by Linda Verji
It took everything in Eve not to roll her eyes as she said, “It’s only been a week.”
“A week is enough for most women. I got Arthur within three days of meeting their father.” Turning her gaze to her computer, Sharon said, “Chap chap, Eve. Your time is running out.”
No, girlfriend. It’s your time that’s running out not mine. Eve snorted beneath her breath.
The snort must’ve been louder than she planned because Sharon looked up. “Did you say something?”
Panic racing through her, Eve rushed to say, “No, no, nothing.”
“Well then, why are you still standing there?” Sharon waved towards the door. “Get out.”
It was only once Eve stepped out of Sharon’s office that she finally took an easy breath. Closing her eyes, she leaned against the closed door and sucked in a lungful of air. Whew! That had been close. That last thing she wanted was for Sharon to know that she wasn’t a meek, obedient puppy as sold.
“What are you doing there?” a deep voice cut into her thoughts.
Startled, Eve opened her eyes only to see him. “Carter, what are you doing here?”
Amusement dancing in his eyes, he countered, “I asked first.”
“I was just…” She swallowed to ease her still racing heartbeat. “… I was just coming from your mom’s office.”
“Business?” he asked.
“Business.” She nodded. “What about you?”
“I just wanted to say goodnight to Mom.” He smiled. “I’m ready to turn in for the night.”
The thought of turning in for the night immediately sent fresh nervousness through her. They were going to sleep in the same bed again. He’d probably hold her again. Oh God! Why was he doing this to her? Tonight especially, it didn’t seem right to share a bed with him. She’d just hammered another nail into his mother’s coffin. How was she supposed to continue playing this lovey-dovey game with him without guilt swallowing her whole?
CHAPTER 7
As usual, Eve went to bed before Carter and pretended to be asleep when he came into the room. And as was now usual, when Carter came into the bed, he leaned closer to kiss her cheek then cuddled up right behind her. Her system must’ve gotten used to the whole routine because, surprisingly, she fell asleep soon after.
When she woke up a few hours later it was because of the tingling sensations in her lower body. The first thing she noticed was how closely Carter was holding her. The front of his body was pressed tightly into the back of hers, his arm was like a thick, steel band around her torso, and she could feel his breath ruffling her hair. But what caught her attention was the big, firm, throbbing mass that was pressing into her ass.
Her breath immediately caught in her throat as desire, like a flood, rushed through her. Although she was wearing pajama shorts as was he, she could feel him nudging against her butt with every breath she took. Her first thought was that there was no way he was asleep given how hard he was. However, his breath was still soft, slow and deep. He was still asleep.
Obviously, she needed to get away from him. However, when she tried to shift forward, his tight hold on her torso held her prisoner. She tried to move his arm, but it tightened around her torso then moved up to brush the underside of her bust. Her breasts immediately swelled at that light graze and the embers of desire within her leaped into a full flame. He shifted his lower body even closer to hers, his rigid cock digging harder into her ass.
Eve didn’t plan it. The sudden twinges in her core because of her husband’s closeness drove her to it. By reflex, she pressed her ass back into his crotch. She must’ve pressed back too hard because Carter’s breath hitched. However, Eve was in no position to hear him because of the immediate electricity that shot through her. Closing her eyes tightly, she ground into him again. This time he moaned.
Her eyes flew open, and she froze. Had she been caught?
His next action confirmed it. His hand moved up slightly to cup her breast. She should’ve jumped out of his arms right then, but she couldn’t. The immediate electricity that zipped through her and straight to her breasts held her hostage. When he squeezed her flesh, she exhaled sharply but didn’t move. Though she was wearing a tank-top, the fabric was so light that his touch was like a branding iron applied directly onto her skin.
Her whole body was tense and alive, waiting to see what he would do next. Instead of massaging her breast like she wanted, he lowered his hand. Despite herself, she let out a disappointed sigh. But it was a sigh too soon. He moved his hand down until he found the hem of her top then slipped his fingers beneath it.
