Series: Fever Falls Series by Riley Hart
Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 92704 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92704 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
“Um…hey,” I finally replied to Rex before taking a drink of my mojito. I’d always eat the strawberries out of the bottom when I finished. It was a shocker that Carter had noticed.
I checked my phone again, but there was no reply from Cam.
“So…how long are you guys here for?” Rex asked, and Carter gave him that smile of his that was part sex, part confidence, but also held a dash of innocence that had to be there on purpose and couldn’t be for real. Carter and innocence didn’t go together.
“A week,” Carter replied. “We’re meeting our friends here tomorrow. Sawyer came today, and I pushed my way into coming early with him.”
Rex grinned. “I hardly think that’s the situation.”
“Oh, no. I assure you, it is,” Carter told him just as I said, “I don’t mind that you’re here with me.” I mean, I shouldn’t mind. I was trying not to mind. Truthfully, I knew I had to get over minding, but Carter just made all my red flags fly. He reminded me too much of Julian.
“Aww, I think that might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me!” Carter teased.
“I’m sensing some heavy sexual tension going on here.” Rex chuckled.
“Right?” Carter replied just as I said, “No.”
“Stop talking at the same time as me,” he added.
“You’re talking at the same time as me,” I replied.
“Nope. I don’t think so.”
“Well, I do,” I said and then shook my head. “I’m not arguing with you anymore.”
“No, but you’re smiling, so yay, I win!”
Rex barked out a loud laugh, and Carter grinned as he gave me this cocky little wave, and goddamn it, why did he have to have that electric personality? The one people gravitated toward and seemed to thrive off. That sure as hell wasn’t me, and I’d sworn I’d never get lost in someone like that again.
So I ignored him and finished my mojito, then ate the strawberry at the bottom. “I’ll have another…and a martini for Carter.” He made me crazy, but I knew it was mostly my fault. That I wasn’t fair to him. I didn’t have to want to sleep with him—which I didn’t and never would—but I didn’t have to be an asshole to him. That wasn’t always easy, but I was trying.
As if he could tell, Carter reached over and squeezed my arm in support, and then he and Rex kept chatting and flirting.
Tomorrow morning, Cam and the rest of the Saturgay crew would be there. I could make it until then. After that, I’d have a buffer between me and Carter, which was exactly what I needed.
“Holy shit,” I said when we walked through the door of our chalet. When they’d said upgrade, they didn’t just mean in size. We walked into a large living room with two tan-colored couches and two matching chairs, the lighter color standing out against all the logs and dark wood.
It was open concept, with a large kitchen to one side that looked both modern and rustic. There was a large farm-style table off to the left and a bar toward the center, with high-back, dark-wood stools. Along the back of the kitchen, it was all windows and a glass door. Right off the large porch, all you could see was snow and trees for miles. It was like we were in our own world here, and my spine went straight at the thought.
“It’s beautiful,” Carter said, then waggled his eyebrows at me like a kid. “And we get to pick our rooms first!”
I couldn’t help but laugh at his enthusiasm over something so small. He reminded me of Linc that way, but where it was endearing with my friend, I let it needle me with Carter.
“Or, I get to choose first.” I dropped my bag and ran for the stairs. I had no fucking clue what I was doing. Maybe I would be silly with Cam or Rush or one of my other friends, but not with Carter. I blamed it on the mojitos, but I’d only had two and then spent the next couple of hours watching Carter make his way around the room, becoming friends with everyone, while coming back to me every few minutes or so. I’d appreciated the effort, had even told him he could stay while I went to the chalet, but he came with me.
“I can’t believe it! Sawyer Burke is a cheater!” he called after me, right on my tail.
I turned right down the hallway, heading toward the back of the house, knowing I would want one of those rooms, as they would look out back. I made my way into the first room, which was perfect—queen bed, large picture window with a gorgeous view of the scenery.
Done.
“Oh, look, a big enough bed for both of us!” Carter fell onto my bed.