Page 81 of No More Secrets
“I appreciate everything about you, Carter,” she said, her voice a husky whisper that sent his blood south. A feline smile spread across her face.
“Well look at you two hiding away in a corner.” A man in dark jeans and a blazer over a casually rumpled button down leaned down to kiss Summer’s cheek. “Hello, beautiful.”
Summer’s smile brightened. “Niko, what are you doing here?”
This was a man she didn’t feel the need to pepper spray, Carter noted. Instead, she pulled him in for a tight hug.
“Katherinesuggestedthat I make myself available. I had to break a date.” He looked pained.
“Carter, I’d like you to meet Nikolai Vulkov. He’s the relatively brilliant photographer who will be coming out to the farm with me.”
“Right. The Wolf,” Carter shook the offered hand. Nikolai shook like a man, a few degrees shy of bone crushing.
“You make the mistake of telling one pretty blonde what your name means in Russian and she never lets you live it down,” he lamented.
“If the fur fits,” Summer said innocently.
“She’s tenacious,” Carter agreed.
“I’m not sure how you survived her following you around asking questions for an entire week.”
Summer’s chin lifted an inch. “Excuse me! I was adelightfulhouseguest.”
“That I can attest to,” Carter said, stroking a hand down her back out of Nikolai’s view.
“Well, she did come back glowing. And smiling. And she’s been staring off into space with a dreamy look on her face. It must be all that fresh, country air,” Nikolai teased.
Carter gauged the situation. “I take it he knows?”
“Yep.” Summer glowered at Nikolai. “He has a very big mouth, so we may have to kill him.”
“We’ll feed him to Clementine,” Carter suggested, making Summer laugh.
“Who’s Clementine?” Nikolai demanded.
“Oh, just a pretty little lady who’s going to want to take a few bites out of you.” Summer smiled sweetly.
“I’m actually starting to look forward to this assignment.” He took a sip of his martini and glanced around the room. “I’d better get going. I need to make sure Katherine sees me here before I sneak out.”
Nikolai said his good-byes and headed out.
“Will there be any lettuce left to harvest when we come back for the photo shoot?” Summer asked sweetly.
Carter laughed. “Sorry, honey. But I’m sure we can come up with something equally horrible for him.”
“That’s what I like about you, Carter Pierce.”
“My diabolical nature, or my inability to say no to you?”
“I think it’s a bit of both.”
They caught the attention of a waiter and were debating canapés when Carter spotted a very tall, angry looking woman stalking toward them. “Incoming,” Carter said under his breath. “Who’s this?”
“Oh, boy. You’re getting the full experience tonight,” Summer whispered back. “Kira. Don’t you look ... tall?”
Summer’s tone had Carter on red alert.
The woman came to a halt in front of them in her five-inch stilettos. She towered over Summer and stood eye-to-eye with Carter.
