“Sure.”
My shoulders slump, and suddenly I wish Dad was here so I could hide behind him.
“Walk with me to the kitchen, Evie,” Carter says. “I need to get the burgers and steaks.”
I swallow hard as I follow him, wondering how on earth Danny is such happy child when her dad is so scary.
By the time we reach the kitchen I’m seriously thinking about making a run for the front door.
“It’s none of my business,” Carter says as he pins me with a daunting look, “and you know that Rhett is very important to all of us.”
I start to swallow repeatedly as my heart sinks into the shiny tiles at my feet. This is where Carter tells me I’m not good enough, that Rhett deserves more than what I can offer him.
“And I’m certain I’m speaking for everyone here, when I say,” his mouth starts to pull into a smile, which confuses me, “thank you for giving Rhett’s stubborn ass a second chance.”
“Huh?” The word bursts from me, as I stare at Carter.
“For a while there, I was really concerned about Rhett. Now that he has you, I know he has found his happiness. I’m glad it’s you.”
I still look like a gaping fish when he picks up a bowl of meat, places his hand on my shoulder and gives it a light squeeze, before leaving me alone in the kitchen.
I let out the breath I was holding.
I didn’t expect that.
Wow.
It’s a relief to know Carter doesn’t hate me.
Arms wrap around me from behind, and I know who it is without having to look.
“Are you okay?” Rhett whispers against my cheek.
I nod as I slowly turn around in his arms.
“Good, for a second there I thought you were going to climb over the counter so you could crawl away from Carter.”
I slap his chest playfully. “It was one time! You’re never going to let me forget, are you?”
Rhett shakes his head as his hands drop to my butt, and lifting my body against his, he walks us into a study. Using a foot, he nudges the door closed, then presses me up against the wall.
My stomach is alive with the buzzing of bees and fluttering of butterflies as he stares deep into my eyes.
“I knew I was done for when I saw you crawling toward the stairs,” he whispers.
“Why?” I breathe the word, not wanting to ruin the moment between us.
“Let’s just say the view was spectacular,” he teases.
He starts to lower his head, and my eyes drop to his mouth.
An inch away, he stops, and whispers, “I’m going to kiss you, Evie.”
My eyes dart to his before dropping back to his lips. As I lift my chin to nod, his mouth crashes against mine.
My hands move from his shoulders, wrapping around the back of his neck as his fingers dig into my butt, and he lifts me higher so that I can wrap my legs around his waist.
When his tongue teases the seam of my mouth, I moan softly, opening for him. Feeling his tongue brush against mine, and tasting Rhett, sets off tiny explosions of pleasure all over my body.