by Erica Breyer
He stared at her for a moment and then grinned. “Really?” The delight in his tone made it sound like women turned him down a lot. Kelly was pretty sure that couldn’t possibly be the case.
“Yes, really,” she said and smiled back.
“You’re sure?” he pressed, as if she was about to change her mind. “Sure sure?”
“Yes, sure sure,” Kelly laughed. “Just tell me when and where.”
“Umm...how about tomorrow night? I’ll pick a place and collect you after work.” Despite his usual confident bearing, Carrick suddenly looked as sheepish as a schoolboy. For a moment, she almost expected him to scuff the toe of his boot in the dirt.
“Sounds great,” she said. “Though, could we make it the next day? Friday? I may have to work a little late tomorrow. I have a meeting with my mother’s doctor in the morning, so I’ll need to catch up on any work I don’t finish for the day.”
“No problem, anytime is good for me,” he said in a rush. “I’m all yours.”
Kelly laughed. “I guess we’ll see,” she said and slid into the front seat of the car. As she steered out of the bay, she glanced into her rearview mirror just in time to watch Carrick give a fist pump of victory. She grinned.
Chapter 10
Kelly stepped gingerly up the office stairs when she got to work the next day. Her meetings had been at the plush offices of a specialist surgeon, so she’d opted for heels and a skirt. She missed the sneakers and denims that had become her regular wardrobe on site.
“Hey, Kelly!” Taneka greeted when she walked in. “How did things go with Mom today?”
“Shew!” said Kelly. “It was a bit mind-boggling, actually. I’ve never heard so much medical jargon in one sitting before. I’m not quite sure what it all means, but…” she paused for a minute then beamed, “but it looks good.”
“Really? That’s fantastic, my friend!” Taneka said, bouncing out of her seat and heading over to hug Kelly. “I’m so happy for you. What did they say?”
“Well, it’s not all good, really, but so much better than what we were hearing before,” said Kelly. “From the sounds of it, there is a chance that surgery could be the solution. But it’s risky. Mom might lose her speech…she might be paralyzed.” Kelly’s voice broke, and Taneka squeezed her shoulder.
“Gosh, hon,” she murmured, “that part doesn’t sound fantastic.”
“Of course, that’s the absolute worst-case scenario, and they wouldn’t even consider the case if the risks were too high. But…it’s still there…you know? That she might not make it.”
Taneka nodded. “For sure, darlin’, that’s the case with any surgery, right?”
“Yes,” Kelly agreed, smiling wanly. “Yes, you’re right. So, all in all, things are looking much better. I didn’t speak to Dr. Schroeder, the specialist surgeon – he’s based in Switzerland and only visits for a few days a month – but his support team was there, and they explained the whole thing. Even Mom felt positive about it all.”
“And that’s the most important thing!” Taneka said emphatically. “A positive outlook is the first step toward healing.” She gave Kelly a final hug and then returned to her desk.
“That’s what the doctors said too. Dr. Harrison joined the meeting, and he says her attitude is her biggest asset,” Kelly said as she headed to her own seat and flipped open her laptop. “So now it’s a matter of finding a time in Dr. Schroeder’s schedule and making sure it fits in with Mom’s health requirements. But they seem to be really on the ball, so I’m feeling confident.”
“It’s gonna work out fine, I just know it,” her friend said with assurance. Kelly nodded and turned her attention to her computer.
∞∞∞
An hour after knock-off, Kelly was finally wrapping up for the day. Taneka had left thirty minutes before, delivering a hug and a firm instruction for Kelly to take care. As she completed her final tasks, she shut down her workstation and stretched, then stood and reached for her bag. It felt so odd to be teetering around in heels again, although she had to admit, the shoes made her calves look fantastic.
“Wow, you look great,” a voice said from the doorway. “I saw your light on and thought I’d check on you.” Kelly gave a little gasp. Carrick had managed to get up the stairs without the usual clatter, and she was surprised to see him standing there. Surprised and a little thrilled.
