Once he'd calmed down and listened to Jake's reasons, he'd worked with him - had worked his way through his extensive diary of business contacts.
Glenn was one of the reasons the merged american outfit was now on its feet and successfully sold on to another business, one that was actually a better fit than Jake's had ever been. In fact, although Glenn wanted to cut back on his business and spend quality time with Suzanne, he'd agreed to work for Jake two days a week once he was relocated to Scotland.
He squirmed in the seat as he remembered admitting the strength of his feelings for Carrie to the other man. He'd sworn Glenn to secrecy. To his knowledge he hadn't even told Suzanne. Jake wanted Carrie to find out his vision for the future from him, not via her mother. He was certain Carrie would share it. Was certain she felt as deeply for him as he felt for her. But as he couldn't recall telling her that bit, he couldn't be a hundred percent certain.
The motion of the car as it journeyed along the motorway towards home, had him dozing off. His dreams returned to Carrie and their stolen days together in Miami. He felt himself harden at the memory of her in his arms and adjusted his coat over his lap to hide it. With the privacy partition in place, his chauffeur couldn't see, but he wasn't taking any chances.
He let out a satisfying sigh as he remembered how good Carrie had felt in his arms, in his bed and by his side when they'd ventured out.
She was beautiful, inside and out. Never more so than when she'd been naked and coming apart in his arms. He'd never been with a woman as responsive as Carrie was to his touch. Once she'd lost her inhibitions she'd been as adventurous as him in making love. On one beautiful occasion, he recalled how she'd crept under the desk and knelt at his feet as he'd been on the phone. She'd gently stroked both his legs from his ankles to the top of his thighs, reaching under the bottom of his robe. They'd not long been out of the shower where they'd made love and hadn't dressed. Her fingers had teased his hairs at the juncture of his thighs and stroked his balls. He'd put his hand down to stop her but she'd brushed it out of the way.
As he'd done something similar to her when she'd been on the phone to her mother, he couldn't blame her for getting her own back. He couldn't recall ever responding so strongly to any other woman's touch, he just seemed to go up in flames when Carrie touched him. Which had made the phone call exceedingly difficult to concentrate on!
He'd gasped when Carrie had touched his erection. She'd used both her hands to stroke it up and down. Then her tongue had licked his juices, sucked his tip hard as her hands had continued their journey up and down his pulsing shaft.
The call had been with Phil, so there was no-one out there questioning his professional integrity, no-one spreading rumours about him. But given the joshing he'd had from Phil when they'd met in New York, another colleague or business associate may have been the lesser of two evils.
How Phil had ragged him about what he thought was going on given the noises he'd heard. He didn't know who the woman had been though. Jake had been noncommittal about Carrie since the shooting so Phil may well have thought it was someone he'd picked up. Although, given it was common knowledge that Carrie was also in Miami, Phil might have put two and two together. He hadn't asked though and Jake hadn't shared.
Thinking back to that phone call, he still couldn't remember it ending. Phil had assured him in New York that a coherent, sensible decision had been agreed but that was only after a pretence that Jake had agreed to buy out two other european businesses. Jake was so absorbed with his relationship with Carrie that for a moment he'd believed him.
God, but she turned him to mush, well his mind anyway - he seemed permanently hard between his legs. The feel of her mouth on him! She'd licked and sucked the full length of him, taken him in to the back of her throat as he'd thrust in and out until he'd drained himself dry.
He remembered sitting in the chair for minutes afterwards, breathing hard, trying to recover his equilibrium. Carrie had sat back on her heels looking up at him with the most beautiful, wondrous smile on her face. He'd pulled her up onto the chair so she could straddle his lap.
He'd caressed her breasts and taken one nipple and then the other into his mouth. As he'd taken his turn at sucking her sensitive peaks, he'd felt himself harden again. His aroused flesh had naturally slipped into her wet, swollen folds. With a few thrusts and gentle tugging at her engorged nipples, Carrie had collapsed onto his chest.
He gave a harsh groan of male satisfaction as he remembered how it felt to be inside her, bringing them both to a mutual state of sexual satisfaction.
He felt a chill as his juices cooled against his sensitive tip.
He jerked out of his memories.
'What the…' He looked down to where he felt cool. His coat was on the floor and his hand was wrapped around his shaft. He had no recollection of releasing himself, hadn't even realised he'd been simulating Carrie's touch. He tucked himself away and zipped up his trousers, wincing at how uncomfortable his aching shaft felt against the material. He couldn't recall ever behaving like this, even when he'd been no more than a randy teenager. He opened the window slightly to get a shot of fresh air against his heated face.
His head fell back. Despite the discomfort in his trousers and his lack of release, he no longer felt so exhausted. He felt exhilarated that he was nearly home with Carrie.
Other memories flashed through his head. Of her generosity with the women's aid charity. Of her impending film deal. He felt so proud of her achievements, knew he would be alongside her at every red carpet appearance, giving her his total support.
He'd shared more with her about Lord Gemmell's support in his youth. How he'd achieved Commonwealth success as a junior swimming champion but had given it up in favour of business. He'd never regretted the decision.
