“Sutton didn’t produce a man like you, Carson. If he had been in your life, you’d be a completely different person and likely one I wouldn’t date. He might be your genetic contributor, but you were produced by the loving environment your mother raised you in. That’s what’s important. You’re nothing like him.”
“Oh really?” He pulled away and wandered into the living room, where he dropped down onto the couch. “I’m more of a cutthroat bastard than you might think. We’re going to destroy him, you know.”
Georgia’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
“Graham and Brooks want to go after his estate. No holds barred. They think we’re owed something after years of neglect and now is their chance to make Sutton pay the piper.”
Georgia sat down on the couch beside him and rested her hand on his knee. “You don’t agree with their plans?”
“I do and I don’t. I mean, I want him to suffer. I want him to spend the rest of his life regretting what he did to my mother and to us. But at the same time, I guess I just don’t have the killer instinct. That’s the one thing I wish I had inherited from him.”
“Don’t wish that. It’s your conscientiousness that I’m drawn to.”
Carson looked at her with some of his previous sparkle in his eyes. “You mean it’s not my dashing good looks and rock-hard abs?”
Georgia smiled wide. She was happy to see a glimmer of her Carson beneath the gloom. “Those certainly don’t hurt.”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and Georgia snuggled in against his chest. “I’m glad you came over tonight. If I was alone, I’d probably stew all evening and finish off that bottle of tequila.”
“You’d regret it tomorrow.”
“I usually do. But enough of my parental drama. I don’t want to waste our night together talking about that. But I do have to ask how it’s going with your mom. Hopefully better news than on my end.”
“Good. Better than I ever could’ve expected or hoped,” Georgia said. She knew that Carson was feeling down, but she was filled with more optimism than she’d felt in years. Maybe even her whole life. The last few days had been amazing. She’d gotten answers to questions she’d never even thought to ask. “We’ve spent hours talking. I’ve learned so much about her and my family that I’ve never met. Did you know I have a brother and sister somewhere?”
“Really?” He chuckled and slowly shook his head. “That seems to be going around lately. I’ve suddenly got more siblings than I know what to do with.”
“The hardest part, though, is hearing about her life. I mean, I thought I had it rough growing up in the foster care system, but it’s nothing compared to what she went through. I’m not surprised she turned to drugs. I don’t even know how she gets out of bed every morning.”
“Where is she now? We could’ve rescheduled tonight until after she went back to Michigan.”
“No, that’s okay. It actually worked out perfectly. I helped her find a local Alcoholics Anonymous support group that meets tonight. It’s just a few blocks from my place in a church, so I gave her enough money to get herself some authentic Chicago-style deep-dish pizza from a place across the street from it. That will keep her busy for a few hours.”
“Are you okay leaving her alone in your apartment?”
This again. “She’s been alone all day while I’ve been at the office and there hasn’t been a problem. I appreciate your concern, Carson, but I think it will be okay. If I was worried, I wouldn’t be here with you.”
“Okay. You can smack me for being overcautious. I know I’m being selfish, but I’d much rather you be here with me, anyway. I just wish I was better company.” Carson gave her a weak smile. “I figured I wouldn’t get to see you after work hours until Misty had left.”
Georgia didn’t want to wait that long to spend time with Carson. At the office, it just wasn’t the same. They kept things distant and professional, the way they should have. Their conversations were about business—planning the charity gala for the hospital was the big task of the moment. She didn’t get to snuggle against his chest and feel his arms around her the way she wanted them to be.
“Well, I miss you,” she said. Georgia didn’t like the way it felt to admit vulnerability like that, but it was true. Whether or not this fling of theirs lasted through the month, she’d found herself getting increasingly attached to Carson. She wanted to tell him about how things were going with her mom. She wanted to be there to soothe him when he got bad news. “And I’m glad I came over. I wouldn’t want you to be home alone tonight.”
“You make me not want to be home alone any night.”
Leaning into her, he pressed his lips against hers. The soft touch rapidly intensified as the taste of tequila and emotion mixed together on her tongue. She drank in his sadness, doing whatever she could to make him feel better tonight. She would use her body like a bandage to cover the wounds his father left without ever realizing it.
Pulling away from Carson’s mouth, she smiled coyly at him. “I know what will make you feel better.”
He lifted a curious eyebrow but didn’t question her. Instead he waited for her to reveal her answer. Without speaking, she slipped off the couch onto the floor in front of him. On her knees, she eased between his legs. Her gaze stayed fixed on his as she slowly unbuttoned his shirt.
Carson didn’t argue. He just took a deep breath and let her do as she pleased. Georgia tugged the shirt out of his waistband, unbuttoning the last of the buttons and opening it to expose his chest. Leaning in, she planted a line of kisses starting at his collarbone and moving down. She noticed how the hair on his belly thickened as she traveled lower, planting one last kiss above his belt and drawing in the warm scent of his skin before she sat back to unbuckle it. Her fingers moved deftly to unbutton his pants and zip his fly open. She could feel the heat of his desire pressing against her hand through the cotton of his underwear.
