Carter (Remington Ranch Book 3) (5 page)

It made him hesitate though. “I
have
to go.” He sounded less adamant now.

“There’s a spare room,” she said with a smile. “I promise I’m not trying to keep you just so I can have my wicked way with you. I just don’t want you to go yet.”

He thought it over for a few moments. “Okay. I’ll stay.” She loved the way his eyes twinkled as he added, “But you have to promise; no funny business. No sneaking into my room in the middle of the night.”

She laughed. “Okay. I promise. But you can sneak into mine if you like.”

He chuckled. “No I can’t, even though I would like. We’re going to do this right.”

She nodded. She wasn’t used to a guy who wanted to take his time, but it was part of Carter’s charm. He was a true gentleman. “Okay then.” She reached for her glass, but it was empty. “Would you like another, since you don’t have to worry about driving now?”

He nodded and followed her into the kitchen. When she turned back to hand him his glass, he looked troubled.

“What is it?”

“Nothing. Well, maybe something. I’m wondering how this is going to work. I mean, my first thought was that I want to take you out to dinner—on a date. But…well, can we do that? Do you want to be seen out with me? Is that a problem? What about your sister?”

Summer put a hand on his arm. “It’s okay. Autumn’s okay about it. She wasn’t really mad because she thought I was seeing you. She was mad because…” How could she explain all of that? By being honest was the only way. “She was mad because she thought I’d given up on my singing. She thought I was afraid I’d never get my voice back, and that I’d gone out to find myself a man and a different kind of life by way of consolation.”

“I see.” Carter really didn’t look as though he did see at all.

“Don’t you go thinking that’s what I am doing!” She’d hate him to think that.

He shook his head. “The thought hadn’t crossed my mind.”

“What then?”

“I was wondering how bad your voice is, if your sister sees that as a possibility.”

Summer sighed. “I don’t know. It’s called a granuloma. It’s like a little hard growth on my vocal chords. It’s more common than you might think. It might go away without surgery—that’s the hope—if I rest it enough.”

Carter gave her a pointed look. He was right. She was talking way too much today.

She shrugged. “I know, but we could hardly have said everything we needed to if I had to write my side down could we?”

He shook his head. “And what if you do need surgery?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t know if I’d want to. There’s no guarantee the vocal chords wouldn’t be damaged or that the stupid thing wouldn’t grow back again afterward. It’s just a game of wait and see right now. But, the point is, you don’t need to worry about Autumn. She knows I like you and she knows I was hoping we might…” Oops, maybe that was saying too much.

He raised an eyebrow with a smile. “You were hoping we might what?”

She shrugged. “Get to be more than friends.”

“We will. We are.”

She nodded. “So how about we take our wine out on the deck and look at the stars?”

He surprised her by shaking his head. “No.”

“Why not?”

“Because, it’s cold out there. You don’t seem to be doing a very good job of taking care of yourself, so I’ll help. You don’t need to be out in the cold air. You’re talking plenty and you’re not sounding too bad.” He gave her a mock stern look. “But I think that might be the wine lubricating your throat.”

She sighed. He was right, of course. “So what do you want to do instead?”

He made his way back to the living room and sat on the sofa, patting the space beside him with a grin. “I told you I’ll take care of you. I want to do something that will stop you from talking for a while—and keep you warm, too.”

Oh my! He was so damned sexy! She’d thought he didn’t even know it, but the sparkle in his eyes right now said he knew damn well the effect he was having on her. She gladly sat down beside him and smiled up at him. “And what kind of something would that be?”

He closed his arms around her and drew her to him. “This,” he said in the moment before his lips came down on hers.

Chapter Five

Carter opened his eyes and looked around. It took him a minute to remember. He was at Summer’s place. He drew in a deep breath then slowly let it out. In her spare room. Was he crazy, or what? They’d made out on the sofa in the living room for hours last night. She’d tried everything she could think of to get him out of his pants—and into hers. He shifted uncomfortably as his body woke up at the memory. And he, big old dumbass that he was, he’d turned her down—repeatedly. What kind of guy lay on the sofa, making out with his dream girl and refused to take her to bed? What kind of guy turned down the opportunity to spend the night with Summer Breese? He shook his head. He did. He didn’t just want to spend the night with her. He wanted to spend time with her. Of course he wanted to sleep with her, but he wanted more than that. He wanted to build something special with her, so that by the time they did go to bed it would mean something. He started at the sound of her moving around downstairs. He checked his watch. Damn! It was seven thirty already! He scrambled out of bed and pulled his jeans on. He grabbed his socks and shirt and headed downstairs.

When he reached the kitchen he stopped and stared. She had her back to him as she fixed the coffee. She was wearing a pink sleep shirt. It barely covered her ass and left her long, slender, tanned legs bare. He ran his gaze over them, all the way down to where her ankles disappeared inside a pair of pink, fluffy slipper boots. He’d always thought that women who tried to do ‘cutesy’ needed to grow up. He was revising his opinion rapidly as he watched her move about the kitchen. Cute was the new sexy in his mind.

