Something More (12 page)

His body bucked and a hoarse moan tore from his lips. He shuddered with the force of stampeding stallions. She clutched him tighter. They spiraled together as one.

A taut moment later, Matthew slumped on top of her. His sweat glistened chest heaved with the mad race of his heart. He buried his head in the curve of her shoulder and placed the firm warmth of his mouth on her fevered skin. A tingle of emotion centered in her chest. Something more than she expected. Intimacy. Caring. An alien sentiment that took her by surprise.

This feeling was too good to analyze it now. She had allowed her actions to run free. The result was this glorious ambiance. Why shouldn’t she enjoy it? Embrace it, the way she now embraced Matthew.

Carrie listened to his even breathing. Matthew had her thinking all kinds of crazy thoughts. Scary thoughts. Thoughts that involved feelings. Not only did she like him, she wanted to be with him. Soft caring emotions centered in her chest and smothered her mind. She wanted to snuggle up and cuddle. The idea that it was not sexual, baffled her. Hold him and embrace him without doing the deed?

Interesting.

Somehow, they’d managed to finish painting the kitchen. Once he set his mind to the task, he made every effort to get the job done. No amount of tantalizing on her part could sway him. He’d pat her on her butt and send her back to her post.

But after . . .

She’d spent a blissful night in his arms.

Grasp it. Enjoy it.

Oh, how she wanted to do just that, but she feared to trust sentimental feelings. Passion she could understand. Craving Matthew beyond all reason, terrified her.

Unable to resist, she nestled against him. His hand lifted and smoothed the hair from her face. He placed a kiss on the top of her head.

“Hungry?” No matter what he said, it came out sounding like a caress.

Starved! For affection? When had this desperate need taken hold? The need to keep him, never let go.

For God’s sake, Carrie. What has happened to you?

“Carrie?”

Keeping one arm around him, she stretched, skin sliding against skin. He growled and came over her, his gaze fastened on hers. He gave her a quick hard kiss. “Come on. We both are going to need our strength.”

He rolled off the bed and stepped to the closet. Pulling her robe from a hanger, he returned to the bed and placed it at the foot. Next, he pulled on his jeans and with a wink he said, “I’ll start the coffee.”

Carrie climbed from the bed. After donning her robe, she went to the adjoining bathroom and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She could hear the water running in the guest bathroom. Thoughts flashed through her mind of last evening when the two of them were in the shower together. Him behind her, arms around her and soapy hands caressing her breasts, sliding over every inch of her body.

How could she miss a man when he was in the next room? The ridiculous notion entered her head that he should be in here, with her. What woman wanted to be alone? At least, not forever. Someday, she would get married. The thought of having a family had now and again popped into her mind, but she never allowed it to grow. The hollow feeling in her gut had surfaced before, but she noticed it more with her sister and niece gone.

Good Lord, Carrie. Stop mooning.

Her relationships never lasted long. A long relationship took work and entailed involvement. She had neither the time nor the inclination.

After a quick shower, she dressed and went to find Matthew. He stood at the kitchen sink fully dressed, coffee cup in hand, staring out the window. The impulse to wrap her arms around him caught her unaware. She’d always been her own person. Independent, she’d taken care of herself. She didn’t need a man for anything, other than sex.

Yet, an idea invaded, flashed in her head like a light bulb. There was no other word for it. Hunger. The overwhelming need to touch. Did she dare do it? What made her want to slip up behind him, slide her arms around him, and burrow, and not let go? Where the heck were these urges coming from? This was
so
not like her.

When she was with Matthew she forgot everything but him. When she heard his voice, all thought process, any target or objective that may have been in her mind, disappeared in a whirling mist. Matthew mesmerized her. Yet, she felt complete. That void, that emptiness, especially since her sister’s leaving, had disappeared. No man had ever made her feel as if she wanted to crawl inside of him and stay there forever.

Until now.

Quietly, she stepped behind him, and slipped her arms around his middle.

“Mmmm. You feel nice.” Matthew set the mug on the counter and turned in her arms. He lifted her hand and placed a kiss on each finger. Then he kissed her palm and his tongue twirled around making desire coil in her center. He raised his head, covered her fingers, and pressed her hand closed. “That will have to hold us both. I’m starved.”

Chapter 16

Carrie clipped the earring in her ear. Taking one last look in the mirror, she twisted a bit to the side to check out her reflection.

This should do nicely.

Reaching for the perfume, she sprayed a bit on her neck, at each wrist and behind each knee. Not much, just enough to entice. The neckline should have Matthew drooling. She was well stacked, and for once, glad of it. Leers and slobbering men prompted her to fight against being self-conscious of her breasts while fighting to earn her place as an intelligent woman in a man’s conglomerate world. With Matthew, she didn’t mind showing off her grander assets. As a matter of fact, she would use them to her advantage.

