layers than she’d originally given him credit for.
She waited for him to turn onto her road, but he kept driving straight and parked on Beach Avenue. “What are you doing?” she asked.
“Thought after such a big dinner we’d take a walk on the beach.”
“Oh, we can’t. The beach is closed.”
He regarded her in amusement. “I’m sure that’s never stopped you before.”
“You think I’m a hardened criminal because I was in jail for a few hours over ten years ago? Seriously?”
He grinned and got out of the car. He came around, opened her door, and waited. “I think you’re a woman who appreciates the occasional rule-breaking. It’s a beautiful night full of stars. Let’s have some fun.”
She climbed out. “I’ll walk with you, but not on the beach. There are signs posted everywhere.”
He stuck his hands in his pockets and matched his pace to hers. “Don’t disappoint me, Avery. We’re not teens looking to vandalize. I’m sure no one would pay attention to a lone couple enjoying an evening stroll.”
She snorted. “You don’t live here. If I got busted, that’s all I’d hear in this town.”
“The beach is heavily patrolled at this hour?” he asked.
She hesitated. “Well, no. But why take a chance?”
“Because sometimes doing something you shouldn’t feels good.”
His husky words whispered across her ears, like an intimate kiss. A shiver shook through her. She never broke rules. Not anymore. Her sisters teased her about how much she’d changed over the years, becoming good old reliable Avery. It was easier to make everything about the business and not about herself. Longing rose up inside, and the voice she’d quieted years ago broke its silence. She used to live big, love hard, and break more rules than she should. That’s the girl Carter remembered. The woman who stood beside him had changed. The daily grind of routines and the passing of time had eroded that raw edge that always burned inside her. It never bothered her because she didn’t think of it.
Until now.
“I’m different now,” she said defensively. “You’re thinking of a college girl who had nothing to lose. I grew up. I would’ve thought you’d be glad I’m not trying to drag your sister into any of our shenanigans or go skinny-dipping in the ocean after midnight.”
“Hmm, never said anything about skinny-dipping, but that could be fun, too.”
She shot him a look. “Now I know you’re just messing with me. I think we should go back to the car.” She turned but his hand shot out to grab her wrist.
“Wait.”
Her skin tingled at the contact, and her heart did a crazy leap.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make fun of you. It’s just—” He stopped, and his fingers squeezed gently, his thumb pressing into her palm. “I know I disapproved of your friendship with my sister in college because I thought you were a bit wild. But you were good for her. I know that now.” His misty eyes gleamed in the shadows, and she was transfixed by the intense heat and emotion glimmering in their depths. “She needed lighthearted fun. See, I thought I needed to be the parents, and to me, that meant discipline. Responsibility. Making sure she was on the right path. I didn’t understand I could do both, because I was just too damn young and in over my head.”
She nodded, touched by the naked vulnerability on his face. “I understand. You made the hard choices for her, and it all worked out in the end.”
“But I lost a part of myself through it, too. That part that skipped over being a rebellious, selfish teenager to find my own dreams. I have no regrets, and I’m not whining about it, but sometimes, like tonight, I want to do something silly and crazy for me. I guess I was just trying to drag you into it. Stupid, right?”
Her axis shifted as a piece of the puzzle snapped into place. Suddenly, his words made sense. He hadn’t chosen his role. The death of his parents had forced it on him, and instead of rebelling or not accepting responsibility, he’d quietly stepped in to take care of Ally. He wasn’t allowed to be the crazy older brother any longer, who allowed her to stay up late, or hid her drinking at a party, or hung out with her boyfriends. No, he’d chosen to be someone else—a man who was capable of raising a ten-year-old girl in the best way possible.
Maybe Carter Ross had a wilder soul than she originally