It was only when she turned around that he realized he was standing there staring, socks and shirt in his hand. She smiled and let her eyes drop to his chest. He clutched his shirt tighter. Jesus! What was he thinking? She was looking at him as if she wanted to eat him up and he was trying to cover his modesty with his shirt? He let his hands fall by his sides as he smiled back at her.

“Good morning.”

“It’s a very good morning!” she replied.

He cocked his head to one side. “It is? Why’s that?”

“Because it’s my first morning back in Montana. I get to wake up in this beautiful place, and even better I get to start the day with a beautiful man standing half naked in my kitchen.”

He smiled. “Sorry. I panicked when I saw the time.” He started to put his shirt on.

She came over to him and placed both her hands on his chest. He had to close his eyes and take a deep breath, and he had to remind himself that he was the guy who didn’t want to sleep with Summer Breese—yet! His body begged to differ. It didn’t want to wait another second. Not with the way her hands felt as they stroked across his chest and up to his shoulders. Not with the way her breasts felt as they pushed at his chest when she stepped closer. Not with the way her fingers felt as they sank into his hair and pulled his head down for a kiss. He closed his arms around her and pulled her close, loving the feel of her pressed against him. He wanted nothing more in that moment than to lift her off her feet, carry her back upstairs, and make it a very good morning indeed. But he resisted. He kissed her softly then stepped back. He had to smile at the disappointment on her face as she looked up at him.

He shrugged. “I have to get to work.”

“Oh.”

That made him chuckle. “Don’t sound so surprised.”

“Sorry, I just don’t want you to go.”

“I don’t
want
to, but I
have
to. And I think I’d better put my shirt on before I step outside, don’t you?”

He loved the way her gaze lingered on his chest before he shrugged into his shirt. His brothers always teased him about his physique. He was proud of the body he’d built, but he’d done it for himself—not to draw admiring glances from women. The way Summer looked at him made him feel even more justified in spending so much time in the gym.

She smiled. “I suppose you’d better cover up, yes.”

He nodded and buttoned his shirt, trying to hide his smile at the way she watched.

She looked up at him with a sheepish grin. “Sorry. I’m being a little brazen, aren’t I? But you’re so hard to resist. You’re gorgeous and I can’t hide the fact that I think so.”

He chuckled. “Please don’t apologize. I love it! I’m glad you like what you see.” He allowed his own gaze to drop from her face and take in her pert little breasts, her gorgeous figure, and her slender legs. He smiled and bit his bottom lip. “I’m just trying to be more discreet about how much I like what I see.”

She tucked her fingers under his chin and made him look her in the eye again. “Well, I’m glad you do like it. I’m freezing my ass off here, in the hopes you would like. But once you’ve gone I’m getting straight back into my warm, fleecy PJs.”

He laughed, pleased that she’d made the effort to wear something sexy for him, and even more pleased that she was happy to admit it. “I’d offer to stick around and help you get warm, but that may not be the best idea.”

“I think it’s a great idea!”

He laughed again. “So do I, but I think it will be even better if we take our time and get there the right way.” He looked into her eyes. “I want you, Summer. I can’t lie. But you only get one first time. I want to make it right.”

She nodded. “So do I.”

All of a sudden he felt as though he’d said too much. He bent down to put his socks on and then hopped around to get into his boots. “I have to go. I’ll call you later.” He made for the front door, but stopped when he reached it. She’d followed him with a worried look on her face. He smiled. “I’m running out on my embarrassment, not on you.”

Her face relaxed as she smiled back. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Carter.”

“I know, and I’ll be damned if that doesn’t make me feel even more embarrassed. So let me make my undignified exit, huh?”

She gave a little laugh and put a hand on his shoulder. “Okay. As long as you promise you’ll call me later.”

He laughed at that. As if he could forget! “You have my word.”

“Thank you.” She stood on tiptoe and pecked his cheek.

It was all he could do to stop himself from pulling her to him. Instead he cupped her face between his hands and planted a gentle peck on her forehead. “See you.”

~ ~ ~

Summer sighed as she watched his truck disappear. She shouldn’t be disappointed that he had to go to work. He had a business to run, a life to live. But she
was
disappointed nevertheless. She shouldn’t be disappointed that she hadn’t been able to persuade him into her bed—last night or this morning. He was a gentleman and he wanted to take his time. But she was disappointed nevertheless. He was so damned sexy! He did funny things to her insides. She wanted him. She didn’t want to wait! But part of her was glad that they hadn’t gone to bed together. There was no need to rush. He was right; they should take their time. She went back to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. As she took it through to the living room, she couldn’t help but think that they shouldn’t take too much time. Not if they were only going to have three months together. She sat down in the big armchair beside the window where she could admire the view. They couldn’t have anything more than that. Could they?

