Hate to Date You (Dating #4) - Monica Murphy Page 0,31

see that he is indeed, still looking at me. I turn my scowl on Eleanor, but she just starts laughing. “Tricked ya,” she says. “You’re so funny.”

“Ha ha.” I storm away from her and march over to Carter. He’s not looking at me now, too engrossed in whatever Alex is saying, and they all burst into laughter right when I reach up and tap Carter on the shoulder.

“Oh. Hey.” He sounds surprised to find me standing there, silently fuming at him. The pleasant expression falls from his stupidly handsome face. “You all right?”

“Can we talk for just a minute?” I grit out.

Now he looks flat out uneasy. “Sure.”

I start walking and he stays where he’s at. I wave a hand at him like he’s my old deaf dog, indicating I want him to follow me, and he does, just like the good little puppy he is.

Okay. That’s not nice. Carter Abbott is not a dog. Well, he sort of is, what with the way he treated me in the past and the fact that we’ve never really talked about what happened, but I’m going to let that go.

We have to permanently let all of that go, if you get what I’m saying.

We tuck ourselves into the corner farthest from where everyone’s at before I start talking. “You have to stop doing that.”

He’s still frowning. “Doing what?”

“That smolder thing you do.” I sound completely illogical, but I don’t care.

“What are talking about? What smolder thing?”

“When you look at me, you—you—smolder.” I throw my hands up in the air, frustrated that I can’t describe it in any other way.

Smolder. I sound ridiculous.

Now he’s smiling, the dog. “I look at you in a particular way?”

“Most definitely,” I say with a fierce nod.

“Oh. I don’t mean to.”

“Well, you do.” I pause for effect. “And you need to stop.” Another pause. “Now.”

He stands at attention, snaps his feet together and salutes me like the annoying ass that he is. “Yes, ma’am.”

“I really hate it when you do that,” I say with a sigh.

“I can’t win with you, Stel. I send you looks, looks I’m not even aware of, and you don’t like it. You tell me to stop and I agree that I will, and you get mad at me.”

I start to say something, but he’s on a roll and cuts me off. “I’m just trying to have a good night, have a few drinks and make some new friends, and you’re all up in my business. Telling me to stop smoldering at you, which is a weird-ass request, but I’m going to do my damnedest to abide by it. Cool?”

He smiles.

And it’s a good one, that smile. It almost makes me forget myself.

Almost.

“Cool.” I nod, trying to look friendly, like his outburst didn’t bother me, but it’s tough. I can’t smile. I’m still scowling, and my breathing is accelerated, and Carter smells so good, so warm and cozy and spicy and—and—

I hate him so much. Really I do.

“We good?” he asks, his voice a little softer. A little sexier.

“Sure.”

“When women say sure, they don’t mean it.”

“You’re making this worse.”

“Then I’ll shut up now.” The dog has the nerve to reach out and gently squeeze my shoulder. “Don’t leave without me, okay? I don’t want you walking home by yourself.”

And with that, Prince Carter the Dog trots off.

Twelve

Carter

I do my best to not even glance in Stella’s direction for the rest of the evening. I concentrate on the guys I’m hanging out with—even Michael, Stella’s brother, spends time with us before he has to get back to work—and when we all settle in at the table to start eating, Stella sits on the same side as I do, but on the opposite end.

I can’t even see her pretty face throughout the entirety of dinner.

But I can hear her. Hear her laughter, which is as light and airy as a tinkling bell. I catch a glimpse of that sexy as fuck red lace shirt every once in a while. How can I not? She stands out among the crowd in that shirt. Vibrant red lace clings to her curves, and those plump red lips of hers match.

I’m not supposed to think about her like that, but I can’t help it. She’s gorgeous. She’s fun. Feisty as hell. Sexy as hell too.

No matter how tempted I am, I know we can’t we fuck around again. That could end in disaster, and I know it.

“Carter.” I turn to my right, where my sister is sitting next to me.