Chapter Thirty-Four

Reid

Carrie and I step into the elevator on our way to the lobby and out of the West Enterprise offices, where I will have her to myself. The doors shut, sealing us inside the confined space where we stand side by side, our bodies close but not touching. The floral scent of her teases my nostrils, and I swear I can almost taste this woman on my tongue.

Floors click by and I have never in my life wanted to touch a woman the way I do this one. “Do you want to know what I’m thinking?” I ask without looking at her.

“Does it involve you ripping my panties yet again?”

“Yes,” I say, as we turn to face each other. “But only after I hit the stop button and shove you against the wall. Then I’d yank your shirt up, rip your panties off, and fuck you.”

The car lands on the bottom level and the doors start to open, the sound of voices on the other side lifting in the air. “Another time?” she asks as if I’ve just invited her for coffee.

“Another time,” I promise, winking at her as we face forward to be greeted by two elderly women appearing before us. I hold the door.

Carrie glances over at me, offering me a mischievous smile before she exits the car. I allow the ladies to enter, give them both a nod and then I exit. Carrie is waiting on me nearby, and together we fall into step and depart the building. “Your mother really did teach you manners,” she comments as we start our walk toward our neighborhood.

“Yes,” I say. “My mother really did teach me manners.”

“And your father taught you to be an asshole, or was that just practice because practice makes perfect? You are pretty perfect at it.”

We round the corner into Battery Park, our private space, and I snag her hand, bending our elbows, and pulling her close. “I’ll save that skill for everyone else.”

“Try,” she says. “Really try.”

“Try?” I ask, halting us beside my building and pulling her in front of me. “What does that mean?”

“It means I know that you push back when you feel like I cross an invisible line. We both know that it’ll happen again.”

“And you’ll push back like you did in the office.”

“I push back because you push back.”

“And now I’m trying to pull you close, baby. You’ll see.” I kiss her. “You’ll see,” I repeat and when I lean in to kiss her my cellphone rings. I grimace. “Of course,” I say.

“It could be Grayson,” she warns.

I nod, reluctantly abandoning the kiss to grab my cell from my pocket, glancing at the caller ID, “Connie,” I say to Carrie to put her mind at ease, holding the door to the building for her, even as I answer the line. “Yes, Connie.”

“Grayson offered you one of his private rentals,” she says as Carrie and I start the walk past security and toward the elevator. “I canceled your hotel and I’m emailing you the rental property details. Additionally, I have a chopper booked for your return Sunday night at seven, but that can be changed. Text me and I’ll handle it. What else do you need?”

“A secretary without an attitude.”

“She’d never survive your all-mightiness,” she says. “Knock ’em dead, but don’t get dead. I’ve always imagined that’s for me to do.” She hangs up.

Carrie and I step into the elevator, I punch in the code and pull Carrie to me. “Grayson offered us one of his private rentals for the night.”

“Us? As in he assumes we’re staying together?”

“I doubt he gave much thought to which bed we’d choose to sleep in, and he won’t unless we start costing him money. He’d much rather us be fucking than fighting. Love not hate, baby, and I’m going to give you every reason not to hate me while we’re there. That’s a promise.” The elevator dings and I kiss her. “Come on.” I take her briefcase from her, and lace my fingers with hers, leading her into the hallway, a rich awareness between us.

“Did you look around my apartment?” I ask as we reach my door.

“You asked me that,” she says. “My answer is the same as it was. I didn’t.”

I give her a curious look. “As in, at all?”

“At all,” she confirms.

I pull her in front of me, leaning her against the door. “Why?”

“Still the same answer, Reid. I didn’t want you to wonder about what I saw or thought. I wanted you to know.”

“You wanted me to know,” I repeat, but I don’t wait for a reply. I open the door, and walk her inside, kicking the door shut, rid myself of our bags, and press her to the wall, my legs framing hers. My hands are on her waist. “Did you want to look around?”

“Very much,” she says, her hand settling on my chest. “But it felt like an invasion of privacy. I waited for the personal tour.”

Any other woman would have been all over my apartment. “You are never what I expect, Carrie.”

“Is that bad or good?”

