So many secrets swarmed in Hanna’s head.
She needed to share at least one of them with Carter. Last night they’d had a close call. She wanted to put the past to the side, if only for a few hours. Being with him, kissing him, felt like the most natural thing ever. But now, in the stark light of day, she thought about his father and hers, her sister, their families, and the baby. That was a lot of baggage piled up around them. Unpacking it seemed like an impossible task.
She used to think Carter knew most of it. That he’d been this carefree playboy who didn’t care if he got a woman pregnant. The kind of guy who would send in his rich daddy to clean up his mess. But none of those characteristics fit now.
She sat on the couch, so deep into self-reflection that she almost didn’t hear the knock. She glanced at her cell, expecting to see a text from Carter asking if he could stop by. That’s what he did. He checked with her first. But maybe after last night he felt more comfortable stopping by without warning. If so, good.
Their relationship had taken a step forward. The question was how big of a step.
Putting all that aside, she went to the door. She had it open before she remembered the peephole and a lifetime of precautions and generally being smart about her safety. The big fence made an impression, but she’d learned from experience that evil could creep into her life without warning.
All of those things ran through her head as she looked at the two women standing there. The obviously pregnant one with the long brown hair and a pretty round face wore a cute empire-waist dress and a big smile. She also carried a carton with a bakery’s name on the side, which made Hanna like her immediately. The other woman, equally stunning in a trim black pantsuit, shifted her weight around, looking far less comfortable about being there.
For a second Hanna couldn’t speak. Then she forced out a fumbling greeting. “Uh, hello?”
“I’m Ellie. This is Abby.” The pregnant one pointed back and forth with her free hand.
Hanna knew Ellie’s name and that she was engaged to Derrick and obviously close to her due date, but none of that explained why they were standing in front of her. “Okay.”
Ellie shook the box. “We brought cookies.”
Since Ellie was about to be a Jameson by marriage, she’d probably own at least part of the cottage they were standing in. And they looked friendly. Maybe a little sheepish but still welcoming. “You said the magic word. Come in.”
Hanna stepped back and let the women move past her. They smelled as nice as they looked. All put together and perfect. Shiny hair, comfortable but stylish looking clothes. Suddenly, Hanna felt like a lump of dirty linen.
She rubbed her hands on the back of her jeans as she followed them to the sitting area. They sat next to each other on the couch. Hanna opted for the safety of the chair across from them because she had a feeling there might be some Carter questions ahead of her.
“So...” The rest of her words died in her throat. That’s all she had.
Ellie laughed. “Let me start. I’m engaged to Derrick and clearly pregnant. Seven months, so I have swollen ankles and a permanent case of grumpiness. But the cookies help my mood.”
“You hide the bad mood well.” All Hanna could see was Ellie’s perfect complexion and shiny smile. Nothing seemed forced. She practically radiated happiness. “I figured out from the pregnancy who you were.”
Ellie wrestled with the tape that held the box of cookies closed. “Well, we’re both pregnant and both engaged to Jameson men, so you get both of us this afternoon.”
“You’re with Spence?” she asked Abby. Hanna heard her stunned tone and rushed to apologize. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound so surprised.”
But Abby took it in stride. Without breaking eye contact or showing any sign of being upset, she reached over and snapped the tape Ellie had been picking at, then she smiled at Hanna. A warm, genuine smile. “I’m still trying to believe it, and by ‘it’ I mean the pregnancy and the engagement. I hadn’t really expected either.”
Carter had skipped the two future sisters-in-law thing...or had he? Hanna couldn’t remember. Their conversations touched on a lot of topics during all those meals together. His upbringing and Eldrick’s constantly changing rules. Trips with his brothers. Time with Jackson and his sister. Funny things they all said during the day or did in the past. His thoughts about turning the Virginia property into a business. She loved hearing him talk, having him open up, so she encouraged all of it.
She didn’t realize how much she did know until right that second. Somehow, despite her efforts to stay detached, she’d done the opposite. She’d let her defenses drop despite her vows to reinforce them. With the secrets and now the kissing, her mind spun. Being this close to him, this enmeshed in his life, was never the plan. They were not dating. She didn’t know what they were, yet this all felt very domestic...and that made her jumpy.
“I think I’m nervous.” When Hanna realized she was twisting her hands together until her skin turned white, she grabbed onto the armrests instead.
Abby frowned. “Why?”
“You two are so...” Good grief. They owned mirrors, right? They knew who they were and the kind of family they were marrying into. All that money and power. The potential to get stung by Eldrick and his schemes.
