Page 21 of Practice Makes Perfect

Carter

The last few days with Billie have been some of the best of my life, and not just because we’ve been “practicing” kissing every night after work, though that has also been a really great addition to my routine. They’ve been so great because with each interaction, whether it’s a quick hello while I drop some pieces off in the shop or a longer conversation over dinner and some reality television, I get the sense that the two of us belong together. From the moment I saw Billie, something about her drew me in, and the more I get to know her, I realize that it was all of the wonderful qualities she possesses and shows to the world. Because of her stunning beauty, it’s easy to see why some people never got past that to see the woman underneath the looks, which is a shame because she is so much more than her appearance. Luckily for me, I seem to be the first one to look deep enough to see it, though it should be obvious to anyone who interacts with her even for a moment.

Anytime I walk into the shop, Billie is either working diligently on making each display look as eye-catching as possible, or she is giving each and every customer her closest personal attention. She treats everyone who enters Hodgepodge with courtesy and kindness, as well as if they were her newest personal shopping client. The other day I walked into the store and she was showing Old Man Lewis a display of scented candles, telling him how if he really wanted to spice up his love life, he needed to create the perfect atmosphere for his lady friend. I didn’t even know he had much of a love life, but after only spending a few minutes with him, Billie had gotten him to spill the beans and helped him solve his problem. Seeing as how Mr. Lewis and Ms. Heath were seen canoodling outside on a park bench the very next day, I would say she was successful. If only she could see herself the way I do. She might not yet, but she will if I have anything to say about it.

As I finish polishing the small side project I’ve been working on this week, I smile when I think of the look that will be on Billie’s face when I give it to her. Her gratitude is always evident in her expression, but more than that, it is sincere, which I appreciate. I’m sure she’s been given quite a few expensive gifts in her lifetime. Hell, she flew home on a private jet last year. Still, I know that she’ll accept my gift with a graciousness that she would display whether I gave her a diamond tennis bracelet or simply made her a ham sandwich.

Shucking my leather apron, I wash up quickly, trying to make myself look as presentable as possible when I’ve been spending most of my day in the workshop and head over to Hodgepodge. As I enter through the back, my steps slow as I listen to Billie speaking with a customer.

“I can assure you, Janeel. These sea glass earrings would pair well with just about anything, but especially the royal blue dress that’s displayed in the window of Nina’s Clothing Shop across the street.” Billie points out the window and over to another store before turning back to her customer. “Trust me, with these earrings and that dress, your wife will be begging you to skip the anniversary dinner and head straight into the bedroom.”

I stifle a chuckle as I watch the middle-aged woman blush, but she nods and takes the earrings over to the counter. As Billie rings her up, she tells her a little more about the origin of the jewelry and offers her some advice about what shoes would go best with the dress I’m sure she’s just convinced the other woman to buy.

Finally, when the store is empty, I make my way to the register, smiling at Billie when she turns to me with an excited look on her face. “Hey, this is a nice surprise.” She looks me up and down, the look in her eyes making me feel about ten degrees hotter than I had moments ago. “A very nice surprise.”

Still not used to her attention and compliments, I can feel a blush creeping up my neck and change the subject before I can get too embarrassed. “Speaking of surprises…” I take my project from behind my back and present it to her. “This is for you.”

Billie takes the small rose I hand-carved from balsa wood and twists it in her delicate fingers. When she looks up from the gift and into my eyes, I can see them shining with thanks and maybe a little bit of affection. Hoping that affection can turn into something more akin to love, I smile at the look of wonder on her face, hoping it was a good first step toward that. “This is beautiful, Carter.” She holds it closer to her chest, a beatific expression on her face. “I love it. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” I tell her. As I tuck a loose strand of her dark chocolate hair behind her ear, my fingers brush against the smooth skin of her neck, and I smile as I feel it turn to gooseflesh. She blinks up at me, her eyes soft and filled with tenderness. She looks so peaceful, but she also looks so completely gorgeous, so totally mine that I can’t not kiss her.

Leaning down, I brush my lips lightly against hers, the softness filling my heart with a peaceful feeling I haven’t experienced in quite some time. Billie’s hand rests lightly on my chest, and her touch sends my body alight. I’m trying to keep the kiss chaste since we are in the middle of the store, but it’s difficult. Clearly, Billie feels the same way because soon she’s placing her rose on the counter and shoving me towards the office. “We need some privacy,” she announces as she pushes me down into the office chair.

“What about customers?” My body is screaming at me to shut the fuck up, but being responsible is so engrained in me that my mouth is running away with itself.

Billie leaves the office door ajar a few inches. “There.” She walks over to me and proceeds to straddle my lap. “Now we’ll be able to hear anyone come in.”

