by Kay Lyons
"It's perfect."
She sucked in a soft breath and sank her teeth into her lower lip, hard.
Carter cleared his throat and braced his elbows on the table.
"So, show me those designs."
"Of course." She grabbed the binder she'd carried from the boat and shifted sideways in her seat to place it in the chair beside her. She unlocked the rings and handed him a plastic-encased sheet of paper. "I have a lot of ideas in here, but something I'd very much like to incorporate is water. Fountains, waterfalls, maybe even a stream? Something amazing."
He whistled softly, eyeing the images. "Wouldn't be cheap."
"I realize that. But the clientele I'm going after wouldn't blink at the cost."
He smiled at her, and she felt her breath catch in her throat at the impact. The kiss last night had… rocked her. Her thoughts on Carter, on dating and relationships, everything. Especially when added to Marsali's CliffsNotes from her book. But so long as she was careful, conscious of every slow step…
"You are the only person I know who could pull off a wedding like this," he said. "These are amazing, Eliza."
What was amazing was his support. When she'd mentioned a water element to James a year or so ago, he'd told her she was crazy. "Well, I'm not sure how many wedding planners you know but… thanks."
"You're welcome. What else do you have in there?"
They spent the next fifteen minutes going over various items and ideas before their food arrived. Eliza sat forward, too excited to eat. "Do you really think you can make some of that a reality?"
"It will take some ingenuity to work around the sites and make it adjustable to wherever you might need it placed, but yeah. I've got some ideas on how to make it happen."
"Well, weddings of that nature would require a year's planning, minimum."
"There could be permits or special licensing involved, so that's good."
Eliza stared at Carter as he bit into the burger he'd ordered, his jaw flexing with every bite. "I… heard you had a visitor last week."
Carter swallowed the bite and nodded.
"Yeah. I did. You don't need to worry about it, though. I set him straight."
"He had no right to come to your jobsite."
"Agreed. But since I didn't return his calls, he decided to make a special trip."
Eliza shook her head at Carter's words. James really was a piece of work. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I think your ex is realizing what a mistake he's made."
"Meaning?"
"He wanted to warn me away from you."
She blinked at the comment. "I thought he tried to hire you?"
Carter tilted his head to the side. "He mentioned working together, too. But he was really there to issue a warning."
"Oh, my— He's with Clarissa."
Carter leaned his elbows on the table again and stared at her over his clasped hands. "Does it matter to you if he is or isn't? Are you still hung up on him?"
Matter to her? Hung up on James? The man had tried to destroy her. "No, it doesn't. Not in a romantic sense. Anyone who would stoop so low as to… I see what he was now."
Carter leaned back and picked up his burger. "Good."
Good? That was it? "What did you say to James? When he… said whatever he said?"
Carter hesitated and seemed to be choosing his words carefully.
"I told him that whatever happened between you and me was none of his concern."
"And?" Because she so knew there was more.
"I may have called him stupid for treating you the way he did, and… told him how glad I am that you're free to pursue."
The next question stalled on her lips before she finally forced it out. "Pursue? You just said that to rub James's nose in the mess he's made, right?"
"You sure you want the answer to that?"
She flicked her tongue over her lips to wet them, her stomach a bundle of nerves and lungs barely doing the job as she tried to breathe whilst staring into Carter's slate gaze.
Something had sparked inside of her last night with the kiss they'd exchanged. Something that loosed the tight grip she had on her fear and opened her heart to the possibilities, terrifying though it was. But she and Marsali had talked into the wee hours of the morning, discussing dating dos and don'ts and how to handle the baggage of previous relationships. In Marsali's words, Eliza couldn't hold Carter responsible for something he hadn't done, just because her family—and James— had a history of it. "I'm sure."
Several long seconds passed before he inhaled and sat forward.
"I don't want to say something that'll scare you away."
She didn't want him to, either, but at the same time, she had to know. He'd expressed an interest in her before. She knew that. But she'd brushed it off and shut him down and now… well, she needed to hear it again. Because one of the things most damaged by betrayal was self-confidence, and she had to own that as a flaw. "Tell me anyway."
He inhaled and sat back in his seat, never taking his eyes off of her. "You're beautiful, smart. Gracious. Sweet. But then there are times when your eyes flash a certain way and I see pure orneriness," he said with a small grin. "And I want to grab you up and kiss you so you use it on me."
A soft laugh left her, and she felt heat soaring into her cheeks. "I see." And truthfully? She felt the same way about him, wishing at times he'd follow through and overcome her fears by making her forget her senses.
Like the kiss last night did.
"Sweetheart," he said, lowering his voice, "you might not know me well enough yet, but I'm a one-woman man."
"It's… hard to trust someone after that's been done to you."
"I know."
"And then I look at you, and I see the way other women look at you—"
"What other women? Because the only one I see is you."
"How's the food? Can I get you anything else?" the waiter asked.
Eliza blinked at the intrusion and shook her head while Carter told the young man that the food was great. Once the waiter walked away, Eliza straightened in her seat. "What about our… business dealings? If we allow things to get personal, it could mess everything up."
