Instead of opening the door, though, he just stood there staring at her, knowing he should leave, but not quite able to go yet.
Arms crossed, Regan smiled slowly and blinked up at him. “So, um, today turned out better than I was expecting. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He wrapped his fingers around her waist, brought her close, and leaned in, but stopped when she tensed, her hands settling on his arms.
“I…it’s just that…” Her breath was short, raspy. Sexy. But she dropped her gaze—not a good sign—then inhaled slowly, taking a long time to look up again. “There’s so many reasons why we can’t do this.”
“Like what?”
“Like it’s never a good idea to dip your pen in the company ink.” Carter started to object, but she talked over him. “I know you don’t own the clinic, but your friends do, so it puts this right up there beside the inkwell, and
if
I get the job, it means we’ll be working with each other every day.”
When he grinned at her, she just rolled her eyes and chuckled.
“Exactly,” she said. “Last night was…yeah…but I meant what I said; I’m not looking for a relationship, and I’m sure as hell not going to be your next flavor of the month.”
“What about—”
“And honestly, Carter, I have too much going on right now to spend time trying to figure out how to keep you or any other guy happy.”
“Any other guy?” Carter frowned. “What other guy?”
“And besides all that,” she went on, ignoring his frown. “I’m pretty sure there’s some kind of friend code that prohibits friends from dating each other’s cousins. It’s like dating your best friend’s sister.”
“See, now you’re just making shit up.” When she laughed quietly, he leaned in again, closer, but didn’t kiss her. Not yet. “I’m not asking you to tattoo my name across your butt, Red.”
“I know, but let’s be serious for a second. I don’t do picket fences and minivans, remember? And I’m pretty sure the mere mention of those words gives you hives, am I right?”
He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
“Exactly,” she said. “So what good can come from this? It’d only be a matter of time before we both started looking for a way out, and I won’t be the one who makes things awkward between you and Jayne or you and your friends if they give me this job—which they probably won’t if they think we’re together.”
He cupped her face between his palms and slid his thumb across her cheek, so soft, so perfect.
“I can’t decide if I should be flattered you’ve put so much thought into this or offended that you came up with so many reasons in such a short amount of time.”
Her quiet laugh settled inside him, warm and smooth, even as she added the final brick to the pile.
“You know I’m right.”
Of course he knew she was right; didn’t mean he had to like it, but after a few seconds, he finally gave in with a slow sigh.
“I should probably warn you that I’ve never stayed friends with a chick I’ve slept with, so I’m not sure how this is supposed to work.”
“Well.” A slow smile tugged at her lips as she covered his hands with her own and gently pulled them down. “Since I’m not a chick, I bet it’ll be easier than you think.”
“Yeah, right.” With a resigned grunt, he forced a smile he sure as hell didn’t feel. “Bring your résumé by tomorrow morning and I’ll put in a good word for you. Fair enough?”
“Thank you.” She looked up at him, but there was no smile this time, just a glimpse of the wall he’d already come to hate. “Who knew you were such a nice guy?”
Truth be told, no one was more surprised than him. With a low, muttered curse, he pulled the door open and stepped out into the hall, letting her hand slip slowly through his.
He backed into the elevator, never looking away from her until the elevator doors closed between them. She was right; neither one of them wanted a relationship, so they’d
Arms crossed, Regan smiled slowly and blinked up at him. “So, um, today turned out better than I was expecting. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He wrapped his fingers around her waist, brought her close, and leaned in, but stopped when she tensed, her hands settling on his arms.
“I…it’s just that…” Her breath was short, raspy. Sexy. But she dropped her gaze—not a good sign—then inhaled slowly, taking a long time to look up again. “There’s so many reasons why we can’t do this.”
“Like what?”
“Like it’s never a good idea to dip your pen in the company ink.” Carter started to object, but she talked over him. “I know you don’t own the clinic, but your friends do, so it puts this right up there beside the inkwell, and
if
I get the job, it means we’ll be working with each other every day.”
When he grinned at her, she just rolled her eyes and chuckled.
“Exactly,” she said. “Last night was…yeah…but I meant what I said; I’m not looking for a relationship, and I’m sure as hell not going to be your next flavor of the month.”
“What about—”
“And honestly, Carter, I have too much going on right now to spend time trying to figure out how to keep you or any other guy happy.”
“Any other guy?” Carter frowned. “What other guy?”
“And besides all that,” she went on, ignoring his frown. “I’m pretty sure there’s some kind of friend code that prohibits friends from dating each other’s cousins. It’s like dating your best friend’s sister.”
“See, now you’re just making shit up.” When she laughed quietly, he leaned in again, closer, but didn’t kiss her. Not yet. “I’m not asking you to tattoo my name across your butt, Red.”
“I know, but let’s be serious for a second. I don’t do picket fences and minivans, remember? And I’m pretty sure the mere mention of those words gives you hives, am I right?”
He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
“Exactly,” she said. “So what good can come from this? It’d only be a matter of time before we both started looking for a way out, and I won’t be the one who makes things awkward between you and Jayne or you and your friends if they give me this job—which they probably won’t if they think we’re together.”
He cupped her face between his palms and slid his thumb across her cheek, so soft, so perfect.
“I can’t decide if I should be flattered you’ve put so much thought into this or offended that you came up with so many reasons in such a short amount of time.”
Her quiet laugh settled inside him, warm and smooth, even as she added the final brick to the pile.
“You know I’m right.”
Of course he knew she was right; didn’t mean he had to like it, but after a few seconds, he finally gave in with a slow sigh.
“I should probably warn you that I’ve never stayed friends with a chick I’ve slept with, so I’m not sure how this is supposed to work.”
“Well.” A slow smile tugged at her lips as she covered his hands with her own and gently pulled them down. “Since I’m not a chick, I bet it’ll be easier than you think.”
“Yeah, right.” With a resigned grunt, he forced a smile he sure as hell didn’t feel. “Bring your résumé by tomorrow morning and I’ll put in a good word for you. Fair enough?”
“Thank you.” She looked up at him, but there was no smile this time, just a glimpse of the wall he’d already come to hate. “Who knew you were such a nice guy?”
Truth be told, no one was more surprised than him. With a low, muttered curse, he pulled the door open and stepped out into the hall, letting her hand slip slowly through his.
He backed into the elevator, never looking away from her until the elevator doors closed between them. She was right; neither one of them wanted a relationship, so they’d
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