Page 113 of Pink and Country

I lifted my shirt over my head and dropped it at my feet. I removed April’s purple sweater, which joined mine on the hardwood floor. My fingers kneaded her breasts. After a three-day withdrawal, April dissolved under my touch. She felt like putty in my hands.

“April, I love you,” I repeated, the desire so strong I wanted to rip all her clothes off.

“Carter—Please.”

My hands removed every clothing item off her. When my forefinger traced the shape of her lips, she sucked the digit in her mouth, bringing me to my knees. I lost touch with everything else except the woman who told me she loved me. Me .

25

April

“C arter Hills knocked on my door and proclaimed his love to you. He told you he freaking loves you, Bubble Head.” Saunders had been screaming the same thing nonstop since Carter came and left two days ago. “Again, why did you refuse to go with him? Are you sick, girl? Ohmygod . He. Came. Here. If he would’ve come all this way to ask me to go on a plane with him to the end of the world, I would’ve accepted, and I’m not even in love with the guy.” She leaned forward to place her hand on my forehead. “You’re not burning up. What’s wrong with you then?”

Taylor shook his head. His upper lip twitched, his amusement obvious. Our eyes met, and I shrugged. By the end of the week, we’d be friends. Something to focus on instead of my man.

Carter flew back to Portland with a huge chunk of my heart. Its rhythm now felt offbeat without him around to take care of it.

A wide smile crept on my lips. Carter told me he loved me. He did. And he even flew in and out just to tell me. “I love you, April.” I could still taste the words on my lips. Carter wore his love for me on his tongue, his lips, and his hands. And came all the way here to check up on me. He spent over ten hours on an airplane. To see me in person. My heart did somersaults in my chest, and it doubled in size. This was much more than a love declaration. Food, air, and water weren’t necessities anymore. I could surf and live on love forever. Carter Hills’s love.

Feather-like flutters took up permanent residency in my lower belly.

I had lied to him. My phone hadn’t been turned off. I’d ignored Carter’s messages on purpose, too scared to address my own feelings toward him. I feared the distance would send me on an emotional roller coaster.

“Saunders, you need to get over it.” I met her for breakfast at her house. Or rather, hers and Reed’s.

“Girl, I can’t believe I met Carter Hills. Why aren’t you stunned?” She batted her eyelashes at me. “Oh, I forgot the guy is giving you orgasms daily.” My best friend jumped to her feet and paced the living room while I sat on a chair, Taylor facing us from the entryway.

“Saund, stop acting like a crazy fangirl. You look insane. Taylor will keep you at a distance if you don’t calm the fuck down.” Her eyes found Taylor’s, and he nodded in silence, never breaking his stoic expression. I rolled my lips over my teeth, a laugh bubbling inside me. “Carter is my boyfriend, Saund. He’s human like the rest of us. And he’s hot, yes. He’s also sweet and takes good care of me. I love him. No need to make a huge deal of this.” Inside me, my heart went into a frenzy. Nothing felt regular about dating a country music superstar.

My best friend pondered what I said for a few beats.

“I’ll act cool around him, Bubble Head. I promise I’ll do my best.”

I grinned, and she mirrored back. My heart swelled even more in my chest.

“Now let’s go shopping.” I lowered my voice to a whisper. “At the rate he rips my panties off me, I’ll go around town commando if I don’t refill my stock soon.” Saunders stifled a chuckle.

“Oh, naughty girl, I’m glad you’re finally having some fun.”

* * *

Carter was on his way from Portland to Seattle when he called me. It was almost noon my time.

Flocks of butterflies danced around in my belly at the sound of his voice. And it woke up an ache between my thighs.

Lying on my bed, my head propped against a pillow, I took the call. Before I hung up, I told him about my plans to have dinner at the Bensons.

“Are you sure it’s a good idea? I don’t know what happened between you guys, but seeing them in New York upset you.”

Carter deserved the truth.

“I don’t want to hide anything from you. When you’re back, I’ll tell you everything. I promise. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be okay. I love you.”

I smoothed my hair back with shaky fingers and evened my breathing as I stood on the Bensons’ front porch. My stomach tightened. I hadn’t been here in over three years, but it appeared the same, except for the rosebushes Mrs. Benson planted after Travis’s death. A large brownstone with a copper-colored roof, front door and shutters, a half-circle driveway, and a black iron gate.

I pushed a rebel strand of hair behind my ear, rubbed my clammy hands over my thighs, and knocked on the door. Once again, I wondered if throwing up my own heart was possible. My chest rose and fell in quick succession. What am I even doing here?

Being here, on Travis’s parents’ house front porch, brought back loads of memories I’d pushed away a long time ago. It was time to deal with my past. To heal. To put my wounds to rest if I wanted a future with the man I loved. I sucked in a jagged breath, rolled my shoulders back, and emptied my lung in one big huff. I could do this.