Because that’s exactly what he’s going to get if he doesn’t shut his mouth.
I plant my hands on my hips. “Excuse me, but you used a buy one, get one free dinner coupon,” I remind him.
I hadn’t mentioned anything at the time, but come on…
That’s not something you do on a first date.
“Frugal is where it’s at, baby,” he says defensively.
I roll my eyes, not only is he going to get that kick in the nuts, but he’s going to get tossed out on his ear. That can be my two-for-one special.
Carter pats his hips as if searching for his nonexistent pockets. Then he does the same to his ass cheeks. I bite my lip to keep from laughing at how ridiculous he looks. Not to mention, hot and sexy.
“Guess I forgot my wallet,” he quips.
Adam narrows his eyes. “Well, this night has turned out to be a bust.”
I shrug. “Sorry to disappoint.”
When I say nothing more, he grunts and stalks to the door. There’s no goodbye, just the door rattling on its hinges as he slams it. Now that we’re alone, Carter and I stare at each other in silence. The air shifts around us, becoming more charged.
“You have the worst taste in guys,” he murmurs, pushing away from the doorframe.
My heart picks up its tempo as he stalks closer.
“Present c
ompany excluded?” I ask.
“The jury’s still out on that one, but I hope so.” Once he’s close enough, he reaches out and cradles my cheeks in the palms of his hands. His smile falters as he sobers. “I’m sorry, Daisy.”
Carter brushes his lips against mine.
It’s been so long since he’s kissed me. All I want is to sink into the soft caress, but he doesn’t allow me to do that before pulling back.
“I’m sorry for pushing you away,” he whispers, stroking my mouth with a light caress. “You deserve the absolute best and I needed time to figure out if I could be that for you.”
The sincerity of his words make my heart ache.
My eyes widen as I shake my head. “How could you ever think you weren’t good enough?”
He jerks his shoulders into a shrug. “The thought of being anything like my father scares the shit out of me.” His gaze darts away and then resettles on me. “Losing control like that freaked me out and I needed time to think about what I was doing.” He leans forward until his forehead gently rests against mine and his breath feathers across my lips. “I never meant to hurt you or cause you pain.”
I stroke my fingers across his shadowed jaw. “I know. And I was willing to give you that time because you mean everything to me.”
He hauls me closer until his arms can snake around my body. How is it possible that everything feels so much better when I’m wrapped up in his arms like this?
As if reading my thoughts, he whispers, “You know that I’m never going to let you go, right?” He presses his lips against my forehead. “You’re mine now.”
My heart swells with happiness. I lift my head so that I can meet his gaze. So much emotion swims in his eyes.
“Good, because I was just about to say the same thing to you,” I murmur. “Don’t think that I’ll be letting you walk away again because that’s not going to happen.”
“You’ve got yourself a deal.” He smiles. “I’m yours and you’re mine.”
I laugh, loving the sound of what he’s saying.
“Sooooo…Any interest in taking a closer look at the cocky underwear I’m wearing?” He winks. “I wore them especially for you.”
I slide my hand from around his back, down his abdominals, to the waistband of his briefs. I hook a finger into the material and pull it away from his body before letting it snap back into place.
Love to Hate You Page 27