Ellie grabbed a cookie from the now open box. “I’m excited for you to finish that sentence.”
That made one of them. Hanna had to fight off the urge to run into the bathroom and throw up.
“We’re here because Carter told Spence you were staying here.” Abby glanced at Ellie. “Actually, I think Spence tricked him into it.” Abby waved a hand in front of her face before continuing again. “Anyway, we know you don’t live around here usually and thought you might be lonely, so here we are.”
“With cookies.” Ellie lifted the box and handed them to Hanna. “They are so good.”
Abby winked. “Her favorite.”
They had such an easy back-and-forth. The rapport made Hanna miss Gena, or at least miss the relationship she’d always wanted with her sister but never actually had. They were close but Gena could be volatile. Her judgment wasn’t great. Carter had been right when he said Gena teetered on the edge of control. Hanna had left because she couldn’t watch it...a decision she’d regret forever.
Hanna balanced the box on her lap and glanced up. Ellie and Abby watched her. Ellie wore a soft smile while Abby seemed to be studying and assessing.
None of it made Hanna uncomfortable. The silence did, so she rushed to fill it. “Did you guys grow up with Spence and Derrick?”
Ellie snorted. “Ha! No. I was out of work and hating Derrick when we started dating.”
“What?” Hanna tried to remember the gossip she’d read about the couple months ago but she couldn’t recall the details. She could see the photos and the locations—expensive hotels and parties. It all fit with the way she’d wanted to see the Jameson brothers before she got to Virginia.
Abby reached over and took a cookie. “I work for Jameson Industries and was about to leave the business because Spence’s dad is a piece of garbage.”
Some of the tension running through Hanna eased. She didn’t realize how stiff she’d been holding her shoulders until Abby made the comment. “Man, he really is.”
“We also have an ulterior motive for our visit.” Abby pointed at Hanna with her cookie. “We wanted to meet you.”
Hanna couldn’t imagine their lives. Probably filled with parties and business functions. The idea of them thinking about her, even for a second, confused her. “Why?”
“Because of Carter,” Ellie said.
Abby nodded. “You guys are together and we love Carter—”
Just as she feared. “No.”
“Excuse me?” Abby’s eyebrow lifted and for a second she sounded like the tough businesswoman Hanna imagined her to be.
Carter. Talk about a tough conversation. She’d been thinking about him nonstop. About that kiss, about how good his hands felt on her. She wished she could write him off; she needed to because being with him meant spilling so many secrets and trusting him. A voice in her head screamed a warning at the thought of doing either. “There’s not... We’re not... I mean, there was kissing and...ugh.”
A huge smile broke over Abby’s face. “That sounds so familiar.”
“Right?” Ellie shook her head as she took a bite of her cookie. “Those Jameson men.”
They lost her. Hanna had no idea what they were talking about. “What do you mean?”
Abby sighed as she put down the cookie she’d been holding but not eating. “The Jameson men have the power to get the most stable woman turned around and babbling.”
Exactly. That description totally made sense to Hanna. She’d been off balance and stumbling ever since Carter showed up at her door. It was nice to know she wasn’t alone. Sounded as if this was a regular affliction. “Have you met Carter’s other girlfriends?”
“I like that you used the word other.” Abby flashed a smile.
Hanna couldn’t imagine Spence having any defense to that look. Hanna couldn’t find one. “I didn’t mean—”
“But no. He’s charming and very sweet and funny, but also very private.” Ellie’s head tilted to the side. “Hence, our curiosity about you.”
The women had been there fifteen minutes and Hanna already liked them. They were open and friendly. They searched for information but didn’t try to hide their snooping with games. Hanna got the very real sense the visit came out of a love for Carter and a need to see where she fit into his life.
She guessed Jackson was to blame for planting that wrong seed...and it was wrong. It had to be because with their families and their pasts their lives couldn’t intersect like that.
Disappointment slammed into her. Her chest ached and she had to ball her hands into fists to keep from rubbing the spot. For a few seconds—a flash only—she wondered what it would be like to be with Carter, to be the one he built a life with. She blinked out the thought as soon as it formed in her head.
“I don’t want to disappoint you, but we’re really not together together.”
Silence buzzed through the room. Both Ellie and Abby stayed quiet. They watched her, but Hanna didn’t sense pity or anger. After a few beats of quiet, Ellie looked at Abby and nodded.
Ellie turned back to Hanna. “But you still need company...or would you rather we leave?”
