him. “It’s the girl. Claire? Right?”
“How did you know?”
She shook her head and gave him a sad smile. “I know you better than you think. I saw the way you looked at her. And the fact that you didn’t want to share her, but rather protect her virtue kind of clued me in.”
“You aren’t mad, are you? I mean I know we were never exclusive, but I want you to know I respected what we had.”
“I know you did. Don’t worry about me.” She waved her hands, brushing off his assertion. “I just want you to be happy. And well, if she does that then so be it.”
“It isn’t like that. We were just having fun. She goes back to school tomorrow.”
“Give me a break, Carter. If you wanted to be with her—truly be with her—you could.”
He shook his head, denying her claim. “Elise would never have it. Her parents would never have it. It couldn’t work.”
“Look.” She placed a hand on his arm. “Nothing in life worth fighting for ever came easy. If you truly care about her, you’ll find a way to make it work. You need to decide if that’s what you want.”
“We’re just so different. What if she wants kids? I already did that with Elise. I’m almost forty-years old. I’m not sure I would enjoy starting again now. And let’s not forget I travel more than half a year. How could I ask her to uproot herself to be with me? Or to stay home while I’m on the road?”
“Isn’t all that her decision? She deserves the chance to choose for herself. And at this point, I think you are just looking for an excuse. Just think about it. You don’t have to decide today or tomorrow, but you need to decide soon.”
He grabbed Mary and gave her a hug, holding her tightly. He kissed her head and rested his cheek on the top of her head.
“Want to fuck for old time’s sake?” Carter wasn’t surprised she asked him that, and it made him smile.
“Sorry, can’t.”
She sighed and tightened her hold around his waist. “How did I know you were going to say that?”
* * *
“Oh my God! You didn’t!” Elise screamed and scrambled in the bucket for another water balloon. She and Claire were attempting to hide behind the grill from Bobby and Brian. Claire wasn’t sure how the war had started, but she was having a blast in the meantime.
“Look out,” Brian shouted as three balloons came at their heads. Both men ducked and went into their own arsenal.
Brian wasn’t Carter by any stretch of the imagination, but he was cute—in a boy next door kind of way—and he was funny. Last night at the club, he hung with her the whole time and bought all her drinks. At the end of the night he even kissed her lightly on the lips. It felt nice. What it didn’t feel was all consuming like it did with Carter.
Carter had practically ignored Claire the last few days. It was as if she didn’t even exist. She hated it, but was powerless to stop it. So she decided she would flirt with Brian and make out with him. Wasn’t that what you were supposed to do after a break up?
“Shit! We’re out of balloons,” Elise cried out and looked frantically at Claire. They both started laughing when they realized how into this game they were. It was just water for Christ’s sake.
“One of us is going to have to go back to the house to get the other package.”
“Not it.”
Claire bit her lip and cursed. She should have known better than to let Elise decide. Of course, she would choose to stay hidden while Claire put her butt on the line.
“Okay.” Claire squared her shoulders and braced to run. “I’m going in. If I’m not back in ten minutes you’ll have to come in after me.”
“Good luck. May the force be with you,” Elise patted her butt and shooed her along with her hands.
Claire shook her head, took a deep breath and ran. She was almost to the door leading into the house when strong arms clamped around her waist and hoisted her up over an equally strong and solid shoulder.
She looked around a tight
“How did you know?”
She shook her head and gave him a sad smile. “I know you better than you think. I saw the way you looked at her. And the fact that you didn’t want to share her, but rather protect her virtue kind of clued me in.”
“You aren’t mad, are you? I mean I know we were never exclusive, but I want you to know I respected what we had.”
“I know you did. Don’t worry about me.” She waved her hands, brushing off his assertion. “I just want you to be happy. And well, if she does that then so be it.”
“It isn’t like that. We were just having fun. She goes back to school tomorrow.”
“Give me a break, Carter. If you wanted to be with her—truly be with her—you could.”
He shook his head, denying her claim. “Elise would never have it. Her parents would never have it. It couldn’t work.”
“Look.” She placed a hand on his arm. “Nothing in life worth fighting for ever came easy. If you truly care about her, you’ll find a way to make it work. You need to decide if that’s what you want.”
“We’re just so different. What if she wants kids? I already did that with Elise. I’m almost forty-years old. I’m not sure I would enjoy starting again now. And let’s not forget I travel more than half a year. How could I ask her to uproot herself to be with me? Or to stay home while I’m on the road?”
“Isn’t all that her decision? She deserves the chance to choose for herself. And at this point, I think you are just looking for an excuse. Just think about it. You don’t have to decide today or tomorrow, but you need to decide soon.”
He grabbed Mary and gave her a hug, holding her tightly. He kissed her head and rested his cheek on the top of her head.
“Want to fuck for old time’s sake?” Carter wasn’t surprised she asked him that, and it made him smile.
“Sorry, can’t.”
She sighed and tightened her hold around his waist. “How did I know you were going to say that?”
* * *
“Oh my God! You didn’t!” Elise screamed and scrambled in the bucket for another water balloon. She and Claire were attempting to hide behind the grill from Bobby and Brian. Claire wasn’t sure how the war had started, but she was having a blast in the meantime.
“Look out,” Brian shouted as three balloons came at their heads. Both men ducked and went into their own arsenal.
Brian wasn’t Carter by any stretch of the imagination, but he was cute—in a boy next door kind of way—and he was funny. Last night at the club, he hung with her the whole time and bought all her drinks. At the end of the night he even kissed her lightly on the lips. It felt nice. What it didn’t feel was all consuming like it did with Carter.
Carter had practically ignored Claire the last few days. It was as if she didn’t even exist. She hated it, but was powerless to stop it. So she decided she would flirt with Brian and make out with him. Wasn’t that what you were supposed to do after a break up?
“Shit! We’re out of balloons,” Elise cried out and looked frantically at Claire. They both started laughing when they realized how into this game they were. It was just water for Christ’s sake.
“One of us is going to have to go back to the house to get the other package.”
“Not it.”
Claire bit her lip and cursed. She should have known better than to let Elise decide. Of course, she would choose to stay hidden while Claire put her butt on the line.
“Okay.” Claire squared her shoulders and braced to run. “I’m going in. If I’m not back in ten minutes you’ll have to come in after me.”
“Good luck. May the force be with you,” Elise patted her butt and shooed her along with her hands.
Claire shook her head, took a deep breath and ran. She was almost to the door leading into the house when strong arms clamped around her waist and hoisted her up over an equally strong and solid shoulder.
She looked around a tight
Similar Books