Georgia let her palm glide over it ever so slowly before she gathered the waistbands and tugged both his pants and underwear down his thighs. With nothing left in her way, she curled her fingers around the length of him and gave a little squeeze until he hissed and squirmed on the sofa. She let her hot breath blow across his skin before she bent her head and took him into her mouth.
Her tongue glided along his smooth skin as her lips pressed farther and farther down. Carson’s whole body tensed the lower she moved. He didn’t even breathe until she eased back.
“Oh, Georgia,” he groaned, threading his fingers through her blond waves and holding tight. His grip didn’t hurt, but the intensity urged her on. “Damn, you feel good, baby.”
She worked into a slow, tortuous rhythm between her mouth and her hands. Carson’s fingertips massaged her scalp, never forcing her movements, but going along with them. She could feel every muscle in his body tighten as she sped up, then slowed down to tease him.
“I don’t think I can take much more of this,” he managed through gritted teeth.
“I’m just getting started.”
“Yeah, well, so am I. Come here,” he said. Reaching out, he took her hand and tugged her up until she was straddling him. He took a moment to slip on a condom, and then pushed the hem of her pencil skirt up to her hips, brushing over the lace tops of her thigh-high hosiery. His hands slipped beneath her legs, feeling at the insignificant scrap of fabric that separated them. His fingers pushed the lace aside, allowing the length of him to seek out her opening.
Georgia took it from there. She slowly lowered her hips, taking in every inch of him until she was fully seated on his lap. He reached for her blouse, unbuttoning the silk fabric and slipping it off her shoulders to the floor. His palms covered the cream lace bra, molding the full globes of her breasts in his hands and pinching at the hardened nipples that strained against the rough material.
Closing her eyes,
Georgia rolled her hips, moving him inside her. A low growl sounded from Carson’s throat as she eased up and slid down the length of him again. She bit her bottom lip as the movements started to generate a liquid heat in her belly.
“Why did I wait so long to touch you?” Carson wondered aloud. “You could’ve been in my arms all this time.”
The same thought had crossed Georgia’s mind in the last week. She’d been at the Newport Corporation for over a year now. A year when she’d gone home each night fantasizing about her boss and never believing she could have him. A year of loneliness that could’ve been spent with him if she had thought for a moment that she deserved a man like him.
She still wasn’t entirely sure she was good enough, but she’d savor every moment she could share with him. Georgia had never let herself get truly close to someone, but she felt Carson getting past all her barriers. He was the first man even to try, and the stone walls just tumbled at his slightest touch. Her heart swelled at the thought of him, and her body craved him.
She wasn’t entirely sure she knew what love felt like. She’d read about it in books and seen examples in movies, but she’d never felt it herself. But now, here with Carson, she thought she might finally know for sure. It was more than like, more than just need or desire. He consumed her, body and soul, and she never wanted to let him go.
Georgia was falling in love with him.
The rush of emotions spilled from her heart, and the pleasurable coil inside her grew that much tighter. As the sensations grew more intense, Carson shifted his hands to grip her hips. His fingertips pressed into her flesh. Her thighs started to burn as she moved faster, coaxing the release from deep inside her. Soft cries and whimpers of anticipation escaped her lips as her climax grew nearer and nearer.
“Yeah,” Carson whispered in soft encouragement. “Let go, Georgia.”
She didn’t have any choice in the matter. Her orgasm exploded inside her, the shockwaves radiating through her whole body. He steadied her hips and she braced herself against his shoulders as she writhed and cried out. Her muscles clamped down around him, fluttering and pulsing as the final throbs of pleasure echoed and then finally faded away. When she opened her eyes, she found Carson watching her.
“You are so beautiful,” he said. “And you’re even more amazing when you come undone. I love to watch you let go and just feel.”
Georgia felt a blush rise to her cheeks. “Well, now it’s your turn,” she said, clamping her inner muscles down hard around him.
He groaned as his hands slid up from her hips until they were wrapped around her back. He pulled her torso toward him until she was hunched over him with her face buried in his neck. Keeping a tight grip on her, he started moving beneath her.
Georgia gasped and clung to him as her overstimulated nerves tried to absorb more pleasure. Her lips danced across the salty skin of his neck and shoulder, tasting and nipping at him. As he tensed and his moves became more frantic, she whispered a few provocative and erotic things into his ear.
It wasn’t what she wanted to say. In the moment, overflowing with emotions and sensations, she wanted to whisper that she was falling in love with him, but it wasn’t the right time or place. She’d never said the words before, and when she did, she wanted it to be special. She wanted him to respond in kind. That, she feared, would take more time.
What she did say was just right, however. Carson’s fingers dug into her flesh as he thrust hard and poured into her with a satisfied roar. Georgia rode through the waves, planting a soft kiss on his lips once he stilled beneath her.
“You know what?” he said when he caught his breath.
“What?”
“You were right. I do feel better.”
TEN
Carson had trouble sleeping that night after Georgia went home. He didn’t know if it was his ever-evolving feelings for her or his nerves about his meeting at Elite Industries the next day, but by the time he and his brothers arrived at Sutton’s offices that afternoon, he felt very unprepared.
