“You cheated.”
He shrugged. “Not really. I just used the information at my disposal to help you out. The bottom line is we made Ally happy.”
She jabbed a finger at him. “You made me think I was beginning to lose my mojo! I should’ve known you couldn’t be this good. For God’s sake, you’re a guy!”
“A smart guy. But I’m glad you know everything now. We can move on with a clean slate.”
Her laugh made him nervous. It wasn’t really filled with genuine humor. “Oh, we’ll be moving on, all right. This little partnership is officially dissolved. We’re done. Everything’s been picked and confirmed, so there’s no need to see each other until the bachelorette party.”
His gut lurched. “I need to meet the photographer this week,” he reminded her.
“No need. We booked Pierce Powers because he’s the best and was willing to pull a twenty-four-hour shift just to squeeze Ally in. I don’t need you grilling him or whipping out some crazy ideas for the wedding. I’ll take care of it.”
“I thought you were going to help me with AC?”
She smiled so sweetly, he wondered if she’d get a cavity. “No. You wanted that job all for yourself, remember, ManOH?”
“What about the DJ? That’s too important to skip.”
“Already sent Ally a few CDs so she can make her choice.”
“My tuxedo?”
“I’ll be happy to make an appointment and send over Gabe. He’s my expert liaison for groomsmen.”
He was running out of excuses. Time to throw her off-balance. “Fine, I won’t bother you about any further wedding activities.”
Surprise flickered in her hazel eyes. “Really?”
“Really.” Her shoulders relaxed, and she took a sip of lemonade. “I want you to go on a date with me.”
She choked and spluttered, grabbing a napkin and pressing it to her lips. “What?”
“A date. I think we should date. I think that kiss proved we have a connection, and we owe it to ourselves to explore it this summer.”
“You are unbelievable. Do you just always state your feelings for the record?”
He blinked. “Sure, isn’t that what women want? For a man to tell her what he wants or thinks or feels? That’s what magazines and television are always groaning about—that men don’t share or explain their needs and intentions.”
This time, a genuine smile curved her lips. He wished he could kiss her again now and ingest all that warmth. “I guess. But, Carter, we don’t even like each other.”
“I like you. Well, I didn’t like you before, but now I do.”
She groaned and rubbed her eyes. “We’re completely different. And I can’t date my best friend’s brother.”
“Why not? We’re all adults here. Ally won’t care.”
“It’ll be too confusing, especially while planning her wedding. Besides, I’m too busy to date anyone.”
“I understand your schedule, and I’m happy to work around it, whether it be a late-night cocktail or a simple lunch. All I know is that I enjoy being around you, and I felt something when we were on that beach together. Something I haven’t felt before. Wouldn’t it be nice to take advantage of the summer and my time here? Unless you didn’t feel anything with our kiss . . .”
Her breath skittered, and a flare of vulnerability shone in her eyes. Relief crashed into him. Thank God. She wasn’t going to lie, which made this a hell of a lot easier.
Her nails tapped against the table in a steady rhythm, as if considering how much to reveal. “The kiss was good,” she finally said.
He grunted. “‘Good’?”
Her eyes half closed. “Fine, great. The kiss was great. But you and me? I don’t know.”
His male ego stung, but he wasn’t about to waste time stewing. “Give me a chance. Hell, maybe we’ll spend more time together and I’ll agree with you. But I’d like a shot. We can start with me collecting on my bet.”
Uh-oh. The softness fled and was replaced by her hard, glittering gaze. “Excuse me?”
He barreled through. “Remember you lost the bet for the cake? You have to spend the day at the beach with me. Won’t that be a great beginning for us?”
Her lips tightened into a thin line. Carter realized he’d made a big mistake when she stood up, grabbed her purse, and glared. “Sure. Blackmailing me by citing a bet to spend time together is a great start. I’ve got back-to-back weddings this entire weekend, so Monday looks like the only option. Why don’t you text me when my punishment begins and how long I need to be there with you? I’m really looking forward to our first date.”
“Wait, Avery—”
“And how about a special secret tip straight from a woman’s lips?” She leaned in and practically snarled. “Sometimes not saying exactly what you feel is much smarter. Sometimes being a mystery can be a damn good thing.”
Lucy gave her another warning growl, not liking her tone.
Avery shot a glare at the dog, spun on her heel, and marched out.
Ah, shit. He’d done it again.
He’d been an asshole.
Chapter Twelve
Avery flung open the door to her sisters’ house and marched in. “I cannot believe what a jerk he is! I’m done. From now on, if he needs something, you have to handle it.” Huffing in frustration, she opened the refrigerator, grabbed a bottle of chardonnay, and poured herself a glass.
“Did you just come into my house without knocking again?” Taylor asked, grabbing back the bottle and refilling her own glass. She wore jeans with rips at the knee and a minuscule black halter top. Her pink hair was messy and gave her a bit of a rocker look. Paint dotted her clothes and smeared her hands. In her spare time, Avery’s sister practiced art and loved creating bold, intense paintings on canvas meant to challenge the onlooker. “What if I’d been getting laid?”
Avery froze. “Wait—are you in a relationship you haven’t told me about?”
She rolled her eyes. “News flash, babe. You don’t need to be in a relationship to sleep with someone. I don’t have your hang-ups.”
Avery shot her sister a look. “Fine, I’m sorry, I keep forgetting you demand privacy. Where’s Bella?”
“Probably putting Zoe down for bed. What’s got you all stressed out, oh mighty leader? Haven’t seen you this riled up since the best man puked all over the groom right before the Hoffman ceremony.”
The memory hit and still had the power to put her in a bad mood. “I’d put out a puke bucket because I knew he’d gotten drunk the night before, but he didn’t even use it!”
Taylor grinned. “It all worked out. Switch out a new shirt, a bit of seltzer on the pants and jacket, some Febreze, and he was good to go. Who’s the guy pissing you off now?”
“Carter Ross.” Avery slid her butt onto the trendy barstool Taylor liked, then wondered if she needed to squeeze in more time at the gym. Her rear seemed to have an overabundance of flesh compared to a week ago. Was it all those chocolate croissants? “He’s been torturing me this entire summer, making stupid bets about whose picks Ally would choose, and I’m done. Can you take care of him, please?”