Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Audrey shifted restlessly, trying to take the strain off her aching feet. She was already starting to seriously regret wearing the three-inch heels, but she wanted to look nice.
For Carter? her brain whispered conspiratorially. She shook it away. She’d dressed up to look good for herself and herself alone. That’s what she told herself—but she knew she was lying. She wanted him to desire her even if she wasn’t quite sure what would happen between them, if anything.
Nerves battered her insides at the thought of seeing Carter again.
Though they’d texted and spoken on the phone several times over the past week, he’d never made any attempt at flirtation or tried to take things further.
She didn’t know what to think about this meeting today.
A coffee break at three o’clock was too late to be a friendly lunch, yet too early for an intimate dinner date.
He’d thrown her for a loop, and she didn’t like it at all.
She felt so much better knowing exactly where she stood with someone.
She despised trying to read between the lines, as she had for so many years with her ex.
Carter had seemed so intent just a few weeks ago on dating seriously, yet he hadn’t brought it up again.
It was frustrating, and she hated herself for worrying over it.
She was the one who’d told him it would never happen, and here she was, disappointed at the prospect that he wanted to just be friends.
She let out a disgusted little sound as she kicked at the sidewalk, scuffing the toe of her expensive stiletto.
Scowling at the torn leather, she leaned against the rough brick building and let out a little growl.
What was wrong with her? She already knew the answer to that.
She wanted Carter, way more than she’d ever admit out loud.
She pulled her phone from her bag and checked the time again. He’d called half an hour ago to let her know he was running late, but it was already a quarter after three. Her stomach twisted into a tight knot. She should be relieved. She should turn around, get in her car, and head home—alone.
But for some stupid reason, all she could think about was Carter.
He’d promised friendship because that was all she was willing to offer.
Why was she so disappointed about that? She’d been divorced for barely more than a week.
She couldn’t even contemplate the idea of letting another man into her life yet, even one as sweet as Carter.
As if her thoughts conjured him, she glanced up to see him round the corner of the building.
She sank her teeth into her lower lip as her gaze swept over him from head to toe.
Dressed in dark charcoal slacks and a blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, he looked sexier than any man deserved to.
He’d removed his jacket and tie, and the collar of his shirt had been unbuttoned, giving her a peek at the deeply tanned skin at the base of his neck.
Her heart thudded against her ribs as her gaze moved upward and caught the curl of his lips.
That smile literally made her knees weak, and she swayed slightly as he approached, thankful for the hard wall behind her, holding her up.
His head turned, his attention moving toward the street, and the smile slipped from his face. “Down!”
Confused at his reaction, she followed his gaze to the car.
The passenger side window had been rolled down, and the driver came into view as he pulled almost even with her.
Her eyes swept over the man behind the wheel.
He was nothing more than a dark silhouette, the hooded sweatshirt out of place in the sweltering heat of the summer afternoon.
His face was obscured by a ball cap and sunglasses, and she trailed her gaze lower, over his arm extended outward—toward her. Sunlight glinted off the black object in his hand, and her heart stopped. He has a gun.
“Get down!”
She jumped at Carter’s harsh command, and she sucked in a breath as a loud pop splintered the quiet afternoon.
Pain ripped through her as Carter tackled her around the waist, taking her to the ground and stealing the breath from her lungs.
It felt like a brick wall had slammed into her body, and a wave of fire shot down her arm.
Carter’s terse expletive cut through her delirium, and she blinked against the spots dancing before her eyes, unable to comprehend exactly what had happened.
She flailed uncomprehendingly but was restrained by Carter’s heavy weight still on top of her.
Suddenly, a second crack split the air and shattered glass rained down around them.
“Stay down!”
Carter pushed her head back down, tucking her further into the protection of his large body, and she struggled to draw in a breath.
“C-can’t—”
She bucked upward, and he lifted his chest from hers and stared down at her, a question in his eyes.
Relieved of the weight, she dragged in a deep breath and tried to sit up.
Her left arm refused to cooperate, and she struggled against him for a moment before falling to her back.
Cries of fear and outrage rose around her, but she tuned them out as she stared up at Carter, his face twisted into an expression of intense concentration.
“Just stay where you are,” he commanded, flicking a glance around their surroundings once more. “The car’s gone, but there’s glass all over the place.”
She nodded and licked her lips as blinding pain radiated down her arm. “Carter…”
Not sparing her a glance, he pulled his cell from his back pocket and started to tap away at the screen. “Yeah?”
“My arm,” she panted out. “It hurts.”
Dark brown eyes laced with anger flitted over her as he sat back on his heels and rolled her slightly to the side. The phone fell from his fingers as he seized her left arm, his features twisting into a grimace. “Jesus!”
She closed her eyes against the fiery sensation, and a tiny whimper fell from her lips. Glass tinkled and crunched as Carter shifted into a crouch beside her. She assumed a shard had sliced into her arm, causing the acute pain shooting through her triceps.
“Why didn’t you tell me your arm was hurt?” Without bothering to unbutton his shirt, he ripped it open and stripped it off.
For a second, her attention was splintered.
In her peripheral vision, she could see him ripping off the sleeve to wrap around her arm to stop the bleeding, but she couldn’t drag her gaze away from the sculpted muscles of his biceps and forearms exposed by the tight white T-shirt beneath.
They rippled as he leaned forward and gently wove the fabric around her injured arm and tied it off.
She sucked in a breath at the sudden pressure, then forced a little laugh as she fought to focus on his question. “My entire body hurts.”
“Yeah, well, getting shot will do that.” He gave a brief shake of his head, and she twisted her head toward her left arm.
Getting shot? “What?”
He was too busy inspecting her arm to reply, so she slapped her palm against his chest and shoved to get his attention.
His gaze snapped to hers. “It’s just a graze.”
“Just a graze?” Her voice rose several octaves, fueled by indignation and bewilderment. He said it like it was no big deal, like it happened every day, and it served only to infuriate her more as the panic and fear leached away. “Are you kidding me?”
She struggled against him, intent on sitting up and assessing the damage for herself.
“Hold on, hold on.” Carter slid a hand beneath her back and levered her to a sitting position, taking extra care with her arm before placing it gently in her lap.
The world spun for a moment, and she fought the nausea that roiled in her stomach.
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders for support and cupped her face in one huge hand. “You good?”
She nodded shakily as everything righted itself and returned to normal—as normal as this situation could get. “I’m fine.”
Carter turned her chin toward him and searched her gaze for a long moment.
Whatever he saw there must have assured him, because he gave a little nod, then picked up his phone.
She rested her head on his shoulder and listened as he spoke with the 911 dispatcher, giving their location and details.
When he hung up, he turned his head, and his chin brushed her hair. “Still hanging in there?”
She nodded against his chest, suddenly too exhausted to respond as the adrenaline wore off and her body began to crash.