Carter's Treasure (12 page)

“Na, babe, I’ll match you,” he said with a cocky smirk on his face.

She stared unblinking at Dylan for several long minutes. “You’ll only be able to handle one.” She gave him a daring look, feeling Carter squeeze her thigh.

Dylan cocked his head to the side. “
I
can handle my liquor, sweetheart.”

She shook her head. “It’ll only take one. I
promise
you.” Molly nodded at the tray. “You drink first.”

“Why?”

“You’ll want to leave after I do mine. You might as well get
one
in.”

Dylan stared at her for a minute. Then he picked up a shot and raised the glass to Molly. He shot it, made a face as it burned going down, then turned the empty shot glass upside down on the table. “I believe it’s your turn,
babe
,” he said with pure arrogance in his voice.

She could feel the testosterone all around her. Between her brother and Carter, there was bound to be something more than just Dylan’s nose broken tonight. She would do her best to finish him herself first.

She could play his game and win. There was absolutely no question in her mind. As much as she wanted to be herself around Carter and his friends, the sweet side of her had to take a backseat this time. James didn’t raise a doormat. Molly looked straight at Dylan for several moments, feeling the other’s eyes on her. She shrugged, daring him to stay. When he did, she smiled sweetly up at Carter, as she picked up his hand off her thigh.

“May I?”

“I’m all yours, Gorgeous.”

Molly gave Dylan an icy stare to make sure he was watching her. “Eli, may I have the salt please, handsome?” Eli kissed her cheek as he handed the salt shaker to her. “Thanks, E.” The sickeningly sweet smile she flashed Eli was purposeful, then her expression went cold again as soon as her eyes locked back on Dylan. As much as she wanted to laugh in his face, she couldn’t. She had him right where she wanted him.

She turned Carter’s wrist over and placed a slice of lime in his palm. With her eyes still on Dylan and making sure to make all her motions slow and deliberate, she started. Licking her lips, she brought his wrist to her mouth and slowly kissed it. She picked up the salt shaker and causally sprinkled a little salt on the spot she’d wet. She ran her hand through her hair slowly, sweeping her bangs off her face. Ready to go, she winked at Dylan.

Like a well thought out scene, she used all the drama and sex she could muster. Using her tongue to very seductively lick the salt off Carter’s wrist, she shot the tequila, and then brought his palm close to her mouth to pick up the lime. She sucked out the juice from the lime and put it in the empty shot glass, then looked at Dylan as she licked her lips again. Molly kissed Carter’s palm first, then his wrist, then batted her eyes twice at Dylan.

“Thanks for the shot. I’m sure Carter enjoyed it as much as I did. I’d have him tell you if it worked or not tomorrow, but I don’t think he’s the kind to kiss and tell.” She gave Dylan a little cocky shrug. “Sorry.”

Dylan glared at her. “Fuck you.”

Molly did everything she could to keep her patience in check and her breathing slow, showing nothing but steel to her rival. With her eyes still locked on his, a full poker face and a voice that was knife’s edge sharp, she left not a trace of uncertainty. “You already know that’s
never
going to happen.”

“I’m outta here.” Dylan’s chair scrapped across the floor as he pushed himself back.

Her calmness was apparently unnerving to him, she held in the smirk as she capitalized on his weakness. “After only one?” she asked in a cute, coy voice. She couldn’t help but play with him like a cat with a mouse. And after two days of the asshole, it was oh so fun.

“You’re a
bitch
.”

Her arm instinctively went across Carter’s chest again, but without breaking eye contact with Dylan. “Maybe…“ She held stone still, at the last second she threw up a shoulder and winked. “But…I was right.”

Molly threw him a little smartass wave as he and his two buddies turned to leave. She waited until they got out the door, then cringed and grabbed the nearest water, which happened to be Jesse’s, and through gritted teeth, she hissed, “Oh my God, that shit burns.”

Their table exploded. Carter shook his head, laughing as he watched her drink half the glass of water. “It does burn. How’d you fake that it didn’t?”

“I sure as hell wasn’t going to let him know it hurt.” Molly laughed. “Sorry, cowboy.”

Jesse laughed even louder than he already was. “Oh, honey, that’s all right. That was too awesome, I’m just glad I got to witness it. I’d never of believed it otherwise.”

Molly winked back.

“So am I to assume you’ve nicknamed me?” Jesse’s warm smile crinkled his eyes.

“Yep. You wear the boots, you’ve got the accent. So yeah,
cowboy
, I did.”

“Do you think he’s ever going to learn not to mess with you? Cause at some point, I’m just going to take him out, just warning you all now.” Joey started passing out the rest of the shots to everyone else. “And that asshole better have already paid for these. And you…” He pointed at Carter as he spoke. “You’re damn lucky she held you back. I have a feeling George wouldn’t be so kind if you pummeled that jackass. I think you got a free pass the other night. Let me take him, I’ve got nothing to lose.”

“Thanks, Joey, but I don’t give a shit. No one’s going to mess with her,” Carter said.

Joey stared a moment, then nodded.

Eli brought her knuckles to his mouth for a sweet peck. “Thanks for letting me be a part of that, even if it wasn’t as good a role as Sterling’s.”

Brody’s gaze narrowed in on her. “What…in…the hell…was that?”

“What?”

He slapped the table. “The whole sex kitten act. What the hell? Where did you learn…that?”

“Brod, I’m a big girl now.” She answered nicely—on purpose.

“You aren’t that big. Dad would shit.”

“Then don’t tell him.” At this point, she was about to go off like a rocket. Her insides felt like a damn pinball machine. Between sitting close enough that only clothes separated her from Carter all night, this last battle with Dylan, and now Brody back on her ass, all she needed was the spark to set her off. And God help the person that lit that match.