The fist that was around her lungs tightened and it got much, much harder to breathe. The feel of his fingers right on her skin was startling and her body tingled where he touched. He let his hand rest on her bare tummy before slowly crawling up her torso. This time when he touched her breast, a whimper tore past her throat.
Proving that he was awake, Carter leaned forward and kissed the crook of her neck. That kiss and his hand on her breast drove Eve crazy. Moaning, she ground back into his cock. He rewarded her by squeezing her breast firmly then tweaking her nipple. The sensations that zipped through her were indescribable. Her lips parted in n silent gasp and her fingers closed around his wrist.
When his hand moved away from her breast, Eve almost cried out in protest. However, when it crawled down her torso, all her muscles tensed up. Slowly, slowly, slowly, his fingers slid down her tummy. Holding her breath, she waited to see if he would do it. Would he really….
“Aaah!” Her breath gushed out in a sharp cry when he smoothly slid his fingers beneath the hem of her shorts and cupped her right there. Instinctively, she spread her legs to give him more room to play.
“Eve,” he murmured her name darkly as he slid his finger between her nether lips.
When he found her clit, she moaned his name. “Carter.”
“You’re already wet,” he whispered as his finger circled that sensitive button.
Eve shut her eyes tightly as the trembles began. Her fingers dug into his arm even as she squirmed around in front of him. Every part of her throbbed with desire and pleasure. When his finger slid further down and pressed inside her, she jerked in his arms. It was a wonder that she didn’t burst into flames right then.
It had been so long that that first penetration left her whimpering in need. Desperate for more, she turned around to lie on her back. The expression on Carter’s face said more than a thousand words. He wanted her. It was in the wild glint in his blue eyes. It was in the fierce set of his jaw. It was in the vein throbbing at his temple. His finger still wreaking havoc in her pussy, he lowered his face. His lips were just about to meet hers when a sharp sound shattered the moment.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
The clock’s painful shrill echoed in the room like a fire alarm going off. That alarm was like a bucket of water straight to the face, and common sense flooded in. Instinct driving her, Eve shoved Carter away from her then jumped out of bed. She raced to the en-suite and slammed the door behind her.
Oh God! What was that? Gasping for air, she leaned with her back against the door. That shouldn’t have happened. She’d accepted that she and Carter would have to get intimate eventually, but she didn’t expect to be this soon. The voice in her head reminded her that it wouldn’t have happened this soon if she hadn’t awakened him as she had. The way she’d ground her ass into him, the passionate way she’d reacted to his touch, the way she’d moaned… Oh God. She covered her face with her hands. How embarrassing!
It took her a while to tame her galloping heart and fast breaths. But even after calming down, she was too embarrassed to go back to the bedroom and face him. So she got into the shower. Thankfully, the bathroom had a door that led into the walk-in closet. As she dressed, she heard Carter enter the bathroom. That was her chance to run. She finished dressing quickly then ducked out of their bedroom before he was done with his shower.
The next time she and Carter saw each other
was at the breakfast table. Even though she kept up her usual calm façade, she couldn’t meet his eyes. As she ate, her mind spun around like a hamster on a wheel. Why, why, why had she woken him up like that? Now he was going to assume that that meant she was ready for them to move on to the next step. And she wasn’t. Okay, maybe she was a little ready. But she didn’t want to be ready. That still counted, right?
* * * * *
FOUR DAYS LATER, Eve was still reeling from embarrassment because of what had happened that morning. However, Carter seemed completely unbothered and behaved just as he normally would. During the day, he was his usual smiling self. At night, he kissed her goodnight then held her through the night. No funny business. It was almost like it’d never happened, and she was starting to think that maybe, just maybe, he’d been half-asleep and thus had forgotten about the event.
“Are you free for lunch today?” Carter asked her as they sat at the breakfast table with his mother and Jackson.