“This isn’t the way to Sutton’s office,” Graham said as the assistant took the three brothers down the hallway.
“Yes, sir. This is the way to Miss Winchester’s office. Mr. Winchester isn’t in today.”
“That bastard stood us up,” Brooks grumbled. “He got the results the same as we did and he was too big a coward to show his face.”
“Actually,” Eve Winchester said from just ahead of them, “he’s quite ill.”
Carson narrowed his gaze at Eve, Sutton’s oldest daughter. Based on what Tammy had said, Eve was already born when his parents split up, so that meant Eve was his older sister. It was hard enough to think about Sutton as his father, but the shockwaves that radiated through the family were equally difficult. His sister. He ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head. He wasn’t going to adjust to this easily.
“I’m sure he is feeling poorly,” Brooks said, “after being caught in such a big lie.”
Eve’s thin frame tensed at Brooks’s words. Instead of responding, she waved them past her into her office to sit at the conference room table.
Looking down the table, Carson noticed Brooks was wound tight and ready to fight. Graham was uncharacteristically silent, but his eyes never left Eve. She sat down across from them. A moment later, another woman arrived. She was tinier than Eve with lighter blond hair. They both had the same green eyes, though. Sutton’s eyes. Carson’s eyes.
“This is my youngest sister, Grace.”
“Where’s Nora?” Brooks asked. “I believe we requested to meet with everyone today.”
“Nora lives in Colorado and has a small child. Since you demanded this meeting take place today, you’ll understand that it was impossible for her to make it.”
“And Sutton?” Graham said at last. “Is he really sick or just sick at the thought of more of his money being funneled away?”
Carson watched the Winchester women as they reacted to Graham’s cutting words. He could see the worry in Grace’s eyes. He knew then that Sutton truly was ill. “What’s wrong with him?” he asked. He was his father, after all.
“We don’t know,” Grace replied. “He’s seeing the doctor today.”
“Let’s cut to the chase, gentlemen.” Eve stared all of them down, her cold, businesslike demeanor reminding Carson very much of their father. “I can run this business and this family just as well as my father, so I see no reason why we can’t proceed without him.”
“Well,” Carson began, “we presume that your father received the results of the paternity tests and has informed you of what they revealed.”
“He did. You are our half brother,” Eve said matter-of-factly. Turning to the twins, she added, “You two are to be determined.”
“I’m pretty sure the results will turn out positive this time,” Brooks said. “So we wanted to get the process started.”
“The process of what?” Grace asked.
“The process of ensuring that we get our share of the Winchester estate.”
“Our father is sick, not dead. There’s no estate to have yet.”
“There will be one day. He won’t live forever, even with all his money. We’re not about to wait until he’s six feet under to start contesting the will. We intend to make sure we get what’s coming to us, fair and square.”
Carson sat uncomfortably as his brothers and sisters argued back and forth.
“And how do you propose this miracle will happen?” Eve asked. “It doesn’t matter if you’re biologically Winchesters or not. Our father doesn’t have to include anyone in his will he doesn’t want to.”
“That’s true,” Graham said. “He can leave us out. But if he does, I can guarantee that you and your sisters will never see a penny of your inheritances. We will sue and tie the estate up in court for years
. You won’t get a thing until it’s settled by the judge, and by then, half of it might have been drained away in legal fees.”
Grace swallowed hard. “And what is our alternative?”
“It’s fairly simple,” Brooks said. “If your father voluntarily updates his will now, we’ll have no problem. We’ve already gone our entire lives being ignored. Our mother raised us alone without receiving a dime in child support from our father. I don’t think it’s too much to ask that we get our share once he’s gone. We think you ladies can help make that happen.”
“Us?” Eve asked.
“You’re daddy’s little girls, right? Encourage your father to update the will to include us with even distribution among all the biological children. Tell him that you don’t want to fight family in court over the estate. Certainly he’ll listen to you.”
“Have you met our father?” Eve asked.
At that, Carson had to chuckle. All four of his siblings looked over at him with venom in their expressions. Now was not the time to find amusement in the situation. He opted to try diffusing the tension instead.
“Eve, Grace,” he said, “try to see this from our point of view. You had your father in your life. You had everything you’ve ever wanted. We were equally deserving, but we were shut out. We had to fight for everything we have, and we’re not going to stop now. Our father owes us this, for our mother’s sake and for the sake of the children he abandoned.”
“I am very sorry for the way you all grew up. I’m sorry that you felt unloved and had a difficult life. But you do understand that this has nothing to do with us girls? Have you given any consideration to how we feel about all of this?” Eve looked at Carson as she said the words, making him feel like the bully in the situation. “We suddenly have brothers? Or, at least, one for certain. We are faced with the knowledge that our father not only cheated on our mother but also did it in such a reckless way. You’re not punishing Sutton with this proposal of yours. You’re punishing us.”
“I hate that’s the way it has to be,” Graham said, with a touch of sadness in his voice that Carson didn’t expect. He was used to Graham being a shark in this kind of negotiation. Perhaps he wasn’t as enthusiastic about using his sharp teeth on his own sister.
Saying Yes to the Boss (Dynasties: The Newports) Page 11