Hope Falls: Carried Away (Kindle Worlds Novella)

by Mayra Statham

  “So, what does she do?” he asked, in hopes she’d keep sharing more about herself and her life.

  “What?” Carrie paled slightly as she looked at him, and something about that caught his attention.

  “You’re a teacher, but you’re working at the bakery Liz and Tess own right now. Which by the way, I haven’t forgotten we still need to talk about what happened there. But what does Lucy do?”

  “She’s a personal assistant for umm… a restaurateur of sorts.” He knew what she was keeping from him and wanted to tell her it was okay. But he couldn’t. Not yet. If he did, she would think he was crazy and get the hell away from him.

  “Of sorts?”

  “Yeah.” She shrugged, obvious that she didn’t want to talk about it, and he would give it to her for now.

  “So, how did you all meet?” he asked hoping she would tell him what he knew. Instead, she breathed in slowly and exhaled even slower, breaking their stare to look out the window. By the way she looked toward the miniature golf course he knew her eyes might be set in that direction, but her mind was a million miles away.

  “We worked at one of the restaurants Lucy’s boss owns,” she finally told him, still looking out the window. He understood her not telling him more.

  “I was going to school, finishing up my undergrad, ready to start the next step of my education, but I didn’t want to end up with a ton of loans. So I did a bartending course online and got a job waitressing, hoping I could get a bartender spot when one opened there.” She turned to look at him, giving him a partial truth, but he was more than okay with that. “I met Lucy first.” She smiled shyly. “The place was great, but most of the girls there weren’t very friendly.” He didn’t think they would be. Women could sometimes be vicious and at a members-only-gentleman’s-club setup her old boss owned, he could see women being more than catty with one another.

  “Imagine that?” He winked, and she chuckled.

  “But Lucy was. We all kind of started around the same time, and Lucy was kind of the wrangler of our group. She brought us together,” she told him almost wistfully.

  “Hey,” he called out to her, grabbing her hand in his. “You okay?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You ready to get your butt kicked out there?” he asked pointing toward the course, trying to lighten the mood. Her own eyes followed, and when she didn’t say anything for a long moment, he worried.

  “Joel.” She turned, and he knew she thought he wouldn’t like whatever she was going to say to him. With a blink, he started talking before he had a moment to think and stop himself.

  “Whatever you think is going to scare me away, it’s not possible.” His voice was steady and confident, and he hoped she could feel the honesty in his words.

  “How are you so sure?” she asked without blinking, almost as if she wasn’t breathing. When he leaned in closer, he didn’t think she even realized the way she moved in toward him.

  “I’m pretty sure I’ve made this clear to you, but in case I haven’t, I like you. I like you a lot. Not just for a fling or a one-time thing, but for more,” he told her and meant it. Though he didn’t share that he already knew what she was holding back.

  “I’m not what you would call a good girl, Joel,” she admitted. He didn’t flinch, even though he felt the sadness that clouded her eyes. Instead, his finger touched the bottom of her chin, and as gently as he could, he pulled her head up until her eyes were meeting his.

  “I’m not exactly what you would call a bad boy.” His deep voice felt like it vibrated in the cab of the truck, and her gaze roamed to his lips so longingly that he felt it like a touch.

  “You’re all bad boy and dirty fun, Joel. Tall, dark, and handsome—“ she started to say, but he shook his head, her eyes meeting his.

  “Looks can be deceiving, Carrie. You might not have been the girl next door your entire life, and I sure as hell haven’t been a bad boy all of mine. How about right here and right now… we just meet in the middle. Two people with pasts who… I sincerely hope have a future.”

  “Do you really mean that?” she asked warily.

  “I do,” he answered immediately and without hesitation. “I’ve never felt this way with anyone. The way you make me feel…” He shook his head, knowing he was exposing a lot and not giving a shit about it. “You make me feel alive. Something about when I’m with you, it’s like a mix of being home and at peace all shaken up with first crush nerves,” he admitted. Her face broke into a full, beautiful smile that reached and passed her beautiful eyes.

