He took another step forward and she stepped back, glancing over her shoulder. They repeated their dance until he’d managed to shepherd her into his office and shut the door behind him. “I made it pretty damn clear last night—”

She pushed at his chest, her palm meeting with muscles so hard that she wanted to weep. “You made it perfectly clear that I’m fine to mess around with in the dark, where no one can see.”

His brows drew together, perfect lips thinning. “I had your nipple in my mouth when Jack came storming out there. He could see everything. Everything he had no damn business or right to see.”

Was Carter being possessive? Maybe even a little jealous? A wicked part of her wanted to find out the truth. “Who says he hadn’t already seen everything.”

He was on her so quickly that her heart barely had time to beat twice. “He won’t be seeing everything ever again.”Carter’s voice was smooth and calm, in direct conflict with the fury in his eyes. Strong hands tightened around her upper arms.

“I’m a grown woman. If I want to prance up and down Broad Street wearing nothing but two band-aids and a leaf, there’s nothing you can do about it.” She tried wiggling out of his embrace, but his grip was like steel bands. “You don’t own me.”

“Damn, but you drive me crazy.” He brushed his lips over hers and she shivered. “Always have.”

“The feeling’s entirely mutual.”

“Is it now?” he asked with a smile so smug that she wanted to wipe it off his face. He bent his head down, his breath hot on her neck. “Last night I dreamed about you.”

Her head fell back of its own accord as his tongue traced a path along her jaw. She could barely get out the words, “You did?”

“Oh yeah,” his voice had gone deep, almost guttural sounding. “You showed up at my garage wearing a trench coat with nothing but stocking and garters on underneath. And stilettos. Can’t forget those.”

She could stop herself from asking, “Then what happened?”

“Why don’t I show you?” He lifted her in his arms, his large hands cupping her butt. A good thing since her knees had ceased to exist. Unable to speak, she wrapped her legs around his waist, his erection deliciously pressing against her sex. He set her down on the edge of his desk and smiled like the confident man he’d become. “Never took you for the quiet type.”

“Never took you for the type that never shuts up,” she said, leaning back and propped her arms on the desktop while he made quick work of the buttons on her cardigan.

“You can shut me up anytime, baby.”

Eyeing the large Crown Royale clock over the door, she said, “You’ve got ten minutes.”

He pushed the cups of her bra down until her breasts popped out, tight nipples begging for his attention. “Fast is for the racetrack, not the bedroom.” He tweaked a hard peak and her hips jerked.

“An assistant is for working, not screwing on top of your desk during business hours,” she panted. No way in hell they’d have sex while she was on the clock.

Green eyes laced with bits of black glinted. “Ten minutes it is.” Then he sealed his mouth over hers. Her hands went to his head, curling her fingers into his short strands of hair. He tasted of coffee and mint…and Carter. All male and all hers.

Large hands slid under her skirt, up her bare thighs until he discovered what she wasn’t wearing. “Ah, hell…no panties,” he growled against her mouth. “So damn wet.”

She gasped as he thrust two fingers inside of her, his thumb finding her clitoris with a practiced ease.

“Ten minutes isn’t enough time to fuck you properly.” He tugged on her bottom lip, then released it. “Instead I’m going play and you’re going to come all over my hand.”

Staring up at him, she could feel the blush spreading over her face. Carter never talked like this—so raw and dirty. He pumped his fingers in and out of her, his thumb pressing hard as it moved in circular motions.

“That’s it…ride my fingers,” he said before biting down on the lobe of her ear. She moaned in response. “Damn, but you are tight. I can barely move.”

“It’s been…a while,” she said, her voice breaking on a moan.

He leaned back, looking at her. “Want me to make it easier on you?”

She closed her eyes, her hips rising to meet his thrusts. “H-how?”

“Like this.” Suddenly, he shifted, his soft hair brushing against her bare thighs.

Her eyes opened. Then his tongue replaced his thumb and she cried out. He pushed her down to his desk with his free hand, wrapping his arm around her hips to pull her even closer to the edge.

Teasing licks around her clitoris had her gulping for air. And when he sucked it into his mouth, she let out a scream and smacked the top of his desk with her palms. Either she would burst into flames or pass out if he did that again.

“Touch yourself. Make those sweet nipples of yours even harder,” he rasped against her delicate folds. He flicked his tongue over her clit, his eyes so dark they looked black.

Without hesitating, she trailed the tips of her fingers over her breasts, watching Carter watch her as he continued to lick and suck and fill her. She pinched her nipples, rolling them between her fingers until she heard him groan.

“You’re gonna feel so fucking good around my cock.”

The thought of him inside of her, thrusting harder and deeper than his fingers was enough to send her over the edge. Once more, he sucked her clitoris into his mouth and she went up in flames, screaming his name as she burned.

Carter was so hard, his dick could be used as a car jack.

He glanced back at the clock. Five minutes. The hands of the clock burned into his brain, until he looked down at the woman splayed so wantonly on his desk. All flushed from her orgasm, messy hair and pouty lips begging to be kissed. Satisfaction rose in him. He’d done that to her.

And he was going to do it again.

Leaning down, he kissed her gently, until she ran her hands up his arms and pulled him down to her. The kiss deepened, tongues slipping and sliding against the other.

The garage door hummed and rattled as it began to rise.

Panic filled Melanie’s eyes. “Let me up,” she said, her voice reed thin.

Helping her up, he winced as his fly rubbed against his erection. He would be sore as hell in a few hours.

“Carter,” a very familiar female voice called out. “Where are you?”

“In here, momma.”

Melanie’s face went white, then she moved at warp speed. “Oh God, oh God,” she chanted as she smoothed down her shirt, skirt and hair. She whirled to face him. “Do I look okay?”

