Page 27 of Carter's #Undoing

Ten

SERENITY

Over the next few days, Carter and I got into a good routine, the ease of being around each other growing easier each day. I’d even warmed up to Colt a little bit. Granted, I didn’t get closer than the closed screen door, but it was progress.

Every time I looked at Colt I felt like he was sizing me up. Just like he was right now as I got as close as I could to the glass on the front door to try and get a good look at Carter outside. It was one of those days in which the temperature had drastically dropped, and Carter had decided we needed more wood. I’d done an Oscar winning job at acting unaffected when he walked out the front door, but my performance only lasted a few seconds before I was racing to the front of the house to try and get a good view.

“Damnit,” I huffed when I saw him walking too far right. I didn’t even know where he chopped wood at, but I wanted a front row seat. Unfortunately for me, Colt was making sure my ass stayed inside.

Or maybe all you have to do is go outside?I’d barely been outside since Colt returned home, and I didn’t know what Carter was smoking thinking I wouldn’t be afraid of him. True, Colt had a beautiful brown and silky coat of fur, but homeboy looked like a straight up wolf except for his big doe eyes that made me feel like he was indeed mixed with some sort of domestic breed of dog.

Come on, Serenity. Put on your big girl panties.I didn’t know if I was too damn horny or if I was just tired of trying to avoid Colt when he seemed to pop up everywhere around the property.

I opened the front door, my eyes staying on Colt as I did. As expected, he followed my every move as I let the door close behind me and made my way slowly down the stairs. However, when I reached the last few steps, I must have miscalculated and I tripped down the remaining two. I was sure I would stumble into the dirt or possibly fall. But when I managed to catch the rail with one hand, Colt was right by my other side to help me steady myself.

I looked down at him, surprised that he didn’t seem to mind that I gripped his fur accidentally, and when those big, doe eyes looked up at me, I found myself less intimated by his enormous size.

“Thank you, Colt,” I murmured as I rubbed behind his ears. “You’re not so bad, are you, boy?” His tail continued to wag as I paid him more attention than I had since we met. I was so enjoying his company that I almost forgot I chanced going outside to see Carter chop wood until I heard the sound of the ax nearby.

I followed the sound, Colt right beside me as I walked down the short path. Carter came into view moments later, and the delicious sight of him made me stop behind a tree to get a better uninhibited look.

Lawd, please forgive me.I didn’t even know why I was asking for forgiveness, except that Carter without a shirt on and carrying an ax was giving me verynaughtythoughts. He adjusted the large piece of wood and swung the ax with his bulging muscles and beautiful scars on display for my viewing pleasure. He probably didn’t see his scars as attractive, but to me, they were a part of him. They told his story. Histruth. I understood that now, and I would be lying if I said they didn’t make him look extra sexy when he was chopping wood surrounded by massive trees, his grunts as he brought the ax down fraternizing to the sounds of nature.

Back in the day, I wouldn’t have been able to imagine Carter chopping wood, but now? Well, now I wasn’t sure I could ever see him as anything less than a beautifully scarred lumberjack.

“Glad you finally made a new friend.” Carter glanced my way, a smirk on his face when he noticed Colt standing by my side.

I shrugged. “I felt like it was time he and I get to know each other better.”

Carter shook his head. “Remind me to teach you how to be more discreet when stalking your prey.”

I stepped on a branch. “Um, is that your way of saying you knew I was watching you.”

“Serenity, I heard you the moment you opened the front door.”

Well, damn. “I guess I didn’t do that great, huh?”

“Not even a little bit.” Even from a distance, I saw his eyes grow serious. “We’ll start practicing tomorrow.”

Colt and I walked over to Carter, my mouth practically dropping to the ground at how much sexier he looked close up. “Uh, what exactly are we practicing?”

“I’m going to teach you some self-defense techniques.”

“Okay, I’ll be down for that.”

“Good. Let’s start now.”

My mouth dropped. “I thought you said tomorrow?”

He shrugged. “I changed my mind.” He placed the ax down and began circling me in a way I didn’t understand. “What are you doing?”

“Just admiring you a bit before we get started. I held back a smile as he continued by asking me, “If Colt wasn’t with you, what would you have done to protect yourself in the woods if you found me out here dead or hurt?”

I swallowed. “You just dive right into the training, huh?”

“Answer,” he demanded. “What would you have done?”

I thought about his question, concluding that I would probably, “Run back into the cabin and try and find one of the burner phones to call for help.”

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