A few seconds later, she halted mid-struggle, collapsing against my chest. “Don’t do that again.”
“I won’t.” I promised, kissing her cheek, then offering her a bite of food.
She ate a muffin while sitting in my lap, watching the waves crash against the beach. I wished we could stay like this indefinitely, but tomorrow would come too fast.
Nora
Carter was good. Sooo incredibly good at turning my world into a fantasy.
He was right.
Secretly, I did think of him as Mr. Fantasy. I wouldn’t tell him that, but it was true.
I had exactly one hour. One hour to get myself ready for work and reality. It didn’t seem like near enough time, considering just a few minutes ago, I’d been flown here via my boyfriend’s helicopter.
Boyfriend. Helicopter. Private Island… Fantasy.
We stayed on the island last night, sleeping with the giant sliders in his room wide open so the sounds, scents, and feel of the tropics surrounded us.
I honestly couldn’t tell you which was better—his arms or everything else.
Actually, I could tell you. It was him.
After letting myself into my apartment, the scent of coffee wafted from the kitchen.
“You’re up,” I said, coming around the corner, expecting to see Valerie leaning against the counter like a zombie.
“Agh!” I screeched, realizing too late it was not Val.
Aaron froze for a few seconds, then calmly went back to what he was doing.
Do you want to know what he was doing?
Standing in front of our open fridge, in his boxers, drinking out of the milk carton!
So many things. There were so many things I could start with. “You slept here last night?” I asked, averting my gaze.
My heavens, he wasn’t even embarrassed to be practically naked in front of me.
“Yep,” he said, pushing the fridge door closed but keeping the milk. “Coffee?”
“After I just caught you slurping out of the milk? I’ll pass.”
“I was totally waterfalling it.” He scoffed.
“Water-whating it?” I repeated.
Instead of explaining, he gave me a demonstration. How considerate of him.
Waterfalling = pouring the milk into your mouth without wrapping your lips around the container.
Apparently, in Aaron’s eyes, this made this behavior acceptable.
“Carter upstairs?” he asked, setting aside the carton and grabbing a mug for coffee.
“Make yourself at home,” I muttered.
Aaron turned, his blue eyes ornery and amused. “I have.”
“Clearly.” After giving him a dry look, I answered his question. “Yes, he’s changing, then heading to the office.”
He put down the mug, forgetting the coffee. “Gotta go, then.”
He started past, and yeah, maybe I checked him out a little. You know, because it was my duty as a Val’s BFF to see what kind of man she was involving herself with.
Plus, I mean, dude was standing around in his underpants. If he didn’t want me to look, he should have worn clothes.
Aaron wasn’t thin like Carter. His body was thicker, more muscular. His chest and shoulders had clear definition, and so did his taut waist. There was a tattoo on one of his biceps and a smattering of dark hair in the center of his chest. His hair was buzzed short, which seemed to make his jaw appear wider.
Basically, he didn’t look anything like the butler I originally thought he was. But he did look like a bodyguard, and considering he was head of Carter’s security, that was a good thing.
Backtracking a little from the living room, he leaned in to say, “You checking me out?” He tsked. “What will Carter say?”
I smacked him in the center of the chest.
“Ow!” he wailed, rubbing the spot.
Rolling my eyes, I told him, “Don’t be such a baby.”
Grumbling under his breath, he went back into the living room, grabbing up his clothes from the coffee table to pull them on.
“You slept on the couch?” I asked, seeing the rumpled blanket and pillow.
“Where else was I supposed to sleep?”
“I thought maybe you and Val…” I actually blushed a little, averting my gaze.
He grunted. “I’m working on it.”
I forgot I was embarrassed, my eyes lifting again. “You are?”
“Why else would I park my ass on that uncomfortable couch?”
“Because Carter asked you to.”
He barked a laugh. “Carter and I are close, but my love life is mine.”
“You’re interested in Val?”
“Didn’t I just say that?”
Well, not really. But I guess he thought so. Of course, he also thought waterfalling was an acceptable thing.
Completely dressed, he looked toward the bedroom. “Tell Val I’ll see her later.”
I nodded, and he brushed by.
“Hey.” he called.
I turned, curiosity in my eyes.
“Don’t hurt him, okay?” The sincerity with which he said that clutched my heart. I couldn’t even be offended that he might even think I would do such a thing because it was so clear he was coming from a completely caring place.
Shaking my head, I promised. “I won’t.”
When he turned away, I pressed a hand to my heart, suddenly missing Carter like crazy.
“Hey!” I yelled, remembering.
Aaron came back.
I pointed to the milk on the counter. “Take that with you.”
Cackling, he snatched the milk, letting himself out of the apartment.
Val was buried under her blankets, the top of her head just barely visible. Snatching the covers back savagely, I stared down at her.
“Val!” I demanded. “Why didn’t you tell me about you and Aaron?”
Groaning, she reached around for the covers, but I wouldn’t let her have them.
“We have to be at work in less than an hour.”
Her eyes popped open. “Crap! Why didn’t you wake me up sooner?”
