by Carrie Elks
“Stop.” His voice was urgent. He pressed his hand against hers. “Damn, I should have knocked one out at the summer house.”
She laughed with delight, loving that he was on the edge of control. That she could do that to him. “Come between my lips.” She sat up, wriggling the dress off her waist, putting it gently down on the floor because it wasn’t hers.
“No. Inside you.” His voice was ragged. “Just give me a minute.”
He breathed in and out, as if centering himself. Then he turned his attention to her again. Circling his hand around her wrists, he pushed her back on the mattress, her hair spreading out beneath her as he scanned her from face to feet. She stared back at him, loving the way he stared at her. Loving how he held himself above her, back in control once more. Daniel the predator, sizing up his prey.
“This will help,” he muttered, pulling a foil package from his wallet. “A little.” He slid it on, encasing his magnificent erection, doing nothing to diminish its beauty to her. Then he was back over her, still holding her wrists with one hand, the other sliding down between her legs, his eyes closing as he felt how wet she was.
How ready she was for him.
He slowly circled his thumb against her, making her thighs tense with desire. His touch was soft, too soft for her to get the satisfaction she needed. She rolled her hips in an attempt to get friction.
Despite the cool air surrounding them, she could feel herself begin to sweat. He slid two fingers inside of her and it made her cry out.
“Please…”
“Please what?” He crossed his fingers, the knotty pressure of his knuckles sending sparks of electricity down her thighs.
“I need you inside me, please,” she gasped. How could he bring her to the edge with only a few touches? How many little deaths was she going to have tonight?
“I need you ready.”
“I’ve been ready since the first time you scowled at me.” Her words were breathless. He was still teasing her, coaxing pleasure.
“I was scowling because I wanted you.”
“I wanted you, too.” It was more than want. It was need. She needed him inside her like she needed air. A smile flitted over his lips. He curled his fingers, finding the spot inside her that nobody had discovered before, and she convulsed beneath him, pleasure washing over her as he kissed her breasts, her throat, as his hand slid beneath her thigh to gently part her legs.
She could feel the weight of him against her, even though he was bracing himself with his elbow. The warmth of him, too. His hard body pressed against her, his thickness slowly spreading her apart as he gently eased himself inside, his face contracting with pleasure as his hips grazed hers.
She felt so full, the sensation of him causing her muscles to ripple around him. He pulled back and pushed forward again, his fingers digging into her behind, his lips capturing hers as he muttered soft oaths against her mouth.
When their eyes met, she felt something inside of her twist. Her chest felt tight, as though she was falling. He pulled her hips higher, until he was rolling his body against her in a maddeningly delicious rhythm, making every muscle inside of her tighten.
“Daniel,” she breathed.
“I’ve got you.” He dropped his brow against hers, his breath stilted, his body covered with a sheen of sweat. She held onto his shoulders as though she was clinging to life, the roll of her hips urging him deeper, harder, and her stilted words begging him not to stop.
Oh god, oh god, it was happening again. This mort wasn’t petite. It was big and rolling and it was going to kill them both. Her cries were loud, her grip on him hard. He cupped her jaw, slipping his thumb between her lips, groaning as she sucked him. Then he reached down, touching her as they moved together, his thumb circling and caressing until she could only babble incoherently.
She was flying. She was falling. She was everywhere and nowhere. He tensed against her, an animalistic grunt escaping his mouth, his arms circling her waist and pulling her against him as he spilled inside her. Her perspiration mixed with his, their bodies slipping and sliding as his face contorted with pleasure. Slowly he released her, until her back fell against the mattress.
“Dear Lord,” she whispered. “You killed me four times tonight.”
“Give me five minutes and I’ll work on a fifth.” He rolled onto his back, pulling her against him. She waited for him to laugh, but he didn’t. Was he serious? Didn’t he know she might really die this time?
