Page 148 of Pink and Country

“No. It’s perfect. It’s us. Pink and Country.” Carter kneeled again and slid the emerald-cut pink ring onto my finger. I choked on my breath. It was even more gorgeous than I remembered.

Stunning.

Perfect.

And pink.

“I wanted to get a custom design, but when I saw this in Seattle, I knew someone created it just for you. It’s an exquisite piece, just like you.”

“Carter, I love it. It’s beautiful.” I extended my hand and examined the ring. My ring. “Wait. Seattle?”

“Long story. I saw it and got it, hoping one day, I’d give it to you.”

My fiancé crashed his lips on mine, and the next thing I knew, it was the next morning and I woke up in his arms, in my bed, a permanent smile etching my face, and my entire body deliciously sore.

35

Carter

I halted in front of the room, trying to act casual. I hesitated a moment as I turned the doorknob. Each intake of breath made me dizzy. Reed tapped me on the shoulder. “You’ve got this, man. April loves you. Trust me.” I offered him a lopsided smile.

I looked ridiculous in the spa’s black uniform. The fabric stretched too much over my upper arms, and the pants were just long enough to cover my ankles. Saunders raised her head from the table and winked at me as I eased inside the dim-lit room. I should’ve known April’s friend would come up with a scheme if I asked for her help. April and she never did things like everyone else. They always put their personal spin on everything. I’d never get bored with Fairy in my life.

I swallowed as I approached the pink-haired woman lying on her front on the table, oblivious to my presence. She shivered when I inched closer. I closed my eyes and breathed in and out. When my hands touched her skin, I thought I’d combust. Fireworks blasted inside me. All the emotions bottled up threatened to explode all over April.

I arrived in town early last morning and spent my day with Reed as he taught me the basics of massage therapy. I needed to play the role if I didn’t want to be unmasked.

Once my uneasiness faded, my hands found their rhythm.

April moaned. “Oh, right there. Yes. Oh God, this feels good.” I hardened at the sound of her moans.

Olives, gooey snails, Riley, Savannah Prince.

I bit my tongue, and my erection subsided. Sort of. My hands traveled all over April’s bare skin, and my dick straightened. How could men do this as a living? It was pure torture.

April dreamed about marrying me? Did I hear her right? A ball of lead grew in my stomach. Focusing on my air intake, I listened to the women’s conversation, not missing a single word. My insides now a pile of mush.

“What if leaving was a mistake?” April asked her friend.

I tensed. April tensed under my touch, too, in sync with me. I massaged her feet, the way I did so many times. I didn’t care about the technique. Right now, it was just us. April squirmed on the table. Was she crying? My stomach roiled. A tight grip strangled my heart.

April’s shoulders trembled. Fairy was crying for sure. My jaw flexed, and I gritted my teeth. I could rip at the seams.

With a flick of his wrist, Sergio, Saunders’s massage therapist, motioned me to step back.

“Okay, ladies, please, flip on your backs,” he said in a low voice.

Saunders flashed me a giant smirk, and I almost tripped over my own feet. When did I get this nervous over a woman? I was back to being the clumsy fifteen-year-old Carter. Great.

April settled on the table and adjusted the sheet around her. My lungs idled as my eyes zoomed in on her.

I wanted her to notice me. To kiss me. To hug me. Or even scream at me. Anything to acknowledge we stood a few feet from each other.

My eyes stared at her chest. Her breasts rose and fell with every breath. April was the end of me. My mouth was dry. With a sweep of my tongue, I wet my lips. A throaty sound escaped April’s mouth, so soft only I could hear it.

I rubbed her jaw muscle with my thumb, drawing circles from her ears to her chin. A sharp wave of desire rippled through me. April’s chest swelled. And I was a lost man. Olives, gooey snails, Riley, Savannah Prince.

April was my sin. My muse. My weakness.