“It’s going to kill you not to know, isn’t it?”
He lifted a hand to her face, his tone suddenly earnest. “It’s going to kill me to keep arguing with you.” He flicked his thumb across her cheek, his ice-blue eyes locked with hers. “Did I offend you in some way?”
She could no longer meet the searching interest in his gaze. She looked down at the wire binder of her notebook, and ran a finger over it absentmindedly. “I’m comfortable with working as an escort. I had reasons – personal reasons I don’t wish to discuss – that led me to pursue a job that fit around my other commitments. But it’s not my dream job, by a long stretch.”
“What is?” He demanded instantly, his fascination intensifying with each half-answer she gave him.
Her laugh was a short sound. When had she had the chance to think about such things? Making ends meet had been the beginning and end of her existence for too long to remember. “The million dollar question.”
He could have asked her questions all night, but he restrained himself. He could almost see the brick wall being erected around her, bit by bit, as she tried to lock him out. The attempt would fail, but he heeded her silent signals at that point.
“Okay, burger Queen. Show me what this dinner’s all about.”
Her first night at Carter’s penthouse finished without further incident. Except for the beautiful satisfaction of being made love to most of the night, that is. As the dawn lights broke through the bottom of the blinds, Jane crept from his King size bed. She took a moment to observe him in sleep. One arm thrown casually above his head, his lips slightly parted, his chest rising and falling with each breath. Such a muscular, tanned chest. She gulped.
She had to leave then, or she never would.
CHAPTER FIVE
“You scared me half to death!” Jenna squealed, slopping a little coffee on the kitchen bench as she spun around.
“Sorry.” Jane dropped her keys into the bowl on the side table. “I tried to be quiet.”
“I was awake. What the heck are you doing here? I thought you’d still be with the fantastic billionaire lover boy?”
Jane flushed without responding.
“Jane? How was your night?” Jenna’s smile was mischievous. “You’re blushing!”
“I am, I know I am.” She lifted her hands to her cheeks and felt the warmth in them. “It was… pretty amazing actually.”
“Coffee. Details. Now.” She poured a steaming cup from the French Press.
“He’s really …” She frowned. “I don’t even know where to begin,” she laughed a little shakily. “He’s completely overpowering. He’s so, so sexy it hurts.” Her stomach clenched in memory, her pulse raced. She drank her coffee, exclaiming as it burned her tongue. “But he’s also really interesting. I mean, and he seems actually interested in me, in some ways.”
Jenna hid her frown behind her coffee cup. “What do you mean?”
“Just asking lots of questions.” She shrugged. “Talking.”
“I’m almost disappointed to think you didn’t just have a night of wild sex.”
Her blush deepened. “Oh, there was plenty of that, too.”
“Glad to hear it.” Jenna put a hand out, over her best friend’s. “Just look after yourself, Janey.”
Her dark eyes looked up, and they were so vulnerable that Jenna wanted to hug her. “What do you mean?”
“He’s obviously incredibly charming. He’s a lothario, though. A philandering cad. I have no doubt he can make you feel like a princess. Just don’t forget that he’ll move on sooner or later. Don’t get attached. Don’t fall for it.”
Jane’s breaths burned in her lungs, as though she were breathing in flame. Although she’d already formed that exact resolution, it hurt to have someone else reinforce her belief. “I’m not,” she sounded more confident than she was. “That’s why I came home this morning. Even though Anita’s not back until after school today, I wanted to keep my own space. My own time.” She had needed time to digest what had happened. The physical act of sex had always been just that for her. Something she enjoyed – occasionally – with a man she found attractive. It had never left her with this impression of a deeper connection. It had never made her body quiver with flashbacks, as it was doing now.
“Good. Stick to that. Don’t give him too much of yourself, honey. He’ll take what he wants and spit you out. I’ve known men like him before. He might seem great, but beneath the surface, he’s about himself, and that’s it.”
“I know.” And she did. He was way out of her league. He was toying with her for the moment. Most likely because she was so different from the women he usually knew. Once he realised that different didn’t equate to exciting, he’d move on.
“Well, lady of the night, I have an early morning meeting.” She stood and pressed a kiss against her friend’s hair. “Try to get some rest today. You look tired.”
Jane started into her coffee. She was tired, but there was no way she’d rest. She had too much to do. The main resolution she had to stick to was not to let her involvement with Carter Mann-Hughes derail what she’d been working towards for so long. She had overcome too many obstacles to let one man – albeit a devilishly attractive man – take that away from her.
You’re not here. Her phone buzzed accusingly at her.
She shook her head with a small smile. Your powers of observation are mind-blowingly impressive.
Why are you not here?
Look outside, genius. She sent it with a small grin, then put the phone aside. No sooner has she clicked it against the tabletop than it beeped at her again.
You’re going to miss my pretty spectacular coffee scenario.
Her heart turned over. She hardened it. How many women had he made coffee for? I have pretty good coffee here.
Mmm. You haven’t tried mine yet.