Feeling her body shift on top of mine and the warmth from her skin has me harder than an iron bar. My blood is definitely not flowing towards my brain, so I’m not quite as confident in my ability to listen for people in the store as she is. “I think you’re overestimating my ability to multitask,” I tell her. My hands slip down to her cut-off covered ass as I pull her closer to me. When she feels my hardness beneath her, she whimpers and presses against it. It’s too much and not enough, and I can’t be sure I won’t come in my pants from this alone. It’s been a long time and Billie feels really good.

Billie grinds against me some more, and I groan as the electric feel of it nearly jolts me from my seat. “I can be the eyes and ears for both of us,” she breathes out. Expecting her to kiss me, I’m caught off guard when she dives to the side and starts to nibble on my ear. Shivering at the surprise sensations it’s causing, I buck my hips up into her, needing more friction. “Oh, you like this, don’t you?” A strangled sound leaves my throat as she trails her lips up and down my neck, her fingers twisting in my hair. The small sting from her grip is just about the only thing keeping me grounded as the rest of me threatens to drift away into a sea of gratification. When she reaches the junction of my neck and shoulder, she pulls my shirt to the side and starts to lick and suck at the skin there.

The soft feel of her mouth against me has me picturing it other, far more sensitive places. “Fuck,” I grit out. My mind tries to conjure up unsexy images to keep myself from exploding in my jeans, but it’s practically impossible with the most tantalizing woman alive smashing her body against mine.

Billie pops off my neck where I am sure there is bound to be a bruise and smiles wickedly at me. “We’re working our way up to that,” she confesses, a wicked smile on her face. When she offered to help me “practice dating” I wasn’t sure it would go that far, though I can’t say I didn’t dream it might. “Now where was I?”

Before Billie can start marking me again, the bell above the shop jungles and I hear a voice call out. “Billie? Where are you?”

Billie’s eyes widen in panic at the sound of her best friend’s voice. “Oh, shit,” she exclaims. Her body nearly falls onto the floor when she scrambles off of me.

The horrified expression on Billie’s face at almost being caught paired with Jake’s continued talking has erased just about every bit of my arousal. Standing, I adjust myself and straighten my shirt. Not liking the stricken look on her face, I try to lighten the mood. “It’s just Jake,” I tell her, running my hands through my hair. “It’s not like we got busted by your parents.”

The joke falls flat as Billie tries to right herself. “This is worse than getting busted by my parents.” She quickly smooths her hands over her shorts and t-shirt. “Jake would definitely not approve of this.”

Hearing that feels like a punch to the gut. Whether he wouldn’t approve because he thinks I’m not right for her or good enough doesn’t hurt, but her reaction to his presence and the thought that she might agree with him makes me feel a little sick to my stomach. “I guess I’m probably not the type of guy he could see you with.” Maybe I’m wasting my time and will eventually get my heart broken, but as I look at the woman next to me, I can’t help but think it’s worth taking the chance.

Billie’s eyes are sad as she looks at me, but at least there is no trace of pity there. I couldn’t take it if she was doing this out of pity. “Carter,” she starts, but Jake’s insistent calling cuts her off. “We’re not done talking about this.” She opens the office door and smiles over at her friend. “Hey. Sorry it took a minute. Carter was showing me how to update the finances.”

The lie came out smoothly enough, but Jake looks between the two of us skeptically. “I didn’t think that was part of your duties.” He continues to give us a once over, and I hope he misses any signs of what we were up to. I’m happy to declare it from the rooftops, but based on Billie’s reaction, she’d rather keep our activities private.

“It’s not, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to show her a few extra things.” I’m a little surprised and pleased with how well the small fib rolls off my tongue. Lying isn’t something I do often, but if it will protect Billie from her big, bad best friend, I’ll do it.

Jake frowns. “What about your business plan? Don’t think I can’t tell that you keep blowing me off.” He spears her with a look and I watch as Billie shrinks into herself slightly. It’s barely noticeable, but it’s enough to have me feeling defensive on her behalf.

Rising up to my full height, which is still a few inches shorter than Jake, I step closer to Billie and give him a pointed look. “There’s no timeline here. She can take as long as she wants to figure out what her next move is.”

Jake gives me a wan look. “Yes, except money is finite and sometimes you have to strike while the iron is hot. Right now, the people she worked with in Denver will be good contacts for her party planning. If she waits, those will dry up and it will be harder to get her business off the ground once she moves back to the city.”

Hearing any words about her moving away has my hackles up, and I cross my arms over my chest to try and make myself a little more intimidating even though Jake is clearly more built than I am. “Maybe Billie doesn’t want to move back to Denver,” I challenge. Jake’s eyes narrow at me, but before he can speak again, Billie beats him to it.

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