Lace and Sin (Sinners Series Book 1) (3 page)

“If I agree will you finally leave me alone?” I
smirk.

“We’ll see” he
says
,
returning my smile.

As we
drive
for
a few minutes in silence, I
run my
fingers through my hair to try and tame the mess
-
noticing his eyes
fall
on
me too many times to call safe while driving.

“You don’t like hearing the word no, do you?” I finally
ask him as I rake my fingers through the wet knots.

“I have to admit I don’t generally have to hound someone
so much just for a drink” he
chuckles and
surprisingly the sound of his light laughter is kind of soothing to my usually
chaotic thoughts
.

“Why, because everyone throws themselves at you for your
money or good looks?’ I ask before I
can
stop myself.
His
grin
grows
even bigger before he
finally
answers in a fake shocked tone
, “
That’s
not one of the reasons you
said yes?”

I shake my head but can’t help the smile that spreads
across my face. I watch him while he drives smoothly, changing gears when
necessary, and keeping control of his sleek car. I wonder what kind of car he
drives then if this one was his dad’s.

I see we’re reaching speeds not necessarily safe
enough for the busy roads of New York as he weaves his way between cars, but
surprisingly I find myself feeling safe in his presence.

“You enjoy a bit of adrenaline?” I ask, pointing
towards the speedo.

He smirks at me but slows down a little before he
answers, “I guess I like the excitement yes.”

This makes me like him that tiny bit more. I have to
admit I love those moments when my heart races faster while I’m out sneaking
around or out doing a job, so I can see why he would enjoy this tiny moment of
exhilaration. He slows down further since I don’t say anything and says,
“Sorry, old habits die hard” he grins.

Old habits? Was he a race car driver or something?

“That’s okay - I’m not staring at the speedo because
I’m freaking out. In fact, I never pictured you as the little thrill seeker.
You’re a little rebel, Carter” I tease, “Actually, I imagined you as the clean
cut, always do what he’s told type of guy.”

He laughs then - a deep, beautiful sounding laugh that
makes me grin from ear to ear. I’m pretty pleased with myself considering
everyone seems to think he never smiles or laughs.

“If you thought I was the bad guy, would you have said
yes sooner?”

I’m a little surprised by his question but answer
anyway.

“Possibly” I answer with the grin still on my face and
look out the window as we turn down a side street, and then pull over by the
curb behind another parked car. As soon as he turns the car off he turns my
way, runs a hand through his hair and looks like he’s going to say something
but decides against it. He clears his throat, and then opens his door - “Shall
we?”

He hops out and tries getting around the car to open
my door, but I manage to get out before he even gets the chance. I guess I
never expected that from him because I'm not used to that sort of treatment, so
I hopped out of the car like I would any other time with anyone else.

“Most girls like having a guy open their door for them
and help them out” he says with a smirk.

“Because they’re too incompetent to do it themselves?”

“Kayla can open her own doors and likes a bad boy,
duly noted” he teases.

“I’m sorry…I don’t mean to be a bitch it’s just that
I’m used to doing things for myself. I don’t waste my time looking for a guy to
do things for me or someone to leech off.”

“Well that’s refreshing to hear.”

“I’m not going out for a drink with you in the hopes
we get married and I end up with all your money” I laugh.

“Damn, I was hoping to pop the question tonight” he
chuckles and shakes his head at me. I find it kind of refreshing that it’s so
easy to interact with him, and it leaves me regretting not going out for a
drink sooner. Everything I originally thought about him seems to be way off -
he’s in fact a total enigma right now and surprisingly I’m intrigued, very
intrigued. Especially after all the little gentlemanly things he’s been trying
to do. Maybe because I haven't had anyone
want
to be a gentleman around
me before, it has me more curious than it should.

We walk into the bar grinning like idiots as we joke
all the way from the car. The bar is called Jimmy’s Brew and tucked away down
the side street we parked down, out of sight.

There’s a young guy around my age behind the bar polishing
and stacking glasses, while a short curvaceous blonde fills up the ice. As soon
as we step through the door laughing, her head shoots up in our direction and
she grins widely up at Carter.

There's a faint smell of smoke and beer in the air,
with a light haze towards the back corner where a group of men sit puffing on
their cigars. There’s a low rumble of
 
old school music playing with a soft thud in the background, low enough
to not be annoying, but loud enough to be heard over the chatter throughout the
bar. Typical bar, yet strangely cleaner than I expected.

We walk up towards the bartender and take a seat on
the stools, and I notice Carter sit close enough to me that our thighs brush
against each other every time we turn on them. I grin like an idiot, and then
shake my head at how he seems to make me act like a sixteen year old. I am a
grown responsible adult dammit…I don’t get all giggly and stupid over guys.

The guy behind the bar puts down the glass he’s
polishing, tucks the rag into his back pocket, and leans casually against the
bar top in front of us.

“Hey Jimmy, this is Kayla. Kayla, this is Jimmy”
Carter says, doing the quick obligatory introduction.

