Whiskey and Lace

by Adriane Leigh

  "Thank you, Parker." I smiled at him as I slid out of the car. I walked through the glass doors of the impressive building and made my way to the security desk.

  "Straight up to the 60th floor, Ms. Austin." A security guard escorted me to the elevators. I stepped in and was whooshed to the top floor of the skyscraper in less than a minute. My heart began to pound in anticipation. The doors slid open to a brightly lit lobby with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the city.

  The receptionist gave me a genuine smile. "Go right in, Ms. Austin." She nodded her head to a pair of dark mahogany doors with a smile. I felt instantly uncomfortable. Did she know what I was doing here? I suddenly felt like a high-class hooker. In that instant I wanted to turn and run, but I knew that I wouldn't. The pull Carter had on me was too strong.

  I paused for a moment before knocking softly on the door.

  "Come in," the clear and confident voice came from inside the office. I opened the door slowly and peered in. He sat behind a large, mahogany desk and I immediately felt nervous. What was I doing here? I had half a mind to turn on my heel and run as far away from Carter Morgan as my feet could carry me. In that instant I knew Carter wasn't just a good time and great sex, he was creeping into my heart and I wouldn't be able to stand it when he walked away and crushed it.

  "Evangeline." Carter stood and closed the space between us in a few quick strides. The energy sparked between us and my heart began to flutter in my chest.

  "You look beautiful." He nuzzled into my neck as he slid the jacket off of my shoulders. "Good enough to eat." He trailed his tongue up the curve of my neck, skimming my ear with his teeth. My heart began to pound and my stomach clenched in arousal. He guided me to the floor to ceiling windows overlooking the city streets and the river beyond.

  "You've got the best view in the building." I smiled.

  "I should, considering I own the place." His arms tightened around my waist.

  "You own The Hancock?" I turned to glance at him over my shoulder.

  "Yes." He skimmed his hands along my rib cage and grazed his fingers under my breasts.

  "It's breathtaking." I gazed out at Boston laid before us.

  "You're breathtaking." He lifted my shirt over my head. I stood looking out over the city in my jeans and bra as Carter's fingers trailed down the curve of my spine. He quickly unhooked the button of my jeans and slid the denim over my hips.

  "I love you in lace." Carter fingered the delicate fabric of my panties. I turned in his arms and began to loosen his tie and undo the buttons of his dress shirt. My eyes darted to his office door and I worried my bottom lip between my teeth.

  "Soundproof walls, Evangeline. You can scream as loud as you want." A sexy lopsided smile played across his lips.

  Carter traced circles on my shoulder as his eyes blazed into mine. Butterflies jumped in my stomach when his shirt hung open and his toned chest was revealed. I traced my fingers along the edge of his pants before I unhooked the button and slid the fabric over his narrow hips. They dropped to his ankles and I discovered that he once again wasn't wearing anything underneath. What was it with this man? He stood before me in a loose tie with his dress shirt hanging open and nothing else. I dusted my fingers along his hardened length and his hips jerked and he sucked in a quick breath. I dropped to my knees in front of the floor to ceiling windows and traced his length with my tongue.

  "Evangeline." His fingers slid into my hair and tightened. I looked up at him through my eyelashes as I worked his arousal. His eyes were trained on me as he panted and moved his hips slowly with my rhythm.

  "You're so fucking beautiful." He took his tie off and let his shirt pool on the floor and then he hauled me up his body. My nipples hardened instantly at the contact. He unhooked my bra in an instant and let the fabric slide down my arms. He wrapped one hand around my neck and pulled my lips to his.

  "I need to be inside you." He gripped the edge of my panties and ripped, then slammed me against the cold glass of the windows and hoisted my legs around his waist. His fingers dug into my bottom and the pain and pleasure of it had my core throbbing with need. He slammed into me in one hard jerk and pounded me against the windows overlooking the city.

  My fingernails dug into his back and he groaned and pounded into me with quick, measured strokes. I threw my head back and Carter attacked my neck, scraping the flesh with his teeth. One hand was planted firmly on the glass beside my head to support us and his other gripped the nape of my neck. He was pounding into me relentlessly and the heat from his body on my front and the cold panes of glass against my back was intensifying my arousal and causing my nerve endings to hum.

