Chapter Fourteen

A handler! Is that what Carolina believed Becca and his aunt were. If only there was that level of sophistication at work. This was just great. Another perfect screw-up.

They all carried her luggage and bags into the guest suite. This was not where he wanted Carolina to spend her nights.

“Are we joining your parents for dinner?” Carolina asked.

He glanced over at Becca and frowned. Why was she staring at him like that? “Becca, we’re fine. Aunt Shawna probably needs your help.”

She nodded and smiled. “Right. Holler if ya need anything.”

He returned his focus on Carolina. “If that’s what you’d like to do, we can. It’s up to you.” If only he could press replay.

How far had they traveled from his office desk? From kissing and on fire to separate quarters in his own house. Un-fucking-believable.

“I think the better your father knows me, the easier it will be to hear the news we might be forced to deliver.” Carolina’s gaze tore into him, convincing him his plans were about to dissolve.

Guess this was business as usual for Dr. Rodriguez. Not him. He wanted to punch the wall. From being on the verge of mind-blowing sex to finding out that she was coming out of a relationship. He should be overjoyed that they were laying the ground rules so nobody got hurt.

Except he’d been there and done that until he’d gotten blindsided by a lie. By the fact that people who tended to like rules when it came to relationships, had an agenda.

Footloose meant no rules.

Everything Carolina had said, or rather inferred, blared in his mind. With any other woman, flexible and no strings would have sounded ideal. Short-term. No joke. Two weeks had an endpoint.

“You’re right. My dad’s a regular team of one and if we want him to open up, more is better.” Matt scrubbed his palm over his jaw, slowly grinding his teeth. The smell of Carolina’s floral fragrance filled his head, sending him into overdrive, and ready to curl his fingers around her wrist. He’d like nothing better than to show her to his bedroom. Then he’d finish what they started.

“Your family, they’re all more than curious about us. Should I hold some sort of information session?”

It was as though the oxygen in the room had been depleted. “Ignore what just happened,” he growled.

“Is that your answer to everything,” Carolina replied.

At the moment it was, but hell would freeze over before he admitted it. “Not exactly.” He sent a text to his father, jabbing each key as though his phone was the enemy. Within the room, Carolina’s provocative perfume not only invaded his head, it held him captive. Christ, he walked to the windows, feet away from her just to finish typing a text.

After he hit send, he pivoted and boom. He stared into Carolina’s stormy eyes.

“If you’ve got a question, just ask.” His cell chimed, interrupting their conversation from the look on Carolina’s face.

“You’d better get it,” she said, confirming they were going nowhere fast.

On the screen, he read the message. “Sounds good. I’ll relay to your momma.”

“My father sent a message that dinner is a go,” Matt softened his voice. Carolina’s expression changed. Her brows drew together. Perhaps from some question she didn’t articulate. Since when had talking become hard for them? Matt tried to focus his thoughts in ten directions at once and found that worked like a three-legged horse at a rodeo. Losing ground, he offered up, “Do you want to change for dinner?”

“Yes. Give me five minutes.”

“I want to get one thing straight about your odd reference about an info session. I tried to warn you about my family and their overzealous interest.”

Carolina frowned and he silently prompted her to say what was on her beautiful mind. Some fracture in this sludge pit of where they found themselves.

“But it’s odd,” she stammered. “I mean it’s more than odd, it’s downright strange.”

Hearing her say that lit him back up. “Welcome to Texas, darlin’,” he drawled.

Their gazes locked and after a beat, neither of them did more than stare. They were at an impasse—one of his own making.

But he wasn’t about to apologize that his family’s ability to overstep bounds could off put most folks. Could cause a woman to downplay the reality of her married existence, to the detriment of himself! But he couldn’t change history or sever his ties to his family any more than he could stop the orbit of the planets. They were who they were and he was who he was. And here was Carolina, a breath of fresh air.

“That isn’t an answer. You’re trying to sidestep what I’m asking. Again, McLemore. I never took you for a man who played it like that.”

“Yeah well, I wouldn’t think it mattered. No strings and short-term doesn’t involve a heart-to-heart. Wouldn’t that, in fact, crimp your style? Obviously, you won’t let this go, like you don’t let anything go. Fine, sue me but I’ve let my mother deal with taking care of arranging for housecleaning services, as well as hiring aunts and cousins for interior decoration. I’m not good with any of that sort of thing. I want the house cleaned, outfitted, and to be left alone. I rarely cross paths with Becca or my aunt unless it’s at a family dinner or get-together.”

“Heads-up, cowboy. Do you know that Becca is in love with you?”

That was the last straw. “Do you think I’m that much of a moron to screw the person who has access to my home?”

“Oh, so you distinguish among employees. Should I be flattered or insulted?”

“That depends. Is driving me crazy your intent or something you do to every man you meet? When you’re ready, meet me in the living room, Dr. Rodriguez.”

“Don’t you mean pretend girlfriend?” she sassed.

Before he really got going, Matt swung around and headed out of the room. For the next fifteen minutes, he paced, vacillating between his desire to return to Carolina and throw her down on the bed. And taking a very, extremely cold shower.

When she appeared wearing a dress and heels, he almost barked out a laugh. Was she trying to break him! They drove the short distance in silence; not that he ignored Carolina in his peripheral vision. She was beautiful with her hair pulled up and pinned in place. He parked, got her door, and they mounted the porch steps without words.

Coming into the front hall, the strains of Merle Haggard’s fiddle pulled them toward the living room. This time, they weren’t hand-in-hand.

“Vinyl?” Carolina asked his father who held an album cover.

His dad asked, “Are you a fan?”

“Oh yeah,” she said. “I have a Jensen turntable. It belonged to my dad.”

That was the perfect ice-breaker when it came to Wade McLemore. Only outmatched if Carolina knew an iota about the old-time greats of country Western music.

Since dinner would be served soon, Matt wanted to wash up and cool down. “I’ll be right back,” he said, turning on his heel. Actually, he wanted to slam his head against the wall until his mind stopped turning tail and leading him down some maze toward a safe solitary bed. He stomped down the hall and his mother passed by him.

“Matt, what’s wrong?”

“Not a thing,” he replied, as he forced a grin to shape his lips.

“Son, you’ll have to try harder, if that’s your best response. Just remember, the woman is always right. If you live by that one standard, you’ll always be a happy man. Know why?”

“No, ma’am.”

“Because when your woman is happy, you’ll be happy. Simple advice, son. Go apologize for whatever you’ve done. You’ll see.”