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Karli lowers into one of the lounger chairs overlooking the dense sprawling forest. She sets her plate on her lap and I follow suit, taking the seat closest to her.
When I eagerly dig into my food, she looks at me, head shaking. “I just can’t believe that a grown man—a doctor no less—doesn’t know his way around the kitchen,” she teases before she takes a sip of her wine.
“Hey. I know my way around the kitchen,” I grumble defensively even though I know it’s hard to come across as menacing when you’re talking with your mouth full. “I’m just not a cook.”
She lets her head tilt to the side. “So, you know your way around a kitchen, yet you can’t cook? Tell me. How does that work?”
“Remember my Grammy’s bakery I told you about?”
She nods.
“Well, me and my cousins opened up her shop every morning for as long as I can remember. Right up until she finally hired some help.” I take another big bite and chew quickly. “The only reason I even allowed myself to move away from home is because Grammy hired help. If she hadn’t, I would have never left Honey Hill.”
“Wow. That is some serious family commitment,” she says, looking a little surprised.
“We’re really tight, the Westbrooks. Maybe a bit codependent.” I laugh, refilling my wine glass.
She curls her legs under her, angling her body to face me. “So it must be hard for you, being away from them…”
“It is,” I tell her and then I grin. “Good thing my roomie is so nice, though. Makes it a whole lot easier being away from home.”
Karli blushes. “You know me. Nice, nice, nice.”
Chuckling, I follow the trail of that adorable pink blush from her cheeks down her neck all the way to her chest. And fuck—she’s not wearing a bra again, is she? Her nipples are just sitting there under her thin T-shirt, tight pointed peaks, begging for attention. My mouth begins to water.
When I realize that my eyes are lingering on her breasts, I quickly shift my gaze back to the greenery in front of us. Before long, I get lost inside my mind.
Even when it’s completely dark, we make no move to head inside. Eventually, I have no idea how long we’ve been out here. But I wouldn’t be surprised if it were inching close to midnight.
Her voice breaks through my thoughts. “What’s going through that big, smart head of yours, Dr. Pretty Boy?”
“I still can’t believe you’ve never had a serious relationship,” I say glimpsing at her out the side of my eye.
She belts out a boisterous laugh. “Uh, have you met my brothers?” She pokes at her salmon with her fork, balancing the plate on her lap.
When she says that, my mind drifts back to the other night at the bar. From the way the guys had talked about protecting Karli, it’s obvious that they would make life hell for any asshole that tried to move in on their little sister.
But Karli’s a resourceful girl. If she really wanted some dude, there’s no way she’d let her brothers get in the way of her love life.
“But what about when you were at college?” I ask, even though the mere idea of another guy sniffing around her annoys me. “Surely you were able to hide a boyfriend or two when you were away.”
“When I was at college, I wasat college. You know? I was focused on school and nothing else. I had to be.” She lowers her chin and an embarrassed blush skitters over her skin.
“What’s that weird face you’re making?” I ask.
Her shoulders rock when she exhales. “I know that a lot of people are good at multitasking but I…I have a hard time focusing on more than one thing at a time. When I was in school, I didn’t want any distractions.” I see the disappointment that darkens her face. The fact that she focused so hard on school and still didn’t meet her goals? It seems to really be weighing on her.
This is hard for her to talk about. I can see that. When she tries to change the subject, I let her. “Soyou’vehad serious relationships?”
“Yeah. One or two,” I say casually, placing my empty plate on the nearby deck table. I sling an arm over the back of my chair, giving Karli my full attention.
She mimics my posture, turning her body so she’s facing me in the waning light. “What happened with the last one?”
My brain searches for the best way to explain the mess I had with my ex-girlfriend. “Well, I did a lot for her. She didn’t appreciate it. She always wanted more. It took me a long time to realize I wasn’t getting anything in return.” It’s a sad way to sum up a long term relationship, but it is what it is.
“She sounds dumb,” Karli declares, and that makes me laugh. “Where’d you meet her?”
“In Honey Hill. At a bar.” I screw up my nose. “That was the first red flag. You know what happens when you meet someone at a bar.”
