An Agreement (Summer in New York Book 3) Read online

  He put his mouth on mine, sweeping his fingers through my hair. I shut my eyes and sighed, lost in the moment. It had been one thing for me to kiss him. But for him to kiss me back? I was on cloud nine.

  “There is nothing wrong with your kissing skills.” He kissed my jawline. “Trust me.”

  We looked at each other and I kissed him again. He pulled me into his lap and trailed kisses down my neck. It all felt so nice. Very nice. And I didn’t want it to end.

  I curled my arms around him and kissed his cheek. Then I hugged him so I could breathe. I never wanted to let him go. And one day, I wanted to do a whole lot more of this. When the time was right.

  “I should go.” He got off the couch and headed straight for the door.

  “Carter.” I leaned over the back of the couch. “Where are you going? Don’t leave.”

  “You seduced me.” He opened the door. “Congratulations.”

  I sat there dumbfounded when the door slammed behind him. No matter how I tried to learn my lesson this summer, one thing held true. When it came to men, I knew nothing.

  After he left, I made a real effort to cheer myself up. There was no reason to get sad over Carter. He’d already made it clear on many occasions that we could never be more than friends. But I was heartbroken just the same.

  I stored the leftover food in the fridge and cleaned the dishes. The whole time, I kept thinking about what a lost cause I’d gotten myself into. Despite my frustration, I wasn’t ready to quit yet.

  I didn’t want to give up on the chance that, one day, he might love me. Deep down, he had a soft spot for me. He had to. That’s the only reason we’d been spending so much time together. He could have been doing a million other things, dating other girls. But tonight, he’d been here with me.

  Even though he said I’d seduced him, it must have been blatant sarcasm. I was obviously terrible at it. Last time I checked, seduction didn’t usually lead to the man running out the door as fast as possible.

  Defeated, I lay down on the couch and turned the TV on. But the throw pillow smelled like his cologne. And then I saw Don Johnson on the TV screen as an episode of Miami Vice came on.

  That’s when I realized everything in my apartment already reminded me of Carter. And we’d never even been in a real relationship.

  I didn’t know what to do. At some point, I’d have to cut the cord. I’d have to move on.

  Because the only thing worse than losing Carter was never having anybody at all.

  ON MONDAY MORNING, I skipped the gym and went to work early. I wasn’t in the mood for exercise. And I hadn’t prepared myself for seeing Carter again. To be honest, I didn’t know what to say.

  I stayed in the back and worked on inventory. I’d already planned for the fall, but it couldn’t hurt to start prepping for winter. Clothes moved in and out with the seasons. But I’d always loved that about fashion. It was fleeting, never lasting. Always changing, evolving. Out with the old. In with the new.

  I heard the bell chime out front and groaned in frustration. I had catalogues and sketches scattered on the floor around me. It had been so nice to relish in the peace and quiet. When I was working, I didn’t like to be interrupted.

  The bell chimed again as I stood up. You’d think there was a fire.

  I walked through my office and into the store. It was six o’ clock in the morning. Michelle and Jen wouldn’t show up for a couple of hours. And it’d be two more before customers arrived.

  I stopped at the counter when I saw him. He stood on the other side of the glass and waved.

  Girding my loins, I adjusted my hair and then unlocked the front door to let him in.

  “Tea?” He held two plastic to-go cups from the coffee shop around the corner.

  I leaned against the door. “What are you doing here, Carter?”

  “I’d like to shop.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “At six o’ clock in the morning?”

  “Well, yeah,” he grinned. “Why not?”

  “You hate to shop.”

  His accent got thicker. “Who told you that?”

  “Beth.”

  He stared me down and handed the tea over.

  I took a sip and sighed, getting lost in those pretty blue eyes.

  “Do I have to beg?” he asked.

  I looked out at the city. “After last night, I’m surprised you even want to see me again.”

  He showed me a McDonald’s bag he’d been hiding behind his back. “Please accept my apology.”

  I looked at him and smiled. “Why can’t I ever say no to you?”

  He grinned and followed me inside, shutting the door behind him. “I’m actually looking for a tie.”

  “Oh.” I walked around the display tables. “Okay.”

  “It’s for my father.”

  I drank my tea and looked at my selection of ties. It was one of the few clothing items I sold in the men’s department. They were mostly professional, only a few tropical patterns in the mix.

  “For his birthday.” He stood on the other side of the table, watching me.

  I nodded, running my fingers over the smooth fabric. I’d always preferred solids to stripes, so I pulled a few ties he might be interested in. Blue. Black. Gray.

  “Do you think he’d like any of these?” I asked.

  He pursed his lips and looked at the black one. “This is very nice.”

  “It’s yours if you want it.”

  He picked it up and ran his thumb over the fabric. “How much?”

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  “No,” he said. “I’m not gonna let you do that.”

  “Carter, it’s no big deal.” I straightened up the ties on display.

  He opened his wallet and handed me his credit card.

  “I’ll ring it up.” I took the card on my way to the cash register. He followed me and leaned against the counter. It was quiet in the store. Not unusual for so early in the morning. But I felt different having him here. Especially with the giant elephant in the room. I had no idea what had happened last night.

