Thomas materialized at my side.
It didn’t matter. They were already there anyway, and he opened the back door for me. I slid in, and when he started to get in beside me, I stopped him. “Please. Can I be alone?”
He pulled back, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, but he nodded and shut the door. The front passenger door opened a moment later and I envisioned the three grown men squashed together on the other side of the barrier—the driver and the two guards together.
Another time, I would’ve grinned at that image, but not tonight.
I wasn’t paying attention to the drive, so when the car stopped and my door opened, I was surprised to find we weren’t in Carter’s basement garage. I stared at a private plane, the stairs already extended and waiting. I looked to Thomas. “What’s going on?”
“Carter called. He’d like for you to join him in New York.”
“Oh.” For a moment, I thought he might be coming down those stairs, and I’d be in his arms in a matter of seconds. Sweeping that disappointment aside, I nodded and started forward. “Okay. My clothes?”
“He’ll have clothes there for you.”
Of course. He provided for me. Everywhere. Always. I never needed to question that. I walked up the stairs, ducked inside the plane, and went to the back. As I curled into the bed, Thomas and another three guards took their seats. I didn’t question where the other guard had come from. They always appeared, but I had a feeling that Thomas had called Carter. He could tell I was upset. And instead of coming to me, Carter was having me flown to him.
It didn’t matter, however it came to be. I lay in the bed and closed my eyes, knowing I’d soon be in his arms. That was where I needed to be.
But I wasn’t going to tell him about Amanda. I couldn’t. I felt too scared of what he would do. Not yet. I promised myself that. Not yet. And as the plane started down the runway, I was able to sleep.
When I woke, Carter was sliding his arms underneath me and picking me up. He cradled me against his chest as he carried me from the plane and into the back of another car. Burrowing my head to his shoulder, I let the sleep overtake me, and it wasn’t long until I woke once more in an elevator. Then we were in a room, and he slid into bed behind me.
He pulled me once more to his chest.
“I love you,” I murmured.
He pressed a kiss to my forehead and said, “I love you, too. Sleep, Emma.”
I did.
When I woke, Carter was gone and the whole night felt like a strange dream—or nightmare. It was daylight now, and I had to figure out what to do. But first, coffee.
Padding barefoot down the hallway, I let my nose lead me to a dining room large enough to fit a pool. It was grand. Carter had nice things, but this place was the definition of extravagance. I glanced through the floor-to-ceiling windows and decided this was an apartment, probably a penthouse. I also noticed we were in the heart of Manhattan and forgot the coffee for a moment. Going to the window, I stood and basked in the view. It was so much. I’d been to New York for work, but never like this.
“Remarkable, isn’t it?”
I turned and found myself staring at the second-most gorgeous man I’d ever seen in person. Carter was first, always first. This guy was almost his opposite in some ways. He had sleek dark hair, cut short, dark, almond eyes, and a lean face like Carter’s. He also had a model’s chiseled features and a physique Theresa would’ve pretended to faint over. He was similar in height to Carter—over six feet with broad shoulders and a lean waist. Actually, he was slightly leaner than Carter. As he moved toward me, I was surprised. He moved like Carter, like a ghost.
I knew without a doubt that this man was why Carter had been in New York so much.
“The view?” I remembered his question.
He handed me a cup of coffee and backed away, leaning against the counter and folding his arms over his chest. I knew what he was doing—trying to diminish his presence so I wouldn’t be so intimidated. I grinned, but didn’t comment. He could think I was easily swayed by a simple body posture. Instead, I took a whiff of that coffee and almost climaxed. It was heaven.
He laughed, tilting his head to the side. “Carter said you liked coffee. I didn’t realize how much.”
I grunted. “I’d marry it if I could.”
He barked out another laugh. “Well, I don’t think Carter would stand for that.”
“He’d adjust.”
Grinning, he looked down at the floor and shook his head. “Carter said you were quick-witted. I see he spoke the truth.”
“Funny. He didn’t say anything about you.”
His eyebrow went up and he unfolded so he wasn’t slouching anymore, which lent a feeling of authority to his presence. He wasn’t as dangerous as Carter. I didn’t feel that from him, but he was someone, and he could be lethal.
“Because until last week, I was no one.”
“That’s hard to believe.”
“Emma.” My name drifted in from the hallway. It came as a caress, and Carter approached me with a gentle smile. He was dressed the same as his friend, in dress pants and a button-down shirt. As he came to me and kissed my cheek, he tugged at his collar, unbuttoning the top two buttons. Lingering for a moment, his lips remained on my cheek, and he whispered, “Are you okay?”
I was suddenly exhausted, so I shook my head. “I don’t know.” I spoke the truth.
He pulled away enough to see my face and narrowed his eyes. His hand came to rest on my arm.
Oh god. What had I just done with those three words? He would push me later, and even if I didn’t say anything, he would know I’d been with Amanda earlier. He would figure it out himself. That’s what he did.
“If I ask you to leave it alone, would you?” I had to try.
He turned from concerned to questioning. “As loving you, my job is to help with whatever’s wrong. I can’t do that.”
My hands curled around my mug. Feeling the weight of his friend’s gaze behind us, I shrugged a shoulder and whispered, “I’ll tell you later. I just…can’t right now.”
He nodded and moved to kiss my lips. Hovering over them, he murmured again, “I’m sorry I didn’t wake you and explain where we are. You shouldn’t have woken in a stranger’s home. That’s my fault.”
He held the side of my face as he gave me the slightest of kisses, enough to make me yearn for an afternoon for just the two of us. I wanted to bury my head in his chest and feel his arms as I had when he’d carried me and held me hours earlier. I wanted to feel only his touch. Nothing else. No outside world interrupting us, leaving me cold and hurt.
