A Forever Kind of Love: A Billionaire Small Town Love Story (Kinds of Love Book 1)

by Krista Lakes

  “You signed an NDA,” he reminded her with a shrug. “Besides, I trust you.”

  He went to open the driver's side door, and she just stared at him. He trusted her. Just as he'd trusted she wouldn't get pregnant. Guilt nibbled on the edges of her mind.

  “Carter,” she started, needing to get this secret off her chest. But he didn't let her finish.

  “Come here,” he said, pulling her to the door. “I want to show you how it turns on. I need your opinion on if there are enough cup holders, too.”

  She paused for a moment, trying to decide what to do.

  Now isn't the right time, she told herself. She knew he wouldn't be able to focus on her right now, not with the car here. She wanted to have his full attention, and besides that, he was so happy and excited to show her the car. She didn't want to take this moment from him.

  So she pushed her secret back down and smiled. “I'm sure I can always use more cup-holders.”

  Carter laughed and held the door open for her to get in. As she did, he ran around to the passenger side and got in.

  “Here's the startup screen,” he said. “The software is still being installed, so it's not as complete as it will be, but when it's done it will tell you how many miles of charge you have, the weather, traffic conditions, and it can sync to your calendar.”

  “Wow,” Mia replied. The seat was insanely comfortable, and she loved the visibility of the car already. “This is incredible.”

  “You like it?” Carter asked. She loved that he wanted her opinion.

  “Very much,” she assured him. “I can't believe you brought it here.”

  He smiled. “There is just one more thing I need you to test out for me.”

  “What's that?” she asked. There were certainly enough cup holders, and everything looked like it was the perfect family vehicle.

  “Come to the backseat,” he said, opening up her door and helping her out. He opened the passenger door and helped her in. She slid easily along the leather backseat, and he followed her in.

  “What am I testing for?” she asked, looking around. The backseat had a good amount of legroom and was comfortable, but it was exactly what she expected out of a backseat.

  “This,” he replied, catching her chin in his fingers and kissing her. He covered her mouth with his, slipping his tongue in at just the right moment to make her gasp. Desire filled her fast and strong. Her hand moved to tangle in his soft hair, wanting more of his kiss.

  He chuckled, the sound low and sensual. With an easy grace, he twisted and reached for her leg, pulling her across his lap, so she straddled him. She pulled back, surprised with how easy the motion was.

  “You've done this before, haven't you?” she asked, her voice light.

  “What, made out in the backseat of a car?” He grinned. “Maybe once or twice. But never with a girl this pretty.”

  He reached up and stroked her cheek, making her smile.

  “I'm sure you say that to all the girls,” she murmured, leaning forward and kissing him.

  He took a small kiss before shaking his head. “Nope, not all the girls. Just you.”

  Then he curled his hand around the back of her neck and drew her to him. Nothing could have stopped her from kissing him now. She moaned softly, swaying toward him, wanting much more than just a kiss.

  She rocked her hips against him, feeling him harden beneath her. The idea that she could turn him on so completely with just a kiss and a hip rock made her feel powerful and sexy as hell. She rolled her hips again, loving how he rose to meet her and the low, lustful groan that escaped his perfect mouth.

  “Do that again,” he begged, his hands going to her hips. She rolled her body, pressing her hips to his and watching his eyes dilate with pleasure. “Don't stop.”

  She kept rocking herself against the growing pressure in his jeans. It felt amazing, even through her pants. She was already thinking of ways to get them off.

  She slid her hands under his shirt and slid them up along his muscular chest. She loved the strength she found there. He was firm and hard in all the right places as she coaxed his t-shirt up and over his head.

  His arms were still in the t-shirt as it came up over his mouth. She held him there, arms tangled in the sleeves and blindfolded by his own clothing. He grinned with that sensual mouth of his, and she took the opportunity to kiss him.

  He let her kiss him, gyrating his hips to the tempo of her kiss for a moment before freeing himself of the t-shirt. He tossed it on the seat next to him and looked up at her with those beautiful blue eyes that did her in every time.

  With their eyes locked, he reached forward and undid the top button of her dress shirt. She didn't plan the low gasp of desire that escaped her, but she did love the way it made Carter grin. He undid another button.

  She tipped her head back, closing her eyes and focusing on the sensation only to bump her head on the roof of the car.

  “Ouch,” she whispered, sitting back up and rubbing the back of her head. She chuckled and looked at the designer of the car. “There's something for you to fix.”

  “Raise the roof,” he replied. “I'll put in on the list. I'm sure it will be a major selling point.”

  She chuckled, leaning forward to kiss him again. He felt so good against her body. Everything about him felt good. She let her body take control.

  He undid another button, and she shivered with desire. She loved how he teased her. She loved everything about him.

  He reached for the last button on her shirt when the knock came. Mia pressed her open shirt up against his chest as they both froze in their compromising position. The knock came again. Mia couldn't see who it was because they'd steamed up the windows.

  “Mr. Williamson?” Brian's voice called out. “You asked me to notify you when the director of marketing was available. He's on the line.”

