Love and Always (A Pound of Flesh #1.5) Read Online Free PDF Page B

Riley had never mentioned feeling anything other than lust for the women he got involved with. Carter was aware that he’d had girlfriends in the past, but God knows whether they were serious or long term. Man could have children littering the globe and no one would be any the wiser.
    “How is your Miss L, anyway?” Standard wide-eyed expression back in place, Riley looked about as though Carter was hiding Kat someplace. “She not with you?”
    “No. I managed to escape. She’s shopping with Beth, picking up my tux and getting a dress for New Year’s, apparently. I just give over my credit card and stand clear.”
    Both men shuddered at the thought of something as hellish as dress shopping.
    Riley leaned toward the shop door and tossed his smoke out onto the street. “Amen, brother.”
    Carter checked over his shoulder to see who was within eavesdropping range. “And FYI, um, she won’t be Miss L for much longer.” He grinned, the words tumbling out in an excited rush. “She’ll be Mrs. C to you.”
    “No way! You mean she said yes to your punk ass? You’re gettin’ hitched?”
    Riley’s gigantic arms encased him in a smothering hug, despite Carter’s colorful objections, lifting his feet off the floor. Riley whooped and hollered and generally made a spectacle out of the two of them, gathering the whole shop’s attention.
    “Put me down you fucking maniac!” Despite his words, Carter’s smile was wide when his feet once again found purchase.
    “Ah, young love,” Riley cooed, dramatically fluttering his lashes. His face suddenly became serious as though he’d been hit with the answers to life itself. “You know what that shit means, dontcha?” He stood with his arms wide. “Bachelor party!” He clapped his hands. “Oh, man, that would be so sweet. I know an awesome place we could have it, it’s an old lap-dancing club, and I could hire some rather excitable and bendy girls who can—”
    “Riley.” Carter interrupted with a finger to his face. “No.”
    The speed with which Riley’s enthusiastic face dropped and his pout appeared was remarkable. Despite the humor still prevalent in his large, innocent eyes, he looked like a chastised puppy. “You’re no fun anymore,” he griped, pushing Carter’s chest.
    Carter laughed. “Shut up.”
    His cell phone ringing was just the excuse Carter needed to stop Riley’s bachelor party plans in their tracks. Noting the blocked number, he answered with a twist in his gut as he pressed the screen to accept the call. It could only be one person.
    “Max?”
    “Hey, man.”
    Carter smiled and, mouthing Max’s name to Riley, made his way out of the shop to the quieter street. “Merry Christmas! How ya doin’?”
    There was a brief pause. “Oh, yeah . . . Merry Christmas. I’m okay. Same shit different day, you know?”
    Carter didn’t know, but he was relieved to hear Max sound a little more upbeat than he had been almost a week ago. “Slow and steady wins the race, my friend,” he offered gently.
    “Yeah, so my therapist keeps telling me.” His tone was flagrantly bitter.
    “You’ll get there, bud. I know it,” Carter murmured. “Hey, did my parcel arrive?” The Christmas parcel Carter had sent to Max was Kat’s idea. She thought it’d be a nice way of cheering Max up while keeping a very distracted Carter busy.
    Max chuckled. “Yeah, I tell ya, man, if I didn’t love you before, I do now.”
    Carter snorted. “And all I needed to do was ply you with Dr Pepper, licorice whips, and chocolate M&M’s? You’re getting easy in your old age.”
    “It definitely helped me make some new friends. I swear the licorice is like fucking contraband.” His laugh was louder this time and untied the knot of anxiety in Carter’s stomach. “It meant a lot, man.”
    “No problem. It was from Kat and me. It was her idea, actually.”
    Max cleared his throat. “Oh. Well, tell her I said thanks, will ya?”
    “Sure.”
    Carter rubbed his face.