Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Audrey petted Peanut absentmindedly as she stared out the window, houses and buildings a blur as they passed.
Carter reached over and squeezed her knee. “Still not talking to me?”
She shifted her legs to shake him off but didn’t bother to respond. Heck yes, she was still mad. She was pissed that he had so expertly manipulated her into doing exactly what he wanted, and she wasn’t nearly ready to forgive and forget just yet.
Though the idea of spending the night alone in an empty house wasn’t exactly appealing, she had several other options. She could’ve stayed in a hotel or, barring that, she had friends in the area or could’ve gone to her parents’ house.
“We both know this is completely unnecessary,” she snapped.
“I disagree.” Carter settled his elbow on the console between them, cautious to avoid jostling her arm. “We both know it’s a big deal; you just don’t like being told what to do.”
“No kidding,” she drawled and rolled her eyes.
She could see him flash an answering grin in the reflection of the dark windshield. “Tough.”
She sulked in her seat and stared off into the darkness until Carter turned into a driveway nearly twenty minutes later.
She started to throw the door open but remembered Peanut on her lap at the last moment.
She didn’t want him to take off and get lost in some strange neighborhood.
Carter seemed to understand, because he grabbed her bag from the back, then scooped Peanut up and secured him under one arm.
Using his hip to prop open the door, he held out a hand.
She stared at it for a long second, intent on refusing, before common sense kicked in.
The low seats were a bitch to maneuver in, and she was grateful for the help.
As soon as she was steady on her feet, he released her and closed the door, then headed to the house.
She trailed behind, dragging her feet at the prospect of being stuck prisoner there.
She followed him into the kitchen, where a familiar face came into view.
“John!”
The older man’s gaze bounced between Carter and her, then landed on her bandaged triceps. “What happened?”
“Just an accident,” Carter responded.
“I was shot.” She said it as clinically as possible, like it was no big deal, even though the memory still had the power to send shivers down her spine.
Carter glared at her, and she shrugged her good shoulder as John’s eyes widened with disbelief. “You what?!”
“There was a drive-by at a coffee shop downtown,” Carter said before she had the chance to speak up. “Audrey was grazed by a bullet, and she had to have stitches.”
“You said you were running late,” John accused with a withering glare. “You never said Dr. Stanton was injured.”
“I didn’t want to worry you,” Carter said as he strode toward the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. He waved it in her direction, and she nodded. She wasn’t so stubborn that she would refuse a drink, especially since she hadn’t eaten or had anything to drink since lunch.
As if on cue, her stomach rumbled, and John’s head whipped toward her. “You must be starving. There are leftovers in the fridge. Carter, heat something up for Dr. Stanton.”
“You can call me Audrey,” she offered with a smile. “And I can get my own food, it’s fine—really.”
“No, no.” John waved her off, then gestured toward the table. “Come sit. Tell me everything while Carter gets the food ready.”
She shot a look at the man in question, who rolled his eyes as he took a pan from the fridge.
Heat raced through her as he briefly met her gaze, a tiny smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
He was obviously used to his father’s overbearing nature.
She made a mental note to ask John later how he managed Carter.
Over reheated lasagna, she and Carter told John of the incident downtown, then gradually segued into other local news, including the remains they’d found a couple weeks ago.
John gave a slow shake of his head. “What’s this world coming to?”
She nodded in commiseration. People sucked.
“Well, I’m off to bed.” John pushed back his chair and stood. “Glad you’re okay, Doctor.”
“Thanks. Sleep well.”
She felt Carter’s eyes on her as his dad disappeared down the hall, and she finally worked up the courage to face him. “Well. I guess I should get to bed, too.”
Those dark chocolate eyes stared intently into hers, studying her for several long seconds before he spoke. “How are you feeling?”
She notched up her chin. “I can handle it.”
“I’m sure you can,” he soothed softly.
Her gaze narrowed on him. She hated being soothed, pacified like a toddler. “I don’t want your pity, Cross.”
He blinked once, but his expression never changed. “Have I pitied you at all?”
“No,” she snapped. “You just bulldozed your way into my house, then bullied me into doing exactly what you wanted.”