I cup her face. “Good, baby. Really damn good.” I kiss her and run my hand over her hip, cupping her backside and pulling her to me, a portion of this day coming back to me and not in a good way. “You were right. I did learn to be an asshole from my father, Carrie, but I’m not him and I hate the idea that I made you feel like I did today. I hate the idea that I made you feel what I know my mother felt.”

“Then don’t do it again,” she orders, her hand closing around my tie.

“I won’t. I promise you. I will never make you feel that way again.” I seal the promise with a kiss, and I let her taste how much I mean those words, and I do. Holy fuck, I do. I want this woman. Some part of me needs her, and when she moans and arches into me it’s all I can do to drag my mouth from hers. I squeeze her backside, inhale before releasing her, catching one of her hands with mine. “No more now. Come help me pack.”

“What?” she asks, breathless. “Now?”

“Yes, now.”

“But we—”

“Want to fuck? Yes. We do, but we’re going to wait.”

“Why? I mean we—” Her eyes go wide and her hand goes to my face. “Your head. Oh God. I’m sorry, I—”

I cup her hand where it rests on my cheek. “I’m not worried about my head. This is about us. It’s about us leaving for the Hamptons with you knowing that I want to know you beyond fucking, though plenty of fucking is just fine by me.”

“I do know, Reid. I knew when you left me here alone this morning.”

“You don’t know,” I say. “Not after what happened in my office today, but you will by the time this weekend is over.” I lean into her, a hand on the wall, one on her face, while my cheek presses to her cheek, my lips near her ear. “But when I do finally get you alone this weekend, I will own you, Carrie West, and I’m going to make you like it.” I stroke her hair back from her face, forcing her gaze to mine. “You don’t get to run, and I don’t get to push. We’re seeing this through. We’re seeing where this goes.”

“Are you sure you want to do that?” she challenges. “Maybe it’s you who’ll get owned.”

“Own me, baby. If you can,” I say, heat pulsing through me just thinking about the battle for control before us. “Consider that another invitation. I’m looking forward to you trying.”

I link my fingers with hers again. “Now.” I start walking backward, down the foyer of my apartment. “Let’s got to my bedroom where we will not fuck, no matter how badly we want to fuck. That’s for later.” I turn to walk forward and pull her to my side. “I still can’t believe you didn’t look around.”

“Thankfully I had to get to work, so temptation couldn’t kill me, and as it turns out, I won’t have that problem this weekend either.” We start up the stairs. “We won’t be here.”

“We’ll be back sometime this weekend,” I say. “If we finish up with Grayson tonight or even tomorrow morning, we can stay or go.” We enter the bedroom and I motion for her to follow, before heading to the closet by way of the bathroom. “Have you ever been to the Hamptons?”

“I have,” she says from behind me. “A couple of times, but never for pleasure.”

I flip on the closet light. “Then we should stay. I’ve considered buying a place down there, for business and pleasure.” I grab a suitcase and set it on the stool against the wall.

“The business side of things is why I think it’s hard to go there for pleasure,” she says, leaning on the doorjamb. “Everyone is floating in money, and there are all kinds of expectations. That’s not a vacation. That’s a normal day at the office.”

“I’ll show you the pleasure side when we’re there. You just have to step outside the plastic world which exists here, too. Do you have anything you need to pack at your place?”

“I packed for the weekend.”

“Did you bring the emerald dress?” I ask.

“Do I need a dress?”

“You might,” I say. “Actually.” I close the small space between us, catching her waist with my hands. “You need that dress.”

“You liked the dress?”

“It got me cuffed and obsessed, so yes. I’d say it’s safe to assume I liked the dress with you in it, which will make me want to take you out of it. Wear it this weekend.”

“Why? So you can try to work me and the dress out of your system?”

“I already tried that,” I say. “It didn’t work. I’m done trying to work you out of my system. I’m keeping you.”

“If I let you.”

“I’ll convince you.”

“Good luck.”

And just that easily, I am hot and hard and tangling fingers into her hair. “You really know how to make me want to fuck you, woman. But I won’t. Not yet. We need time to go get that dress.” I kiss her and set her away from me. We’ll wait until later, but the cuffs are going in my suitcase.