Page 39 of This Baby Business
And he’d dragged her into his issues by asking her to bring Grace to the park. By letting her know about Sandy’s parents when he might have kept it to himself. Because it wasn’t like him to overshare. Maybe he’d done so because she’d helped him in a pinch, or maybe because he noticed how she truly cared about Grace, but either way, he’d shared more with Carly than was his custom. His fault.
“Is it that crazy an idea? For us to be a couple?”
“You were the one who called us stupid. We wouldn’t make a good fit.”
He and Grace needed calm and quiet in their lives. Not all this chaos and emotion that surrounded Carly. All the lies. She was going through a tough time. Frankly, she worried him as much as she frustrated him. He already had Grace to take care of, and it had been a cold night in Texas the last time he’d tried his hand at being a woman’s white knight. Hadn’t worked out so well then, either.
“I would have to agree.” She took a breath. “Except for, you know, the kissing and…stuff.”
“You mean the orgasm. We’re engaged. I think you can just say it.”
“Yes. The orgasm.”
He tugged her in tight. “So we’re in this together until the Lanes go back home. But between you and me? No more lies.”
“No…more…lies.”
Damn. Her eyes. They drew him in every time. Made him want things. Complicated things. But if he did this, if he went along with this little game, he’d put some parameters of his own into place. Not just for her. For himself. He didn’t want to be sucked in by the likes of Carly Gilmore. Definitely, one hundred percent not ready forthis.
“And we both need to remember thisthingbetween us isn’t real.”
Yeah. Just keep telling yourself that, buddy.
She nodded. “I’m not likely to forget, since I’m the one who made it up. And after they’re gone, we go back to how things were before.”
“And no one gets hurt.” He squeezed her hand.
He’d been in this place too many times to count. Temporary relationships. Hell, even his permanent ones had a temporary feel to them. And wasn’t he sick of all that? Because he’d learned that even temporary had risks. Even temporary could carry lifetime consequences.
Carly was staring at his lips. He should tell her that wasn’t helpful. But because no one had ever called him wise when it came to women, he kissed her, taking the kiss deeper when she opened up to him.
“Wait.” She suddenly pulled back. “What are we doing?”
“Practicing. Because it should look like we’re comfortable around each other. If we’re going to keep lying, anyway, and make it look good.”
“Oh, right.”
And also, because she tasted so sweet, too good. He knew she’d swallow him up whole if he let her. She was dangerous to his peace of mind, meaning he’d be playing with fire for the next month. This would be different, playing at a real relationship while knowing he’d easily walk away at the end. No harm, no foul. He’d make sure not to hurt her, or that she could ever get close enough to hurt him.
Game on.
CHAPTER17
Levi
On Saturday, Levigot ready for the pet wash. He gathered Grace and Digger’s assorted crap. For someone who could live for a week in the woods with the contents of one backpack to sustain him, carrying along this much stuff for the day felt unnatural. But he did it, because all the books said he should do it. All the so-called baby blogs, of which he was trying to read more since learning about Carly’s.
He shook his head, reminded himself he was an idiot, then got busy packing a change of clothes for Grace. Several diapers, baby wipes, a pacifier—which she hated, but hey, maybe he’d get lucky one day—a bag of Cheerios, a teething ring, two bibs and some tissues. Of course, he also had to carry the fold-up stroller with him and the car seat. He briefly considered bringing the fold-up playpen his parents had shipped to him, but there would be so many women there today, Grace would probably get passed around for a while. For Digger, he simply brought his leash, some dog treats and plastic bags.
Man.
“It’s a damned good thing you’re so cute.”
This he said to Grace, though technically it applied to both of them. Digger was cute, but not what he wanted in a dog. Levi preferred big, bad or at least somewhat threatening. But this was what he got, thanks to Emily. Once he’d snapped the leash on Digger’s collar, all three of them were out the door.
A few minutes later, he pulled into the airport parking lot, where Cassie, Emily, Zoey and Sarah were already setting up. Signs were set at strategic locations, and three long hoses lay on the ground near big tubs with the Pimp Your Pet logo proudly displayed. Matt and Stone were nowhere in sight. Probably hiding inside, the cowards.
“Let me have Grace.” Cassie reached Levi first, just as he opened the rear passenger door.
