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“Definitely.” I put my paperwork down and stood.
Ethan scowled. “So you can stop what you’re doing for him?” Then he checked his watch. “It’s only five o’clock, and you guys were gone all afternoon shopping. Can’t it wait?”
I shifted on my feet, wishing he’d just make this easy on me and let me go. “Well, this is the last day. We have to organize everything into care packages for the families. Tomorrow, we meet Mr. Bell, then we do the grocery shopping and deliver everything,” I said.
“Right. I get it,” Ethan said, turning his attention away from us.
He didn’t look like he got it.
“Don’t be mad.” I nudged him in the arm. “We’ll come and grab you after we’re finished,” I said, realizing much too late my use of the word “we.”
Ethan, however, hadn’t missed it. His head snapped up, and he arched a brow in question. After, he shook his head and grumbled as he began tossing the football in the air again.
“We can go to the late showing of that movie you wanted to see,” I added.
“Whatever. Have fun.”
And though I felt guilty, I left his room and joined Carson downstairs.
An hour later, Carson and I had effectively demolished a whole pepperoni pizza—okay, I ate two pieces while Carson all but inhaled the rest—and we had basically taken over the living room.
“You’ll have to thank your mom for all the boxes if I don’t see her tonight. These are perfect.” I lugged a box of presents to the corner of the finished baskets and wrote the family’s name on it in marker. “And for letting us take over the place,” I added, surveying the mess. The floor was covered.
I pulled a face, and we both laughed, something we found ourselves doing quite often.
Carson caught my eye, and I allowed my gaze flicker to his mouth, wondering if he’d try to kiss me again. Part of me felt like I’ve waited forever.
He cleared his throat and glanced away, his cheeks turning pink. “Well, it’s only for two more days. This stuff will be out of here soon enough.”
“What all do we have left to do tonight?” I asked, checking the master list. “Looks like we just need to divvy up the wrapping paper and gift bags so that the parents can wrap the kids’ gifts, then we’ll be done. Gosh, it’s going to take a million trips to deliver all this stuff. We don’t even have the food yet.”
Carson shrugged. “Nah. It won’t be that bad. We’ll have my Jeep. And I can skip practice in the morning.”
“Carson Brooks is going to skip his morning swim practice?” My eyes widened as I teased. I clutched at my chest like I might have a heart attack. “Someone alert the press. Call the Laker Gazette STAT!”
“Haha. Funny.”
I jabbed him in the ribs, and he grabbed my hand, playfully tugging me forward. Once I was right in front of him, he brushed a lock of hair from my eyes, and I thought,This is it. Then he attacked my ribs with his fingers.
“No!” I screamed, breathless, turning away from his fingers and giving him my back. “No. No. No.”
“Oh, someone’s ticklish,” he crowed, laughing.
His fingers moved lightly over my ribs and my back as I squirmed in his arms, laughing until my stomach hurt. “Stop,” I begged.
“Not until you say please.”
“Puh-lease,” I wheezed.
He stopped but made no effort to move his arms. Instead, he kept them wrapped around me, my back pressed into the warmth of his chest, and everything inside me came alive. My heart knocked against my rib cage, my breathing quickened, and my palms dampened. Suddenly, my senses heightened. I could smell the shampoo in his hair, feel the warmth of his breath on my neck. Blood pounded in my ears as his fingers gripped my waist and slowly turned me to face him.
“Hey,” he said, his voice husky. His eyes scanned my face, landing on my mouth.
“Hey,” I whispered back. And then his mouth was on mine, warm and soft, and everything I imagined it would be.
His long arms tightened around me, pulling me further into his chest as he lifted me slightly off my feet, and I thought,This is what a kiss should be like. All other kisses before this one had been a waste, just practice for the main event. Because nothing compared to kissing Carson Brooks.
He angled his head, guiding my lips apart, deepening the kiss as a little sigh escaped my mouth. His lips teased and coaxed. He nipped my lower lip, then kissed me harder, his tongue brushing mine, and I wondered idly where he learned to kiss like this, then decided I didn’t want to know.
