Chapter 41
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Carter had invited his father to stay with them, but John had declined—thank God—saying that Audrey and Carter deserved their privacy. Carter didn’t mind having him around as much as he thought he would, and things between them were definitely better.
When Carter walked in that afternoon after leaving the office, the house seemed too quiet.
He wasn’t sure if Audrey was home yet, since she had ridden with Hannah to the salon that day.
Home. He liked the sound of that, maybe a little too much.
They had been sharing a bed for the past twelve nights, but he hadn’t officially asked her to move in with him.
Not wanting to push her, he hadn’t broached the subject since the incident.
Carter couldn’t even think of it without getting angry.
More often than not, most nights he dreamed of walking in on that scene, Audrey strapped to the table and unable to move.
More than once he had dreamed that he was too late, and he’d woken in a panic, sweating and reaching for Audrey to make sure she was still there.
She had nightmares, too, but she seemed to be handling it like a trooper. He felt like a mess, and he wanted to lock her away in their room where he knew she’d be safe forever.
Realistically, he knew she’d never put up with it.
She needed to go back to work soon, and there was no reason for her not to, except for his own insecurity.
He hated the thought of what she’d been through and the bad luck she’d experienced lately.
She had been attacked in her old office at the health center, then again at the VA.
Carter had gone back with her once, a couple of days ago, when she had to turn in some paperwork.
She had tensed walking through the lobby where Magda had been murdered, but a few minutes later she had been right back to normal.
He wasn’t sure he’d be the same in her shoes.
She was stronger than anyone he knew, and he loved her all the more for it.
Loosening his tie, Carter meandered upstairs to change before dinner, pausing as he crossed the threshold to their bedroom. Audrey stood next to the closet, and he watched as she tucked something inside, then straightened. She turned and startled when she saw him, her hand flying to her throat.
“Oh, my God, Carter!”
“Sorry, babe.” He pushed off the doorframe and strode toward her, pulling her against him as she melted into his embrace. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You’re too quiet,” she complained without heat, turning her face into his throat.
He ran his hands over her back, enjoying the way she felt against him. “How was your day?”
She leaned back a bit and tipped her chin up to him, an indecipherable look in her eyes. “Good.”
“I’m glad.” He dropped a kiss on her lips. “Thank you for texting me and letting me know where you were.”
“Only because you asked so nicely.” Her lips curled into a smirk. “And I hadn’t even had a chance to tell you I was home yet. I only beat you by a few minutes.”
He had been wondering, but he didn’t say anything. He opened his mouth to ask about dinner, but he didn’t have a chance.
“It’s occurred to me that you’ve been very—” She cleared her throat.
“—vocal about your feelings, but I haven’t.
And I should. I mean, I need to. I’ve been thinking about us a lot recently, and I…
I really like you. Even though it’s only been a few weeks, I feel like I can see something between us—a future, maybe. ”
She paused and licked her lips, but he didn’t dare interrupt.
He knew how monumentally important this moment was, that she come to terms with her feelings all on her own.
This was a huge step for her—putting herself out there and offering herself to him, heart and soul.
He stared at her, and she shifted uncomfortably, her gaze darting over his shoulder as she bared herself to him.
“I just… I really like you. I know I already said that, but I mean it. I know you care about me, and I… care about you. I feel closer to you than I’ve ever felt with anyone else, like you just… get me.”
“I like to think so,” he murmured, his hands tightening on her waist.
“So, um… I hope you don’t mind me using your closet,” she said, indicating it with a jerk of her head.
His eyes narrowed at the abrupt change of topic. “It’s yours as long as you want it.”
She peered up at him. “I bought something today.”
For some reason, it seemed important to her that he know this. “Glad your shopping trip was beneficial.”
“I bought a dress.”
Not quite following, he started to nod, then froze as the implication sank in. She had spent her day at a bridal salon.
“A white dress,” she clarified, still watching him closely.
“Oh?”
Not the most intelligent response, but he couldn’t come up with anything else at the moment. He wanted to ask her exactly what that meant, what she wanted, but he let her lead the conversation, gradually taking him wherever she wanted to go.
“I just… I wanted to tell you that I…” Her voice cracked, and she licked her lips before she continued. “You told me you loved me.”
Her gaze darted back to his, and he nodded slightly but stayed silent. “I didn’t say it back to you then, but I should have.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but she stopped him with a brief shake of her head.
“I was scared—afraid of putting myself out there again and getting my heart broken. I think I’ve known for a while, but I wasn’t ready to admit it.
But I don’t want to spend another day without telling you how I feel,” she whispered shakily.
“I don’t want to spend another day without you. ”
He admired her so much for being brave enough to trust him with her heart. “You’ll never have to,” he promised as he cupped her beautiful face in his hands. “I will never hurt you, and I’ll never leave you.”
She stared up at him, her teeth cutting into her lower lip, looking vulnerable. “I love you.”
His heart swelled at the softly whispered words, and he pressed his forehead to hers. “I love you, Audrey.”
Her lips were soft and sweet beneath his as he dipped his head and their mouths came together. Her lips parted on a sigh, and he curled his tongue over hers, stroking and tasting. Before he was ready, he forced himself to pull back.
“You said you bought a dress?”
Her cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment. “I know it sounds crazy and impulsive, but… yeah. I did.”
“Good.” He gave a single nod, then grabbed her hand and hauled her across the room toward his dresser. He dug inside for a moment as he spoke. “Then it’ll go perfectly with… this.”
He held up a small blue box, and her eyes widened, her free hand coming up to her mouth. “Are you… Is that…?”
He released her hand just long enough to open it, revealing the diamond inside. “I told you I was serious. I knew you were the only one I wanted.” He dropped to one knee and gestured between them. “I just want you to know, this is not at all how I pictured this happening in my head.”
A huge smile exploded over her face. “It’s perfect.”
He pulled the ring from the box and grabbed her left hand. “Audrey Stanton, would you do me the honor of being my wife and spending the rest of your life with me?”
“Yes!”
Her hand trembled in his as he slipped the ring on her third finger, then rose to his feet and pulled her in close. “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too.” She stretched up to kiss him before pulling back and admiring the diamond that sparkled in the light. “I can’t believe this. It’s so… wow.”
“I had a really awesome proposal planned,” he complained good-naturedly. “Now you’ll have to tell everyone I proposed in the middle of the afternoon in our bedroom.”
Her eyes turned dark with desire, and her teeth raked over her lower lip as she planted her hands on his chest and pushed him toward the bed. “Let me make it up to you—in our bed.”
And if that wasn’t the best thing he’d ever heard, he didn’t know what was.