"It could. If we let it. But who says something's going to go wrong?"
The air left her lungs in a gush. "That's unrealistic."
"Every relationship has issues. Arguments. But if the commitment is there, they're just arguments. It doesn't always have to be the end, Eliza."
She lowered her gaze to the grilled salmon salad in front of her and finally picked up her fork. "This looks delicious, doesn't it?"
Chapter 21
After lunch, Eliza opened her binder once more and removed another file. "What's this?" Carter asked.
She smiled at him and flipped open the folder. "This is what I have in mind for Piper's birthday party. I wanted to run it by you and get your thoughts."
She laid the sheets out in front of him, and he felt his mouth gape in wonder. "Wow."
"You like it? I'll warn you now that I may go a little overboard with balloons, but they're big impact, and I have so many left over from various events."
"She loves balloons," he said, taking in the personal-size mermaid-scale birthday cake, surrounded by cupcakes with mermaid tails and sprinkles and clamshell cookies with frosting between the two halves along with a pearl candy.
"Since kids are notoriously picky about food, I'm thinking seashell pasta, pizza cutouts of mermaid tails, and baby croissant sandwiches made to look like crabs," she said, pointing to a photo. "Those can be PB and J or plain cheese. And blue punch otherwise known as ocean water for drinks. Best of all, it can be made ahead of time and is kid-friendly."
"This is incredible."
"Oh, good. I was hoping you'd say that," she said, flipping another page. "And there's more."
"More than this?"
"Yeah, well, you said the party will be at Lincoln's because of the pool, so I found a couple of cute games. And a standing cutout I t
hought you could make for me? Amelia's friend Izzy volunteered to paint it for us."
The cutout featured three spots for little heads positioned above the bodies of two mermaids and a pirate. "Yes. Absolutely. I've got plenty of stuff perfect for that. I can cut it out and have it to you by this evening."
"Great."
He couldn't believe she'd pulled the party ideas together so quickly, especially having worked on Lincoln and Amelia's wedding all last week. "I have an idea. While I'm dropping off the cutout, how about I also bring some of the shelving we discussed? Maybe I could get into those rooms and get started?"
It seemed only fair—and it was a way to spend more time with her as their schedules allowed.
Eliza sank her teeth into her lower lip again before apparently realizing what she did and stopped. He managed to pull his gaze from her mouth and wished she wasn't wearing those sunglasses.
"It's the weekend. I'm sure you have plans. Don't you?"
"I do—with you. If you say it's okay."
"I… Yes, it's okay. After all, it's part of our agreement so… yeah."
Part of their agreement. Did that mean she didn't want to move forward on a personal level? He wanted to ask but his instincts told him to bide his time. "How about dessert? To celebrate our working together on future projects."
Eliza laughed and shook her head. "Not for me. I had more than enough cake last night. You go right ahead, though."
"Nothing is as much fun if you have to do it alone," he said, winking at her and thoroughly enjoying the flush that rose in her cheeks. "Okay, since we're not having dessert, how about we hop back on the boat and go have some fun before we head back?"
Minutes later, they were back on the water. Carter had snagged the check before she could and paid despite her protests that it was a business meeting about her business.
As they'd walked out of the restaurant, she spotted a few heads turning toward them and didn't mind Carter's hand riding her shoulder as he walked by her side.
Now they cruised along the Intercoastal, and she spent the time staring at Carter's strong profile instead of the scenery.
She hated the fear that seemed to be lurking just below the surface, because she'd enjoyed their day. They'd talked business and Piper's party details, but she felt they'd also made a deeper connection during the discussion about her family and James. Then again, having known Carter for only two weeks, she couldn't be sure if it was a connection or merely part and parcel of simply learning more about a new acquaintance.
Carter slowed the power motor and steered the boat out of the traffic into one of the many channels leading toward a marina.
"You ready to try it?"
Try it? "You mean pilot this?"
"Why not?"
She'd been on plenty of boats over the years, but she'd never driven one. James had always insisted he be behind the wheel and would go full-speed down the waterway, uncaring of the chaos caused to smaller boats or others. She knew she shouldn't compare the two men but… "Really?"
Carter grinned at her excitement.
"Yeah, really. I wouldn't have asked otherwise. Get over here."
She took position in front of the controls and listened while he showed her what to do and helped get them moving again. And even though he could've moved away at that point, Carter stayed behind her, his hands resting lightly at her waist.
"Just keep it steady. You're doing great."
"Someone's coming up behind us fast," she said. "What do I do?"
He chuckled and the sound warmed her ear.
"Keep tight on the wheel and ride it out."
The wake created by the James-like boat rocked them back and forth several times before the water settled. Carter's grip at her waist tightened, holding her in place and supporting her.
"Great job. You're a natural."
She tilted her head back to glance up at Carter, smiling at the excitement and praise and the beautiful day, but the moment she saw him looking at her, the expression he wore, she felt her heart sputter. Her pulse picked up speed as adrenaline flooded her system, and it had nothing to do with being a novice boater and everything to do with him kissing her. Again.
