A Pound of Flesh (A Pound of Flesh #1) (17 page)

Austin’s eyes narrowed infinitesimally. “Carter. Rumors aside, we’re family—”

Carter’s eyes blazed. “Don’t play the family card with me, Austin.” He flicked his cigarette away, missing Austin’s left arm by millimeters. “You weren’t my fucking family when I was doing time in prison, so don’t pretend you give a shit now!”

Austin held his hands up in submission. “Okay, okay. I get it.”

“No,” Carter continued, stepping toward him. “You
don’t
get it. We may be related, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t think twice about laying your ass out, right here and now, just on general principle.”

Austin refused to back down, even when Carter was nose to nose with him. “That wouldn’t be too good for your parole, now, would it?”

“Fuck you, you sanctimonious shit,” Carter hissed. “Don’t stand there looking down your nose at me like you’re cleaner than a nun’s bedsheets. I could make one phone call about your dealings with Casari and the Feds would be all over your ass.”

“And of course you have proof about Casari and me, right?”

The two men glared at each other, neither blinking nor stepping back.

“We okay here?”

Austin’s eyes flickered toward Max, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his wide chest.

“Yeah,” Carter answered, never taking his eyes from Austin’s face. “My cousin was just leaving.”

Austin exhaled in resignation. “Think about what I said, Carter. We’ll be in touch.” He headed back across the street to his car.

Carter watched the car pull away, then turned to Max with a face like thunder.

“What the fuck was he doing here?” Max asked with raised eyebrows.

Carter slumped against the wall next to him. “They’re still tryin’ to buy me out.”

“What did you say?”

“I told him to go fuck himself,” Carter replied with a shrug.

Max bumped his shoulder. “That’s my boy.”

Carter cracked a smile, allowing his body to calm down.

Fucking family? What the hell did Austin know about being family?

The Fords were all the same. All they cared about was getting their hands on his money and having more power. And as much as Carter despised every cent that entered his Swiss bank account every month, he wasn’t about to slink off like some black sheep just because the Fords wanted him to.

Suddenly he bolted upright, wide-eyed and frantic. “Shit!” He patted his chest and jeans pockets as though searching for something. “What time is it?”

“It’s three forty-five, man, why? Where’s the fire?”

“Fuck!” Carter cried, running full speed back into the shop to grab his bag and keys. “I’m fucking late! I’m late!”

He pulled on his leather jacket and shades, and ran back out of the shop toward Kala. “My session!” he called back to Max, then pulled on his helmet and threw his leg over the bike. “I’m late and I said I wouldn’t be! I told her I wouldn’t be!”

“Oh, the tutor,” Max replied as Carter steered the rumbling bike onto the road with his feet. “Hey, if you’re not interested, tell her I’ll show her a damned good time! I always had a thing for redheads.”

He laughed when Carter flicked him the finger before revving the Harley and speeding off like a bat out of hell.

* * *

Kat drummed her nails on the library table in annoyance, wondering why the hell she’d thought Carter had meant it when he’d said that he would be on time.

Oh yes—because she was stupid.

She was stupid for thinking he’d be on time. She was stupid for looking forward to their time together and resenting him for cutting it short. And she was really stupid for having taken time to reapply a little lip gloss before she reached the library.

She pulled the copy of
Walter the Lazy Mouse
he’d given her out of her bag and reread the note he’d written. “No matter what the obstacles …”

Well, she thought dryly, the biggest obstacle right now was the fact that the guy would be late to his own funeral. She closed the book and glanced at the clock once again. Four ten. She’d waited thirty minutes the last session. She’d wait twenty this time. She picked up her phone, checking for any messages or missed calls from him. Nothing. The only text she had was from Austin, telling her to have a good day and asking if she had plans on Saturday.

She heaved a sigh, avoiding looking across at the shelves of books where Carter’s large, strong, muscular arm had grabbed her and held her so deliciously—

“Dammit!” She dropped her forehead on the table. “It’s just a stupid crush. Get a grip. Just because he’s pretty doesn’t mean you—”

“Who’s pretty?”

Oh. Holy. Shit.

Kat sat up very, very slowly.

“My … shoes,” she answered, extending her foot so Carter could see the gunmetal-gray Gucci pump. “Aren’t they pretty?” She kept her eyes on her shoes, trying to calm her racing heart.