Now that they were here, she didn’t want them to go. Hanna couldn’t really explain it. She didn’t have a lot of friends. Over the last year, she’d been mourning her sister and the baby, she’d been avoiding Eldrick, and hadn’t had the time or emotional strength to be a great friend to anyone. She hadn’t realized how much she missed the comfort of friends until now.
She shrugged. “I kind of want to hear why Abby hates Eldrick Jameson.”
“Done.” Abby stood up. “Let’s get some drinks and napkins to go with the cookies, then I’ll tell you all about how he made a pass at me in an effort to derail my relationship with Spence.”
Hanna started to stand up, then fell back into her chair as Abby talked. “Are you kidding?”
Ellie snorted. “Oh, Hanna. We have so many Eldrick stories. The lies. The things he’s making his sons do so that Derrick can officially run the company he already runs. You don’t even have to share yours. You can just enjoy ours.”
“He really is awful.” Normally, Hanna wouldn’t be so quick to share her true feelings, but she felt perfectly safe making that statement with this audience.
Abby stood in the middle of the kitchen. “Help me with those napkins and we’ll fill you in on our experiences.”
Hanna wasn’t about to say no to that offer.
* * *
Later that night, Carter stood in Hanna’s kitchen, holding a cup of decaf. He stopped in the middle of drinking when Hanna dropped her big news. “Wait, you had cookies with Ellie and Abby today?”
She slid onto the bar stool across from him with a warm smile. “Weird, right?”
Carter waited for the blood to rush back to his head. The women he considered family had rushed over to talk to Hanna. He assumed he could thank Spence for that, but later, because right now a million questions filled his head.
“Not really. I guess.” While he was skeptical about the visit, he didn’t want Hanna to think anything but good things about Ellie and Abby. He loved them and couldn’t imagine either one of his brothers getting through the rest of their lives without them. But he barely knew his place in the family. The idea of bringing Hanna into the mess didn’t make sense to him, especially when he wasn’t sure what they meant to each other, if anything. “They likely came out because they were worried you’d meet Derrick and Spence first and then take off.”
Hanna played with the fringe on the edge of the place mat, slipping the material through her fingers with precision. “I don’t remember them being that scary.”
Her nonanswer stopped him. Of course she would leave. They technically weren’t dating. Hell, he didn’t even know if he planned on sticking around much past Ellie giving birth. But they’d originally talked about her staying a few days and they’d blown by that deadline. The usual pressing need to move on hadn’t hit him. He didn’t want to think that was due to her, but he started to wonder. “Are you going to?”
She shrugged. “There’s much we need to talk about.”
The contents of the envelope. The mention of the baby. The secrets were starting to pile up. Still, he didn’t want to push because he didn’t want to push her away. “You have to stick around for that.”
“So do you, which sounds like it could be a problem.” She flipped the material around a few more times, then flattened it against the counter under her palm. “Your future sisters-in-law think you’re going to bolt once Ellie’s baby is born. They didn’t say they worried about it, but I could tell they want you here. In fact, I think Ellie would be happier if you lived with them, like Spence did.”
That must have been a hell of a talk. He’d been trying for days, and Ellie and Abby came in, offering cookies, and got more than he had. He didn’t like that feeling of once more being on the outside looking in. “She’s in nesting mode.”
“It’s more than that. She said she didn’t want to freak you out, but she hated the idea of you moving on once Eldrick turned the business over to Derrick.”
“Yes, I’ll go, and Spence will work there. I’d get the benefit of their hard labor.” He thought about how crappy that sounded. It was one thing to be the brother who schmoozed people. It was another not to contribute. “That was my original plan.”
“But now?” She stared at him, head-on and no flinching.
He met her stare for stare. He decided not to answer the unspoken question about them because he didn’t know what they were or even if they were a “they.” “Nothing is as clear as it was a few weeks ago.”
“We met a few weeks ago.”
She was pushing and his usual reaction would be to pull away. He clamped down on that instinct and stepped closer to the counter. Reached across until his hand covered hers. “That’s kind of my point.”
For a few seconds, they stood there with music softly playing in the background. He caressed the back of her hand with his thumb. Felt a burst of energy arc between them.
Her second hand joined her first until she cradled his fingers in all of hers. “What would you say if I asked you to stay here tonight?”
His heartbeat thundered in his ears until he could barely hear. “I’d force myself to stop and try to figure out if you’re still conflicted.”
“Not about this part. Not anymore.”
That sounded so good but he still needed to be sure. “The other stuff, the things that are worrying you, can they wait?”
