Only With You Read online

  I’d arranged lounge chairs throughout the yard. Lori’s husband, Graham, was sitting with their son, Milo, on Jace’s left. Graham owned the soccer club where Jace played, and while the boys tried not to talk shop during family dinners, they sometimes got into heated discussions about the games.

  I took the chair to Jace’s right.

  “Brother dearest, it has come to my attention that you’re keeping secrets with Hailey.”

  Jace looked at Hailey in alarm, but our sister shook her head. Jace grinned at me.

  “If Hailey managed to keep quiet, you seriously think I’ll spill the beans?”

  “What if I promise to cook your favorite next week? As a proof of affection. And you could show some gratitude in advance.”

  I batted my eyelashes, going for the deer-caught-in-the-headlights look that Lori pulled off so well and that worked like a charm on Jace. Unfortunately, I sucked at it. All I managed was to make Jace laugh.

  “Nice try, Val. Nice try.”

  ***

  A cappuccino, a pancake, and yogurt with muesli. I grinned as I took inventory of my delivered breakfast on Monday, then shot Carter a message.

  Val: Any particular reason you’ve been extra generous today?

  Carter: Setting the mood for tomorrow.

  My heart rate sped up as I dug into my food. I could tell I wasn’t going to be very productive today, but I was allowed to daydream once in a while, wasn’t I?

  I was ecstatic right until shortly before lunchtime, when I was served papers. Everything inside me froze when I saw the sender was Beauty SkinEssence.

  I willed myself not to be jittery as I signed for the papers, but then my legs turned into Jell-O. I didn’t make it to my desk. Instead, I leaned against the wall next to the door and pulled out the documents.

  They were suing me.

  My heart sank. I read through the details, absorbing them.

  Then I did something I hadn’t done in a long while. I closed the door to my office before sitting in the chair behind my desk, feeling drained of all energy. I’d prepared for this scenario, of course. I’d just hoped it wouldn’t occur. It would require a lot of time and money I could use elsewhere. An inkling of doubt set in. Had I been stupid not to settle during mediation? But killing the line would have effectively meant admitting guilt, and I simply couldn’t have lived with that. But now, when faced point-blank with the result, I wondered if swallowing my pride was the best course of action. I’d worked my ass off for so long to get where I was, to bring the company to a point where it was solid and profitable, and now this.

  I willed myself to ignore the tight knot in my stomach, but I couldn’t. What if the litigation ended up at trial? What if the judge ruled against me? What if I lost more than this line? God, there I went again, overthinking everything.

  But I couldn’t help it. The company was so tied to who I was. I still remembered that euphoric feeling I’d had when Landon and I signed the papers for incorporating. I’d wanted to build something everyone could be proud of: me, my parents, and Landon too. I’d also wanted to prove to myself that I could make my dream come true. I wouldn’t let anyone take it away from me.

  I wasn’t sure how long I’d been locked inside by myself, mulling over everything, and wishing the day would just end so I could go home and sink in my tub. I heard a knock at my door.

  “Val, everything all right?” Anne asked. “You have a meeting in ten minutes.”

  “I’ll be on time.”

  I checked my phone. I’d been wallowing for twenty minutes. And I had a new message from Carter.

  Carter: Do you have time for lunch?

  I typed a message, then deleted it, then typed another one.

  Val: No. My day just got a lot worse :(( I have to go into a meeting right now.

  Carter: Did something happen?

  I sent him a picture of the papers. Carter didn’t answer right away, and I didn’t have time to wait. I rushed into the meeting, leaving my phone behind, not wanting to be distracted.

  I forced myself to focus because the gentlemen had flown in from Italy. They produced some of the rarest essences, and I wanted to strike a deal with them.

  The meeting lasted longer than I’d hoped, and by the time we’d finalized the details, I was light-headed. I hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and it was almost four o’clock. I walked the gentlemen to the elevator, and the second the door slid to a close, I turned to Anne.

