Hate to Date You (Dating #4) - Monica Murphy Page 0,9
explain herself and then tell her no.
Easy peasy.
“Carter is currently staying at the Wilder Hotel in Pebble Beach, but he doesn’t want to stay there forever. It’s temporary. Just like if he moved in with you, it would be temporary, you know? But my old bedroom is going to be empty and he could cover my rent. And within a couple of months tops, he’ll figure out what he wants to do, where he wants to live, and he’ll move out,” Caroline says, sounding perfectly logical.
Yes, I can agree her idea is logical. Practical. All those cal words. But I can’t live with Carter. No way. No how. This is a man I’ve kissed. With tongue. A man who’s had his mouth on my vagina. A man whose penis has been inside my body.
A man who’s given me orgasms and seen my face when I have them. Who’s muttered dirty words in my ear and stroked my clit just so.
Nope.
No sir.
Can’t do it.
“I don’t know if this is a good idea, Caroline,” Carter says, his deep, rumbly voice making things inside of me rumble pleasantly in return. Curse his sexy voice to hell, I swear. “We don’t get along that well.”
“That’s not true,” I tell him, then clamp my lips shut. Why am I protesting? Honestly though, what he said isn’t true. We got along pretty damn well that night, though it’s not like we’re going to have any repeat performances. It would be an absolute disaster, the two of us in that small apartment together. He’d make me crazy. I’d make him crazy.
We might have sex again.
No, no, no. That won’t happen. I look over at Caroline, who’s studying me with a concerned look on her face and I immediately feel bad. I’m usually so easygoing. With anyone else, I’d be like sure! Move in!
Not Carter. Not after what happened between us.
I just don’t want Caroline thinking I hate her brother.
Okay, fine, I definitely don’t hate him. I just hate how I react to him when he’s close. I hate that we had the most amazing sex of my life and he walked away like it didn’t even matter to him. I hate that he is turning me on just sitting next to me, yet he acts like I don’t affect him whatsoever.
Oops. Yeah, I hate him. A lot.
“Come on, Stel. Be real right now. Can you imagine us living together?” He raises his brows and I stare at him, trying to understand what he’s trying to tell me. That yes, it would be totally amazing for us if we lived together, or it would be his every living nightmare?
“It might not be so bad,” I say, wanting to smack myself.
“You really believe that?” He quickly glances over at Caroline. “You two used to try and prank me when we were younger. I woke up with my hand in a glass of warm water once.”
Oh right. The time we tried to get him to pee the bed. We read about that trick on the internet, but it didn’t work. “We were kids.”
“It wasn’t that long ago,” he taunts. “You might try something like that again.”
“Please.” I meet his gaze, see the challenge in those pretty blue depths. My own take that attitude rises up and I say to him, “I’ve grown up a lot since then.”
The pointed look he sends me says he agrees, and I look away from him, my face growing warm.
“Then why the message on my cup?” he asks.
“What message?” Caroline asks.
I turn to face Carter once more. “It was genuine concern,” I tell him, my voice extra sweet. “Pooping your pants would be terrible.”
“What are you guys talking about?” Caroline sounds totally confused.
We’re not even paying attention to her.
Alex cough-laughs into his fist.
“We’ve really never gotten along,” Carter says, his gaze never wavering from mine. “Living together would be an absolute nightmare.”
Ouch. Does he really think living with me would be that terrible?
“Maybe you’re the one who’s a complete nightmare. I’ll have you know I’m an excellent roommate,” I say, lifting my chin.
“It’s true,” Caroline chimes in, like the best friend she is. “And Carter is pretty easy to live with too. Minus his slobbish ways.”
“I was seventeen for the love of God,” he groans. “We haven’t lived together for years, and you’re always going to hold that against me?”
I turn so quickly, I almost give myself whiplash. Why is she pushing for this? It’s a terrible idea. “Really, Caroline?”