Fact and principals played a large part in her life. Dreams and fantasies belonged to the underachiever. Yet, here she was, dreaming and fantasizing over Matthew. Something more had a toehold. And she decided to find out exactly what had her acting so crazy. Determined, she chose to follow these urges to see where they might lead. Dressing to kill wouldn’t hurt her chances, either. She’d been paying attention when Matthew looked at her. She saw his desire and how he tried to control it.

The doorbell rang. Carrie hurried to answer.

When she threw open the door, their eyes greedily consumed each other. Her throat went dry. God, he was the most stunning man. And she wanted to jump his bones.

Matthew gave a low whistle. “Wow. You look scrumptious.”

“Come in said the spider to the fly.”

That devilish smile lit his face. “I have reservations. If we leave now, we’ll make them.”

“What time?” She asked somewhat breathless, distracted by his smile.

“In an hour. But if we don’t leave, right now, we never will.”

“That’s fine with me, bad boy.” Carrie took a step, closing the distance, and slid her hand up his chest to curl around his neck. His breath hissed out in a rush just before he grabbed her other hand crawling below his belt.

“I’d like to take you to dinner.
Now
,” he growled.

“Spoil sport.”

“There will be plenty of that later.”

“This place is beautiful. How did you find it?”

Matthew stood in the candle lit room, inhaling Carrie’s intoxicating scent. A hint of honey and something else he craved, but could not describe. After pushing in her chair, he walked around the small table and took his own. “One of the board members lives about fifteen miles outside of New York. He and his wife take long drives on Sundays enjoying the countryside.”

“Countryside? Not in New York.”

Matthew gave a nod to the waiter. “He did say they had to drive quite a way before they found any space not occupied with tall buildings.”

Carrie smiled to the waiter pouring her wine. “Quite a way, indeed.”

“That’s how they found this place.” Matthew gave a slight gesture with his hand. “It’s a favorite of his wife’s.”

“I can see why. I like it.” She lifted the goblet and took a sip of the red wine. “I did wonder where you were taking me when we left the city.”

“The way Chester described it, I knew you’d like it.”

“You haven’t been here before?” Carrie met his eyes over the rim of her wine glass.

“No. Chester thinks the sun rises and sets with his wife. She makes him happy, so she must be a special woman. And if she likes this place, I knew it had to be exceptional.”

“The atmosphere is cozy, yet chic.”

Matthew smiled as he lifted his glass and tilted it in her direction. “To you, Carrie. The most beautiful woman in the room.”

She lifted her own and gestured in a salute. “Thank you.”

A siren’s smile came swiftly to her lips causing a wrench in his gut. God, she was dynamite to his reflexes. She created spontaneous impulses within him. Like wanting to toss his glass over his shoulder, leap across the table and rip the confining garment from her colossal breasts, then devour her mouth to his immense satisfaction . . .

He blinked. Carrie smiled as if she knew his thoughts. If he wanted to put a wager on her thinking, he’d bet she had the same notions going on in her own skull.

“A penny?” The slight movement of her parting lips enticed, issuing another kind of invitation.

“I don’t think so. If you tap into my brainwaves at this moment, we won’t make it through dinner.”

“Ahhhh. Now you’ve aroused my curiosity.” She set the crystal glass on the white linen.

That’s not the only thing aroused and I’m sure you know it.

The waiter brought their food. After asking if they had everything they needed, he quickly disappeared.

“This smells heavenly,” she said.

An image of Carrie naked, all golden and glowing, clouded his thoughts. He needed to get his mind off her body. “You mentioned your niece earlier.”

“Andrea. I miss her. And Ellie, too.”

“Did they live with you when they were here?”

“No. My sister will accept my help. But she was never dependent on me. She had little money, but she took care of herself and her daughter while I was in college.”

“What about your parents?”

“Ellie raised Andrea on her own. When I received my second BA, I was hired at Higgins and Andrews. The higher I went up the ladder, the more I could help my sister.”

He noticed she avoided answering the question about her parents. Very nicely done, too. “Your sister and her daughter were fortunate to have you, I’m sure.”

“I think Ellie would refer to me as a pain in the posterior. Probably more than that.”

He smiled. “Sibling affection?”

“Affection?” Carrie paused with her fork raised in the air. “I love my sister and she loves me. But, we have our moments.”

“Don’t most kids growing up? I was the only boy among three sisters.” Now there was an image he’d just as soon forget.

“Not so much growing up. It was after that. They don’t come any more independent than me. I tried to do everything for Ellie. I took over. She’d been the one taking care of the two of them and then I come along and change everything.”

“Intentionally?”

Carrie put her fork down, then raised her blistering gaze to him. Reading the anger in her eyes, he wasn’t sure what to expect.

“Ellie got pregnant when she was a teenager and the jerk left her high and dry. I couldn’t do anything then. So, I made it my mission to get an education and a means of support where she would never be scared and alone again.”