“Because I was busy watching your boyfriend waterfall milk out of our fridge.”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” she grumped, her still-sleepy face scrunched up. “What’s waterfall?”
“Val!” I hollered. “Why didn’t you tell me about you and Aaron?”
“There’s nothing to tell,” she said, climbing out of bed.
“Really? ‘Cause just a few minutes ago, out there”—I pointed toward the living room—“he said he was totally interested in you.”
She gasped. I’d never seen anyone wake up so fast in all their life. “He did?”
I made a sound.
She clutched my arm. “Did he really say that?”
“He really did.”
A gleeful little shout peeled from her, and she fell back onto the bed as if she were fifteen and just got a new poster of her favorite celebrity crush.
“He’s so hot,” she proclaimed. “He insisted on staying here while you were gone because he didn’t want me to be alone.” Her heavy sigh filled the room.
Clearly, I didn’t need to ask her how she felt. “So what was he doing out on the couch?”
Val sat up, acting offended. “Just what kind of girl do you think I am?”
I raised my eyebrows. “You’ve slept with guys you’ve liked a lot less than Aaron.”
Her mouth dropped open.
Holding my hands up in surrender, I shrugged. “I’m not judging. I’m just pointing out the obvious.”
“That is the obvious,” she said, completely unoffended by my frank observation. Really, what was there to be offended by anyway? Val could do what she wanted as long as she was safe. “I like him. Like a lot.”
“Okay…” I said, inviting her to elaborate.
“I can’t just give it up like that. He needs to work for it.”
I laughed.
“I’m serious!” She smacked me. �
��He’s more to me than some fling. I want… more.”
“Aww!” I crooned, rushing in to hug her.
“We have to get ready,” she grumped but totally hugged me back.
“You picked a good one,” I told her, going to the closet to choose an outfit. “I can tell he really likes you, too.”
“So, hey, what’s going on with you and Carter?” she yelled from the bathroom.
“What do you mean?”
Her head appeared around the doorframe, toothbrush hanging out of her mouth. “I mean there’s all these rumors that he flipped his lid at the company the other day, smashed a bunch of stuff in his office,”
I frowned. Carter did that?
“Then you up and disappeared with him.” Val went on. “I was worried until Aaron told me you were on the island and swore Carter would never hurt you.”
“He wouldn’t.” I firmly agreed.
“Are you sure?”
“Valerie!” I gasped. Dropping my clothes on the bed, I turned on her totally. “How could you even imply that about Carter?”
Plucking the toothbrush out of her mouth, she brandished it like a weapon. “You don’t have the best track record with men, Nor. Look at Alan—”
“Carter is not Alan!” I yelled. Protective instinct roared inside me. I wouldn’t listen to anyone—not even Val—disparage him.
Slinking off into the bathroom, Val said nothing else. A few minutes later, she came out carrying a white hand towel. “I didn’t mean anything bad against Carter. I like him. I really do. I was just worried.”
The anger inside me evaporated. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“Everything is really okay?”
Honestly, I didn’t know. We hadn’t talked about whatever it was that was bothering Carter. He’d just swept me away and asked for some time. I didn’t tell her any of that, though. Instead, I nodded.
Satisfied, Val chattered the rest of the morning about Aaron, describing their first kiss in great detail.
I was partly finished curling my hair when someone rang the bell.
“It’s probably Knox,” I called, grabbing another strand to loosely wrap around the wand. Carter had to head into the office right away, and that meant my escort would be arriving.
A few moments later, Val rushed into the bathroom, her cheeks flushed. “It’s Aaron!”
“Is Carter with him?”
She spoke in a hurried, hushed whisper. “No. He said Carter is already at the office, so he came back to walk with me.”
I’d never seen Val so frazzled over any guy before. It was amusing and endearing at the same time. “Well, what are you standing in here for?”
“What about you?”
“I’m not ready yet.” I motioned toward the wand. “Besides, he came for you, not me.”
Her teeth sank into her lip. “We can’t let you walk to work alone.”
I rolled my eyes. “You sound just like Carter. I’m a grown woman. It’s broad daylight.”
“But—”
“But Knox will be here any minute.”
Her eyes brightened. “Oh! Right.”
Shooing her away, I said, “Go.”
“Let’s have lunch?” she said excitedly.
I nodded.
“Do I look okay?” she asked, twirling.
She was wearing a floral romper that looked like a dress but was really shorts, and she’d added a sheer white kimono and a pair of brown leather sandals.
“Ten out of ten.” I promised.
She rushed off, and I laughed beneath my breath, turning back to my hair.
Seconds later, a large figure loomed in the mirror behind me, making me jump.
“Ow!” I wailed, the curling wand falling out of my grip and into the sink.
Aaron swore and rushed closer. “Did you burn yourself? Let me see.”
Tilting my head to the side, I showed him my neck, which was stinging with pain.
His blue eyes darkened. “You should be more careful.”
“You scared me!” I countered.
“Shit. Carter’s gonna be pissed.”
“I’m fine.” I sighed. Gazing into the mirror, I winced. There was definitely going to be a blister. “What are you doing in here anyway?”
