The Merger (33 page)

Avery yawned as she walked toward him. He p
laced
his arm around her
waist
and she
his
as they walked to the elevator.

As the doors opened and they stepped in, he hit the button for the lobby.

“Exciting night,” he said.

Avery nodded. “Did you see the new jewelry on Julie’s finger?” Perhaps her comment came out a bit too snippy. “No wonder Spencer left our birthday party early.”

“I thought it was the pink and black cake you made him have…again.”

That brought a hint of a smile to her lips. She did like to torment her birthday-twin cousin by designing the color theme every year—pink and black.

Pete took her hand and brought it to his lips. He pressed a kiss to her fingers and said, “I can’t think of a better reason to leave a party than to go get engaged. If that’s what they did.”

“Why else would she have a ring like that?”

He shrugged, but he knew that Spencer was all class. Right
now,
it was Darcy and Ed’s moment and soon it would be Christian and Victoria’s moment. He’d have time later to share the news, if there
was
any.

When the doors opened, Pete kept hold of Avery’s hand and walked her to his car in the parking garage. She was silent on the walk. He opened the door for her and waited until she was comfortable before walking around and getting in himself.

“Thank you for being here with me,” she said, wiping tears from her eyes. “I seem to be a little emotional about it all.”

“You deserve to be. But Avery, you know there isn’t anywhere I’d rather be than with you.”

That caused her to chuckle. “You need a woman,” she retorted as he started the engine and backed out of the parking space.

“I guess if one comes along. For
now,
I’ll just spend my time with you.”

She smiled at him. “I’m lucky to have you.”

“Likewise.”

She reached for his hand and held it in hers. “I don’t want to be alone tonight. Will you stay with me?”

Pete shrugged. “I could. Do you have a fan for that spare room? It gets really hot in there.”

Avery nodded. “Yes.” She then leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. “You’re too good to me.”

“I know that.”

“I’m going to miss you when I move away,” she said, and he felt every muscle in his body tense.

“I was hoping by now you’d changed your mind.”

The thought of her moving to France to run some vineyard that her grandfather, whom she didn’t know very well, had bought for her had his blood hot. Her parents weren’t going to like it too much. Hell, he didn’t like it too much. But what could he say?

He’d longed for her as long as he could remember and she didn’t seem to have the same feelings. What more could he do than to support his dearest friend in her new
adventure?
Perhaps while she was gone, his focus would change and he would find that woman she was always saying he deserved.

“I was thinking, when you go, maybe I could rent
the house
from your aunt. My lease is up next month and I’d like something a little bigger.”

She looked up at him and smiled. “I think that would be nice. I’m sure Julie will be moving out soon.” She chuckled again. “Maybe the woman of your dreams will move in. It worked for Ed and for Spencer.”

“Maybe,” he said, turning down her street.

He drove down the alley to the back of her house and parked next to her car.

“Maybe I should just head home,” he said. “It’s really late and you need some sleep.”

She shook her head. “I don’t want to be alone.”

He knew that, but he needed some space. The move to France
weighed
too heavily on him and the fact that she didn’t even see him as anything other than a friend was wearing on him too.

The motion lights on the back porch turned on as she opened the car door. “Please come in,” she said softly. “If you don’t stay that’s fine. Just keep
me
company a while.”

It was already three o’clock in the morning. She’d want to head back to the hospital early. He might as well stay.

He opened his door and stepped out as she shut her door and dug for her keys.

As he walked around the
car,
she looked up at him. The light behind her gave her a glow,
and at
that moment he thought she might be more beautiful than any other time in her life.

“You looked amazing tonight, by the way,” he said not resisting when the urge to touch her hair took over.

“Thank you. I had a really fun night.” She pressed her lips together. “I
was thinking
we could go back to the hospital around nine.”

Pete nodded. “Sure.”

“And I was hoping maybe you’d hold me all night,” she said quickly as if she’d been holding in those words all night.

There was a flash in her eyes and he wasn’t sure she knew it had happened. But he’d caught it.

Pete moved in closer to her, resting his hands on her hips. “You want me to sleep
in
your bed with you?” His voice cracked as he said the words he never thought he’d say.

She nodded. “Just to hold me. I feel…I don’t know what I feel.”

He did. He knew exactly what it was. She was feeling alone even though all the people who loved her surrounded her. They were all moving in different directions with their lives now. Of course, most of them were moving toward families of their own. It was obvious, as she’d pointed
out,
that even Spencer and Julie were moving in that direction. That put Avery in a very unfamiliar place—alone.

He’d felt that way when his younger sister got married too. Pete was officially the last single Carson. But it wasn’t so bad. He had a slew of nieces and nephews and plenty of couches to crash on. But they were both—alone.

