Page 98 of Pink and Country

“Let’s do this. It’s plenty enough for me. It’ll be perfect. I love you so much.” Our mouths merged and for a moment, I forgot this was the beginning of the end for us.

* * *

I made up my mind. I’d stay with Carter in Green Mountain for a little longer. Travis’s last words replayed in my head. Promise me you’ll never stop chasing love. I owed it to myself to give my relationship with HN a try. Never would I have thought caring about two men just as much could be possible. But here was life proving me all wrong.

Carter Hills stole my heart. He made it whole again. He filled it with passion, lust, and hope.

My heart quivered at the realization that I loved him, leaving me breathless, excited, and scared.

A small smile tugged at my lips. Did life give me a second chance at love after all?

22

Carter

O n my back with an arm folded under my head, I kept my gaze toward the ceiling of our suite. April snored lightly, her body sprawled over mine. Pink strands of hair tickled my nostrils every time I breathed in, but I stayed still, afraid to wake her up if I moved.

I pushed our flight back to Green Mountain for tomorrow morning and asked June to make a reservation for dinner in one of Manhattan’s best upper-class restaurants for tonight.

The waiting list was months long, but when your name was Carter Hills, you could get in about anywhere without having to wait for it. I rarely used my name to get somewhere. But this time was different. I was in New York City with a woman I could imagine a future with.

Last night, we left the fundraiser around midnight. Taylor drove us around the city for the next hour, giving us time to swim in the city’s energy. We were rolling through Times Square, and my chest almost exploded when April told me she’d extend her stay in Green Mountain for two additional weeks.

“I’m not ready to go home, but I’m afraid the longer I stay in Green Mountain, the harder it will be for me to walk away afterward. Carter, I’m not looking to get my heart broken, and I hate the idea of our relationship having an expiration date.” Something dark passed in her eyes. Hurt? Sadness? Fear? I couldn’t tell.

My thumb brushed her cheek. “There’s no expiration date, April. Stay forever if you want to. I told you, I don’t want us to be a fling. I want us to be together, for real. To call you my girl, to hold your hand and kiss you whenever and wherever I feel like it. I want to have you in my bed every night and hold you in my arms until the morning. And I want to come home to you at the end of each day. Let’s see where this thing between us goes.” I inhaled until my lungs twitched. “I want us to give it a real chance. Believe me. I never thought I’d say these words to someone someday. You’re the first one, April.”

My lips found hers, and I stole all the air out of her lungs. I sighed, knowing I had fourteen more days to get April used to my world. It was much more than gossip and a crazy ex-girlfriend. It had a lot of perks too. April needed to realize that.

Exhausted, we slipped under the covers and cuddled until we both fell asleep, as I relished the feeling of April’s heartbeat against mine.

Fairy writhed in my arms and popped open her eyes, one at a time. Her tousled hair looked like a bird’s nest on the side of her head, and she had mascara stains under her eyes. My lips curved up and peppered kisses on hers. “Good morning,” I whispered against her mouth. My body reacted at her closeness.

“Shower sex?” she asked as a loud moan resonated through the bedroom. I nodded, lifted her in my arms, and rushed to the bathroom. After a quick breakfast, we bundled up and strolled in Central Park, enjoying the crisp air and the anonymity wearing winter clothes gave us. Nothing like a puffed jacket, a beanie, and a scarf to mix with the masses without being pointed at.

“Want to play tourist for the rest of the day?”

“What do you have in mind?” I asked.

“Normal stuff tourists do. Buy something in Chinatown, cross the Brooklyn Bridge, and eat a giant pretzel. Get hot chocolate in a coffee shop, and take a picture at the top of the Empire State Building. That sort of thing.”

April’s wide grin was contagious.

“Anything else?”

“Ride the subway. We already did the Times Square thing last night.”

“Let’s go then.”

We boarded a taxi down to Greenwich Village and ambled through Washington Square Park. A little girl, about Jack’s age, ran after the pigeons, and it caught my eye.

April’s voice brought my attention back to her. “I’m sorry about the Bensons last night. I would’ve told you about them if I’d known beforehand which fundraiser we were attending.”

My palm skimmed the skin of her cheek and halted there.

“You don’t have to explain anything if you don’t want to. I trust you.” I leaned forward to kiss her but stopped. “I just hope they were good to you.”

April’s head bowed. “It’s a long story. The story didn’t end well. I’ll tell you some other time. It’s too emotional.” Her lips quivered, and her breathing picked up. “But trust me, you’ve got nothing to worry about.”