The Right Choice(28)
Author: Carly Phillips

She was still petrified of becoming her father’s daughter—the last interlude with Mike proved she was on the brink—but still, at some point she’d lost track of Carly and what she wanted out of life. And that was something else she’d have to look into. With her seniors’ graduation behind her and the whole summer ahead of her, she could focus on herself.

The doorbell rang again. She headed into the hall. A door led to a small entryway and landing where a long staircase connected the upstairs and downstairs portions of the house. She swung the door open wide.

“Can I borrow a cup of sugar? I’m all out.”

“Oh, no.”

Mike grinned. “Yup. So how about that sugar, Sugar?”

“Couldn’t you think of something more original?” she asked.

“Avon calling?” He advanced two steps.

Carly forced herself to remain in place. Any retreat would give him too much information about how much he affected her. Like he needed anything more than her overly enthusiastic response the last time they were together, she thought, her cheeks burning at the memory.

She shook her head. “Try again.”

“How about this?” He took another two steps forward and met her lips with his in a scorching kiss. His mouth moved over hers with such skill and perfection, she was surprised her legs still supported her. All she could do was reach for his shoulders and hold on.

The kiss was all she’d dreamed about and everything she’d missed. It was also too short. He freed her with an agonized groan, but his golden eyes still glittered with desire.

She pushed her bangs out of her eyes and exhaled. A frustrated sigh escaped instead. Apparently her plans for solitude and self-learning were about to be drastically altered. “What are you doing here?” she asked. Forget about how he’d found her. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

Mike shrugged and walked past her into the foyer.

“Well?”

“I’ve got two answers to that. Work and you.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Explain the work part.”

Once in the kitchen, he turned a chair around and straddled it with his legs. Muscular legs, she noted before shifting her gaze to his face. She chose a chair opposite him.

“I’m doing a layout for a special on summer vacation spots,” he said.

“Right. The man who loves travel and danger suddenly chooses the Hamptons. Hoping to expose the ever-present beach pickpockets?”

“Watch the sarcasm,” he said with a grin.

“Then try the truth.” She stood and walked to the refrigerator. She pulled out a can of soda and popped the top. “Cola?” She offered the can to him, hating the ingrained politeness that governed her actions. She wanted to toss him out before she could succumb again. The good girl in her didn’t know how.

He shook his head.

She downed a large sip of soda herself.

“I’m here to work. And to see you,” he said.

The bubbles burned her throat, causing her eyes to water.

“To make sure you have a friend if you need one, or a shoulder to cry on if it comes to that.”

She coughed, wiping tears from her eyes. Damn his sense of chivalry, anyway. It made turning him away that much more difficult. “Well, I appreciate the sentiment, but there’s no need.” She slammed the soda can on the table for emphasis. The liquid popped up, splashing over the oak surface. She shot him a frustrated glance and grabbed for a towel to wipe up the mess.

Propping his elbows on the table, he sat in silence.

“What, nothing to say?”

“Why should I bother? Obviously you believe what you’re saying, or you’re trying to convince yourself.” He shrugged. “I happen to know better.”

“You’re certainly full of yourself today.”

He grinned. “It’s part of my charm.”

“I’m serious, Mike.”

“So am I. I know you want to believe you don’t need anyone, but it isn’t true. No man… er, woman, is an island,” he said with a grin.

She narrowed her eyes. “I see. So last time you ran into trouble, you turned to… who?”

“The psychologist in you,” he muttered. “I respect that even if it makes my life more difficult. This isn’t about me.”

She shrugged. “Maybe it should be.”

“Stalemate, sweetheart.” Rising from the chair, he reversed positions and slid it under the table before starting across the kitchen.

“Where are you going?”

He turned. “I made this my first stop. I have to find a hotel.”

“You mean you don’t have a reservation?” she asked warily.

“Not yet. This assignment came up at the last minute.”

“I’ll just bet it did.” She forced a grin. “Good luck.” And he’d need it. A sunny weekend at the Hamptons. Just where did the man think he was going to find a hotel with a vacancy? Or a motel? Or even a rat-trap dive?

Carly swallowed a rising tide of anxiety. Maybe he’d get lucky. He’d better… or she’d find herself in deeper trouble than she’d ever imagined.

* * *

Hours later, Carly sat on the deck watching dusk fall. Dark clouds had rolled in over the horizon and thunder rumbled in the distance. She curled up her knees and wrapped her arms around her legs, letting the beauty and anger of nature rise around her. Despite the pending storm, she felt a measure of peace. By this time, Mike had to have found a room or he’d have returned. Though she knew he wouldn’t make himself scarce for however long he planned to stay, at least she still had a measure of time to herself.

A cool breeze slid over her skin as the wind picked up in intensity. She shut her eyes and sighed with contentment. This trip away from home and her problems had been the perfect solution. Surely here she’d find the missing pieces in her life, the reasons she’d nearly married a man she knew she didn’t love. The reasons she’d turned a blind eye to what she now viewed as his obvious betrayal. And the reasons she was so drawn to Mike, the antithesis of everything she’d ever believed she wanted in a man.

A lone drop of rain fell onto her arm. She wouldn’t be able to sit here much longer. The storm would drive her in.

“I should have known stupidity ran in my family.”

Carly opened her eyes. Mike stood before her, frustration evident in both his voice and the aggravation marring his expression.

“Not a hotel room to be found?” she asked in a sugary sweet voice.