But I can’t say that.
So, I go with something less volatile. “And to think, my plans for today included a jog on the beach, a few hours of work, and Mexican food and margaritas with my sister. Then, you showed up at my door.”
“Oh, come on,” she says, taking a seat next to me. “Don’t act like you’ve never had unexpected excitement throw your day off course.”
“Make that a four-day weekend,” I counter.
This I can do. Be flirty, playful. It comes natural. But then so do a whole lot of other things with her.
I need to get off this bed.
But I stay seated.
“I do really appreciate you being here, Carter.”
She lightly runs her fingers down the inside of my arm. Another one of her ways to relax me. The good news is, it does release some of the tension. The bad news is that the blood in my body is now focusing on a different area below my belt.
“Did you really think that I wouldn’t do this for you? Regardless of what happened with our relationship, I will always care for you.” Thus the reason that ring is on her finger right now. I couldn’t possibly get rid of it. I couldn’t tear it apart and sell the diamonds like they were nothing more than scraps.
She lets out a sad laugh. “Do you mean that?”
Our gazes meet and hold tight. I just stare into her beautiful eyes.
Then, I smirk at her. “Besides, you were on your knees. What man could turn that down?”
She smiles at me and kisses me on the cheek. “I was desperate. It’s kind of embarrassing.”
“I came here willingly. Even if the situation is totally fucked up.”
“Welcome to my life,” she says with a sigh but follows it up with a chuckle.
“I miss your life,” I blurt out.
“What do you mean?”
“I miss you in my life. Do you think when we go back to California, we could be friends? Hang out a little?” God, I sound desperate. Of course, sitting next to her, I most definitely am.
“You mean, like, we’ll hook up?”
And the way her face brightens at the thought is like a punch to the gut. The little reality check that I needed. That’s all I ever was to her and all I’ll ever be.
I let out the kind of dramatic sigh my sister, Chloe, usually makes. “No, I just mean, be friends.”
“I think I could handle that,” she says then adds, “You know, my family already adores you.”
“And I hate lying to them about us. But here we are. At least your grandma gives good hugs,” I tease.
Vale grins but looks like she’s trying to hold back her laughter. “Yes, well, she is affectionate.”
I decide to break her composure. “She grabbed my ass.”
Laughter bursts from her mouth. And it’s contagious. I can’t help but laugh with her and pull her down on the bed with me.
Both of us are lying on our backs, laughing hysterically. It’s fun, and it makes it almost possible to forget why I’m here.
How this is all an act.
But I might as well enjoy it while it lasts.
I turn to face her as she continues to giggle. “She asked if my grandfather is still alive.”
“She did not!” Vale giggles some more, covering her mouth with her hand, trying to stifle it. It’s the cutest thing ever. “Do I need to have a talk with her?”
I suggestively put my hand on her hip and smile at her. “I think I can handle it.”
“You going to handle things in the strip club tonight?” she sasses back.
It’s another thing I love about her. She can give shit as much as she can take it. When she drapes her arm over my shoulder and moves closer to me, I become very serious. Especially when her voice drops in pitch and her breath feels warm against my ear.
“You in the mood for a lap dance?”
The air leaves my chest. And although my brain knows she’s just joking around, my body isn’t having it.
Because all I can think about is stripping off her dress.
It’s often what I used to do the second she walked through my door. Half the time, we never made it to the bedroom. She’d call, say she was in town. I’d tell her to stop by. We both knew what that meant. Whether it was for a night or a few days, they would be filled with amazing sex.
Part of me wishes that’s all it had been. That I hadn’t fallen for her.
“From you? Yes.” My hand moves from her hip to her chest, grazing its way across her cleavage. “This is a nice dress.”
“You’re staring at my cleavage like you’ve never seen it before. You’ve seen me in a lot less than this, Carter.”
“The less is exactly what I’m thinking about.”
“Really?”
“Really. You’re beautiful, Vale. But I’m sure everyone tells you that.”
“Not you. Not in a while.”
“Yeah, well,” I say, realizing the path we are headed down. A hot hook-up right here in her room.
I stand up just as the door to the bedroom is thrown open.
“Vale, your mother is looking for you,” Trent says, but he stops dead in his tracks, seeing how Vale is suggestively sprawled out on the bed.
“Don’t you know how to knock?” I ask him.
He just gives me a shrug. “Sorry. Old habits and all.”
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
Before I have the chance to ask her, Vale gets up and says, “Thanks for the heads-up, Trent.”
I want to say something to her. I need to say something to her, but instead, I let her just breeze past me and out the door.
Probably out of my life.
Again.
I finish getting dressed and then sneak down the back stairs and outside to get better cell reception and so I can hopefully talk without anyone overhearing me.
I find a secluded garden bench, take a seat, and then stare at my phone, wondering who to call as a conversation from the past rolls through my brain. Our family trip to Palmilla. Sitting outside, talking to my older brother, Cade.
“So, what’s the deal with Vale?” he asked me.
“We hook up. It’s fantastic, but it’s supposed to just be fun. Nothing serious.”
“But you want more than that?”
I ran my hand through my hair in frustration. “She travels a lot. Says she doesn’t want to be in a serious relationship, but when we’re together, it feels like it could be serious.”
And it still feels that way.
“How did you meet her again?”
“Super Bowl party last year. We got teamed up in a video game contest. She beat me.”
“Did you let her win?”
“No, I just … she was beautiful, you know. It was hard to concentrate.”
“Fell hard fast?”
“Pretty girls don’t fluster me,” I said. “But she sure did. She’s beautiful and all, but she’s cute too.”
“The girl every boy wishes they could have grown up next door to.”
“I would have been spanking it every day. It would have been torture,” I said with a laugh.
“Oh, give me a break,” he replied, slapping me on the back. “The quarterback always gets the girl.”