AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We have time, Leah. All the time you need.”
“We have no idea how much time we have, Dakota. I don’t want to need any more time. I want to start living again. Right now.”
Leah rested her hands on Dakota’s shoulders and brushed her lips against his. A few quick pecks, but it was enough to have her wanting to give more of herself to him.
“Have dinner with me tomorrow night,” he said.
“Can we talk tomorrow night?” she asked at the same time.
His soft laugh wafted between her ears, comforting and sexy. “We could have dinner then talk.”
Leah gestured to her SUV. “Am I being selfish if I leave Carter alone? He’s in a delicate place right now. More delicate than me.”
“What if you don’t leave him for the whole night?” Dakota suggested. “I can get one of my sisters to come out with us, like a double date, if you think he’d be open to that. Then you and I can go off on our own afterward.”
“Your sister won’t mind?” This could work. A distraction like one of Dakota’s clearly beautiful sisters would probably do wonders for Carter’s current mood,andshe’d get to focus more of her attention on Dakota. On getting to know him better. On sharing her secrets.
On finding out what that tattoo was, for crying out loud.
“Dena owes me a favor for fixing her car last week. I got her out of a potentially expensive situation.” He angled his head at the SUV. “Besides, it’s not like Carter is hideous.”
“Have you been checking him out during this adventure today?” She giggled at his frown.
“No.” Then he grinned. “Well, maybe. Just because I’m wondering what my competition is.”
“I told you Carter and I have never been more than friends so there’s no competition.”
Those lips puckered out again in consideration. “Perhaps that’s whatyouthink, but let’s just say I’m getting a… vibe off Carter that maybe you both don’t view your relationship in the same light.”
Leah wanted to argue with that. She had to admit, however, that the times Carter had touched her today, the hug he’d given her when he’d arrived at her cottage on Sunday, and some of the things he’d said to her yesterday when they’d hung out at Brenton Park did have a different… vibe than she was used to from him.
“When I tell you about my past and Carter’s role in it, you’ll understand,” she said.
“Are you ready to tell me?”
“If this,” she motioned between them, “has any shot of working out, then I have to tell you.”
“And you want this to work out?”
Poor guy. He shouldn’t be doubting that. She was an ass.
“I do, Dakota. I really do.”
The smile he rewarded her with ratcheted up the heat between them and she desperately wanted to dive into a steamy round of kisses. Carter, however, had probably witnessed way more than she’d meant for him to see. It was one thing to attempt to move on. It was another to throw that attempt in Carter’s face when he was still hurting so much.
Hopefully a double date would put him on a better path.
“Good,” Dakota said. “Tomorrow night then?”
She nodded once and backed up a step. If she didn’t get out of the circle of his magnetic pull, she’d never leave.
“Let’s go a little more upscale than Mountain View Pizza, shall we?” Dakota arched an eyebrow at her.
“Oh, like a fancy date?”
“Yeah. I can be fancy.”
She let her gaze comb over him. “I’ll bet you clean up real nice.”