  “Can you get me something to eat? Anything at all.”

  “Sure, boss. But you’ve got someone waiting in your office for you.”

  “Oh? I didn’t have any other meeting on my calendar.”

  “A Carter Sloane dropped by unannounced. Said he had to talk to you. He’s been waiting for an hour. Couldn’t get rid of him.”

  “Of course not. Thanks for the heads-up. I’ll talk to him. But please, hurry with that sandwich, or I’ll faint.”

  Anne darted to the elevator as I spun on my heels, heading to my office. My empty stomach rolled over. When I reached the doorway to my office, Carter rose to his feet. I tried to read his body language but was too tired and hungry to make much headway.

  “Anne said you’ve been waiting for an hour.”

  He held up his phone. “You didn’t answer my text or call.”

  “I was in a meeting.”

  “I know, Anne told me. Called the office when you weren’t answering.”

  I stepped inside, closing the door again.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Val

  “Let’s get out of here,” Carter said. “I heard what you said to Anne about the sandwich. I’ll feed you, and you relax and don’t think about any of this.”

  I placed my hands on my hips. “You can’t just barge in here and take charge.”

  His eyes flashed. The corners of his mouth twitched.

  “Yes, I can, especially if you need it.”

  Well, how could I argue with that? I was dying for time out.

  “It’s early.”

  “It’s four o’clock, and you told Anne that you don’t have any other meetings today.”

  “Doesn’t mean I don’t have anything else to do.”

  “You own this business. You can’t give yourself a few hours off?”

  “How about you? Don’t you have to clock every hour?”

  “I cleared off my schedule.”

  The fight went right out of me because I distinctly remembered he’d had meetings into the evening today. It was the reason we were supposed to go out tomorrow.

  He picked my bag from my desk and my jacket from the hanger, holding both out for me. The man was unbelievable, but the fact that he’d taken the afternoon off and was here for me disarmed me faster than I would have thought possible. I let him slide the jacket on my back. He lingered with his fingers at the sides of my neck, pressing gently. I released an audible breath.

  “Come on, Val. I’ll take your mind off it.” He lowered his hand to the small of my back and kept it there on the way to the elevator. We ran into Anne as we headed out of the building.

  “You’re leaving?” she inquired as she handed me the sandwich.

  “Yes, but call me if anything urgent comes up.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  After she left, Carter pointed to the sandwich.

  “This is supposed to be your lunch?”

  I nodded, too busy devouring the tiny turkey sandwich to answer. He was right, though. It was so small that I finished it just as we went out of the building. I felt even hungrier than before.

  “What do you want to do?” he asked.

  I blinked. “You bossed me out of my own office, and now you’re asking me what I want to do?”

  “The important thing was to get you out. You were so tense that your shoulders were up to your ears. I can make dinner reservations, but I’m sensing you’re not up to it.”

  He came to a stop on the sidewalk, and I stopped too. God, no one had looked at m
e the way he did. What would it feel like to have this man inside me? To have him in my life? Would he make me feel things no one else had?

  “Honestly, I just want to go home.”

  “Then that’s where we’ll go.”

  “We?”

  “You don’t honestly think I’d let you go on your own?” He cupped my face gently, caressing my cheeks with his thumbs. “Let me be with you today, okay?”

  I sighed and nodded, already looking forward to it. He didn’t immediately let go of my face, and I started to warm up at all those contact points. My eyes were at the same level with his lips. I remembered how they’d felt on my skin. A current of awareness passed through me. The look in Carter’s eyes told me he knew exactly what was going through my mind. Sexual tension filled every single inch of distance between us. I was lost in this man: his touch, the seductive tone of his voice. When he let go of me, I immediately missed him.

  We drove in separate cars, and every time I peeked in the rearview mirror to check if he was still tailing me, my heart sighed.

  There were no major traffic jams, so we arrived at my house in no time. We locked eyes as we climbed out of our respective cars.

