Stacking the Deck (A Betting on Romance Novel Book 2) (46 page)

“Wait,” he said, his hand reaching out to touch her arm.

She could
not
look at him! How could she face the man she’d ruined any chance of having a future with—the man she
loved
—because she’d been too scared to be herself?

“I’m
so
sorry,” she whispered, intending to make a run for it, dignity be damned.

“Sorry for what?” he asked, touching her chin lightly until she looked up at him. “Loving me too much or trusting yourself too little?”

She hesitated, about to deny both, but then she saw what his easy manner couldn’t quite conceal—the rhythmic tick in his jaw, the taut way he held himself.

For some reason, her answer mattered.

She swallowed, her heart hammering in her chest. Someone bumped her from behind, but she hardly felt it. The crowd, the noise, the excitement buzzing around them was nothing to the roar of her own blood in her ears.

The air felt light in her lungs as Liz gave the only answer she could—the truth. “Both,” she replied, then…

Oh God! She’d just admitted she loved him! This was
not
part of the plan!

He gave a terse nod and then his eyes crinkled. “Apology accepted.”

What? He was smiling at her? Hadn’t she just thrown herself under the bus of emotional vulnerability? Her mouth gaped, she knew this, because she felt like a stunned guppy watching as Carter reached down and took both her hands in his like that day in Jenny Whitmeyer’s pantry. He smiled, a dazzling, smile that simultaneously confused her and warmed her to her toes, and then he leaned in and claimed her lips in a hard, bone-melting kiss, which, let’s be honest, she had no desire to cut short even though she knew this was, surely, goodbye. “Me, too,” he whispered as he pulled away again to look at her.

“Me, too?” She stammered her words. Nothing made sense, and all she could do was drink him in and pray he got the urge to kiss her again so her brain would have time to catch up.

“You were right, Liz. I needed to step up and trust myself. I’ve spent too long accepting other people’s opinion of me.” He glanced at the fountain. “Looks good, doesn’t it?”

Liz nodded, confusion warring with something else inside her. It felt like…
hope
. “Really good.”

“I’ve already gotten three more jobs out of it.”

“That’s… that’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you.”

He brushed the hair from her temple where she knew she still sported a lingering bruise and leaned in to kiss her gently, his lips warm on her skin. “Thanks,” he said.

Somewhere in the background the head of the Beautification League wrapped up her dedication speech and the fountain turned on, trumpeting into the air.  The band began playing the familiar theme song of an underdog hero making a comeback, and Liz couldn’t help but grin foolishly up at him.

She had no idea what it all meant, but he was smiling and kissing her and telling her she was right. Surely, as cosmic messages go, these were all very good signs.

They stood like that, grinning at one another as the music played, the spring sunshine pouring over them. Oh, sure, there were a hundred details to sort through, rough patches to smooth over, misunderstandings to make right. But in this moment, nothing could steal the smile from her face.
Nothing
.

But then Carter glanced away and swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing, and then he slid a finger between his collar and tie... and tugged.

Liz’s smile faltered.

Oh, no. Was that a
nervous
tug on his tie? Crud! Maybe
love
was more than he was looking for! Why had she blurted it out like that, anyway? Here?
Now?
Was this a ‘take it to the next level’ misunderstanding all over again? Maybe she shouldn’t have been so honest. Maybe
his
feelings had changed and ‘love’ was too strong a word. Maybe ‘me, too’ meant something else…

Her thoughts skidded to a halt as he slid his tie over his head—and onto hers.

She ducked as the silk fabric slid onto her neck and blinked in confusion. “What—?”

But Carter simply pressed a finger to her lips... and kicked off his shoes. She stared at his bare toes on the grass. Why had she not noticed he wasn’t wearing socks? And
why
wasn’t he wearing socks?

Her eyes flew up again as he handed her his suit coat. She grasped it reflexively in time to watch his dress shirt slide off his shoulders.

Her tongue felt thick in her mouth as his fingers worked his belt buckle. “Uh, Carter? What are you doing?” Her eyes darted to the people beginning to take notice around them.

“You told me once I didn’t know what it was like to have the whole town see my underwear. Maybe I just want to even the score as best I can.” Then his pants slid to the ground and he stood before her, smiling wickedly, wearing nothing but a hideous pair of smiley-face swim trunks.

Her face flamed. “You’re crazy,” she breathed, acutely conscious of the murmur of interest they were drawing.

“Crazy in love with you,” he whispered back.

Liz stared in stunned disbelief, the words ‘crazy in love with you’ tumbling deliciously over each other in her mind as Carter stepped out of his pants, walked over to the fountain... and stepped in.

The harsh, mumbled curse of surprise that hissed through his teeth sent a rumble of laughter through the crowd. Then he shook his wet hair back and turned to face her, eyes bright. “Elizabeth Beacon!” he called boomingly, despite the fact that she stood no more than fifteen feet away. “I stand here, making a complete fool of myself, because
I love you!”

Excited chatter rippled through the crowd, and the band came to a clumsy, cacophonous halt. “I said,
I love you!”

Liz’s eyes skittered uneasily to either side of her as the crowd turned its full attention on them.

“I... love you, too,” she murmured self-consciously as someone took Carter’s clothes from her arms.

Carter grinned and stretched a wet hand toward her.

“No. The water must be freezing! You can’t expect—”

“
Liz,”
he said. “Come here. I can’t do this without you.”

She stepped forward, unable to do otherwise, until her toes touched the low wall of the fountain. “You’re making a spectacle of yourself,” she warned him, knowing she was a part of the spectacle now, too, but beyond caring.
Crazy in love with you
, he’d said.

