Page 49 of Stand Your Ground

“You don’t have to do it alone… whatever this is,” he said, wetting his lips. “I can go through it with you. If you let me.”

I closed my eyes, tears stinging behind my lids like foreign predators. I didn’t recognize them. They scared the shit out of me and yet I was also highly intrigued by them.

I was highly intrigued by a lot of things that came out of Carter Fabri’s mouth.

It was tempting, to lean into his touch, into his promise, to lose myself and let someone else carry the weight with me for a while.

But it was like trying to get a fish to fly.

I just… couldn’t.

I patted his chest with a forced smile, pulling back until there was a good foot between us. “I think it’s time for me to go.”

Carter deflated, but when I stood, he hopped up, too — along with Zamboni, who went from snoring to wide awake and alert, tail wagging like we were about to take him to the park.

“Wait,” Carter said, wrapping the blanket around his waist. I arched a brow at the motion before smirking at him. He acted like I hadn’t just been on my knees with a perfect view of every inch of what he was covering now.

His cheeks flamed a little, like he was remembering, too.

“I have a request for my next lesson.”

“Oh?”

He nodded. “A date.”

My brows crested into my hairline.

“Every step of a date,” he clarified. “Getting you to agree to one and all the follow through.”

I wrinkled my nose, gathering up my clothes and making my way to my purse. “I don’t know, Rook. That’s less my forte.”

“Come on,” he said, right on my heels. “You know what works and what doesn’t. Just because you don’t go on dates doesn’t mean you don’t understand them.”

Ouch.

That hurt.

I didn’t mean to pause when he said the words, but I did — hand hovering over the handle of my bag for just a split second before I lifted it and hooked it over my arm. I slipped my boots back on, and Carter stopped his pleading long enough to trail my ensemble with an appreciative gaze.

“This is some look you’ve got going on right now.”

I ignored him. “Sure, whatever. We can practice a date.” I held up one finger. “But it’s on my terms, and this is the only time we do anything outside of the bedroom.”

“Yes, Mommy.”

Without warning, Carter swept me into his arms. He wrapped me up tight, his warmth enveloping me as he scooped and lifted until I was up on my toes.

And then he kissed me.

He inhaled at the touch of our lips, his smiling against mine, and I pressed my hands into his chest.

But I didn’t push him away.

I kissed him back, a little unbidden moan breaking free when he slid his tongue inside to taste mine. My arms were around his neck before I gave them permission to be, and when I finally found sense to pull back, it was with both of us panting, our foreheads tilting together.

“Did I say you could kiss me?” I tried, but with my heart racing and breath labored like it was, it sounded like a kitten’s meow more than the jaguar’s growl I was aiming for.

Carter smirked, gently moving my hair from my face and sweeping it over my shoulder. “I was just reading the signs.”