BooksBarbecue
Back Only With You
Chapters (68)
  1. Copyright Page
  2. Table of Contents
  3. Chapter One
  4. Chapter One
  5. Chapter Two
  6. Chapter Two
  7. Chapter Three
  8. Chapter Three
  9. Chapter Four
  10. Chapter Four
  11. Chapter Five
  12. Chapter Five
  13. Chapter Six
  14. Chapter Six
  15. Chapter Seven
  16. Chapter Seven
  17. Chapter Eight
  18. Chapter Eight
  19. Chapter Nine
  20. Chapter Nine
  21. Chapter Ten
  22. Chapter Ten
  23. Chapter Eleven
  24. Chapter Eleven
  25. Chapter Twelve
  26. Chapter Twelve
  27. Chapter Thirteen
  28. Chapter Thirteen
  29. Chapter Fourteen
  30. Chapter Fourteen
  31. Chapter Fifteen
  32. Chapter Fifteen
  33. Chapter Sixteen
  34. Chapter Sixteen
  35. Chapter Seventeen
  36. Chapter Seventeen
  37. Chapter Eighteen
  38. Chapter Eighteen
  39. Chapter Nineteen
  40. Chapter Nineteen
  41. Chapter Twenty
  42. Chapter Twenty
  43. Chapter Twenty-One
  44. Chapter Twenty-One
  45. Chapter Twenty-Two
  46. Chapter Twenty-Two
  47. Chapter Twenty-Three
  48. Chapter Twenty-Three
  49. Chapter Twenty-Four
  50. Chapter Twenty-Four
  51. Chapter Twenty-Five
  52. Chapter Twenty-Five
  53. Chapter Twenty-Six
  54. Chapter Twenty-Six
  55. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  56. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  57. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  58. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  59. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  60. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  61. Chapter Thirty
  62. Chapter Thirty
  63. Chapter Thirty-One
  64. Chapter Thirty-One
  65. Chapter Thirty-Two
  66. Chapter Thirty-Two
  67. Epilogue
  68. Epilogue

Even so, I looked forward to his messages more than I wanted to admit. I told myself that this was just a fun way to pass the breaks. We were two adults caught up in whirlwind careers and needed to let steam off. Some people gambled or did worse to that end. By comparison, exchanging fun, flirty messages seemed innocent. But when I ran into him at the coffee shop one morning, I couldn’t ignore the current of awareness passing through me when Carter greeted me in that deep voice of his. It wasn’t innocent at all.

“Morning.”

“Hey!”

“I was hoping I’d find you here.”

“Is that so? Why?”

We stood in line next to each other, and I couldn’t help leaning in just a bit closer. He smelled amazing. He was an amazing package all around, truth be told. Carter was a classically handsome man, with striking eyes and lips and a body that belonged on the cover of a magazine. Next thing I knew, our cheeks were almost touching. He’d leaned in too.

“What time do you start work? And when do you finish?” he asked.

“Eight to six.” I had no idea why he’d asked that, but then the corners of his lips tilted up in a knowing smile.

“Why?”

“Told you I need more than ten minutes. Since you’re not relenting about your break times, I found an alternative.”

Being only inches away from him was making a mockery of my negotiation skills. The man was too compelling.

“You’re assuming again.”

“Am I?” He’d leaned in even closer, and I barely bit down the urge to touch that freshly shaved jaw. I nodded, but I was grateful that my turn came next. I ordered quickly, asking the cashier to pack everything to go.

“It’s still seven thirty, Val,” Carter whispered in my ear. “You have time to eat breakfast with me.”

“I have to look over some notes for a meeting.”

He didn’t push at all, which was surprising.

What I’d told him was true, but it wasn’t the only reason I wasn’t staying. Maybe I should stop the flirty messages. He had just moved his office across the road from mine. If this flirting went south, things could become awkward.

In truth, I was having too much fun to stop.

So when Carter texted me at eleven on the dot, I texted right back.

Chapter Eight

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Chapter Eight

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Val

“Oh, these are so beautiful.”