Chapter 10
CARTER
I was battling with myself constantly between wanting to talk to this woman, find out more about her, and kiss the hell out of her.
She sipped from her glass, making a little sound of pleasure at the back of her throat.
I was too consumed by Val to drink. When she raised her gaze and noticed I’d been watching her, she licked her lips, looking away.
A whiff of her perfume reached me with the movement of her head.
“Tell me about your perfume. Smells insanely good.”
She lit up. “Freesia and lavender. One of Mom’s favorite combinations. She gave me the bug for fragrances. We used to make soaps and perfumes when I was little.”
This wasn’t anywhere on her company’s website or in the PR articles I’d come across when I’d looked her up online. She was trusting me with something intimate. There was a wistful expression in her eyes.
“She must be very proud of you.”
“I think she would be. They…. We lost my parents more than fifteen years ago.” Her voice wobbled for a second, and I squeezed her hand.
I did some mental calculations. Suddenly, I realized why she was so good at giving me advice regarding April. I’d been inexplicably drawn to Val since we’d shared that first coffee, and I wondered if this was part of why. I felt connected to her in a way that took me completely by surprise.
“And you raised your siblings?”
“Yes. Together with my twin brother, Landon.”
“You’ve got four other siblings, right?” I remembered reading that somewhere.
“Correct. And it wasn’t easy, but they all grew up into responsible, successful adults. Jace plays soccer for the LA Lords. Will used to be a detective but now runs a foundation with his fiancée. Hailey works at a PR agency. Lori is a wedding planner. I’m so proud of all of them.”
“You have every reason to be.”
“Thanks.”
I liked Valentina’s mix of strength and sensuality.
And I also loved that delightful side she’d shown in that message she’d sent me by mistake.
A picture was worth a thousand words, and that one was going to be my undoing.
In fact, it already had been. After we’d exchanged messages, I’d hopped into my shower.
All I could think about under the warm spray of the water was how it would feel to take that dress off her, uncover every inch of her sweet body.
I ended up jacking off to the fantasy, crying out her name. My dick twitched at the memory.
“Looks like we did need the entire bottle after all,” I commented when I refilled our glasses for the third time.
Val giggled. “It was a small one, though.”
I wondered why a woman like her was single.
When I saw her with that guy tonight, my gut had clenched tightly.
They were so close that I’d first thought that they were an item, or about to become one.
Then when I’d glimpsed her uncomfortable expression, I saw red.
I was proud that I hadn’t forcibly removed the guy from her proximity.
“My back hurts from being on my feet for so long.”
“Press your thumbs into the quadratus lumborum muscle. It relieves some of the pressure.”
“The what?”
Without thinking, I reached to her back, pressing three fingers in the muscle in question. Val straightened, then leaned into my touch.
“Just here.”
After I took my hand away, she pressed her thumbs at either side of the spine.
“Ah, that’s so good…. Where did you learn about this?”
“From my fitness instructor.”
“Figures,” she mumbled, more to herself.
“Figures what?”
“That you like to work out.” She pointed at my chest, then promptly dropped her hand, as if just realizing what she’d done.
I smiled lazily. “Oh, yeah? You like… the package, Val?”
“I’m trying to decide if my honesty will go to your head.”
I laughed, and Val playfully slapped my shoulder.
“Well, you probably own a mirror, and you see what I see, so there’s no reason for me to be dishonest.”
Despite knowing it wasn’t the smartest thing, I leaned closer.
“I want to hear you say it, Valentina.”
She narrowed her eyes, as if weighing the pros and cons.
“No, I don’t think I will. Too much self-confidence is as bad as no confidence. It’s what my dad used to say. He was Irish and tried to pass all sorts of weird sayings as old Irish proverbs, but my friend Google disagrees. I think Dad just made them up. But I like them.”
She relaxed—until I moved even closer. “Don’t think I’m letting you off the hook about the other thing.”
Val licked her lips, then shrugged one shoulder playfully. “Suit yourself. I can’t be pressured.”
I wiggled my eyebrows. “No, but I bet you can be… persuaded.”
“By you?”
“Obviously.”
“Mmmm… I don’t think so, Mr. Sloane. You lack the proper persuasion tools.”
That was a sweet challenge.
“And what might those be?”
“Think I’m gonna make it easy for you?”
“Give me a hint.”
Val spoke the next words with utmost seriousness.