She waited. Barely daring to breathe while he lowered his head but stopped just shy of her mouth.
"What's it going to be, Eliza? Tell me no if you don't want me to—"
She wasn't sure how she did it but she rose up on her toes and turned and pressed her mouth to his and ended his words, all at the same time. Carter's hand at her back steadied her even as he pulled her tight against him, and she was vaguely aware of the powerful engine slowing once more.
She wound her arms around his neck, felt his growl of pleasure as he took her mouth in a kiss that held nothing back. He tasted good, smelled better, and she lost herself in the sensation of kissing the man who intrigued her so.
A loud horn blasted, startling Eliza so badly she ended the kiss with a yelp of surprise.
The young men aboard the other boat whistled and catcalled and blew kisses to Eliza as they rolled by and yelled for Carter to take her to the bunks below.
Carter's boat rocked side to side in the waves that buffeted them, and she fisted her hands against Carter's chest as her face filled with heat at what the teenagers meant.
Carter didn't comment, but after a moment, he nudged her face up with a hand under her chin.
She shook her head and couldn't look at him. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry?"
His tone drew her gaze to his and she noted his expression. That made her feel even more uncomfortable, especially in light of her thoughts. "I shouldn't have— Especially when I'm not going to— I'm not going downstairs with you, Carter." She inhaled a shaky breath. "If we find ourselves together in the future, it has to happen slowly, naturally, and if you can't accept—"
"I do."
His big, tender hands framed her face and demanded eye contact before he gave her a look that melted her insides.
"I accept. You set the pace, Eliza. We'll go as slow or as fast as you want. And no always means no. Okay?"
She palmed his forearms and used him for balance as she leaned into him and pressed a short kiss to his lips, this one lighter, softer. "Okay," she whispered. "Now show me what all this boat can do."
Chapter 22
Carter took control of the boat once Eliza got them close to the dock. Within minutes, they were tied up and he held out a hand to help her onto the planking—until she pulled away.
"Um… Maybe we should keep… this to ourselves? I mean, for now?"
He didn't like it, but he understood her hesitation given the added pressure going public would probably bring. "Whatever you say."
He walked Eliza to her white van, which was parked in Lincoln and Amelia's driveway. "I'll bring the shelving by in a couple of hours and get started—if that's okay with you?"
"Of course. Are you bringing Piper? I don't want to have her birthday party stuff out for her to see and ruin the surprise."
"Considering the time crunch you have to get that done, no. I'll get Breanne or one of her friends to babysit," he said.
"Okay. I guess I'll see you there," she said, glancing at Mac's house.
"You feel it, too, huh?"
"That someone's watching us? Oh, yeah," she said with a laugh.
He opened the door to the van and stepped back. "Get going before Mac comes out here and gives us a hard time."
"It could be Marsali. Her meetings were nearby, I think, so she was planning to walk there. But either way, yeah."
Eliza climbed into the vehicle and fastened her seat belt, and he watched as she backed out of the driveway.
He lifted his hand in a wave and turned to go back to his house when Mac's door opened and both siblings appeared. Mac stood leaning with his shoulder braced against the doorframe while Marsali practically danced down the stairs toward him. When she reached his side, she slid her arm through his.
"Hello."
He shoo
k his head at her antics. "Something I can do for you?"
"Nope. Quite the opposite in fact. I am going to help you."
His gaze shifted to Mac's glowering expression, and Carter had a pretty good idea of the reason behind Mac's ill mood. "I need help?"
Marsali's laughter echoed off of the houses on the narrow street.
"With Eliza? Oh, yes. Yes, you do." She patted his arm. "How do you feel about a little date coaching?"
Turned out, Marsali had some great insights on her best friend. She led him into Mac's long enough to hand over a copy of her new book—pointing out the rules of engagement in chapter four. While Mac glared at Carter and listened to every word, Marsali warned Carter against moving too fast given Eliza's personal history. Time was his friend and he needed to remember that.
Once he'd left Mac's and found a babysitter for Piper, he drove into Wilmington to pick up the shelving. By the time he made it back to Carolina Cove and Eliza's, it was approaching dinnertime.
Which was why he'd made one additional stop and picked up food for them from his favorite restaurant.
Eliza opened the door, and he bit back a grin when it made him realize she'd been watching for him. "Hey. You like Chinese? I brought dinner since it was getting late."
"Love it. But you didn't have to do that."
"I have a feeling you miss way too many meals while you're working," he said, carrying the bags with him as he walked toward her. "Sorry I'm late. It took me a little longer than I thought it would to get a sitter and pick up the shelving."
"No problem. I've been working all afternoon. I'm ready for a break."
"Good. Food first, then."
They settled at her kitchen bar to eat, and he asked about her afternoon.
"Oh, two more couples who left with James have returned," she said with a nod and a blazing smile that lit up her face.
"That's great."
"Right? One of them is an especially large to-do. And they paid electronically once I agreed, to make sure I knew they wouldn't be going anywhere else again."