  "It's just you and me," Carter ground through his teeth. I felt a quickening in the pit of my stomach and I knew I was close. "Say it." He moved his hand to my hip and held on to me tightly.

  "You and me," I panted and I felt my core begin to clench.

  "Hold it, Evangeline. Wait for me." Carter pounded harder. My fingernails dug into his flesh and ran down his back.

  "I can't." I panted and thrust my hips into him harder.

  "Now, Evangeline." My orgasm ripped through me and I landed my teeth into his shoulder, blinded with the overwhelming sensation. Carter's hand dug into the flesh of my hip as he ground out the last few strokes of his orgasm. His head landed on my shoulder and I clung to his sweat-slicked skin waiting for my breathing to recover. We'd steamed up the windows and my body slid against the cool panes of glass. Carter stepped back, still inside me, and sat in his office chair with me straddling him. My heartbeat began to calm and I wiggled in his lap to reposition myself.

  "Do much of that and I'll take you again over my desk, Evangeline."

  My eyebrows arched in surprise and the corner of Carter's mouth lifted in a sexy smirk. I slowly stood up and found my jeans to get dressed. Carter slid his pants over his hips and pulled his shirt on and buttoned it. He reached for my bra and passed it to me and pocketed the tattered lace that was formerly my panties. I arched an eyebrow at him.

  "I won't have any panties left if you continue at this rate." I slid my bra over my arms and fastened it.

  "I'll buy you more." He grinned and sat down in his chair, adjusting his tie.

  I sat down on the desk in front of him and placed my feet on either side of his hips. He slid himself between my legs and ran his warm hands up my jean-clad thighs.

  "I like you like this." His fingertips played with the skin just above the waist of my jeans. I ran my fingers through his hair and pulled teasingly.

  "And I like you like this." Carter may be controlling in all aspects of his life, but at this moment I felt like I was in control. I sat perched above him and his eyes twinkled up at me through dark lashes. My heart thudded in my chest as the energy buzzed between us. He pulled me tighter into him and I dropped my head to press my lips to his. I was falling for Carter Morgan and I had a sinking feeling he would trample all over my heart.

  "Join me for dinner tonight." Carter wrapped an arm around my waist and kissed the top of my head a few minutes later as I was leaving his office.

  "What's on the menu?" I smiled up at him.

  "I'll make something." Carter's arms wrapped around me.

  "You're cooking?"

  "Of course, why the surprise, Miss Austin?" A crooked grin spread across his face.

  "Well, after breakfast…" I shuddered.

  "Breakfast doesn't happen to be my forte." He gave my bottom a playful squeeze.

  "So what is your forte, chef?"

  "Just be at my house at seven." He smacked my bottom as I stepped into the elevator. I turned and smiled at the sexy grin that was spread across his face. The elevator doors closed and I sighed happily. This man drove me insane with both anger and pleasure but I knew I didn't have a chance of walking away from him.

  Three

  "Mmm, smells delicious." I inhaled as Carter greeted me at his front door. He wore an apron over blue jeans that hung loose on his hips. I handed him the bottle
of Merlot I'd brought and he he kissed me fully on the lips in greeting. I deepened the kiss and grabbed his ass and squeezed. "I can't wait for dinner," I said in a throaty whisper.

  "You are terrible, Evangeline."

  I winked and skirted by him into the foyer.

  "Spaghetti?" I headed for his kitchen where the delicious aroma was coming from.

  "Best in Boston." Carter opened the wine as I grabbed two wine glasses.

  "We'll see about that hotshot." I teased him. I dipped a wooden spoon into the bubbling tomato sauce and tasted it. "Oh, Carter," I moaned in pleasure.

  He arched one eyebrow at me and a flash of heat crossed his eyes.

  "You are a distraction, Evangeline. Dining room, go." He guided me out of the kitchen. I grinned and sashayed my hips, knowing his eyes were on me.

  I sat down at the table and a minute later Carter sauntered out of the kitchen with two plates of spaghetti and garlic bread. He topped off our wine glasses and we dug into the pasta.