He brushed the hair away that was sticking to her cheek, dipping his head to press his lips against her. “You’re beautiful,” he whispered. His eyes fluttered closed, his breath evening out as he regained composure.
“Your mom told me I’m the only person who’s ever made you smile this much,” Becca whispered, not sure if he even heard her. Maybe it didn’t matter. The words warmed her anyway.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Daniel walked into his mother’s dining room, nodding at Lawrence and Nina who were already sitting at the table, sipping at their coffees. He poured himself a cup from the pot on the counter, not bothering to add any cream as he took a seat opposite them. Nina gave him a smile. Of the four siblings, she was always the one to try to smooth things over. She and Nathan had gotten all of their respective mothers’ peacemaker skills, and Daniel and Lawrence got their father’s drive and harshness.
“You look tired,” Lawrence said, his eyes scanning Daniel’s face. “I guess that’s what happens when you spend the night wrapped around a younger girlfriend.”
“Lawrence.” Nina wrinkled her nose. “Don’t be disgusting.” She turned to look at Daniel. “He’s right, though. There are shadows beneath your eyes. Have you tested your blood?”
“It’s fine.” He brushed her enquiry away with a soft smile. “My levels are right where they should be. You don’t need to worry.”
“I do worry.” She sighed. “I was the only one who took it seriously when you were younger. Apart from your mom, but when she wasn’t around it fell to me.”
“Remember when Dad took your insulin away and said your body would adapt if you stopped injecting?” Lawrence exhaled through his nose. “Man, you got sick that time.”
There was a relish to his voice that Daniel ignored. He glanced at his watch, it was almost eleven. He wanted to be on the road by lunchtime. Becca had already left, and he wanted to see her again. Just to check that she got home safely. And then he’d beat the shit out of his punching bag.
Something had to happen with all this excess energy he had.
He took a sip of coffee and opened the file he’d brought in, passing a sheaf of paper to his siblings. “Hopefully you’ve had a chance to study the figures. Initial costs, projected revenue, suggested sources of investments.”
Lawrence didn’t glance down at the paper. “I’ve read it. But what I don’t understand is why you want to make a single malt Scotch over here. The company has barely broken even on the International Blend, and now you want to spend more money?”
“The International Blend will be in profit by next quarter. And since there are no more development costs associated with it, the profit should continue. But it won’t grow the business the way I want to. The International Blend appeals to the occasional whiskey drinker. It has a cachet to it, thanks to the marketing campaign. It’s the kind of drink people order in bars to make themselves look good.”
Nina smiled wryly. “Charles ordered a bottle when we were at Annabel’s Club last week.”
“There you go.” Daniel nodded. “But we need something to appeal to the dedicated whiskey drinker. The ones who buy a thirty year old bottle because they can tell the difference between that and one made last year. Scotch is for connoisseurs. Those who can tell a peated from a non peated, or a burgundy cask from a reused rye one.”
“But we won’t see any profit for seven years,” Lawrence pointed out. “That’s how long you have to let it sit in the barrel if you want it to be a single malt.” He frowned. “And even t
hen, it wouldn’t be classified as a single malt under strict Scottish rules. So you can’t even market it like that.”
“I’ve been speaking to some other producers. They’ve been campaigning for a single malt classification here in the US. If that comes to pass, we’d get our own space on the shelves in liquor stores. People would actively search our bottles out.”
“It sounds like a gamble,” Nina said. She always was the most cautious of them. Maybe it came from seeing her world tip upside down as a child.
“I guess it is. But all leaps forward are gambles, aren’t they?” He tipped his head to the side, scrutinizing them.
“And the investment money? You have it secured?”
Daniel nodded. “Yes. Along with the loans, we’ll be pre-selling some casks. With a name like ours, speculators will see them as assets. With interest rates low, commodities like ours are in demand. If things go the way I project, the profit we make will be enough to fund GSC for the foreseeable future.”
Nina took a bite of pastry. “And Becca will be the lead distiller?”