“Well, bribery works better than persuasion, if I’m honest. If my sisters are to be believed, I can be talked into crazy things whenever there is ice cream involved.
I, on the other hand, can convince them to do crazy things with my famous cheesecake. ”
Noted.
“I have other persuasion tools.”
“Such as?”
I lowered my gaze to her mouth, keeping it there until she darted out the tip of her tongue, wetting her lips.
She flexed her back and wobbled backward a little.
I brought a hand to her arm to stabilize her, afraid she’d land in the fountain otherwise.
She looked up at me from under those long lashes, and I didn’t even register moving my hand from her arm to cup her face, resting my thumb just under her mouth.
She parted her lips, releasing a shaky exhale, and I couldn’t stay away anymore.
I closed the distance between us and spoke against her lips.
“I’m going to kiss you, Valentina.”
When she gave me a low moan as an answer, I crushed my mouth to hers. I slid my hand to the back of her head. When I sucked a little on her tongue, she groaned right into my mouth.
With my free hand, I drew her closer. I needed more than her lips.
I wanted the warmth of her body, to feel her sweet curves.
No, that was a mistake… because now that she was pressed against me, I became greedier still, wanting to feel her skin.
I lost all sense of space and time, right until I realized she was whispering my name.
Then I pulled her in my lap, moving my hands up her legs.
Her skin broke out in goose bumps. When I moved past her knees, her hips slid forward an inch. When I cupped her ass, my fingers didn’t encounter fabric, and for a split second, I thought she wasn’t wearing panties. At the thought of her bare, I nearly lost my mind.
I instantly turned rock-hard, and Val felt it because I’d pressed her into me.
My hand moved from bare skin onto lace as I ran my finger over the scrap of fabric between her ass cheeks.
I wanted a taste of her. I wanted to drop to my knees, remove those tiny panties, spread her wide, and work her with my mouth until she exploded.
I moved my lips down to her jaw, to her earlobe.
“I can’t stop kissing you,” I confessed. “Or touching you.”
“Carter,” she whispered, sounding as if she wanted to be kissed again but unsure if it was a good idea.
I held her close to me, resting my nose in the crook of her neck, right up until a loud gong rang from the villa.
“Oh, they’re calling us back already.” Val sounded as dejected as I felt. I didn’t care about the gala, or the prizes. I just wanted more time with her. Something had shifted between us during this hour we’d spent here, and I wanted to solidify that before the night was over.
I took her hand, helping her stand up from the edge of the fountain.
“Always so gallant.”
“Never forget my manners.”
On the way to the villa, we ran into one of the organizers.
“Val, I’m so sorry I haven’t had time to greet you. And you are Ethan, I presume?” she asked.
I clenched my jaw, stretching my hand forward. “Carter Sloane. Pleased to meet you.”
“Oh!”
She looked between Val and me, confused.
“Could we quickly go over the prizes you donated before we move inside?” she asked Val.
“Sure.”
“I’ll be in the villa,” I said. Val nodded, not quite meeting my eye.
My gut clenched as I headed inside. I’d forgotten that she was supposed to be here with another man. Did she still have feelings for him? Was she looking for a rebound? I didn’t know what this was between us or what it could become, but I sure as hell didn’t want to be Valentina’s rebound.
I went to return the empty bottle and glasses to the bar, keeping an eye on the entrance. When Val came in, I fell into step with her as everyone headed to the main hall.
She gave me a small smile but still didn’t meet my eyes.
I swallowed, trying to gauge what was going through her mind. She was going to announce the winners along with one of the presenters, so I didn’t have much time left with her.
Once we were inside the hall, I pulled her to a semisecluded spot.
“Val, if you want, we can forget what happened tonight. It’s your choice.”
“Mine? What about you?”
“I already made my choice. I don’t want to forget. I’d make an effort if you wanted to. But I don’t think you do. Judging by the way you opened up to me…. Fuck, I’m getting hard just remembering it.”
“Carter,” she whispered in a chiding tone, casting her gaze downward.
“You don’t have to answer right now. Just enjoy the evening.”
We weren’t alone again for the rest of the evening, but I kept close.
Whenever our gazes crossed, she smiled before looking away quickly.
Whenever I put my hand on the small of her back, or on her arm, she leaned into my touch for a few seconds before straightening up and sucking in a breath.
Watching her inner battle was delicious.
By the end of the night, I knew I wouldn’t rest until Val was mine.