  Eating spaghetti was an embarrassing experience in the best of times, but my nerves were on overdrive trying to eat with some elegance in front of Carter.

  "You've got sauce." His eyes gleamed in amusement as he gestured to the corner of my mouth. I blushed in embarrassment and slid my tongue along my bottom lip to catch the sauce. Carter's eyes widened for a moment and then he leaned in with a dangerous gleam in his eye. He touched the corner of my lip gently with the pad of his thumb and then slid it between his lips and sucked it off. My heart thudded in my ears.

  "You plus my tomato sauce tastes delicious." He grinned. I rolled my eyes at him. I twirled more pasta around my fork and took a bite, slurping the last errant noodles between my lips with a smile.

  "So ladylike." Carter grinned. My tongue darted out along my lips to clean up the sauce. Carter's eyes zoomed to my lips and watched with a lusty grin.

  "Done?" Carter raised an eyebrow.

  "Not yet." I set my fork down and reached for my wine glass, sipping the red liquid and letting it swirl around over my taste buds. I closed my eyes and moaned softly at the rich liquid sliding down my throat. I heard Carter groan and my eyes flashed open just as Carter reached me and swung me into his arms.

  "Where are we going?" My brows knit together in confusion.

  "My bed," he mumbled through clenched teeth. Carter hauled me up the stairs to the top floor and leaned me back on his bed. He crawled over me, hiking my dress up along the way. He laved along my neck with his tongue and then pinched my flesh between his teeth. I pressed my hips into his hardness and tangled my fingers in his silky, toffee hair.

  "Oh God, Carter. Please." I panted.

  "Please, what?" He kneaded the flesh of my breasts through my dress.

  "Undress me." I arched my body into his. He hauled me forward and pulled the fabric over my head then teased the strap of my bra with his teeth before pulling it off of my shoulder.

  "So beautiful." he pulled the cups down, forcing the flesh up over the fabric. He pinched one nipple between his fingers and sucked the other into his mouth. A rush of heat drove straight to my center. Carter had the ability to drive me to the brink of orgasm with just a few simple touches.

  "Please, Carter," I moaned. He palmed my mound from the outside of my panties, giving me the friction my body craved.

  "Tell me what you want." His fingers ghosted over the fabric.

  "You, I want you. Fuck me, Carter." I writhed in his palm.

  "With pleasure." Carter grabbed the edge of my panties and tore them off of me. He flipped me over on the bed with my bottom in the air.

  "So sexy." He smoothed his hand over the curves of my body and then dipped his fingers into my center. "And always so ready for me."

  I heard the zipper of his jeans come down. I pushed my bottom further into him to urge him on and felt him against my cheeks. His hand came down in one quick smack and he slammed into me at the same time. The instant fullness was overwhelming and a groan escaped my throat. Carter twisted his hand in my hair and pulled hard so my back was arched for him. He pumped fast and furious, as if he couldn't get enough of me.

  "So fucking hot, Evangeline. Your body looks beautiful when I take you like this."

  My hands twisted in the bed sheets as I struggled to maintain control. My insides pulsed at his words. I knew I would come soon, I couldn't even think of stopping it. My walls began to quicken in anticipation.

  "Not yet, Evangeline." Carter pulled out of me just as quickly as he'd entered. He flipped me over and held both of my ankles above his shoulders. I bit down on my bottom lip; my body was so overworked right now I was straining to not fall over the cliff from the slightest brush of his skin.

  "Open your eyes, I want to see you when you come." Carter slammed into me again.

  "God, you feel so good." My hands clenched the top of his thighs as he pounded into me. A few errant locks of hair fell over his forehead and his skin glistened with a fine sheen of sweat. He looked undeniably beautiful and was all raw, primal male. One hand came down to press on my mound and he worked my sensitive center in circles with his thumb. He pressed and pinched and lightened his touch, only to repeat the process again.

  "I fucking love being inside you, Evangeline." Carter slammed and pinched and I fell over the edge, unable to hold my orgasm anymore. I felt Carter lose himself inside me and my body shuddered in pleasure as his thrusting slowed before he finally draped his long, lean form over me. I could feel our hearts pounding together furiously as we struggled to control our breathing.

