Carlye could believe that. Her thoughts could consume her to distraction. “It’s okay, I was just thinking about the presentation. Is there something I can help you with?”
The man nodded and held out his hand. “I’m Niall Karson. You made some interesting points, and I’d like the opportunity to speak with you in more depth about them.”
“Oh. I see.” She berated herself for even hoping he could be here because he had an interest in her. Carlye reached up and took his hand. The zing of awareness almost dropped Carlye to her knees. Warm heat flooded up her arm and through the rest of her body. Holy crap! What was that?
“Have dinner with me.” His words sounded more like a demand than a request.
Her brows shot up, and Carlye tried to disengage her hand from his. Niall refused to let her go.
“Have dinner with me this evening, please,” he asked, softening his tone.
She heard the huskiness in his voice and realized she wasn’t the only one affected by the handshake. “I’m sorry. I can’t,” she murmured. “It’s against policy to date clients.”
At that, Niall grinned. “I’m not a client yet,” he murmured.
The heat flooding Carlye’s body suddenly pooled below her stomach. Where did this attraction come from? She’d never been turned on just from a handshake and a smile. Besides, she didn’t even know this man!
As if reading her thoughts, he tugged her hand, pulling her flush to his chest and wrapping his free arm around her waist. Niall splayed his large hand across the small of her back, holding her close. Carlye’s skin seemed to tingle at every point where her body pressed against him. She felt too close and yet not close enough. Her free hand landed on his arm, and she bit back a moan when she felt the hard muscle hidden by his suit jacket. Niall’s head lowered toward her face, his blue eyes glowing with intensity.
“We’d be doing so much more than dating, sweet vixen,” he whispered, his lips an inch above her own. “I can sense your body’s heat. My own mirrors it. Don’t fight the attraction.”
Then his lips covered hers in a slow, thorough kiss. He nipped her bottom lip, and Carlye gasped in surprise. She felt Niall slide his tongue into her mouth, stroking her tongue and causing the heat in her belly to rage into an inferno. As Carlye slid her hand over Niall’s biceps, she realized it wasn’t to push him away, but to clutch him closer. The fact gave her the strength to break the kiss.
Staring up into his blue eyes, Carlye saw that Niall’s breathing was just as ragged as her own. “We can’t do this,” she whispered when she managed to get enough air into her lungs.
Niall’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I’ll pick you up at seven. Bring your charts if it makes you feel more comfortable. Do you have a food preference?”
Surprise shot through Carlye. The man refused to take no for an answer, and truth be told, she felt flattered by his persistence. So, instead of doing the sensible thing, she answered her body’s call for his. “I’m not picky. Whatever you want is fine.”
“Good.” Finally, Niall’s arms loosened. “I’ll see you in a few hours.” He gave her a quick, chaste kiss and strode from the room.
Carlye stood frozen, staring after him, for several minutes. She could still feel the heat of his body, the strength of his arms around her, and the warm, possessive press of his lips. Finally, she pulled herself together, gathered her files, and left the conference room. The nagging question of why he was so adamant about seeing her niggled in the back of her mind.
Chapter Three
Niall paused on his walk back to the reception area to get his breathing under control, but he couldn’t do anything about the desire pooling in his groin, causing his pants to feel too restrictive. He knew from the smirks on his friend’s faces that they knew exactly what had happened in the conference room as well as the pain he was experiencing from the encounter. He didn’t care because he’d be seeing Carlye in a couple hours. If everything went according to plan, Niall and Carlye would ease each other’s body’s tensions later.
Branson and Drew followed him into the elevator. The three remained silent until they were enclosed in the BMW and enroute to Drew’s house. Focusing his mind on their task, he said, “Those pictures were way too close to home. We’ve got to shut this project down.”
“That means we’ll have to find a problem with the area they want to drill in, or offer a better location,” Branson mused.
Drew grinned coldly. “Sabotage the project. Scare away the other investors.”
