Rapture and Lace (Lace #3) (Lace Series) (2 page)

  I sat my tablet down on the table and turned so I could face him fully. He held a pen in his hand with the tip in his mouth, clicking it against his teeth absentmindedly. My attention was drawn to his full soft lips and my heart rate spiked. I wanted him, and I wanted him now. I stood then sat back on my knees in my seat. I lightly ran my hand from his arm to his shoulder and he turned giving me a soft smile before going back to his paperwork. I bit my lip to stifle a groan as my other hand reached up to pull the pen from his fingers. He arched an eyebrow at me and a lazy smile crossed his face. I set the pen and paperwork he'd been working with on the table in front of us and then crawled into his lap.  

  "I’ve never seen you with glasses, Mr. Morgan." I gave him a lusty smile. "I like them." My hands came up to hold his face as I kissed his lips lightly. "In fact, I think they're sexy." I breathed into his ear and ground my hips into him suggestively. His hands wrapped around my waist and his fingertips slipped under the hem of my shirt, whispering along my flesh and causing goosebumps to travel across my body. I nibbled on his ear and my hips slowly rocked into him. His fingers pressed tightly into my lower back.  

  "Eva," he groaned.  

  "Yes, Carter?" I whispered again. I threaded my fingers up into his hair and felt the silky locks between my fingers, and then pulled softly as my teeth tugged on his ear lobe. A moan escaped his throat and he held his hands tighter on my back, stopping me from rocking into him.  

  "I want you," I whispered and dusted my nose along the line of his neck, inhaling his intoxicating scent.  

  "No, Eva," Carter panted softly.  

  "What do you mean, no?" I whispered and moved my hips against his growing arousal. The seam of my jeans against his hardening length was hitting just the right spot and driving me wild with need.  

  "I mean, no. I want you, but not here. Not before we're married."  

  I pulled back and my body stiffened at his rebuff. I arched an eyebrow at him, needing an explanation.  

  "I want to do the honorable thing, Eva. I don't want us to sleep together before we're married."

  A giggle bubbled out of me uncontrollably. "Are you serious? You're going to go all chivalrous on me now?"  

  A small smile played across his lips.  

  "I think that ship has sailed." I pressed my body back into him. "You've had me in your bed…" I ground my core into his arousal, "and your kitchen…" I whispered in his ear, "your office…" I tugged on his ear again with my teeth, "your office shower…" I felt his breathing pick up. Carter couldn't refuse sex; I could plainly feel the evidence of that against his zipper. "I also remember a bathroom in one of Boston’s finest restaurants." I wrapped my hand around his neck and pressed my lips to his in a passionate kiss, my tongue thrusting past the barrier of his lips and smoothing against his. His hands slid up the skin of my back and kneaded almost painfully. He rubbed up and down, and then reached one hand down the back of my jeans. When his fingers reached the lace of my panties a groan escaped his throat. I felt his fingers clench around the fabric and I pressed his lips to mine harder and ground my center into his arousal. His hand slid further down the back of my pants and squeezed the flesh of my bottom. The gesture was so erotic I felt arousal shoot straight to my core. I leaned back off his lap to pull my shirt over my head. I wanted to feel Carter. I wanted reassurance that what we were doing was right. I needed the reminder that we really were perfect together.  

  "No, Eva." He held my wrists in his hands tightly before I could get the shirt over my head. "I want you. You have no idea how much I want you right now." His voice came out strained as he jerked his hips under me, showing me just how much he wanted me. "But I want to wait more."  

  My mouth dropped open in shock. Then my lips turned into a pout. "You are so stubborn." I slid off of his lap and back into my own seat.  

  "There's only one other person I’ve met that's even more so." His eyes twinkled at me and his lips turned up at the corners. I rolled my eyes and grabbed my tablet again, desperate to calm the lust buzzing in my system and to ignore the impossibly sexy and stubborn man sitting next to me.

  We landed in Aspen at midnight but after two flights in one day, we were both exhausted. Plus we were still on Eastern time, where it was two o’clock in the morning. A dark SUV met us on the tarmac and we were shuttled to Carter's house.  