And she never would. At least, not first thing in the morning. That was not part of the equation. She set the phone down again and tried, desperately, to put Carter out of her mind. But he kept bubbling into her consciousness, demanding attention. He made her overflow the laundry sink, when she was preparing to soak some delicates. She had to spend half an hour mopping up the floor and still she was worried it might have flooded into old Mrs Kramer’s apartment downstairs.
Thinking about him made her late for her meeting with Thomas, which she never, ever was. And it made her burn the white sauce she was making for their pasta bake. By the time Anita walked in the door, she was pretty sure she was a tangle of nerves. She hid them, for the sake of her sister.
“Hey!” She wrapped her arms around her, happy to see her back from camp with a big smile on her face.
“Hey yourself. You look terrible.”
“Do I?” Jane blew at her dark hair self-consciously.
“Well, as terrible as you ever can.”
“Whatever. How was camp?”
Anita’s smile widened. The entire left side of her face was scarred from a childhood accident, but Jane no longer noticed the disfiguration. It was only when they were out together and met new people, and she saw the way they reacted to Anita’s damaged face, that she remembered how severe the scarring was.
“Great. I got a heap of contacts for the break.”
“Good. Dinner’s in the oven – pasta bake.”
“Are you working tonight?”
She frowned. Was she? She hadn’t heard from Carter since that morning. Did he expect her just to appear at his apartment? If so, what time? What should she do? She frowned. He had said he wanted her nights. But he’d also said he would let her know.
“Janey? Are you working tonight?”
“Yeah.” She nodded. “I’m just waiting for the … err bar… to confirm the time they need me.”
Jane and Jenna had agreed, years ago, to keep the truth of what Jane did from Anita. Jane had been more than happy to do whatever she could to keep up Anita’s place at the exclusive school, but she suspected that her sister would insist on going to a public school if s
he knew how her tuition was funded. Details were best left out of it.
“I’m beat. I’m going to have a rest before dinner.” She kissed her sister’s cheek and moved towards her room.
“I’ll see you in the morning!” Jane called.
When Jenna returned home almost an hour later, Jane still hadn’t heard from Carter. A knot of doubt formed in her stomach. What if he’d changed his mind? What if one night with her had been enough? She swallowed past the anxiety and laid out three plates for dinner. She’d eat with Jenna and Anita, and then contact him. She had to be brave. If he was tired of her already, it was probably better than if the relationship continued for weeks and then he got rid of her.
She ate without tasting, and conversed without comprehending. Anita and Jenna had plenty to discuss. Jenna was a science teacher, and Anita wanted nothing more than to get into med school. Jane sat between them, a glazed expression on her non-comprehending face.
After clearing the dishes, she picked her phone up off the side table and went to swipe it to send a message. The screen was black. “Oh, crap,” she whispered to herself, squeezing her eyes shut. She grabbed the wall charger and plugged it in, but all she saw was a judgemental little red battery flashing at her. How could you let me go flat again? It seemed to be screaming at her.
She paced the floorboards of the apartment, pretending to tidy up scattered cushions and put away text books, until it finally buzzed to signal that it had returned to life. Then, it vibrated again, and again, and again.
She held her breath as she lifted it.
This day is dragging. Probably because I just want it to be night already.
Last meeting of the day. Wish it was you on my desk instead of this executive sitting across from me.
See you soon.
She checked the time. He’d sent it two hours ago.
She gulped. Her fingers ran across the screen as she tapped out a message.
Are you sick of waiting for me? J.
The reply was immediate. Are you playing games with me? C.
She bit down on her lip. Would you believe my battery died?
I’m buying you a spare phone. Just for me. You will keep it permanently plugged in.
She grinned. That’s not necessary. I’ll just try to remember to charge this one from time to time.
Their next messages crossed over. She wrote, I can be there in half an hour.
At the same time he said, I’d love to see you.
She smiled. Great. I’ll be there as soon as the fates of the subway can carry me.
No. No subway. Martins is in the car. He’ll get you.
She wiggled her lip between her fingers.
I can hear you thinking of ways to say ‘no’. I don’t want to hear them. Just text me your address.
Still she was silent.
Are you worried I’m going to stalk you?
She laughed. It was ridiculous.
I think I’d like being stalked by you. She smiled as she hit send. Tell Martins I’m on the corner of Morton and Hudson. I’ll wait downstairs.
Carter fought the urge to tell her to stay inside. She’d survived to the ripe age of twenty three without his help. Presumably that had involved criss-crossing New York via the subway, and standing outside buildings at night. He put his phone down and moved towards the terrace.
The night was warm. A perfect summer’s evening. In the distance, he could hear the rumble of cheers from an event, and a siren wailed beneath him. He had grown up in the deep South, with his mother, but he loved New York. The eccentric, harried, multi-layered nature of the city appealed to him. Nowhere else on earth could you get such a mix of world class art, expensive apartments, homelessness and crime. It was grubby and regal at the same time.
He waited impatiently for Jane.
Waiting was never his forte, but he considered that he’d been waiting for her all day. Since he’d woken up to find her side of his bed cold, his lover long gone.
He didn’t analyse why his impatience bothered him. Why it needled him to have been single-mindedly thinking of her all day.