  “Welcome to my home.” I pushed open the gate, and then climbed the stone steps in my yard.

  “This yard is fantastic,” he commented.

  “I know. I love it.”

  Carter brought a hand to my back, and I felt as if the contact was skin to skin. All the messaging this past week had felt like foreplay, and now my entire body was so responsive to that one small touch that I was ashamed.

  “Want a tour?” I asked nervously once we were inside.

  “Sure.”

  I showed him the ground floor quickly, and then the upper floor. I could feel myself becoming jittery.

  “I don’t have any food in the fridge, but we could order something, even though it takes ages for delivery in this part of the city.”

  “We’ll figure it out.”

  As I was showing him the master bathroom with my beloved tub, Carter brought a hand to my chin, tilting it up.

  “What do you do when you come home to relax?”

  “I take a shower and change in comfy clothes. Or... I walk around naked. My dad liked to say ‘your sweatpants will never be tight if you don't wear any,’ and that’s one of my favorite sayings.”

  “Let’s make a deal. I’ll run to that small convenience store up the street, buy some food. You shower and relax.”

  My pulse went from zero to holy hell in two seconds. I chose to concentrate on the neutral part of the sentence.

  “They don’t have a lot of options.”

  “I’ll make do. Don’t think about it. Stay here and relax. But do put on clothes after your shower. We can try the no-sweatpants thing another time.”

  I couldn’t tell if he was inviting himself into the shower or not, but my pulse was erratic now. He stroked his thumb over my lips, and then his mouth captured mine. My knees weakened from the first stroke of his tongue.

  My clit throbbed, and my nipples turned hard as if they were anxious for his tongue too.

  “I’ve been dying to kiss you all week,” he murmured before diving in for a second kiss. This one was hotter, more urgent. I rose on my tiptoes, gripping his shoulders for leverage as I feverishly kissed him back. I became aware that both of his hands were on my waist, and he was walking me backward until my back was against the wall. The tiles felt cold even through the fabric of my dress, and my hips arched forward. He was so close that I slammed my lower body right into his, and sweet heavens, his hard-on was impressive.

  A groan tore from him, and then he took a step back.

  “Now, now. Be a good girl and relax.”

  He winked and left the bathroom. I was so worked up that I almost called him right back to demand more of those scorching-hot kisses.

  Then I decided to focus on the shower. I pushed down my clothes, and I became more worked up with each layer I took off. I showered quickly, then rubbed my favorite body cream on my skin, wrapped a towel around myself, and headed to my bedroom. I sank into the leather armchair opposite my bed, hoisting my legs up on the ottoman and just allowing my body to cool down and the cream to sink in.

  I’d left the door cracked open, figuring it was the only way I’d hear if Carter needed something when he returned from the store, and grinned when I heard him singing a while later. Oh, hell. That sexy man was singing in my kitchen, and I was missing the show?

  Forget the bubble bath, that would be the utmost relaxation. Watching him... and possibly climbing right into his arms.

  No, no. I had my instructions. I couldn’t deny it. It was fun not to know what was about to happen.

  Sometime later, I heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and the muscles in my belly strummed together.

  “I’m in the bedroom,” I announced.

  Was he coming inside?

  Yes, yes, he was.

  My breath hitched when he appeared in the doorway, looking all enticing and holding a plate with a sandwich.

  He placed it on the small table next to the armchair.

  I didn’t miss the way his eyes roamed over the length of my body. A towel covered me, but I was still stark naked underneath it, and my nipples tightened when his gaze focused on them.

  I salivated at the sight of the sandwich with slices of avocado and ham and quickly took a bite, then let out a long sigh. “This is delicious.”

  He perched on the edge of the armchair, watching me intently. I was pretending to keep my eyes on the food, but I wasn’t doing a great job. The air seemed to thicken with sexual tension with every minute we spent together in this intimate setting, and I wasn’t sure I could take it any longer.

