Page 78 of The Gaybor War

I grin. "Yes."

He blinks. "Yes?"

"Yes, Carter. I'll go to dinner with you."

For a second, he just stands there, looking genuinely stunned that the answer was that easy.

Then I take pity on the poor man. "For future reference, when someone spends ten minutes confessing they missed you, the odds are generally in your favor."

A reluctant smile tugs at his mouth. "Good to know."

"You're lucky you're pretty."

"Pretty? I thought you liked my personality."

Carter? Personality? Ha! "Let's not get carried away."

His eyes snap to mine, and something in his expression shifts. The frustration. The nerves. The overthinking. It all burns away, leaving something far more dangerous.

Determination.

Before I can make another joke, he's moving. One hand catches my wrist. The other cups my jaw. And then he kisses me.

Not careful this time or soft like last night. Because a man can only spend so many days arguing with himself before he snaps. I make a surprised sound against his mouth, but it quickly dissolves into a grin because, wow, apparently Carter Reed's breaking point is aggressively attractive.

His grip tightens, and he reaches for the buttons on my shirt.

Or—he almost does.

The doorbell rings. A sustained, authoritative ding-dong that screams clipboard energy.

We freeze.

Another ring. Longer this time, with a hint of pettiness.

Carter closes his eyes like a man being personally betrayed by the universe.

"I swear to God," he mutters.

"Go away," I mumble.

Carter huffs a laugh against my lips. The sound does absolutely nothing helpful to my internal organs.

The doorbell rings again, followed immediately by a voice through the door.

"BENJI? HOA CHECK-IN. JUST A QUICK THING."

Eunice. Of course, it’s Eunice.

Carter drops his hand, straightens, and resets his face into Neutral Professional Man Who Definitely Wasn’t About to Make Out.

I smooth my shirt, entirely unbothered. "She has a sixth sense," I tease. "Shows up whenever joy exceeds acceptable levels."

Another knock. Firmer. "BENJAMIN."

I sigh. "She used my government name. It’s serious."

Carter huffs a quiet laugh despite himself. Then he looks at me, and there’s frustration there, but also something resolved. Something settled.