Page 43 of No More Secrets
Her cheeks were flushed and she was frowning.
“Here,” he helped her into the coat. “Ready?”
“I don’t know! You won’t tell me what we’re doing!” Exasperation laced her tone.
Why was it so sexy and sweet when women wore men’s clothing?he wondered as he smoothed out the material on her shoulders.
Carter tugged the end of her ponytail. “We’re going for a ride.”
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“Ithought you meant in a vehicle,” Summer grumbled when they pulled into the stables.
“The best place to see a sunset is from the back of a horse.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s from a beach with a Cosmo in your hand.”
“You’ll see.” Carter took her by the hand and led her into the stables.
“Isn’t it going to be dark soon? What if we get lost? I’m not ready for this.”
He stopped in front of her and she ran into his back. Carter turned and took her by the shoulders. “Do you trust me?”
She looked up at him with those ocean deep eyes wide and scared.
“Summer,” he pulled her in a step closer. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, okay?”
Inexplicably, tears welled in her eyes.
“There are some things you can’t be protected from,” she said quietly.
He pulled her in to his chest, his chin resting on the top of her head. “I need you to trust me on this. I will keep you safe.” Damn if she didn’t fit perfectly in his arms.
He felt the hot breath of her sigh through his shirt and held her a little closer.
“I’m sorry, Carter. I’m not usually such a baby,” she said pulling back to look up at him. “I’m just overwhelmed.”
“Stop apologizing for being human. Besides, it’s probably just the juice talking.”
She gave a little laugh against his chest.
It was killing him, holding her like this. He just wanted a taste, wanted to know if she’d respond to him the way he imagined she would. But he couldn’t. She wasn’t a toy. She was a woman here to do a job. He settled for brushing his lips against her furrowed brow.
He heard the quiet intake of breath, watched her part her lips. Saw her eyes zero in on his mouth. An invitation. An anticipation.
But if he kissed her now, he wouldn’t stop. And that wasn’t what he brought her here to do.
“Wait here. I’ll saddle the horses.”
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They were the sexiest words ever uttered to Summer in her twenty-six years of living.Wait here. I’ll saddle the horses.She had almost kissed him, twice now. She had wanted to, desperately. But he had backed off.
And now she was on the back of the dainty Charcoal, plodding into the dusky evening behind Carter on his big bay, Romeo.
She was an emotional disaster tonight. Trying to do too many things to the point where everything felt like an emergency. And Carter’s simple declaration.I’ll keep you safe.
He couldn’t. Not from what really threatened her. No one could. But somehow the words still loosened something in her chest.