“They’ve already waited a long time.”
He wasn’t convinced that was the right answer. Everything between them felt...unsettled. Hot and full of need but a little off, as if they should just get to it and deal with the consequences. His father, Gena. That stupid envelope.
Before he could launch into the first topic, she walked around the counter. Never broke eye contact with him. Held his hand as she stepped in front of him with the other hand resting on his hip. “Hi, there.”
“Hi.”
“You going to run on me, Carter?”
The risks were high but right then, in that moment, none of them mattered. “I couldn’t, even if I wanted to.”
Need pounded through him. Everything about her intrigued him. Her voice, her body, that smile. He loved to listen to her, talk with her, share things. None of that matched with the guy he thought he was, the one who ran instead of staying to take the heat. He liked certainty and clarity and very few ties. He liked to breeze through without getting involved. The comfort that came with keeping things easy and shallow. But she blurred every part of his life. Shook it up and left him fighting for balance.
And that was without touching him.
But she touched him now. She slid her hand up his side and every nerve ending ignited. Muscles strained at the soft brush of her fingers.
His arm slipped around her and he tugged her closer. His lips brushed her cheek and he felt a shiver run through her. So sexy and it only spurred him on.
His mouth skimmed the side of her face to her ear. He licked around the outside and her body fell harder against his.
“Yes.” Her breath blew across his neck.
It was his turn to tremble. He couldn’t hide the small shake in his hands as he held her. A voice in his head screamed now.
So much had happened, so many questions and half answers that he needed them to be clear on this. “Tell me to stop if you want me to stop. No questions asked. I’ll go back to the main—”
“Carter?”
He watched her, waiting. “Yeah?”
“Stop talking.” Her hand slipped lower, right to the top of his butt.
She couldn’t be clearer than that. “Yes, ma’am.”
He shut his mind off and kissed her. Poured all his desire and need into it. Let her feel how much he wanted to be with her, to touch her. He didn’t hold back or play games because he didn’t want to. Not with her.
Any hope of staying detached fizzled. His mouth covered hers and the heat sparked between them. Her hands slipped into his hair and his hands roamed over her back.
They touched everywhere.
He could smell her and hear her. Feel her. It was better than the dreams he’d been having about her, and those had been pretty great except for the part where he woke up alone and sweating.
He pulled her in until their bodies rubbed against each other. The friction had his brain misfiring but he managed to walk them out of the kitchen. He eased her back, guiding her through the living room, around the coffee table and chair, to the bedroom door. With every step he kissed her. Their mouths met in a series of breathtaking kisses that nearly knocked the knees out from under him.
Through it all he held her, cradled her against his chest as his mouth skimmed over her sexy neck. He didn’t bother to look around. He spied the bed out of the corner of his eye and that was good enough.
He kept moving, spinning them around until the backs of his knees hit the mattress. Sliding down, he opened his legs and pulled her to stand between them. The position put his mouth even with her stomach. He leaned in and pressed a kiss against her shirt. Felt the muscles underneath jump in response.
Being this close to her, wanting her, humbled him. He didn’t race or throw her down. Not when he wanted to savor every second. Wanted to unwrap her like she was a present he never thought he’d get. When she reached down and again tangled her fingers in his hair he couldn’t help but lean into the touch.
His control hovered right at the edge. It blinked out on him a few times when he pressed his cheek against her stomach. He smoothed his hand up and down the backs of her thighs. “You feel so good.”
Her breathing kicked up under his ear. Those hands, soft yet strong, trailed down his back. He lifted her then. Scooped her up and dragged her around him. He didn’t let go until her back hit the bed and then he crawled over her. Slipped up her body, loving the feel of how they fit together.
When he reached into his back pocket and took out the condom he’d put there in the hope he might need it tonight, she nodded. Balancing on his elbows with an arm on each side of her head, he looked down. Ran his fingertips over her bottom lip as he thought about how good it felt to kiss her. Then he did. He bent down and pressed his mouth against hers. This kiss was slow and deliberate, a promise of what was to come.
When they broke apart she lifted her hand and caressed his cheek. “The answer is still yes.”
He couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Thank goodness.”
Her fingers traveled down his chest, undoing each button as she went. She had his shirt open and slid her hands inside, tunneling under his white T-shirt to bare skin. The touch was electric. It made his heart pound and his mouth go dry. Every ounce of common sense abandoned him.
