A Love Worth Living by Skylar Kade Page A

creepy-crawly species. He expected it would—Carrie wasn’t the kind of woman to get squeamish about bugs. She’d be too busy being fascinated by them.
    Before he could go too far, Carrie poked at his ribs. “Stop, David, hold on. Can we talk?”
    He pulled her to a stop against the balcony overlooking the main atrium. She turned away from him to take in the bird’s-eye view of the elephant display. He braced his arms around her. To all the world, they looked like a couple simply watching the main-floor activity.
    It was anything but simple. “Yes?”
    “This—you—it’s too much.” She sounded unsure, a state she probably wasn’t comfortable with. She shifted, and her ass rubbed against the front of his jeans.
    He bit back a curse and clenched his hands against her too-bony hips. “Hold still, Care, unless you’re trying to distract me.”
    She froze. “Sorry. But this is exactly what I’m talking about. I thought you wanted to show me around the city, not drive me bonkers.”
    His hands slid upward to dip in with her waist, skim along the sides of her breasts, then slide down her arms and trap her more completely against the low wall. “If my company has you so twisted in knots, maybe there’s a good reason why.”
    The cacophony of voices from the main floor filled the space, while Carrie’s hands tightened and loosened on the balcony railing.
    “Don’t pull that on me, David. You’re not going to turn this around. You’re pushing me—” He pressed his hips against hers, a reminder of how much she turned him on. “I…I don’t appreciate it,” she finished, though she’d lost much of her intensity.
    “See, I don’t believe you. Driving you bonkers, I’ll take credit for.” He kissed her vulnerable neck just to watch a shiver work across her skin. “But you love this. You crave it. And don’t try to tell me otherwise. Everything you don’t want to say, your body shouts for you.”
    She hung her head, until her fine red hair covered her face.
    “Tell me I’m wrong.”
    Long moments passed before she shook her head.
    A group of kids ran to the railing next to them to point and shout at people on the ground floor. She stiffened, relaxing only once they’d been recalled to their group by the teacher.
    “So, what’s the problem?” He circled his thumb on the soft skin of her inner wrist.
    Her deep inhale pressed her back against his chest. “I get lost in you.”
    Her words were so quiet he almost missed the pain in them, but every syllable stabbed into his gut. This was the reassurance that Carrie needed someone—needed him. She couldn’t even let herself feel lust without anxiety attached to it.
    But why? What in her past had scared her off relationships? As a friend, he wanted to find out. As a psychologist, he needed to, for her sake.
    He tugged on her shoulder and cupped her cheeks once she faced him. “For one day, one afternoon, just feel. I promise I will catch you if you stumble.” He dipped his head to steal a kiss. “Friends with benefits, right?”
    She nodded.
    “So let me be your friend. Trust me that much.”
    Fear widened her eyes. “I can’t think around you, David. Not about anything important.”
    “Well, tell me what has you so worried. Maybe I can help.”
    “Work! My next case, whether Gunnerson needs me, how badly Dr. Stevens is messing up my case filing system. But you crowd out all of those thoughts. It’s like my skin doesn’t fit today, and it aches.” She let her head sink forward against his chest.
    “So you’re thinking about me. And you.”
    A muffled confirmation sounded from her lips mashed against his shirt.
    “Well I think both of those things are pretty damn important.” Before she could argue, he was hit with inspiration. “Let’s reason this out.”
    Her head lifted and she gave him a doubting look.
    “Just bear with me, okay? And don’t interrupt. Just nod if you agree.”
    She started to speak, but bit her lip before