Chapter 22
VAL
I tortured my brother for about an hour before calling it a day. I wasn’t trying to be a nuisance, but it required hard work to get more out of Jace than “This is okay” and “This is okay too.” I needed the nitty-gritty. If he were part of a focus group, he’d be a tough cookie to crack.
“Do you have time to grab a tea?” I asked as we made our way to the break room. “Leta just texted me that she’s in the area and dropping by.”
Leta was a good friend of mine. I’d met her a few years ago at a conference, and we hit it right off.
“Sure.”
I narrowed my eyes at Jace. He looked a little too excited. I pinched his arm.
“Leta is my friend. Don’t go after her and make things weird.”
“Are you implying I’d break her heart? You have no faith in me.”
“You’re right. When it comes to this, I have zero faith.” I squinted. “Unless you’re telling me you want to settle down?”
Jace looked shocked. “Sisters. Always up for stabbing you in the back.”
“Never.” I patted his cheek. There was a time when he’d relished all the media attention and the never-ending flings. But now it seemed he was ready to make some changes.
“You haven’t answered my question, so I’ll take it as a yes.”
“Val,” he said warningly.
“Come on, give me some details. Describe to me your ideal woman.”
He squinted. “Please tell me you’re not going to try and set me up.”
“Are you crazy? That’s what we have Pippa for. She knows her stuff. This is purely sisterly curiosity.” And maybe fishing for information to pass on to Pippa. Maybe.
Our cousin, Pippa Bennett-Callahan was an excellent matchmaker, and even though she lived in San Francisco, I wouldn’t put it past her to work her magic on Jace whenever she was visiting.
Leta was waiting for us in the doorway of the break room.
She waved at me and smiled brightly at Jace.
Oh boy. My brother’s charm was hard at work, as usual.
The thing was, he didn’t even have to put any effort into it.
That smile of his had been a heartbreaker since he’d turned thirteen.
The rest of his appearance wasn’t helping either. And neither was his fame.
Since the break room was already crowded, we took three mugs and headed into my office. I had a kettle and tea selection in there as well.
The three of us talked for about half an hour before Jace got a call from his coach, and then he had to leave for an impromptu team meeting.
“Girl, your brother gets hotter every year,” Leta commented after Jace left. “And I’ve had a year-long dry spell. He’s single, right?”
“Umm… yes.”
Leta smiled saucily, and I could tell she was about to pepper me with some more questions, but we were interrupted by Carter.
“Anne didn’t say you had company.” He looked between Leta and me.
“She probably thought Leta left with Jace. Carter, this is my friend Leta. Leta, Carter moved to the area some time ago. We’re practically neighbors. He’s an excellent lawyer.”
Carter looked at me expectantly, only casting his gaze away when Leta stretched out her hand.
I noticed her blatant perusal of him, that saucy smile she was flashing him.
I looked down into my cup, breathing in and out a few times.
My stomach turned into a tight knot. Leta was a flirt, and she was beautiful.
I looked up between my lashes, studying Carter’s expression as he shook her hand.
I detected politeness, then looked back at my cup.
I was afraid to look too close and possibly discover something more.
“I could use a good lawyer,” Leta commented. “Do you have a business card?”
“Not on me, but Val can pass on my contact information.”
“Excellent. I’d love to pick your brain. We should grab dinner sometime. On me, of course.”
My heart was now lodged in my throat. Despite myself, I glanced up. Leta wasn’t looking at Carter as if she wanted to pick his brain. She was looking at him as if she wanted to take off his clothes. What the hell? She’d been all flirty with Jace, and now she was making a move on Carter?
And speaking of Carter, his gaze was on me. His expression was hard. Intense. An awkward moment followed, in which Leta looked at Carter, clearly expecting an answer, but he kept his eyes trained on me.
Eventually, Leta said, “I need to freshen up my makeup before I go. The bathroom is third down the hall, right?”
“Yes.”
After Leta exited the room, I headed to the small table against the wall where I kept the tea.
“Do you want tea? I just bought a delicious herbal mix.”
“No, I can’t stay long. I just wanted to drop by and see you.”
“Oh!” I felt all fuzzy inside.
“Yeah.”
There was a slight tightness in his voice I didn’t like.
