Chasing Carly (Holiday Cove 3)

“You’ll see me sooner. I had some pretty serious caffeine withdrawal this morning since a certain someone wouldn’t hook me up,” I teased.

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide her smile. “Drama, drama.”

I turned to walk toward the door and stopped short. “Let me take you home. I don’t want you here alone.”

“I drove here this morning. My car’s outside.”

“Then let me walk you to your car. I don’t want anything happening to you.”

“Oh my gosh, Nick. I’ll be fine.” She smiled and lowered her face. “Really. I’ll be fine.”

“I’d feel better if you let me walk you out,” I protested.

“Okay, I give, but I have to lock up first.”

“What can I do to help?” I offered, walking back toward the counter where she was standing by the register. “Take out the trash? Clean something up? I’m all yours.” Her eyes lit up and a wicked grin crossed her lips.

Damn.

“All mine? We’ll see,” she teased. “Let’s get you started with something nice and easy.” She pulled the trash from beside the sink to the middle of the space between the front counter and the back room. “There are extras in the bottom.”

“You got it.” I pulled the trash bags out of the can and tied a knot in the plastic. As I took it out the side door and around to the dumpsters, I wondered what she was thinking. If it was anything like the thoughts running around my head, we were in serious trouble.

We worked together to close the shop down and after she flicked off the last set of lights and set the security alarm, she turned to me. “Okay, Mr. Bodyguard. Let’s roll.”

I chuckled and held open the door for her. She turned and locked it and then pointed at her car across the lot. I walked her over, fighting the urge to reach for her, and after she hit the button to unlock the doors, I pulled open the driver-side door for her.

She hesitated at the door. “Thanks, Nick.”

“Anytime.” I reached for her and set my hand on her waist. Before she could say a word, I leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. I wanted to linger and deepen the kiss, but I held myself back and pulled away after a heartbeat. “Goodnight,” she whispered.

“Night, Carly.”

She slid into her car and I closed the door softly. She started up the engine and offered a small wave before throwing it into reverse and maneuvering her way out of the small lot. Once she pulled out onto the main road, I crossed to my truck, jumped inside, and wore a shit-eating grin all the way home.

14

Carly

* * *

My thoughts stayed locked on Nick and the little kiss on the way home, but as I turned onto my street, they shifted to Alesha.

She’d come in for a few hours to help combat the lunch rush but had been in an obvious hurry to get out around three. When I pulled into the driveway, I braced myself for the fight that likely lay in waiting on the other side of my front door. I didn’t want to keep arguing with her, it was like beating my head on a brick wall, painful and repetitive, but I was still filled with anger over the lies she’d told about Nick. Lies that were not only hurtful—but had far more serious implications than just silly teenage drama.

“Alesha?” I bellowed, not two steps inside. I dropped my messenger style bag on the entryway table and deposited my keyring in the decorative bowl shaped like a giant seashell. The clang of the keys echoed through the too-quiet house.

Where the hell was she?

“Alesha! Get downstairs!” I stormed into the kitchen and started up the stairs, before I heard the sound of her door shutting. She appeared at the top of the stairs, bedraggled, like she’d been napping away the entire afternoon and evening.

Which, I supposed was better than partying, but it still pissed me off.

Alesha looked me up and down. “What the hell? Is the house on fire?”

I finished the climb and positioned myself against the railing, squared off against her. “You lied to me. About Nick.”

A smirk crossed her face. It took every ounce of self-control not to slap it right off her face.

“Alesha,” I growled.

She snapped to attention at the harsh sound of my voice. “What? I was just messing with you. It’s not a big deal.”

“It’s not a big deal? Alesha, what the hell is the matter with you? Do you just have no concept of right and wrong? No conscious? Not only is it a big fuckin’ deal, but what you accused Nick of is illegal! What if I’d gone to the cops?”

“For what?” She wrinkled her brow as though I’d suddenly launched into a complicated math equation. “I never said he forced me. God, Carly. Why are you blowing this up?”