Recipe for Attraction (13 page)

While Neil sheathed himself, she quickened her strokes. Just the thought of that thick cock thrusting inside of her heightened her desire. Leaning in, he grabbed at her breast, twirling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

“That’s it baby.” His eyes locked on hers and she exploded. Her clit spasmed under her fingertips and her body shuddered, and before she had experienced the full effect of her orgasm, he thrust inside of her, prolonging that euphoric feeling.

He pulled her hand away from her clit and sucked her fingers into his mouth. He concentrated with his tongue as it swirled around her fingertips but his other hand gripped her hip and pulled her body into his, ramming so far inside her she gasped.

When he let her hand fall away from his lips, she gripped the edge of the counter and braced herself against his onslaught.

He thrust over and over until sweat beaded across their skin. Sex in a kitchen couldn’t be sanitary. But fuck sanitary. It felt so good.

They could wash down the space when they were done.

“Yes, yes, yes…” Carson murmured appreciative words between heavy exhales.

Neil bent forward and lowered his body onto hers, rested his forearms on the counter so that his hands bracketed her face and kissed her.

When he pulled back, their eyes met, and realization slammed into her like a bag of bricks. What she was feeling was more than casual, more than temporary. She didn’t need an excuse to have sex with Neil Harrison anymore.

“No more excuses,” she whispered. “Let me in.”

The desire in his gaze flickered, replaced by confusion, then replaced by understanding. He pulled out and grabbed Carson by the hips, whipping her around and bending her over the counter.

The steel was cold against her front and cut into her stomach. But just as soon as she grabbed onto the other side, Neil entered her and, at this angle, he hit the perfect spot that would take her to edge, and over.

His hand fisted in her hair and he pulled back her head. She whimpered, the pain zinged through her body and settled at her clit, heightening her need for him.

At her soft sound, he quickly released her hair, slowing his hips down.

“Again,” she pleaded, letting him know that he hadn’t hurt her. She liked his rough side—in the walk-in fridge and against the tree. And she especially liked it now, here, while he hovered over her, panting, breathless, vibrating with need.

She knew this change in position was on purpose. She had taken it too far with her plea to let down his guard but she wasn’t going to complain. This—getting fucked by the hottest man she’d ever known—was what she wanted. And she wasn’t going to let emotion confuse things.

Every stroke her pleasure built higher until it was all too much to take. Her body shuddered and she cried out. Seconds later Neil followed, his own moans and grunts filling the large kitchen.

When he pulled out, he picked her up. She was thankful. Now that the moment had passed, her stomach ached from the contact with the steel.

He cradled her in his arms as he sat her on the edge of the workspace. His forehead met hers and they sat silently, recovering from their new heights of pleasure.

This was exactly the place she wanted to be—with Neil, in his arms. But her mind battled her body.

A thread of fear gripped her. It tightened in her stomach like a warning sign—but for what?

“I’m starving,” she said.

He smiled. “Good thing you have a personal chef to cater to your every craving.”

At this moment, she felt a little closer to the real man but she feared if she slipped any deeper, she’d end up losing a lot more of her heart.

She had to keep things casual. She had too much riding on her career to let this escalate into something she might never recover from.

Chapter Eight

Neil rolled over and a hand fell from his chest. The springs on the old bed squeaked. No matter how expensive the mattress pad and new sheets he used to make it comfortable, nothing was going to get rid of that annoying noise.

The sun streamed in from the tiny window making the room a little less depressing. The birds chirping in the trees outside even warmed him up to the cabin.

“Good morning.” A tiny voice whispered from behind him. Carson’s warm breath tickled his back.

He looked over his shoulder. She seemed so tiny curled up beside him. One hand rested under her chin. Her forearms covered her breasts, but the tight grip squeezed them together giving her some rockin’ morning after cleavage.

“Did you sleep all right? This isn’t the best bed.”

She nodded. “For the little sleep I did get, it was great.”

He smiled. She was right. They didn’t have much time for sleep. It was almost sunrise by the time they retreated from the restaurant to the cabin.

He turned over completely to study her face. He hadn’t realized how long her eye lashes were until that moment as he looked into her soft and inviting eyes.

“Thank you for dinner.”

“My pleasure.” It was the least he could do for the woman who was distracting him with sex. “Thank you for the sex.”

She laughed. “My pleasure.”

He swiped a strand of hair and secured it behind her ear. He could stay like this all day. He could stay like this forever.

“What are you up to today?” he asked.

“I should probably work on my presentation now that our work together is officially done.”

“I guess it is.” He had the overwhelming urge to rip down some of the walls of the restaurant so that she’d have more work to do, more time to spend in his presence.

“What do you say we—”

The double knock on the cabin door startled him and when he heard the raspy voice, he tensed. “Good Morning.”

He cursed under his breath.

Carson went rigid then pulled the sheet up to her chin. “Who is that?”

