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“No.” He glanced over his shoulder before heading to the closet. When she had eyes on him again, he was only in briefs. Her eyes crawled over his body, enjoying the lines and details of his tattoos and muscles. All she had missed, which had her carefully peeling the covers back and easing out of bed, needing a minute to settle the influx of awareness she felt for this man.
“Where you going?”
“Bathroom.”
“You need anything?”
Her eyes shot north and Carter’s were waiting, with a concerned, unmovable expression. “No. I’m fine.”
“You’re a guest. If you need me…”
“I don’t, thank you.”
It was already uncomfortable being here. McKenna didn’t need Carter having a front seat to every aspect of her nervous overload. When she was done in the bathroom and eased back into bed, she lay next to Carter who was on his side, one arm tucked under his head, the other resting across his abs. She watched Carter as he studied her, taking in every detail. He seemed content with her being in his bed and not once did he question why she was in his room. Even so, she contemplated whether or not to go back to the guest room.
“Stop overthinking. I expected to find you here when I got back.” Carter’s eyes were closed when he spoke and McKenna’s narrowed.
“I wasn’t thinking about that.”
“Yes you were. You’re easy as fuck to read, Kenni.”
“Apparently not,” she mumbled, thinking that if she was so easy to read, he wouldn’t have wasted the last three months staying away.
Carter grinned and turned his eyes to her. “You mad at me, Kenni?”
Her thoughts shifted to the questions she asked Brooks. She needed Carter’s side of the story, so she asked.
“You stayed away but Brooks didn’t?”
His expression turned hard. “He told you that?”
“I asked.”
After a long pause, he lay back, folding both arms behind his head. “Shit is complicated.”
“Your life was complicated when you barged into my house, Carter. I missed you when I didn’t have to. Brooks knew…”
“I didn’t know, Kenni. Doesn’t fucking matter what he knew.”
“You wouldn’t let him tell you. Some twisted honor system that makes no sense. I don’t know what that’s all about but you could have been there with me. I didn’t have to miss you.”
She studied his face. Carter closed his eyes but his expression was tight.
“All a man has is his word. If I can’t trust Brooks to keep his, I can’t trust him. He did what I asked him to do.”
“But he didn’t.”
Carter swung his head so his eyes met hers. “You asked him to make sure I was good. I wasn’t. I wanted you there but I had no way to tell you. I wasn’t fucking good.” She flopped onto her back in a huff. Everything was quiet and still until she felt him move. The bed shifted then he was beside her, standing over the bed briefly before he sat on the side.
Carter stared at the wall and McKenna stared at his back, tracing the muscles and lines crafted with ink. Her fingers twitched seeing the spot that reminded her of how they’d ended up here in the first place, the scar from the bullet that pierced through his body months ago.
“You asked me to stay away,” he said stiffly, then brushed a hand down his face.
No more checking to see if I’m okay or needing to hear my voice. Not if you truly want me to be okay.
“Only because you left and said this wouldn’t work. Having pieces of you wasn’t going to be enough. What else was I supposed to do?”
“I’m not angry, Kenni…” He glanced over his shoulder. “And I only had pieces of you. It damn sure wasn’t enough.”
