Chapter Twelve

Matt climbed behind the wheel. His gaze swept across Carolina’s face and the slight quirk to her lips. She had him going but good. “What are you thinking?” he asked, hungry to do more than talk.

“You’re one handsome man.” She glanced down at his iPod, her lips about to bust out into a wide grin.

“Somehow, I doubt that’s what has got you smiling,” he said, interested in unearthing her secrets. “Are you always such a mystery?”

“I’m not the only puzzle.”

“Me?” he scoffed. This woman had the ability to turn the tables on him, time and time, again. “Carolina, I’m not hiding anything from you. Turn down the music for a moment and let’s talk.” If there was one thing he understood, it was not making the same mistake twice. He’d walked away from her in Miami rather than push boundaries or talk about that fact. After this afternoon, they were finally on the same page. If she wanted to talk or needed answers, for the sake of moving forward—to his bed—he’d discuss her concerns, for as long as it took, to make her comfortable.

She clicked the volume on mute.

“Are you hungry or thirsty?” he asked as a segue to address other things.

Carolina touched his hand with her soft fingertips. “Look, there’s no point ignoring the elephant in the room. Not that you asked, but I just don’t want this to turn into something that becomes complicated. At first, I thought it was a bad idea to cross certain lines, but we did. And here we are.”

“That sounds wide open. Are we talking tonight or for the next two weeks?”

“Both. We just overnighted your samples. Results are due back in a week or less. You’ll know all that I can tell you in two weeks, tops. Then I’m flying back home. I like you. You like me.”

He tried to pick apart the thread of where she was coming from. “It sounds like you want assurances.”

She laughed nervously. “Matt, don’t make it seem like I’m being unreasonable. I’m not looking to be part of something painful, someone getting hurt.”

He took hold of her hand. “I’ve got no problem with structure. It’s part and parcel in business. But you’re asking for something that I’m not sure is actually possible. If this is because you’re uncertain about your future, don’t worry. I’m not the kinda man who takes a woman to bed and then jumps into a relationship for the next decade. Give me a little credit.”

“I am.” Carolina squeezed his hand. “Of course, we can’t fully define the terms of any relationship. But we can agree on certain things. Neither of us wants or is interested in anything long-term or serious.”

Translation: Carolina wasn’t looking to get boxed in. If he had to guess, this came from her desire to not repeat history. He was right there with her on that point. But if she was trying to stop from being vulnerable, good luck on that one. Trying to put up fences around emotions never worked out, yet if he told her that, she’d probably think he had some ulterior motive.

“Agreed,” he replied. “Caro, we both aren’t interested in rushing into anything. I’m more than happy that we can see our way around what we first thought was impossible. I’d hate to be so fixed on an idea that I couldn’t see a better way to do things.”

“Good. That’s exactly what I mean. Neither one of us wants to make a mistake. Back in Miami, I was in a relationship that officially ended the day of my cousin’s wedding.”

Matt did a double take. Her words cut through his thoughts. “I wouldn’t classify our time together as a mistake. We’re just getting to know one another.” He revved the engine, downshifting so that the tires screeched, loud enough to turn heads.

Carolina’s eyes widened. “I didn’t mean that ‘we’ would be a mistake.”

“I get it.” He wasn’t piss off that she classified their pseudo relationship as a potential mistake. Hearing that she’d just gotten out of a relationship was unexpected and hit him hard. He heard that one before and it hadn’t ended well. “Women like control as much as men.”

She touched his arm. “Is that a bad thing?”

Well, let’s see. If it comes from a woman who’s two-timing her boyfriend with her husband, then yeah. It leaves a sour taste in some asshole’s mouth. The memory of being sentenced to five fucking years of probation lit Matt up. “Generally, speaking no,” he bit out.

“There’s something you aren’t telling me.”

“Like what?” he retorted, in full denial because, of course, she just nailed his ass.

“If I knew, I wouldn’t have to ask.”

Carolina wasn’t going to let it go. What would she do if she discovered he had a criminal record? It might’ve been a street brawl but he’d been booked, fingerprinted, and ended up with a suspended sentence. He’d paid a hefty fine and done community service. If he kept his nose clean, his record would be expunged. Otherwise, one fight and he’d go straight to jail. Six months without parole because of his idiot temper.

He felt like flooring the gas, pulling out of the lot so fast her head would spin. Only he doubted even that act would cause her to put aside this tack she was on. If he wanted to build trust, downshifting so hard and fast—with the force this car was capable of—would probably not be the way to go.

Matt didn’t tear his eyes from the road. From a heated conversation, silence ensued. The awkward kind but it was better than having to lay out his fucked-up relationship history.

After several minutes, Carolina seemed to want to say something to bridge the newly formed gorge that lay between them. He did, too. It wasn’t her fault his experience with love was as twisted as a corkscrew when it came to sex and emotions. He liked sex, a lot. Anything more, he veered away from. Since Caro wasn’t a mind reader, she most likely thought he was off his rocker from this little chat. Eventually, at some point in his life, he’d have to talk about his past. Only why did it seem ten times as hard with this woman? Without an answer, Matt gripped the steering wheel. If he could, he’d force the words to materialize. So far, they didn’t.