Page 193 of Hell Hath No Fury
A cold nose nudged them apart, and Carlos let out a groan. Apparently he and Mickey needed another chat about how to be a proper wingman.
“Mickey, we talked about this, dude.”
Ashby giggled, placing a kiss on the pup’s nose. Her smile was bright, even in the Caribbean sun, and it made his heart squeeze.
“Ash, I don’t give a damn what size you are. I think you’re stunning. And—”
“Carlos,” she interrupted.
“No, let me finish. Please,” he said. Taking a deep breath, he tried to find the words to express this properly. He didn’t want to scare her off. “Can I be honest with you about something?”
“No, I’d prefer that you lied to me.”
"What?”
“Kidding. Be as honest as you like.”
“This is all kinda new to me. I recently had my heart stomped on.”
“Someone dared to dump you? You’re like, a walking, talking desperate housewife fantasy!”
Carlos threw his head back with a laugh. He loved how open and real Ashby was. This girl said what she thought, no holdsbarred. If he were to ever say he had a type—that was it. A woman who knew her own mind and wasn’t afraid to speak it.
“I’m going to take that as a compliment. But yes. We weren’t together, exactly. We were friends with benefits, or whatever you want to call it. But I’d had feelings for her since we were teenagers and was just waiting for her to change her mind about only wanting sex.”
“What happened?”
“She changed her mind. I just wasn’t the guy she wanted more than sex with.”
Saying it out loud made him feel pathetic. This wasn’t the vibe he wanted for their beach day. He’d intended today to be all about fun and relaxing. Instead he was pouring out his soul.
“I’m telling you this not so you’ll pity me, but because you are the first girl I’ve met since Leona that has made me feel anything at all. And even though we haven’t spent that much time together, I do feel quite a few things when it comes to you.”
Ashby’s eyes went wide, her mouth opening slightly. His heart raced, hoping that he hadn’t said too much. All he wanted was for her to know that he meant it when he said she was beautiful. It wasn’t just a line. Everything about her sent him reeling—in all the right ways.
“I don’t date much either. It’s hard when you’re only ever in a place for a couple of months max. Doesn’t provide much time for guys to get past the exterior and see just how fucking awesome I am,” she laughed.
He returned her laugh, kissing her again. Pretty sure he was already addicted to her kisses, he tried to push the reminder that she was only here for a short time from his brain. Just because he knew all this could ever be was a fling didn’t mean he had to dwell on it.
“I’m rather fond of the exterior. Although, I do agree, you are pretty fucking awesome.”
Another giggle rang out into the air, this one getting Mickey all excited. The pup howled, as if he were trying to join in on their laughter. It only made them laugh harder, adding some lightness to the moment.
“While we’re being honest,” he continued, “I think it’s time you took that cover-up off and showed me thatexteriorof yours. Because I’m dying to see you in a swimsuit.”
“I’ll show you mine if you show me yours,” she challenged.
Carlos was sure he’d never moved that fast in his life, whipping off his T-shirt. Pushing to his feet, he gestured at his chest, before slowly turning around, as if he were on stage showing off. Ashby sucked her lips into her mouth, trying to bite back a laugh as her eyes scanned him up and down. He could tell that she liked what she saw, sending a jolt straight to his dick.
Behave…behave…
Holding out a hand, he helped her to her feet. Everything inside him came alive, anticipation swirling around him. He couldn’t wait any longer. Bending his knees just enough to grab the hem of her dress, he pulled it up, revealing her body inch by inch. Ashby raised her arms above her head, letting him peel the garment off her. Carlos’s eyes danced up and down her body, appreciating her beauty. His cock ached at the sight of her, the black-and-white swimsuit she was wearing hugging her in all the right places. He needed to behave, or else she was going to think that he only wanted one thing. A distraction—that’s what he really needed.
Stepping in closer, he smiled, looking her straight in the eye.
“Last one in is a rotten egg.”
CHAPTER FIVE
