Page 14 of Cursed Touch
She studied him as butterflies flew around her stomach.
“Oh, for goodness’ sake, just tell him yes,” Georgia muttered before glaring at him. “If you hurt her in any way, I promise my bite is worse than my bark.”
He chuckled at Georgia but didn’t respond, his attention directed at Vanessa. “Well, what do you say? Will you go out to dinner with me, tonight?”
Vanessa nodded, a stupid grin lifting her lips as she put out a hand. “Give me your phone.” Carter unlocked the device and handed it over. “There, you have my number, and I have yours,” she said after sending herself a text message.
“Be ready by six and text me your address,” he said as he grabbed his bag and phone.
“Tell me where, and I’ll meet you there. I don’t give out my address on first dates,” she told him seriously.
“Fair enough. Georgia, it was a pleasure meeting you,” he said before turning on his heels and heading for the door.
Georgia grunted in reply, but neither of them spoke as he walked away. Holding the door open, he gave her a panty-melting smile over his shoulder, and her thighs quivered in reply.
Carter Broderick was unlike any other man she had met.
Chapter 8
Carter: Luca’s Trattoria on 8th. Looking forward to seeing you…
He hit send and ignored the rapid beat of his heart. It had not slowed since he’d stood in front of her boutique. Vanessa… Even her name soothed the numbness he lived with.
It took everything in him to not deepen their kiss. He was eager to learn more about her and better understand how she knew Georgia.
Thanks to the last year, he had learned plenty about his supernatural world. No doubt about it, Georgia was a werewolf and part of Peter’s pack. Carter had briefly considered reaching out to the alpha to learn more about her, but he refused to give her the satisfaction. She was clearly protective over Vanessa, and he was admittedly pleased to know she had someone in her life who could keep her safe.
It was evident to him Vanessa knew nothing about her friend’s true nature—something she was better off not knowing. The more he learned about the real things that went bump in the night, the less he wanted to find his mate.
And like the jokester that fate seemed to be, he found Vanessa just when he had settled on never searching for her. He had seen both the pretty and ugly side of soul mates. The bond between his sister and Ryan and his brothers, Max and Ethan, with their mates was mind-boggling to say the least. But in all three scenarios, they had gone up against some gnarly situations.
Unlike the others, Vanessa did not show any signs of being anything but human. Maybe their path would involve less violence and anguish.
Carter’s only power was of healing. Max and Ethan each had two powers, and Brandy seemed to have them all. James could see the dead, and Junior’s power of suggestion aided him in both his career and personal life. Edward was the biggest mystery, as luck was always on his side, but no one knew too much of their private brother.
If something came up against Vanessa, Carter would have to enlist the help of his family and Peter to protect her—something he was loathed to admit, even to himself.
Vanessa: See you in an hour.
Her text drew him back from his musings. She was not a woman to ramble in her texts, nor had she been upset that he’d taken a couple of hours to tell her where.
Carter set the bag with Andrea’s gift on his island and the bouquet of wildflowers he’d picked up for Vanessa next to it. Opening one cupboard after another, he realized he did not own a vase. He grabbed the large plastic cup he’d acquired at the movie theater and filled it with water before setting the flowers inside.
He emptied his pockets on the island and hurried to his bedroom. He removed his clothes, tossed them into the basket in the corner of his bathroom, and turned the knob to his walk-in shower to hot. A few minutes later, the water cascaded down his body as he peered around the large open space with multiple shower heads.
His mind wandered to Vanessa, and he wondered if she would approve. Cream-colored tiles, which Brandy had helped him pick out, covered the walls and floor. A long bench seat lined part of one wall, and he envisioned the feel of the cool tile against his body as Vanessa straddled his hips.
Shower sex had always been cumbersome and something he’d avoided until he remodeled his home. He had yet been able to test out the space, but his dick was eager to take Vanessa for a ride.
With his dick hard from his errant thoughts, he turned the knob to the right and hissed at the cooler water. He brought forth memories of the putrid smells he’d experienced as a doctor and breathed easier without his erection clamoring for attention.
Carter dried off quickly and did not bother with the towel when he moved to his closet. Living alone had the benefits of nudity whenever and wherever he chose. In the closet, he grabbed a burgundy button-down shirt and a pair of black slacks.
He decided to forego the tie entirely and rolled the sleeves to his forearms. With a quick glance at the time, he ignored his clammy skin and strode to his kitchen where he slipped his wallet and keys into his pockets.
“Calm down, it’s not the first time you’ve gone on a date,” he chided himself.
His phone chimed from the charger where he’d set it and he prayed it wasn’t Vanessa canceling on him.
