He continues to fix his gaze on me, and finally, it’s time to put on the bandage. It’s going to be tricky, given that he has facial hair, and I’m assuming it won’t be pleasant to take off when he needs to redress it, but it is what it is.
“You should only have to wear this for a couple of days until it starts to heal over, then you can take it off.” I lean in andpress the large bandage gently around the edges, making sure the wound is covered.
His breath on my face causes me to notice how close we are now. I glance up, meeting his cerulean gaze. Our eyes lock and hold, the space between us pulling tight with tension.
Thank God for his fake belly between us, or I’d be tempted to break all distance between his legs. We breathe each other’s air for only a moment before I step back.
Carter’s hand wraps around my wrist. “Thank you.”
He’s looking at me as he did the night of our date, before all the shit about Steph and how we look identical. Earlier in the day, when he looked at me as though he was interested, I desperately wanted to explore this thing again, but he’s already fooled me once. If I let him do it again, he’ll make me the fool.
So I step back, and Carter’s hand falls off my wrist. “No problem. I have to get downstairs to prep dinner, so I’ll see you later.”
I don’t wait for him to respond. Instead, I bolt from the bathroom, not even bothering to clean up the supplies strewn across the counter because there’s no way I’m falling for Carter Russell’s games again.
Chapter Ten
CARTER
Ashley avoids me for the rest of the day and barely says a word to me at dinner, instead engaging in conversation with all the Santas seated around the table. Every time they say something about me or the race, she changes the topic. She leaves the table early to deliver Nick’s meal to him in bed, and I don’t see her for the rest of the night.
By the next morning, the wall I thought was falling has been rebuilt. She barely engages me in conversation, except to tell me what wedding items she’ll be working on this afternoon.
She can pretend that something didn’t pass between us in her en suite yesterday, but I was there too. Something definitely did. And fuck if it didn’t surprise me. I thought this woman could barely tolerate me, but I also thought I couldn’t be attracted to her, that I’d always see her and think of Steph, but that’s changing the more I’m around her.
If I didn’t think she’d slap me, I would have leaned in and kissed Ashley last night.
It just would’ve confused us both. Although I’m annoyed, it’s probably best that she’s giving me the cold shoulder and reestablishing our boundaries. Steph seemed to understand mydilemma when I explained my reasons to her, but I don’t think she’d let me off so easily if I did it a second time.
After breakfast, before I left the table, Ashley let me know that we have the tasting appointment this evening. She scheduled it after the guests’ dinner. Apparently, they’re all heading out tomorrow morning once the Santa Fest wraps up.
I spend the day catching up on work and knocking a couple of things off the list for the wedding. It mainly involves phone calls and emails confirming that one thing or another will be dropped off next week in time for the ceremony.
Because I’ll be eating with Ashley at the tasting, I skip dinner in the dining room, opting instead to stay in my room and stream some of the shows I’ve been watching. I head downstairs about ten minutes before we’re due to show up at Anna’s place, and Ashley is waiting for me by the door, already dressed in her coat and gloves.
“All set?” she asks.
When I nod, she doesn’t say anything else, turns, and heads out of the house. I trail behind, wishing we could get back to that moment in time when things weren’t as tense between us.
Once I’m seated in the passenger seat, I decide to confront her about what happened yesterday. When we talked about our bad date from six months ago, it seemed to lighten things up, so maybe it will do the same this time around.
“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable last night.”
Her hands grip the steering wheel tighter. “It’s fine.”
“It’s not fine if you’re going to avoid me from now until I leave. I thought we were getting to a better place.”
“And how was that?”
I shrug as we turn onto Main Street and pass all the shops decorated with lights and holiday decor. “I don’t know. Friends?”
She glances at me with a slight tilt to her lips, and I realize I’ve tensed up, waiting for her reaction.
“I don’t know what that was yesterday, but I promise it won’t happen again,” I say.
“I don’t know what that was either,” she grumbles. She flicks the blinker on her truck and turns down a side street. “Let’s just forget it ever happened, okay? But from now on, you’re tending to your own wounds.”
A laugh erupts out of me, and she seems surprised by it. “Fair enough.”
