His words stopped when I shook my head. I met his gaze and swallowed, not quite sure how to even describe what was going on with me, let alone voice it. “Don’t put them off.”
“But—”
“I want to meet them. I can handle it.” He didn’t look quite convinced as he stood there, almost looking as if he were ready to catch me. “We can handle them together.”
“Okay.” He nodded, hesitation pouring from him.
“Yep.” I finally smiled. “If your mom gets excited, that’s great. It means she approves.”
Carter’s features softened. “Tanner, of course she’ll approve. So will my dad. I love you.” I didn’t think hearing that would ever get old. “My loving you will be all they need to win them over.”
I tugged him into my arms and before I kissed him, whispered, “Make sure she chooses pink wool.”
His gasp was everything I hoped it would be. I loved taking Carter by surprise. As our lips locked and mouths moved against each other’s, a small dip of his tongue seductively brushed against mine. He pulled up for air before I was ready, eliciting a disgruntled groan from me.
A giant grin spread across his lips. “Thank you.”
“For what?” I asked.
“For not passing out.”
I laughed loudly.
“I’m serious,” he continued. “For a minute there, I thought you were a goner. Fortunately for you, I’m a doctor.” He looked entirely too smug.
“Is that right?”
“Well, you’re something akin to a gorilla at tim—”
The air whooshed out of him as I tackled him to the ground, turning as we landed so he fell on me. “Gorilla, huh?” I started laughing again, his shocked expression comical.
“Yes, definitely. What the heck was that?”
I shrugged and reached up to stroke his cheek. “Didn’t realize I needed an excuse to get you on top.” I wriggled my brows at him.
Carter tutted, rolling his eyes at me. “True I suppose.”
I leaned up and caught his lips with mine, before settling back down. “And for the record, I wasn’tthatfreaked out.”
A laugh-snort burst free from him. “You keep telling yourself that, buddy.” He shifted, nudging against my growing erection, and I groaned at the contact. Concern lit his eyes at the sound. “You okay?”
I shook my head. I tilted my hips up and rubbed against him.
He arched one brow, his lips lifting. “You need me to kiss that better?”
I bit my cheeks to stop from grinning and nodded, wearing the most solemn face I could manage. “I think it’s the only way to make this right and enable me to walk out of this alive.”
Carter nibbled his bottom lip, his eyes hooding as he eased his way down my body and prepared to show me just how lifesaving his mouth could be.
Chapter Sixteen
CARTER
We watchedfrom the front door, my hand in Tanner’s, as my dad parked his car. I took a deep breath. “You ready for this?” Tanner squeezed my hand and released a small chuckle. I knew he wasn’t taking this visit seriously. Yes, we’d had that “sort of” discussion a month ago at the lake, in addition to a few others since, plus I’d recounted my mom’s loud squeal that had caused a ringing in my ears just two days earlier, but Tanner had no clue whatsoever what was going to hit him.
Two days. I had waited until the last possible moment to tell my parents Tanner and I were an item. I’d hoped a couple of days wouldn’t be enough time for her to overprepare for their visit, or make any possible calls to my extended family. I knew there was a good chance my great-aunt in Scotland could have already heard and was starting to look at flights to the US. I wouldn’t put it past my overexuberant mother.
When I’d admitted to my parents that Tanner, the same guy who’d worked his magic on my house over the past few months, was actually my boyfriend, my mom’s squeal of “I knew it!” had set dogs howling everywhere within a three-mile radius. I was sure of it.