  “Are you always the first one here?” he asked.

  “Yeah.” I looked at the computer. “I usually get here early and stay late.”

  He nodded, looking gorgeous as always. His scruff was a little thicker than normal, but I liked it. As I placed the tie in a box, all I could think about was that kiss we’d shared last night. I never should have been so forward. All I’d done was run him off. But here he was again. I couldn’t understand it.

  “Here you go.” I slid the box in a bag and handed it over. “I hope your father likes it.”

  “Yeah, me too.” He swallowed and met my eye, opening his mouth. But he didn’t say anything.

  “Did you just come here to buy a tie?” I asked.

  “Yeah.” He glanced at the bag. “Well... no.”

  I pressed out a small smile. If nothing else, he was my friend. And I’d have to cling to that with both hands. Because it might be all I’d ever get.

  “I have some work to do in the back, but I’ll see you around. Okay?”

  He just stood there, so I went into my office and sat down. I was marking up my calendar when he tapped on the door. I looked up and smiled, confused by his presence. It had been a few minutes.

  “I’m sorry about last night,” he blurted out. “Those were the best chicken ‘n’ dumplin’s I’ve ever tasted.”

  “It’s my uncle’s recipe.” I set my pen down. “And I’m sorry.” I rested my head in my hand. “I know you don’t want to be anything more than friends with me. But I was still hoping that maybe it could turn into something more.” I stood up and opened a filing cabinet. “And I know that’s stupid. But I like you so much, Carter. My feelings... they haven’t gone away.”

  He wiped his hand on his pants, breathing heavily.

  “I shouldn’t have kissed you last night.” I looked back at him. “I’m not very seductive.”

  He shook his head with a sigh.


  “But I trust you. So I was thinking you could teach me.” I grabbed a folder and shut the filing cabinet. “I realize now that it was a huge mistake. And I hope you’ll forgive me. Like I forgave you last night.”

  He looked at me with wide eyes.

  “Will you forgive me?”

  “Yes.”

  “If you’re worried my feelings are going to interfere with our friendship...” I leaned against my desk. “I mean, if you think it’s too weird...” I heard myself, the way I couldn’t stop talking. I should have taped my mouth shut a long time ago. But the words just wouldn’t end. “Ah, I suck at this.”

  “No you don’t.” He put his hand on my shoulder.

  “Thanks. That’s sweet but—”

  “Why didn’t you like the flowers?” he asked.

  “What?”

  “The roses I sent you.”

  I touched the back of my neck. “Oh, you mean last night. I loved them.”

  “No.” He took a step closer. “I don’t mean last night.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Roses.” He grabbed my shoulders. “Red ones. A dozen of them.”

  I searched his eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Last night was the first time you’ve ever given me flowers. Those are the only roses I’ve ever gotten from you.”

  He rubbed his face with his hands and paced the floor. “Oh, Bailey.”

  “What?” Something was wrong. “What is it?”

  “Bailey, Bailey, Bailey.” He scratched his jaw and looked like he was about to rip his hair out.

  “Carter, I don’t understand. What’s going on?”

  He slumped against the wall and took a breath.

  “Am I missing something here?”

  “You have no idea.”

  Chapter 9

  Carter

  She never got the flowers. I couldn’t believe it. The thought had never even crossed my mind.

  No wonder she never said anything. Last night had felt like a cruel, practical joke—her teasing me. But the truth is, she hadn’t been teasing me at all. She had meant everything she said. And felt it too.

  I felt awful for the way I’d treated her. Talking about money growing on trees. I’d been short with her. All because I’d thought she was dangling herself in front of me, showing me what I could never have.

  Now I realized how wrong I’d been.

  “Do you have any prospects?” I asked.

  “What?”

  “Online. Have you been talking to anyone? Going on dates?”

  “Oh.” Her face fell. “You probably won’t like this.”

  Wonderful. She’d met someone. That’s why she wanted to seduce me last night. Test out her skills on the practice guy, when her only real intention was to put the moves on somebody else.

  “Just tell me,” I murmured. “It’s okay. I won’t be mad.”

  “Well.” She looked away. “I deactivated my account.”

  “What?”

  “My online dating profile,” she said. “It’s gone.”

  “Why?” I wanted to hear her say it. I had to know why.

  “Well, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. And I just don’t think I’m ready.”

  I put my hands on my hips. “Ready for what?”

  “I’ve never been great at putting myself out there. And everything has been going wrong. I mean, look at what happened with Nick. And then Jared was great but he moved clear across the country.”

  “Yeah, but Bailey, come on. You’ve only been on a couple dates.”

  “I don’t want to do this anymore! Okay?” She startled herself, her chest heaving as she breathed. “I’ve spent all this time looking for love and where has it gotten me? I’m done wasting my time.”

  “It’s not a waste of time,” I said.

  “Really?” She turned around for a minute. “Because you’re out there searching for the love of your life, too?”

  After everything I’d led her to believe, I deserved that.

  “So what does this mean?”

  She walked past me to file documents away, and I caught a whiff of her perfume. It smelled sweet like apples. Her silky blonde locks cascaded down her back, all glossy and soft. I wanted to touch her.