“Fine,” he lied, snagging the daily paper to hold in front of him to conceal his hard-on. She looked like a woman had who just been satisfied while he felt like a damn teenager.

“Good morning,” Leah Ambrose said as she walked in the office. She stopped, glancing from him to Melanie. “Did I come at a bad time?”

He sliced his gaze to Melanie and raised his brows conspiratorially.

Melanie’s mouth trembled, then her hand slammed over it and she ran out of the office, shoulders shaking. The sound of her laughter echoed in the garage and it was all Carter could do to not join her.

Leah’s forehead wrinkled. “She always was a strange girl. Bless her heart.”

He frowned. “What brings you out here?”

“I need a reason to visit my son?” Leah walked around the room, eyes not missing a thing. “Thought I’d invite you to dinner tonight.”

“April still there?” Just saying her name was enough to get rid of his erection. He threw the paper on his desk and moved to the coffee maker, pouring himself another cup. “Want some?”

“No thank you,” Leah said, her voice prim. “And yes, she’s still here. Poor girl is devastated you won’t give her another chance. I spent almost the entire night consoling her.”

“Send her back to Charlotte.” He took a sip of his coffee, not really wanting to wash away the taste of Melanie on his tongue. Turning to face his mother, Melanie walked back inside his office. His heart flipped his chest. There was no stopping the grin that kicked up his mouth at the corners.

Melanie returned that grin with a sweet, confident smile of her own.

“I see.”

He jerked his attention back to his mother. “Good.”

“Guess I’ll let you two get back to work.” Leah’s lips thinned for a moment, then she smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Yeah, she was really unhappy with him. But there was no way in hell he would get back together with April.

“See you tonight, Ms. Leah,” Melanie said, “Zoe invited me to dinner.”

“Isn’t that something,” his mother said as she ran her eyes up and down Melanie. “Did she invite you into her closet as well?”

A dull flush crept up Melanie’s throat. “I-I—”

“You know how those two are,” Carter said, unable to fully comprehend how rude his mother had just been. “Besides I think that outfit looks good on her. Maybe a little early for dressing up as the Great Pumpkin for Halloween though.”

“The Great Pumpkin. Seriously?” Melanie rolled her eyes, but the embarrassed look on her face had disappeared. “Gee thanks.”

Their exchange seemed to mollify Leah, because she shook her head and tsked. “Some things never change.”

A wicked gleam appeared in Melanie’s eyes and he gave her a don’t-you-say-it look. Thankfully she kept her mouth shut and only waved good-bye to Leah as she left.

He shut the office door and moved closer to Melanie, placing his hands on her hips. “Now where were we?”

She leaned into him, her breasts rubbing against his shirt as her lips touched his throat. His mouth went dry. “At work. Your ten minutes was up five minutes ago.” Then the little witch laughed at him and wriggled out of his embrace.

Chapter Seven

“Are you really not coming to dinner?” Melanie asked, her purse on her shoulder and her hand on the door. It was after five-thirty and she needed to be at the Ambroses’ house before six. Leah was worse about being punctual than Carter, which explained where he got it.

Carter leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes and shoving his hands behind his head. His eyes opened. “Yeah. Although now that I know you’re going to be there, I’m liable to change my mind…or yours. In fact, why don’t you come back here for dessert?”

She gripped the doorknob harder. All thoughts of what he really meant by dessert make her knees go weak. “I could do that.”

“I’ll give you half an hour to eat, then get your sweet ass out of there,” he said.

“But it’ll take longer than that to help clear the dishes and wash them,” she protested. She always helped, it was practically second nature.

“Not my problem.”

“What am I supposed to say: ‘Excuse me, I need to go have sex with your son?’”

“Probably not the wisest thing to admit.” He shrugged. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

A trickle of doubt seeped into her. He could have told her to tell his family that they were dating or something like that, but maybe after being engaged for so long he didn’t want a real relationship. Maybe he wanted something more casual. “So I guess our relationship is a secret.” Tell me I’m wrong, she silently pleaded.

Something hard glinted in his eyes.

“Seeing how I work for you and all. Plus people would talk and you know how people like to see things that aren’t really there,” she added in a rush.

He grunted, whether to agree with her or not, she wouldn’t know, because his phone rang. “See you later. We’ll talk more about this secret relationship,” he said, then answered his cell. “Jake, you son of a bitch. How’s she running?”

Shoulders drooping, she opened the door.

“Hold on a minute. Melanie?”

Joy rushed through her and she turned to face him. “Yes?”

“Don’t forget to drop off those two packages at the post office for me. I left them by the front door.” He directed his attention back to the phone. “Have you checked the rear axel?”

“No problem,” she mumbled, feeling like the biggest fool on the planet. She snagged the packages and took a deep breath as the sharp January air hit her.

After unlocking her car and placing the packages in the back seat, she got inside and started up the engine. She gripped the steering wheel and let her head fall against it. Reconciling herself with this new-to-her side of Carter wouldn’t be easy. There would be no turning back from it either. Things would never be the same between them.

Oh God, she was being way too dramatic. Just because she’d never had had a friends-with-benefits type of relationship didn’t mean she couldn’t do that with Carter.

Plenty of her other girlfriends did it. Heck, even uptight Kelsey Griggs had her booty call on speed dial. Still.

Lifting her head, she eased her death grip on the steering wheel and put the car in drive. In no time at all she’d dropped off the packages, arrived at the Ambroses’ house and now sat at their huge dinner table.

As usual Leah had cooked a Sunday after church meal and it was only Wednesday evening. Something that Melanie would never complain about. Ever. Unlike on Sunday afternoons when the entire family ate together, only Carter’s parents sat at the formal dining room table, along with Zoe and—Melanie inwardly made a face—April.