“Carter, is something wrong? You’re acting strange.”
I poured more hot water into my cup. I hadn’t even heard Carter move through the room, but now I felt him right behind me.
He rested his hands on either side of my hips.
He hadn’t answered me, I realized, which meant something was wrong.
My heart began to race as we stood completely still. I felt his hot breath tickling my skin.
“You introduced me to Leta as a lawyer and neighbor. As just a neighbor.”
“Oh. I didn’t realize—”
When he spoke next, his lips were on the back of my neck. He was whispering in that low, seductive voice that turned my knees weak.
“I’ve kissed every inch of you. I can make you come in so many ways. Maybe I should remind you of all the ways in which I’m not just a neighbor.”
He moved his hand from my hip around to my front.
He was only touching my stomach in small circles, but that motion was the one he used to caress me intimately when I was nearing the edge. I sucked in a breath. I couldn’t believe I was so turned on.
“Did you tell your family about me, Valentina?”
“I told my sisters and Landon. Haven’t mentioned it to Will and Jace yet because they tend to be a little overprotective.”
“But you’ll tell them?”
“Yes.”
He whirled me around until we were facing each other, then he cupped my face. I was startled by that intense look in his gaze, the hard lines on his face, the tightness in his jaw.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
His eyes were searching me as if he was trying to read every thought and every emotion.
I tore my gaze from him, focusing instead on his shoulder.
I hoped he couldn’t sense my inner turmoil.
Everything was overwhelming even for me: my hope that this could turn into more than a fling battling with my fear of having my heart crushed again.
He wanted my family to know, and yet he still hadn’t asked me to spend any time with him and the girls.
It had been about a month since we’d started sleeping together.
I’d said he was a neighbor because I didn’t know how else to introduce him.
I didn’t want to put a label on this that he wasn’t comfortable with.
I couldn’t put my predicament into words, and when he brought his mouth to my neck, raining kisses from the base right up to that sensitive spot below my ear, I couldn’t even think.
“Jesus, Carter!”
“I love hearing you say my name.”
Pulling back, he drew his thumb over my lips, and I parted them, darting the tip of my tongue forward.
He swallowed hard, locking his gaze on my mouth.
He hadn’t expected this. Then he took me by surprise, pinning me with his hips against the edge of the table.
He took one of my hands in his, then slid his own down to clasp it around my wrist, two fingers pressing on my pulse point before he lowered his head and planted an openmouthed kiss where he’d touched before. God, I was so aroused….
He brought his mouth closer, speaking against my lips. “Are you turned on?”
I was aware that I was breathing faster.
My entire body was on edge. But still, I shook my head playfully.
Carter cocked a brow. I looked between us as I felt his hand slide further up under my blouse, cupping one breast. Then he pulled it out and moved both hands on my waist. A cocky smile played on his lips.
“What are you doing?” I whispered.
“Giving you a taste of what will come later tonight.”
“Oh, yeah, what’s that?”
“I’ll leave you guessing.”
“I think I have a few ideas.”
“Of course you do. You’re a wicked little thing under your pencil skirts and blouses.”
I jutted out my lower lip. “Are you calling me easy?”
“No, babe. I’m just calling you sexy.”
“Are you trying to convince me to do sexy things with you in my office?”
“Maybe. Are you relenting?”
“Never.” I tried to push him away before he got any other outrageous ideas, but the man wouldn’t budge. “What if someone had seen us?” I pointed to the open door. Carter laughed, but his eyes were dark and glittering. I swatted his shoulder. “I mean it.”
“Keep going like this and I’ll lock the door and make you come against it.”
Holy shit. I could tell that he meant every word. Part of me wanted to keep egging him on so he’d make good on his promise, but… damn. I was in my office. And Leta would be back any second now.
Speak of the devil…. Carter finally stepped to one side when we heard footsteps approaching.
I wasn’t aware of how possessive his grip on me looked until I saw Leta’s brows climb into her hairline as she took both of us in. We were leaning against the goodies table, side by side. Carter had slung an arm around my lower back, and his hand was resting on my hipbone.
“Val,” she said coyly. “You didn’t tell me you two were a couple.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Carter smile. He didn’t move his hand one inch as he replied, “We are.”