fiancee.”
“Oh right,” she whispered. “Sorry.”
Silence filled the room.
Macy rose and went to him. “I didn’t mean to pry.”
He turned to her, his eyes blazing. “Didn’t you?”
“No, I, uh,” she began, retreating a step. “If you don’t want to tell me, it’s fine.”
Carter closed his eyes and drew air into his lungs. He didn’t owe her any explanation, yet she wanted desperately to know. And it wasn’t just about getting a chance to work on the inn. She’d been here a short time and they were still strangers, but not really. For some odd reason, they jelled. They sort of fell in step with each other, and though he made her heart do silly things, she felt something akin to friendship with him. He mattered to her.
His fingers went to his forehead and he rubbed there, squeezing the skin together. “Jocelyn didn’t even like this place. She thought I should tear it down.”
“Oh.” That was a shocker. She watched Carter’s hazel eyes turn a deeper shade.
“I’ve been considering it, but not because of her.”
Macy didn’t get it. “Then why?”
Carter spoke through tight lips. “It has to do with my father.”
Macy waited, curious and dying to know, but she held her tongue. It was obvious this was a sore subject. He gazed at her, searching for trust. Something he saw in her eyes must have convinced him. He spoke in a detached tone. “After his last rehab, we’d agreed he’d be the groundskeeper here and work with the decorators. You know, let them inside and make sure they had everything they needed. It was a test, and he promised me he’d cleaned up his act. He was going to live here when it was all done and run the place.” Carter scoffed with disgust. “That lasted about two weeks. The decorator came to me one day when he didn’t show. I went looking for him and found him passed out on his backyard cot. His house was on fire. Apparently dear old dad left a burner on at the stove. Smoke was everywhere, but he was too damn drunk to wake up and save his own life. Then I heard Rocky whimpering. He was trapped inside the house.”
“Oh no! How awful.”
“I got him out of there and took him home with me.”
“What about your father?”
“Had a bout of smoke inhalation, but nothing gets Riley McCay down. He’s fine to drink another day. Boarded up the walls, from what I hear, and is living out of two rooms in that old house.”
“It’s a good thing you showed up when you did, Carter. Or neither of them might have survived.” Images of her own father flashed in her mind. How she’d wished she could have gotten through to him before he’d gone down the path of self-destruction.
There was silence. Carter took a breath and blew it out, clearly bitter about his father. “So now you know.”
“But-”
He put two fingers to her mouth, stopping her from speaking. His touch, finger pads to her soft lips, caused commotion in her belly and she gazed into his gorgeous hazel eyes. “
“Really?” Macy blurted between his fingers, overwhelmed with joy. She hadn’t heard much else other than he had changed his mind. “I can decorate the inn?”
He removed his fingers from her mouth and nodded.
“Oh, thank you.” She threw her arms around his neck and lifted up to kiss him solidly on the lips. “You won’t be sorry.”
Six
Carter was already sorry.
He held Macy in his arms, splaying his hands on her tiny waist. She was pressed close, her breasts crushed to his chest. His pulse quickened as he looked down at her mouth. Her lips were full and soft and generous. Her expressive violet eyes were closed, but Carter had seen the look of sheer joy on her face, and it was impossible not to feel the same way.
His body grew tight and hard. Awareness coursed through his veins. Her eyes fluttered open after that one teasing kiss, and she stared at him. He held his own, until her mouth parted and her subtle female scent drifted up to his nostrils. A man could take only so much before he caved.
He bent his head farther and nipped at her lips. A little whimper rose from her throat, a plea asking for more. Carter wasn’t going to deny her. He brought his mouth to hers and kissed her fully. She fell into his arms, as if she wanted to be there all along, as if she belonged there.
A shudder ran through his system. She didn’t belong in his arms, but her kisses were too damn tempting, her mouth too appealing and the taste of her too damn good.
Was it an ego stroke, or real passion? Carter didn’t want to know. Both of them were in lonely places right now, and if they could bring each other a little pleasure, why not? He pulled her closer and took her in another kiss. This time, he got real serious.
She grew bold and brought her hands to his chest, then stroked up his shirt to toy with his neck. He liked a woman who went after what she wanted. He liked her hands on him. He wove his hand into her hair and pulled her ponytail loose. The silky blanket of curls fell down her back. His fingers threaded through the thick locks. “Open for me, darlin’.”
Her lips immediately obeyed and he drove his tongue into her mouth. He kissed her again and again, their mouths caught up in a frenzy of lust.
Macy whispered his name softly, reverently between kisses. “Carter.”
He wanted her then and was fully aware they were standing in the only room that housed a big, welcoming bed. No strings attached, he’d told her when he’d invited her here. He’d promised her that, and he was about to make that clear a second time. He pulled away from her slightly and met with eyes filled with desire. “There’s-”
Something flashed outside the window, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Henry’s truck coming up the road. “Crap.”
Carter put his head down, bunched up his face for a second and then stepped away from Macy. “Henry just pulled up. He must be looking for me. It’ll be only a minute before he comes up here.”
Macy gasped and pulled herself together quickly. It wasn’t as if she’d been naked or anything, but she looked flustered.
“I’ll go down and see what he wants.”
Carter grabbed his hat, set it on his head and gave Macy one last look before leaving the room. Regret battled with good sense as he went down the stairs. It was a good thing Henry interrupted what might have happened, he told himself. He wished to hell he believed that. He hadn’t quite recovered, but he put on a good show for Henry when he met him out front. He was sitting in his truck, and Carter leaned against the passenger window. “Hey, what’s up?”
“Looks like Belle is ready to foal. You said you wanted to be there.”
“Yeah, I do. How’s she doing?”
“Being it’s her first time, she’s a trouper. I’ve gotta get back to the barn.”
“I’ll come relieve you in a few minutes.”
Macy appeared in the doorway, her hair back in a ponytail, her hat sitting pretty atop her head. Henry tipped his hat and didn’t voice the question Carter noticed in his eyes. Henry knew how to be discreet when he had to be. “Miss Tarlington.”
“Hi, Henry. Anything wrong?”
“Not a thing. It’s good news.”
