Page 44 of Privileged (Adrenalin)

“I admit the idea has appeal.” I stroke the back of his neck as he nuzzles me. “But I’m on my feet every day, and I need my legs to work.”

“It’s Sunday, who cares if your legs work. We should spend the whole day in bed.”

“Sundays are busy at the restaurant. My shift starts at ten.” I exhale heavily, regretting that I can’t spend the day right here in Carter’s arms.

“And after?” He brushes a strand of hair off my forehead.

“I work a double. I’ll probably go home and crash.” I muster a weak smile.

“Any way to talk you into crashing here?”

“Maybe next weekend?” I bite my lip as I go over my schedule in my mind. It’s not the answer either of us want, but it’s the one that will keep our secret.

“I guess that’ll have to do.” He gives me a tender kiss and slides out. “You can have that shower now. When you’re done, I’ll have breakfast ready.”

“You aren’t showering with me?”

“If I do, you won’t make it to work by ten. Besides, I don’t want you working all day on an empty stomach.”

Carter shrugs on a shirt and a pair of track pants, which look just as good on him as his suits. With a sexy little wink, he heads off to the kitchen, leaving me to wonder if his desire for more mornings like this means his mind is wandering into relationship territory, too.

***

A flannel-clad Lennon slides into the booth across from me as I’m rolling silverware, a knowing smirk on his face. “Big step, inviting your loverboy to hang with the rest of the group. How did they take it?”

The fork in my hand clatters when it hits the table. I ignore it and reach for another as if I never dropped it to begin with. “In what way does inviting someone to a bike race make him my loverboy? And who even uses that term?”

“It makes him your lover because you’re turning pink, and I say it because that’s what he is. Unless he’s your boyfriend and you’re not telling me.” I feel his skeptical eyes on me as he sips black coffee from his mug.

“I’m pink because it’s hot in here. And he’s not my boyfriend.” I leave out the part where that’s only true because we haven’t had the conversation and start on another set of silverware.

“If he’s not your loverboy and not your boyfriend why’d you invite him to the race?”

I say a little thank you that Blake gave me the perfect excuse. “I had to fill a costume so Ally wouldn’t freak out, Carter needed to start interacting with people in town, so it was a win, win.”

“How do you know he needed to meet people in town?”

“He mentioned it during a massage one time.” I stack my finished silverware rolls in a plastic tub and stretch my fingers, hoping to loosen them up after that repetitive task.

“Before or after he got a boner?”

I feel my jaw working but no words come out.Damn I wish I’d never confirmed that was Carter.

“Ready to admit defeat yet?” Lennon’s eyes dance with a mischievous flare.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I repeat robotically.

“Loverboy then. Cool.”

“Shh,” I hiss. “That’s my boss you’re talking about.”

“Who you’re sleeping with, apparently.”

I swing my head around to make sure no one else is in hearing distance. “We’d prefer not to broadcast that.”

“We?” Lennon arches a brow.

“Yes,we. It’s obviously not an ideal situation so we’re keeping it between us.”

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