  The house was located in Aspen's Red Mountain neighborhood, and although it was a pitch black October night, the neighboring houses and gates were lit with an inviting warm yellow glow, a reminder that Carter lived in a world of wealth that I wasn't accustomed to. I slipped my hand in Carter's and rested my head on his shoulder sleepily as the road meandered higher up the mountain overlooking the town. All the driveways we passed were protected by imposing security gates disguised in beautiful rich woods and local stonework.  

  Finally the car slowed and turned into a driveway sheltered by evergreens. The car stopped for a moment as the driver entered the security code, and then we made our way up the driveway to a secluded house nestled among thick evergreens and aspens. The car pulled up to the large entrance and Carter looked down at me tenderly.

  "You ready?"  

  I smiled and yawned, nodding my head. He gave a small chuckle, pulling me to him and placing a chaste kiss on my lips, before we both stepped out of the car.  

  The soft glow of the outdoor lights bounced off the house’s wooden and stone pillars. The home was top to bottom river rock, in every color of gray and beige. The copper-colored stones of the driveway added an inviting warmth, making the home look like it had grown out of the mountainside. Large, reclaimed wooden pillars sat on either side of an oversized wooden door that looked like it belonged on a medieval castle. The estate was, quite simply, breathtaking.  

  "Welcome home." Carter squeezed his hand in mine and watched me thoughtfully for my reaction. The driver set our few bags just inside the door; Carter nodded to him in thanks and we stepped inside.  

  The entryway, which opened into the living room, was an expansive space with a warm, mountain feel. Grey slate floors spread throughout the house, and the river rock walls and dark wooden beams carried in from the rustic outside décor.  

  "Do you want anything? Something to drink? Or eat?" Carter had yet to let go of my hand. I shook my head and yawned. He chuckled again.  

  "Let's get you to bed, my beautiful girl." He grabbed our few bags in one hand and then pulled me up the sweeping staircase. We paused at the open landing that looked out over the entryway and great room, with hallways to either side leading to bedrooms.

  He guided me to a room at the end of a long hallway and, opening the door, we stepped into the master suite. It had a stone accent wall with a built-in fireplace, while the rest of the walls were a neutral cream color. The slate floors from the downstairs continued on the second floor, but a plush cream-colored rug stretched across most of this room. A large king bed, with a thick white duvet and mountains of pillows, faced French doors that opened onto a terrace. I had no doubt there was a killer view out there.

  "Bathroom." Carter gestured with one hand. "Closet." He angled his head behind us to indicate the generous walk-in. I squeezed his hand affectionately and then hopped onto the bed and snuggled into the fetal position. I couldn’t even be bothered to undress; I wanted only to sleep for days.  

  Carter set our bags down by the closet door then came to me.  

  "Here." He sat me up on the bed and pulled my sweatshirt over my head gently. He kissed me on the nose once he'd gotten it off. His fingers got to work on the button of my jeans and then the zipper. Despite how exhausted I was, Carter still had the ability to make my heart flutter. I traced my fingertips up his forearm. I held onto him as he pushed the denim down my hips. He sat me back on the bed, then kneeled in front of me, untying and slipping off my shoes and sliding the jeans off of my legs. He slid his hands slowly back up my legs and thighs until they stopped at my hips, giving me a soft squeeze. He pressed a soft kiss on my belly above my panties and then hugged me for a minute.  

  My body was begging for his touch, especially since I'd been left hanging on the flight, but after his chivalrous promise of abstinence until we were married, I knew it was a lost cause. He stood and pulled the duvet back on the bed and moved a few pillows aside. I crawled up to the head of the bed and dug in, taking a deep breath of the fresh, soft cotton. I snuggled and curled my body into itself. Carter rubbed his hand down my spine and I wondered how he could touch me so sensually without taking it further. My body was humming with arousal from his soft and gentle touch.  

  "I’ll be in in a few minutes." He gave my hip a soft squeeze. I nodded. Carter walked to the bathroom with one of our bags and I heard the shower start. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep instantly.  

  A short while later I felt the bed shift and Carter cuddled into my body. I could smell his fresh soap scent and I curled my head into the nook at his shoulder. His hair was wet against the pillow, and I ran my hand down his damp body, from his chest, to his abs, and over the waistband of his pajama bottoms. A small part of me that was just barely awake registered a slice of disappointment that he was dressed. I tucked into him tighter as his arm wrapped around my shoulders. He pressed a quick kiss to my head.  

