Matthew had been attentive. Easy to talk to. He seemed to latch on to every word as if he were interested and not just being polite. There were times when his eyes blazed as if he wanted to devour her. Secretly, she’d been willing.
Matthew was—as some would say—God’s gift. Every woman’s dream. So what the hell happened? She could have sworn he planned to spend the night. Or at least part of it. At the end of the evening, every move, every gesture he made, had been one of respect.
When she was about to invite him inside, he took her into his arms. She tensed at the remembered moment. He had placed his hand behind her head, pulled her close and then kissed her senseless.
Anticipating his move, she’d been excited and eager. The thought never crossed her mind that she’d lose control. When he slid his tongue into her mouth, a boiling heat flowed from his body to hers. She forgot to breathe. She had not expected the rush of fire and the melting of bones. At some point he ended the kiss. Lost in desire, for a brief time she forgot where they were. Then his eyes seared hers and that body-liquefying smile reduced her to absolute shambles.
She shook her head as if she could shake off the stunning memory. The fact that she’d lost herself in the moment didn’t scare her, it made her furious. She refused to be at any man’s mercy.
Even though she knew he desired her, he never once gave any indication he expected her to sleep with him. Every man expected a woman to put out. Yet, Matthew had walked away, left her standing at her door. He disappeared before her mind had a chance to function again.
So not like her. She had to get her act together and stop mooning over a man.
“Ginger, line three.”
Brenda’s voice snapped her from her thoughts. She pushed the blinking light. “Hi, Ginger.”
“What’s up, kiddo? You don’t sound so good.”
“I’m frustrated, that’s what’s up.”
“As in, doing the body slam?”
Of course that would be the first thing her brazen friend would think. Only this time she was right. “Yes. Sexually frustrated.”
“You’re kidding.” When Carrie didn’t answer, she continued. “You’re not kidding. What’s the problem? Get a man.”
“I did get one. Or at least I thought I did.”
“You’ve never had trouble in that department. I don’t believe it!” Carrie glared at the phone while Ginger’s laughter floated across the line. “Okay, Okay. I’m calm now. Explain. Mr. Perfect or someone else?”
Carrie related the tale beginning with the cab hijacking at the airport. She left noting out, knowing her friend would pull every detail from her, right up to her dinner and the end of a frustrating evening.
“Chasing you in the rain and throwing you in a cab sounds a bit like foreplay. You haven’t had sex yet? Drop him! There are plenty of other men out there.”
“Ginger. I don’t pick up men. You know I’m selective.”
“Like Mr. Perfect?”
Ginger always referred to Edward that way. An established businessman, doors opened for him. He had been climbing that social ladder and he’d chosen Carrie to be the perfect showpiece clinging to his arm. He had accused her of throwing it all away. The arrogant bastard had said when she returned to her senses, she’d come crawling back to him.
Crawl.
No way in hell would she crawl to any man.
Some people live their entire lives with less than what she’d had with Edward. No commitments, which was just the way she liked it. So why had she felt so empty? Why did she continue to feel that something lingered just beyond her reach?
“Okay. What’s wrong with this new guy?” Ginger asked.
“Nothing. He’s an absolute hunk!”
“Uh, oh. He’s gay.” Ginger thought the best-looking guys were gay.
“Not likely.” Last night’s kiss disproved that idea. Warmth speared her center.
“Are you sure you weren’t dreaming?”
She may not have been her normal self, but she’d most assuredly been awake.
“What did you do to keep him there?”
“I couldn’t do much more. I wore a sexy number, gave him the come-hither look and he left me at my doorstep.”
“Like I said. Gay.”
“He’s not gay,” Carrie shot back in defense. “His kiss made my toes curl.”
“And you let him walk away? You’re losing your touch.” Ginger sighed and admonished, “You know you could have prevented him from leaving.”
“What was I supposed to do, chase him down the hall?” If she hadn’t been so surprised, she might have done just that. What was she thinking? She chased no man.
“You coulda showed some skin?” Ginger answered in a singsong voice.
“You know my boobs try to pop out of everything I wear.”
“Just take the dress off. Grab his balls. A man is not gonna walk away from that!”
“I don’t know, Ginger. There’s something different about this one. He was a perfect gentleman.”
Ginger let out a huff which indicated she obviously did not agree. “Not many of those out there.”
“How about your brothers?”
“They’re a breed of their own.”
Ginger’s brothers were raised by their mother to treat a lady with respect. According to their sister, their actions exhibited were more like wolves in sheep’s clothing.
“I didn’t want Matthew to be a gentleman. I wanted to get laid. No. No, I didn’t.”
Then where had the sudden urge come from to run him down?
“What’s with you? Either you did or you didn’t?” Ginger sounded annoyed.
Surprised at her own thoughts, Carrie was distracted. “What?”
“Do you want a gentleman or a man?” Ginger’s clipped voice exasperated her.
“You wouldn’t say that if you could see his body. Matthew is definitely all man.”
“You saw him with his clothes off? And you’re still frustrated?” Ginger laughed again.