His head dipped again and this time he didn’t stop. His mouth followed his hands as he pushed her sweater up. With a lift of her upper body, she helped him shove it off and onto the floor. Something he’d worry about tomorrow morning. Right now, he had other things on his mind, like enjoying the touch of his lips against her skin.
He kissed and caressed her. Slipped his palms over her breasts, loving the shape of her. He kissed her through her bra. Licked her until her back arched and she whispered his name. He’d never heard anything so sexy. Never been so ready.
Sitting up, he tore off his shirt and his hands went to his jeans. But she beat him there. Her fingers worked on the button and his zipper. The sound of it coming down screeched through the room but he blocked it out. This was about them and her breathing and the way the light hit her bare skin. He’d stripped off her top and unhooked her bra. Now he slipped it off her shoulders, letting it fall until she grabbed it in front of her and ripped it off.
He wanted to reach down and touch her again but his brain wouldn’t send out the signal, not when Hanna slipped her hand inside his jeans. But who could blame him? She cupped him, caressed him with an expert hand. Her fingers danced over him, making his hips tip forward, then she tightened her hold.
Every brush of her fingers and the heavy breaths escaping her made him ache. He wanted to touch her, press his body against hers. When she put her hands on his hips and brought him against her again, he didn’t fight it. He let her coax him closer. Enjoyed the way her hand slid over his length. Counting to ten while she did it over and over again.
But he couldn’t wait any longer.
Pressing her back into the mattress, he stood up long enough to strip off his jeans and briefs. Then he was back. He sat between her legs, unzipping her pants and sliding them down. Slowly peeling them off her and taking the lacy black bikini bottoms with them.
When there was nothing between them, he kissed her again. He licked her bottom lip, nipped at the top. Felt his stomach flip over when she dragged him in for a kiss that blew out any doubt he ever had that they would end up like this.
He swept his hand down her body, loving the curve of her stomach and the softness of her thigh. Without him saying a word, she bent her leg and dropped it to the side. The shift gave him the access he wanted. His finger slipped over her, inside her. And when her head fell back, he took advantage of the position and skimmed his mouth down her neck to the inviting dip at the base of her throat.
With each pass of his hand, her body opened for him, readied for him until he didn’t think he could wait one more second. Once again, she was there, dragging the condom from where he’d dropped it and handing it to him. Not saying a word as she trailed her fingers over his bottom lip.
He lifted his hips, separating from her only long enough to roll the condom on. Then he was back, easing inside her. Her internal muscles tightened around him, pulsed against him. He dragged in a hard breath, trying to regain his balance from the sensations pummeling him. But she wouldn’t let him stop. She lifted her hips and he was done.
His body took over. The steady in and out. The way her body held him, wrapped around him. He couldn’t think and gasped as he tried to drag in enough air. Their breaths mixed and echoed throughout the room. He pushed in and pulled out. Let her set the rhythm.
When her fingers clamped on his waist, he moved faster. One hand eased between their damp bodies. He touched her then and her mouth dropped open. She tensed under him and he knew she was close.
He whispered her name.
With a rough gulp of breath, she reached for him. Brought his mouth down for one more kiss. Broke it off as her mouth opened and her head tilted back. He watched, fascinated, as the orgasm moved through her. Her body shook and her legs clenched against his hips. She was strong and beautiful, so hot that she stole his breath.
Then it was his turn. He tried to hold it off, to savor every second, but his body had other ideas. His eyes slipped shut as his hips bucked. His body moved and shifted as the last of the pulses moved through him.
The orgasm zapped his strength and his arms gave out. He caught his weight in time, before he crushed her. Managed to slide slightly to the side.
Lying half on her, half next to her, he slid his arm over her stomach and pulled her close as he tried to calm his heart. It thumped so hard he half expected to see it move in his chest.
“Wow.” She said the word without opening her eyes.
His smile was automatic. “You get all the credit.”
She turned her head and looked at him then. “We were pretty fantastic together.”
Whatever she wanted to say, fine, but he knew the truth. She got the credit here. He found the energy to place a soft kiss on her shoulder. “And you are my inspiration.”
“I like that.” She fully rolled on to her side. “I like you.”
Any chance at sleep vanished. All he wanted was to lie there, looking at her. “You’re stunning.”
“And you, Carter Jameson, need to rest.” She smiled when he groaned. “I hope you brought another condom.”
He held up two fingers. “That’s it.”
She pushed him to his back and slid over him. “After that we’ll have to get creative.”
He was wide-awake now. For the first in a long time, running was the last thing on his mind. “Lucky for you, I’m very creative.”
“I’m counting on that.”