He looked great too. He always did. His hair was still wet from the shower, and a snug white t-shirt clung to his slightly damp skin. The man must have an unlimited supply of them because she couldn’t remember seeing him in anything else. She didn’t care. He totally rocked that look. If there was a brand dedicated to white t-shirts out there, they should find him and pay him to wear the things everywhere, because… Yum.
“Hi,” she smiled over at him. “Thanks. I had meetings this morning. Stuff with office people.” She wrinkled her nose.
“Lucky office people,” he replied, stepping into the office. His eyes were strangely intense. Kelly swallowed.
“Carrick, I…” Her voice was hoarse. She suddenly realized how small the space was. It wouldn’t take him more than a stride or two to cross the room. He must have had the same thought because the next moment he was standing in front of her. Kelly’s breath caught, and she could feel the mad flutter of her pulse at the base of her throat.
Standing this close, she had to tip her head back to look into his eyes, and for a moment, she was afraid she’d lose her balance on her unfamiliar heels. He lifted a hand to her upper arm to steady her. The heat of his fingers felt hot enough to burn through the silky fabric of her blouse, and she sucked in a small gasp. He raised his other hand to brush golden strands from her cheek and tuck them behind her ear.
“Lucky…” he said again, and her eyes dropped to his lips…inches from hers. Less now as they descended. Closer still… She could barely breathe. If it took any longer for this kiss to happen, she would suffocate and die. Somehow her hands had trailed up around his neck, and she was pulling him down, her fingers threading into his hair. He didn’t resist. His mouth closed over hers, and she melted against him, her lips parting against his.
Kelly saw fireworks. Shooting stars. Rainbows and sunbursts. She could have been standing anywhere in that moment as the world spun around her. She tightened her grasp around his neck, and Carrick stepped closer. His body pressed against her, as strong and as hard as she’d imagined. She felt the edge of the desk against the back of her thighs and leaned against it for support. There was no way her legs could have held her up otherwise. Carrick had her face cupped in the palm of one hand, fingertips tracing her cheekbone. The other slid down to wrap around her waist, pulling her up against him more firmly. Kelly dropped her hands down to his shoulders and ran them down his shoulders and arms.
‘Dear Lord!’ she thought. She’d been wanting to do that for so long…and he felt every bit as good as she’d hoped. She traced her hands down the lean lines of his back, and before she knew it, she’d tugged his shirt out of his waistband and had her palms running over his bare flesh. He sucked a breath in, and she felt his chest heave against hers. His skin was smooth, warm, taut over the impossibly firm planes of his muscles.
Those muscles! What did he eat for breakfast? Steroids on toast?
She couldn’t get enough of the way he felt beneath her hands. She wanted to taste him. Sink her teeth into man-flavored flesh and feast on him. She broke free from the kiss and trailed her lips along his jawline, down his throat to where his neck met the line of his shoulder. Her teeth grazed his skin, then pressed down lightly. She felt his groan before she heard it, rumbling through his chest.
His breathing was ragged, hot against her face. His hand at her waist slid down over the swell of her buttock, down further, to the back of her thigh, lifting her knee and hooking it over his hip. Something hot and hungry unfurled in the pit of her belly. When his hand trailed down from her face to her chest, she was pretty much gasping. He cupped a hand around her breast
, and she arched towards him, feeling her hips pressing forward. Her skirt was bunched up, and the satin of her panties slid along the denim of his jeans. The friction was maddening, and she ground against him. Rational thought flew right out the window.
Somehow she was being lowered back onto her desk; he was shoving stationery and notepads to the floor without thought for where they landed. The clatter as they fell barely registered.
She was reaching towards him, fumbling with the button on his jeans, when he stopped, straightening up. The movement made her whimper.
Where was he going?
She tugged at his waistband, and he dropped his hands over hers and stilled them.
“Wait…” he whispered. His voice was a rough rasp. His chest rising and falling rapidly. “Wait…not like this.”
‘Why not?’ her raging hormones yelled.
Kelly stopped, suddenly felt acutely aware that she was splayed across her desk, trying to get his pants off. And he was stopping her. Her cheeks flamed.