“I haven’t even started,” he assured her. Then he bowed forward, cool water splashing her lightly as he tipped an imaginary top-hat. “So, will you join me?”

Liz felt her knees go weak as awareness heated her cheeks. “You saw number ten.”

His smile dazzled. “Sorry to take them out of order. We’ll get to the others later. For now
... get in here.”
He reached for her again, and she shook her head, her better sense trying to deny what her body and soul had already accepted. “I’m fully dressed!” she protested even as her feet kicked off her shoes of their own accord. And then she was stepping into the cold spray, his warm hand pulling her forward.

She yelped as water sluiced down her back and over her hair. But when she glanced up again, it wasn’t the water that stopped the breath in her lungs. It was the look in Carter’s eyes.

“You came,” he said.

“Did I have a choice?”

“Yes.” He smiled and cupped her face in his hands. His thumb brushed her cheek. “I love you. So much,” he whispered—only for her this time—then his lips dipped to hers.

Her mouth curved under his, and despite the cool water soaking her to the skin, heat swirled through her. “I love you, too. But I th—”

“Good,” he said, cutting her off with a kiss. “That’s all that matters.” And then he knelt before her, the water making his hair darken, his skin glisten, and her world tilt as the unreality of it all hit her in full force. Devilish green eyes found hers, and her heart stuttered even as his hands cupped and warmed hers.

“Elizabeth Anne Beacon,” he asked softly, “would you do me the honor... of becoming my wife?” And then he arched one of those damned eyebrows and she was a goner.

Liz swayed. No longer certain whether it was the water from the fountain, the brilliant spring sunshine or tears of joy blurring her vision, she nodded and gave the only answer she could. “
Yes!”

She laughed as a cheer rose from the crowd. Then Carter swung her into his arms and kissed her soundly as the band resumed their triumphant theme song.

Water streamed from both of them, as they stepped from the fountain, but she couldn’t care less.
He loved her!
She kissed him again, then pulled back, brow lightly furrowed. “Um, haven’t you forgotten something?”

“Forgotten something?”

“Don’t I get an engagement ring?”

“Ah, you want a ring, do you?” His lips brushed her ear. “It’s in my pocket.”

Liz blushed, thinking of the swim trunks plastered to his lean hips. “You don’t have any pockets.”

One green eye winked wickedly as Carter slid her down his body.

She stood unsteadily.

He laughed then, a robust sound, and stooped to retrieve his dress pants. “Crossing off numbers one through nine will be more fun than I thought.”

Liz caught her lip between her teeth as he slid the ring on her finger. Small, twinkling diamonds flanked a clear, lavender amethyst.

“It made me think of you in your purple dress. I know it’s not a huge rock, but I’m hoping to finally buy out my uncle, and—”

“It’s perfect,” she interrupted with feeling. “
You’re
perfect.”

“Far from it, but I’m glad you think so.”

“Perfect for me, then,” she corrected. “I’m glad you’re taking this step. I know you’ll do great.”

His grin tilted. “Not without a little help. But, maybe a certain business analyst would be interested in helping me get started?”

Liz grinned. “I know she’s thinking of making some career changes, but I’ll talk to her. I hear she has a soft spot for sexy college drop-outs with potential. I’m sure you two can work something out.”

“Potential, eh?”

“Loads of it,” she grinned again, her knees growing weak under his hot, knowing gaze.

“Are you two going to canoodle all day? You’ll miss your flight!”

Liz blanched as Aunt Claire’s words broke into her thoughts.
Her flight!
Oh my God! She’d forgotten all about it!

Carter turned to Liz. “Going somewhere?”

“Okay, here’s the thing,” she hedged, palms beginning to sweat. “I was going to New York. To see Niagara Falls actually, but that was before—”

“Okay, Carter, your bag is in the taxi with Liz’s, your dry clothes are on the seat, and I’ll take your suit to the cleaners tomorrow. Anything else before you leave?” Jim jiggled the baby in her carrier and looked at them expectantly.

“Before you leave?” Liz asked in confusion.

“I’m coming with you,” Carter replied as he grasped her elbow and propelled her toward the taxi. “And we’d better hurry or we’ll miss our flight.”

“
Our
flight?”

Carter turned and winked at the ladies standing by the taxi. He opened the door for Liz. “You didn’t think I’d let you cross off number five on your own, did you?”

But she stopped, dripping, hands on hips, and contemplated the innocent expressions of four elderly ladies standing by the taxi. God love them.

She stepped forward and kissed each woman soundly on the cheek. “You are
so
getting the kitschiest souvenirs I can find,” she warned them. Then she laughed, slid into the taxi and yanked Carter firmly behind her.

“The airport, please,” she managed before Carter’s kiss prevented any further speech. She didn’t care that they were soaked to their underwear. Didn’t care about anything except the fact that she’d been given a second chance to start over and do things right this time.

Start a new chapter on a clean page.

Long, delicious minutes later, she pulled back with a sigh, her head falling against Carter’s shoulder.

She was engaged!
Not almost-engaged this time, but publicly, completely, publish-it-in-the-paper, shout-it-from-the-rooftops engaged! And, more importantly,
to the right man!

Just because she could, she leaned in for another kiss. “I can’t wait to cross off number eleven.”

“Number eleven? What number eleven?”

She leaned closer, her words whispering against the sensitive flesh of his ear. Then she laughed silkily, delightedly, as his eyes widened and his breath hissed through his teeth.

“I
love
a woman who’s good at math,” he murmured appreciatively. Then he pulled her into his arms and proved it.

THE END