They'd talked at length about their involvement with the Inner City project and their own various other charitable commitments. It was a good feeling to know they were both equally generous of their time and money success had afforded them.
All too soon, he'd had to regretfully say goodbye. He'd put off his New York business twice in favour of being with Carrie but the time had inevitably come when he couldn't delay it any longer.
He recalled how he'd withdrawn slightly, not sure if that had been because he didn't know how to express the depth of his feelings, or because he'd started getting back into business mode. Maybe a bit of both. He'd have to rectify that, tell Carrie exactly how he felt and learn not to shut her out if business consumed him.
He was sure he'd sent her a text though, and although he couldn't recall exactly what he'd written, he was sure she would know how he felt.
Reality flooded in and he sat up straight in the car. His new found exhilaration turned to despair.
He'd only sent her the one text.
He'd thought constantly of Carrie, it had been his vision of their future that had driven him on, but he'd only sent her one text.
No other contact.
He put his head in his hands.
Eight weeks.
Eight weeks since he'd let her know by deed if not by words how he felt. Would Carrie still be holding onto that, or would she be over him by now?
As the car turned onto the Estate, he had the driver drop him at Carrie's. He rang the gate buzzer, desperate now to see her, to explain, to make it up to her. 'Come on Carrie, let me in,' was his mantra as he kept jabbing at the buzzer.
*
Just as he realised he might be scaring Carrie and took his finger off the buzzer, she answered.
'Hi Carrie, I'm home.' He groaned. Could he get any more cliched? He tried again.
'Carrie, could I come in please? I've just landed from the States and I've come straight here. I need to talk to you.'
'Way to go Jake. How desperate do you want to sound?'
He took a deep breath and waited for her response. The gate opened, which was a relief, but he noticed she hadn't yet spoken to him.
He was in trouble.
Carrie opened the front door and waited for him to walk up the drive. As Jake arrived within two feet of her, he stopped and looked at her, from head to toe and all the way back up again.
Oh, but she was a sight for sore eyes.
She also looked fizzing fit to burst.
As she opened her mouth to speak, Jake closed the gap between them and pulled her into a punishing embrace. He kissed her, hard. Carrie was so angry with him, with herself, she tried to fight him off. Jake held her tighter. His tongue caressed her lips, slid inside and danced with hers in the age old ritual of mating. As his right hand held her firm behind her neck, his left hand caressed her back then slipped under her cropped top to feel her bare skin. Heaven!
He moved both hands to cup her backside and pulled her in to feel his erection. An erection that had withstood the remaining car journey and now strained against his trousers, desperate for release within Carrie's tight, sweet folds.
Jake poured everything he felt into that embrace - the desolation of the weeks apart, the depth of his love. As one hand held her close, the other moved back up her body, under her top and around to her breast. A sigh of appreciation whispered through his lips. The feel of her naked breast caused him to pull her closer still as his shaft pulsed against her.
Unable to fight any more Carrie sagged against him and gave in to the feel of him. As she felt the pulsing of his manhood, her right hand moved between them to stroke it through his trousers.
Jake groaned as she caressed him. His kiss became more erotic as his body drove his actions, his need.
The memories of Miami closed in and enveloped him.
The weight of the last eight weeks fell away as the kissing, the holding, the touching, the feeling continued. Jake felt his body finally relax and realised he was in danger of falling to the ground and taking Carrie with him. He pulled back just a little and took in a deep breath.
'Could we take this inside?'
He looked into her eyes, as filled with lust as he imagined his were. He kissed her again. A quick kiss. Open mouthed. Hot. Wet.
He kissed her neck, nibbled her earlobe.
As he drew breath again, he finished his sentence. 'If I don't sit down in the next thirty seconds you're going to be scraping me off the doorstep.'
His body demonstrated his actions as he felt his knees buckle. He leant against the door jamb to keep himself upright and took Carrie with him.
Chapter 13
Carrie didn't know what had possessed her to open the door to Jake. Her complete surprise at him being there had temporarily blocked out her anger.
By the time he stood in front of her appraising her body up and down as if she was some kind of prize, her anger was back.
'How dare he just turn up here as if he was out for an evening stroll. As if it hadn't been eight weeks.'
She opened her mouth to tell him so but found herself caught hard against him. She could feel the steel of his muscles, the hardness of his erection against her pubic bone, the harshness of his mouth against hers.
The eight weeks seemed to vanish as her body remembered his - remembered every nuance of his body. Her body knew where it belonged even if her mind was fighting it.
As she futilely fought him off, she felt herself responding, her mind giving in as her body reached a heightened state of arousal.
When the feel of his hands caressing her body, her bare skin, became too much, she finally capitulated.
She returned his kiss, pouring into it her own frustrations of the last eight weeks, her own deep feelings of love and hope.
She felt unable to stand unaided. She felt herself holding on, using Jake to keep her from falling. Whilst her left hand continued to hold on to his shoulder, she instinctively caressed the part of him her body most craved. She could feel her own liquid heat pouring out of her as she physically prepared for the ultimate mating of two people in love.
When Jake drew away she caught her breath and simply gazed up at him.
