this straight. You’re totally fine sneaking into a black tie affair, but not to a restaurant where you have a legitimate reservation.”
Ally smiled despite herself. Sure, it sounded silly when he put it like that.
“I might feel a little better if you’d tell me what we’re really doing here,” she tried.
“Why can’t it be enough that I wanted to take you out to dinner?” he said, looking her in the eye. “You’re a beautiful woman, Ally.”
“Now, sure,” she said, rolling her eyes. “After a team of experts works on me for three hours. They could have done the same thing with a chimpanzee.”
“No, they couldn’t have,” Carter shook his head. “Chimps can’t pull off the heels.”
Ally laughed. “I stand corrected.”
“Besides, they absolutely refuse to laugh at my jokes,” he said, giving her a long look.
Ally tried to push her hair back over her ear out of instinct. Except it wasn’t there. It was all pulled back and piled high. There was nothing to hide her blush, and she was forced to meet his gaze.
“That sounds like the voice of experience,” she shot back.
He shrugged. “You do what you have to do in service to your country.”
Finally, a topic that wasn’t likely to make her blush. “How long were you in the Army?”
“Long enough,” he said.
“And what made you choose to go into Special Forces?”
He raised a brow. “Are you interviewing me?”
“Completely off the record, I promise.” Ally leaned in closer. Her thigh pressed against his knee. Maybe it wasn’t the best idea, getting this cozy, but somehow it felt right.
The waitress came back and put their drinks down in front of them. Carter waited until she had turned away before answering.
“I didn’t choose. I was chosen,” he said.
Ally smiled. “Is that the diplomatic way of saying you were too badass for the regular rank and file?”
“Your words, not mine.” Carter picked up his drink, but his eyes never left Ally’s. “Both Mason and I were approached while at West Point. It seems our skills were better suited for unconventional warfare.”
Ally had no problem believing him. There was nothing conventional about Carter Macmillan.
“And the rest of your men?” she asked.
“They were similarly recruited from the Rangers for their unique talents. That’s how it usually happens.”
Carter shifted in his seat. It was a small move, almost innocent, but it pressed the side of his leg flush against hers, intensifying their contact.
“Ah,” Ally said and took a sip of her water. She was glad that she hadn’t ordered anything stronger. Her head was already swimming. The last thing she needed to do was throw alcohol into the mix.
“Ah, what?” he asked, looking genuinely intrigued.
“I can’t help but think that their unique talents is code for the scariest bunch of bastards that you’ll ever meet .”
“That’s unfair,” Carter said, shooting her a mock scowl. “I’ve met Bowie’s parents personally, and they were both wearing wedding rings.”
Ally glanced at the floor as she laughed, and when she looked up, his eyes were still on her.
Warmth built inside her. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d connected with someone like this. Sure, she’d been on dates, even had a couple of relationships that had stretched into weeks, but Ally had never felt this comfortable with any of those men.
And it wasn’t just attraction—though Heaven knew, she was feeling plenty of that. She felt like she could be herself around him. That he didn’t want her to be anyone but herself. Carter had shown time and time again that he could meet her on her own terms, that he wasn’t intimidated by her or her ambitions, that he was strong enough to take her as she was. And while rock hard abs and a stubble-lined jaw could turn a girl’s head, those were the qualities that really turned a woman on.
“Thanks for making me laugh.” Ally reached out and laid her hand on his knee. “I’m
Ally smiled despite herself. Sure, it sounded silly when he put it like that.
“I might feel a little better if you’d tell me what we’re really doing here,” she tried.
“Why can’t it be enough that I wanted to take you out to dinner?” he said, looking her in the eye. “You’re a beautiful woman, Ally.”
“Now, sure,” she said, rolling her eyes. “After a team of experts works on me for three hours. They could have done the same thing with a chimpanzee.”
“No, they couldn’t have,” Carter shook his head. “Chimps can’t pull off the heels.”
Ally laughed. “I stand corrected.”
“Besides, they absolutely refuse to laugh at my jokes,” he said, giving her a long look.
Ally tried to push her hair back over her ear out of instinct. Except it wasn’t there. It was all pulled back and piled high. There was nothing to hide her blush, and she was forced to meet his gaze.
“That sounds like the voice of experience,” she shot back.
He shrugged. “You do what you have to do in service to your country.”
Finally, a topic that wasn’t likely to make her blush. “How long were you in the Army?”
“Long enough,” he said.
“And what made you choose to go into Special Forces?”
He raised a brow. “Are you interviewing me?”
“Completely off the record, I promise.” Ally leaned in closer. Her thigh pressed against his knee. Maybe it wasn’t the best idea, getting this cozy, but somehow it felt right.
The waitress came back and put their drinks down in front of them. Carter waited until she had turned away before answering.
“I didn’t choose. I was chosen,” he said.
Ally smiled. “Is that the diplomatic way of saying you were too badass for the regular rank and file?”
“Your words, not mine.” Carter picked up his drink, but his eyes never left Ally’s. “Both Mason and I were approached while at West Point. It seems our skills were better suited for unconventional warfare.”
Ally had no problem believing him. There was nothing conventional about Carter Macmillan.
“And the rest of your men?” she asked.
“They were similarly recruited from the Rangers for their unique talents. That’s how it usually happens.”
Carter shifted in his seat. It was a small move, almost innocent, but it pressed the side of his leg flush against hers, intensifying their contact.
“Ah,” Ally said and took a sip of her water. She was glad that she hadn’t ordered anything stronger. Her head was already swimming. The last thing she needed to do was throw alcohol into the mix.
“Ah, what?” he asked, looking genuinely intrigued.
“I can’t help but think that their unique talents is code for the scariest bunch of bastards that you’ll ever meet .”
“That’s unfair,” Carter said, shooting her a mock scowl. “I’ve met Bowie’s parents personally, and they were both wearing wedding rings.”
Ally glanced at the floor as she laughed, and when she looked up, his eyes were still on her.
Warmth built inside her. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d connected with someone like this. Sure, she’d been on dates, even had a couple of relationships that had stretched into weeks, but Ally had never felt this comfortable with any of those men.
And it wasn’t just attraction—though Heaven knew, she was feeling plenty of that. She felt like she could be herself around him. That he didn’t want her to be anyone but herself. Carter had shown time and time again that he could meet her on her own terms, that he wasn’t intimidated by her or her ambitions, that he was strong enough to take her as she was. And while rock hard abs and a stubble-lined jaw could turn a girl’s head, those were the qualities that really turned a woman on.
“Thanks for making me laugh.” Ally reached out and laid her hand on his knee. “I’m
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