Page 68 of Betting on the Bad Boy
“Sounds good. I’ll wait right here.” He moved back toward the stool and settled in.
I jogged upstairs and set my purse down on the bed. Rummaging through the clothes I’d brought with me, I pulled out a fresh pair of jeans and a cami, then grabbed a light cardigan to wear on top. I picked up my phone and shot off a quick text to Jess.
Me: Surprise... Mom scheduled a date night for me with the pretty pastor.
Jess: Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.
Me: Yeah, right.
Jess: What about Dante?
Me: Dante who? ;)
I was totally teasing.Carter was just a friend and Dante was… I wasn’t sure exactly what to call him, but he’d definitely skipped way past the friend zone.
Jess: If you’re done with him, I’ll take your sloppy seconds!
Me: Hands off, girl.
I almost followed that up by telling her he was mine. That wasn’t entirely true, though. Our arrangement didn’t include words likemine, orours, and that was exactly how it needed to be.
I hadn’t thought about him for at least two hours. When would I be done with him? I closed my eyes and remembered the last time we’d been together. Not in the near future. He’d beenthe perfect solution for writer’s block, but I hadn’t been able to type a single word since I’d arrived in California. I needed to get back to my muse.
Grumbling, I got up off the bed and entered the enormous bathroom. What did I want out of the evening ahead with Carter? He was easy on the eyes. Great at conversation. And I did enjoy his company. Secure future... stable family life. He was from the Midwest, for crying out loud. Plus, my mom loved him.
Sure, there wasn’t the intense, overwhelming chemistry, but that never happened in real life. At least not with someone who seemed like such a logical match. I wasn’t sure I’d ever warm up to the idea of being with a pastor, but he’d also have that law degree to fall back on. He was almost perfect on paper. Why couldn’t I make my mom happy and give him a real chance?
He wasn’t Dante.
Dante. With his piercing blue eyes and permanent five o’clock shadow. His talented fingers and wicked tongue. No, there was no way in hell Carter was anything like Dante.
I fanned my face and chest. I couldn’t deal with another Dante right now. I wasn’t even doing a good job dealing with just one. What exactly was going on between us, anyway?
The sex was inspiring. I had half of a completed manuscript to prove it. But was there something more to him than the incredible “O’s” I’d grown so fond of? I pushed all thoughts of him aside for the night. I’d have a friends-only, G-rated good time with the safe, pretty pastor and save all thoughts of Dante for later...when I was alone and had time to do something about it.
Carter madesmall talk as he navigated the BMW through the stoplights and slow traffic on the PCH. I half-listened as I rested my arm by the open window and let the cool late afternoonbreeze flow over me. Back in Indiana, everyone would be tucked away indoors. If they had to go out, they’d have to bundle up in layers—long underwear, flannel shirts, wool socks, mittens, scarves, and gaiters.
A teen on a skateboard darted in front of the car.
Carter slammed on the brakes and laid on the horn. “He’s lucky I had a chance to stop.”
“So do you enjoy driving around the LA area?” I glanced over at him, his hands still clenched on the steering wheel.
He took in a deep breath and pressed on the gas. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the traffic. How can there be twelve lanes on the highway and all of them at a halt?”
“Yeah, you don’t see that much in Newbridge. Think you’ll ever move back to the Midwest?”
Carter reached over and squeezed my hand then put his own back on the wheel. “Once I’m finished with law school, I’ll be looking for a place to build my congregation,”—he glanced over and met my gaze—“and my family.”
I closed my eyes and let my head fall back against the headrest. What exactly had my mom and Clem told him about me?
A few minutes later, the car stopped, and I opened my eyes.
Carter got out of his side and walked around to open my door. “It’s probably been a while since you had fresh seafood. I thought you might enjoy dining down on the pier.”
“Sounds great.” I linked my arm through his and let him lead me out onto the dock as the sun dipped low on the horizon.
Shades of pink, purple, and orange blazed across the sky. I sighed. I could do without the traffic or the crowds of southern California, but I definitely missed the sunsets. We walked to the iconic restaurant at the end of the pier, and I leaned up against the wooden railing. “Can we finish watching the sunset before we go in?”
