Carter once again found himself watching Reagan from across the dance floor at a wedding. Only this time it was her sister’s wedding. And he was pissed. Matt Walz had faced Cy down and asked for permission to marry Riley, all the while Reagan begged him to keep their relationship a secret. Was Carter ready to get married? No. But he was damned tired of hiding his relationship. Even if that meant he had to take a punch to the face or have his balls threatened. Both of which had happened to Matt.
Carter tossed back a bourbon and pointed to have it refilled as Cy strode up to the bar with his jaw clenched tight. “Congratulations,” Carter said, trying to hide the annoyance from his voice. Reagan had reminded him of how great their relationship was and that all of that would change if they became a public spectacle, which they would. He begrudgingly gave her that point.
“Fuck congratulations, just give me the bottle,” Cy grumbled as Carter handed over the bottle of Rock Hill Farms Bourbon to him.
Cy tossed it back and chugged straight from the bottle of expensive bourbon. “Do you know how hard it is standing here pretending I didn’t just lose my baby girl? To know that you’re no longer the person responsible for her?” Cy took another long pull from the bottle. “Your dad said it was bad, but it would get better. Riley said I gained a son. Well, I can tell you, I want to tear Matt limb from limb. So I don’t feel very fatherly toward him at the moment.”
Carter reached out and pried the bottle from Cy’s fingertips and took a drink of his own before handing it back. He was going to do it. It would be like ripping off a Band-Aid. “Mr. Davies, Reagan—”
“Reagan,” Cy scoffed. “Thank goodness she’s still single. I don’t think I’d be able to contain myself if she brought a man here. Do you know how embarrassing it would be to have my own brother arrest me for murder?”
Carter made a noncommittal sound as he decided to reevaluate his idea of telling Cy. Maybe in a month or two when Cy had calmed down. He looked up and his eyes instantly found Reagan. She looked over Aniyah’s head and blinked. Aniyah was Riley’s assistant and one of the newest residents of Keeneston. Then she blatantly looked outside the reception area. Her meaning was clear. A second later, she smiled her excuses and walked out.
Cy was still grumbling so Carter left him with the bottle of bourbon and followed Reagan a short time later. He found her waiting for him under a tree outside the reception looking around nervously.
“What were you talking about with my dad?”
“Just told him the wedding was nice,” Carter grimaced and hoped she couldn’t see it in the dark.
He felt her hand trailing down his chest to his suit pants. “What are you doing?” he whispered, not trying to stop her at all.
“You know weddings get me feeling amorous.” Carter felt her lips on his neck, and he finally touched her. She was beautiful as the maid of honor. Her hair was perfect, and he had to be careful not to mess it up when all he wanted to do was run his fingers through her hair and kiss her into next week.
“I do know that,” Carter whispered against her ear as she fumbled with his zipper. He looked around and noticed the tree provided quite a bit of cover, but at the same time they would be at great risk of being caught. But then Reagan freed him from his suit pants and pulled a condom from her bra, and he figured the risk of getting caught was worth it.
“We have to hurry. My sister will be cutting the cake soon.”
Carter was already pushing up her dress and pulling her panties down her legs. Something he’d learned over the past months of dating Reagan: they were combustible together. Their friendship only seemed to heighten their sex lives. As he picked her up and slid into her, Carter thanked his lucky stars for making a move on her because she’d ruined him for other women. Not only did they spend time wrapped in each other’s arms talking, or racing each other on horseback as they laughed, they also connected on a level he never knew existed when they made love. Even now, knowing they could be caught at any moment, they were completely in sync and lost in each other.
Breathing hard and resting his forehead against hers, he finally told her what he’d known for a while now. “You mean everything to me, Reagan.”
Reagan was quiet for a moment, her legs still wrapped around him as he held her off the ground. It was then he noticed the small tear in the corner of her eye. “Oh, Carter. I never want to leave this perfect bubble we have together. Thank you. Thank you for making me so happy.”
“Cake?” they heard someone say in the distance. Reagan’s eyes went wide as Carter hurriedly set her on the ground.
“I’ll meet you inside,” Reagan leaned up and kissed his lips as she shoved her dress down and moved to hurry inside. Carter cleaned himself up and took a deep breath as he looked up at the stars. She was so damned happy. If he had told Cy, he would have ruined everything. She was right. He had to keep quiet . . . for now.
Carter took a step away from the tree only to pause when something caught his eye. It was a light green scrap of fabric on the ground. Reagan’s panties. Carter bent down and picked them up, stuffing them into his pocket. Phew, it was a good thing he didn’t leave those behind.
* * *
“Where are you going?”
Reagan rolled her eyes at her father. Her new house was almost finished being built, and it wasn’t going to happen soon enough. She loved her parents, but after Riley got their house blown up, she’d been stuck living with her parents. One week and she’d be moving into her own home again. Only this time, she’d be by herself. Well, kind of. She wondered how often Carter would spend the night.
She’d been staying with him every chance she had. She’d even resorted to telling her dad she had a flight only to leave her phone and car at the airport and have Carter pick her up so she could spend some time alone with him.
“I’m going over to see Sophie,” Reagan called out as she let the door close behind her. She needed space, badly. She knew her cousin needed her girls tonight, and maybe she’d pick up some advice on how to handle her Carter situation. She loved being with him. But since Riley’s wedding, he started dropping hints that he wanted to bring their relationship out of the shadows, and she needed to shut that down. After living with her dad, there was no way in hell she was going to have a public relationship.
Reagan pulled up to Sophie’s and was met by all her cousins. They crammed into Sophie’s room like old times and talked and laughed. She listened to Sophie talking about Nash, Ahmed’s mentee who had disappeared for a while on an undercover operation for the King of Rahmi, and how she’d had a secret relationship with him that went south . . . until now. Now she was in love with him and didn’t know how to tell him. And all Reagan could think about was Carter.
* * *
“Don’t ask me,” Carter said with a sigh. “They’re as clear as mud.” Gabe had it right. Women were so confusing. They were supposed to be helping Nash understand Sophie, but Carter couldn’t focus on it. He was thinking of Reagan. Nash said he should have fought for Sophie. Was that what Carter needed to do? But in that case he’d be fighting Reagan herself, since she was the one wanting to keep their relationship under wraps.
One thing he knew, he needed to see Reagan. Now.
* * *
Carter stumbled from the café after their guys’ night and paused on the sidewalk. Crap, he was too drunk to drive. He was staring at the keys in his hands when he felt someone put a hand on his shoulder.
“Can I drive you home?”