Page 44 of Expose on the Ice

The memory of her eyes, soft and understanding in the dim light of the empty rink, flashes through my mind. For a moment, I’d let myself believe she was different. That maybe I could trusther. But the message from Uncle Pete proves what a joke that was.

She’s just like all the rest, digging for dirt, trying to uncover the skeletons in my closet. Well, she can try all she wants. I’ve spent years building these walls, and I’m not about to let some nosy reporter tear them down.

I grab my phone again, thumb hovering over Lily’s contact. Part of me wants to call her, to confront her about what she’s doing. But what good would that do? She’d only deny it, or use it as an opportunity to pry even further.

No, the best thing to do is shut her out completely. Keep my distance, give her nothing to work with. I’ll avoid her like the plague for the next two weeks, then play nice at this stupid charity ball, but that’s it. No more late-night conversations. No more moments of weakness.

Anddefinitelyno more kissing and wandering hands…

I close my eyes, thinking of that soft, tentative kiss. I can still feel the surprise I felt when our lips touched, the spark that ignited between us. The booze had lowered our inhibitions and then… then things got out of hand.

I feel my body respond to the memory, my traitorous dick twitching at the thought of her full lips and the taste of her mouth. My skin prickles, as I recall the feel of her breasts pressed against me, the softness of her skin.

I’d wanted to touch her, to explore every inch of her. My hand had started up her leg as her hands explored my chest. Up and inside her dress, brushing her lacy panties, testing her boundaries, getting closer and closer to her core…

Carter, I yell inside my head.Get it together.

My phone buzzes again, this time with a text from Lily:

"Hey, Carter. I was hoping we could talk about the ball. Coffee?"

I feel my jaw clench, anger churning in my gut. I don’t want to see her for the next few weeks before the ball, and Idefinitelydon’t want to have a damn coffee with her. I type out a response, each word feeling like another brick in the wall around my heart:

"Can’t. Busy. See you at the event."

Short. Cold. Impersonal.

A bucket of ice water over all my emotions.

Just the way it needs to be.

I hit send, trying to ignore the hollow feeling in my chest. It doesn’t matter what I feel, or what I thought I’d seen in Lily’s eyes that night. She’s a threat, plain and simple. And I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her from digging up the past.

As I grab my gear bag and head for the door, I push thoughts of Lily’s prying and Uncle Pete’s warning to the back of my mind. I have two weeks to get my head on straight and shore up my defenses so nobody can break through.

Not even her.

CHAPTER 17

LILY

Climbing out of the car the team had arranged for me, my heart is pounding a staccato rhythm against my ribs. The fundraising ball is in full swing, guests arriving and having their invitations checked at the door by security.

I smooth down the front of my dress, silently thanking Jess for her fashion intervention. The silky fabric hugs my curves in a way that makes me feel both confident and slightly self-conscious. I take a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves.

As usual, she’d started with the tiny and the tempting, until finally, she’d produced a deep green cocktail dress that struck the perfect balance between sexy and sophisticated. The moment I’d slipped it on, I knew it was the one. The color brings out my eyes, and the cut is flattering without being over-the-top.

It’s perfect for the occasion – and for facing Carter.

My stomach does a little flip at the thought of him. He’s been avoiding me, not engaging when I saw him, ducking my calls, and responding to texts with curt, one-word answers. In the meantime, I’d been digging deeper into his past, uncovering pieces of a puzzle I’m not sure I want to complete.

A car accident.

An obvious cover-up.

A family torn apart by secrets.

A father jailed to protect his son.

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