Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
Luke went rigid at her side, and Audrey realized she hadn’t been so quiet after all.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing. Just a guy.” She kept one eye on the door as it was yanked open, and Carter strode across the brightly lit lobby.
His gaze seemed to zero in on her, and he immediately amended his stride, steadily closing the distance between them. The faint fluttering of butterfly wings battered her ribs as she watched him approach. The man looked good—even with his battle scar.
The dark bruise stood out along the line of his jaw, and she guiltily bit down on her lip.
She was a doctor, for God’s sake—she’d taken an oath to help people, and never in her life had she harmed another person.
But the man was so aggravating and conceited that she hadn’t been able to control her reaction when she had popped him in the jaw.
“Looks like he pissed someone off pretty good.”
A small smile curved Audrey’s mouth before she could stop it. Don’t get her wrong—she felt bad for busting up his jaw, but the jerk had definitely deserved it. “That was me.”
Luke snorted a laugh from where he stood next to her, and she shifted the box in her arms just as Carter stopped in front of them.
“Audrey.”
The butterflies inside her stomach broke into full flight as the smooth honeyed sound of his voice wrapped around her like the sweetest caress.
Steeling her spine, she lifted a brow at him, forcing herself to maintain his intense stare instead of allowing her gaze to stray lower, over the sculpted muscles she had perused at length just days ago.
Heat flared within her, but she tamped it down, focusing instead on the ire she was trying so desperately to hold on to. “Carter.”
He studied her for a moment. “You haven’t answered any of my calls.”
“I didn’t know I was required to.”
His eyes narrowed, and his tone took on the slightest hint of aggravation. “I’ve been trying to get a hold of you.”
“Why? Did you need a recommendation for that?” She tipped her chin toward his jaw and pointed over her shoulder to the elevator bank behind her. “Dr. Harbaugh’s on the third floor.”
“Who?”
“Dr. Harbaugh. Maxillofacial surgery.”
He stared at her blankly for a moment, then blinked hard, his frustration quickly rising to the surface. “I don’t even know what that means, but I don’t need a doctor.”
“Do you have paperwork for me?” She wanted to put their time together behind them and move on. She had purposely ignored all of his calls, hoping he would do the same. Didn’t look like that was the case.
“Not yet. I—” He gave a little shake of his head, like he was trying to get back on track. “Listen, I wanted to apologize.”
She stared at him for a long moment. “Was that your pathetic excuse for an apology?”
He looked completely taken aback. “No, I—”
“Apology accepted,” she said brusquely, cutting him off with a little toss of her head.
She didn’t want to dwell on him being nice.
Just having him nearby brought back all the memories from last week, short-circuiting her brain.
She needed to get away from him before she did something stupid, like ask for a repeat. She couldn’t afford for that to happen.
“Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have to go.”
With a head tilt to Luke, she started toward the front door.
Within seconds, Carter was beside her once more and placed a hand on her upper arm.
Luke, who up until this point had remained blissfully silent, let out a low growl.
Carter’s hand immediately fell away, and his eyes darted to Luke as if just realizing that the giant man was, in fact, with her.
That familiar chocolate gaze slid again to her and hardened slightly. “Are you with him?”
“That’s none of your business,” she snapped.
He looked absolutely furious, and she couldn’t help but needle him further. Maybe he’d finally get the picture and leave her alone. “But if you absolutely have to know, then yes, he’s—”
“Who’s this?”
Her shoulders tensed as Hannah’s soft voice floated over her shoulder. Hannah had the worst timing ever. Audrey briefly closed her eyes before spinning around and trying to capture Hannah’s gaze, praying that she would get the hint and play along.
“No one,” she said loudly, just as Carter stuck out a hand for Hannah to shake.
“Hello, I’m Carter.”
Audrey cleared her throat and tried once again without success to meet her friend’s gaze.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Hannah.” Hannah smiled and released his hand, then stepped into Luke’s embrace and slipped her arm through his.
Seriously? Audrey glared at Hannah, but her eyes were focused solely on Luke.
Her sweet, oblivious friend didn’t pick up on a single signal Audrey had so blatantly thrown out.
