Page 22 of Heart in Waiting
CHAPTER TEN
Carter strolled intothe county building and headed toward the circuit courtroom. He was scheduled to testify on a case in thirty minutes, and he’d barely made it in time. He’d been digging through the slush pile of information on possible Nolan sightings. So far, nothing had panned out and he started to worry. Maybe the bastard had fled the state and went somewhere with no extradition, but something deep inside of him doubted that. Nolan had been too obsessed with his sister for him to believe he’d give up that easily. He’d attacked Claire once, and he would do it again. Reese was probably safe, so her protection made sure she stayed that way. He doubted Nolan would try something with her because he hadn’t before, but they had to be prepared for any possibility.
He ran his hand through his hair and blew out a frustrated sigh. He couldn’t help the anxiety that kept him up at night. He probably should take over Reese’s guard duty entirely. He wasn’t getting much sleep anyway. Dane might even appreciate the relief of not having to deal with Reese. They didn’t seem to be getting on well. Dane was going to stay with her after the fundraiser thing. It made sense because he would be her date for the shindig.God. Carter had to put up with Olivia for the night. That woman had the power to get under his skin like nobody could...
Dane made it to the elevator and pushed the button to go down to the main floor. The parking garage attached to the fourth floor of the building, and the courtrooms were on the first floor. He hated coming here, but it was a part of his job. If he wanted to make sure the bad guys were locked up, he had to testify in court.
“Going down?” a female asked.
He glanced in her direction and frowned. “What are you doing here?”
Olivia West in all her glory stood before him. She wore a tight-fitting skirt and a jacket cinched at her waist that emphasized the roundness of her pert breasts. Her midnight locks were pulled up at the side with curls falling down her back. They appeared so silky, and he itched to touch them—her. He’d been attracted to Olivia since the moment he met her, and at some point he might give into the urge to kiss her. Thankfully, that moment hadn’t yet arrived. He’d been able to remain in control of his lust and keep his hands to himself. Though she hadn’t appeared averse to the idea—she flirted often and quite blatantly with him. Even when she annoyed the hell out of him he desired her.
“My job requires me to, you know, go to court.” She lifted a brow. “What has you in such an irritable mood?”
“I’m not sure we have the time to go through the list.” The elevator dinged open and he stepped inside. Olivia slid in with him. “Right now, you’re at the top.”
“What did I do?’ She smiled coyly. “If you tell me, I can try to make it all better.” The doors closed as she moved toward him. There wasn’t much separating them. One step and they’d be a breath way from sharing the same air.
“What are you doing?”
She sighed. “You’re no fun. Fine, we’ll go back to Mr. Grumpy and Ms. Sarcastic if it’ll make you happy.”
“It would.” That was a lie. He liked when she flirted, but he recognized a bad idea when it smacked him in the face. They were not a good mix, and if they became involved, it would end badly. It was best to just save them both the hassle and pretend they didn’t have any chemistry between them.
“I hope you’re not a jerk tonight. I would like to have fun.”
He didn’t set out to be difficult. Sometimes he couldn’t stop the things that came out of his mouth. Sadly, it was only with her that he said stupid shit. Part of it because she flabbergasted him, and also because he wanted to push her away. Carter didn’t have any room in his life for a relationship. Olivia didn’t deserve the crumbs he could offer her. She was smart, successful, and sexy as hell. No other woman existed that he wanted more, yet he continued to keep his distance.
“I’ll try to refrain from being an embarrassment.” That was all he could offer. He didn’t know if he could play nice. “Take it or leave it.” Her response was to glare at him as if she could stab him with a look. “I’m going to assume that’s an agreement.”
“You’re an ass.” Her phone buzzed in her hand. She glanced down at it and cursed. The elevator jerked to a stop and it went flying. “Fuck.” Olivia flailed to catch it, but it hit the wall and then skidded across the floor.
“Eloquent,” Carter chastised, but then frowned when he realized the doors were nowhere near opening. “What’s going on?” He tapped the buttons, but they weren’t moving.
“I think we’re stuck in here, genius,” Olivia said scathingly.
“No, no, no,” he repeated. “I can’t be stuck in here.” With Olivia... “I have to be at court to testify.”
She narrowed her gaze at him. Her voice could be referred to as venomous as she spoke, “And I don’t? Do you think I’m in this elevator for kicks and giggles?”
He hadn’t considered what Olivia was doing at the courthouse. She was a lawyer, so it didn’t even cross his mind to ask her. There might even be a chance that they were heading to the same hearing. He never heard who would represent the defendant at trial. Generally, the firm Olivia worked for didn’t defend criminals though. She probably had a civil case or something.
Carter was glad he didn’t see her in court often. It kept their interactions to a minimum. “I don’t know. Maybe you have a hot date with one of the prisoner’s being brought over for arraignment.”
“Sometimes I really hate you.”
“Sometimes?” He quirked a brow. “I must not be doing my best to push you away.” Damn, had he said that aloud?
Olivia placed her hands on her hip and said in a scathing tone, “You mean to tell me that you’re an ass on purpose?” She lifted her hands in the air blowing out a breath of frustration. “Never mind, I don’t think I care.”
Carter didn’t like pushing people away. It was necessary evil he’d learned to live with a long time ago. His lifestyle didn’t leave a lot of room for a family. He kept his interactions with women to a minimum and made sure they all knew he didn’t do long term. Some tried to convince him he needed them, but eventually they understood. He didn’t want commitment or someone to take care of him. He did fine on his own...
Olivia started to pound on the door. “Do you think they know we’re stuck in here?”
He shrugged. “Hard to say. Why don’t you call someone and let them know.”
“Who?” She picked up her phone off the floor. “The screen’s smashed. This is my luck.”