“No,” Carrie gritted through her teeth. “He had his clothes on.”
“He’s gay.”
“Would you get off the gay wagon? You’ll just have to see for yourself.” How could she give good reasoning when her own reaction to Matthew was so out of character? “Just looking at him does things to me.”
“Well, quit looking and get busy. Or get another man. You want me to send one of my brothers? Either one would thank me to get horizontal with you.”
“Thanks, but no thanks. Matthew may not know it yet, but he’s doomed.”
“That’s the spirit. I know that sound and I know you. You don’t give up. You’ll have his pants off and panting for you like a hound before I get home. My money’s on you. See you in a few days.”
Carrie rose and paced the floor in front of her desk. Matthew had behaved like a true gentleman. What would he have done if she’d made the first move? What do you think? There wasn’t a man alive who turned down sex.
Why did she care?
She liked Matthew. And he’d been interested. With every feminine instinct in her, she knew he had not been immune. Thinking of his eyes devouring her body heated her blood. So, after a kiss like that, why did he leave?
The sensations he created in her were pure sin. Remembering his lustful kiss and her abandoned, wanton response made her insides tremble. How could the cool professional, with her well thought-out strategy in her career, oriented world be so weak in the knees at the mere thought of him? Acting like a silly girl waiting for the next chance to be with him.
She believed in a healthy body and she knew she looked damn good. The treadmill had a permanent place in her routine. She made time to exercise and spent a fortune in facial and body creams, her one luxury after her bath. She liked to keep her skin soft and smooth, not to mention avoiding the wrinkles in years to come. Men judged her on her looks and thought her an easy bed-partner. Their mistake. She enjoyed showing them the error of their unwise assumptions. So why did she
lose all reasoning in the company of Matthew?
Even after he left her standing at her doorstep, she wanted him. Matthew, the first man ever to shake her sensuality. She didn’t jump into bed with guys easily. But, she’d been drawn to him from the moment she’d gotten lost in the magic of his twinkling blue eyes. Matthew created more than lust in her frenzied brain.
She studied the pink roses. After a few moments, she stepped behind her desk and sank down in the comfort of leather upholstery. Without reading the card, she knew the flowers were from him. Could he be playing mind games with her?
She tore open the card.
This gentleman entrusts you enjoyed the evening
as much as he did and sincerely hopes you will
dine with him again.
M
Carrie sighed as she leaned her head against the back of her chair. The card, once again written by his hand. “This gentleman,” she breathed. Had he been playing the part of a gentleman? Such fierce passion—that was no gentleman’s kiss. Had he stayed, he would have found, throwing her legs around a man was definitely not the actions of a lady.
Late afternoon, the meeting finally broke. Matthew looked at his watch as the board members rose from their seats.
“Congratulations, Matthew. You’ve managed another one.” Chester Simmons had been on the board for three years. He’d approved the idea when Matthew first suggested the merger.
“We’re well on our way. There’s still a lot of work to be done.”
“I don’t know how you got everyone to agree. I thought we’d be here all night.” Chester closed the lid to his briefcase and fastened the latch.
“I wasn’t about to let that happen,” Matthew said.
“You’ve got determination. And a set of balls. Everyone knew you wanted this deal to go through. But the way you pushed this afternoon . . . it was almost like you wanted out of here whether the deal went through or not.”
Matthew looked at the other executive and grinned.
“Damn.” Chester exhaled a breath and furrowed his brow. “You would have let this slip through your fingers?”
Matthew shrugged. “I have another priority. I gave them a deadline, and I meant it.”
“That’s just it. These high-rise tycoons knew you’d stick to your guns.”
He thought of how much time and energy he’d put into this venture. His people and the people in his father’s company would be rewarded. “This is a good deal for everyone.”
“I admit it’s more than fair. You care about the employees and it shows in your offer. If everyone cared about their employees the way you do, we’d see a better world.”
Matthew appreciated his employees, each and every one. They deserved their paycheck and any chance at a better future that he could give them. This deal would create more jobs and secure stability to his other establishments.
“Yes, I care. I know how hard they work. I’ve been there—at the bottom—immersed in every mundane job they do. I never asked an employee to do anything I wasn’t willing to do, or had done myself.”
“You’re a rock solid man, Matthew.” Chester extended his hand. As they shook, his other arm came up to slap Matthew on the shoulder. “And I’m damn proud to be with you.”
Matthew smiled. “Glad to have you on board, Chester.”
“I, for one, am taking advantage of the early evening. Care to have a drink?”
“No, thanks. I’ve got plans.” Carrie had been the drive behind the force he used in regulating the meeting. He couldn’t wait to see her. Matthew put the imperative files in his briefcase.
“Oh, well. The wife will be surprised to see me home early.” Chester winked. “Glad, but surprised. Maybe I’ll take her out to dinner.”
“Why don’t you do that?” Matthew shook his hand again.
“See you in the morning.” Chester lifted his leather case and followed the other men out of the room.
Matthew rubbed the back of his neck. Now he could concentrate on Carrie. He stood before the skyscraper window, thinking of the missive he had attached to the ribbon.
