‘Pretty much.’
‘You weren’t kidding about not being romantic.’
‘You don’t like flowers. You don’t like chocolates. You hate romance too,’ he teased, pressing even more intimately against her.
‘I don’t hate diamonds.’ She shifted sassily.
He snorted. ‘And what would you do if some guy produced a diamond ring?’ He ground his pelvis against hers in a slow circular motion. ‘You’d run so fast you’d break the sound barrier.’
She bit her lip to stop her groan of defeat.
‘We’re going to have an affair,’ he told her.
They’d been on this trajectory from the moment they’d laid eyes on each other. All she could do now was try to manage how it went. ‘Yes.’
To her surprise the relief hit as she agreed. It was closely followed by excitement. Now she’d admitted it, she wanted it immediately. The sooner she could have, the sooner she could control.
‘Tonight.’ He levered up and away from her.
She sat up—unconsciously keeping a short distance between them. ‘Tonight?’
He grinned at her obvious disappointment. ‘No condoms in here.’
Oh. She hadn’t thought of that. Thank goodness he had.
‘Won’t you let me help you out now?’ She longed to feel him shaking in her arms. She could stroke him to glory in seconds.
‘Will you let me do the same for you?’
She blinked rapidly and ducked his fixed gaze.
‘Tonight,’ he reiterated, amusement warming his authoritative tone.
She nodded. ‘Just a little fun.’
‘Can you handle that?’ All hint of humour had gone.
Hopefully. If she could stay on top. She looked back into his eyes and waved her independence flag. ‘Sure. Can you?’
TWENTY minutes later they heard the door lock click. They hid in the dark corner for another moment and dashed when the coast was clear.
‘Get changed quickly,’ he whispered.
Giggling in the women’s, Penny tossed her skirt and top on straight over her togs, scooped up her bag and was out again in less than a minute. Carter was standing in the little foyer, his shirt water-stained and creased, his jaw dark with stubble. He looked sexier and more dangerous than ever.
He held out his hand. ‘Let me take your bag.’
Penny walked quickly. ‘I’ve got it.’
Already people were arriving to use the gym and swim facility and she wanted to get out of there before anyone saw the state she was in.
‘No, let me take it,’ he insisted, blocking her path.
She frowned but he came even closer, speaking through gritted teeth.
‘Look, if you want everyone to see the size of my hard-on, sure, you take it. Otherwise let me just hold it while we get out of here, okay?’
Penny’s jaw dropped.
He put a finger under her chin and nudged it closed again. ‘Don’t act the innocent. You know exactly what you can do to me. Just like I know what I can do to you.’ His gaze imprisoned hers and pierced deep. ‘If you’ll let me.’
Penny felt as if an adrenalin injection had just been stabbed straight into her heart. The feeling flickered along her veins, molten gold—sweeter than honey yet tart at the same time. Tantalising.
He smiled.
Excitement rippled low in her belly, blocking everything—nerves, memories, fears. All were swallowed in the rising heat. She shook her head but smiled back. Him wanting her felt good. He grabbed her hand and stormed them up the stairs and through Reception.
‘Hell, you’re not here already, Penny?’ Bleary-eyed, Jed looked up from behind his desk.
She shook her head. ‘You never saw me.’
‘You and I are having a little chat later.’ Carter scowled at Jed and held the door for Penny.
He flagged two taxis.
‘We can’t share?’ she asked.
‘We get in one of those together now and you know we wouldn’t come back. I’ve got work I have to do.’
Eleven hours later, resentment-filled, she figured he’d done a lot of work. By the time she’d got home, showered, changed and returned to the office, he was already back there and concentrating. He hadn’t moved from his chair for hours. She knew because she’d gone into his office a few times—delivering more of the massive numbers of faxes and courier parcels, more wretched files—and he’d ignored her. Hadn’t even looked up, lost in a world of figures and transactions and tiny details.
And she hadn’t been able to concentrate on a thing—all jumpy and excited and impatient. Until the tiredness from the little amount of sleep had eaten her nerves and now she was grumpy and ready to stomp home alone because he hadn’t even said hello to her all day.
Worst of all, it was only just five o’clock. Theoretically she had another couple of hours to put in first. She glared at her computer screen and banged the buttons on the keyboard.
‘So.’ He suddenly leant across her desk. ‘Your place or mine?’
‘So smooth, Carter.’ She stabbed through another couple of keystrokes.
‘Just answer,’ he said roughly, putting his hand over hers. ‘I’m barely able to pull together two syllables I’m that strung out.’
She looked at his face and was grateful she was sitting down. No muscles could stay firm against the heat in his eyes. And the grip he had on her now was thrillingly tight. It made her feel a lot better about his distance all day and she dropped any idea of holding out for some grovelling.
‘Yours.’ She was glad he’d asked. If she went to his it meant she could leave when she needed to, not have to wait for him to decide to go from hers.
‘Then let’s go.’
‘Now?’
The taxi was already waiting and, even better, the trip was short. Her heart drummed faster than a dance-floor anthem and she concentrated on keeping her breathing quiet and even. He still had hold of her hand and as they rode the elevator up to his short-let serviced apartment he finally broke the silence.
‘You’re tired?’
Actually she was plotting how to handle him. She needed to take charge from the get-go—set the pattern for the evening—and she wanted him on fire as fast as possible.
He must have read her mind because he turned to her the moment he’d closed the door behind them. She melted against him and offered it all, pleased he was so hungry. She wanted him to be uncontrolled, to be in thrall. Passion was powerful and she wanted to succeed in hitting his pleasure high. She moved against him, dancing the way she knew best, her mouth open to his, her fingers working on his buttons—wanting him raw and hot.
But he laughed, low and pure. ‘Why are you in such a hurry?’
Because that way she could control it. She shrugged her shoulders and simply smiled, pressing close again.
But he, damn him, suddenly slowed right down. He swept his lips gently across her skin as his fingers so carefully freed buttons. Why was he taking so long to undress her? Hell, they didn’t