She felt her orgasm start to build as Jake kissed her again.
The sudden movement as Jake pulled her with him shocked her out of her aroused state and frustrated her as she squeezed her legs together.
His words, his need to sit down, finally registered and she hid her head against his chest in embarrassment as she realised how close they'd been to making out on her doorstep. Her arousal fell away from her as quickly as it had built.
She seemed incapable of rational thought when she was in his arms - incapable of being mad at him. But if there was to be any future, he had to consider her presence in his life ALL the time, not just when it suited him.
They had to talk. Preferably before he made love to her, before her mind turned to mush again.
Jake staggered a little more and she realised he'd spoken the truth about collapsing on her doorstep.
*
Abandoning Jake's coat and suitcase at the door, they moved inside, arms entwined around each other, neither wanting to lose the contact, but neither of them speaking.
Jake stopped at the entrance to the living room, turned Carrie to face him and rested his forehead against hers. He took in a fortifying breath and closed his eyes.
'I'm shattered. Sorry. There's so much I want to say. So much time to make up. But I've been travelling home since last night, delayed in two airports, and I'm not sure how much I've got left in me just now.'
Carrie moved her head back slightly to look at him and for the first time, noticed the tired lines around his mouth and eyes, saw the shadows under his eyes and the greyness of his skin.
Her concern for him overrode everything else - her desire and her anger. She placed both hands against his cheeks and smoothed out the tiredness with her thumbs.
'Sit, I'll make you a coffee.'
'Thank you.'
With one more kiss, this time a gentle kiss - one that spoke of his tiredness and yet held such promise - Jake collapsed onto the nearest sofa while Carrie went off to the kitchen.
She glanced back as she moved into the hallway and saw Jake slumped across the sofa with his head thrown back against the cushions. She smiled to herself, pleased he was there. He looked like he belonged.
She drew in a sharp breath at the thought. She couldn't think like that. Not yet. Not when there was so much to discuss. When there was so much trust to rebuild.
She was surprised at how easily she'd responded, when their time together had been so brief and their relationship so new. Yet, on the other hand, Jake had been there for her during her darkest times and they'd shared so much of themselves in Miami.
She closed her eyes whilst she waited for the kettle to boil. Could she really start believing in the future? Jake had said there was so much he wanted to say, well she had a lot to say too. He might not want to stay after that.
Carrie poured the water onto the coffee and took it through to the lounge.
'Jake, here's your coffee.'
'Jake…?'
She placed the mug down on the coffee table and stared at him. His head had dropped to one side and his mouth was slightly open. Fast asleep but already looking less haggard.
Torn between waking him and letting him sleep where he was, she chose the latter.
For a while she sat opposite and just watched him. His breathing was light and regular. His body never moved.
Once Carrie decided to take herself off to bed she gently removed his shoes. Jake never stirred.
She put his legs up on the sofa. That was no mean feat. Dead to the world his limbs weighed a ton. She adjusted his head and shoulders so he lay flat out along the sofa. Still, he never stirred.
Taking a quilt out of the laundry cupboard, she tucked it around him and left him to sleep.
For the first time in weeks Carrie drifted off into a healing sleep. A sleep that wasn't filled with her memories of a moment stolen in time. A sleep that wasn't filled with hurt and anger.
Jake stirred and felt himself cocooned in warmth. He stretched out and his arm
hit a soft wall. He opened his eyes and blinked a few times to adjust to the darkness, trying to remember where he was.
Carrie.
He'd seen Carrie last night. Memories stirred through his sleepy fog. Memories of having her back in his arms, of kissing her senseless, and of crashing out.
He sat up and looked around. Carrie must have put the quilt on him. He looked down. No clothes were missing, except his shoes.
He looked at his watch. Four a.m. He'd had about six hours sleep. Nowhere near enough but more than he'd had in a stretch any night in the last eight weeks.
He didn't want to sleep alone anymore. He got up and went in search of Carrie.
He found her in the middle of an enormous four-poster bed, sleeping on her left side with her hand tucked up underneath the pillow. The light from the bedside clock illuminated her face. Beautiful. For a minute he allowed himself to just stand there and gaze at her.
He removed his clothes and got in beside her spooning himself behind her.
He couldn't resist the feel of her through the tee-shirt she'd worn to bed. He peppered her neck and her shoulders with the lightest of kisses whilst his hand snuck under the hemline to cup her breast.
Carrie stirred in sleep and placed one of her legs between his. She turned slightly into him and moaned in satisfaction. Jake hardened instantly.
His hand moved down stroking her belly. Now able to get his other arm under her, he continued caressing her breast, feeling the bare tip pebble under his touch.
Carrie turned completely until they were chest to chest and putting both hands around his neck started kissing him. She teased his bottom lip with her tongue and nipped it with her teeth. She sought entry and Jake gave her permission. Their tongues caressed and clashed. The kiss got hotter. Jake placed his fingers against Carrie's mound and found her wet.
He guided his erection to her opening and slid inside. A long sigh escaped his lips. He'd missed this connection with her. It felt so good, so much better than his dreams.
The Millionaire Falls Hard Page 15