“Carly!” My bark stopped her ranting, albeit it came out harder than I had anticipated.
“This wasn’t planned. But here’s the situation.” I gave Carly the condensed version, but even that was still riddled with my mother’s expectations and how in a moment of frustration, I had said something that I never thought I’d have to prove.
“And so…here I am…”
The more I explained, the more she relaxed and soon began to laugh. “No no, let me, Matt. Here you are on the way to your house, unsure about how you’re going to tell her that you’re a fucking liar – which, by the way, really doesn’t look good on someone who is supposed to be upholding the law. And now you think that you can just take advantage and get me to play the role? I hate this town. I’m here for 48 hours max, to get my family off my back. I have enough shit with them, I don’t need your family drama on top of it. Plus! Again, I repeat, we haven’t seen each other in ten years! We are strangers. It would never work.”
I stepped closer, shrinking the space between us. It was just enough to hear her shaky inhale and it ruffled her feathers even more, sending a shiver of excitement down my spine. “Wouldn’t it, sweetheart? Don’t you remember what it was like to be my girl?”
“Again, Matt…” She said, pushing her hands into my chest, trying to create space between us. “I’m not the sweet little virgin who once idolized you. Besides, I have to get home and get back to work.”
Her hands on my body sent my control into a tail spin. “Work? I saw your shit ass car, and you clearly said that those paintings of yours don’t make the money you need yet. Carly, you’re broke as shit and you need the money. I’ll bet you are way behind in your rent and you ran here to get away from a disgruntled New York landlord!” Frustration bordering on full-blown anger clouded my vision.
But when tears began to fill her eyes, I knew I’d gone too far. Something about this girl rattled me the way no one else did. I relaxed my fists that had unconsciously clenched up so tight they were aching.
I had to backtrack. “I apologize, you didn’t deserve that. I’m sure you’re a fantastic artist, but even you said yourself that artists have it rough.”
She nodded, wiping a lone tear from her eye.
“Listen, I’ll pay for your car repairs if you come to dinner. One night. That’s all I’m asking.”
I could see the hesitation in her eyes. Yet, when I had mentioned the car repairs, a flicker of possibility flew across those beautiful brown eyes.
“No need to answer me now, though. Why don’t you sleep on it? I’m only supposed to arrive home tomorrow around dinner time. There’d be enough time to get your car towed and fixed up, have dinner with my family, one more night here at the inn, and then you can head out the next day.”
Liquid pooled in her eyes as she chewed her bottom lip. That plump, juicy lip that was begging to be between my teeth. FUCK.
“What about my family, though? They were expecting me tomorrow, too.” She asked thoughtfully.
Dammit, I hadn’t even thought of that. “Well, I hope they weren’t expecting you tonight.”
“No…well, I didn’t really say, actually. I just agreed to be there by tomorrow at the latest. Christy planned Thanksgiving dinner for the family, and then everyone who is mentioned in the will and the executor and all that are supposed to talk after. Or something like that, I’m not sure. I didn’t really pay attention when she told me the details.” She added.
“Okay, we can figure it out. I’m good at logistics.”
“Mmmkay…” Carly’s voice trailed off.
“So, it’s a yes?” I pushed again.
“I’ll think about it, Matt.”
Chapter 11
CARLY
Just when I thought this trip couldn’t get any stranger, it did. Now here I was, faced with not one, but two impossible choices.
I needed my car fixed and Matt was right, I was too broke to do it. But without my car, I’d be stuck in Maple Cove even longer. And two…I was insanely attracted to my ex-boyfriend who was the complete opposite of everything I needed right now. He was mysterious, angry, had a past that made things complicated and worst of all, he was insanely attractive. He seemed to have a constant cloud around him that made my senses go into overdrive. Not to mention he was locked in to this life, to Maple Cove. But when he got angry? Shit. I was willing to forget it all. The timbre and cadence of his voice made my panties wet. I had to be careful and keep my wits about me if I wanted to avoid getting hurt again. Matt Harris was a fun one-nighter. What he wasn’t was a relationship.
And…to top it all off, I hated family reunions and he wanted me to be his fake fiancée for a night. In our small town where gossip was the only fuel that mattered.
This was fucking insane.
I could feel his eyes staring through the thin cotton of the shirt, his shirt, as I walked to the bathroom for the second time that night. Turning my head ever so slightly back behind me, I smiled. Not sure why, but I did.
Alone in the bathroom, I thought about it. I brushed my teeth and released my hair from its tight up-do. It was still wet and the droplets would make the shirt see through in no time. I needed to get back to the safety of the bed.
Maybe I’d take him up on it. If I did, it was just to get my car fixed. After all, I was positive it was at least a $1000 job. This was an impossible choice. Fix my car myself and not be able to pay my rent next month, or take up Matthew Harris on his ridiculous offer and be able to leave Maple Cove ASAP.
New York was my home and my art was my life. I knew what I needed to do. Not that I would tell him that now, though. Nah. I was going to let him sweat it out. Make him wait. Kind of the way I waited for him to pick me up for prom. I knew it was petty of me. Especially after he’d told me the story of what had happened with his mom. But I still couldn’t get past the fact that he hadn’t even called. Hadn’t even reached out to Chad. Chad and Matt had been friends back then. In fact, if he caught wind of tonight’s shenanigans, he’d likely kick my ass all the way back to New York himself.
If I was going to do this, it was going to be on my terms, and I had to make sure that no one, especially my family, found out about it. Not an easy feat in a town of five thousand chatty people.
Once my decision was made, I walked back out with confidence. My head held high, Carly Roberts didn’t wait for anyone anymore. As I slid back into bed and turned out the light, I looked at him sitting on the couch, papers all around him, looking every bit the big city lawyer type.
“Good night, Matt. I’ll let you know my decision in the morning, but don’t count on it.” I quipped.