  “I feel like that too,” she whispered, her eyes turning a deeper blue, and his control snapped. Needing a taste of her, he leaned in and kissed her. Hard and hungry. He was a starving predator and she was nothing but his prey. Not the time, he reminded himself, somehow slowing the kiss slightly before pulling away and resting his forehead on hers.

  “You really think you’d be okay with anything?” she asked nervously, and he felt like a jerk for not admitting to having snooped into her past. But if he did, adding in the crazy, heavy way he was laying things out for her, she would think he was insane.

  “We both have a past. It shaped who we are now. And I gotta tell you, babe, I really like who you are now.” She smiled at him, relief flashing behind her eyes. “So, you ready to get your butt kicked? Because I’m not going to let you win just because you’re pretty.”

  “You think I’m pretty?” Her eyebrows moved up as she blinked flirtatiously at him, and he laughed, enjoying her playful side.

  “You’re the one who’s trouble.” He winked, enjoying the sound of her laughter.

  “I doubt that.”

  “I know so.” He raised a brow and looked her up and down. “Are you trying to use your feminine wiles on me, Miss Blue?”

  “Feminine wiles? Are you sure it’s your mom who likes to read romance novels?” she asked against his lips, and he grinned.

  “Whatever. How about we make this interesting?” he proposed.

  “Interesting, huh?” she whispered, and whatever blood he had in his brain fled south. “How would we make this even more interesting?” she asked, and all Joel could think about was how freaking sexy she was.

  “Let’s make a bet,” he suggested.

  “Hmm, this could be dangerous.” Her eyes glittered, but he knew she was more than up for it. “Fine. What are we betting?” she asked as his hands skimmed her jaw slowly.

  “If I win, we stay overnight at my cabin, you in my bed.”

  “Joel.” Her lips twitched, but it was her eyes that sparkled, which told him she was okay with the idea.

  “In my bed, fully clothed. We can cuddle. Nothing nefarious will happen.”

  “Nefarious? I’m thinking you like historical romance,” she teased again, and he kept talking.

  “I’ll be a complete gentleman.”

  “Who says I’d want you to be a gentleman?” she asked looking up at him shyly, and he shook his head.

  “You’re killing me, baby,” he groaned, while she laughed softly, her own hand touching his furry jaw.

  “Okay, so if you win, we cuddle in your bed tonight?” she clarified and he nodded. “And?”

  “And you meet my mom tomorrow,” he threw out there and watched as her eyes widened before they went back to normal.

  “Is this something you do? Bring girls to meet Momma Vega?”

  “No one I have ever dated has met my mom. And she goes by her maiden name now, so it’s Momma Sanders.”

  “Okay.” She pressed her lips together and asked, “What do I get if I win?”

  “What do you want?” She pulled her face slightly away from him and tapped a finger on her jaw like she was deep in thought.

  “We get to go back to the bookstore and pick a book for you to read so we can talk about it.”

  “You want me to read a book of your choice?”

  “Yup.”

  “Hmm…”

  “And—“

  “I knew it could
n’t be that easy.” He laughed.

  “And if I win, a cuddle date in your bed could maybe still be left of the table.” She shrugged, and he could tell she was trying to fool him into thinking she wasn’t nervous when she was, so he simply nodded.

  “You got yourself a deal, Miss Blue.” He extended his hand, and when hers slipped into his, he felt that same rush of energy between them, and when their eyes met, there was no doubt in his mind that she felt it as well.

  Chapter Seven

  Carrie

  It was getting colder by the minute, but she didn’t know if her face ached from the chill in the air or from smiling so much. Watching him play the last five holes had been more than entertaining. As she watched him bend and wink back at her, she tried to remember the last time she’d had this much fun with a man, and Carrie knew this was a first. Watching his large frame bend and move to hit the ball to hit an edge of the windmill and miss was amusing. Watching him throw his head back and groan was definitely warming her up as she stood out in the coldness.