One dark eyebrow lifted. “You mean, made sure you’re safe? How awful of me.”
His words were borderline condescending, and it made her see red. “Don’t act like a martyr.”
“Don’t be petulant.”
“Petulant?” She stabbed a forefinger in his chest. “I am a grown adult, and I can take care of myself.”
“If you would stop being stubborn for two seconds—”
“God, you’re so infuriating!” She started to whirl away from him, but he caught her waist and twisted her back to face him.
“No—” He slapped a palm over her mouth when she started to speak.
“Shut those pretty lips of yours and listen for once. I know your ex was a jerk. I know you have no reason to trust men, including me, but believe this—I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. And if that means pissing you off, then so be it. I don’t care.
I’d rather you be angry than dead. Understand? ”
She knew he would say anything to get her to acquiesce, but his words were so matter-of-fact that she couldn’t help the thump her heart gave in response. Not that she would ever say as much to Carter, but she actually felt much better staying here, especially now that she knew John was here.
She would definitely be safer—in both senses.
Carter would protect her from any potential threats, and John would save her from Carter.
Or maybe he would be saving her from herself, because part of her still wanted to throw herself into Carter’s arms the way she had at the hospital and soak up every bit of strength and comfort those hard muscles had to offer.
The man was potent, and she had to constantly remind herself to stay on guard around him. He ripped away her defenses much too easily, stared into her eyes and read what she felt in her soul. Part of her wanted so badly to give in, but she wasn’t sure she could trust him yet—or herself.
He lowered his hand, and she swallowed hard, then nodded as she pulled from his grasp. “I… I should go clean up.”
“No showers, remember?”
“Thanks, Dr. Cross,” she shot back, but her words lacked heat. “Where’s my room?”
“I’ll show you.” Carter strode to the door where he’d dropped her bag on the way in, then hoisted it over his shoulder and headed toward the stairs.
Her shoulder throbbed dully as she followed him, each step jarring the aching muscle.
She almost cried in relief when he flipped on a light in the second room they came to.
“This one has its own bathroom, so you’ll have plenty of privacy. ”
She peered around the doorway, her eyes sliding over the contents of the room. “It’s not yours, is it?”
God, she couldn’t handle sleeping in his room, surrounded by his tantalizing scent.
He shook his head and hitched a thumb over his shoulder. “Nope. I’m at the end of the hall.”
That wasn’t much better. There were barely twenty feet separating them. As if reading her thoughts, Carter quirked a grin. “Want to see my room, red?”
“Ha.” The derisive laugh came out much shakier than she’d intended. “No way.”
“Your loss.”
He pushed past her and set her bag on the bed, then turned to her. “Make yourself at home. Use whatever you need, and if you can’t find something, don’t hesitate to ask.”
She nodded. “Thank you.”
He dipped his chin. “Of course.”
He started out of the room, but she lifted her good hand and stopped him as he drew even with her. “Seriously. Thank you. I really do appreciate it.”
He stared at her for a long moment. “I just want you safe.”
“I know,” she whispered, unable to tear her gaze away.
One huge hand came up to cup her face, and his thumb swept over her cheek. His gaze flitted over her face before returning to her eyes. “You look exhausted. Why don’t you take a bath, then get some rest?”
She nodded, and he dropped his hand away. “Night, Audrey.”
“Night.”
She watched as he entered his room, closing the door behind him, and she let out a soft sigh. She was just so… confused. He could be so high-handed sometimes, and other times he was so incredibly sweet. God knew she was attracted to him, and he wasn’t shy about voicing his intentions for her.
Deep down, she still hurt. She wasn’t sure she was ready to put herself back out there, even casually.
Her heart felt too fragile; Scott’s betrayal had been bad enough, but she’d never felt about Scott the way she did about Carter.
There was just something between them—chemistry, hormones, something—that made her body come alive.
If she opened herself up to Carter and he broke her heart, she wasn’t sure she would ever recover.
She filled the large tub with hot water, then stepped inside, careful to keep her bandage from getting wet.
The warm water lapped over her skin as she tipped her head back, and she closed her eyes, barely holding in a hum of pleasure.
