by Carsen Taite
Chapter Nineteen
“If you want to stop, I’ll stop,” Landon said. “But the only thing I want right now is you.”
Carly closed her eyes. If she couldn’t see Landon, would she still be tempted? She didn’t have to wait long for the answer. Blind to Landon’s sexy body and hopeful expression, the rest of Carly’s body told her what she needed to know. The thrill of anticipation sent shock waves to her center and she felt the wet, hot heat of arousal between her legs. There was only one answer she could possibly give, and she gave it quickly before either of them could change their minds. “I want you. Now.”
Carly barely had the words out before Landon placed a hand behind her neck and pulled her in for another searing kiss. As Landon’s tongue pressed past her lips, Carly skimmed her hands up under Landon’s sweatshirt and shivered as her fingers traced circles around Landon’s bare breasts.
Landon arched into her touch. “You’re killing me.”
“You’re one to talk.”
Landon slid her fingers into the waistband of Carly’s tights. “Too many…” She dipped her hand lower, cupping Carly’s butt, her voice husky and low. “Clothes.”
Carly answered by tugging her shirt over her head. Landon stepped back and smiled, slow and sexy, and then she pulled her own shirt off and tossed it to the floor. Without breaking eye contact, Landon unbuttoned her jeans and eased them slowly down her legs. Carly could barely breathe as she watched the slow striptease, her body an inferno of desire.
When Landon was completely naked, she held out a hand to Carly and led her to the bed. Carly tried not to flinch as Landon bunched the duvet off to the side and ripped the bedsheets from their well-tucked corners, but she feared she hadn’t completely hidden her irrational angst at seeing her bedroom in disarray. Before she could give it another thought, Landon’s arms circled her waist, her ragged breath a warm whisper trailing down Carly’s neck.
“We can make it up again later, but we need to be able to move around for what I have planned.” She turned Carly in her arms until they were face-to-face. “Trust me?”
Habit nearly propelled her to back away at the loaded question, but old instinct gave way to new revelation, and her certainty was instant and strong. In this moment, in Landon’s arms, she had no fear of what the future might bring. Carly laced her fingers behind Landon’s neck and tugged her close. “I do.”
Landon kissed her again and eased her onto the bed, nestling her head on the pile of pillows, and then bending down to remove her black tights and underwear, casting them to the floor. Carly reached down and skimmed the palms of her hands along Landon’s taut nipples as Landon stretched out over her, shuddering at Carly’s touch. “I’m so turned on right now.”
“So am I,” Carly said, her body humming with excitement.
Landon settled on top of her and dipped her head to Carly’s breasts, taking a nipple into her mouth. Carly’s back arched to meet Landon’s tongue as Landon’s thigh slid through her slick, wet sex. Carly groaned as Landon nipped and sucked at one nipple while increasing the building pressure between her legs. “Please don’t stop,” she gasped.
“Not a chance,” Landon murmured against her skin. She shifted slightly and kissed a trail from Carly’s chest to the apex of her thighs.
Carly felt featherlight fingers touching her folds followed by the long, slow glide of Landon’s tongue, dipping and licking again and again. The intensity of Landon’s touch was consuming, and when Landon’s lips brushed against her clit, her head rolled back. Lost in the pleasure of Landon’s touch, she had no idea how much time passed before she surrendered to the waves of pleasure surging through her, barely recognizing the cries she heard as her own.
Satisfied that Carly was spent, Landon gently eased out from between her legs and tucked Carly into her arms. Carly rolled to face her.
“Um, that was…I can’t even…”
Landon grinned. “Tell me how you really feel.”
“Words. Are hard.” Carly nipped at her shoulder. “I’m like Jell-O right now. I can’t remember the last time I felt this way.”
Landon grinned. “I happen to like Jell-O.”
“Nobody likes Jell-O.”
“Not true. I’m the one who steals it from the refrigerator when I’m visiting someone in the hospital.”
“Somehow I believe you.”
“You should totally believe me. I speak only the truth.”
Carly stretched her hand across Landon’s abdomen. “Okay, Truth Teller, tell me this. If I reach lower, will you be as wet as I am?”
Landon’s body twitched with anticipation at the idea of Carly taking charge. “Some things you have to find out for yourself.” A second later, she moaned as Carly slowly drew a finger along the inside of one thigh and then teased her way to the other.
“I bet you’re really wet now,” Carly whispered in her ear.
“You have no idea.”
Carly rolled over until she was on top and their eyes met for a brief second before Carly bent and took one of Landon’s nipples into her mouth, circling the hard point with her tongue, over and over, sending charged pulses directly to her aching clit. By the time Carly moved to the other nipple, Landon was certain she was going to come without Carly applying an ounce of pressure between her legs, but a long, slow stroke around her clit left her gasping for more. She bucked against Carly’s hand, begging for release.
Carly lifted her head and smiled, slow and sexy. “I love touching you.”
“You’re kind of incredible at it.” Landon breathed deep. “More, please.”
“Absolutely.” Carly inched down until she was between Landon’s legs and retraced the route her fingers had traveled, but this time with her tongue. Landon thrashed beneath her touch, wanting desperately to prolong the connection at the same time she ached for release. When the orgasm surged through her, the pinnacle of pleasure brought with it a moment of clarity. When it came to Carly, she had no choice but to give in.