‘Oh, my God, what am I doing?’
Another whimper, this one mortified.
∞∞∞
Carrick gazed down at the woman stretched out in front of him, reaching for him. He had never wanted anything more in his life. Her fingers curled into his waistband, tugging him forward.
‘Oh, my God, what am I doing?’ he groaned inwardly, praying that he wasn’t about to regret his next words.
“Wait…” He almost had to grind his teeth to stop himself from changing his mind. But this was not how he wanted their first time to be. He was already messing up in too many ways. He couldn’t add this to the list. She whimpered, and the sound reached into his gut and wrenched.
“Wait,” he said again, struggling to catch his breath, “not like this. Not here, in this dusty office. That’s not how we begin.” She continued to stare up at him, speechless. He could tell she was horrified. The passion flush in her cheeks was paling, her eyes were filling with shame. He couldn’t let that happen. He took her hands in his, pulled her to her feet, smoothing her skirt down her thighs. It was almost his undoing…those legs…what those heels did to her calves…
‘Sweet Jesus!’
He took a deep breath and looked into her eyes. She tried to turn her head away, but he tipped her chin back towards him.
“Not like this, Kelly. Not here. Not now.” He brushed his lips over hers. “It’s going to happen. This…us…” His lips brushed hers again, and he felt her soften. “And when it does…” Another sweet kiss. “It’s going to be incredible.” She nodded slowly, not seeming convinced, but less unsettled. He straightened her blouse over her shoulders, tucked the hem back into the waistband of her skirt.
“Okay…” her voice was still husky.
“Come,” he said, threading his fingers through hers and leading her to the door like a child, “let’s get you home.”
∞∞∞
Kelly sat in the front seat of her car, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was a wild tangle around her face, her cheeks still tinged pink. Her lips were swollen, tingling. She raised a fingertip to touch them. He was standing behind her car, arms folded across his chest. His shirt was still untucked around his waist from where she’d tugged it free. When she’d been scrabbling to feel him beneath her hands. Scrabbling.
‘Oh, my God, what just happened?’
Her head was spinning. That was so damn hot. He was so damn hot. Yet he’d stopped her. If he hadn’t, she would have had his pants off by now…she’d be doing who knows what sort of unspeakable things… Her cheeks flamed all over again. If he wasn’t standing watching her, she would have buried her face in her hands.
‘Not like this,’ he’d said. But is that what he really meant? Maybe he’d changed his mind. Maybe she wasn’t what he wanted. Who he wanted. She’d been wanton. There was absolutely no mistaking the invitation she’d been sending.
‘Oh my God,’ her brain repeated for the thousandth time.
“Pull yourself together, Kelly Hanson,” she said, doing her best to tame her hair. She lifted her chin and straightened her shoulders. Turned the key in the ignition and put the car in reverse. She almost jumped when a tap on the roof caught her attention. Carrick. She stopped and wound down her window a crack.
“Tomorrow,” he said. “It’s a date.”
“Absolutely,” she replied, pleased that her voice sounded almost normal. She gave a tight smile and drove off.
Chapter 11
Friday felt like it dragged for weeks. Kelly held her breath every time she heard footsteps on the stairs outside. Part of her kept looking out for Carrick’s lithe form, while another part was terrified of bumping into him. She ended up skipping her regular lunch at the canteen, telling Taneka she had work to catch up on.
“So, wanna join us at The Roost later,” Taneka asked when she came back from the canteen with a muffin and bottled water for Kelly.
“Thanks for the invite, but I have…a date,” Kelly answered, smiling her thanks for the lunch – although her stomach resisted the thought of food.
“A date?” Taneka’s eyebrows shot up. “Well, aren’t you the sly one! I had no idea you were seeing anyone.”
Kelly could tell she was about to be interrogated, so she took the bull by the horns. “It’s with Carrick,” she blurted.
Taneka’s mouth dropped open. Then she shut if for a second. Finally, her face lit up with a grin. “That sneaky devil! I knew he was up to something funky with… Wait…has he told you about—” She stopped.