  "I love you," he whispered.  

  "Mmm," I acknowledged him before drifting off again.  

"Up and at 'em, sleepyhead." Carter kissed me on the forehead. I groaned in protest.  

  "We've got a lot to do today. We're getting married tomorrow."  

  I shot straight up in bed. Carter's eyes widened for a moment before the corners of his mouth ticked up in a smile. He pressed a hot mug of coffee into my hands. I held the warmth between my palms and inhaled the rich aroma. It helped perk me up, and then instantly I handed the coffee back to him. His eyes narrowed in confusion.  

  "Bathroom," I squeaked and jumped out of bed. I heard a throaty laugh behind me.  

  I tossed the bathroom door closed behind me and searched for the toilet. My eyes shifted over the room once, twice, back a third time. How on earth could I not find the toilet in a bathroom?

  The room was a huge, open space, with a large Jacuzzi sitting in the center. Vaulted ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows showcased a view of the mountains beyond. A large glass-tiled corner shower was off to the side of the windows, and a vanity stretched the length of one wall.  

  And yet still no toilet.  

  I started tapping my foot in exasperation with the urge to go. And then I noticed a small, tiled half-wall tucked away in the corner from the vanity. I rushed over and instantly heaved a sigh of relief as I quickly pulled down my underwear.  

  Finished, I stepped in front of the mirrors. My hair was rumpled and tangled, and not in the sexy bed-head sort of way. My eyes were bloodshot from our late night and I could see a faint hint of dark circles beneath my eyes. I quite simply looked exhausted.  

  There was a large part of me wanted to postpone getting married, no second thoughts, just so I wouldn’t look like hell on my wedding day. I found Carter's shirt from last night draped over the vanity and pulled it on over my bra and panties. I had a flashback of the first time I’d worn Carter's shirt and my heart swelled with love. It had only been a few short weeks ago. I snuggled into his scent at the neck of the shirt and my heart skipped a few times in my chest. I loved him so much. I loved everything about him. Our good times far outweighed the bad times. I closed my eyes as a shiver of excitement ran through me. I would get to go to bed with Carter every single night of my life and wake up with him each morning.  

  A small tap sounded at the bathroom door and I turned to find Carter peeking in.  

  "Everything okay in here?"  

  He looked deliciously sexy leaning against the doorjamb in a pair of jeans and a plain white shirt. I wanted to wrap my body around his and never let go.  

  "Yes." I walked to him, placing a kiss on his lips and then taking my coffee cup from him. "I love you." I dusted my nose along his affectionately. He wrapped a heavy arm around my waist and placed his hand on my lower back, pulling me in for a warm hug.  

  "Drink up, lady. We've got so much to do today. And number one on your list is finding a dress."  

  I coughed on the hot liquid.  

  "Where am I supposed to find a dress? I thought we would just go to the Justice of the Peace or something." My eyes searched his for answers.  

  "Justice of the Peace? Not nearly good enough for my girl." He grinned. "A dress designer from Denver will be here at ten. They're bringing everything they have in your size. I've got to take care of a few things in town, but I won't be long." He led me out of the room by one hand and we went downstairs.  

  We stepped into the beautiful kitchen with vaulted ceilings and a large rich wooden island surrounded by plush stools. There was a small breakfast nook with views of the mountains. I was beginning to think this house boasted a view from every room. The dark granite counter tops contrasted beautifully with the rich wooden cabinets, limestone backsplash and cream walls.  

  "Eggs…pancakes…? I think that's about the extent of my culinary offerings in the morning." He gave me a smile.  

  "I remember your talent in the kitchen, all right." I set my coffee cup down on the counter and wrapped my arms around his waist tightly. "And it has nothing to do with food." I squeezed his behind playfully. He rolled his eyes at me and then scooped his head down to brush my lips with his own. I slid my hands up his chest and pulled on the fabric of his shirt to bring him closer to me. A small moan escaped my throat as he deepened the kiss and ground his hips into mine suggestively.  

  I wrapped my hands around the back of his neck and pulled his lips tighter to mine, grinding my hips against his in a rhythmic motion. I pulled away to take a quick breath as I tickled along the soft skin under his ear with my lips. I closed my eyes and inhaled his luscious scent, leaving me intoxicated with lust.