Whiskey and Lace, (Lace Series #2)
by
Adriane Leigh
Copyright 2013 by Adriane Leigh. All rights reserved.
Cover Design by Chris Mascaro
Table of Contents
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
A Note from the Author
One
The tile was cool beneath my bare feet as I descended the stairs softly. The house was silent with no sign of Carter. His sense of interior design was impeccable; dark marble tile covered the floors and modern art pieces decorated the room. He had stunning abstract paintings on the walls that provided the only source of color in the house. Large windows overlooked a fantastic view of Boston Public Garden with the city beyond. Cream leather furniture was positioned in front of the fireplace and a cozy white rug contrasted with the dark floors.
I moved towards what I thought must be the kitchen and took a breath, preparing myself to come face to face with Carter. I turned the corner and he sat with his leg crossed ankle to knee and his phone to his ear. He wore a pair of jeans and a plain black t-shirt and still managed to look deliciously sexy. His hair was still damp from a shower and I wanted nothing more than to run my fingers through it. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as memories flashed back from last night.
Just then Carter looked up at me and a small frown played across his lips as his eyes scanned my under-dressed form. He held up a finger and then pointed to the coffee pot on the counter. I made my way further into the kitchen and took a coffee mug off of the rack. I poured and inhaled; the warm steam calming my nerves instantly.
"Cream or sugar?" Carter had ended his phone call and stood across the kitchen from me. I spun around to see his steely blue eyes watching me.
"Cream would be good." I watched as his lean form strode to the built in fridge and then slammed the carton down beside me on the counter.
"On second thought, I think I'll just go." I set my cup down and left the kitchen.
"Evangeline, stop. We need to talk about last night."
"There's nothing to talk about it. I'll leave and we can pretend it never happened," I shot back at him. His eyes hardened in response.
"No. Evangeline." He grabbed my arm tightly. "We didn't use protection," Carter gritted through his teeth. "I always use condoms. I just… forgot." Anger burned in his eyes.
"Oh, I'm on birth control." I tugged the hem of the shirt down nervously.
"Oh, thank God." Carter ran a hand through his hair.
"And I'm clean. Not that I've had a lot of partners, but I've been checked for STDs, and I'm clean." I paused, waiting for him to respond. When he didn't I turned on the heel of my foot without looking at him. "I'm going to get my dress and go."
"Wait, is that what you want, Evangeline?" He grabbed my arm again. "Because that's not what I want." His eyes softened. "I'm sorry. I should have asked you, instead of being an ass. And I'm clean too. I get checked regularly." I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Hey, really. Stay." He pulled me into his arms and tickled my earlobe with his breath. "We'll have breakfast." I regarded him for a minute more, debating. He pecked me on the lips before pulling me by the hand back into the kitchen.
'What do you want for breakfast?" A smile played across my lips once I realized there would be no coyote ugly moment this morning.
"I’m fine. Coffee is perfect."
"I don't think so, Evangeline. You're eating something, whether I make it or we go out."
I smiled; bossy Carter had returned.
"You cook for all the girls you bring home?" I teased.
"I don't bring girls home, Evangeline. I've never brought anyone here." He gazed at me.
"Oh." I averted my eyes from his.
Carter pulled out eggs, peppers, and cheese from the fridge. He cracked the eggs into a bowl and cussed when a piece of shell fell in. I giggled and took another sip of my coffee. Carter shot me a glare over his shoulder and then a smile broke out across his face. I watched him with a smirk as he chopped peppers because it was painfully obvious that this was not something he did often.
"I can't watch for another minute." I stood and made my way to him. "Let me see." I held my hand out for the knife.
"Thank God." He handed me the knife and watched as I diced the peppers quickly.
"You do this often, then?" Carter leaned into me, his arousal pressing into my bottom.
"Don't distract the woman who wields the knife." I giggled as he nuzzled into my neck.
"Of course." Carter stretched his toned arms above my head to grab a skillet from an overhead rack, pressing his body into me. I turned and traced my fingers along the waistband of his jeans, paying special attention to the trail of hair that dipped below the waistband. Carter groaned as he set the skillet down on the counter and wrapped his arms around my body, pinning me between himself and the counter.
"Did I tell you how sexy you look in my shirt?" Carter pushed his hips into me, and then set me up on the counter. "You're gorgeous, Evangeline. Every guy had his eyes on you last night, and every woman was jealous."
I felt the warmth rise to my cheeks in embarrassment.
He held my hips tightly as he kissed me deeply. I wrapped my fingers in his hair and tugged as a groan escaped his throat.
"Breakfast," I whispered breathless.
"Fuck breakfast." Carter took my face in his hands and pressed his lips harder to mine. He lifted me off the counter and turned me around to face the island.
"Lean over, and grab the other side."
I obeyed and rubbed my thighs together in anticipation.
"Ready as ever, Miss Austin." Carter slid his hands up my thighs and lifted the shirt to expose my bare bottom. "So sexy." He smoothed his hand over my ass and then smacked it roughly. I jumped in surprise and squeaked.
"You're so sweet, Evangeline." He rubbed the place he had just smacked and then dipped his fingers lower to slide down my center. He pressed two fingers into me and worked back and forth.
