by Skylar Hill
She was just thinking she might have to “accidentally” step on his foot when the door swung open again.
“Carter,” she mentally winced when it came out a lot more panicky than she’d like. Being cornered like this made her heart beat too fast and her palms sweat. “I was just looking for you!”
Carter’s green eyes—normally so warm and friendly beneath the silver frames of his glasses—were cold as ice as he took in the scene: Dillon blocking Maddy’s escape route, her flushed cheeks and panicky breath.
“You’re going to go,” Carter said to Dillon, his voice like a scythe, cutting through any bullshit. It sent shivers down Maddy’s spine. “Right now.”
“We were just getting to know each other,” Dillon said, pasting a forced smile on his face. “No worries.”
“Out,” Carter said, and it was much more an order than a suggestion.
“Yeah, whatever,” Dillon said, brushing past him, knocking their shoulders together. Maddy watched with some satisfaction as the blow didn’t even budge Carter, who was much larger and who raised one eyebrow at Dillon as he slunk away.
“Was he being inappropriate with you?” Carter asked immediately.
“It’s fine,” Maddy said automatically, because that’s what you did when you were a woman who worked. You shrugged off stuff. You dismissed it. Most of the time it was easier, because someone like Dillon? He had a lot more money and power than her.
“No, it’s not fine,” Carter said, his voice going from cold to concerned. “That guy is an entitled asshole who doesn’t know proper boundaries.”
“I’ll say.”
It made that killer smile of his flash across his face. “Seriously, though. He bothers you—hell, he shows up again—let me know, okay? He’s being banned from the building as we speak.”
“He was just invading my space the way jerky guys like him do,” Maddy said. “But I’m glad you’re dealing with it.”
“He’s not going to be around anymore,” Carter said firmly, a mix of concern and anger playing across his face.
“That’s probably for the best,” Maddy said.
“Are you getting some good ideas for the new campaigns we talked about?” he asked, gesturing to the shelves behind her.
Maddy could feel her cheeks heating. “Yes!” she said, aware of how squeaky her voice had gone. You are in a room full of sex toys with the man you have an enormous crush on. This isn’t awkward at all. “I should have some basic mockups by next week, when we get back.”
“Perfect,” he said, and his glasses slipped a little down his perfectly straight nose, making her heart flutter. “I can’t wait to see what you’ve come up with. I bet it’ll be great. I’ll let you get back to it.”
“Thanks for the rescue,” she said.
“Any time,” he said, and was it her imagination, or was there a glint of a deeper promise in his eyes?
Maddy took several deep breaths after he left, focusing on the shelf of clit stimulators in front of her. There were so many of them, some designed to suck, some designed to lick, to flutter, to pulse; there was even one that nibbled.
Were the rumors true? Maddy tried not to think about it, but when faced with the array of toys designed to bring you to all sorts of kinds of orgasm, she had to wonder: Was Carter really that good of a lover?
You had to be devoted to build something like this—to build all these. Her eyes took in the different lines of toys and the dizzying array within each line. One of Purely Pleasure’s selling points was the vast array of their products. They weren’t just about getting people off—they were an entire experience.
I bet that’s what they say about Carter, said that naughty little voice in her head.
She turned her gaze back on the shelves and on her plans. She was gonna kill it at this job, and that meant being on top of everything. Fantasizing about being on top of Carter instead wasn’t going to help her.
She pulled her notebook out and began to write, an idea forming in her mind.
Chapter Ten
Maddy
Maddy surveyed her overflowing suitcase. She always had this overpacking problem. She liked being prepared for everything, which meant everything.
Peaches, her orange tabby, jumped onto the bed, sniffing her suitcase in interest.
“Don’t even think about it,” Maddy ordered, going into her bathroom and grabbing her (also overstuffed) toiletry bag. “Okay. Clothes. Shoes. Toiletries. Laptop. Phone. Chargers. Umbrella. Coat. What am I missing, Peaches?”
