His lips lift in a smirk. “The cowboy you just served pie to. The one that wanted more than pie.”
I can feel the heat rise on my face, and I look around at the people around us, wondering if anyone heard what Carter just said.
“Does that surprise you? You have to know you’re beautiful.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “I’m not, though. I’m too big. Men don’t think of me like that.” I’m not saying it to get attention or compliments; it’s the truth. I’ve always been told that I’d be pretty if I lost some weight.
His voice is low and gruff. “If we weren’t standing on the church lawn right now, I’d prove to you that I think you’re beautiful.”
My heart literally feels like it does a somersault in my chest. “I’m not, though.”
I don’t know why I’m insisting on arguing with him. Maybe it’s because I don’t know how to flirt back or what to say, so an argument is the way to go.
He moves even closer, and the smell of his cologne fills my nostrils. My nipples pucker against my bra, and I hold in a breath when he whispers, “You are. You’re beautiful to me.”
He wraps his hand around my ponytail and pulls a little, forcing me to look up at him. “Tell me you believe me, Janie.”
I lick my lips. “What if I don’t believe you?”
He inhales, pushing his chest out, and the hardness of his chest presses against mine. My nipples pucker painfully. I barely hold on to the whimper. “Then I’ll be forced to show you that I’m attracted to you.”
“How?” I shouldn’t ask. I know I shouldn’t, but I couldn’t stop the question before it came out.
He tilts his head to the side. From this angle, if he pressed his lips to mine, it would be a perfect fit, but he doesn’t do that. Instead, he lowers his voice. “Well, honey, if we were anywhere else, I’d bring your hands to me and let you feel how attracted I am to you.”
I gasp. “Carter, you can’t talk—"
He chuckles. “I know. So since I can’t do that, how about we try this?” He drops his hand from my hair and grabs my hand, pulling it to his chest. My eyes widen in alarm. I shouldn’t be touching him. I know I shouldn’t be.
“Feel that?”
He has my palm right over his heart, and after a second I feel the thud of his heart. It’s beating erratically, and I can see it jumping in his shirt as I look at his chest.
He pushes my hand more firmly against him. In a strangled voice, he asks again, “Do you feel that, honey?”
I nod, speechless. Carter Grant, the sexy older cowboy, is attracted to me. No, he thinks I’m beautiful.
“Can I get a piece of pie, please?”
I’m completely shocked and don’t move fast enough. Carter squeezes my hand and cuts a slice of pie and hands it to the woman. The woman blushes, and I can’t help but feel irritated. “Is it always like that?”
He’s cutting slices of pie and putting them on plates, arranging them around the table. “Is what always like that?”
I try to keep the frustration out of my voice. “Women... around you? They flirt, bat their eyes… I bet you date a lot, don’t you?”
He shrugs his shoulders. “No, not a lot. I don’t really have time to date. I just bought land and am having a house built, plus I work out on the Yates Ranch, so no, I don’t really date.”
Heat fills my body. Don’t say it, Janie. Don’t say it. “I guess these days you really don’t have to date. I mean, you can get what you want without dating.”
He lays the last piece of pie down and snaps his eyes to mine. “What do you mean? Are you asking me if I sleep around?”
I grab on to the sleeve of his shirt. “Shhhh! You can’t talk like that... it’s not appropriate.”
He looks at me incredulously. “Janie, I’m pretty sure I’m just repeating what you’re saying, but in a blunter way. I don’t beat around the bush. But yeah, if that’s what you want to know, I’ll tell you. You’re right; I don’t always have to date a woman to get what I want.”
“Ugh, right. Okay. Well, it was nice talking to you, cowboy. I’ll see you around.” I don’t even try to hide my disgust. Since the pies are all laid out, I don’t have to stay here any longer. Not that I want to anyway, not while Carter is putting images in my head of him with other women.
6
Carter
Well, shit. That didn’t come out right. I grab a slice of pie off the corner of the table and trek after Janie. She’s quick and on the move, and I take time to appreciate the way her ass shakes under her dress before I finally catch up with her. “We’re not done,” I tell her when I get in step beside her.