Niall nodded. “That’s good for the short term, but for long term we need to figure out a way to shut that section down altogether.”
“Prove the area is a bust for drilling,” Branson muttered.
“Right.” Drew’s smile warmed. “Maybe you can pry more information from that sexy scientist.”
A flair of irritation shot through Niall, and he glared at Drew. “I’m not using her like that,” he growled. A voice in the back of his head reminded him that using Carlye for information had been his original plan. What had changed? The kiss. Niall could still taste her. He wanted to bury himself in her scent and not come up for air for days. He wanted to…he jerked his mind back to the present.
Drew’s brows lifted in surprise, and Branson leaned forward from his place in the backseat. “And just what is this about then, Prince? Just pleasure?”
Niall’s lips pressed into a thin line. His anger was irrational and he knew it. What was it about the woman that affected him so? Running a hand through his hair, Niall shrugged. “I’m not sure,” he admitted. “But there’s something…” he let the thought trail off. Adelfi Psychi. The words surfaced from nowhere. Impossible, Niall thought. A Briny Nix couldn’t have a human soul mate.
Drew and Branson exchanged an amused glance. He glared at them. “Just forget it. I’m picking Carlye up at seven. If she brings work charts with her, fine, I’ll ask her. If she doesn’t, I probably won’t mention it.”
“And how are you picking her up, and where are you going?”
“I’m borrowing your BMW, of course, Drew.” He laughed at the man’s panicked expression. Niall knew that this car was Drew’s baby. His old friend had lived on land as a liaison with the humans for the last twelve years. He acquired papers and made certain every Briny Nix had proper identification while on land. He organized security and headed the team that tracked their people’s movements while amongst humans. And he loved his car.
Niall settled an amused look on his face. “Relax. I’ll take good care of the old girl. And since I know you won’t let me out on my own,” that fact more than irritated him, it cramped Niall’s style, but he knew Drew’s orders came from the king, “I need you to follow on your bike.”
At that, Drew frowned. “Fine,” he grumbled. “Use tonight to get this woman out of your system. We have a job to do.”
Forcing back an angry retort, Niall allowed a small smile to curve his lips. “I have not forgotten.”
* * * *
Carlye stared at her reflection in the mirror. What am I doing? Dating a client was wrong, against policy, but wow, could the man kiss. Just thinking about the way his lips moved over hers, the stroke of his tongue, the feel of his chest against her breasts, had heat coursing through her veins again. Struggling to slow her pulse, she glanced at the clock. “Almost seven. This is not good.”
After getting home at six o’clock, she’d hurried through a shower, fixed her hair and make-up, and promptly realized she had nothing to wear. Now half her wardrobe lay across her bed, and she gnawed her bottom lip as she stared at the dark blue cocktail dress she’d decided on. She liked the way it flowed over her slender frame, but felt it was too short as it just reached mid-thigh. Carlye couldn’t remember why she’d let her sister talk her into buying it two months ago. It had hung in her closet ever since, but now she felt desperate enough to give it a try. She had no idea where Niall planned to take her, leaving the choice to him was probably a mistake, and from the look of his expensive suit,
she didn’t want to risk wearing jeans. Which brought her back to the dress she wore. Sighing in frustration and defeat, Carlye grabbed a pair of matching stilettos and tried not to feel overdressed.
The doorbell rang. How’d he know her address anyway? Of course. A powerful executive like him, he probably got some underling to pull up her information.
Grabbing her purse, keys, and a file filled with paperwork, Carlye made it to the door just as the bell rang a second time. She yanked open the door and her heart just about stopped. Niall wore charcoal grey slacks and a matching polo shirt. His hands were shoved into his pockets, and as he stared at her, a slow, appreciative smile formed on his sensual lips.
“You look stunning. If I didn’t already have reservations, I’d insist we stay in,” he said in his low, sexy-as-sin tenor.