  Carter skimmed my earlobe with his teeth and then pressed his lips to the skin of my neck.

  "You are so beautiful," he whispered in my ear. I could only smile in response, my body still weak. He ran his fingers through my tangled hair and nuzzled into my ear, taking a long, deep breath. "You smell beautiful," he whispered. I sighed contentedly and then rolled and wrapped my arms around his body. I opened my eyes slowly a few beats later to find him staring at me thoughtfully. A slow grin spread across my face.

  "What?" He smiled.

  "You." I whispered.

  "What about me?" He traced the shell of my ear lightly with his thumb.

  "You're all lovey post-orgasm."

  His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I suppose so." He kissed me softly on the lips. "Will you come with me to a dinner tomorrow? I'm meeting with a client and his wife, it's business, disguised as dinner." He traced my lips with his thumb.

  "You're asking me?" My eyebrows arched in surprise.

  "Of course." He pulled away.

  "Usually I'm told where I'll be, at what time, and what I'll be wearing." I smiled at him.

  "I can do that too, if you like." He smirked.

  My fingertips traced along the lines of his collarbone and shoulder. "I can't go. I promised Cate and Sawyer I would go to the Japanese steakhouse that just opened around the corner. They've been bugging me for a week, but I've been consumed with someone else." I smirked back at him.

  "You're going with Sawyer?" His body stiffened instantly.

  "Yeah, why?" My eyes shot to his.

  "He's sure around a lot." Carter grumbled.

  "He's Cate's brother." I shrugged.

  "He wants to get in your pants, Evangeline." Carter's eyes bore into mine.

  "No, he doesn't." I rolled me eyes.

  "He does." Carter's fingers tightened into my bare hip. "I don't share, Evangeline." His eyes flashed possessively.

  "Don't be such a caveman." I pushed him away with some force to let him know I was serious. "Sawyer and I are so old news. He's moved on, and even if he hasn't, I'm interested in someone else." I smiled and traced my thumb along the curve of his mouth. Carter's hand grabbed my wrist and held it tightly.

  "What do you mean he's moved on? You dated him?"

  "A long time ago. In high school." I tried to pull my hand away.

  "Did you sleep with him?" Carter's grip tightened on my wrist. I clenched my teeth in anger.

  I ripped
my hand out of his grasp, "Yes, I lost my virginity to him when I was sixteen." Carter's eyes flamed with anger.

  His jaw clenched as the silence stretched between us. "When did you breakup?"

  "When I was a freshman in college."

  "I don't want you to see him. Ever." His eyes narrowed at me.

  "Too bad. He's Cate's brother, he's in my life." I rolled off of the bed and reached for my discarded dress.

  "Do you love him?" My head whipped around at his frank question.

  "Of course not. I thought I did at one time. But I was sixteen, Carter." I slipped the dress over my head.

  He regarded me thoughtfully. "I don't want you to see him. I can't stand the thought of his hands on your body, Evangeline. I can't stand that when he looks at you, he knows what you look like without your clothes on. I can't stand that he's been where I've been." A cold fury settled in his eyes.

  I ground my teeth together in anger. I slipped my shoes on and then turned and walked out of Carter's room, down the stairs and straight out of his front door.

  I walked across Beacon Street and through the gates of the public garden. I followed the winding path with angry steps. My phone buzzed in my hand and I looked down to see Carter's name flashing across the screen. I worried my bottom lip with my teeth. I hit silent and threw my phone into my bag.

  I didn't want to see him. I wasn't interested in talking to him. There was nothing he could say that could excuse his behavior. Thinking he could control who I could and couldn't see was absurd.

  Carter had me reeling from the day I'd met him. In the short time I'd known him he'd managed to consume my entire life. At least he'd shown his true colors before I'd gotten in too deep.

  I slowed my pace because I knew I already was in too deep. I would need time to recover from the sexy, dangerous, controlling, intoxicating Carter Morgan.

  I pulled my phone out of my bag and found eight missed calls and six new text messages in the few minutes it had taken me to cross the garden and exit onto Arlington.

  -PICK UP YOUR PHONE! The last text read. I sighed. He was trying to bulldoze me again. I threw my phone back into my bag with force and crossed the street and made my way home.