  Carter's made a bitter face. “So, of course, he's available now,” he said quietly. He cleared his throat and raised his voice. “Thank you, Brian. Give me a second.”

  “I'm guessing it's important that you make this call,” Mia said, still pressed up against him. She pulled back slightly to look at him better, making sure not to bump her head on the car ceiling.

  Carter nodded. “It is. He was supposed to be busy for another hour.”

  “It's okay,” Mia promised. She kissed his nose. “Take care of business, and I'll wait here.”

  He sighed. “This call is going to take a while. I probably won't be done until late tonight.”

  Mia thought for a moment, then smiled at him. “Take care of business,” she said. “I'll still be here tomorrow. And I won't have the kids. No distractions.”

  He looked at her, and a slow smile filled his face. “Have I told you how amazing you are?”

  She grinned and shrugged. “Just yesterday. But feel free to tell me again.”

  “You're amazing.” His eyes danced across her face as if he were taking her in and couldn't get enough of looking at her. “You are the best thing that's ever happened to me.”

  Mia's chest swelled, and her heart nearly burst with joy.

  “You are the best thing that's ever happened to me, too,” she whispered leaning forward and kissing him.

  That's when the guilt hit. She should tell him, but she couldn't find the words. She shifted off of his lap, moving to the seat beside him as the kiss ended.

  “Carter, there's something...” Her words faltered, and her courage to tell him failed him. Now wasn't the right time anyway.

  “What?” Carter asked, his head popping out of the shirt as he put it back on.

  “It can wait until tomorrow,” she said, putting on a smile. “Go take your phone call.”

  He looked at her for a moment before nodding. “Okay. Thank you for understanding.”

  With a smile and a quick kiss on her cheek, he opened up the car door and stepped out. Brian was still standing off to the side with a phone in his hand. Carter took it and held it up to his ear, somehow
transforming into the businessman in front of her eyes.

  She slowly buttoned up her shirt and exited the car. Carter was at his drafting table, having an animated discussion. He turned when he heard the car door close, and he smiled at her. She nodded and waved before leaving the barn to go collect the kids.

  Tomorrow, she decided. It had to be tomorrow.

  Chapter 32

  Mia

  Mia stood in front of the ranch house and took a deep breath. The smells of hay and clean mountain air filled her lungs, and she tried to steady herself. Today was the day. Today she was telling Carter.

  The kids were at school, and she'd told her boss she was taking the rest of the day off, so there weren't any distractions. Today, she wasn't getting sidetracked by cars or kids or anything. Today, she was telling him that he was the father of her baby.

  Just thinking the words made her heart stumble. She still wasn't sure how he was going to react, and that uncertainty gnawed at her. She loved him, and she was terrified that he might push her away because of this.

  He didn't want children. He'd said it in interviews and even to her directly. She wanted him to be in her life, to be in their child's life, but she understood if he didn't want to be. This was something he had been very clear on not wanting. She wasn't sure how he was going to respond.

  Mia glanced around the ranch. It seemed quieter without the kids here. She realized it wasn't just the lack of kids, but that security wasn't as present. There always seemed to be a uniformed presence haunting around the house and grounds, but today she couldn't see anyone.

  She shrugged. It was odd, but she was kind of glad for it. The last thing she wanted was an audience for this. The security teams were usually very discrete, but this was between her and Carter.

  Mia tipped her chin up and set her shoulders. This was happening. It was time.

  She walked confidently up to the front door and opened it. She was expected, so she didn't feel the need to knock. The alarm system beeped twice as the door opened and once more when the door shut.

  “Carter?” she called out. The house appeared empty.

  “Upstairs,” came the reply. Her heart did a somersault in her chest, and she had to try her best not to throw up. For a moment, she considered running back out to her car, but that would only delay the inevitable.

  Mia paused for a moment at the bottom of the stairs, trying to center herself. She closed her eyes and tried to think positive thoughts. She wanted this baby, even if he didn't. She could do this.

  It took more courage than she cared to admit to take the first step. Her hands shook on the wooden railing as she ascended. She walked past the big bedroom and down the hallway to the room he used as his study when he wasn't in the barn or the garage.

  The room was masculine and warm. Leather furniture sat before a heavy wooden desk and books of all shapes and colors filled the walls. Carter sat at the desk working on his laptop, his head and shoulders framed by the big picture window behind him. The sunshine enveloped him like he was wearing a blanket. He looked so handsome sitting at his desk that she let herself just stare at him for a moment. He had on a long sleeved collared shirt today that looked good on him. It was pale blue, and it accented his eyes and showed off the broadness and strength of his shoulders.

  Focus, she reminded herself as she wondered how the shirt would look on the floor. No using sex to get out of it this time. Sex is how you got into this mess.

  “Mia,” he greeted her warmly, looking up from his computer. “You look beautiful.”

  She blushed. She'd worn her favorite dress pants and her best button-up long sleeved shirt. She'd hoped that looking professional would give her more courage, but it didn't seem to be working. What she really wanted was a stiff drink, but that was definitely out of the question. The work outfit would have to do. “Thank you.”

  “You said you wanted to talk to me about something? Did you get more ideas for the car?”