Niall took her hand and pulled her forward two steps, closing the distance between them. She felt his heated caress along her ribcage as his hands slid around her. When his lips settled over hers in a deep, exploratory kiss, Carlye melted into him and slid her hands over the hard muscle of his chest.
After several moments, Niall lifted his head. “Damn, woman, I could kiss you all day.”
Pleasure shimmered through her at his admission. “But then I wouldn’t get my dinner,” she teased.
Chuckling, Niall eased away. He left one arm wrapped around her waist and led her to a BMW parked on the curb. He opened the passenger door, and she slid into the leather seat. After he’d pulled away from the curb, she turned to him and asked, “This doesn’t look like a rental. Who’s car is it?”
Niall flashed a grin her way and said, “My friend Drew grudgingly loaned it to me. He lives here in Seattle.”
“Really? Was he the shorter man or the one a smidgen taller than you?”
He lifted a brow, surprised by her question. “You are observant, vixen. Drew was the latter. Branson is the shorter, just don’t let him hear you say anything about it.”
“Goodness, no. Compared to most, he still falls well into the tall category. And with his broad shoulders and well-muscled…” when she saw Niall’s sharp look, Carlye trailed off. “Sorry. My mouth runs away with me sometimes,” she murmured.
“Is that your scientific mind? Always classifying and cataloging the things around you?”
Carlye couldn’t stop the blush. “You caught me.”
Niall reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. “I guess I’ll just be straightforward then. I have no desire to discuss what you think of my associates’ bodies while we’re together.” He eased to a stop at a red light and leaned toward her. “Of course, if you want to discuss our bodies, I’d be more than willing to do so.”
He gripped the nape of Carlye’s neck and pulled her into a short, hot kiss. Niall pulled away when a horn sounded behind them. As they started forward again, she glanced over her shoulder and saw a pair of men on bullet bikes. One was motioning for them to get moving while the second shook his helmet-covered head. “You really need to stop doing that,” Carlye said, not liking how breathless she sounded.
“Kissing you?” Niall replied with a chuckle. “I can’t see that happening any time soon. Besides,” he added huskily, “I’m not doing anything we both don’t want, darling.”
Snapping her jaw shut, Carlye struggled to keep the flush from her face. How did he read her so easily? And why did her pulse race and skin tingle every time he gave her a heated look? This made no sense! Carlye couldn’t remember the last time she felt this turned on. She was acutely aware of Niall’s hand on her thigh, lightly caressing her skin through the fabric of her dress.
After leaving the car with the valet, he helped her from it and transferred that hand to the small of her back. His long fingers curved around the side of her waist, and he guided her into the restaurant. Carlye glanced around, taking in the high-end restaurant, suddenly glad she’d sucked it up and donned the cocktail dress. “This place is nice,” she whispered, after the maitre d settled them at a table. “I hope I don’t embarrass you by forgetting which fork to use.” Crap! Why did I just say that? Stupid, stupid…
“Are you kidding? I was hoping you’d give me pointers. Remind me not to take Drew’s suggestions again.”
Relief flowed through Carlye, glad she wasn’t the only one uncomfortable. Then he reached under the corner of the table and squeezed her thigh. Heat blossomed from the point of contact through her system, and she barely registered the appearance of the waiter.
“We haven’t ordered yet,” Niall said when the uniformed man placed an appetizer in front of them. The waiter said something to Niall in French, which Carlye didn’t understand, but evidently her date did, because a broad grin broke out over Niall’s face. “Merci beaucoup, Monsieur.”
After placing drink orders for both of them, Niall slid the plate toward her, offering her some of whatever was on the plate, which she couldn’t hope to identify. Swallowing her pride, Carlye leaned forward and asked, “What is it?”
“Remember I said Drew recommended the place?” After her nod, Niall continued. “Well, he made the reservations. Evidently, this place has the best frog legs in the city, and he knows they’re a favorite of mine.”
She felt her eyes grow big as she stared at the food. Swallowing hard, Carlye shook her head. “I don’t think so.” Adventurous, she was not.
