Page 48 of Stand Your Ground

“I’ve just never seen him obey… well,anyone. Me included.”

I smiled, running the back of my finger along the smooth bridge of the pup’s nose. “We were only allowed to have one dog growing up — and it was my mother’s dog. She was a poodle, stubborn and hyper as hell. But my mom trained her to be obedient and made sure my sister and I followed suit. She didn’t want anyone undoing her hard work.”

“Did you ever want a dog of your own?”

“Oh, all the time. But I was never deemed responsible enough.”

Carter frowned a little at that. “What about when you moved out of your parents’ house?”

I stilled, swallowing with a mouth that felt full of sand. “I had other things to focus on when that time came.”

A heavy silence fell over us. I sipped my wine and stared at where we were both petting Zamboni, and just when I was ready to call it a night, Carter spoke.

“Are you going to go?”

I barked out a laugh. “Wow. Okay, I think the next thing we need to work on is post-sex etiquette.”

“No, no,” he said hurriedly, sitting up straight. He let out a laugh that mirrored mine before he shook his head again. “Sorry, I should have provided context. I don’t want you togo, as in leave here. Hell, you can stay all night.”

“I won’t be staying.”

“I make pretty amazing French toast, just saying. I could spoil you in the morning.”

“I’m more of an omelet for breakfast girl. And the two mil you’re paying me is spoiling me enough.”

“Good thing I have eggs. And cheese. And veggies. Also, what exactlyareyou using that money for?”

“None of your business, Rook. And I’m not staying the night.”

“Suit yourself,” he said on a shrug. “But what I meant by my question was… are you going to go to your sister’s wedding?”

All the playfulness slid out of me like grease down a drain, sticky and thick and out of place. I tilted my wine glass toward my lips before deciding I was done with it, the liquid suddenly too acidic now.

“I don’t know,” I answered honestly.

“Will she be mad if you don’t?”

“She’ll be heartbroken if I don’t go,” I said, lifting my eyes to meet his. “ButI’llbe gutted if I do.”

Carter’s brows tugged together. “I don’t understand.”

“No one does. No one but me.”

I went to stand, but Carter caught me by the elbow, his grip gentle but commanding. He waited until I turned to look at him.

“That sounds lonely.”

My nostrils flared. “Yeah, well… I like it that way.”

“You said your family cut you off,” he said carefully. “What does that mean, Liv? Is that part of why you agreed to this deal?”

“Alright,” I said, smacking my hands on my thighs. “Share and tell is over.”

“I don’t think it ever started.”

Carter’s words made me pause before my body heard the cue from my brain to attempt to stand again. His eyes flicked between mine for a moment, and then with the balls of a man married to me, he slid his hand up my arm and into my hair, pulling me until I had no choice but to follow.

He tugged me toward him and bent until his forehead hit mine, and he took a deep breath, letting it out like he was exercising more restraint than when we’d been playing earlier.