He hesitated. “I’m with her.”
“I’ll be fine back there.” I shooed him away. “Go be a protective Marine for someone else tonight.”
“All right.” He gave me a hard look. “Don’t leave this building without me. Not even for air.”
I saluted him. “Yes, sir.”
He grinned. “Good girl.”
I shook my head and headed into the kitchen. The whole way there, I could feel his eyes on me, but once I got inside the kitchen, I was too busy to focus on Finn. The rest of my night was spent scrubbing filthy dishes. By the time I was finished, I was coated in a sheen of sweat and feeling pretty darn gross.
I came out of the kitchen and scanned the room for Finn. He was at the door, his arms crossed. He looked more like a bouncer at a popular nightclub than a volunteer. I shook my head and smiled. He looked as out of place here as I did at the fancy balls Mom always dragged me to.
The woman in charge came up to me. “Thank you for the help.”
“Thanks for letting us contribute.” I swiped my wrist across my sticky forehead and then reached into my pocket. “Do you mind if I leave these with you? If any families come in, or anyone you know who needs the extra help, just give them one.”
The woman took the gift cards, but her forehead wrinkled. “Are these all from you?”
“They’re from Senator Wallington. He likes supporting the less fortunate.”
The woman’s eyes lit up. “Wow. A politician who actually cares?”
“He tries.” If Dad ever found out about me spending the funds he sent me on someone else, I could at least point out that it helped his campaign. That would end the lecture pretty fast. I squeezed the woman’s shoulder and winked. “Remember him if he’s ever up for president.”
“I will,” the woman said, wonder in her voice. She headed straight for a family eating in the corner and gave them two cards. When the family looked my way, I smiled and headed for the door. Time for me to leave.
Finn stood there, watching me. When I reached his side, he looked at the family who had just received the gift cards. “More Robin Hood acts?”
“Yeah. And?”
“Nothing.” He shook his head. “Let’s go home and eat something ourselves. I’m starving.”
My stomach chose that particular moment to sound like a hungry beast. I pressed a hand to it and smiled at him. “Deal.”
“Islands?”
“What?”
“Don’t tell me you’ve never been to Islands…”
“I’ve never even heard of it. What is it?”
“Only the best burgers this side of the Mississippi.” He handed me his helmet. “I solemnly swear that you’ll never be able to eat McDonald’s again once you’ve tasted their burgers.”
I laughed. God, he made everything so much fun. “Oh yeah?” I put the helmet on and watched him climb on the bike. “We’ll see about that.”
“Want to make a bet?”
If I was betting with Finn, then I was in way over my head. “Sure. What’s the bet?”
“If I win and you love the burgers…you have to spend the whole day with me next weekend, watching movies.”
Please. I’d purposely lose just to spend the day with him. I better make an equally enticing deal for if I hated the burgers. “Deal. And if I win and I still prefer McDonald’s, you teach me how to ride the bike.”
He shook his head. “Hell no.”
“Then no deal.” I leaned in and ran my finger down the side of his cheek and lingered at his jaw. His eyes lit up at my touch, smoldering and hot. I wanted to run my hands through his light brown curls, but I resisted the urge. Barely. “I bet you would’ve won.”
He captured my hand in his, holding my palm against his skin. “Damn right I would, Ginger. The bet is on. Now climb on and hold on tight.”
I got on the motorcycle behind him, my heart still racing from earlier when he’d held my hand close. The look in his eyes did weird things to me. “Don’t I always?”
“Yeah. My favorite part of the ride is feeling you plastered against me.”
My breath caught in my throat. “What?”
He revved the bike, not bothering to answer. I clung to him as he sped down the road, obviously in a hurry to leave the shady part of town far behind us, but even over the whirring of the engine…
I heard him laugh.
Almost a week later, I leaned against the tree and watched Carrie through the window, firmly in stalker mode, as requested by her father. She sat in the library with Cory. The senator had done a background check on him, and he’d gotten the Daddy stamp of approval. He was probably picturing all the perfect little grandbabies he could get out of the perfect little couple already. What a picture they would make on the campaign poster.
I hated the fucking kid for being so perfectly suited for Carrie. Plus, he sat too close to Carrie all the time, and Carrie smiled at him too much.
I sighed and leaned my head back against the tree, closing my eyes. All I wanted was a cold beer and a good game to watch. I was fucking beat. I was getting pretty damn tired of following Carrie around. Not because I didn’t like her, but because I liked her too much. It’s not like she needed me supervising her all the time. It was Friday night, and she was studying instead of partying. Besides the few parties she’d gone to, she’d been remarkably tame. Well-censored with a good head on her shoulders.
She didn’t need me. Didn’t need Big Brother watching.
I had been even more convinced of this fact after I helped Carrie at the soup kitchen last week. That had been a side of her I probably would have been better off ignoring. Just like the sight of her in a bikini. I could have done without that too. Both made me like her even more. Both made me want things I shouldn’t be wanting. Things like her in my arms, smiling up at me like I owned the fucking world. I liked when she looked at me like that. No one else did.
She leaned over and pointed at some nerdy-looking guy’s page, her hand gesturing wildly while she explained something to him. The guy looked like he’d never had a friend in his entire life, but Carrie had drawn him under her spell. Cory watched with a disgusted look on his face, but Carrie was oblivious to that. She was too busy smiling at the tiny nerd to notice.
That was Carrie. Loving and accepting of everyone—even a liar like me.
I glanced down when my phone lit up in my hand. It was Carrie. I looked up, checking to see if she was still in the library. She was. So…she was texting me while studying with that Cory kid?
I looked down at her text. Surfing tomorrow?
I smiled. It’s supposed to rain. I tapped the phone against my chin. Movie marathon at my place? You owe me my winnings.
She picked up her phone and smiled. Deal, but that’s not fair. It’s a bet you knew you would win. Pick me up at ten?
Hell yeah I did. I never make bets I’ll lose. See you then.
Before putting my own phone away, I jotted off a quick text to let her father know that she was in the company of Golden Boy, and then I slid the phone into my pocket. As she came out of the library with Cory, she laughed and swatted his arm. The nerd was with them. She hugged him goodbye and promised to call him next week to hang out. Looked like I needed to do another background check.
Once the gleeful nerd walked away, Cory sighed and pulled Carrie to a stop. They stood at the end of the path, where the boy’s dorm went to the left, and Carrie’s to the right. If I had to watch her kiss another guy, I wouldn’t be responsible for my reactions. I couldn’t have her, but I didn’t want anyone else to have her.
Yes, I knew how horrible that sounded. I didn’t care.
Cory crinkled his nose. “What’s with the new guy?”
“I don’t know. He seems nice. Why?” Carrie asked, seeming confused.
“Word has it he’s an orphan with no one who loves him.”
Carrie flinched as if she’d been hit. “Aw, the poor guy. I can’t even imagine what he’s been through.”