“Absolutely,” I chime in, feeling genuinely excited about the idea. “That sounds like a great plan. What do you say, Carlie? Wanna check out the brewery later?”
She nods enthusiastically. “I’d love that. Maybe after our zoo adventure this afternoon?”
Brian grins, clearly pleased. “Perfect. Let me know when you’re coming, and I’ll make sure to give you the VIP treatment.”
“Thanks, Brian,” I say as he makes his way to leave. “We’ll definitely take you up on that. See ya this evening.”
He throws up a hand and walks out. “Have fun.”
As Brian exits, I turn back to Carlie. “So, about the zoo this afternoon ...”
Her face lights up. “I’m really excited to show it to you. The Duluth Zoo is one of my favorite places. I adore animals—and it’s the safest way for me to love them without having to ensure they stay alive. Which, as it turns out, I’m not great at.” She frowns slightly, and I know there must be another story hidden in there.
The idea of spending more time with her, especially in a place that means something to her, fills me with a warm anticipation. “I’m looking forward to it. But first, you mentioned needing a shower. Do you want to just take one here? I know I teased last time about not?—”
“Yeah, that would be great, actually,” she says with a smile that makes my heart skip a beat.
“All right, let me get you some towels. You can use the shower upstairs,” I offer, trying to keep my voice steady.
As we head back into my house, there’s a new level of intimacy in the air, subtle but undeniable. I show her to the bathroom, handing her one of my extra towels. “Feel free to use whatever you need.”
She accepts the towel, her gaze holding mine for a moment, filled with an unspoken understanding. “Thanks, Adam.”
I can tell there’s more she wants to say, as she opens and closes her mouth. However, she never speaks the words that seem to be ready to fall from her lips.
Instead, she reaches over and brushes her hand across my jaw. Then, she steps into the bathroom.
There’s a zing of electricity that passes through me—like there’s a hint of an invitation in her touch.
After Carlie closes the bathroom door, I find myself standing alone in the hallway, caught in a tangle of thoughts. There’s this tension in the air—a sense of something unspoken between us. I can still feel the warmth of her smile, the hint of invitation in her eyes.
Should I ...?
No, Adam, don’t be that guy,I scold myself.
Full consent only—that’s my rule.
And she didn’t speak her consent.
But the thought lingers, tantalizing and bold.
The idea of just casually knocking on the door and asking if she needs any company is tempting—reallyfuckingtempting. A part of me wants to throw caution to the wind and see if that spark I feel is as strong as it seems.
I run a hand through my hair, wrestling with the urge. It would be so easy to give in, to let this growing connection between us take its natural course. But another part of me hesitates, wary of crossing a line that could complicate things if Carlie’s not there yet.
Sure, she writes romance for a living—but doesn’t that mean she wants to be wooed?Romanced?
As I’m lost in this internal debate, the sound of my phone vibrating snaps me back to reality. I pull it out of my pocket, expecting maybe a message from Brian or a notification from Instagram.
It is an Instagram notification—only it’s a comment from Jillian.
My heart sinks a little and the moment of possibility with Carlie abruptly fades.
Opening the notification, I’m met with Jillian’s familiar tone of sarcasm and insinuation. She’s commenting on one of the Instagram posts I made with Carlie this week—basically telling everyone that Carlie’s a lost cause and I’m only using her to jump-start my own business.
There’s an edge to her words, a subtle jab meant to rile me up and hurt Carlie.
What a bitch.