Peaches stared at her, predictably saying nothing and obviously annoyed she wasn’t letting him jump into her luggage. She was turning into a muttering old cat lady. This was her fate as she faced down her thirties.
“At least you’re cute,” she told the cat.
Peaches yawned, setting his chin on his paws as if he agreed.
Maddy went through her mental checklist again. What was she missing? She looked around her bedroom, her eyes fell on her nightstand drawer, and her thoughts fell to the contents of said drawer.
She really shouldn’t…
But it was going to be three whole days. In close proximity to Carter. Possibly Carter doing outdoorsy things. If he wore plaid, she might spontaneously combust, then and there, while beholding the glorious sight.
“What the hell,” she said, going over to her nightstand drawer and opening it.
Inside, a slim silver case rested. Maddy grabbed it, flipping it open to reveal her three favorite Purely Pleasure toys.
It was probably some kind of kink that she now couldn’t think of anything else but the fact that Carter had created these. His mind had thought these up. It was just so sexy to think about. Was it a smart guy kink? A geek kink?
Or maybe she just had a Carter kink.
“I’m in such trouble, Peaches,” she told the cat, who didn’t even bother to look away from his true love, the suitcase, when she spoke.
She plucked the little bullet vibrator from the Pearl line from the case. It had sensors that learned which patterns of vibration got you off the fastest, hardest, or slowest, and you could set accordingly. Plus, it was cute and portable. She popped it in a little velvet drawstring bag and tucked it in a corner of her suitcase, telling herself she probably wouldn’t have time to use it anyway.
She finished up her packing and when she finally got Peaches settled in his own bed and fell asleep, she slept deep, falling into dreams almost immediately.
She was giggling, running through a forest like a maiden in a fairy tale, complete with long dress and ribbons in her hair. There was a thrilling feeling in her stomach, a giddy, lusty happiness that grew with each step.
She was being chased.
“I’m gonna get you!” she heard a rollicking call, a male voice that sent delighted shivers through her as she continued to run—but not too fast.
She wanted him to catch her, after all. Just not yet. She couldn’t make it too easy for him.
Maddy caught a glimpse of him over her shoulder as she glanced back, a blur of light brown hair and tanned skin. He’d stripped his shirt off sometime during the chase.
Smiling smugly, she hurried on. She loved making him work up a sweat.
The moss on the forest floor was soft against her bare feet and she hiked her skirts higher, to her knees, as she raced down a slope. The smell of pine and morning dew was sharp in the air, filling her senses as her breath quickened. The rustle in the underbrush was getting closer.
She stopped at the bottom of the slope, like a deer caught in a hunter’s view, and turned, looking up.
Carter stood at the top of the hill, lit by the brilliant sun. All he had on was jeans, ripped in places, well worn and soft looking, clinging to his ass in a very distracting way.
She bit her lip, rocking back and forth on her heels, trying to decide if she should prolong the game.
“Found you,” he said, and even this far away, she could see the smile in his green eyes.
“You haven
’t caught me yet,” she called back, shrieking with laughter as she bolted away across the moss covered forest-floor and he raced down the slope, trying to catch her.
Her legs were long, but his were longer. As she whipped through the trees, she could hear him drawing closer. Their chase was almost coming to an end—but the game was just beginning. Anticipation rising inside her, she hurried through the trees, breathless with the need thrumming through her like a second heartbeat.
As she passed by a thick oak tree, strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her back against a solid chest. He must’ve dashed ahead and then doubled back to catch her. She yelped in surprise, the sound dissolving into quieter moan as he lifted her hair off her neck and drew his fingers along the line of her throat.
“I win,” he whispered against her ear, his hands traveling down over the front of her dress, tracing the curve of her breasts, circling around her peaking nipples as she took in a quick breath, quivering against his gentle touch.