  “This is my reading armchair,” I informed him.

  “I see. So this is where you read all those scandalous books.”

  “Yep.”

  As I downed the last bite, Carter clasped one of my ankles. I felt his touch all the way up to my inner thighs. Our eyes locked. I swallowed, aware that I was breathing faster.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “You’ll see.”

  Bliss. Pure and utter bliss. He massaged my foot, applying pressure on the arch and on the pads, then on each toe.

  He moved his hand a little further up my ankle before returning it to caress my heel. Then he switched to the other sole. His fingers were pure magic... and he was turning me on. Did a foot massage count as foreplay? Everything felt like foreplay with him.

  “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

  I licked my lips, unsure if honesty was the best policy right now because my thoughts were so far past X-rated, they deserved their own rating.

  “That bad, huh? It’s okay. I know exactly what you’re thinking.”

  “And how do you know?” I teased.

  “I can read body language very well. Our bodies usually betray us.” He wiggled his eyebrows, and I felt myself blush even more.

  “But you can’t see anything.”

  He lowered my foot back on the ottoman, then slid closer to me, placing my plate on the small table.

  There was nothing between us now, and when Carter leaned in to kiss me, I pushed myself up, fully aware that my towel was sliding down and my breasts were on display.

  God, the man kissed like no other. He buried one hand in my hair, tilting my head while he ravished me with his lips and tongue.

  I needed his touch desperately. My body was begging for it.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Carter

  I slid my hand down from her hair to her neck, and then to her breasts. She arched into my touch, moaning in my mouth. She was beautiful, all worked up like this for me. I slid my hand even lower and rubbed two fingers over her pussy, from her clit down to her entrance.

  She moaned louder, gripping at my shirt with both hands when I removed her towel completely. I was going to make this woman come. I wanted to give her so much pleasure that I’d ro
ck her world. She opened her thighs wider, allowing me access. I rubbed up and down her opening, alternating between touching her clit and teasing her inner thighs, working her up. And all the while, I couldn’t stop kissing her. I wanted to watch her beautiful face, but I needed to taste her. When I slid one finger inside her, Val’s entire body shook.

  Then she unhitched her mouth from mine just for a few seconds, long enough to say, “Another one. Pleaaaase.”

  I thought I might burst in my pants. I kissed her again, sliding in a second finger, and then we were both out of control. I moved my fingers in and out, curving them to hit her sweet spot, stroking her clit with my thumb. This wasn’t enough. I couldn’t touch her the way I wanted in this position. I couldn’t taste her. So I withdrew my hand, laughing when she closed her thighs to try and trap me there.

  “Come closer, baby. I want to taste you.”

  She let out a small whimper as I pulled her to the edge of the armchair. I was on my knees and placed her thighs on my shoulders. When I pressed my tongue against her sensitive flesh, she cried out my name.

  “Carter! Oh, fuck.”

  I was shaking with need while I pushed my tongue inside, twirling it, driving her crazy. I’d worked her up so well that she wouldn’t last long. When I felt that she was close, I moved my mouth to her clit, sliding two fingers inside her again, curving them. She exploded beautifully, and I went up to pull her close and hold her as she rode the waves of pleasure. I rocked her in my arms, inhaling the fruity scent of her hair, caressing the soft skin on her shoulders.

  Then she traced a straight line with her finger along my shirt buttons, stopping at my belt. She unfastened it and lowered my zipper, freeing my cock.

  “Baby,” I whispered as she stroked my erection once, then took me in her mouth. I didn’t last long either. I’d wanted her for so long that I tipped past the edge within minutes.

  “You’re gorgeous,” I whispered when she reached for her towel, which I’d dropped to the floor. “Allow me.”

  I took the towel from her and patted her skin, starting from her ankles, all the way up.

  “My skin is not dry enough for you?” she asked with a smirk. She didn’t have one drop of water on her.