“I’m not sure.” Eve glanced at Sharon for direction.
Sharon nodded. “She’s free.”
“Great.” Carter smiled. “Then we can have lunch together.”
“What about me?” Jackson, whose school was currently on fall break, chimed in. “Can I come too?”
“Don’t speak over grown-ups,” Sharon scolded before anyone else could say anything. Though she was smiling, her tone was stern as she added, “Besides, you have tennis practice at that time.”
Eve started, “Actually, his tennis practice isn’t until-”
The look that Sharon gave her was enough to stop her from finishing the rest of that sentence. Obviously, the older woman didn’t want Jackson hanging out with them.
Carter, who was less attuned to his mother’s non-verbal cues, turned to his nephew with a smile. “That’s no big deal. You can just skip practice and-”
“No,” Jackson cut him off. Smiling brightly, he added, “I don’t want to skip practice.”
But Eve knew that little boy well enough to see behind that smile. He’d probably read Sharon too and decided that it was in his best interest to do as Sharon wanted.
Carter frowned. “Are you sure you don’t want to eat with me and Aunt Eve?”
“I’m sure.” The little boy nodded enthusiastically. “I can’t miss practice if I want to beat Bree Stewart.”
Changing the subject, Sharon asked Carter. “How’s the documentary coming along? Have they decided when they’re airing it?”
As the mother and son duo launched into a conversation about the documentary, Eve, who was seated next to Jackson, reached beneath the table and took his hand in hers. She knew that despite the show that he was putting on, he was disappointed that he’d have to spend the whole day in the house by himself while everyone else was out enjoying themselves.
“Don’t worry,” Eve said when they were finally in his room alone. “I’ll come from work and pick you up then we can go together.”
Worry immediately filled his expression. “Won’t Grandma be mad?”
“Of course not.” Eve bluffed. “Why would she be mad at me for feeding you?”
Of course Sharon would be mad. But if Eve said that she was the one who had forced Jackson then the older woman would automatically turn her rage on Eve rather than on the boy. That was okay with Eve. A scolding was a small price to pay for letting Jackson have fun.
However, her plans to have a fun lunch with Carter and Jackson were brought to a screeching halt just a few hours later. At around eleven a.m., Nina sent her a message.
‘Just uploaded the article,’ Nina texted.
Eve’s heart immediately started a fast beat and nervousness pulsed through her. Quickly, she wrote back, ‘Already? I thought you were doing it on Thursday.’
‘The lawyers you guys sent me were assholes. They pissed me off. So I decided to piss them off too,’ Nina answered.
Oh God! This was why it was hard to work with volatile rebels like Nina. Timetables were just suggestions to them. Eve had expected at least a few days to get herself ready for the storm. But since it was already done…
With a sigh, Eve texted back. ‘Please tell me that you’ve got everything they said on tape.’
‘Everything, girlfriend. Everything.’ Accompanying the text was a smirking face emoji that made Eve laugh despite the tension already knotting her insides.
Eve put away her phone and turned to her computer. Quickly, she navigated to Nina’s blog. Nina had altered the article’s title slightly, and it now read as: ‘La Belle Products Are Ruining Your Hair & Probably Killing You’. However, the rest of the article was the same as what Sharon had blocked Nina’s former employer from publishing.
Nina had such a large network of followers that barely twenty minutes after the post was up, there were several comments with people gasping in disbelief or claiming that they knew it all along. Those same people linked the blog post to their social media pages so their friends could get shocked too. Within an hour, that small flame on a match turned into a burning room. Give it a few more hours and it would surely become a burning building.
That’s when Sharon heard about it.
Eve knew the exact moment that her mother-in-law found out about the blog post because she was watching her through her spy-cams. As expected Sharon called Eve just minutes later.
“Get to my office right now!” Sharon screeched into the phone.
Eve stood up from her seat, took a deep breath to ease her nervousness then headed to Sharon’s office.