She couldn’t stand it—she whirled around, her arms wrapped around his neck, and as she kissed him, she hitched herself up against him. He palmed her ass, bringing her close so she could grind in slow circles against his cock. She let out a little moan when she felt how big he was, how hot he felt even through the layers of clothing. She wriggled in his arms, unable to slow down now that he’d finally caught her.
She needed him. Now.
He seemed to find her urgency amusing, because he chuckled against her skin, situating them so her shoulders were pressed against the thick trunk of the tree.
“You get all worked up playing our little game?” he asked, his fingers sliding her skirt up her thigh, hand dipping to palm her pussy. She whimpered at the pressure as he pressed the heel of his palm against her clit. This was just what she needed.
But his hands were just the beginning of what she wanted.
She writhed in his arms, her fingers plucking at the button of his Levis, hands sliding into the loosened material as she gripped his cock for the first time in their little game. He groaned, his forehead resting against hers, his hips moving in little restless circles as she jacked him, fucking into her fist like he couldn’t help himself, like her touch just undid him.
His cock was perfect, smooth and thick and so hot against her own skin. Her fingers traced over the flared head, catching over the delicious ridge of the underside, making him clutch her hair and kiss her hard, his tongue tangling with hers.
When they parted, she drew his head toward hers, her lips brushing against his ear. “Aren’t you going to fuck me?” she whispered, as she guided the head of his cock to rest against her pussy, slicking through the drenched folds, tapping against her clit, making her eyes roll back. “Isn’t that why you caught me? To finally show me who’s boss?”
He groaned as his erection came to rest against her entrance. Just one little movement, and his thick cock would be sliding into her.
“Oh, baby,” he muttered against her ear. “We both know who’s the real boss here.”
She trembled in his arms, with love, with laughter, with lust, as her hips tilted against his and he slid into her, her inner muscles fluttering at the stretch as every nerve in her body lit up like a sparkler.
This is what she needed
This is what she wanted.
He was what she craved.
A knocking noise jerked Maddy out of sleep, and she sat bolt upright. Peaches, who had been sleeping on her chest, yowled and jumped off her. She squinted in the stream of light falling across her bed, her eyes widening in horror when she caught sight of the time on her phone.
10 a.m.? But she and Nat were supposed to leave right now!
More pounding. She grabbed her robe, uncomfortably aware of how damp her panties were—damn her sexy dreams!—and was still tying it around her waist as she opened the door.
Nat was standing there, looking bright and chipper.
And so was Carter.
At least I didn’t answer the door naked, Maddy thought.
Chapter Eleven
Carter
He didn’t think he’d ever seen such impressive bed-head before. Carter couldn’t stop himself from smiling as he took Maddy in. One whole side of her dark brown hair was scrunched up in wild abandon, the other half flat to her head. Her silky little floral robe, edged in lace, did nothing but highlight her long legs. Her toes were painted orange and black, the big toes little grinning jack o’ lanterns.
Because Halloween was coming up. Cute.
For a moment, he entertained the idea of Maddy in one of those cheesy sexy costumes, but then dismissed the idea. No, she was the type to commit to a costume. She probably planned them out. Had a whole theme. Was all about the details.
He liked that about her. She threw herself into whatever project she had in front of her, full heartedly. The campaign ideas she’d sent him—and the sample photos—had been better than anything his previous social media manager had ever come up with.
“Hi!” she squeaked. “I… must not have turned my alarm on. So sorry. Come on in.”
“Carter had car trouble, so I told him he could tag along,” Nat said, breezing into Maddy’s apartment.
“I’m going to go get dressed,” Maddy said, her gaze skittering toward Carter, and as soon as his eyes met hers, she blushed and looked away. “Make yourself comfortable! Cold brew is in the fridge, Nat.” She disappeared back into her bedroom.
An orange cat meowed, jumping onto the couch next to Carter, looking at him with interest.
