Page 60 of A Forever Love
“Not enough, it seems, given that you’re blackmailing me every chance you get.”
I try to stifle my smile, but it’s a battle I’m destined to lose.
“Now, if you’re done hitting your daily quota for frustrating me, can I whip up something healthy for us?” Carter nods toward my apartment.
I hold up the bag, fluttering my lashes in a playful manner. “Can you work your magic with ramen, bread, and ice cream?”
“How on earth have you been surviving, Merida Catherine Adams?”
“Just fine.”
“I’m going to cook us something in my apartment,” Carter announces, gently tugging on my arm and guiding me toward his door. “You can work there.” With a turn of the key, he unlocks the door, and as I’m about to step inside, memories of the day of the shower incident flood my mind.
As if he can sense my hesitation, Carter places his hand against the small of my back. “Let me make a proper introduction. Dear Home, meet the most important person in my life. You can be an asshole to anyone else, but not to her. She’s my best friend and the best confidante a guy could ask for.”
My pulse flutters, recalling those very words Carter spoke when he first moved into his apartment on the Kings Security campus.
“You remembered,” I whisper.
“There’s not a single thing about you I’ve forgotten, mittens.” Before I can question my decision to leave St. Peppers four years ago, Carter smiles and shifts his focus toward the room. “She’s going to save my ass again, playing my pretend girlfriend this weekend. I’m going to drown under the weight of her favors.”
Once more, my heart reaffirms its love for Carter, reminding me why it beats for him. He shows care in a way no one ever has, cherishing our silly moments and every small gesture. Before the overly sentimental Merida completely takes control, I wear a broad smile as we step inside. “Absolutely, King. You better not forget any of my favors.”
“I’m certain you won’t let me forget a thing.”
“You bet.” I glance around his living room, noticing it has the same layout as mine but is furnished in sleek black, in contrast to the cozy wooden furnishings in my place. “This looks different.”
“I asked my interior designer to update the décor. She knows what I like.”
Something about that sentence irks me. “I didn’t realize you had personal staff.” The grocery bag slips from my hand and onto the table with a loud thud.
But thankfully, Carter doesn’t seem to notice as he grabs two water bottles from the fridge before handing one to me. “It’s not my personal staff. She’s on Kings Security’s dime. We went back and forth before she understood my taste when she did the interior of my apartment in St. Peppers. I have no desire in butting heads with someone new.”
I’m not sure if it’s his response or the nonchalant way he delivers it, but my mood turns up. “Quite the demanding type, aren’t you?” But my lighthearted remark triggers an unexpected response.
“You’ve got no idea.” Carter’s gaze locks onto mine from above his bottle, his expression unusually serious beneath the warm glow of the wooden pendant light.
A flutter dances in my belly, and a warm sensation blooms in my chest, heading south. However, Carter quashes the emotion with a smile, extinguishing any potential spark between us. “Get to work, Mere, and I’ll see what I can fix for us.”
I require a few calming moments after Carter goes to the kitchen. However, as soon as I open my laptop and review my notes, I effortlessly slip into a state of flow within seconds. I work the algorithm longhand before fixing the code. I’m so engrossed in my work that I fail to notice when Carter places a glass of red wine on the table beside me. I glance up at him, my focus only half-present, and he grins.
“I’m pleased to see that some things haven’t changed about you, mittens.”
That gets my attention. “What do you mean?”
“You still give your all to whatever you’re immersed in at any given moment. Do you realize how rare that is?”
I reach for the wineglass and have a sip. “Don’t you ever think it makes me seem a bit self-centered or selfish?”
“You hold the same sentiment when you’re doing things for others, so how could it be selfish? Besides, Merida, you weren’t born with a selfish bone in your body.”
“You are good for my ego, Carter King.”
“Then promise me you won’t disappear for four years again. But even if you do, I won’t listen to anyone this time and I’ll take the first flight to wherever you’ve gone.”
“You wanted to come see me?” The shock in my voice can’t be tamed.
“Did you honestly believe you could vanish without a goodbye, ignore all my calls and texts, and I wouldn’t try to figure out why?” His dark brows furrow, and he looks at me as if baffled by my stupid question.