It didn’t matter. They were already there anyway, and he opened the back door for me. I slid in, and when he started to get in beside me, I stopped him. “Please. Can I be alone?”
He pulled back, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, but he nodded and shut the door. The front passenger door opened a moment later and I envisioned the three grown men squashed together on the other side of the barrier—the driver and the two guards together.
Another time, I would’ve grinned at that image, but not tonight.
I wasn’t paying attention to the drive, so when the car stopped and my door opened, I was surprised to find we weren’t in Carter’s basement garage. I stared at a private plane, the stairs already extended and waiting. I looked to Thomas. “What’s going on?”
“Carter called. He’d like for you to join him in New York.”
“Oh.” For a moment, I thought he might be coming down those stairs, and I’d be in his arms in a matter of seconds. Sweeping that disappointment aside, I nodded and started forward. “Okay. My clothes?”
“He’ll have clothes there for you.”
Of course. He provided for me. Everywhere. Always. I never needed to question that. I walked up the stairs, ducked inside the plane, and went to the back. As I curled into the bed, Thomas and another three guards took their seats. I didn’t question where the other guard had come from. They always appeared, but I had a feeling that Thomas had called Carter. He could tell I was upset. And instead of coming to me, Carter was having me flown to him.
It didn’t matter, however it came to be. I lay in the bed and closed my eyes, knowing I’d soon be in his arms. That was where I needed to be.
But I wasn’t going to tell him about Amanda. I couldn’t. I felt too scared of what he would do. Not yet. I promised myself that. Not yet. And as the plane started down the runway, I was able to sleep.
When I woke, Carter was sliding his arms underneath me and picking me up. He cradled me against his chest as he carried me from the plane and into the back of another car. Burrowing my head to his shoulder, I let the sleep overtake me, and it wasn’t long until I woke once more in an elevator. Then we were in a room, and he slid into bed behind me.
He pulled me once more to his chest.
“I love you,” I murmured.
He pressed a kiss to my forehead and said, “I love you, too. Sleep, Emma.”
I did.
When I woke, Carter was gone and the whole night felt like a strange dream—or nightmare. It was daylight now, and I had to figure out what to do. But first, coffee.
Padding barefoot down the hallway, I let my nose lead me to a dining room large enough to fit a pool. It was grand. Carter had nice things, but this place was the definition of extravagance. I glanced through the floor-to-ceiling windows and decided this was an apartment, probably a penthouse. I also noticed we were in the heart of Manhattan and forgot the coffee for a moment. Going to the window, I stood and basked in the view. It was so much. I’d been to New York for work, but never like this.
“Remarkable, isn’t it?”
I turned and found myself staring at the second-most gorgeous man I’d ever seen in person. Carter was first, always first. This guy was almost his opposite in some ways. He had sleek dark hair, cut short, dark, almond eyes, and a lean face like Carter’s. He also had a model’s chiseled features and a physique Theresa would’ve pretended to faint over. He was similar in height to Carter—over six feet with broad shoulders and a lean waist. Actually, he was slightly leaner than Carter. As he moved toward me, I was surprised. He moved like Carter, like a ghost.
I knew without a doubt that this man was why Carter had been in New York so much.
“The view?” I remembered his question.
He handed me a cup of coffee and backed away, leaning against the counter and folding his arms over his chest. I knew what he was doing—trying to diminish his presence so I wouldn’t be so intimidated. I grinned, but didn’t comment. He could think I was easily swayed by a simple body posture. Instead, I took a whiff of that coffee and almost climaxed. It was heaven.
He laughed, tilting his head to the side. “Carter said you liked coffee. I didn’t realize how much.”
I grunted. “I’d marry it if I could.”
He barked out another laugh. “Well, I don’t think Carter would stand for that.”
“He’d adjust.”
Grinning, he looked down at the floor and shook his head. “Carter said you were quick-witted. I see he spoke the truth.”
“Funny. He didn’t say anything about you.”
His eyebrow went up and he unfolded so he wasn’t slouching anymore, which lent a feeling of authority to his presence. He wasn’t as dangerous as Carter. I didn’t feel that from him, but he was someone, and he could be lethal.
“Because until last week, I was no one.”
“That’s hard to believe.”
“Emma.” My name drifted in from the hallway. It came as a caress, and Carter approached me with a gentle smile. He was dressed the same as his friend, in dress pants and a button-down shirt. As he came to me and kissed my cheek, he tugged at his collar, unbuttoning the top two buttons. Lingering for a moment, his lips remained on my cheek, and he whispered, “Are you okay?”
I was suddenly exhausted, so I shook my head. “I don’t know.” I spoke the truth.
He pulled away enough to see my face and narrowed his eyes. His hand came to rest on my arm.
Oh god. What had I just done with those three words? He would push me later, and even if I didn’t say anything, he would know I’d been with Amanda earlier. He would figure it out himself. That’s what he did.
“If I ask you to leave it alone, would you?” I had to try.
He turned from concerned to questioning. “As loving you, my job is to help with whatever’s wrong. I can’t do that.”
My hands curled around my mug. Feeling the weight of his friend’s gaze behind us, I shrugged a shoulder and whispered, “I’ll tell you later. I just…can’t right now.”
He nodded and moved to kiss my lips. Hovering over them, he murmured again, “I’m sorry I didn’t wake you and explain where we are. You shouldn’t have woken in a stranger’s home. That’s my fault.”
He held the side of my face as he gave me the slightest of kisses, enough to make me yearn for an afternoon for just the two of us. I wanted to bury my head in his chest and feel his arms as I had when he’d carried me and held me hours earlier. I wanted to feel only his touch. Nothing else. No outside world interrupting us, leaving me cold and hurt.