"I can't get enough of you." He pulled his fingers out of my body and leaned over my back. He lightly traced his fingers, wet with my arousal, along my bottom lip and I opened my mouth and sucked them in. The taste of me on his skin caused a new wave of arousal to pass through me and I pressed myself into his hips. Sex before Carter had been good, but sex with Carter was mind-blowing.
"Oh, Evangeline." Carter ground his hips into my bottom before he pulled away. I heard the zipper of his jeans slide down and then he grabbed my hips tightly with both hands and slammed into me. The instant sense of fullness was overwhelming and I groaned in pleasure.
"Do you like it when I'm rough with you, Evangeline?" Carter kneaded the flesh of my backside with his hand.
"Yes," the word hissed between my teeth.
"Only I belong here." He pumped harder. "Only me. Say it, Evangeline."
"Yes, only you."
Carter pinched my sensitive bud and slammed quicker into me in response to my words. I fell over the cliff and my legs were immediately weak with pleasure. Carter held my hips and pumped once more before he reached his own climax and slowed his pace. He rubbed my backside and then slowly pulled out of me. He turned me around in his arms and held me tight to his chest, supporting my body with his own. I laid my head on his shoulder and sighed deep. My veins buzzed with pleasure as Carter held me and stroked my hair with his palm.
We finished making the omelets together and ate peacefully at the island.
"So who is Madeleine?" I attempted nonchalance.
; "A friend. A business associate. Why?" He scooped another bite into his mouth.
"No reason."
Carter quirked an eyebrow at me.
"She approached me last night, outside. She seemed… possessive."
"She's just looking out for me. She's harmless." He took a sip of his coffee. "Do you want to go out today? Or we could stay in." He skimmed his hand along my torso suggestively. I giggled as he stood between my legs and held his arms around me.
"I would like to take a shower before I do anything else." I pulled away.
"But I like my scent on you." He ducked his head and sucked my bottom lip into his mouth. His attention seared a pathway of heat straight to my core. He pulled away gently, running a thumb across my cheek. "You can use the shower in my bedroom. I already took one this morning, otherwise I would join you." He grinned. I hopped off of the bar stool and Carter swatted me on the behind on the way out of the kitchen.
I stepped out of Carter's glass-walled shower and wrapped myself in a towel. I admired the large bathroom tiled in cream and beige. The aesthetic was somehow old world, which contrasted with the stark, modern design of the rest of the house. I stepped up to the vanity that ran the length of one wall and studied myself in the mirror. Green eyes shined back at me and my long, dark hair fell wet down my back. My lips were swollen with Carter's kisses and my skin was still flushed from our tryst in the kitchen.
I shuffled through drawers until I found a brush to run through my hair. I stepped out of Carter's bathroom still wrapped in a towel and found a pair of jeans and a green sweater laying across the bed in my size with the tags still on. Next to that lay a white lace bra and panty set, also in my size. I was relieved that I now had clothes to wear, but it was a little disconcerting that he knew my size perfectly.
I dressed quickly and made my way down to the main floor. Carter sat on the leather couch in the living room. The sight of him in jeans and a t-shirt reclined on the couch took my breath away. It was so intimate somehow, to see a man who spent his days dressed in suits relaxing before me in casual wear.
I smiled and curled up on the opposite end of the couch from him.
"Feel better?" Carter set down papers he had been looking at. I nodded back at him with a smile. "I sent Parker for some clothes. I hope they're the right size?"
"They are, thank you."
"I told him green because it brings out your eyes."
I smiled at him. This morning-after Carter was sweet and attentive, not at all like the controlling, demanding man of last night. Not that I was complaining about that Carter either.
"You know, we should go to Aspen this weekend. It's beautiful right now."
My eyes widened in surprise. Madeleine said he didn't mix friends with pleasure and yet here he was asking me to go out of town with him.
"I have a home there. My family spends Christmas in the mountains," he clarified when I still hadn't answered. This was the first time he'd mentioned his family. I wondered about them. What were his parents like? Did he have siblings? Nephews and nieces? I couldn't imagine Carter Morgan on the floor playing with kids.
"It sounds lovely." My heart fluttered at the thought of a weekend away with Carter.
"It is. I'll take you this weekend. We can take my jet." Carter grinned. "You'll love it." My eyes widened in surprise. I'd been around the fashion scene for a few years now, so while the wealthy lifestyle wasn't foreign to me, it had never touched my life personally. I'd grown up in a modest, middle-class household; private jets and a second home in the mountains weren't something that were on my radar.
"Do you ski?" I stretched my legs out to intertwine with his.
"No." He grabbed my foot and began to rub the arch softly. "I just like to get away. So we'll leave Friday afternoon," Carter informed me as if I’d already said yes. I laughed at him and shook my head. And demanding Carter was back.
"What?" He stopped rubbing my foot.
"Nothing. You. I didn't say I could go, Carter. I have things to do. I just moved. I don't even have everything put away yet," I pleaded halfheartedly.