The slight pressure of a hand on her shoulder jerked her back to reality, and she realized she had dozed off.
Carter’s soft brown eyes met hers as he slid to his knees beside the tub. “You okay?”
“What are you doing in here?” She automatically moved to cover herself with her good arm and sank deeper, trying not to get the bandage wet.
“Checking on you.” His eyes held concern as they studied her. “I didn’t hear any movement, and I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
Since she’d fallen asleep, he was probably checking to make sure she hadn’t drowned. His stare was hot and intense, and she had to clear her throat before speaking. “Yeah. I’m fine, thanks.”
He tipped his head at her. “Do you want help washing your hair?”
She grimaced. She couldn’t do it by herself, and she was sure that it was caked with dirt from having rolled around on the ground outside. “Would you mind?”
“Of course not. Hold on one sec.” He braced his hands on the edge of the tub, then pushed to his feet. With a purposeful stride, he left the bathroom and returned less than a minute later, a plastic cup in hand.
“Here, sit up a little bit.” He slipped one hand between her back and the wall of the tub and eased her forward.
She tilted her face to the sky, and he dipped the cup into the water, then poured it over her head, soaking the long strands.
He picked up her shampoo and squirted it onto her hair.
With long, lean fingers, he massaged her scalp, rinsing out the debris and relieving some of the tension she’d been carrying all evening.
When he was done, he washed her back, then gently settled her so she was reclined against the wall of the tub. “Just relax.”
His hands went to her shoulders, and he started off gentle, his touch becoming firmer and more sure as he attacked the knots that had built up in the muscle. She turned to jelly under his ministrations as he stroked along her upper back and shoulders, the base of her neck.
Cautious of her injury, he slid his hands over her good shoulder, kneading the flesh. The other hand moved forward, fingers teasing along her collarbone. She shifted in the water, clenching her legs tight against the sensation that shot straight to her core.
She knew she should stop him, but it felt so good—too good. She bit her lip and allowed her head to fall to the side as he kissed her ear. The dark stubble of his five o’clock shadow was rough against her skin, and she shivered as he trailed his kisses lower, nuzzling against her neck.
His other hand left her shoulder and trailed downward. The water sloshed precariously as her hips jerked in response. Oh, God. She had to stop this before they ended up in bed again.
She slammed her legs together, trapping his hand as she tilted her head to look up at him. “Watch it, buddy.”
Carter offered her an unrepentant grin. “Just doing my duty.”
She forced an unbelieving sound from her throat. “I’d say that’s taking it a little far.”
One broad shoulder lifted in a shrug. “I take pride in a job well done.”
The bolt of pleasure that zinged through her stole her breath. It took her a moment to find her words. “Pride or pleasure?”
His grin grew. “Yes.”
Reaching between her legs, she extracted his questing fingers and leveled him with a stare. “I did go to medical school,” she reminded him, “so I know all the most vulnerable places on the human body.”
Instead of pulling back at her threat, he let out a laugh and twined his fingers through hers. “Don’t remind me. I’ve never enjoyed a woman’s touch more than yours.”
The compliment shouldn’t have pleased her so much, but it did. She needed to turn this train around before it completely derailed. “Now you’re just blowing smoke.”
He lifted a brow. “You were there too, so I know you know that’s not true.”
She felt her cheeks heat as memories of that night rushed back.
He was right; she’d thoroughly enjoyed touching him, and she reveled in his hands traveling all over her body, leaving no inch unexplored.
She frantically beat the memories back and scrambled to her feet, keeping her good arm over her chest while her other hand covered her lady parts. “Could you hand me a towel please?”
He stared up at her for a long moment before slowly rising to his feet and pulling a clean towel from the linen cabinet.
Instead of passing it to her, he carefully ran the fabric over her shoulders and back, then down each arm and across her stomach.
He secured it around her, then lifted her from the tub and gently set her on her feet.
But he didn’t let her go. Instead, he settled his hands low on her hips and dipped his head so his eyes were even with hers. “Fair warning, sweetheart: as soon as you’re feeling better, I’m coming for you… and I will catch you.”