Page 43 of Love at First Sighting
I tilt my head to the side, and I’m so close to his face I canalready taste the mint on his mouth and hear the moans he’d make as I’d knot my fingers in his golden waves and knock him to the ground on our blanket. His gaze flickers down to my lips and he wets the inside of his lower lip with his tongue. Then he shakes his head.
“You…you should practice a punch yourself. Without me.”
He pulls away and bites down on his lip, looking like he’s taking the best mental cold shower he can.
I motion through the move he’s shown me a few times, both of us distracted. Carter steps closer and allows me to attempt it with a real target. I throw a few hooks and Carter blocks each of them, demonstrating once what’d happen if he missed and I hit him.
“Now we’re going to try it in action.”
Well, the lessons were fun and sexy until I realized I’d actually have tofighthim. “Really? I don’t want to fight you. I’m going to lose.”
“Really. You start. I’ll play off of you.” He takes position across from me and surveys my stance, his arms crossed in front of his chest while I prepare. I don’t want Carter in danger, but I wouldn’t complain about watching him fist-fight someone. He’s not what I’d call buff, but he feels muscular in practical ways. He’s someone who knows what to do with his body, and that sends the filthiest thoughts into my head.
“Don’t hesitate,” he orders.
I unload a punch in his direction and he blocks it, pushing my fist away. There’s more force than I expect and I wobble to the side. He laughs, but at this angle, I know I can hit him with a hook, so I do.
He nearly misses avoiding my hit with an amused laugh, before ducking beneath my arm. “Whoa, Million Dollar Baby.”
Carter grips my waist, holding my hips, and playfully shoves me out of the way.
“That was rude.”
“Someone you fight is going to be alotruder.” Carter zeroes in on me and moves forward. I back up to give myself some distance and trip over a dip in the sand. Carter swoops in, only to tumble down with me. Sand flies up around us and my knee collides with his side. Between laughs, he mutters an “ouch” somewhere into my hair. The weight of his body on top of mine presses me deeper into the sand, our legs tangled together, his hand resting on the side of my stomach.
His hair’s fallen out of its usually gelled coif and is a golden halo against the dark azure sky. There’s a look of yearning in his eyes, like he wants to lean down and kiss me as badly as I want him to. The question has never been whether or not I’m interested in Carter—it’s whether I can let myself fall for someone who might be like everyone else and hurt me. Or if he’ll even like who I am underneath all the filters and facades.
His thumb brushes the skin where my shirt’s ridden up, and my body involuntarily arches toward his. I’m looking at his lips and wanting to taste them desperately, but then he pulls away again, brushing the sand off his pants and palms. I know it’s not because he doesn’t want me. There’s something that makes him scared to love, too. His absence is ice cold because, I’m realizing, no one’s ever felt warm in the way he has. We linger in a moment of silence before he smiles and brushes the sand off my pants for me.
“You did good tonight, Agent Ariel.”
El (6:24 pm):Well, Sam came through on those invites to Ian’s party…
Carter (6:27 pm):You don’t sound thrilled.
El (6:29 pm):He got us tickets, but also got tickets for everyoneelseat the Nest.
Carter (6:31 pm):Oh. So like your roommates.
El (6:35 pm):AND their partners.
El (6:35 pm):You’re in for a treat, Agent Carter.
Carter (6:38 pm):You still want me there with all your influencer friends?
El (6:40 pm):First, they are not my friends. And second, yes. I really want you there.
Carter (6:41 pm):I get it. You need your stealthy special agent at your side to help you.
El (6:42 pm):I do. But…
El (6:43 pm):I also like your company.
Carter (6:45 pm):Then count on me to be at your side. See you in a few days.
Chapter 12