Jimmy eyes me questioningly for a second before a huge
smile spreads across his face. He reaches out his hand for me to shake and as
soon as I place my hand in his, he shakes it enthusiastically - “Pleasure to
meet you sweetheart” he says in a heart stopping British accent.

He’s a pretty decent looking guy too but nothing like
Carter. Jimmy has this cheeky laid back thing going on with tattoos covering
one whole arm and peeking up from his shirt on his neck just like Carter. He
has sandy blonde hair that’s shorter on the sides, and made out in a messy faux
Mohawk, which seems to suit him quite well. And lastly a dark set of eyes that
are still eyeing me curiously. He seems to have this fun-loving aura about him
that I think would match Alek's, so I find myself grinning at him in response.

I notice then the small blonde behind Jimmy walk
around the bar and jump straight into Carter’s arms, wrapping her little hands
around his neck.

“Carter, why haven’t you been around to see me
lately?” she practically purrs in his arms. She turns her head in my direction
as if only just noticing he came in with someone else.

She seems like the type of girl that I never would
have gotten along with, and never plan on getting to know either - especially
with the way she’s glaring at me right now. I don’t want to be getting in the
way of Carter and his ex-flings, I mean why bring me to a bar where there’s
girls he’s slept with? Shit, am I jealous? The bastard brought me here for that
reason the cheeky asshole.

Carter hugs her back quickly and then lets her go,
kindly pushing her off his lap. He looks my way and rubs the back of his neck
awkwardly, which throws my theory straight out the window. She stands there
waiting for an introduction, which I notice no-one is going to bother with, so
I stick my hand out and introduce myself – “Kayla…I’m…uhh…I’m Carter’s friend.”

She huffs and finally shakes my hand, “I’m Liz. Carter
and I go way back.”

I simply nod and release my hand from her clutches. I
shouldn’t be bothered, but the fact that she considers me as a threat whoever
she may be to him, is certainly a boost to my ego especially because she’s
actually kind of pretty - minus a few points for the bitchy attitude of course.

After she walks back to the other end of the bar and
busies herself with some customers, Jimmy laughs lightly and turns back to face
us, “Why was that so awkward?” he jokes.

“I don’t think she likes me very much. Ex-girlfriend?”
I ask Carter curiously.

“No” Carter answers quickly as Jimmy starts laughing
louder. A few of the patrons turn their heads in our direction at the noise.

“You know what - I think she’s just as surprised as I
am to see Carter bring a girl in here.”

I turn my head towards Carter questioningly and almost
miss the glare he’s sending Jimmy’s way.

“She just fancies him, always has - kind of
embarrassing to see your sister throwing herself at your friends all the time.”

“Wow - sister?” I wonder why she doesn’t have an
accent too.

“Well half-sister. She was struggling for a while
getting on her own feet so I let her have a job here, and ever since Carter
walked in to the bar she’s had her heart set out for him” Jimmy says with a
quiet chuckle.

Half-sister, I guess that explains the no accent.

“Breaking hearts all round I see” I nudge Carter but
can’t help feel slightly jealous. What a cute match that would be - Carter with
his friend’s sister.

“I told you why that would be a terrible, terrible
idea Jimmy. Plus I have Kayla here” he says as he wraps his arm around my
shoulder, tugging me against him.

“We’re just friends actually” I correct him, but don’t
bother sliding away from his hold on me. I guess I’m a very touchy person
naturally so it’s nice to have someone wrap their arm around me playfully.

“Well then friend, first rounds on me” Jimmy chuckles
at Carter and pulls out two clean glasses, then fills them with beer.

“Just friends?” Carter finally asks me after Jimmy
starts helping out a few customers. I scan the bar quickly out of habit, and
finally return my gaze back to Carter’s curious one before answering.

“Are we not friends?” I ask as I take a tiny sip since
beer isn’t essentially my all-time favourite.

“I was under the impression we were a little more.”

“What gave you that idea?”

He looks at me for a moment, takes a sip of his drink
and then finally says, “For starters you don’t try to picture your friends
naked, but I was only joking though, you know that right?”

“Oh” is all I can manage to get out, because for a
brief honest moment my mind actually fantasised about the idea of being more
than friends with the interesting and highly mysterious Carter.

“Oh? Were you hoping for more than friendship babe?”

Babe? Did he just call me babe? As stupid as it might
sound I actually love when guys use shitty pet names for women, it’s very
flirty and shows how comfortable they are. I like the sound of that a little
too much, even if he might use it on every woman he talks to it still makes me
feel a little…weird, in a good squishy on the inside kind of way. I like it but
hate it at the same time because I know deep down I shouldn’t be here.

“I don’t have time for relationships right now Carter,
I’m sorry.”

“Not a hearts and flowers kind of girl?”

“Not right now I’m not” I give him a small smirk,
because every girl is a hearts and flowers type of girl deep down. He scratches
his chin lightly and takes another sip of beer as he contemplates something for
a moment.

“What kind of girl are you then?”

“One that shouldn’t even be talking about this with
you, you’re like my boss’s boss for starters.”

“Your boss’s, boss’s boss actually” he corrects me and
I can’t help but roll my eyes, “so we’ll never even see each other around the
office.”