AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It’s not like Carter told me any of this. What I know is from Camila.” She uncrossed her arms. “Well, Camila didn’t bring up the theory about her being related to Carter. That’s all me.” Back on her feet again, she sighed. “I should sleep at some point. I only managed an hour today before shopping.”
“Well, I agree with the sleep part. I’m going to blame being tired on my desire to wash up again and maybe put on some makeup.”
“I’m no one to judge. Trust me. Plus, Carter said to give him thirty minutes.” She started for the door, then stopped and faced me, zeroing in on me as if a thought had come to mind. “Do we need to change the list you gave Griffin because of your new plan?”
I quickly went over everything I’d requested for my lab. “No, we should be good.” It wasn’t like I’d be sending him out to buy parts to build a nuclear reactor. “The only thing I’ll be lacking on my end is the cyber expertise.”
“Well, we’ve got that covered, don’t worry.” Her eyes landed on the bed, more specifically on the red bra at the top of the pile of clothes. “He’s not going to last another twenty-four hours, just so you know. Be sure not to let him feel bad about it after his control snaps. The last thing he needs is more guilt.”
52
CARTER
Shrugging on my leather jacket, I peered over at Dallas curled up on one of the plastic-covered sofas we’d pushed off to the side of the media room. “Ready for a walk?”
Dallas’s ears perked up, but he didn’t jump down in excitement.
“Tired, huh? I know the feeling.” I patted the side of my leg. “Come on. We’ll go look around out there. See what trouble we can get into.”
“Can I join you on your walk?” Diana asked from behind me, and now Dallas was motivated to get up. His paws slid across the hardwoods in his race to get to her.
Traitor. I slowly turned to see Diana hanging back in the doorframe sporting her new glasses and a sexy-as-fuck smile.
She took a knee alongside Dallas and nuzzled her face against his nose.
God help me, this woman was already destroying me—albeit in a good way—but whenever I saw her with my best friend, I had the urge to surrender to her. Kneel and offer myself up the way Dallas was doing now.
I shifted up the sleeve of my jacket, checking my watch. “Twenty-four minutes. You’re early.”
She pushed upright and Dallas sat at her side, waiting for the walk he’d been too tired to take before. “Good thing, too. Or I’d have missed the walk. I could use some fresh air.”
“You need something warmer if you plan to go outside with us.” I studied her outfit, assuming her ripped jeans and nude-colored, fitted, long-sleeved shirt were courtesy of Mya. “Bet Mya paid extra for the jeans to have a hole in them.” How would I be getting any work done with her dressed like that with her curves perfectly outlined and begging to be touched?
“Uh-oh, is grouchy Carter back?” She smirked. “Such an old-man thing to say, by the way.”
“Do I need to remind you I’ll be forty-six next June?” I did the math. With her birthday in January, that made me eleven and a half years older than her. Screw the age gap. “I’m as old as I am stubborn, I suppose.”
“By those calculations, you’re ancient, then.” She slid her tongue across her glossy pink lips, the color a perfect match to her nipples. The little tease. “Way older than four and a half years shy of fifty.”
Fifty. Don’t remind me. Although, in truth, being around her made me feel like a twentysomething-year-old. It was as if she was giving me a second chance to be the man I couldn’t be in my twenties, mired in the trenches of war. “I have another jacket. Hold on.”
I went over to my rucksack and retrieved my other jacket sitting on top of it. Clutching it between my palms, I slowly cut across the room her way, never taking my eyes off her. Beautiful wasn’t a word I usually threw around, but when it came to Diana, she was the fucking definition of it. She was stunning no matter what, but tonight, she’d accentuated her blue eyes, high cheekbones, and full lips with makeup, making everything I already loved about her pop that much more.
“Here,” I grunted, pushing the jacket her way, feeling a little dizzy as I inhaled her scent. “Perfume?” Damnit, Mya.
“Mmmhmm.” Her eyes fell to the jacket from my Army days. “This feels . . . special?”
It was nearly as old as I was. “It’s been with me a long time.” I swallowed. “Once I hold on to something, I don’t let go.”
She peered up at me with those big blues that thankfully her glasses didn’t hide. Her lips parted, but no sound escaped.
Clearing my throat, I stepped back before I hauled her against me.
She shook her head as if trying to break from the same spell I was under and put on my jacket. It was far too big for her, but when she brought the inside of the collar up to her nose and inhaled, it took me a second to catch my breath. The zipper was on the opposite side than she was probably used to, and when her fingers hesitated the slightest bit, I gently nudged her hands away and took over.
Her eyes fixed on me as I slowly zipped her up, and we were caught in another moment, until Dallas’s howl reminded me of where we were and what we were supposed to be doing.
“This is cozy. I could sleep in it. Snuggle right up. And it smells like you. All masculine and rough.”