Carter cocked puzzled eyebrows above eyes that raked over the foot, ankle, and leg she was showing him. “Um, they’re not really my style, but, yeah, great.” He pulled off his jacket and flung it over the back of his seat, grimacing. “So, I know I’m late. And I know I said I wouldn’t be.”

“Yes,” she answered sharply, eager for the change in topic. “Again. I know you have stuff you need to do, but so do I. And your being constantly late just isn’t going to work. We’ve already lost fifteen minutes.”

“Give me a break here, Peaches. It’s only our second session. I’m still trying to find my groove and shit with everything. It won’t be like this forever … I’m trying, okay?”

Kat noticed his face was softer, more vulnerable. She frowned. “What happened?”

Carter sat back, looking surprised. “What?”

“Why were you late? What happened?”

He inhaled deeply and rubbed his neck. “There was a … family issue I had to deal with and I lost track of time.”

Family? That was the last thing she thought he was going to say. She knew nothing about his family. “Is everything all right?”

“Um … yeah, everything’s fine.” His eyes darted away. “Can we start now?”

Kat saw the tension creep back into his jaw. The truth was, she barely knew the man sitting before her, and it was cause for concern. She was lusting after him, yet all she knew for sure was that he’d done time, he had a good education, and he worked in a body shop with his best friend. The fact that he made smoking look sexy as all hell and looked fucking amazing in jeans and Ray-Bans was inconsequential.

Although …

Damn.

“I see you came straight from work again,” she noted with a tip of her head toward his red White Stripes T-shirt smothered in oil.

“Yeah, I get covered in the stuff.” He glanced at her from under his lashes, his gaze like a hot finger pressed to her skin. “Sorry for being late.” He rubbed his hands down his face. “Christ, I need a cigarette.”

Kat stood, scraping her chair across the linoleum floor. “If you need a smoke, let’s go outside and have a smoke.”

“But you don’t smoke.”

Kat put her hands on her hips and took two steps toward the door. “I like to watch,” she sassed. “Come on.”

* * *

Carter watched her for a moment, then followed. Outside of the library, in the warm sunshine, they went to the smoking area.

She gestured with her hand for him to spark up. He smiled and did as she suggested, pulling on the thing for all it was worth. Leaning back against the wall, he caught a waft of her perfume, and closed his eyes briefly at the sweetness of it.

The top of her head only came to his shoulder; how had he not noticed that before? Maybe it was because her confidence, her no-bullshit attitude, made her seem taller. Her hair caught the sun, causing the red and gold to shine. His desire for her grew exponentially every time he saw her and, as he watched her gaze out at the traffic, the stirring she always caused began deep in his stomach.

“Why did you want to become a teacher?” he asked, needing a distraction from his rising libido.

Her head snapped toward him, her big green eyes wary.

“Sorry,” he mumbled around his cigarette. “I didn’t mean to pry. It’s none of my business.” He stared at his feet until she answered.

“My dad. Before he died, I made a promise to him.” She lifted her face toward the sky. “He always taught me that it was important to give back, to not take anything for granted. I loved reading and writing, and becoming a teacher just seemed to … ignite something in me.” She glanced at him. “Sounds corny as shit, right?”

He shook his head. “There’s nothing wrong with passion, Peaches.”

“Did you want to be anything, before prison?”

Carter crossed his legs at the ankles. “There was a time when I wanted to be a doctor.” He’d never told anyone that.

“A doctor?”

“Yeah, a surgeon, actually. Don’t look so surprised. I’m good with my hands.” He wiggled his fingers.

“Is that why you work in the body shop?”

“Nah. Apart from doing it to help Max, I do that because I love engines. Taking it all apart, seeing how it works, and then putting it all back together.” He closed his eyes. “The sound they make is pretty awesome, too.”

The first time he’d blasted Kala to New Jersey one hot summer afternoon; her engine had been so loud his bones had vibrated.

Carter opened his eyes to see her gazing back at him, innocent and wanting. She was such a fucking paradox. The stirring in the depths of his stomach twisted sharply until it began to bloom into something more, something bigger.

It was more than yearning. It was craving. No, he was ravenous for more of her—in every way she’d allow him to have her.