  “Your turn,” he mumbled. She liked his competitiveness.

  “You sure you don’t just wanna give up now?” she asked, grinning. She bent to lower her purple golf ball onto the green Astroturf that squished slightly with every step. She looked back and him, and when she noticed his eyes pinned on her ass, she pressed her lips together. Usually, a man blatantly checking her out like that would have bothered her. But with him, it was different. He made her feel sexy, and that alone gave her a surge of feminine power.

  Looking away as she straightened, she reminded him, “I am winning by three strokes.”

  “Three strokes are nothing,” he huffed, and this time she laughed out loud.

  “That’s what the guy three strokes behind would say.”

  “Are you sure you don’t wanna give up now? I already know how I’m going to introduce you to my mom.” His mom! She couldn’t believe that he wanted her to meet his mom before they had even finished their first date.

  “Oh, yeah? How’s that?” she asked, the club in her hands as she figured out the best way to get the shot done. He shocked the heck out of her when she pulled back to swing.

  “’Mom, meet my future wife?’ I think she’d like that, don’t you?” he told her just as she let her arm go. She lost her strength mid-swing the moment his words penetrated and looked at him, wide-eyed, unable to believe what he had just said.

  The way he was smiling, his eyes full of mischief, gave away the fact he had completely played her. “You did that on purpose!” she squealed as she ran to him, and without a second to think, he grabbed her in his arms and kissed her. It was one of his slow and sweet kisses, the kind that built up the fire already burning between them. The kind of kiss that made her forget where she was and even what her name was. When he pulled away, she looked up at him and blinked.

  “Way I see it, we’re both winning now.” His eyes seared into hers, leaving her slightly breathless, before he looked behind her. She turned to follow what he was looking at only to see that her ball was completely side tracked from where it was supposed to go.

  “Cheater,” she grumbled and pulled away from his strong body that radiated heat even if she wanted to be superglued to him.

  “Hey, we never said that conversations weren’t allowed.”

  “That was you trying to distract me,” she pointed out and he shrugged, giving her a boyish smile.

  “You call it distraction; I call it conversation. Tomayto, tomahto.”

  “Oh, it’s like that, huh? Fine.” She cocked a hip, a plan sparking in her head as he walked to the red ball that was waiting for him. He looked back at her just as she took a step toward him and caught how his lips twitched.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” he asked as he set up for his swing. She reached him, standing only an inch or two away from his back. “Nothing, just getting a better view,” she said nonchalantly, one of her hands skimming his lower back and up the center and between his broad shoulders. She liked how she could feel him shiver slightly beneath his jacket.

  “You are trouble,” he rumbled in a low tone, and she looked around. It was mid-week, so the course was empty for the most part.

  "So you keep saying,” she remarked, letting her fingers skim their way back down to hover over his lower back for a moment before taking a step back so he could swing. Just as he lifted, she bent and pinched his very plump butt cheek and laughed at the yelp he let out as he missed hitting the ball completely.

  “Awe, that’s a shame.” She beamed and was about to turn to walk to her ball when he brought her back into his arms and she breathed him in. He smelled so dang good. There was a light hint of cologne and soap, but most of it was just him.

  “Fine. We play fair from now on.”

  “I wasn’t the one who started it,” she retorted playfully, not giving into the temptation to stick her tongue out at him.

  “Fuck, I like you,” he blurted and left her feeling slightly stunned. It wasn’t the first time he’d said it, but every time he did felt like a gift. A gift that shifted the foundation her world was built on.

  He was the kind of man from one of the books Lucy made them read. The kind of man who knew what he wanted and wasn’t going to play games to get it. The kind who wouldn’t let anything get between him and what he wanted. Please let him be real, she silently wished as her hand cupped his face. She opened her mouth to tell him she felt the same way when a very cold breeze hit and she shivered, causing his face to show concern.

