Page 54 of The Other Plan

I swallowed down the internal groan at the way just a simple phrase sent shivers snaking up my spine.

He came up behind me and slid a hand along my hip, the sensual touch igniting my skin beneath it.

“Loosen your hips.” His body pressed up against mine as he rocked me back and forth. He leaned down into my ear and whispered, “Kinda like when you were on top last night.”

My pulse climbed like it was training to scale Mount Everest. I closed my eyes, the memory of being with him last night crashing back into my mind.

“We are not discussing that again,” I breathed out. “We’re going to pretend it didn’t happen.”

“What? Your huge momentary lapse of concentration? The one that ended in us both naked?”

Memories of his muscular, naked body sliding against mine caused me to lose my breath. I cleared my throat. “Yes. Exactly. That.”

“Hmmm.” His chest vibrated against my back with the soft sound. “I really liked what happened, so I’m going to pass on pretending it didn’t. Now, line the balls of your feet up with your upper spine and your knees. When you’re doing it right, your ass will stick out a little. And it’s a nice ass, so don’t be shy about it.”

My brain screamed at me to leap out of his arms, steal the golf cart and race away, but my body... my stupid body pressed back against him.

“Yep. Just like that,” he whispered, his warm breath brushing past my ear.

“Looking good, Jenna!” Eric called over.

I shook myself from the trance Carter had put me under and stood up straight and out of his grip. “Yeah. Thanks. I think I’m good now.”

When I turned around and looked at Carter, a knowing look met mine. He had absolutely no doubt that he was driving me wild with desire... and he loved every single second of it.

Bastard.

Digging into my resolve to resist the man that made my knees and my brain dissolve into goo, I marched over to Cameron and Eric. “You guys ready? I think I’m good.”

Cameron nodded. “Yeah. I mean, I’m not gonna like win the Masters or anything, but I think I can safely hit the ball and at least get it up off the ground.”

“You’ve got this.” Eric clapped him on the back.

The four of us took turns golfing at each hole, and I tried to keep as much distance between Carter and myself as possible. Every time we got in the cart together, though, the close proximity of his body beside mine had my heart fluttering in my chest.

Ugh. Why, oh why, did this man have to have such an effect on me? Why couldn’t my brain convince the rest of my body that Carter was a terrible idea that would end in complete and total devastation? He lived in New York. I lived in Door County. We both had our own lives and companies that neither of us wanted to leave. We were doomed. Plain and simple.

I looked over and caught those sparkling blues staring back at me. My heart started pumping again and whispered at me to lean over and kiss him. My brain screamed its disapproval and told me to keep my lips to myself. I felt like a devil and an angel waged war on my shoulders, and I hoped that soon the angel would spear the devil trying to convince me to kiss him and send that sucker down to a fiery death.

Carter moistened his lips, and that inadvertently sensual move got the devil a better foothold on my shoulder.

“You really are lucky to live here,” he said as he hopped out of the cart.

I climbed out of my side and reached for my clubs. “Yeah. I really am.”

“Valentina talked about their family’s home in Door County all the time, and she made it sound like some magical place. I’m not gonna lie, I thought she was exaggerating.” He turned around and gestured to the beautiful view of the water down below. “Turns out she wasn’t.”

I followed his gaze out over the rippling blue waves and onto the quaint little picturesque town of Ephraim just on the other side of the water.

“Yeah. I am pretty lucky. I love it here.”

“I can see why you do. It’s a pretty magical place.”

I smiled and took another look at the view below, then started off toward the tee box.

“How’s it going?” Cameron whispered in my ear when I took my place beside him off to the side. Carter and Eric stood together in the center, each planning their next shot.

“It’s going.” I sighed.