Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Carter

C arter’s back was going to hurt from sleeping on the sofa. When this was all over, he was going to send a new one to this cabin and have this one burned. It was lumpy and not long enough.

Sure, he’d slept on worse, but that didn’t mean he wanted to. Ashley had the nice bed in the other room. Thinking of her last night had kept him awake.

Yesterday had been weird but good. They’d gotten along, and he felt like he’d seen more of the real Ashley than he ever had before.

She had talked to him about school and how she was graduating with her MBA but didn’t know what she wanted to do with it. School had been important to her, and now that it was over, she felt out of sorts, she’d explained.

He understood that fully. It was the same as he was doing now. His previous life had reached a natural ending, and he’d been ready for it but didn’t know what came next.

“Good morning.” Ashley came out of the bedroom in some sweatpants and a T-shirt. “I don’t know who brought me clothes, but they deserve a reward for knowing what I needed.”

“You look comfy. I made coffee a little bit ago. It’s still hot.”

“Thanks.” She went to the kitchen and poured a cup before adding creamer and returning to the living room. “Sleep okay?”

He glared at her. “No. But that’s not why I’m here.”

“We can trade? Do like every other night?”

“Defeats the purpose if I’m in there and someone comes in.” It wasn’t like they were on vacation.

“Don’t say I didn’t offer.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Any plans for today?” Ashley asked.

“Expecting a delivery and that’s about it. You should have some sort of electronic device by noon. It’s Ryker, so maybe every type of one. The man’s ridiculous.”

“I didn’t meet him until recently. Luke and I always lived very separate lives, and that included his friends. Plus, it’s only been in the last few months that Luke has settled down. Before that, he was a big playboy.”

“I wouldn’t have guessed. He seemed at ease with Paisley and the baby.”

“Yeah. It’s weird seeing him like that, but I’m so happy for him. Garrett is perfect.”

“Perfectly spoiled,” Carter teased.

Ashley nodded. “If it’s this bad now, imagine what it’ll be like when he grows up.”

“How are you taking everything?” Carter shifted the topic to something more serious, wanting to see how she was processing all the changes.

“What? Being here?” She shrugged. “It’s not so bad. If I had my way, I’d live somewhere like this and get a dog,” she said wistfully.

He hadn’t expected that from her, but it made sense. “What kind of dog?

“Doesn’t matter. Some happy mutt.” She grinned at him. “But that’s not likely to happen.”

“Why not?”

“Because my family is in the city. I just finished college, and now I need to find a job, and I don’t see many of those around here.”

“I bet you could come up with something.” Carter knew she could. He had his own ideas but kept them to himself.

“What about with Catherine and Cade? Do you have any regrets about them wanting to claim you as a sibling?”

“Not really. I think it’s great of them to offer me that, but I don’t know. I don’t really know them. It’ll be nice to have a family.”

“You know you could say no if you wanted, right?”

“I do. I don’t want to say no. The only concern I really have is with all of them being so successful and, I don’t know, famous? I feel like I don’t fit in.”

He knew there was something there. “You fit in just fine when you were there.”

“Yeah, but like, on the outside, to other people. Plus, I don’t know if we are even really related except through Luke. I kinda don’t want to be related to their father.”

“That makes sense. He doesn’t seem like he’s firing on all cylinders for sure. But they all seem great.”

“Don’t they?”

His phone alerted, and he looked down for information about their delivery. “Go to the bedroom and don’t come out until I say. I’m going to get the delivery, and I don’t want people to know there’s two of us here.”

She nodded and complied.

Stunned that they’d really developed some sort of relationship where she maybe trusted him even a little and listened, he went to the door. The delivery person was meeting him down the driveway.

Carter didn’t want to leave her in the cabin alone for long while he was out of sight, but he didn’t have a choice. Matt was watching the cameras for the delivery and would watch out for her. He jogged down to the turnaround point and met the driver.

The man handed him three bags, and Carter thanked him before heading back. In all, he was gone less than ten minutes.

At the cabin, he texted Matt he was back and went inside. “I’m back. You can come out,” he called out to her as she set the bags on the table.

She stepped out and came over to him. “I think I’ll be glad to have something in case you have to step out again. It was weird having nothing to do but listen.” Ashley shuddered. “It made me nervous.”

“Hopefully that doesn’t happen again, but I’m glad you’ll have something.”

He unpacked the bags and pulled out exactly what he expected: a new phone and a tablet. The big bag contained a yoga mat that he’d thought to add for her. There were a few other things for him that included a tablet of his own and a notebook.

“A yoga mat?” she said in awe.

“I thought you might want to still do yoga while you were gone.”

She looked up at him and back down at the mat. “You didn’t have to do that.”

Carter shrugged, uncomfortable at her surprise. “It’s not a big deal. You just went to the studio every day, so I thought you’d want it.” He pushed the tablet and phone her way. “Here’s the rest.”

“Thanks,” she muttered. “I guess I get to sit here for a while setting these up.” She tucked the yoga mat in her lap, still rolled up, as she took a seat.

“Remember, you need to make all new accounts for the devices. You can use your e-book account, but don’t sign into email or anything else.” Whatever had been downloaded on her phone in the first place could come back through when it synced.

“Got it.”

He left her to set everything up and went to the sofa. Her surprise at the yoga mat had gotten to him. She shouldn’t have been shocked he paid attention to her and knew she liked yoga.

Choosing to think of anything else, he planned the rest of the day. They’d have to take another walk around, he decided. It had been good to get out some yesterday, and she’d seemed to enjoy it. He’d opened up to her more than he’d expected to when she’d started asking questions but had found it easy.

Last night, when he couldn’t sleep, he’d opened her book app and looked at what she’d been reading. He’d been shocked, not expecting such sexy reads from her. For all that she was a princess most of the time, he expected her to be more of a prude, with no real reason that made sense as to why.

Shaking his head, he pushed that reminder of last night away, too. That wasn’t what he needed to be thinking about with her. She was his client and that was it. Not to mention his boss’s family or something.

“I can’t make a new email without one of the devices signed in.” She plopped on the sofa next to him. “You want to just sign in?”

“Ah, you want to snoop through my stuff more?” He was joking and thought that was implied.

“What? No! I wouldn’t.” Her face was ashen.

“I was teasing. Let me see it.” He took the tablet from her and signed in before handing it back.

“Thanks.”

“I’ll set the phone up just so you have something for emergencies if you want.”

Ashley nodded and handed it over, already focused on the tablet.

Carter had to shift in his seat to hide his growing erection at knowing what she was reading right there next to him. She’d be embarrassed if she knew he knew, so he kept his mouth shut, but his dick had a mind of its own as it throbbed to act out those scenes with her.

“Do you want to go on a walk again later?”

“Hmm?” she said, not looking up.

He repeated himself.

“Oh. Yes, please. It’ll be good to get out.” She went back to her tablet. “Do you think I could do some yoga outside soon? This place would be great for that.”

“I can come up with something.” And he would. He’d have to stand watch, but he’d do it.

“Thank you.” She stood up. “I’m going to go stretch out on the bed and read.”

Carter let her go, his thoughts already back on that book. He needed to focus on anything else when all he wanted to do was ask her what she thought of what he’d read.