  Mia shook her head and took a tentative step into the office. Her palms were sweating. “No, but I do need to talk to you about something important.”

  He smiled and nodded. “Of course. Let me just finish this email, and we can talk. Have a seat; this will just take a second.”

  He motioned to one of the big leather seats in front of the desk and then quickly began typing. Mia sat gingerly on the edge of the seat. Her whole body was in knots. She placed her hands in her lap, fiddling with her nails. There was a rough edge on one, and she couldn't help but play with it while she waited.

  “Okay,” Carter announced. “I just hit send and--”

  That was when the lights flickered, and the power went out. Downstairs, the alarm system chirped once before going silent. The usual hum of electricity through the house went dead.

  “What kind of email did you send?” Mia teased.

  “It wasn't that big,” Carter replied with a frown, pushing a button on his computer.

  “That's what she said,” Mia chirped. Her nerves made her laugh a little too loud at her own joke.

  Carter gave her a strange look for a second and checked his computer before trying to turn on a desk light. Nothing changed. With a frown, he picked up the landline telephone on his desk. For a moment, Mia chuckled that he had a landline. It made sense for him to have one since he used this for his business, but she had to get her nerves under control.

  “It's dead,” he said, hanging it up with a frown.

  “Good thing for cell phones,” Mia joked, pulling hers out. Except there was no signal. It was strange because she usually got good reception on her phone at the ranch. Her thoughts shifted away from what she was going to tell him to what was going on. “I don't have any bars.”

  “Me neither,” Carter said, looking at his own phone.

  A chill went through Mia. She rubbed her arms as Carter stood and looked out the window. She could see the tension mounting in his shoulders despite the easy way he moved. Something wasn't right, and they both knew it.

  “There should be a security guard out there,” he said quietly, peering out the window and frowning. The bright sunshine in the comfortable room felt strange. “Where is everyone?”

  They were both silent and heard the front door open. There was no beep of the security system, just the sweep and the whoosh before a wooden click. Mia held her breath, waiting for security to announce themselves. There was no sound. Mia and Carter's eyes met. His eyes went big for a moment before going firm and into business mode.

  Carter held up his finger to his mouth. He hurried from the window and carefully closed the door to his office, being as careful as possible not to make a sound. Mia tried not to breathe. She was sure that Carter could hear the pounding of her heart.

  He slid the lock into place on the door and stepped away back to his desk. Without saying a word, he held up his phone to the window, attempting to get service. The way his mouth thinned told her that it didn't work. She got up to join him and try her phone, even though she didn't hold out much hope.

  Even next to the window, the reading on her phone didn't change. Carter went to his desk and pulled out a keypad and pressed a button. Nothing happened. Mia recognized the symbol on it as the same one as the security system. She figured it was an alarm trigger just for his office. He pressed it again. Nothing happened. There was no way to contact anyone. Their cell phones had no reception, the landline was down, and even the security system wasn't working.

  “Did it work?” she whispered, coming closer to him. She felt safer the closer she was to him.

  He shook his head. “No, but on the upside, security will be here in five minutes anyway.”

  “Really?” she asked, feeling just a little relief trickle through her. “How come?”

  “If there's ever a power outage and signal stops coming in from the security system, security is to head directly to my last known location,” he explained, his voice so quiet she could barely hear him. “So, they'll come here.”

  “That's good
,” she said with a small smile. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her head.

  “We'll be fine,” he promised, giving her a squeeze. She leaned into him, glad that he was so confident.

  The floorboards outside the office door creaked, and they both froze like rabbits. Mia had never held so still in her life, and she was sure that Carter had stopped breathing he was so statue-like.

  “I know you're in there, Carter.”

  The voice was male and deep. Mia didn't recognize it, and from the way Carter tensed, he didn't recognize it either. There was an angry quality to the voice that made her blood run cold. The tone promised violence.

  “You killed my daughter. Now, I'm going to kill you.”

  Chapter 33

  Mia

  “You killed my daughter. Now, I'm going to kill you.”

  The words were even and calm, yet so full of hatred that Mia winced. The man on the other side of the door wasn't nervous or afraid. He was calm and ready to deal out the justice he felt the world deserved. A justice with Carter dead.

  The man started to pound on the door. It shook from every blow and Mia didn't know how long it would hold. It was a heavier door than she was used to, but the man outside was determined, and a little bit of wood and metal wasn't about to stop him. This had to be the man sending death-threats to Carter. He had to have found a way to turn off the security system and phones. She wondered how he'd gotten security to leave.

  It didn't matter, though. He was here now. He was here and ready to carry out his threats.

  Carter didn't hesitate. He went to the window, ready with a plan. He grunted with the effort of lifting the big window open. Once it was open, he pushed on the screen, letting it tumble to the ground. He poked his head out and motioned to her.

  “We can jump from here,” he said, pointing down. Mia realized that Laura hadn't gotten all the hay put away as some was below the window. “The hay will break the fall, and it's only one story. We'll be fine.”

  Mia was suddenly glad that Laura was so busy that she hadn't finished that chore yet. She looked out the window and stopped. She couldn't jump. Even just one story into a pile of hay.