Page 35 of Two Sticky Nuts

My heart flutters. “Sure. I’d like that.”

He takes my hand and kisses the top. “Oh, and by the way, I really like that dress. But don’t feel like you have to wear a thong just to impress me.”

My mouth drops open a little. “How do you know what sort of underwear I’ve got on?”

“You squirmed through the entire meal and got up from the table three times.” He leans in to whisper in my ear, “Next time, better if you just go without.” He pecks my cheek. “See you soon, Mila.”

He goes back inside to talk to Chef Jean, I guess.

I watch him walk away again with that seductive swagger, feeling like I can hardly breathe. The chemistry is just so amazing. He makes me feel light-headed and giddy.

Not once did he bore me or make me feel awkward during dinner. He asked about my job and what I’d like to do next. Then he asked about my childhood and how I ended up in Dallas. I did the same, and he told me that he moved back about five years ago.

Go figure, he grew up just outside Dallas, which makes sense because his mother’s here. So is Bob, their friend. I just wonder why Carter lied about growing up in Indiana. What a freaking liar.

Anyway, the only thing Logan didn’t talk about was work, and I sort of wished he would. I want to know what’s up with this fetish thing. Is he Mr. Sticky Nuts? If yes, how does this exotic oils deal tie in? Does he plan to use them during his livestream?

No. That doesn’t make sense.Why would Chef Jean, a high-end French chef, want to get mixed up with fetish porn? The only conclusion is that Logan isn’t Mr. Sticky Nuts. He’s a businessman.

It has to be crazy Carter. After all, he’s the one who knows about cameras, lighting, and whatnot. Also, he’s got the strange diet. He’s hard up for money, too.It has to be Carter.He does the fetish porn to fund his projects.

Good. Because I really like Logan.

I stop for gas on the drive home. The entire way, I can’t stop thinking about Logan and how well the date went. I literally can’t wait to see him again.

I pull into my driveway to find a man sitting on my front porch. He stands just as the beam of the headlight hits him. He’s wearing jeans, a T-shirt, and those leather flip-flops.

Fuck. It’s Carter.“What is he doing here?”

I shut off the engine and get out. As I approach, I notice his face is swollen and red. Oh boy. Logan really did give him a thumping.

“What do you want?” I ask, my tone making it clear he’s in hostile territory.

“You were with him, weren’t you?” he asks, blocking the front door.

“Excuse me?” I say, stopping just shy of the front steps a few feet away.

“You were with Logan. I know you were.”

“It’s none of your business where I was. And you owe me an apology! You had no right to steal my card, spend my money, take my car and trash it. You didn’t even bother to fill the tank.”

“I can explain, Mila. I was at the store and tried to buy those things with my own money, but my card was declined. Then another card and another. Logan canceled all my accounts, pretending to be me. I saw you left your card in your car—you really shouldn’t do that, by the way, someone could steal it—but I used it and meant to pay you back. That’s partly why I went to meet Bob. He was going to talk to Logan and try to get him to stop.”

I stand there listening, my mind poking all sorts of holes in his story. I know I didn’t leave my debit card in my car. He had to have taken it before he went shopping. Also, why didn’t he just tell me when he got back? And why disappear after wrecking my car? And why lie about having “an older brother,” that his mother is dead, or that he grew up in Indiana?

“You’re lying,” I say.

“No. It’s the truth, Mila. Logan sabotaged my film project, too. He told the producers I was embezzling, using their money on lavish vacations.”

“Uh, because you were. Just like you used my money for a two-thousand-dollar airline ticket.”

“Which I canceled. And I made sure there was a full refund issued.”

“Doubtful,” I say. “And so what? You used my card without asking.”

“I was desperate to try to save my film. I had to get to the Philippines to meet with one of the lead actors on location. He’s trying to back out because he knows the project is in jeopardy. But then Bob had that heart attack and…” He blows out a quick breath. “I know what I did was wrong, Mila, and I feel genuinely ashamed you have to see me like this.”

“Like what?”

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