Page 39 of Loving Carter

Chapter Six

Carter

The last thing I expectSkylar to do is kiss me, but I’m very glad she does. I was lying to her when I said I was no longer attracted. I am. I just didn’t want her to feel bad that she didn’t feel the same way.

But based on this kiss, she very much feels the same attraction I do. It’s the kind of kiss two people share when they have waited a long, long time for it. It’s a hungry kiss, an almost frantic kiss. It’s like we’re both afraid the other will stop, and neither of us wants that.

Her lips are soft and sweet under mine, and I take my time kissing her. We share one kiss after another, deep kisses that are wrapped in desire, wrapped in need. I’ve waited such a long time for this that I’m completely lost in the sensations. I welcome it when she wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me closer. I can feel her fingers running through my hair on the back of my head.

For the past few weeks, I’ve fantasized about kissing her, but the reality is so much better than any fantasy I could imagine. I’m not sure how long we stand there kissing, but eventually, I realize something is tugging on my shoe.

“What the—” I look down. It’s Bob. He’s going after my shoe.

When I look up, Skylar seems a little stunned.

“Based on your expression, I’m trying to decide if you liked the kiss or not,” I say, knowing she can’t say it wasn’t great.

She rolls her eyes. “You knowexactlyhow I felt about that kiss. You’re like the king of kissing. You could sell tickets in an amusement park for those kisses.”

I raise one eyebrow and smile. “So you think it was that good, huh?”

We’ve been kissing on Skylar’s front porch, but now she walks inside and stands in the doorway.

“Yes.” She leans forward and lightly brushes her lips across mine. “And we both have some thinking to do.”

Then she shuts the front door.

Okay. Well, I didn’t expect that, but then again, I didn’t expect any of what has happened in the last ten minutes. I’m smiling as I walk back to my truck. She’s right. We both have thinking we need to do. Getting involved with Skylar is unfair. She’s settled in the town. I want to leave. Starting something is not a good idea for either of us.

But despite all that, I can’t help smiling. She’s right. I am a dork, but at the moment, I’m a very happy dork.

***

“THE GREEN BIKE IS BROKEN,” Kellan tells me when he walks into the office the next morning. I skipped going to Skylar’s bakery because I agree with what she said last night. We both have to think about this.

I look at Kellan. “How? It was fine yesterday.”

“Troy Monahan crashed it into some rocks.”

Troy seems like a nice kid, but he’s dangerous to be around. The kid broke his bed the day they arrived and broke a saddle yesterday. Tomorrow, who knows what he’ll take down.

“I’ll call Scott and see if he can fix it,” I tell Kellan. “Try to keep Troy doing nonbreakable activities, at least for a day or so. I worry less about the stuff and more about the kid hurting himself.”

“Will do. Today is hiking, so we should be okay. We’ll take the easy, flat trail.”

“Don’t let him break his leg. Or anyone else’s leg,” I tell Kellan.

He laughs and heads out the door, but I wasn’t kidding. In the short time I’ve been running the ranch, I’ve learned to plan for the worst. I’ve also learned that whatever you think will never happen is the very thing that does happen.

Not that it’s always a bad thing. I never thought I’d feel about Skylar the way I do. I also never thought she’d reciprocate. But as these things always go, it’s not simple. I want to take these feelings I have for her as far as she’ll let me, but I also know that’s unfair. She deserves better than for me to take advantage of her.

Okay, I know that sounds conceited, and I also know she’s an adult capable of making her own decisions. But I don’t want to mislead her. I know I’m going to upset my aunts when I leave. I also don’t want to upset Skylar, which will happen, if I let this relationship progress and she falls for me.

Nowthatreally sounds conceited. I have no reason to believe she’ll fall in love with me. I don’t go around breaking hearts wherever I go. But if she does fall for me, I would feel terrible for hurting her. And I would hurt her. The ranch life is driving me crazy. Every day I’m here, I feel less like a valuable person. The sooner I get out of here the better.

---