Carter watched the proceedings with interest, and the tiniest glimmer of a smile lifted the corner of his lips as he met Audrey’s gaze, clearly calling her bluff.
She glared back, and the smug expression slipped from his face.
Hannah glanced between the two of them. “Luke and I are heading to dinner. Would you two care to join us?”
Carter turned his attention to Audrey, his brows lifted in question.
Or maybe it was challenge. The man was impossible.
Trying to get through to him was like shoving at a brick wall.
The last thing she wanted to do was be stuck in a restaurant with him for the next two hours, let alone in a vehicle.
She was seventeen once; she knew very well what happened in back seats, and she didn’t need the temptation.
“You guys go ahead. I’m not hungry.”
Carter pried the box from her hands. “At least let me carry this out for you, then.”
Without another word, he turned and started for the front door.
“But… Carter!” She threw her hands in the air in exasperation before feeling Hannah’s bemused gaze on her back. She swiveled toward her friend. “Can you believe the gall of that man?”
“I think it’s sweet.” Hannah’s head tipped to the side as they fell into step behind him. “He’s very handsome.” She ignored Luke’s low hum of disapproval. “Who is he?”
“No one.”
“Please.” Hannah pulled Audrey to a stop and propped her hands on her hips. “How do you know him?”
“It’s not important.” Audrey tried to propel Hannah toward the exit, but she remained frozen in place, face tipped up in defiant expectation. Audrey knew she wouldn’t give in until she told her something. She shifted restlessly on her feet. “We kind of…”
Hannah’s eyes lit up. “Did you finally go on a date?”
Good Lord, Hannah made it sound like Audrey had been in a convent. Though, to be fair, that wasn’t far off the mark. Still, Audrey grimaced and bit her lip. “Not a date.”
Hannah tipped her head to the side as she contemplated what Audrey had said—and what she hadn’t. “So… oh!”
Audrey smirked. Oh, indeed. There had been quite a few of those during her night with Carter. She stared across the lobby at the man who sent a curious look her way as he got ready to hold the door open for them. The black suit accentuated his sleek form, and she couldn’t help but be drawn to him.
Her eyes scanned over him one more time, and she was transported back to Friday when she had skimmed her fingers over every inch of him. It was a shame the man was such a jerk because he was definitely worth going back for seconds.
Hannah squealed beside her, tearing Audrey from her reverie. “I’m so happy for you!”
“No, no,” Audrey warned her. “Don’t get your hopes up. It was just a one-time thing.”
“I don’t know,” Hannah sang as she started again toward the door. “He looks pretty determined to me.”
“Yeah, well…” Audrey didn’t have a response for that. Still, she had her life to figure out before she could even begin to think about inviting a man into it. “I can’t.”
“Why not?” Hannah asked as they continued on. “I know the whole thing with Scott has made you wary, but…” She lifted her hands in a little shrugging motion. “It doesn’t have to be serious, not yet. You deserve to find someone who cares about you.”
“Maybe.” It was all the response Audrey could muster at the moment. Carter had taken her reserve and turned it upside down, then shaken it like a snow globe. She had never felt more comfortable with a man than she did with him.
The rational part of her urged to give him a chance, to let him prove he was as serious as he seemed. Her heart, on the other hand, was locked up tighter than a vault. She couldn’t bear to endure that kind of hurt again, and she wasn’t sure she’d ever let someone fully inside again.
Their small group reached the front door, and Carter held it wide, then followed them to the parking garage.
Audrey was hyperaware of his presence as he strode beside her, doing his best to make small talk.
When she failed to respond, he finally grew quiet, and they passed the last portion of the trip into the parking garage in awkward silence.
The four of them stopped beside Audrey’s car, and she took the boxes from Carter and Luke, then set them in the back seat.
“You good from here?”
She met Luke’s intense gaze before turning to Carter. He looked so sincere that she figured he deserved at least a couple of minutes of her time. With a sigh, she turned to Luke.
“Yeah, we’ll be fine. Thank you.”
She hugged Hannah, who looked like she might burst with happiness. Audrey rolled her eyes and gave Luke a lopsided smile. He studied Carter, the corners of his mouth tugging down in a frown like he still wasn’t quite sure what to make of the other man.