* * *
Landon reached out and connected with empty space. She slowly opened her eyes. It was still dark, but she hadn’t dreamed that she was in Carly’s bed. Naked and very much spent. The question was, where was Carly?
“Hey, sleepyhead.”
Landon tracked the sound to the other side of the room where Carly was sitting in front of a small desk, already dressed for court. “Hey, workaholic. What time is it and what are you doing?”
Carly came over and sat next to her on the bed. “Too jazzed to sleep. I was making a few notes for Royal’s testimony this morning. You’ll thank me when you’re trying to cross-examine him on two hours’ sleep.”
“Jazzed, huh? Is that what you call it when you’re running on the excess energy created by multiple orgasms?”
Carly leaned forward and pulled her into a kiss. “I think you could use some excess energy of your own. Should we meet back here tonight? There’s leftover Thai food, and you know…”
Landon pushed the sheet back and motioned to the space beside her. “What about right now?”
“I wish, but we need to get moving or we’re going to be late.” Carly traced a finger along Landon’s thigh. “I’m guessing you might want to change before we head to court. Take your time getting ready. I’ll go by the office, pick up your files, and meet you at the courthouse.”
Landon looked around for her clothes and spotted them folded neatly on an ottoman. “I suppose it might cause a ruckus if I showed up in jeans and a sweatshirt.” She started to swing her legs out of the bed, but Carly pressed a hand to her chest before she could stand.
“Just so you know, if I had my way,” Carly said, “you’d stay naked all day long.”
Carly’s words sparked instant arousal, and Landon wanted to say to hell with the trial, the partnership, and anything else that wasn’t Carly naked in bed with her. The idea both excited and frightened her. She wanted all the things, but she couldn’t have everything, could she? “How is this going to work?”<
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“I don’t have a clue, but we don’t have to figure it out right now.” Carly reached for her hand and pulled her out of bed and into her arms. “Let’s just enjoy this for now.”
“That sounds like something I would say. Funny advice coming from the woman who likes to have everything planned out.”
“I’m taking a page from the Landon Holt seize the day philosophy. I have to tell you, so far it’s a good fit.”
Thirty minutes later, Landon was back at the condo, reliving the memory of her night with Carly under a punishingly powerful hot shower. When she emerged, she downed two cups of coffee and a bagel she’d snagged from the hotel buffet while she reviewed her notes, but memories of her night with Carly pushed around the edges of her thoughts, distracting her. Everything about last night had been amazing. She’d connected with Carly so seamlessly, it was like a perfect blend of new and familiar. How was she going to sit next to Carly all day and not touch her?
She was gathering her things to head to the courthouse when her phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number and almost let it go to voice mail, but Skye had been pursuing some of Trevor’s old girlfriends and she supposed it was possible Skye had given out her number. “Landon Holt.”
“I was hoping you’d answer.”
Landon held the phone away from her ear and stared at it with distaste as if doing so would change who was on the other end. “Hello, Dad. I’m very busy right now and need to get to the courthouse.”
“I won’t keep you. I only wanted to wish you good luck. You won’t need it. The papers say your opening statement was riveting.” She heard paper rustling, and then he said, “‘A perfect counterpoint to the prosecutor’s workmanlike recitation of the facts. Defense attorney Landon Holt offered a prosaic balance at the beginning of the trial, sure to keep the jurors receptive to hearing all the evidence before making up their minds.’”
Wow. She’d been so busy thinking of Carly and preparing for today’s testimony, she hadn’t thought to check the paper for press coverage of the trial. She played it down for him. “Seems like a bit of an exaggeration, but I’ll take it.”
“I think there are good things in store for you. Your brother says you’re up for a partnership?”
“Yes. Things are looking good.” Landon wondered what angle he was working. Surely he didn’t call her out of the blue just to give her an attagirl.
“I think you have a good shot.”
“Thanks. I do too.” Landon felt a twinge of guilt at the acknowledgment. She did want the partnership, but did she want to advance at the expense of losing Carly? This morning’s euphoria was fading fast in the face of reality. Things were feeling so completely upside down. “Dad, did you need anything else? I have to go.”
“I did want to talk to you about some other things, but it can wait until your trial is over. Knock ’em dead.”
Not the best way to cheer on someone representing a client accused of murder, but she let it pass and took a moment to ponder what had just happened. George Holt didn’t make casual phone calls or casual conversation. He wanted something and today’s contact had been a setup of some kind, but a tiny part of her that still yearned for parental approval couldn’t help but wish he had reached out for purely altruistic reasons.
Her first instinct was to call Carly and tell her about the call, but Carly would be getting ready for court, which was exactly what she should be doing. She’d talk to Ian about it later. Right now, she needed every ounce of focus she could muster to keep her attention on the testimony of Detective Royal and off of the gorgeous, captivating woman who’d kept her up all night.
