“Somewhat? What more do I need to do?”
“Groveling always works.”
I’ll remember that. I can grovel.
“Also—I was talking to Eleanor because I wanted to see if she’d tell you. I wasn’t sure what exactly your friends know about us,” I say, keeping my voice soft.
“Oh really?” She arches a brow, that tiny smile growing.
“Your friends know? About us? That night?”
The smile fades and she exhales loudly. “Yes.”
“But my sister doesn’t?”
Stella shakes her head. “She can’t know.”
“I feel the same way.” Slowly I reach for her and take her hand, drawing my thumb across her skin, beneath the lace sleeve of her shirt, and I feel the tiniest shiver. Just like that, she reacts to me.
Why are we not fucking again?
“Let’s get out of here,” I tell her.
She laughs. “Don’t use that bedroom voice on me, Carter.”
“I have a bedroom voice?”
“Yes.” She nods. “Most definitely.”
“Then let’s get out of here and I’ll use it some more. In your bedroom.” I release my hold on her, looking over my shoulder to make sure no one’s approaching. I want to make a quick getaway. “Come on, I want to see your inner sanctuary.”
“My inner sanctuary? Trust me, it’s not that special.”
“You always keep that door shut. I’ve never even caught a glimpse inside. I want to check out your bedroom.”
“You have seen it.” She pauses. “Remember?”
Oh yeah.
Truthfully? That night is a hazy memory. Of drunken laughter and hot kisses and clothes flying. I remember how at one point, Stella draped her naked body across mine, how warm her skin was. The needy little sounds she made when she came. The way she tasted.
“I don’t remember much,” I admit. “I need a refresher.”
Stella stands, laughing some more. “You’re incorrigible.”
“That’s my best trait.” I glance up at her, smiling. “You ready?”
“No. Not yet. You can wait, Carter.”
She walks away, leaving me half-hard and stunned. Normally I can convince a woman to leave with me in less than two minutes.
Not this one. She’s a challenge.
One I’m determined to accept.
Fifteen
Stella
Carter is very determined when he wants something—it must be an Abbott trait, since Caroline is exactly the same.
I should’ve realized this, at the very least remembering how he pursued me the last time we were at Tuscany together, with all those smoldering glances he sent in my direction.
After I walked away from our very interesting conversation, he followed me. I’d stop and talk with my friends, he’d stop too. Interrupting our conversation with some charming remark and making them all laugh. Poor Eleanor ended up getting an Uber and making her escape early. I can’t blame her. I bet she’s pissed at me for asking her to flirt with Carter.
She’ll get over it, though, once she starts collecting her two weeks’ worth of lattes from me.
When he interrupts a conversation Caroline is a part of, she sends her big brother on his way, which is a relief.
“How are you two doing, living together?” Caroline asks once Carter leaves our group, her expression serious. “Are you getting along?”
“We’re fine. We barely see each other.” Which is true.
“When we were growing up, he was a complete slob. His room was disgusting.” Caroline makes a face. “I hope he still isn’t like that.”
“You already warned me about that,” I remind her. “Besides, he’s a grown man, Caroline, not a gross teenager. From what I can tell, he’s neat and tidy.”
Sarah bursts out laughing. “You sound like an old woman, Stella. Neat and tidy?” Her laughter grows and Kelsey joins in, the jerks. “Glad to hear he’s such a gosh darn swell roommate.”
I glare at the both of them, wondering what the hell is so funny. Though I’m pretty sure I know what they’re thinking. How Carter and I have done the deed, yet his sister doesn’t have a clue. Anything I say about Carter to Caroline right now is probably like a big joke to them. “Shut up.”
“I don’t think I could ever describe my brother as neat and tidy,” Caroline says, her nose wrinkling.
“You haven’t lived with him in a long time,” I point out. “People change.”
“I saw that you two came together tonight,” Kelsey says with raised eyebrows. She works at Wilder Hotel Corp—she used to be Alex’s assistant, but he recently promoted her, and now she helps coordinate events. Caroline pulled her into our friend group at first, and we all love her.
Most of the time.
Right now I’m not too sure.
“He was ready to leave. I was ready to leave.” I shrug. “We both walked over here together.”
“It must be nice, living so close,” Kelsey says with a sigh. “You’re within walking distance of everything here downtown.”
“The only problem is downtown Carmel lacks a reasonably priced grocery store. And gas station.” Everything is so pricey in this area, and while I don’t have a problem with spending money, sometimes I wish a supermarket was closer. Downtown is a complete tourist trap, but it’s also a place where people work and live. Locals need cheap stuff too, whether it’s a gallon of milk or a gallon of gas.
Of course, I live in an extremely wealthy part of the peninsula. So I guess cheap gas and groceries isn’t high on my neighbors’ priority lists.
“True.” Caroline presses her lips together for a moment, glancing around at all of us before her gaze settles on me. “Can I talk to you for a moment, Stella? In private?”
Making agreeable murmurs, our friends leave, giving us privacy, and I can’t help the nerves from forming. Why does she want to talk to me?
Is it about Carter?
“It’s about Carter,” she starts.
Oh no.
My heart sinks into my stomach and I open my mouth, ready to confess all.
“I’m worried about him,” Caroline continues.
I snap my mouth shut. No confession needed after all.
“Why are you worried?” I ask.
“After being so driven for the last ten years, working all the time and making oodles of money, now he’s returned home and I don’t think he’s even started looking for a job yet.” Caroline steps closer, lowering her voice. “I think he’s depressed.”
“Depressed?” I wouldn’t consider Carter depressed. He doesn’t act like he’s down around me. “Maybe he’s just tired?”
“Trust me, this isn’t normal behavior for him. He’s always been a go-getter, an overachiever. I swear, he was addicted to his job. He never made time to talk to me or our mother, or come see us. Alex pulled him out of his all-work-and-no-sleep haze, and somehow we convinced him to move back. Now that he’s here, he just seems…listless. He needs a job,” Caroline says firmly. “Alex even said he could find him something at Wilder if Carter was interested. Do you think he’d be interested?”