Page 139 of Love to Hate You

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 company 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.”

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