Chapter 21 #2
Isla had confided in her that she felt like the Remington siblings hated her. Cresley had assured her that she’d never heard anything of the sort from Carson or the others she’d interacted with during his hospital stay.
“They’re probably saying the same thing about you since you’ve barely left Carson’s side since he was hurt.” Isla had quickly added, “Not that I’ve heard anyone say anything, but they’ve been on edge around me from the start. I keep hoping that’ll ease up, but it hasn’t.”
“Have you talked to Julian about it?”
“He says he doesn’t care what anyone else thinks.
All that matters is what we want, but… I also know how very much he loves his siblings and how close they are after everything they went through as kids, and despite what he says…
I think it matters very much to him that they’re upset about our relationship.
I worry about it coming between us at some point. ”
Her concerns had given Cresley something else to worry about, because Carson was every bit as close to his brothers and sisters as Julian was, and their disapproval or disdain, or whatever it was, would bother him, too.
“I wanted to tell you that Isla and the kids may stop by the house. They still have stuff there, and she’s been helping me with Ty.”
“That’s nice of her.”
“I really like her a lot. You should try to get to know her better. I think you’d like her, too.”
“I do like her.”
“You barely know her, and the whole time they’ve been together, you’ve had your hackles up about him falling in love and ‘losing his mind’ over her, as you so eloquently put it.”
“I have no beef with her.”
“Your beef with him is a beef with her, too.”
He released a deep sigh. “I hear you.”
“Be nice to her if she comes by. She’s been a good friend to me since the shit hit the fan.”
“I’ll be nice.”
“Thank you.”
He lowered his voice so Anthony wouldn’t hear him. “It’s hot when you boss me around.”
“Seriously? That’s what you’re thinking about right now?”
“Mmm.” He kissed the back of her hand. “Very seriously. I’m looking forward to picking up where we left off before we were so rudely interrupted.”
“Honestly, Carson. Your priorities are whack.”
His lips found the inside of her wrist and sent a thrill of sensation shooting up her arm. “I think they’re in perfect order.”
“Stop.”
He glanced at her as he continued to rub his lips over her sensitive skin. “Why?”
“Because! You’re supposed to be focused on getting better.”
“This is making me feel much better.”
To her dismay, her eyes filled with tears as the shock and horror and emotional tumult of the past week caught up to her all at once in a mess of emotion, confusion and desire.
“Aw, honey. Don’t cry. Please don’t cry.”
Cresley brushed the tears away. “I’m sorry. I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine, and we’re going to talk about that as soon as possible.”
How was it fair that in addition to being kind, smart and handsome as all hell, he was also perceptive? Leave it to her to find the one perfect man who wanted nothing to do with forever or happily ever after.
When they arrived at the house, she helped him get settled on an upholstered chaise lounge in the living room.
His face was pinched with pain, and he’d broken out into a sweat again during the short walk from the driveway.
Cresley brought him a soft chenille blanket and offered him four ibuprofen tablets that he gratefully accepted. “Are you hungry?”
“A little.”
“I’ll make you a sandwich. Does that sound okay?”
“Cres…”
“Yes?”
He held out his hand. “Come sit with me.”
She took his hand and lowered herself to the edge of his chair, careful not to jostle him.
“I can’t bear to see you upset and trying so hard to hide it from me.”
“I’m okay if you are.”
Carson brushed a tear from her cheek. “Why the tears?”
“They won’t stop. Ty says I’m like a faucet.”
“Come here. Let me hold you.”
“That might make things worse.”
“How’s that?”
“That’s a story for another time. How about I get you that sandwich?”
“Don’t go yet.” He gave her hand a tug that had her inching closer and sighing with pleasure when he wrapped his arms around her. How did he smell so good after spending a week in the hospital? “Talk to me.”
Cresley took a moment to collect her thoughts while wallowing in the pleasure that came from having his arms around her.
It was hard to concentrate with him so close and when she could hear the strong beat of his heart, something she’d never again take for granted.
“I keep thinking about what we were doing before the floodlights came on that night.”
“I recall some rather excellent kissing.”
“Do you remember when I told you that if you wanted out, you needed to go?”
“I do, and I didn’t leave.”
“Right.”
“Did you want me to?”
“No, and that’s sort of the problem. We keep getting more involved when you said you didn’t want that, and I’m worried that you’re going to suddenly change your mind and—”
He tipped her chin up, compelling her to look at him. “I’m not going to change my mind.”
“If you’re looking for something casual, this isn’t feeling like that for me.”
He caressed her face with the light brush of his fingertips. “How’s it feeling?”
She swallowed the lump in her throat and forced herself to speak the truth. “Significant. Important. Big.”
“If it makes you feel any better, it’s the same for me.”
“It is?”
He nodded. “Even more so than it was before I got hurt, and that was pretty big. But the way you’ve shown up for me every day since, and I don’t think that was just because you felt like it was your fault…”
“It wasn’t. Of course it wasn’t. But, Carson, you were pretty adamant about wanting to steer clear of things like entanglements with single moms who have adorable seven-year-old sons. You’ve been so upset about Julian settling in with Isla and her kids…”
“It’s a complicated topic for me and my siblings.”
“For good reason.”
“When I said what I did to you the night of the premiere, I want you to know that I meant every word about there being no way I’d ever get into something serious with anyone, let alone a single mom.”
“Ouch.”
He tightened his hold on her so she couldn’t escape. “I’m not finished.”
“It’s fine. Really. You don’t owe me anything. In fact, it’s the other way around. If you hadn’t been there that night, I might’ve gone outside to see what he wanted and met the wrong end of his knife.”
“If I saved you from that, it was well worth getting stabbed.”
“Don’t say that!”
“It’s true. And what I wanted to add is that things have changed for me since that first night when I said that.”
“What’s changed?” she asked, feeling breathless.
“Everything.”