Last night, in the lobby, when everyone around him had gone silent, Matthew knew something major had gotten their attention. He sensed the galvanizing force of Carrie’s presence before he turned. When he saw her standing on the other side of the room, the soul-stirring occurrence jolted him to his toes.
Tall, blonde, golden, and legs all the way to her shoulders. He’d always been a leg man, but her generous globes drew a man’s eyes making them want to linger there. The seductive vision sent a craving so powerful his lower body throbbed with need. At that moment he knew every man there lusted after the stunningly beautiful woman he considered his, which created another jolt, one of surprise.
Typical blondes he stayed away from. Carrie drew him, with a power he couldn’t explain. Last evening, his restraint had been tested to the damn near breaking point. He never wanted a woman so much.
Matthew wiped a frustrated hand over his face and loosened his tie. Why had all these feelings hit him at once? Slammed. Like a hurling stone of proportional size had been flung at him going a hundred miles an hour. He knew it was a mistake the moment he’d asked her to dance, but he couldn’t resist having Carrie in his arms. Sensations emerged anew again as he remembered her luscious body, flush against his, swaying to the slow seductive music.
Pure heaven.
Pure torture.
Matthew blinked. The vision in his mind replaced the panoramic view in front of him. It had been damned difficult to concentrate on the meeting today. Now he allowed his lustful thoughts of Carrie to roam free. He’d already denied his body’s release. He could not deny his mind its lascivious thoughts.
Her soft features, generous curves, every detail committed to memory. Her scent enticed a man, making him want to be closer, to see if she really smelled that good. Not a strong, bold scent, nor a floral, flowery aroma. Her perfume hinted, teased, a misty, whispery, tempting quality that made him bend to her neck and inhale its fascinating fragrance. Tempting him to taste.
His body heated as he recalled how she snuggled against him, making his arms tighten of their own accord. The precise fit had made him painfully aware of every one of her soft, delectable curves. When her fingers caressed his nape, pure sexual hunger, unlike any he’d known, grabbed his gut and settled in the hardness between his legs. Stroking fingers played havoc with his body.
Thank God, the music stopped when it did. He needed the time to get his testosterone level back under control.
He wanted to see her again. Not just for sex, either. He could get that anywhere. Carrie intrigued him. In due time they would share a bed, where he would savor her and not be rushed.
He’d been attracted to her from the first, but that kiss made her an addiction, which could not be so easily explained. She’d melted under his touch. And from her scouring expression, she’d been surprised by her reaction. He would pursue her until he found out what it was that made her perplex him so.
Matthew turned from the window. His coming to New York had been a success. But then he usually got what he went after.
“Now,” he said as he picked up the phone. “Time to go after something else.”
Chapter 9
The intercom buzzed and Brenda’s voice announced, “Mr. Gorgeous Roses, line one.”
Carrie’s heart pounded. What was wrong with her? He’d walked away. Why should her pulse go ballistic and her mouth go dry. It wasn’t like she’d been waiting for his call.
Liar.
“Hello, Matthew.”
“Hello.” It was ridiculous the way his voice could make her melt with just one word.
They spoke at the same time.
“Are you . . .”
“Thank you . . .”
They both stopped.
“Ladies first.” His deep voice came across the line.
Ignoring the slight flutter in the middle of her chest, she glanced at the freshly cut roses. “Mat
thew, they’re beautiful. Thank you.”
“Not as beautiful as the lady, I assure you.”
She paid no attention to most compliments. They usually were issued as a token of politeness or a come-on for bed sport. Matthew’s words pleased her, for she believed he meant them. Not to mention what his voice did to heighten her tingling nerves.
“I know this is short notice,” he said, “but I wondered if you have plans for this evening.”
Her pulse raced. With a calm voice, she replied, “Well actually, I do.” The silence on the other end was deafening.
“Of course. A busy woman like you would have something penciled in every spot of her calendar. But it was worth taking a chance.”
Working late was more of a habit than a necessity. She’d already changed her schedule. “You see, I plan to dine with the gentleman who sent me these lovely pink roses.”
“Roses, you say,” Matthew murmured. “He’s a very lucky man.”
“I don’t know. Maybe I’m the lucky one.” Carrie couldn’t believe she was uttering such nonsense. It wasn’t like her.
“Will you be free early?”
She twisted the cord around her finger. “I believe I can arrange that.”
“Good. Shall I come for you? Say, six?”
“I’ll be ready,” she breathed.
There was another moment of silence before he spoke. “I leave tomorrow.”
Her breath caught in her throat. At first she refused to believe she’d heard him correctly. “You’re leaving?”
Matthew’s voice grated as he answered. “This stage of my business is done.”
His words hammered her brain making her realize he would be going home. To the other side of the world. The floor plummeted beneath her. She had the sinking feeling she would never see him again.
Her hand clenched the receiver, a mad desire to latch on so he couldn’t vamoose. Scared? Was she feeling scared? Since she’d never been scared, as far as she could remember, she might mistake her difficulty breathing for fear.
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