Carter (Bourbon & Blood Book 3) Read Online Free Page B

boy—no, he was not a boy. He was a man. He was definitely all man. And a master of the art of the double entendre. If she even questioned him about anything he’d said, he’d lay the blame squarely at her door and call her a pervert. It was infuriating and frustrating and… fun.
    He’d given her the one thing she’d been missing in her life. Not the only thing. The unhelpful voice at the back of her mind reminded her of their last conversation and the offer that was still on the table. It’d expire eventually. He wouldn’t wait forever for her to decide and she couldn’t for the life of her figure out why she was being such a coward about it.
    Because once he has you, he won’t want you anymore. Again with the unhelpful voice. Well, it was helpful, but way more truthful than she wanted to admit. That very idea terrified her. She didn’t want to be just one of Carter’s women. She wanted to be different and special, and it terrified her. Because Carter Hayes, while he was a good time and not just in the phone number on a bathroom wall kind of way, was also special. He was funny and far smarter than anyone, including him, gave him credit for. And while she’d always thought he was good looking, she had entered full blown crush territory and was watching her phone like an idiot teenager.
    A glance at the clock confirmed that it was almost time to leave for the day. Her shift at the library ended at five and since she’d woken up in his bed not a day had gone by that he hadn’t at least said hello to her. “Well, it’s not like we’re dating,” she said aloud, her voice barely more than a whisper. “He’s Carter Hayes. He doesn’t do relationships, anyway. It’s just harmless flirtation that’s not intended to go anywhere.”
    “Shhhh!”
    The admonishment had come from the head librarian, Doris Byers, who was glaring at her from the opposite stack as they re-shelved returned books. Josie ducked her head and returned to the task at hand. She was already on Doris’ bad side. The woman hadn’t wanted to hire her to begin with, since she’d been eyeing the assistant librarian position for her own niece who barely knew the alphabet. The city council had intervened though, and the not so subtle hostility that had resulted was damn near impossible to live with.
    Josie picked up the last book and a piece of paper fluttered to the floor. Bending over, she picked it up and immediately smiled. The surprisingly artistic rendering of a single high heeled shoe was accompanied by the words, ‘Have you missed me?’
    It had to be Carter. Sparing a glance for Doris who was staring disapprovingly at a couple of teenagers ensconced in one of the reading nooks, Josie pulled out her phone and tapped the text message on the touchscreen.
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    J osie : Did you find my shoe?
    Carter: Come over and find out. You can park out back and no one will see you.
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    J osie considered her options . She really wanted that shoe back. She’d been holding on to the other one in the desperate hope that its mate would be found. And seeing Carter, alone, in his apartment, with no prying eyes… that had an appeal all of its own. The decision to go to that seedy ass bar in Cincinnati with a guy she honestly didn’t even like had come about because she wanted to have fun, because she wanted to do something wild and totally unexpected. What could be more unexpected than Carter Hayes?
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    J osie : I’ll be there at six. You better have my shoe… and my panties.
    Carter: I have no idea what you’re talking about it. You should be more careful where you leave your lacy Victoria’s Secret panties.
    Josie: I never said they were Victoria’s Secret. Liar.
    Carter: It’s just an assumption. You look like a Vickie kind of girl. Sexy, but still totally respectable. More satin with a hint of lace than black leather and fishnet.
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    S he didn’t want to be respectable and she sure as hell didn’t want him to think about her that way.