He sucked in a breath against the crushing need to kiss her.

She blinked. “What?”

He cleared his throat, the need to place his mouth against hers rising like a tidal wave through his body. “Nothin’.”

Well, this shit was new.

He didn’t kiss women—ordinarily, they kissed him. Usually, they begged. He’d wanted to do unspeakable things to Peaches since he’d first seen her, but kiss her? That had never crossed his mind.

Until now.

“So, what do you like to do when you’re not, you know, getting covered in oil?” Her smile was awkward. Her smile was fucking adorable.

He wanted to lick her bottom lip. Maybe suck on it. “I like to play guitar.” His voice was rough. “Watch TV. Drink. Ride my bike. Nothing exciting.”

“Yeah, I noticed your helmet.”

“Yes. My baby.”

Peaches laughed. “Boys and their toys.”

“Damn straight.”

She toed the floor. “My dad rode a bike when I was little. I love bikes.”

Of course she fucking did. As if she could be any more damned perfect. Jesus. He stubbed out his smoke and flicked it to the side. “We should go back in.”

Nodding, Peaches pushed from the wall. Carter followed behind closely, watching the luscious sway of her hips as they went inside. There, out of nowhere, a big, bearded asshole with a huge bag smacked hard into her, sending her flying. Carter grabbed her waist, pulling her upright against his chest before she hit the deck.

“Shit!” she gasped, grasping his forearm.

“Watch it,” the asshole sneered without a second glance. “Blind bitch.”

Carter took three huge strides and grabbed the asshole’s wrist, making him spin around. The bastard winced as Carter squeezed the pressure points he knew would hurt like a bitch.

He tried to pull from Carter’s grasp. “What the hell, man?”

“Carter,” Peaches called, hurrying to his side.

He ignored her and twisted the asshole’s arm farther.

“You’re gonna break my wrist!”

Carter growled, “And I will, if you don’t apologize to this lady.”

The asshole opened his mouth, but no sound emerged.

“Apologize,” Carter ordered.

“I’m sorry,” he groaned, but Carter kept his grip.

“Carter, he apologized. Let him go,” Peaches said.

Smirking at the fear in the asshole’s eyes, he squeezed once more for good measure before he released him. The asshole stumbled back, clutching his wrist. He grabbed for the bag he’d dropped on the floor and hurried away, Carter’s stare burning holes in his back.

Peaches spun around, pushing his biceps. “What the
hell
was that?”

Before he could answer, she stormed back toward the reading room, heels hard on the floor, arms jackknifing at her sides. By the time he reached her, she was banging shit around on the table.

“What the fuck did I do?” he asked, his voice low.

She didn’t answer him as she flung herself onto her chair.

“Are you mad?” he asked incredulously.

“We have work to do,” she snapped, throwing him a fiery glower.

Carter’s annoyance peaked. He crossed his arms. “Hey, I asked you a question.”

“Yes, I’m mad,” she shot back in a low hiss.

“Why?”

“Why?”

“Yes. Why the fuck are you mad?” Her ingratitude made his skin crawl, while her rage made his dick harder than titanium.

She spoke through gritted teeth. “I’m mad because you nearly broke a man’s wrist in the middle of the library, because you’re an idiot who seems to have forgotten his ass is on parole and who can’t keep his temper.”

Before she could take another breath, he was looming over her, his hands gripping the armrests of the seat she was sitting in, trapping her against the leather at her back. She leaned back, her eyes narrowed, but he moved closer.

“About done?” he seethed, his eyes boring into hers. “Let me tell you something, Miss Lane. Your ungrateful ass would be smeared across the library floor if I hadn’t caught you, and that shitkicker will now think twice about treating any woman that way again. So don’t bitch to me about what I should and shouldn’t do. You’re my tutor, not my keeper. Get that shit straight right now.”

His body heaved when Peaches’ gaze flickered to his mouth.

Dammit, he wanted to kiss her, to taste her, lose himself in her, to nip and bite and steal every breath she had.

His breathing slowed. “Are you scared?”

She shook her head. So stubborn.

“You should be,” he warned. “You have no idea what I’m capable of.” Her pupils enlarged and goose bumps erupted up her neck. He watched them, fascinated.