"Work on it this week. I'm taking you." He began rubbing my foot again. "We'll fly out at four on Friday. Don't bother packing, I want you naked as much as possible next weekend." His eyes sparkled. I leaned up to swat him, but he dodged and then pulled me into his lap and kissed me deeply.
"You are quite demanding, Mr. Morgan." I sat straddled on his lap and could feel him getting hard against my thigh.
"You are incredibly stubborn, Miss Austin." He nipped along the line of my neck. "I'll call my doctor this week to get you an appointment to get on the shot." My body stiffened in his arms.
"Excuse me?" I pulled back, unsure if I'd heard him correctly.
"For birth control. Not that I don't trust you, but the shot is just easier. For both of us. It's peace of mind for me and you don't have to remember to take a pill every day."
"I'm not getting the shot." I jumped off of his lap.
"Why? No one else has ever had a problem with it." He glared right back at me.
"You make all the women you sleep with get the shot? That's rich, Carter. Real classy. Besides, you don't need to worry about me getting knocked up."
His eyes narrowed in confusion. "Why not?"
My heart felt like it would beat out of my chest and I clenched my teeth together in anger. "I can't have kids." I stared at the artwork above his mantle. When he didn't say anything I glanced back at him on the couch. His eyes had softened.
"You don't have to feel bad. I've known for a long time. I had to have surgery when I was a kid and there was a lot of scar tissue left behind. It's impossible for me to get pregnant." I sat down on the opposite end of the couch from him. "So, the shot isn't necessary. I'm only on pills to help regulate my cycle." I avoided his sympathetic gaze.
"I'm sorry, Eva."
"Don't be. It was a long time ago. So do your parents live in Boston?" I was desperate to change the subject.
"Yes." He slid closer to me on the couch and brushed my hand with his own. "My mom and dad live in Belmont."
I knew it was one of the wealthier neighborhoods outside of the city.
"Technically my stepdad, but they've been married since I was young, so he's like my dad."
"Do you have siblings?"
"A younger half-brother and sister." His thumb worked circles in the palm of my hand soothingly. I got the impression that he was making an effort to open up to me since he had forced me to reveal a painful secret.
"What about your real dad?" His hand froze in my own for a moment before he relaxed and started caressing it again.
"I don't know him. He left when I was little."
I sensed it was a sore subject. "I'm sorry," I climbed up into his lap and whispered in his ear. His palms traveled up my denim-clad thighs and held my hips tightly.
"It was a long time ago." His voice sounded gruff with pain or anger, I couldn't tell.
I kissed his lips softly and then Carter pulled my body tight to his and consumed my lips in a passionate kiss. He leaned me back on the couch and kissed me fiercely, then pressed the length of his body flush against mine, and I was lost to Carter Morgan again.
Two
When I went home Sunday Cate grilled me for all of the information about my night, and subsequent morning, spent with Carter. She bounced off the walls to hear that we'd spent time between his sheets, and on his counter top, and then died a little more when she found out I was spending the weekend with him in Aspen.
-How's your latte? A text from Carter came in while I was working at the corner table at the coffee shop Monday morning.
-Delicious. I smiled to myself.
-I miss the taste of your skin. I blushed and glanced around the busy tables. I felt sure that anyone around could tell I was exchanging sexy texts with one very hot CEO.
-I miss your lips on my skin… and other places… I smiled to myself, knowing it would drive him wild.
-Evangeline…
I’m in a meeting.
-Naughty you for texting when you should be paying attention.
-I can't stop thinking about laying you out on my kitchen counter again. My heart skipped a few beats.
-Look forward to it. A few seconds later my phone rang.
"Parker will be there in 10 to pick you up," Carter's rough voice came over the speaker.
"Where am I going?"
"Lunch, with me in my office. I'm going to take you over my desk, Evangeline." My nerves tingled in anticipation.
"What if I have work to do?" I teased him.
"Don't toy with me, Evangeline. Ten minutes." And with that he hung up. A smile spread across my face as I gathered my notes and shut down my laptop.
A few minutes later Parker came into the coffee shop.
"Ms. Austin." He nodded and picked up my bag.
"Hi, Parker." I gave him a small smile. Was he used to picking up women to deliver to Carter for a lunchtime liaison? I didn't want to think about it. I couldn't think about it, or I wouldn't get into that car, and I really wanted to get into that car.
I slipped into the back seat of the Bentley. With the privacy window down I decided to probe Parker for some answers about his enigmatic boss. I imagined he would know things no one else did. I bit my bottom lip as Parker slid into the driver seat and glanced at me in the rear view mirror.
"How long have you worked for Carter?" I smiled at Parker as if I were making casual conversation. This was anything but casual, I was on a fact-finding mission.
"Eight years." Parker pulled away from the curb.
"Does Carter do lunchtime meetings often?" I chewed my bottom lip, steeling myself for Parker's response.
"No, Ms. Austin." My eyes darted to Parker's in the mirror. I wasn't expecting that. "He's good to work for; takes care of his employees." It felt like Parker was trying to tell me something more about Carter. That he had integrity and empathy.
"Here you go, Ms. Austin." The car pulled up to the curb in front of Hancock Tower.
Whiskey and Lace Page 1
