Page 9 of Rules of Engagement
Crap, she did it again. She looked way from the gaze that was once more on her mouth and watched as he stretched out a long arm toward the numbered panel. From there her gaze slid up his arm to what she could see of his tattoo. She'd always had a thing for tats, too. Especially on muscles that looked good enough to—
"Something on your mind?" he asked.
"N-no."
"You're staring."
"You're… very tan," she mused, scrambling for an excuse.
Carter pressed the button and then settled his lean hips against the elevator wall opposite hers. The stance should've looked slouchy, but instead he looked relaxed and amused andtan, and it made her think of some naughty things to do while the elevator climbed.
"I work construction. Comes with the territory."
"The muscles must be part of the job, too, then." The words left her mouth before she could stop them, and she silently berated herself for the nervousness making her say—andthink— things she shouldn't.
Carter tucked his chin toward his chest, his gaze narrowed on her, and crossed his arms over his chest. The move made his biceps bulge and stretch the seams of his sea-blue shirt, revealing more of the tattoos. She blinked at the sight and tried to unglue her tongue from the roof of her mouth.
"Does that make part of your job looking as beautiful as the bride?"
The line was kind of cheesy, but there was an appreciation in his gaze that left her believing his words to be sincere.Or that of a bad boy trying to get laid?"Are you always this flirty with women you don't know?"
"Only when I'm interested."
She rolled her eyes and shook her head with an uncomfortable laugh. "Well, I'mnotinterested," she said, throwing his choice of words back at him.
"Why not?"
"What, hasn't a woman ever said no to you?"
"I get the feeling you're saying no for the wrong reasons," he said, ignoring her question.
Wrong reasons? Oh, she hadallthe right reasons. "Relationships muck things up," she said, reminding herself, aloud, while staring at his gorgeousness. "And I don't do one-night stands."
No matter how tired she was. No matter how much she'd like to be cradled against Carter's broad chest, held in those tatted arms, if only for a moment.
"Good to know. But what things?"
What?
Oh,things. Like friendship things. Relationship things.Businessthings. "Everything."
"How so?"
She shoved her hair out of her face. "People fall in love and trust people and then… it doesn't work. Take today for example. Bridezilla, for all her faults, seems to be in love. Whereas the groom propositioned me beforeandafter the wedding." The jerk had even offered to throw in a "bonus" if she'd agree.
"All men don't cheat, sweetheart."
She blinked, drawn to his words and the sexy tone used to say them.
Thankfully the doors opened with a musical chime, and she shoved herself off the elevator wall but then tripped exiting into the hallway.
Carter caught her from behind and kept her from taking a nosedive into the floor. The crazy carpet pattern and colors beneath her feet swirled like a sick carnival ride.
But him holding her? Those muscled arms wrapped around her as he helped her straighten?
She turned and wound up pressed against his equally muscled chest and held on to those tattooed arms for dear life until the world stopped spinning. "Thanks," she mumbled. "Th-that wasn't from drinking."
"Uh-huh."