“What?”
Taneka pressed her lips together. “Nothing,” she smiled. “So, when did all this…develop? I mean, I could tell he was into you. And I was pretty sure you were interested too. But it seemed like you were determined not to go there.”
“I guess I changed my mind,” Kelly said. “He’s a good guy…I think. My mom is pretty sure of it, and she’s seldom wrong. And I suppose, deep down, I’ve always found him intriguing.”
“Intriguing? Is that another word for hot as Hades?” Taneka laughed.
“Yeah, that too.” Kelly blushed, remembering just how hot she’d found him last night.
“Well, I hope you have a great time,” Taneka said. “Though I’m pretty sure you will, anyhow.” She winked as the pair of them settled back at their desks to work. By the time the end of the day came round, Kelly was ready to bolt for the door.
“Good luck!” Taneka called after her as she skipped down the stairs. Kelly thanked the heavens that Fridays ended early on the site. She wanted to wash her hair, paint her nails, shave her legs… She gave a naughty little smile as she imagined what was going to happen later that night.
∞∞∞
The smile was still on her face when she got home and headed through the front door.
“Oh, my word, that expression speaks volumes,” Bonnie laughed as she greeted her. Kelly had mentioned the date briefly the day before, but refused to discuss it any further. She knew she wouldn’t get off so lightly this evening.
“So, what time are you heading out?” Bonnie asked.
“He’s coming by to fetch me at seven,” Kelly replied. She’d managed to evade Carrick the entire day, not knowing how to react to him at work. His text had arrived shortly before three that afternoon, confirming when he’d fetch her.
Her phone pinged again now, and she glanced down to see another message from Carrick pop up.
‘Like seafood?’ it read.
‘Sure! Love it!’ Kelly texted back.
‘Great! Dress fancy’ was his response. A winking emoji ended the sentence.
‘Oh, boy,’ Kelly thought. Looked like this might be an expensive evening. She logged into her banking app to check the balance in her account. She might just swing it if she sipped water and opted for a modest dish. Sole was nice.
“What’s up, darling?” Bonnie asked.
“Oh, nothing,” Kelly smiled. “Just planning for dinner. Seems like Carrick has plans for somethin
g extravagant, and I don’t want to come up short on the bill.”
Bonnie gave a chuckle. “Sweetheart, Carrick doesn’t strike me as the kind of man who’ll expect you to ‘go Dutch’. He’s going to pick up the tab, I guarantee it.”
Kelly pulled a face. In her experience, guys like Carrick seldom earned enough to ‘go large’ on a date. Though plenty of them had no trouble at all finding money for regular Boys’ Nights. The memory of her father swirled to the surface. She shrugged it off. This was not how she planned to start the evening.
“He’s just told me to dress fancy! I have no idea what to wear!” Kelly said, dropping her bag and heading for her room. “I’m going to get cleaned up, then I’ll bring out some dresses, and you can help me decide.” Her mother had returned to her seat in the sitting room, and Chloé was getting comfortable on her lap. Jarrod was camped out in his usual post on the couch. For the next half hour, Kelly paraded a series of outfits out for inspection.
“What on earth is that?” asked Jarrod as she arrived in her fourth dress in a row. It was a flowing chartreuse wraparound that breezed about her ankles.
“Do you like it? I got it for a picnic, but I think it could—”
“It’s mustard. Nobody ever got laid in mustard,” laughed Jarrod. Kelly gasped, her cheeks flaming.
“It’s chartreuse, you dork! And who said I was planning to get laid?”
“Everyone wants to get laid,” Jarrod mumbled under his breath.
“Shh, you!” Bonnie nudged him. “I think you’re quite right, darling,” she continued, seemingly unaware that this was exactly what her daughter had in mind. “No sense in jumping the gun now. It’s always best to leave them wanting a little more for a while in the beginning.”
‘Oh, I want more right now!’ Kelly thought to herself, turning to try yet another outfit. Jarrod let out a low whistle as she returned, and Bonnie clapped her hands together in delight. Even Chloé gave a little yap.