Chapter Twenty
Carly tossed her briefcase on her desk and checked the clock on her phone, pleased to see she had plenty of time to spare. She wondered what Landon was doing right now. In the shower? Getting dressed? It had been incredibly difficult watching her leave this morning, but she wouldn’t have been able to concentrate on anything else if Landon had stuck around.
She’d never expected them to wind up in bed, but now she knew she’d wanted it as much as she’d wanted anything in her entire life. What was it about Landon that made her want to step outside the mold of her no-nonsense life? Whatever it was, the feeling was a powerful force that had left her super charged and ready for whatever today might bring.
She bumped into Keith on her way to Jane’s office.
“How’s the trial going?”
“Hard to tell.” She practiced new Carly and gave him a big smile. “We’ve barely gotten started. You should come down and watch some of the testimony.”
He held up the newspaper in his hand. “Looks like Landon’s killing it.”
Carly flashed to a memory of Landon standing in front of the jury box, the jurors captivated by her delivery, and immediately fast-forwarded to a vision of Landon’s naked body stretched out over her, every bit as captivating as she’d been in the courtroom. Probably more so. “Yes, she’s definitely skilled.” Carly suppressed a grin at the understatement.
“Do you think she’s going to get the partnership?”
The question struck Carly by surprise. It hadn’t occurred to her that Jane or Mark would have shared the details about the competition with anyone else in the office, let alone the town gossip. She tamped down her annoyance and brushed off his comment with a simple, “She’s definitely partnership material.” She made some excuse about needing to talk to Jane and walked away, but the encounter had left her a little off-kilter. From the time Landon had kissed her last night until just now, she’d managed to push any thoughts about the partnership to the far corners of her mind while she let her heart out to play. But that might have been a mistake.
No, nothing about last night had been a mistake. She’d never felt the way Landon made her feel. Appreciated, adored, incredible, and she was certain it had been real. Her only apprehension was what to do with all these feelings about Landon, but she’d decided she would take it one day at a time. Today she would sit next to Landon at trial and do everything she could to win this case for Trevor, but tonight the only competition would be who could get their clothes off faster. When the trial was over, they could face what came next, but until then, she would bask in this feeling and enjoy every moment with Landon that she could.
Rhonda the gatekeeper wasn’t at her desk, and Jane’s door was partially open. She raised her hand to knock, but the sound of voices from within stilled her hand.
“As soon as this trial is over, I’ll make it happen.”
“I’m holding you to it. Mark says you’re interested in taking on transactional work, and we have plenty to send your way, but I’m sure you know there are bigger, better equipped firms we could use.”
Carly started to turn and go, but Jane’s next words rooted her in place.
“How long have you known me? Landon deserves the promotion, although I had planned to wait another year to make it happen.”
“I want her here in Dallas. To stay. I have plans for her future, and it’s been way too long since this silly estrangement started. You bring my daughter back to me and you’ll see your billable hours double. I promise you that.”
“And I promise you Landon Holt will be a partner at Sturges and Lloyd by Christmas.”
Carly froze at the declaration, but before she could digest the words, the sound of movement from inside Jane’s office sent her scrambling. Lightning fast, she was back behind her desk, certain no one had spotted her lurking, when George Holt walked past her door with Jane by his side.
She stared at their backs while struggling to process what she’d just heard. There was nothing to struggle about. Jane’s statement had been crystal clear. She’d already decided Landon would be the next partner at Sturges and Lloyd, and apparently, the whole “let’s see who does the best job in trial” exercise was a complete farce. All her hard work, not just on this case, but on every single matter that had been handled by the firm, and Carly’s only reward was a bunch of broken promises. T
he betrayal by her employer stung, but knowing Landon had used her father’s influence to gain an advantage cut deep.
You don’t know if Landon knows anything about this. She didn’t, but it hardly seemed likely George Holt would just show up on his own to advocate for his daughter, not after the acrimony Carly had witnessed between them at the Cowboys game. She closed her eyes and replayed the events of the last twenty-four hours. Landon had overreacted about her dinner with Trevor and the possible implications on their race for partnership, but then she’d been a playful, tender lover completely devoted to delivering pleasure. Had Landon been able to be so relaxed and at ease about the shift in their relationship because she knew she had the partnership in the bag? Carly hated to think it could be true, but she couldn’t deny the very real possibility she’d been played.
There was only one way to find out. She’d ask Landon straight out. She looked at the time. She needed to get to the courthouse, and now wasn’t the time to confront Landon or she’d risk rattling her before Royal’s testimony. She would wait until tonight. Landon would tell her the truth or anything—everything—personal between them was over.
What if she tells you she knew all along that Daddy Dearest was buying her the partnership? Are you willing to deny your feelings and show her the door?
The idea of ending what had developed between them flooded Carly with sadness, but survival mechanisms weren’t designed to make her feel good, they were designed to keep her safe. And where Landon Holt was concerned, Carly’s heart was anything but safe.
* * *
Detective Royal tapped the wooden railing of the witness stand and tilted his head back. Donna’s question to him hadn’t been particularly difficult, but Landon noted that he employed the finger-tapping, head-rolling maneuver every time he wanted the jury to think he was a thoughtful guy, taking caution not to jump to conclusions about the case. She couldn’t wait to get her hands on him.