As soon as Eve stepped through the door, she noticed that only Sharon and Benisio were in the room. However, her vision blurred somewhat when Sharon strode forward and slapped her. That slap was so powerful that it sent Eve staggering backwards in pain as black dots swam in front of her eyes.
“I told you to take care of Nina,” Sharon shrieked. “Now look at what she’s done.”
Eve blinked several times to clear her vision and worked her jaw to ease the pain before asking, “What did Nina do?”
“You don’t know?” Sharon’s blue eyes were blazing with unrestrained fury. “Then what are you here for? What’s your job?”
Instead of answering the older woman’s question, Eve turned to give Benisio a questioning look.
He answered simply, “Nina published that article on her blog.”
“What?” Trying her best to look shocked, Eve gasped. “But our lawyers paid her.”
“Is that your best response?” Sharon sarcastically mimicked, “But our lawyers paid her.”
“I talked to her,” Eve defended herself. “She and I agreed that after she got her money, she would stay quiet.”
“Is this what you call staying quiet?” Sharon pointed back to her computer. “Everyone’s read it now. People are calling me, asking me what is going on-”
As if those people were eavesdropping on the conversation, Sharon’s phone shrilled loudly, cutting into the conversation.
“You hear that?” Her blazing eyes on Eve, Sharon pointed to the phone. “That’s because of you. That’s because of your incompetence. How could you let something like this happen?”
“I’m sorry.” Eve put on her most apologetic face. “So so sorry. I really thought that I’d solved it.”
“Well, you didn’t.” Sharon stormed back to the sitting area and settled on the armchair. Her fingers frantically tapping on the arm of her seat, she demanded, “Well, what’s your solution now?”
Eve walked to the sitting area and as she lowered herself to the seat, she said, “Well, we-”
Sharon snapped. “Who told you to sit down?”
“Sorry.” Eve straightened back to standing position. “Obviously, we’ll have to sue her.”
“Obviously,” Sharon mimicked mockingly. “Do you have any other ideas or just those obvious ones?”
“Other than suing her, there’s nothing we can do to stop the article from spreading her, and even if she takes it off her site, people have already captured it.” Eve
took a breath then continued, “We need to focus on damage control. First, we have to make it clear to the public that none of what she’s saying is true.”
“What are you thinking?” Though she was still angry, Sharon’s tone was less shrill as she offered, “An official statement?”
“An official statement is great,” Eve agreed. “But a press conference to go along with that statement would be better.” When her mother-in-law gave her a questioning look, she explained, “Statements over the internet are impersonal. A press conference will give our clients a chance to see your face… the face of someone they trust.”
“That’s true. That’s true.” Sharon nodded slowly. “People trust me.”
“But your word still might not be enough. We need more.” Eve pretended to think over it for a second before suggesting, “Why don’t we do fresh lab tests and share the results at the press conference so everyone can see?”
“Lab tests?” Sharon’s eyes widened. “You want us to do fresh lab tests?”
“Yes.” Eve nodded. “The cleansing conditioner doesn’t have any parabens, right? All we need to do is prove it and everyone will be quiet.” Fighting hard not to smirk, she added, “We should also ask the FDA to give a statement confirming that they did indeed check our conditioner and that it’s safe to use.”
Of course Eve knew that Sharon would never agree to do fresh lab tests. Everything in Nina’s article was true and tests would only confirm it. But it was fun to pull the older woman’s leg.
Sharon didn’t speak for a moment. Her thoughtful gaze moved to Benisio. The two exchanged some kind of non-verbal message then Sharon nodded slowly. “I think that that’s a great idea. Showing them that our product is just as good as we say is the only way to go. We should do those lab tests.”
Oh, really? You’re sure about that? Though Eve’s expression remained solemn on the inside, she was side-eyeing the lady. Her tone calm, she offered, “Should I organize the tests?”
“No. No. No,” Sharon quickly refused the offer. “That’s menial work. Benisio will do it.”
