Love on Beach Avenue (The Sunshine Sisters #1) - Jennifer Probst Page 0,60
God. She wasn’t going to lie, which made this a hell of a lot easier.
Her nails tapped against the table in a steady rhythm, as if considering how much to reveal. “The kiss was good,” she finally said.
He grunted. “‘Good’?”
Her eyes half closed. “Fine, great. The kiss was great. But you and me? I don’t know.”
His male ego stung, but he wasn’t about to waste time stewing. “Give me a chance. Hell, maybe we’ll spend more time together and I’ll agree with you. But I’d like a shot. We can start with me collecting on my bet.”
Uh-oh. The softness fled and was replaced by her hard, glittering gaze. “Excuse me?”
He barreled through. “Remember you lost the bet for the cake? You have to spend the day at the beach with me. Won’t that be a great beginning for us?”
Her lips tightened into a thin line. Carter realized he’d made a big mistake when she stood up, grabbed her purse, and glared. “Sure. Blackmailing me by citing a bet to spend time together is a great start. I’ve got back-to-back weddings this entire weekend, so Monday looks like the only option. Why don’t you text me when my punishment begins and how long I need to be there with you? I’m really looking forward to our first date.”
“Wait, Avery—”
“And how about a special secret tip straight from a woman’s lips?” She leaned in and practically snarled. “Sometimes not saying exactly what you feel is much smarter. Sometimes being a mystery can be a damn good thing.”
Lucy gave her another warning growl, not liking her tone.
Avery shot a glare at the dog, spun on her heel, and marched out.
Ah, shit. He’d done it again.
He’d been an asshole.
Chapter Twelve
Avery flung open the door to her sisters’ house and marched in. “I cannot believe what a jerk he is! I’m done. From now on, if he needs something, you have to handle it.” Huffing in frustration, she opened the refrigerator, grabbed a bottle of chardonnay, and poured herself a glass.
“Did you just come into my house without knocking again?” Taylor asked, grabbing back the bottle and refilling her own glass. She wore jeans with rips at the knee and a minuscule black halter top. Her pink hair was messy and gave her a bit of a rocker look. Paint dotted her clothes and smeared her hands. In her spare time, Avery’s sister practiced art and loved creating bold, intense paintings on canvas meant to challenge the onlooker. “What if I’d been getting laid?”
Avery froze. “Wait—are you in a relationship you haven’t told me about?”
She rolled her eyes. “News flash, babe. You don’t need to be in a relationship to sleep with someone. I don’t have your hang-ups.”
Avery shot her sister a look. “Fine, I’m sorry, I keep forgetting you demand privacy. Where’s Bella?”
“Probably putting Zoe down for bed. What’s got you all stressed out, oh mighty leader? Haven’t seen you this riled up since the best man puked all over the groom right before the Hoffman ceremony.”
The memory hit and still had the power to put her in a bad mood. “I’d put out a puke bucket because I knew he’d gotten drunk the night before, but he didn’t even use it!”
Taylor grinned. “It all worked out. Switch out a new shirt, a bit of seltzer on the pants and jacket, some Febreze, and he was good to go. Who’s the guy pissing you off now?”
“Carter Ross.” Avery slid her butt onto the trendy barstool Taylor liked, then wondered if she needed to squeeze in more time at the gym. Her rear seemed to have an overabundance of flesh compared to a week ago. Was it all those chocolate croissants? “He’s been torturing me this entire summer, making stupid bets about whose picks Ally would choose, and I’m done. Can you take care of him, please?”
Taylor considered her and took a sip of wine. “No.”
“Why not?” she whined. “I’ll take over one of your clients—we’ll do a switch.”
“Ally’s your best friend, you took this on last minute, and now you have to deal with the consequences.”
She shook her head. “Why are you such a bitch?”
Taylor grinned. “I work hard at it.”
The inner door banged open, and Bella strode in. “Is there wine?” she hissed frantically. With her golden hair pulled back in a ponytail, yoga pants, and a white T-shirt that said JUST BREATHE, she seemed to glow from the inside, a natural beauty Avery had always envied.