Daniel nodded, his face impassive. “If she accepts the role.”
“Well I guess I’m okay with it.” Nina shrugged. “Daddy always loved that distillery. If you say it’ll work, then I believe you.”
Lawrence looked carefully at Daniel. “Go for it,” he said with a nod.
Daniel tried not to smile. “That’s a yes?”
“If it brings in more money, who am I to refuse?” Lawrence stood and dusted crumbs from his shirt. “Now, I need to get home. I have a ball to clear up from.”
“No you don’t. You always make Melissa do the work.” Nina laughed. “It’s more like you have a ball to recover from. I saw how much champagne you drank.”
“I need to get home myself.” Daniel nodded. “I have a lot of work to do.”
“Don’t work too hard,” Nina chided as she stood and folded her napkin. “You need some rest.”
Daniel walked around the table to see them out, kissing Nina on the cheek and holding his hand out to Lawrence. His brother hesitated for a moment, then took it, giving him a limp wristed shake.
Not that Daniel cared. The shake could be as weak as he wanted, the deal was still his. Even if it didn’t quite feel like a victory.
“You must be delighted.” Eliana’s eyes crinkled as she lifted her tea cup to her lips. The sun was shining through the tall windows of the library, creating a long shaft of light on the polished wooden floor.
From the corner of his eye, he could see the card table he’d sat at with Becca yesterday. The thought of her made his blood heat up. He could still taste her on his lips, still hear her soft sighs in his ear.
Still see the way she smiled at him when he’d kissed her brow after they’d taken each other over the edge.
“It’s a good deal for everybody,” Daniel said, trying to push Becca out of his thoughts. “They’ll make money without having to lift a finger.” The truth was, Lawrence’s acceptance of the plan felt anticlimactic. Daniel had thought he’d have to fight for it.
But his brother just acceded.
“But it’s nice to have their blessing. It’s good to see you all getting closer.”
Daniel stood, unable to sit still any longer, striding over to the shelves lined with books and photographs. There was one of him and Nathan in their school uniforms, their hair neatly brushed back and polite smiles on their faces.
Next to it was one of Daniel as a baby, cradled in his Eliana’s arms. She was looking down at him, her eyes full of love.
Then there was one of Lawrence and Nina, his sister awkwardly holding a toddler Daniel as Lawrence pulled his brows together, no smile lifting his lips.
It was impossible to remember a time when things between him and his half-siblings were civil. The circumstances of his birth had seen to that, as well as the rivalry his father had encouraged between him and Lawrence.
Two firstborns fighting it out for their patriarch’s attention. In the end, they were both losers.
Yet yesterday hadn’t been half as bad as he’d been imagining. And that was thanks to Becca. Her smile, her laugh, her warm palm clasped in his. She made everything feel lighter. Softer.
Better.
“Did you have a nice evening?” his mom asked, looking at him over the rim of her teacup.
“It was tolerable.” He gave her half a smile.
“You looked like you were enjoying yourself. And Becca was delightful.”
He swallowed. “Yeah, she was.”
“I like her a lot.”
His lips twitched. “I get that impression.”
“How about you?” Eliana tipped her head to the side, scrutinizing him. “Do you like her?”
He looked at another photograph. This one was posed. His father and the four siblings, sitting around him like planets orbiting the sun. The older Larry Carter looking so damn smug as Lawrence and Daniel stood on either side of him, Nina and Nathan on chairs in front.
Once upon a time, even looking at that photograph would make him want to smash the glass. It was all a lie. The perfect family on the outside, a torn up mess on the inside.
But it didn’t matter, did it? His father was gone. The game was over. Neither he nor Lawrence had won.
The door opened and Rona walked in, carrying something in her hands. “I found this in the guest bedroom,” she said, carrying it over to where Daniel was standing. As he realized what it was, a huge smile pulled at his lips.