  “You’re cold,” he pointed out, and when another breeze slid between them, she couldn’t stop from shivering once again. This time, her teeth started to rattle.

  “I’m fine,” she told him, but he shook his head.

  “No.” He stepped away and unbuttoned his jacket, slipping it off his shoulders. “You’re freezing, baby.” One second later, his jacket engulfed her, his scent and heat wrapped her up, and she dropped her chin to her chest to sniff the material as subtly as possible. “Better?”

  “Yeah, thank you.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was getting so cold.” He stroked her arms.

  “You grew up here. You’re probably used to it. No big deal.”

  “It is.” He frowned. “You wanna get going?”

  “Giving up already?” she asked with a challenging brow raised. He shook his head.

  “I have an idea, actually,” Joel told her, and she raised her eyebrow even higher.

  “Oh?”

  “How good are you at bowling?” he asked, and she schooled her face from showing anything.

  “I’m not too bad.” She shrugged.

  “Liar. I have a feeling I’m going to get stuck reading a stack of books. Come on, let’s turn these clubs in and go bowl.”

  Chapter Eight

  Joel

  “Yes! Ha! Ha! That, handsome, is how you get a strike!” she gleefully announced while he sipped his beer, watching her do some kind of weird dance thing that made her even more adorable in his eyes.

  “Whatever. Why don’t you sit your sweet little behind down before you hurt yourself,” he suggested as he stood and grabbed the neon green ball she had chosen for him.

  She passed by him, brushing her arm against his, which was all he needed to get distracted by her. Damn, she was simply irresistible. With his free arm, and smoother than he thought he was capable of, he grabbed her. Her body went flush against his side and she looked up at him. He felt her eyes in his gut and his heart. He was completely over his head with her.

  ”Kiss for good luck?” His voice sounded deep in his own ears. He enjoyed the way the tips of her dainty fingers lazily drew shapes over his pecs at the same time he tried to ignore how his nipples strained for her touch, as did another appendage down below.

  "A kiss, huh?" She leaned in closer. "I think you're trying to cheat again," she shared with a whisper. He made his face go serious, so as not to give him away.

  "Again?" he asked t
rying to sound surprised, but being that close to her messed with his head. Her lips touched his cautiously, dancing over his again and again, creating heat, then he had to take over, because if he gave her control, he’d lose his. He deepened the kiss only slightly, not as much as his mind and body were yelling at him to; they were out in public after all.

  "Good luck," she softly whispered, pulling away, and he knew looking at her hazy, lust-filled eyes, he was going to need it with her.

  He stood and threw his arm out, letting the ball go, and watched the damn thing swerve and head straight into the gutter, just like he had wanted.

  "Ouch! Did you see that! Gutter ball," she croaked from her seat. He turned back to look at her and shrugged.

  "I think you need to give me another kiss," he scoffed, passing the ball return and moving right to her.

  "Another one?" she asked, putting her hands on her chest as if in disbelief.

  "Another," he repeated. "But make it a good one this time," he added and liked the way her brows narrowed, enjoying how she always rose to any challenges he or anyone might toss her way.

  "Was my last kiss not adequate?" she asked, standing her hands on her hips as he schooled the features on his face, trying to bite away the smile that threatened to wash over him and the laughter that was more than likely going to follow.

  "I don't know how lucky that kiss was. I got a gutter ball," he pointed out. She shook her head, a lock of her hair falling in front of her face, and he didn’t hesitate to tuck it back behind her ear.

  "You wanted a lucky kiss, Joel, you didn't ask for a miracle," she shot back at him, and her body shook with laughter as his lips twitched.

  “A miracle, huh? Is that what you think I need? My bowling skills that bad, baby?”

  “They sure aren't good.” She grinned.

  “Fine. Wanna up the bet?”

  “Joel—“

  “I win, cuddle date, meet mom, and we stay an extra day,” he suggested and watched her worry her lip.

  “You really think you can come back from that?” She pointed toward the score board, but he didn’t look away from her, only raised a brow to silently challenge her.