“That is not what he meant by not knowing how to do a real shot! You lick the salt, shoot, and suck the lime. That’s it.”

“You’re right, Brod…it’s all in the lick…and the
suck
.”

Carter slapped his hand over his own mouth and was about to die as Erin finally lost it.

“You! You taught her that didn’t you?” Brody looked at Erin with the tears running down her face. “I’m going to kick both your asses, then laugh when Dad does it again. You should be ashamed of yourself, Erin.”

Brody’s outburst only made Erin laugh harder.

“Be nice to her, Brody, you big bully,” Molly scolded.

The entire group was laughing hysterically, drawing attention from other people in the bar. Molly glanced around them, then back to her brother. She leaned closer over the table like she had a big secret. “Hey, Brod, we didn’t practice body shots if that makes you feel better.”

His jaw dropped back open.

“You think you’re cute. Wait till Dad hears about this little stunt. Then we’ll see who’s laughing.” He turned to Erin. “You quit laughing, you’re just making it worse.”

Brody felt the sharp pain in his forehead. The same one he got when he realized his jaw was clenched so tight he couldn’t pass water through his teeth if he wanted to. He breathed in a slow breath through his nose and shook his head at his sister. She sat there smiling, just as pleased as punch. In any other instance this would have been funny. Hell, it would have been hysterical, but not when it was his freaking sister.

Chapter Seven

Carter’s laughter finally calmed down from rolling hysterics to just inside of insane. He scooted out of the booth and held his hand out for her to follow suit. “Oh Gorgeous, you are so awesome. I love you.”

Molly’s eyes went big and she glanced at her brother. His eyes were as wide as hers and his jaw was on the table.
Yeah
. He’d heard the last three words fall from Carter’s mouth too.
Shit
. Her head was spinning. Those three tiny words were weightless individually. But combined? Those little words held the weight of the world, and yet, Carter was acting if he didn’t even know they’d slipped out.

He continued to laugh while pulling her close. “Okay, you’re mine. I think you owe me a dance. Besides, I think with that evil glimmer in your eye and what’s going on between you and Brody, there’s no stopping until there’s bloodshed.”

Oh, there was going to be bloodshed all right. Did Carter not feel the
X
that Brody had just put on his back? He should feel it. Molly could sure as hell see it from a mile away.

Eli grabbed her arm as she and Carter slid out of the booth. “Hey. He didn’t ask, either. Aren’t you going to give him shit too?”

She grinned and kissed Eli’s cheek before she slid the rest of the way out of the booth. She let his good humor and teasing bring her back from the ledge. One more step and she’d be freaking out about what Carter said.

As they made their way to the small dance floor, she waffled at least eleven times, going back and forth as she wondered if she should ask Carter whether or not he had said
I love you
on purpose. She hated not knowing what was going on if it involved her. There was a tiny piece of her that was a control freak. Eh
?
Maybe a little more than a
tiny
piece. Not knowing if Carter meant to say those words, or if he said it accidentally, or what if…
Oh God
. What if he said that and now he was waiting on her response? Crap. Maybe that was it. And she hadn’t said anything.

She said I love you to all her close friends and family all the time. It was no big deal. But it was Carter and this was
such
a big deal. What if he was upset she hadn’t said anything? Oh, God. She didn’t want to have hurt his feelings. Did she love him? Maybe? Yes. Definitely—maybe yes.

Right before she was sure the men in white coats were going to come busting through the doors, Carter took her in his arms and pulled her close. Okay, maybe he wasn’t mad she hadn’t replied. She just wished she knew what was going through his head.

“So, you having fun?” He smiled down at her.

“I am.”

The warmth he felt when she looked up at him with those deep blue eyes was hands down the best feeling he’d ever had. She was amazing. He could get lost staring at her.

“Okay, I have to tell you…you have no idea how hard it was to watch and feel you doing that shot and not just take you right then and there.” He couldn’t help the mischief in his teasing. “I’m talking, one arm swipe across the table, knocking glasses and bottles off, lay you down in front of God and everybody—and take you.”

He knew he would embarrass her by admitting that, and he couldn’t help but love the pink that flashed in her cheeks. But damn, the girl had just about killed him. It had been fifteen minutes and he was
still
hurting. He winked down at her smiling face.

“I’m sorry, it just couldn’t be helped. But thanks for being a willing participant.” She reached up on her tip toes to kiss his lips.

It was just a peck, as sweet as could be. But he wanted so much more. He took a sharp breath in, feeling the heated stare of her brother from across the room. The tension between the two of them had been palpable when they’d first walked in the bar tonight. And although Brody had laughed a few times and had even teased Molly, Carter could still feel the rift between them. With all his heart, he hated to be the cause of something between them. It was obvious they loved each other dearly, but as selfish as it may be, he couldn’t walk away.

He hugged her close and she laid her head against his chest. “I know this is moving fast, but I just can’t imagine a day without you.” He kissed the top of her head and continued to rub her back while they danced to the music.

The pain in her eyes when she looked back up at him tore at his heart.

“I know.”

“What’s the sad look for?”

“Well, you realize how fast Sunday is coming, right?”

“I know.” He sighed. “I’m trying not to think about it.”

She smiled sweetly up at him. “So?”

He could tell she was nervous about her question. “So… what?”

“Well…”

“What happens next?” He let her off the hook and finished for her.

She bit her lip nervously. “You can read my mind, huh?”

He leaned down to kiss her gently on the lips. “I’ve been thinking the same thing.” He leaned down to kiss her again, but more possessively than before. Her lips slowly parted and he took full advantage, his tongue slipping inside over hers, exploring her for several moments. His heart pounding, he finally pulled back to look in her eyes. “And, well, I think I’ve made myself
very
clear. So, Gorgeous, what happens next, is really…up to you.”