A shoe. Or a glass slipper. Damn, it was Cinderella playing out in real life. If Cinderella was a gorgeous brunette distiller who knew exactly how to make his body surge with pleasure.
But it was more than a shoe. It was an excuse to talk to her. And he wanted it, badly. Because Becca Hartson made everything better.
What happened to no promises after last night? He shook his head at his inner voice. Last night changed everything.
She lit up his dark world.
“I guess she forgot to pack it,” he murmured, taking the shoe from Rona. “I’ll take it back to Hartson’s Creek. Make sure she gets it.”
And while he was there, he’d find a way to persuade her to see him again. Because she was still a strong-as-heck magnet. And he wasn’t ready to give her up.
Becca turned her car onto Gray’s driveway, waiting for the gates to open before she pressed her foot on the pedal and drove inside. All of her family was here, from the number of cars parked outside Gray’s sprawling ranch house. She could see Tanner’s car next to Logan and Cam’s, along with her aunt’s brand new Ford that Gray had insisted on buying her. He’d tried to buy Becca a car, too, but she’d turned him down. The same way she’d turned down all their offers of help when she bought her condo.
She loved them, even though they were too much sometimes. And right now her family was exactly what she needed to take her mind off last night and this morning.
And Daniel Carter.
She hadn’t stopped thinking about him for the entire drive home. A hot, steamy shower did nothing to help, other than to remind her of how slippery their bodies were as they came together for the third time last night.
Her lips twitched as she remembered them sneaking back to his mother’s house like teenagers, her giggles muffled by his lips as he kissed her all the way up the stairs.
She’d been surprised when he’d followed her into her bedroom, taking his clothes off – again – and climbing into her bed, wrapping his arms around her as she nestled against his warm chest.
When she’d woken this morning he was gone. Eliana had gracefully offered her breakfast in the kitchen, and then she’d gone to pack. They’d agreed it was for the best if she left before he did, but it still made her chest ache to go.
She walked around the side of Gray’s house, hearing the sound of talking and laughter drift through the air from his yard at the back. Mia was the first to see her. She was sitting with Maddie and Van, and shot up as soon as Becca walked around the corner, hu
rrying to catch her before she could join them all.
“Oh god,” she whispered, holding Becca’s hands and backing her up. “They’ve been incessant. Constantly asking why you had to work and where you were working at and whether they should contact your boss and tell him to stop riding you so hard.”
Becca had to smash her lips together to stop herself from laughing. “Riding me hard?” she finally said, swallowing down a laugh.
Mia looked at her carefully. “No,” she whispered. “You didn’t.”
“I totally did.” Just saying it made it feel more real.
“Of course you did. You’re glowing like the sun. I need all the details.”
“Now?”
Mia shook her head. “Definitely not now. Look at your brothers, they’re all staring at us.”
Sure enough, as Becca looked over her shoulder she could see them watching her. She rolled her eyes at Tanner, who rolled his eyes back.
“How was work?” he called out.
“Fine.”
“Where was it you were working again?” Cam asked. He folded his arms in front of him, his muscles popping.
“In Charleston.”
“Right.” Logan nodded. “And where did you sleep last night?”
Becca sighed. Maybe this hadn’t been such a good idea after all. She was a bad liar when it came to them. “At my boss’ house. Eliana. You remember her, right?” She looked at Gray. He’d met Eliana a few times after he became the face for the new International Blend.
“Yeah, I know her.” Gray ran his finger along his jaw. “I’ll have to give her a call. Thank her for taking care of you.”
“He won’t. I’ll speak to Maddie. She’ll stop him,” Mia whispered in Becca’s ear. “But if you don’t stop looking so guilty, they’ll guess anyway.”
Her Aunt Gina was sitting next to her father. Becca kissed their cheeks, and Gina squeezed her arm. “You look so beautiful,” her aunt said. “Radiant, even. What’s happened to make your eyes sparkle like that?”