Page 40 of A Kiss for Carter (The Laws of Love 3)

Chapter 10

“Hi, there.”

At his car, wrangling his yoga mat into the back seat, Carts turned and there was Judith, a vision of loveliness, if a little out of breath.

She waved a hand back in the direction she’d come.“I saw you—leaving the surf club.”Had she run after him?“I’m not stalking you,” pant, “I’m at Zara’s next door with my sister.”

“Hi, this is a nice surprise.”He was quite pleased at how calm he sounded.And when he met her gaze and smiled, it felt like it came straight from his heart chakra.

“I didn’t know you did yoga on Wednesdays.”

“I don’t usually.”If Judith looked up the timetable, she’d see that he’d been to a Tantra session, but what the heck, maybe that would go in his favour.“It was a rather stressful day at work, I really needed it.”

“Well, I’m glad,” she said.“Because I got to see you.Though I’d better just let Pippa know where I am.I kind of dashed off without telling her where I was going.”A pause.“You could come and meet her?Would you like to?”

“I’d love to.Will she cope with the yogic vibe?”They both glanced down at his purple yoga pants.

Judith beamed.“Pippa can cope with anything.We’re sitting at one of the window tables.”

When they entered the restaurant, Judith pointed to a muscular girl with red hair and very bright orange lipstick that almost matched her hair.As he drew closer Carts saw they shared the same ingenuous grey eyes, the only obvious resemblance.

When Judith introduced him, Pippa’s face immediately lit up.“Oh,Carts.I’ve heard all aboutyou.”

Judith squealed, “Pip!”then turned to him.“I haven’t been gossiping about you, I promise.”“I’d quite like it if you had.”

Pippa gave him a cheeky grin.“She hasn’t said anything, honest.Justhintedthere was this guy she had the screaming hots for.”He could feel Judith squirm next to him.“She needs a decent boyfriend.The last one was a complete shit.”

“Pip-pa!We are not—”

“Payback, sis.”Pippa rolled her eyes at Carts.“She’s been taking the piss out of me for wearing lippy.”

“Only because you never do,” Judith pointed out.“Oooh, and I see you’ve reapplied it.”

“Shut it.”Pippa’s foot came out and gave Judith a playful kick.Judith stepped back, laughing.

“My sister teases me too,” Carts said.

“Younger or older?”Pippa asked.

“Younger, by fourteen years.And a complete pain in the butt at the moment.”

Pippa cocked an eyebrow.“Does she need any tips on how to be an even better pain in the butt?”

“No way!”

“Pip’s waiting for her date,” Judith said.“And she’s being all coy about it.”

Pippa shook her head and sculled the rest of her drink.

And then a whole lot of things happened in quick succession.And Carts, having spent the last hour and a half focusing on his five senses, took in every detail.The slender girl with dark hair falling in waves to her shoulders, her lively features brimming with excitement as she scanned the busy restaurant…

The way her eyes lit up when they landed on Pippa.

How Pippa jumped up with an exclamation of “Oh, there’s Shaz!”and weaved her way eagerly between the tables.

The way the two women greeted each other, their foreheads almost touching, their smiles sublimely happy… and, of course, heknew.

At his side, he heard Judith draw in a sharp breath.She stood, transfixed, eyes wide and unblinking.“Pippa was trying to tell me something earlier,” she said after a moment.“And now I get it was really, really important.”

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