“Look,” I say. “You and I don’t know each other at all, but if there’s something good to come out of this, it’s that I have a brother who I think I might like.”
He rolls his eyes. “You’re a fucking sweet talker. I’m blushing.”
“For fuck’s sake. That came out all wrong. I need you, man. I need you on my side out there. I’d do the same for you. I swear it.”
He cocks his head and studies me. “Yeah, I think you would. Get some damned clothes on and meet me in the living room. You’re right. I’m not missing this showdown for anything.”
“Ha. Funny.” I push him out of the room and hastily dress in a clean shirt. I slide my leather slippers onto my feet. Then I kick them off and put on socks and my jogging shoes. Slippers mean I just got up. They mean I was in bed. Jogging shoes mean—
Oh, fuck. Like it matters.
Carly emerges from the bathroom, her silky hair pulled back in a high ponytail. Yeah, one look at her and it won’t matter. She looks freshly fucked no matter how much effort she puts in.
“I borrowed your comb. I hope you don’t mind.”
I frown. “Why would I mind?”
“My mom hates when I borrow hers. She says I get my long hair stuck in it.”
“Well, I don’t care.” I draw in a deep breath. “You don’t have to go out there.”
“Yeah,” she says. “I do.”
“You sure, baby? Because I can take this for you. I’m happy to.”
“You don’t know my dad. If I don’t produce myself he’ll search this whole house.”
“Which is thirty shades of illegal,” I say. “Based on the interaction with your dad yesterday, I’d say he’s a man with respect for the law.”
“He is. But where I’m concerned, the line between law and chaos gets a little blurry.”
I cup her cheek. “God, you feel like silk.” I sigh. “I get it. He doesn’t want to lose you again.”
“No, he doesn’t. I understand that. But I need to stand on my own two feet, and he has to understand that.” She places her hand over mine and then slides it off her cheek. “However this ends up, I don’t regret last night, Austin. I’ll never regret last night.”
“Wait… What do you mean, however this ends up? I told you I’m all in, Carly. I meant it.”
“I know you did.” She gives a weak smile. “But you deserve better than a woman who’s broken.” She brushes past me and out the door.
What the fuck?
I grab her arm and yank her back into my bedroom. “Don’t you dare,” I say. “Don’t you dare tell me this is over. Not after you commandeered my bed last night. Not after—”
The whites of her eyes glisten, but no tears fall. “I’m still healing.”
“I know that, Carly. Damn!” I rub at my jawline, my heart doing backflips. “None of that matters to me. Only you. You matter. And maybe we haven’t known each other that long, but I already know you’re not the kind of woman who uses a guy for sex.”
“I didn’t used to be.”
“You still aren’t,” I practically snap. “You aren’t.”
Maybe if I say it enough, she’ll begin to believe it. Because I believe it. Carly is a beautiful woman, inside and out. A good soul. She wouldn’t have gone to bed with me just to practice.
And God help me if she did.
Because damn… Fucking God damn…
She whisks past me again, and this time I let her go.
I sure as hell am following her, though. We’re in this together, whether she likes it or not. One night wasn’t enough. Hell, I’m not sure if one lifetime will be.