  “It means I’m throwing myself back into my business, which is what I should have been doing all along.”

  Oh no. What had I done? She sounded like me.

  “I already have a great life,” she said. “An amazing career. Family. Friends. What more do I need?”

  “Listen to yourself.” I stared at the back of her head. “I know you. That’s not what you want.”

  “Maybe some things just aren’t meant to be.” She slammed the filing cabinet shut for the second time this morning. “I want to be single, happy, carefree.” She turned around. “Like you.”

  “Me?” I touched my hand to my chest.

  “Yeah,” she grinned. “You don’t have to deal with all the crap that goes with dating.”

  “You think I’m happy?” I asked.

  “Well, yeah.”

  I rubbed my face. It was worse than I thought.

  “You’re ambitious and successful, an entrepreneur in a cut-throat industry. You don’t date because you know it’s not worth the time. You’re smart.”

  “I don’t date because I’m a coward and a fool.”

  She frowned and looked up at me with scrutiny.

  “But I thought you said...”

  “I know what I said.” I set the gift bag down. “And I’m wrong.”

  “Carter, what are you doing?” She moved closer. “I want to be single. I’m tired of checking messages and waiting for the phone to ring and wondering if a guy I might end up falling for even cares about me. It’s too hard, and I don’t want to get hurt. I’m tired of putting all this work in for nothing.”

  “Bailey, don’t repeat my mistake.”

  She scoffed. “Some people are fine being alone. I mean, I’ve been single most of my life. It’s not the end of the world. Maybe romance isn’t for me. There is no knight in shining armor on a white horse.”

  “You’re being stupid.”

  Her face tightened with anger. “I’m being stupid?”

  “Yes, you are.”

  “You’re the cynic,” she said. “True love isn’t real. Wouldn’t you know that more than anyone else?”

  “If you want something badly enough, you don’t stop until you get it.”

  She looked into my eyes. “What if the thing you wanted most was the one thing you could never have?”

  She didn’t know. She so didn’t know. I couldn’t believe it had gone on this long.

  “What about your husband?” I asked. “Your soulmate?”

  “He doesn’t exist.”

  “Sure he does.” I cupped her cheek in my hand. “You’d deny him?”

  She swallowed and took a slow breath. “Yes.”

  “You don’t want a man to love you? Or touch you?” I slid my thumb down her neck. “Like this?”

  “No,” she said. “I don’t.”

  “You don’t want him to hold you in his arms?” I put my hands on her shoulders.

  “I thought I did.”

  I let go of her as we stared at each other. When I was finally ready to be with her, she decided that she wanted to be alone. I wondered what she would be saying if she had seen my note.

  “You’re the one who’s been giving me advice on men and dating and relationships. And none of it has helped me find the right man. So don’t you—”

  “That’s because you’re supposed to be with me.” I watched her eyes widen.

  “What?” she gasped. “Is this a joke? Because it’s not funny, Carter.”

  “No.” I grabbed her hand when she pulled away. “Do you remember the day we had lunch? You said you didn’t want to see me anymore. You didn’t want to be friends anymore.”

  “I do want to be friends. I want you in my life. Even if it means...”
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br />   “I couldn’t sleep that night. Because I couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing you again. I wanted you as so much more than a friend, even back then. I was just scared.” I ran my thumb over the back of her hand. “The next day, I sent you a dozen roses. There was a note attached that said to call me. But you never did. And then I saw you out with that guy. You looked so happy. I knew I’d screwed up.”

  She stared into my eyes, listening to every word.

  “I knew I was too late.”

  “Carter, that was over three weeks ago.”

  “I know. I thought you didn’t want me anymore.”

  She put her hand on my chest. “Why would you think that?”

  “Because when we started hanging out again, you said you wanted to be friends.”

  She groaned. “That’s because you’re the one that’s hung up on the whole dating thing! I suggested being friends again, because that’s all you’ve ever let me be. That’s all you’ve ever wanted.”

  I lifted her face in my hands. “That’s not true. I never wanted to be your friend.”

  “What about last night?” she asked. “You couldn’t get out of there fast enough.”

  “I didn’t leave because you kissed me.” I threaded my fingers in her hair. “I left because I didn’t want you to stop.”

  “You’re telling me you’ve wanted me as more than a friend for—”

  “Since the day we met.” I leaned her head back. “I let you go once. I’ll never make that mistake again.”

  She looked at my lips, and I cradled her face in my hands. “I hated seeing you with someone else.”

  “Why?” she said breathlessly.

  “Because you’re mine.”

  I kissed her over and over again, drawing her body into mine. She whimpered once our lips met, falling into my arms without a second thought. I twisted my fingers in her hair and worshipped her mouth, loving every little noise she made. When we came up for air, my fingertips lingered against her neck.

  Her skin was warm and soft. Perfect.

  “Wow,” she sighed, dizzy in my arms. “That was some kiss.”

  She was smiling. So I bit my lip and grinned, planting another on her mouth.

  “Go out with me.” I ran my nose down her cheek. “On a date.”