Stacking the Deck (A Betting on Romance Novel Book 2)(108)

The air felt light in her lungs as Liz gave the only answer she could—the truth. “Both,” she replied, then…

Oh God! She’d just admitted she loved him! This was not part of the plan!

He gave a terse nod and then his eyes crinkled. “Apology accepted.”

What? He was smiling at her? Hadn’t she just thrown herself under the bus of emotional vulnerability? Her mouth gaped, she knew this, because she felt like a stunned guppy watching as Carter reached down and took both her hands in his like that day in Jenny Whitmeyer’s pantry. He smiled, a dazzling, smile that simultaneously confused her and warmed her to her toes, and then he leaned in and claimed her lips in a hard, bone-melting kiss, which, let’s be honest, she had no desire to cut short even though she knew this was, surely, goodbye. “Me, too,” he whispered as he pulled away again to look at her.

“Me, too?” She stammered her words. Nothing made sense, and all she could do was drink him in and pray he got the urge to kiss her again so her brain would have time to catch up.

“You were right, Liz. I needed to step up and trust myself. I’ve spent too long accepting other people’s opinion of me.” He glanced at the fountain. “Looks good, doesn’t it?”

Liz nodded, confusion warring with something else inside her. It felt like… hope. “Really good.”

“I’ve already gotten three more jobs out of it.”

“That’s… that’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you.”

He brushed the hair from her temple where she knew she still sported a lingering bruise and leaned in to kiss her gently, his lips warm on her skin. “Thanks,” he said.

Somewhere in the background the head of the Beautification League wrapped up her dedication speech and the fountain turned on, trumpeting into the air. The band began playing the familiar theme song of an underdog hero making a comeback, and Liz couldn’t help but grin foolishly up at him.

She had no idea what it all meant, but he was smiling and kissing her and telling her she was right. Surely, as cosmic messages go, these were all very good signs.

They stood like that, grinning at one another as the music played, the spring sunshine pouring over them. Oh, sure, there were a hundred details to sort through, rough patches to smooth over, misunderstandings to make right. But in this moment, nothing could steal the smile from her face. Nothing.

But then Carter glanced away and swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing, and then he slid a finger between his collar and tie... and tugged.

Liz’s smile faltered.

Oh, no. Was that a nervous tug on his tie? Crud! Maybe love was more than he was looking for! Why had she blurted it out like that, anyway? Here? Now? Was this a ‘take it to the next level’ misunderstanding all over again? Maybe she shouldn’t have been so honest. Maybe his feelings had changed and ‘love’ was too strong a word. Maybe ‘me, too’ meant something else…

Her thoughts skidded to a halt as he slid his tie over his head—and onto hers.

She ducked as the silk fabric slid onto her neck and blinked in confusion. “What—?”

But Carter simply pressed a finger to her lips... and kicked off his shoes. She stared at his bare toes on the grass. Why had she not noticed he wasn’t wearing socks? And why wasn’t he wearing socks?

Her eyes flew up again as he handed her his suit coat. She grasped it reflexively in time to watch his dress shirt slide off his shoulders.

Her tongue felt thick in her mouth as his fingers worked his belt buckle. “Uh, Carter? What are you doing?” Her eyes darted to the people beginning to take notice around them.

“You told me once I didn’t know what it was like to have the whole town see my underwear. Maybe I just want to even the score as best I can.” Then his pants slid to the ground and he stood before her, smiling wickedly, wearing nothing but a hideous pair of smiley-face swim trunks.

Her face flamed. “You’re crazy,” she breathed, acutely conscious of the murmur of interest they were drawing.

“Crazy in love with you,” he whispered back.

Liz stared in stunned disbelief, the words ‘crazy in love with you’ tumbling deliciously over each other in her mind as Carter stepped out of his pants, walked over to the fountain... and stepped in.

The harsh, mumbled curse of surprise that hissed through his teeth sent a rumble of laughter through the crowd. Then he shook his wet hair back and turned to face her, eyes bright. “Elizabeth Beacon!” he called boomingly, despite the fact that she stood no more than fifteen feet away. “I stand here, making a complete fool of myself, because I love you!”

Excited chatter rippled through the crowd, and the band came to a clumsy, cacophonous halt. “I said, I love you!”

Liz’s eyes skittered uneasily to either side of her as the crowd turned its full attention on them.

“I... love you, too,” she murmured self-consciously as someone took Carter’s clothes from her arms.

Carter grinned and stretched a wet hand toward her.

“No. The water must be freezing! You can’t expect—”

“Liz,” he said. “Come here. I can’t do this without you.”

She stepped forward, unable to do otherwise, until her toes touched the low wall of the fountain. “You’re making a spectacle of yourself,” she warned him, knowing she was a part of the spectacle now, too, but beyond caring. Crazy in love with you, he’d said.