“It’s Penn. I forgot I asked her to bring me some work to do this morning since I can’t exactly drive to pick it up.” He jumped out of bed and slid on a pair of shorts. “Get up and get dressed. I’ll make us some coffee.”

“Morning!” Penn glided further into the cabin, a banker’s box and a cardboard tray with two coffees perched on it. It was the happiest he’d seen her in a long time.

Neil grunted. “Why are you grinning from ear to ear?”

“Good morning, grumpy pants.” She hefted the box onto the barely standing kitchen table. “This second coffee was supposed to be for me…” She peered behind him looking into the back of the cottage. “But I think you have company.”

She winked and thrust a cup of coffee into his hands.

“Plus my contact at the Toronto Tourism Board is willing to add you to the list of attractions once we’re up and running. And I…”

Penn stopped and the smile that was plastered on her face turned into a smirk. “Good morning, Ms. Kelly.”

Neil turned and smiled at Carson, who twirled a lock of her long hair around her finger.

She had gotten dressed. Damn.

“Penn is just dropping off some work and then she’s leaving.”

How could he have forgotten he’d asked Penn to stop by? He knew exactly how. He’d been caught up with Carson’s incredible sexiness.

“Not even a thank you for going out of my way for you…again.” She waved him off as she set her laptop on the table. “I’ll be out of your hair soon but I want to go over the final numbers and the itinerary for the opening.”

“Do we really need an itinerary?” Although he liked getting things done properly, Neil didn’t believe in micromanaging everything to death. Penn had scheduled their charity boat cruise the year before down to the minute and it had annoyed the hell out of him. But he wouldn’t question her process. She was good at her job.

“Yes. We need some kind of schedule.”

She plugged in her internet key and clicked around on her laptop. “Damn the country.” She wiggled the key in the USB slot. “I can barely get internet access out here. The connection is brutal.”

“People aren’t coming out here to browse the internet, Penn. They’re coming out here for a fabulous dining experience.”

Neil walked over to Carson and handed her a coffee. She refused, but her eyes lit up at his offer. He grabbed her hand and thrust it into her grip. She smiled, and it warmed his heart.

“So…” He clapped his hands. He was appreciative that Penn took the time to drive all the way out here on a weekend. But it was time for her to leave.

“Well, well,” Penn said. “Will you look at that. A Google alert for Neil Harrison. What are they saying about you today?”

Neil tensed and looked over at Carson. He’d told her last night that being in the tabloids was no big deal. But it
was
a big deal. It had been years since he’d had a story about him in the media that didn’t relate to business.

“Holy shit!”

Penn’s reaction wasn’t reassuring.

“Neil, I…” Penn paused. “You…” She paused again. “I…” Stuttering was not in Penn’s demeanor. Something had spooked her.

He walked over to her computer and groaned when he saw the header of the website she was on. Toronto Gossip was at it again, were they? Wasn’t there anyone better in this city to harass other than him and his brothers? There had to be.

“What did you two do last night?” Penn asked.

What they did last night wasn’t anyone’s business. “We had dinner.”

“Where?” Penn asked.

“In the restaurant.” This was getting really weird. “I was testing out the facilities.”

“Along with the cookware did you happen to test of the sturdiness of the countertop?” she asked.

Carson, who had moved next to him, squeezed at his arm, fear reflecting in her eyes. What the hell was going on?

“From the looks of it, I’d say you picked a good one.” Penn’s head shifted from side to side, then it tilted so that she stared at the screen sideways.

Neil crossed his arms over his chest. “What the hell are you looking at?”

“Oh, just my boss getting it on with his architect in his brand new three hundred thousand dollar kitchen.”

“What?” Carson squealed. She rushed over to the computer and her hand immediately shot up to cover her mouth. “Oh my god,” she said through her fingers, her words coming out in a mumble.

He loomed over Penn and focused on the laptop screen. A man and a woman were locked in an intimate embrace. It was him and Carson. Last night. Someone had taken a video of them having sex in the kitchen.

“Fucking hell.” It had been such a serene morning waking up with Carson beside him, but now anger simmered under his skin and he knew exactly who was going to be the recipient of his impending rage attack. The security company. No one had access to the site other than workers, his three brothers and Penn. Work had been done for the day, and his brothers and Penn would never do such a thing.

“It had to be the security guard. Who else would have access to the site at that hour and…” He looked over at Penn who was mesmerized by the action on the screen. “Christ, Penn. Will you shut that off.”

“Sorry.” She closed the laptop and turned in her seat. “Couldn’t help myself.”

Her BlackBerry dinged again. Then again. She picked it up and fear darkened her face. “More alerts.”

“What else are they saying?” Carson asked. “Any other…stories?”

Neil knew what she was referring to. The reporters flinging their accusations of street racing and outing her sordid past. But did any of that matter? A sex tape trumped everything.

“Your arrest for speeding from the other night is exposed,” Penn said as she swiped her finger across the screen. “And obviously there’s lots of speculation about your relationship.