Pete followed her up to the house and after she pushed open the
door,
he closed and locked it behind him.

“Do you want something to drink?” she asked.

“I’m really tired. I think I’d rather just turn in.”

Avery nodded, but she didn’t walk further into the house. Instead, she looked up at him. Her eyes were tired, her mascara wiped away, and her nose red from the tears she’d shed during the night.

Completely exhausted, she still radiated.

“C’mon, old lady,” he joked at her new age. “Let’s get you to bed.”

He took her hand and began to pull her through the kitchen, but she tugged against him.

Pete stopped and looked at her, but the way she looked up at him he knew there were no words. For a long
moment,
he stood there gazing at her.

“Avery…”

She stepped to him. “What are we doing?”

“Going to bed,” he said simply.

She shook her head. “There’s more isn’t there?”

God, hadn’t he always hoped there was?

Pete moved to her so they were nearly pressed together. “Avery, what are you saying?”

“I don’t want to be alone.”

“I know. That’s why I’m here.”

Avery stepped to him and rested her hands on his chest. “You’re always here.”

Pete nodded. Here was where he always wanted to be.

She slid her hands up and around his neck. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her.

“Pete, we’ve never kissed.”

“Sure we…”

“Not like a real kiss.”

Pete licked his lips because his mouth had suddenly gone dry. “Friends don’t kiss like that.”

“Some do. Tiffany and Spencer did.”

She mentioned her cousin and his friend with benefits. That was until he fell in love with Julie.

“You and I are different. We don’t want that to come between us,” he reminded her.

Avery’s fingers were playing in his hair and suddenly the three o’clock hour must be messing with them. They seriously weren’t caressing each other in the kitchen were they, and talking about kissing?

Not that there was any space between them. She had closed it and now their bodies were pressed together.

“Everyone has been reminding me lately that you and I have been inseparable since we were little.” Her fingers were now caressing his ear.

“That’s what the title of best friends means,” he said, swallowing hard because he’d always wanted to be more.

“Pete,” her voice trailed off as she gazed up at him. “Kiss me one time as if we were a couple—as if you loved me.”

He hesitated because he wasn’t sure he could do this just once. The problem was his feelings for her had been stirring since he was that young boy. If he kissed her
now,
he wouldn’t want to stop with just one kiss. He couldn’t give her what she wanted.

“Avery…”

“Shhh,” she pressed her finger to his lips. “Just kiss me.”

He’d never denied Avery anything in all the years they’d known each other. Certainly, he wasn’t going to start disappointing her now.

Pete lifted his hand to her cheek and drew her in.

The moment their lips touched. that spark he knew which burned inside of him exploded in a brilliant white light behind his eyelids. The feel of her, the taste of her was more wonderful than he’d ever dreamed—and he had dreamed of it.

Her tongue slipped through his lips and danced with his as her arms tightened around him and his around her.

The moan that escaped her throat had him yearning to continue this simple request forever.

Bestselling Author Bernadette Marie is known for building families readers want to be part of. Her series
The Keller Family
has graced bestseller charts since its release in 2011, along with her other series and single title books. The married mother of five sons promises
Happily Ever After—always.
She says she can write it, because she lives it.

When not writing, Bernadette Marie is shuffling her sons to their many events—mostly hockey—and enjoying the beautiful views of the Colorado Rocky Mountains from her front step. She is also an accomplished martial artist with a second degree black belt in Tang Soo Do.

A chronic entrepreneur, Bernadette Marie opened her own publishing house in 2011,
5 Prince Publishing,
so that she could publish the books she liked to write and help make the dreams of other aspiring authors come true too.

You can connect with Bernadette Marie:

www.bernadettemarie.com

www.5princebooks.com

Books from 5 Prince Publishing

www.5princebooks.com

The Merger
Bernadette Marie

Braving the Darkness
Melynda Price

The Calling
Jim Hanley

The Christmas Tree Guy
Railyn Stone

The Copper Rebellion
Jessica Dall

On Orders of the Commandant
Mark Williams

Christmas Presence
Lisa J. Hobman

Lessons From a Two-Year-Old
Pete Abela

Vivian
Bernadette Marie

How to Have a Happy Marriage
Lindsay Harper

A Gift for Chloe
Susan Lohrer

Penelope
Bernadette Marie

Bridge of Hope
Lisa J. Hobman

A Painted Room
Pete Abela

Amelia
Bernadette Marie

Lilac Lane
Ann Swann

Crisis of Serenity
Denise Moncrief

The Porcelain Child
Jessica Dall