He finally met Audrey’s eyes and gave her a meaningful look. She clearly read the message in his hazel eyes that he’d gladly tear the man apart if he made a wrong move. With a surreptitious wink to Luke, she leaned against the car and turned her attention to Carter with a raised brow.
He waved to the others as they walked away, Hannah comically craning her neck to watch them. Luke finally managed to corral her and guided her around the corner to where her car was parked. Audrey tipped her head at Carter. “That bruise looks rough.”
His lips pulled up in a grin. “I’ll bet you can kiss it and make it all better.”
Audrey’s mouth kicked up in a smirk before she could stop it. Not wanting him to see how appealing she found the suggestion, she let out a little scoff. “There’s too much wrong with you to fix with just a kiss.”
His expression turned serious, and he stared at her imploringly. “I really need to apologize. What I said was…” He shook his head. “I was a jerk.”
Audrey nodded once. “You were.”
“I didn’t know about…” He raked a hand through his hair before gesturing after Hannah. “That was her, right?”
“It was.”
“I’m sorry.”
Audrey met his solemn gaze. If he could own up to his actions, then so could she. “Me, too. I was a coward. I was going to leave you a note.”
He raised a brow in her direction, and she felt her cheeks heat.
She knew she had taken the easy way out, running out of her own home without a word to escape a one-night stand.
“I think I was, anyway. To be honest, I wasn’t totally thinking clearly.
I saw the news, and I had to go see for myself that she was okay. ”
“I understand.” He reached out and took her hand. “I don’t blame you for that. I thought you were running away from me because you were embarrassed.”
Audrey gave a little nod but remained silent.
What could she say to that? Admit that it was partially true?
She had been terribly ashamed of her behavior that night; part of her still was.
Her husband and she had been separated for only months, and her divorce hadn’t even been finalized before she had thrown herself at Carter like a lunatic.
She almost cringed just thinking of the things they had done that night, things she had never done with another person, including her husband of six years.
“I really hope you’ll let me take you out on a date sometime.”
It was tempting; she couldn’t deny that.
But the insecurities of her failed marriage came rushing back.
She didn’t want or need a man in her life at the moment.
She needed to get her head on straight and fix her life.
She needed a job, something positive to focus on.
Maybe down the road, she and Carter could be friends or… more. But today was not that day.
She shook her head and reluctantly pulled her hand from his. “I’m sorry. I just… I can’t.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
She met his gaze. “Both, I think. I just… With everything that’s happened recently, I have a lot of things to sort through, and I need to do something for myself for once, not what someone else wants, and—”
She caught herself rambling and immediately jerked to a stop. He stared deep into her eyes as if trying to read what lay in her soul, and she shifted under the scrutiny.
Finally, he took a step back. “Okay.”
Okay? Her brows drew together. A mixture of relief and disappointment swirled in her gut at his immediate acquiescence. Maybe everything he had said was a lie; maybe he didn’t want her as badly as he had tried to convince her.
She swallowed hard and forced herself to speak. “Okay, then.”
After all, what more was there to say?
Eyes still locked on hers, Carter took several slow steps backward, each one putting more and more distance between them.
Panic suddenly seized her. She had only felt truly happy lately when she had spent time with him.
Granted, it was only one night, but still…
What if she was letting a truly good thing slip through her fingers?
Part of her wanted to lunge after him and apologize, beg him to go out on that date he had offered. Her fingers twitched at her side, and she curled them into a fist to keep from reaching for him and drawing him back to her.
She didn’t need his kind of complication in her life. If she said it a hundred more times—maybe a thousand—she’d start to believe it. She shook off the thought. No, this was definitely for the best.
With a slow nod, Carter winked at her. “I’ll see you soon, red.”
Before she could utter a response, he had spun on a heel and was already striding away. She had turned him down. Why did he look so confident? Then his words sank in.
“I meant what I said!” Her words lacked conviction, even to her own ears, and she resisted the urge to stamp her foot.
He didn’t respond, didn’t even turn around, just waved a hand over his head to acknowledge her statement.
With a harrumph, she yanked open the car door and slid inside.
She slammed the door on the thought of him and started the car, heading toward home and a whole future of possibilities—hopefully one lacking arrogant, overbearing men like Carter Cross.