Sitting there sipping her coffee and staring out at the beautiful mountains, she had to wonder. Last night, talking with Cassidy, she’d realized that she would have to decide for herself what she wanted her future to hold. If that was the case, then she really ought to start thinking about what mattered most to her. She sighed. How could she do that just yet? Carter was a big part of why she was even considering staying here in the valley. And how could she make a decision based on him and her feelings for him? They hadn’t even been out on a date yet. She smiled through pursed lips—hadn’t even slept together yet. Surely she needed to take more time? Ugh. This was like a vicious circle. She needed to make up her mind because they had so little time. She couldn’t make up her mind because they’d had so little time. What was a girl supposed to do? She shrugged and took her mug back through to the kitchen. This girl was going to do what she always did. She was going to take a shower, make herself presentable, and
then
figure it out!

An hour later she was showered, dressed, and had her makeup on. She looked like Summer Breese, the country music artist. Which meant she felt like shit! She wandered around the house. The beauty of this place was that she didn’t
have
to do anything. She was here to rest, but today she didn’t feel like resting. She wanted to do something. She was antsy. She should head up to town. She needed to shop for groceries, but she was a little nervous about going out in public by herself. The people of the valley had been great last time she was here and they’d left her in peace. Many of them had seemed to recognize her when she’d been up to town, but no one had made a fuss. Some had smiled and waved. Others had nodded in recognition, but no one had come up to her and harassed her. She’d been grateful for that. The article that had run in the local paper had her worried now. She knew it was just that Angie, and hoped it was a one-off.

She picked up her phone. She’d check with Cassidy first; she’d either set her at ease or tell her to stay home. There’d be no mincing of words from her old friend and she was grateful for that.

She dialed the number and waited.

“Hey, chica! What did you get up to last night?”

“What do you mean?” Summer was surprised that she was automatically on the defensive.

Cassidy laughed. “I didn’t mean anything, but now you’ve got me curious. Carter hadn’t showed up at my place before I left this morning. Did you keep him out late?”

Summer smiled to herself as she wondered what to say.

“Come on! Your silence speaks volumes!”

She laughed. “No. That’s just
your
imagination talking!”

“So put me out of my misery! What happened?”

“Nothing. He stayed the night at my place.”

Summer held the phone away from her ear as Cassidy squealed. “What? Make up your mind. Nothing happened or he stayed the night?”

“Both!”

“Let me get this straight. He stayed, but nothing happened?”

“Well, something happened.”

“I knew it!”

“Not that! What happened was that we finally talked to each other about how we feel…”

“And?”

She had to laugh. “And I’m about to tell you if you give me chance!”

“Oh. Sorry. Go on.”

“We decided that we’re going to start seeing each other…”

“Yay!”

“Will you stop interrupting?”

“Shit. Yes. I’ll have to. I’ve got customers. Can I call you back?”

“I’ll tell you what, how about I come up to town. I can come into the gallery to see you. And if you have time we can go for lunch.”

“Do you have a car yet?”

“Yes. The rental guys must have dropped it off while we were at your place last night.”

“Great. Get your little ass on up here then. Drive safely. I’ll see you soon.”

“On my way.”

Half an hour later, Summer could only manage to find a parking spot quite a way down Main Street from the gallery. She locked the car and started walking.

“Summer!”

She froze at the sound of her name being called by a man’s voice she didn’t think she recognized. She cautiously turned around, wishing she hadn’t stopped at all. A rush of relief swept through her when she saw Beau Remington hurrying toward her.

“Sorry,” he said when he reached her, “I shouldn’t go around shouting your name like that, should I?”

She smiled. “That’s okay.”

He shook his head. “No, it isn’t. I won’t do it again. Where are you going anyway? Should you be out by yourself like this?”

“I’m going to the gallery to see Cassidy. This is as close as I could park.”

“I’ll walk with you, if you like. I’m heading that way.”

“Thanks.”

He fell in step beside her. “Is everything okay at the house?”

“It’s great, thank you. I do love that place.”

“Enough to buy it?”

She looked up at him. He was smiling, but it was a serious question.

“I don’t know yet. Are you in a hurry to get it sold?”

He shook his head. “Not at all. Just curious if you’re really interested.”

“I might be. I just don’t know yet.”

“That’s okay. You’ve got first refusal if you want it. I’m happy to rent it to you for as long as you like.”

“Thanks, Beau. I appreciate it.”

He nodded.

She wondered what else to say to him. She’d met all the Remington brothers and found the other three to be very easy company. She wasn’t so sure about Beau, and she wondered if that was fair. Was she simply basing that on what she’d heard others say about him? He’d been nothing but pleasant to her. Well, he had been the one who’d brought Angie to Cassidy’s house that night, but what Angie had done was hardly his fault.

They walked on in silence a little ways before he turned to her with a smile. Just like his brothers, he was a very handsome guy.