Page 39 of Beauty Beneath the Sorrow
“It’s still early. Are you up for a run?” Carter turns to me.
My heart flutters, awakening my insides—but I hide itbehind a casual smile. “I might be up for a quick run.”
“You two have fun. I’m not doing anything tonight.” Avery winces. “My heels are killing me today. I remember there being a nice spa the last time we stayed at this hotel.”
“I could go for a massage.” I roll my shoulders, imagining the scent of eucalyptus pouring over me. From the corner of my eye, I see Carter’s posture flex while he rubs his chin. I jerk my head to the side, holding his gaze. “Something funny?”
“I could give you a massage for free,” he whispers.
I glare over at him. “Why do guys insist on making everything inappropriate?”
He shrugs. “We’re built that way, baby.”
“I really don’t like when you call me that.”
“Sorry, baby,” he says, flipping on his cap.
Fuck.In that hat, I’d let him call me whatever the hell he wants. What is with this pilot uniform? I don’t want to let my thoughts drift into imagining what he might have looked like climbing into an F-18 jet. I clench my legs on reflex.Oh my god.
Anxiously, I pick up the pace. Avery hangs back with the rest of the crew while I sprint ahead. Carter’s shoes squeak on the tile as he matches my pace, closing the distance between us.
“I’m going to need time to change once we get to the hotel,” I tell him, ignoring his comment.
“That’s fine. I will, too.”
Carter and I jog at a measured pace around Park’s tree-lined path. I despise running, but he makes this one physical act incredibly sexy and hot. Every time we stopped for breaks, tiny beads of sweat lined the hairline on his forehead, and all I kept thinking about was what the wet skin of his pecs and stomach would feel—and taste like.
I spot a secluded blue bench tucked into the bushes right off the pathway. On either side, wild white rose bushes grow.
“Let’s take another break,” I suggest, panting.
“Okay.” Then, we both slow down to a stop.
My lungs are on fire once again. I’ve gotten used to this feeling because it’s painfully satisfying.
Carter sits on one side of the bench, trying to slow his breath. I do the same, taking the spot on the opposite side. My nose fills with the sweet smell of white roses. They’re my favorite flower.
I remove my phone from the leg pocket of my workout pants and place it on the bench between us. Bending over the metal armrest, I inhale the sweet scent. The thorns look aggressive on these. I wish I had a pair of scissors with me. I’d love to pick a few for my stale hotel room.
We sit in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Carter speaks.
“Who’s Finn?”
My shoulders square, and I quickly turn toface him. How would he know about Finn?
“Finn?” My eyes drag across his fit body while sweat drips off his skin. It’s fucking distracting. But I’m pulled back into reality by the sudden clenching of Carter’s jaw as he gestures toward my phone laying between us.
I swipe it from the bench, but before I can enter my code, I catch sight of a notification displayed on the screen.
Finn: Hey, fuck buddy. I bet you thought I’d forget you were flying in today, huh?
My heart drops. I completely forgot that I told Finn a few weeks ago I’d be in New York today for an overnight layover. I’m ashamed that Carter saw his message.Why do I feel this way?Maybe because Finn has only called mefuck buddyonce before, and I kneed him in the balls for it. We were hooking up, and by the most literal definition, I am his fuck buddy. But it makes me feel cheap. I bet he thinks it’s a playful thing now. Fucking Finn.
I nibble on my lip. “He’s a friend that I see once in a while when I’m in town.”
With a stoic look on his face, he simply nods.
I swing my legs back and forth under the bench while we sit silently for a beat.
