Carter's Treasure Read Online Free PDF Page B

catch.
    “Um.” Big sapphire blue eyes blinked up at him, wide with emotion.
    He’d never wanted to kiss anyone more than he wanted to kiss Molly in that moment.
    Carter watched her eyes as he leaned in, still holding her chin. She shivered and turned her head toward the ground, biting her bottom lip.
    Sighing, Carter pulled away. “I’m sorry,” he barely whispered. He really was an idiot. The first girl he had ever really wanted, and he had to ruin it by pushing her when obviously she needed time.
    “I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said as he reached out to turn her face back to him, those eyes now sad.
    Molly brought her hands up to hold his wrist. “I’m so sorry,” she said as she released a shaky breath. She tightened her hold when he tried to scoot away to give her room. “Don’t go,” she begged. “I don’t want you to go.”
    Carter brushed back the piece of hair that had fallen from her ponytail and smiled softly at her. He could feel the war going on in her. He could see the pulse tick in the triangle at her throat, he could hear the choppy breathing she couldn’t control. “I want you to trust me, Molly. I won’t hurt you. I’m not like other guys.” He knew she probably had to deal with a lot of men like Dylan, but he was pretty sure it was more than that. “I won’t hurt you, I promise you, Gorgeous.”
    Molly’s eyes wandered over his face as if she was searching for the truth. He hoped desperately that she would believe him. He could say the words all day long, but he’d learned enough in the short time he’d known her to know he had to prove it to her. The only way he could do that though was if she gave him the chance. And he’d walk through fire for that chance.
    She leaned in slowly and kissed him softly on the cheek, just barely grazing the skin on the side of his mouth. “We’d better get back,” she whispered, “before Brody sends out a search crew for me.”
    “You’re probably right.” He stood first and then helped her up, pulling her into a hug. He felt her suck in a deep breath. Kissing the top of her head, he tucked her in close, feeling her breath on his neck. “I don’t want to let you go,” he said.
    He ran his palm up and down her back, stroking her gently for a long minute before reluctantly releasing her. He reached down to lace his fingers through hers. “Is this okay?”
    She squeezed his hand and nodded.
    “So?” he said as they started walking back, hoping to lighten the mood.
    “Yeah?” She grinned nervously up at him.
    “You gonna give me a chance before you go get married?”
    She looked at him, puzzled.
    “You know, before you go and marry Eli?”
    “Oh. Yeah. Oops.” She smiled this sweet little smile, swinging their hands between them. “You think he’ll be disappointed?”
    “I bet so. He’s a pretty good judge of character. You fit right in with our group.”
    “Well, you all are pretty cool.”
    “Especially me, right?” He winked at her. He liked this carefree part of her, even if he only got to see glimpses of it here and there.
    She squeezed his hand. “Especially you.”

Chapter Three
     
    They continued to walk back toward the pits, but he stopped when they were in the darkened hallway, just before they would have rounded the corner and been seen.
    Molly’s heart sped.
    He was still holding her hand, but turned to face her as he placed his other hand on her waist. She sucked in a breath when he stepped forward. Her first instinct was to be anxious, to cower back, but something in those ice blue eyes told her she didn’t have to be afraid.
    When he had leaned in to kiss her when they were sitting on the track, she’d panicked. And then when he had started to move away, she’d panicked again—for a different reason entirely.
    Those flip-flopping emotions were about to drive her crazy.
    Now, in the dimmed corridor, Molly closed her eyes to catch her breath and to search for a decision. He’d been rubbing his thumb