“Horribly. I’ve been wearing glasses since I was seven.”
“Maybe you can talk to Charlie. She just found out she needs them, and she’s not happy about it.”
I sit down in the armchair across from the bed. “I’d be happy to. It’s a big adjustment when you’re a kid.”
He uncaps the pen. “So…rules,” he says. “I’m not entirely sure I know what you mean by that.”
I hesitate, suddenly wondering if he’s going to think this whole thing is dumb. Maybe I’m making a big deal out of nothing. But then I think about seeing shirtless Carter on the regular, and my self-preservation kicks in. Dumb or not, we have to have this conversation.
“I just mean we’re going to be living together,” I say. “But since this isn’t a real relationship, we need to figure out what our boundaries are so we’re both comfortable with everything.”
“Got it,” he says, a little hesitant. “That makes sense.”
“Also, what’s expected when we’re out in public,” I say. “Will we always hold hands? Hug? Are we comfortable with kissing? That sort of thing.”
He tilts his head to the side. “I think we managed okay tonight.”
“Right. We totally did. But I still think it would be helpful to talk about it.” I gnaw on my lip for a second before adding, “We need to be careful, you know? We clearly have…” I pause, suddenly nervous to finish the sentence. I was going to call out the attraction between us, but maybe I’m wrong and it’s all one-sided.
“Chemistry?” Carter finishes for me, his flirty smile making my face flush hot. “Does that embarrass you? I’m not going to pretend like I don’t find you attractive.”
“No, I—” I swallow, my throat suddenly feeling very,verydry. “I was going to say the same thing. That’s what makes the rules so important. I don’t want either one of us getting hurt. Or…getting real feelings involved.”
He holds my gaze for a long moment, his scrutiny so intense, I have to fight the urge to look away. A huge part of me wants to forget the rules. Chase whatever this is just because of how good it feels.
But I don’t want to hurt him. And I’m nearly certain that in the end, I willdefinitelydisappoint him.
The reality is, if Miles hadn’t put him up to it, I’m not sure Carter would have chosen me. And simply because of his profession, I wouldn’t have even considered him, no matter how charming I found him the day we met. But throwing ourselves into situations where we’re pretending has the potential to confuse us both. Make us feel and think things we might not have chosen otherwise.
I don’t want either one of us to fall into something simply because it’s convenient.
“Fair enough,” Carter says, left hand gripping the pen. “Where should we start?”
15
SARAH
“Let’sstart with our house rules,” I say, tucking my legs under me in my chair. The movement sends a whiff of Carter’s scent up to my nose, and I fight the urge to lift my shirt to my face and take another deep breath. “Obviously, our relationship at home will be purely platonic. We’ll have separate bedrooms, of course. Outside of that, I’d say respecting closed bedroom doors, staying out of private spaces. And making sure we’re always fully clothed whenever we’re in shared spaces.”
He nods, then looks at the paper. “So no helping you out of your dress when your zipper is stuck,” he says as he writes.
I scoff, and he looks up and grins.
“That was an extenuating circumstance,” I say. “And I was never unclothed!”
“You didn’t have the same view I did,” he teases.
“Carter!”
“I’m kidding!” he says, laughing. “I’m kidding. I totally get it. Clothes on in public spaces. Respect private spaces. It’s all written down.”
“That means you can’t even be shirtless,” I say.
“What if I’m swimming? We do have a really great pool.”
I try not to dwell on the way he saidwe.Like the house he’s buying belongs to both of us. “Obviously swimming is fine,” I say. “But no strolling around the house without a shirt on. It’s not fair.”
Carter’s lips twitch like he’s fighting a smile, but he keeps his head down as he makes a few more notes. “Got it. Shirt on at all times. What else?”