Neil heard Carson breathe a sigh of relief beside him, no doubt happy that there wasn’t more about her being posted. “What are we going to do about this?” she asked.

“I’ll take care of it,” Penn said. “I’ll call the security company and crack some skulls. I’ll call our lawyer and give him the details. I’m sure we can have an injunction to take down the footage by tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow,” Carson cried. “By tomorrow my father will have heard all about this. There goes any hope I had at taking over the company.”

How dare the media think they could mess with people’s lives? Just because he was a public figure of sorts didn’t mean his every move was open for public scrutiny. Not to mention how this was going to change Carson’s life.

And what about his work with the foundation? Who was going to let the new online porn star anywhere near their kids?

Her soft hand rested on his arm.

“Neil? Are you all right?”

No. He was not all right. And it wasn’t going to take much to send him over the edge.

…

Carson pulled on Neil’s arm, trying her best to calm the war that was waging inside him.

“Neil?” she repeated.

Penn shoved a few items in her bag. “I’ll get out of your hair.” She caught Carson’s stare and mouthed “I’m sorry” before she slipped out the front door.

Maybe there was a darkness to this man that even Carson couldn’t understand—something that went far beyond the urge to ride fast. She wished she knew what she could do to help. She didn’t know the right thing to do or say, she only knew what worked for her.

“Hey, hot shot.”

Neil lifted his head and focused on her face. She smiled, hoping that she could get through to him.

But with the look of sheer rage that had darkened his face, she knew that wasn’t going to happen any time soon.

Neil pulled out the chair that Penn had just exited. It screeched along the tiled floor then he thrust his body onto the weak-looking wood and banged his fists on the table. She jumped at his actions. She wasn’t afraid of him. On the contrary, Neil had been surprisingly gentle with her at times. Like this morning when he caressed her face and hair in that squeaky bed.

She watched him, and even though she was having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that her naked breasts were all over the internet, her heart ached for him.

Talking to himself, Neil fisted his hands, his knuckles burning white the harder he squeezed. He was trying to come to terms with whatever he was taking on. She knew he was blaming himself. She knew he was thinking this was all his fault.

A phone vibrated from the counter in the kitchen. Neil heard it too and turned his attention to the counter. She walked over and picked it up.

“Your father?” he asked.

She nodded.

“I take it he found out about the sex tape.”

Her shoulders tensed and drew up to her ears. “I’d say that’s a safe bet considering he’s called four times.”

Carson knew this scandal was going to be the nail in the coffin of her career with her father. Unless she gave in to Martin. She looked over at Neil.

How could she succumb to the manipulative ways of a man like him when she knew men like Neil existed? Strong. Determined. He was everything she wanted. Even though she knew he would be done with her in a few short days.

She sighed. Her body slumped forward in defeat. How else was she going to take over the company she had dreamed of running for her entire adult life without giving in to Martin’s propositions?

Neil gestured with his chin for her to return to him at the table. When she was close enough, he pulled at her hip and sat her on his lap. The heat from his body enveloping her, the smell of him, all man, taking over her senses.

She breathed deeply knowing that soon their time together would be nothing but a memory.

“You’re worried.” It was a statement. He knew enough not to ask the question.

She nodded.

“I’m sorry, Carson.” Neil hung his head and pushed the heel of his hands into his eye sockets and let out a groan.

“You didn’t do anything wrong.” She laid her hand on his shoulder.

His body tensed, his back straightening as he looked at her with confusion. “If you weren’t involved with me then your naked body wouldn’t be plastered all over the internet. I’m screwing with your career.”

“I’m a big girl. I can handle my career and whatever my father might say about this…situation.” No, she couldn’t handle it. Her father would have a conniption. Martin would be snickering and the two of them would be plotting his takeover. But it took two to tango. And she was just as responsible for that tape as he was.

“This is all my fault.”

She snaked her hand around his neck and laid her forehead against his temple. Silly man. After all that had been said. After all that they had done last night, how could he not know that she enjoyed every single minute of every day they had spent together.

“I wouldn’t go back and change one minute of last night if I had the chance.”

With his arms wrapped around her, she felt like she could do anything. She was going to take a page from the Neil Harrison handbook. She was going to stand up for herself. Face her father head on. Carpe diem.

She was going to kick ass at her Bower presentation and secure that contract, and her father would have to finally admit that she was good at her job. That she was as special and valuable as she was whenever Neil looked at her.

He pulled away and looked up at her. Surprise stared back at her in the green depths of his eyes. “But I ruined—”

She laid her finger against his lips then replaced it with her own. It was a soft kiss. A gentle kiss. It lacked the urgency and hunger that she was accustomed to when it came to the hulking man that enveloped her. But she had those kisses in her memory bank. Because after today, there wouldn’t be any more in her future.

“You didn’t ruin anything. I’ll handle my father. Just like I always do. I am who I am, and maybe it’s time he came to terms with that.”

He let out a harsh breath. “Thank you,” he said, shaking his head. “This entire time we’ve…”