Niall lifted an amused brow. “Are you sure?”
She nodded emphatically.
He smiled and winked, “More for me.”
She watched him devour the plate of food as only a gentleman could. A couple times, he tried to feed her a bite, but she couldn’t bring herself to try it. During that time, he translated the menu for her, ordered her food, and carried on a conversation, asking about her schooling, why she decided to become a scientist, and how she’d ended up doing geology for the oil drilling company.
Before Carlye knew it, they’d eaten their meal, declined dessert, and the check had arrived. A glance at her dress watch, this one working, told her that nearly three hours had passed. Niall helped her to her feet and back out to the valet, who quickly retrieved their car.
Once she’d buckled her seatbelt, Niall slid his fingers into her hair and drew her close. He sealed his lips over hers and delved into her mouth.
When he pulled away, he grinned. “I’ve been wanting to do that for far too long. I’d like to take you back to my place and seduce you. Will you let me?”
Surprised at his straightforward boldness, she knew she should say no, but it had been so long since she’d had a lover. The man was only going to be in town for a few nights, right? So what could it hurt? Carlye smiled tentatively. She fisted her hands in her lap to hide the trembling. “Okay.”
Chapter Four
“I’ve got a problem.”
“I’ll do everything in my power to help, my prince. You know that,” Branson replied solemnly.
Niall took the cup of coffee his bodyguard offered and shook his head. “You shouldn’t call me that. I left Carlye in bed, but she may still overhear.” He didn’t know how sensitive a human’s hearing was compared to their own while on land.
Branson froze. “She’s still here,” he hissed. “Why?”
How had this happened? Why would Fate do this to me? Sure, he wasn’t next in line for the throne or anything, but Niall was close enough that the king would shit crabs when he found out about this. “Carlye Layton is my Adelfi Psychi.” At first, Branson just stared at him. He knew the news wasn’t easy to take.
Finally, the merman blinked. “What?”
Niall scoffed. “You heard me. My Adelfi Psychi. My soul mate.”
“Who’s soul mate?” Drew asked, entering the room. At first, no one answered him as they stared each other down. After pouring himself a cup of coffee, Drew looked between them. “Uh, what’s going on?”
“He says Carlye is his soul mate,” Branson whispered, barely able to voice the thought.
Drew coughed, choking on the coffee he’d just swallowed.
“Bloody hell!” he grunted. “Are you sure?”
Niall nodded. “She’s in my bed. I’m pretty damn sure. I suspected it when we kissed in the conference room yesterday. Now I’m sure.”
“What are you going to do?” Drew asked.
“Go for a boat ride,” Niall said.
Branson frowned. “I’m sorry?”
Setting down his cup of coffee, Niall ran his hands over his face. “What would you have me do?” he growled. “My other half is a human working for a company that could destroy our people. She’s a scientist. I show her the facts and explain the situation. She has a good heart. She’ll make the right decision.”
His bodyguard shook his head. “You’re putting a lot of faith in a woman you just met,” Branson muttered.
Letting out a slow breath, Niall nodded. “I know. But Fate gave me her for a reason, and I think it’s to help us. I have no choice but to try.”
“Then perhaps you should give the choice to another,” Drew murmured.
Niall jerked his hands down and glared at Drew. “We may be in the United States right now, Drew, but you still answer to me. This is my decision, and I will not shirk my duty. The oil drilling will be stopped. One way or another.”
Branson and Drew took a step back, both men nodding. “Yes, Prince,” they murmured as one.
Niall continued to stare the men down, but neither was willing to meet his gaze and incur his wrath. He nodded once, letting them know he accepted their apology. “Ready our smallest yacht.”
A throat clearing had all three turning toward the hallway. Carlye stood in the hallway, wearing the button-down shirt he’d worn the night before and possibly nothing else.
She had her arms wrapped around her waist and shifted her weight uncomfortably from bare foot to bare foot. “I’m sorry, Niall. I didn’t realize you were staying with your associates. I…”
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