“Hey, you must be Peaches.’ He held out his hand for the cat to sniff. Peaches examined him for a moment, and then promptly plopped himself down in Carter’s lap, purring rapidly as Carter petted him.
“He likes you,” Nat observed, sitting down in a wicker chair across from the couch, two glasses full of iced coffee in her hands. She handed one over to Carter. “Maddy’s special brew. Black, with sugar, just like you like it.”
Carter took a sip of the cold drink, the rich coffee and hint of spice he couldn’t recognize filling his sense. “Wow, that’s amazing,” he said.
“This stuff is pretty much the only reason I ever made it to any of my morning classes,” Nat said, holding up her own glass, laced with heavy cream and way too much sugar. She just loved ruining good coffee.
“Maddy saved you, huh?” Carter asked.
“Always,” said Maddy from behind him. She’d thrown her hair up into a messy bun that was almost as cute as the bedhead. “You making friends, Peaches?” She bent over to scratch the cat’s ears, and everything inside Carter just melted when he accidentally got a look down the pink sweater she was wearing.
Fucking hell, he could not think about the swell of Maddy’s breasts straining tight against sky-blue lace. He could not think about peeling that soft sweater off that shoulder it was slipping down and painting her skin with greedy kisses.
He needed to be professional. He needed to be in control.
He needed to pull her into his lap and run his hands up those beautifully thick and strong thighs of hers as she straddled him. The jeans she was wearing, tucked into tall leather riding boots, were so tight they looked painted on.
“He’s not bothering you, is he?” Maddy asked.
“No,” Carter said. “I’m fine.” Right now, Peaches was doing him a favor. He had begun to knead Carter’s leg, which was distracting him enough to gain some kind of control. He felt like he’d never seen a woman before—that’s how visceral the glimpse of blue lace and the idea of kissing Maddy, of exposing that smooth skin of hers inch by inch, of pinning her against his bed as she giggled against his mouth and demanded more—was.
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t ready,” Maddy said. “I was going to get up early and bake cinnamon rolls.”
“I swung by Voodoo Doughnuts and managed to talk my way into a box,” Nat said. “I’ve been dreaming about them since Christmas. They’re in the car.”
“I haven’t had one for two years,” Ca
rter confessed.
“Well, we obviously need to rectify that,” Maddy said, with a grin.
“Let me get your luggage to the car,” Carter offered, picking Peaches up gently and handing him to Maddy. “I’ll meet you two out there.”
He grabbed Maddy’s suitcase, going out the front door and finally, for the first time, breathing free.
He needed to find some semblance of control and stop acting like a Neanderthal, even if Maddy brought out every caveman instinct he had in him.
He carried her suitcase—damn that thing was heavy, what the hell did she have in that thing?—to the car and leaned on the trunk, staring up at the cloudy Portland sky.
Carter should’ve rented a car or called a service when his car didn’t start this morning, but Nat had called to check in and had offered to pick him up. She hadn’t mentioned carpooling with Maddy until Carter was in the car and he couldn’t exactly change his mind then.
He’d told himself that he’d keep his distance this weekend. The retreat wasn’t about him, it was about the team, and everyone bonding and acclimating. He also wanted to take a major step back this weekend and let Nat take over. She already assumed a leadership role in a lot of ways, but now that she was going to take over as CEO, it was time for Carter to fade into the shadows and let her shine.
Then he could get back to his lab. He felt a familiar ache in his stomach at the thought, but now it was accompanied by relief. Because as soon as Olivia was healthy and his parents were finally able to take a breath, it would just be days and days of Carter working on what he wanted with a team he hand-picked. He could finally finish the rechargeable battery he’d been working on. He could also finally expand. It wasn’t that he was discontent with sex toys—he loved his work, and there were always new ways to improve. But he had a few ideas that were much bigger, and the last time he was in Oregon, he’d taken a few meetings with Aiden McGowan, Portland’s green energy titan. They’d talked about collaborating on something in the future, and Carter wanted to take him up on it.