When she knocked on his door, he was ready. He pulled it inwards, and grabbed her hand, pulling her inside. He kicked the door closed and pressed her against it, his kiss loaded with the intensity of his need. “I am going to lock you in here if you can’t remember to arrive on time.” He grunted against her mouth.
She lifted her hands and ran them through his hair, down his back, hooking them in the waistband of his jeans. “I didn’t want to seem too keen.”
He pulled back, just enough to be able to look at her face with disbelief. “We had an agreement. This is your job while you don’t have another job. Every night unless I tell you otherwise, I expect to see you here at seven o’clock. And send me your bank details.”
He wasn’t sure if he’d been going for humour. Or perhaps he’d been intending to reassure her. To take her uncertainties out of the equation. Only the flash in her eyes showed that she was wounded.
“I should have been here,” she said with a nod. “You’re right. Only you said you’d let me know. Day by day. But I should have… I’m sorry.”
Her submission angered him more than anything else could. He swore softly and pulled her against him, kissing her gently now. He apologised with his mouth, seeing as he didn’t do so well with spoken admittances of fault.
“Have you eaten?”
She nodded.
“Good.”
He couldn’t wait for her a minute longer. He briefly wondered, as he led her to his room, if he was completely fucking everything up by putting such an emphasis on sex, but he was powerless to resist. He pulled at her shirt as soon as they were in his room, pushing it off her shoulders and exposing her lacy bra to his eager hands. He cupped her flesh through the fabric, running his fingers over the texture with a groan.
“You are sublime.”
“Sublime?” She laughed, despite her dark mood. “I like that.”
They were each in their own tortured, dark mood, and the speed and fevered need with which they undressed showed that. They fell onto the bed, a tangle of limbs and a writhing mess of bodies. He entered her without preamble, letting out a low, soft noise as her body stretched to welcome him. For the first time that day, he felt at peace again. He kissed her softly, as he moved within her, his body heavy on hers.
She ran her fingers down his back, her nails scoring marks in his flesh. She lifted her pelvis, and lightning bolts of desire crashed through her body. She jerked beneath him, clutching on to his shoulders as the tempest of her desire blasted apart. His own tornado speared his resolve, breaking him with desire and pleasure and need and fulfilment.
“Please don’t keep me waiting again.” He put his head on her shoulder as their breathing returned to normal. “I have thought of only this all day.”
Her heart was racing. Pounding against her ribcage.
He shifted his weight, propping himself up on his elbows. He traced a line between her generous breasts, watching in fascination as his finger drew invisible lines on her skin.
“Aren’t you too busy and important to be distracted like that?” She asked teasingly, though her body was flushed with pleasure to think of him being as besieged by sensual memories as she had been.
“Impossible to avoid I’m afraid.” He grinned, and pressed a kiss against her forehead. “I apologise if I snapped.” He grimaced. “I had been thinking of you all day, and then, when you weren’t here, I panicked.”
She shook her head. “Funny. When I hadn’t heard from you, I felt the same way.”
He frowned. “If you would plug your phone in from time to time, you’d have heard from me often throughout the day.”
“What can I say? I’m probably the only twenty three year old who doesn’t get technology.”
“No facebooking until all hours of the morning for you?” He teased.
“Nope.”
“So you don’t like technology and you don’t know
what you want to do with your life. The picture grows.”
“That’s pretty much all there is to know about me.” She said with a small smile on her lips.
“Somehow, I highly doubt that.”
“Do you?” She pushed at the firm wall of his chest, so that he rolled onto his back and she could straddle his hips. “Why?” She lowered her mouth and pressed light kisses into his skin.
He sucked in a sharp breath. “The notepad, for one,” he said huskily. Her dark hair was like a wave against her skin.
“Ah! You are a curious person, aren’t you?”
“Unstintingly.”
“I jot things down so I remember them later. That’s all.”
“You know, your phone has an app that can do that for you. It can even send you handy little reminders, so long as your battery’s charged.”
She rolled her eyes. “Thanks for the lesson.”
“Carter?” A woman’s voice broke through to his bedroom. It was coming from the lounge, but moving closer. “Carter?”
Jane froze, her face blanked of emotion as she stared down at him.
“Oh, shit.” He looked at her apologetically. “I completely forgot about Karina.”
“Karina?” Her pulse was racing through her body, and her fingers were tingling. “Who is Karina?”
“My cousin.” He looked towards the door. “Hang on a second!”
“Your cousin?” Jane was sceptical. “What is your cousin doing here at ten o’clock?”
“She’s our Philly station manager. She was in town for meetings today and I completely forgot I asked her to come over when she got through.”
“Right.” Jane moved away from him with true regret. Suddenly, the gulf between that moment and when she would next see him felt enormous. “Give me five minutes and I’ll leave you to it.”
He reached for her hand. “No, you don’t have to go. You’ll like her.”
“Carter.” Her voice broke on a note of pain. “That’s really kind of you, but we’re not actually a couple.” She forced herself to remember her own rules. Keeping him at an emotional distance was imperative. “I don’t need to meet your family. I don’t need you to introduce me. It’s fine. I’m not offended.”
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