Carrie had just revealed something deeper than she’d obviously meant to. She’d been scared as well. He’d store that information for later. “So you changed things?”

“I made sure she and Andrea had what they needed.”

“Yet they did not live with you. What did you change?”

Her eyes guarded, she spoke assertively. “I helped make their life easier. Better. Food, clothes, a home. I sent Andrea to a private school.”

“What did Ellie think of these changes?”

“After a while, she let me know I’d turned into a control freak.” Carrie picked up her fork and stabbed at her food.

“That can’t be why she left. Even though I’ve not met her, I think you two would have been close.”

Carrie looked at him and he saw a hint of vulnerability just before she masked it.

“Yes. We are close. Even though we had our squabbles, we stuck together. Us against the world.”

She’d felt like she had to fight the world? Again, he wondered about her parents. Where did they fit in? Had they deserted her? Had they turned her sister out?

“Anyway,” Carrie said as she shrugged. “Ellie informed me she fell in love. She took Andrea and moved with him. I hope it’s not permanent.”

Why?
That was a question he would not ask. At least, not now. He got the feeling either Carrie didn’t think her sister loved the man or she didn’t believe in love between a man and a woman. He had his own misgivings about that. He believed in love, but too many women bandied the word
love
about. The same way they breathed air—in and out—it flowed across their lips without true emotion coming from their heart.

He studied Carrie. Her beauty induced all kinds of fanciful ideas. Her mystery compelled him to find out more about the woman. Independent? Most assuredly. Confident? Admirably. Prestigious? Impressive and well earned. The total package. A woman worthy of his attention. And consideration.

He wanted a woman to care for him.
Him!
Not his money. Carrie had money of her own. She must earn a six-figure salary. With her looks, she could have any man she wanted. She didn’t tease. Confidence flowed around her like a cloak. She didn’t flaunt her more than generous attributes. A classier woman would be hard to find. Foolish women tried to act the part. Carrie lived and breathed style, elegance, panache. He wanted to tap into that spirit that kept her body erect. Stiff with self-assurance, yet moveable with a tenderness that she was not aware of.

“Your turn.” Her voice drew his attention back to her mouth.

“My turn?”

“You can’t mention three sisters and not give me details. I know there are some horror stories in there somewhere.”

“My darling sisters, as I think of them now. I had to repeat that daily just to survive.” Matthew let her laugh flow over him, soaking up the lilting tone vibrating across his skin.

“I know what it’s like to have a sister. I never thought of her as a darling. And I’m a girl.”

Did he ever know it
.

Her body could knock a man’s eyes out of their sockets if they lingered too long.

“You can imagine a boy’s life when the PMS cycle hit all three.” He gave an exaggerated shudder. “Thank God, they’re all married and out of my hair.”

“For all your grumbles, I suspect you have a weakness for each one.”

He caught her gaze and smiled at the sparkle in her eyes. “Each one knows exactly how to use it, too.”

“Tell me about them.”

She appeared genuinely interested. And she was easy to talk to. “Very well. Carolyn is the oldest.”

Matthew pushed the gas pedal down a bit more. He glanced at Carrie, gave a slight groan, and turned his eyes back to the road.

She smiled. “Are you anxious?”

He glanced at her again. “Tell me you’re not.” He hit the brake, seeing the red light. That sexy laugh of hers only heightened his craving. The woman screamed sensuality. And he’d already had a taste of her luscious body, how she felt in his arms, how her silky skin tantalized his fingers. The bulge under his zipper couldn’t get much bigger.

“Dinner was lovely, Matthew. But, I must admit. I’m looking forward to dessert,” she said in a sensual voice.

Need slammed his balls. And he’d thought her not a tease. “I think we both will enjoy . . . dessert.” His voice sounded gruff, even to his own ears. The light changed and he stomped on the gas. She laughed again, with a sound that came from deep in her throat, sending chills of anticipation up his spine. Just as he pulled into her driveway, his cell phone rang.

“I hope that’s not business.” Carrie purred as he reached for his phone.

“The only business I have tonight is with you.” He looked at the number flashing, then answered. “Hello. Damn. Hold on. Okay, honey. Look, let me call you right back.” He tucked the phone in his pocket and dreaded what he had to do next.

“Matthew?” Worry filled her eyes.

“Look, I’m sorry. That was Carolyn. I have to go.” He jumped out of the car and hurried to open Carrie’s door.

“Is it serious?” She climbed out, concern in every line of her body.

“It’s my nephew. I hate to end our evening like this.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I have to fly to San Francisco. I’ll be gone a few days.”

“I’ll be all right.” She placed her hand on his sleeve. “You go on.”

Taking her arm, he walked briskly to her front door. “Damn.” He jerked Carrie against his chest and covered her mouth with his. The kiss blazed hot, the instant their lips touched. His tongue thoroughly searched every crevice in her mouth. Then he wrenched away and hurried to his car.