Page 45 of Unraveled

“Petulant?” She stabbed a forefinger in his chest. “I am a grown adult, and I can take care of myself.”

“If you would stop being stubborn for two seconds⁠—”

“God, you’re so infuriating!” She started to whirl away from him, but he caught her waist and twisted her back to face him.

“No—” He slapped a palm over her mouth when she started to speak. “Shut those pretty lips of yours and listen for once. I know your ex was a jerk. I know you have no reason to trust men, including me, but believe this—I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. And if that means pissing you off, then so be it. I don’t care. I’d rather you be angry than dead. Understand?”

She knew he would say anything to get her to acquiesce, but his words were so matter-of-fact that she couldn’t help the thump her heart gave in response. Not that she would ever say as much to Carter, but she actually felt much better staying here, especially now that she knew John was here.

She would definitely be safer—in both senses. Carter would protect her from any potential threats, and John would save her from Carter. Or maybe he would be saving her from herself, because part of her still wanted to throw herself into Carter’s arms the way she had at the hospital and soak up every bit of strength and comfort those hard muscles had to offer.

The man was potent, and she had to constantly remind herself to stay on guard around him. He ripped away her defenses much too easily, stared into her eyes and read what she felt in her soul. Part of her wanted so badly to give in, but she wasn’t sure she could trust him yet—or herself.

He lowered his hand, and she swallowed hard, then nodded as she pulled from his grasp. “I… I should go clean up.”

“No showers, remember?”

“Thanks, Dr. Cross,” she shot back, but her words lacked heat. “Where’s my room?”

“I’ll show you.” Carter strode to the door where he’d dropped her bag on the way in, then hoisted it over his shoulder and headed toward the stairs. Her shoulder throbbed dully as she followed him, each step jarring the aching muscle. She almost cried in relief when he flipped on a light in the second room they came to. “This one has its own bathroom, so you’ll have plenty of privacy.”

She peered around the doorway, her eyes sliding over the contents of the room. “It’s not yours, is it?”

God, she couldn’t handle sleeping in his room, surrounded by his tantalizing scent.

He shook his head and hitched a thumb over his shoulder. “Nope. I’m at the end of the hall.”

That wasn’t much better. There were barely twenty feet separating them. As if reading her thoughts, Carter quirked a grin. “Want to see my room, red?”

“Ha.” The derisive laugh came out much shakier than she’d intended. “No way.”

“Your loss.”

He pushed past her and set her bag on the bed, then turned to her. “Make yourself at home. Use whatever you need, and if you can’t find something, don’t hesitate to ask.”

She nodded. “Thank you.”

He dipped his chin. “Of course.”

He started out of the room, but she lifted her good hand and stopped him as he drew even with her. “Seriously. Thank you. I really do appreciate it.”

He stared at her for a long moment. “I just want you safe.”

“I know,” she whispered, unable to tear her gaze away.

One huge hand came up to cup her face, and his thumb swept over her cheek. His gaze flitted over her face before returning to her eyes. “You look exhausted. Why don’t you take a bath, then get some rest?”

She nodded, and he dropped his hand away. “Night, Audrey.”

“Night.”

She watched as he entered his room, closing the door behind him, and she let out a soft sigh. She was just so… confused. He could be so high-handed sometimes, and other times he was so incredibly sweet. God knew she was attracted to him, and he wasn’t shy about voicing his intentions for her.

Deep down, she still hurt. She wasn’t sure she was ready to put herself back out there, even casually. Her heart felt too fragile; Scott’s betrayal had been bad enough, but she’d never felt about Scott the way she did about Carter. There was just something between them—chemistry, hormones, something—that made her body come alive. If she opened herself up to Carter and he broke her heart, she wasn’t sure she would ever recover.

She filled the large tub with hot water, then stepped inside, careful to keep her bandage from getting wet. The warm water lapped over her skin as she tipped her head back, and she closed her eyes, barely holding in a hum of pleasure. The slight pressure of a hand on her shoulder jerked her back to reality, and she realized she had dozed off.

Carter’s soft brown eyes met hers as he slid to his knees beside the tub. “You okay?”