“What about the rings?”
“What about them?” she asked.
“You loved those other rings.”
She didn’t refute his statement and Mike wondered. If he kept pushing, would she realize that she and his brother were mismatched opposites? Would she call things off before two people got hurt? Did he want her to?
Hell, he didn’t need that responsibility. He could walk her through this now, but he wouldn’t be there for her in the long run. His lifestyle wasn’t suited to the white picket fence and security she so obviously sought.
If he pushed, he could end up hurting her as badly as his brother could. Helluva pair he and Pete made. He shook his head. “You really love him, don’t you?” Mike asked.
“Who?”
He stared. “Peter. Who else?” He held his breath waiting for her answer. An answer that shouldn’t matter to him, but dammit, it did.
“Oh. Yes. Of course.” She answered without meeting his gaze, a sure indication that his gut instincts were on target.
Since those same instincts had saved his behind many times, he hadn’t really been in doubt.
She turned her attention from the cloudless sky, fingering her bangs with trembling hands.
“You do that a lot.”
“What?” she asked.
“This.” With a slow but steady hand, he ran his fingers through her bangs. She swallowed, and his eyes were drawn to the slender column of her neck. In silence, she glanced up at him from beneath thick lashes before lowering her eyes. He had no doubt she hoped to hide the feelings he’d seen reflected there. She’d been unsuccessful.
He tried to speak but words wouldn’t come. Instead, as the silky strands of hair grazed his hands, he ached with the intensity of his feelings for this woman he’d known such a short time.
He trailed one finger down the side of her face until his hand rested beneath her chin. He tilted her head upward. Acting on impulse and not common sense, he lowered his head until his lips brushed hers. Whisper soft and brief, but that light touch stirred his body to life.
She sucked in a deep breath but didn’t attempt to break the tenuous connection between them. Mike did, drawing himself back with extreme difficulty.
Looking at her flushed face and full lips, he knew, without a doubt, she had never felt this way about his brother. Not in the past, not now and especially not in the future. He was certain, not because of conceit or arrogance, but because he’d never experienced anything like the magic of being with Carly. Something that powerful could not be one-sided.
He pushed aside the guilt that continued to plague him at the thought of Peter. His brother didn’t care about this woman, not the way an engaged man ought to care about his fiancée.
And Mike couldn’t offer her much better. But that didn’t mean he could remain silent much longer. He cared about her too much to watch her throw her life away. “We need to talk,” he said.
Her lower lip trembled and she shook her head.
“It can’t wait, Carly. You’ve been so busy planning that you haven’t dealt with... things. I don’t want to see you or Peter hurt.”
She turned wet, shadowed eyes toward him. “I would never hurt your brother.”
At that moment the mechanism on the Ferris wheel kicked into gear and they began their descent. “Damn,” he muttered. “That wasn’t what I meant. You and I...”
“Forget it.” Eyes wide, she spoke with something akin to fear in her voice.
“No. We’re getting off this ride and sitting down someplace to talk.”
She backed into the corner of the small car. “No. We’re getting off this ride, collecting my animals and going home. We’ll listen to the radio and talk about comfortable things but nothing remotely personal.” Without looking in his direction, she scrambled to gather her prizes.
They reached the bottom. The ride’s operator waited for Mike to exit before extending his hand and helping Carly from the car. He patted Mike on the back. “Enough time for you and your lady to enjoy?” he asked with a chuckle.
“Not nearly,” he muttered. He had to sprint to keep up with Carly, who appeared to be running for her life.
* * *