“To remind you not to go anywhere without Knox.”
“Why does everyone around here think I’m five?” I grumbled, fingering the area around the burn.
“Carter’s lost a lot in his life. The fact that he put a bodyguard on you shows how important you are to him. Just let him have this, okay? It doesn’t hurt you, and it makes him more at ease.”
Forgetting about the stinging, I met Aaron’s eyes. “Why does it feel like there’s a lot about Carter I don’t know?”
“He’ll tell you when he’s ready.”
“You know everything?” I pressed.
He nodded.
“And what do you think?”
“I think you should you should wait for Knox before heading into the office.”
Nodding, I turned back to the sink.
I guess it wasn’t as hard as I thought to step back into reality, because here I was, already waist deep. I wanted to give Carter all the time he needed, but I also thought it was time for us to talk.
I was finger-combing through the curls to create loose waves when the bell rang again. Finishing up, I grabbed my bag and slipped into my heels.
“I need coffee!” I declared, pulling open the door. “I’ll get you a bagel—” The words died on my lips. It wasn’t Knox. “Alan?”
“Expecting someone else?”
“How did you get my address?”
“We need to talk.”
I swung the door closed, but he slammed his hand against it and pushed.
“Leave, now!” I demanded, then threw all my weight into the door. We struggled against each other, the door pushing open, then closed… like a tug-of-war I was destined to lose.
“Just go!” I cried, stumbling back when he shoved hard.
The door banged against the wall, and he stepped in.
“I’ll call the police,” I threatened, fumbling for my phone.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
The cool, calm tone he used made me pause. “Why?”
“Because you’re going to want to hear what I have to tell you about Carter.”
Carter
“Where the hell have you been?” Bryan demanded, barging into my office not even five minutes after I arrived.
“Home.”
“You haven’t answered any of my texts or calls.” Bryan fumed. “Have you even checked your messages.”
“Why bother? You’re here now.”
“Dammit, Carter!” He slapped the file he was carrying onto the coffee table. “This isn’t the time to be all nonchalant about things.”
“I’m always like this, and it isn’t like I haven’t gone off the grid before,” I rebutted, much calmer than he was.
“Well, it’s the first time Lewis Regal strolled into the building and pissed you off so badly you had security cart him away.”
“I needed some time.”
“What the hell happened?” he asked, standing on the other side of my desk with a pleading look in his eyes. “What did he say that could make you disappear like that?”
“You act like me disappearing is something strange. Up until recently, I never worked more than a few days a week.”
“Until Nora got here.”
Maybe it was his tone. Maybe it was the irritation I felt at having to come here and deal with this. Or perhaps I felt more bonded to Nora than ever. But the fact he brought up my girlfriend really pissed me off.
“Nora isn’t part of this conversation.” The command in my tone was clear and final.
Holding up his hands in surrender, he backed away from the desk to drop into a chair. “Are you going to make me ask again?”
“He threatened to leak the sealed documents,” I answered.
Sittin
g forward, his face paled. “He did what?”
“He knew about the case, of course.” I continued. “Said if I don’t sell him Zero, he will bring me and Ansoft down.”
Shooting up out of his seat, Bryan stacked his hands at the back of his neck and paced. “This is bad. This is really bad. The whole company could go up in flames.”
“I’m not going to let that happen,” I said, watching him. In between the sexy times, playing around on the beach, and skinny dipping in my pool, I’d had some time to think. To plan.
“You’re going to sell him the game?” He surmised, relief in his words. “I think it’s a smart move. We can—”
“I’m not selling him the game!” I snapped. How many times did I have to tell him?
“There’s only one other option, then.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “Which is?”
“Step down as CEO. I’ll take over control of Ansoft, and then Regal won’t be able to do anything to us.”
Lifting the coffee Meghan had supplied, I regarded my business partner as I sipped. My silence must have rattled him because he stopped moving and stared.
After a long, charged silence, during which I didn’t blink or look away from him, I set down the mug and folded my hands over my chest. “You think I should step away from the company that I built? The company I own?”
“We built it together,” he rebuked, his tone much less confident.
I lifted an eyebrow.
He cleared his throat. “It’s not like I meant permanently. I just mean until after we released Zero and it’s dominating the market. Regal wouldn’t have any reason to leak what happened all those years ago because the game would already be out there.” Scratching behind his ear, he went on. “You can come back, and it will be like nothing ever happened.”
“Pretending nothing happened when something did is the way cowards live. Do I look like a coward to you?”
“Of course not.” Straightening his tie, he went to the water cart to pour himself a glass. “If you aren’t selling or giving up the CEO title, then what are you going to do?”
I smiled. “I’m going to call his bluff.”
He spun to face me, the water in his glass sloshing onto his hand. “What?”
“Meghan is scheduling a press conference as we speak. I’m going to disclose it all myself.”
“Anders, that’s career suicide!” Bryan exclaimed. “We need to be doing damage control right now, not creating more fallout.”
Mr. Fantasy: (A standalone romance) Page 23
