Something More (6 page)

“I, for one, am taking advantage of the early evening. Care to have a drink?”

“No, thanks. I’ve got plans.” Carrie had been the drive behind the force he used in regulating the meeting. He couldn’t wait to see her. Matthew put the imperative files in his briefcase.

“Oh, well. The wife will be surprised to see me home early.” Chester winked. “Glad, but surprised. Maybe I’ll take her out to dinner.”

“Why don’t you do that?” Matthew shook his hand again.

“See you in the morning.” Chester lifted his leather case and followed the other men out of the room.

Matthew rubbed the back of his neck. Now he could concentrate on Carrie. He stood before the skyscraper window, thinking of the missive he had attached to the ribbon.

Last night, in the lobby, when everyone around him had gone silent, Matthew knew something major had gotten their attention. He sensed the galvanizing force of Carrie’s presence before he turned. When he saw her standing on the other side of the room, the soul-stirring occurrence jolted him to his toes.

Tall, blonde, golden, and legs all the way to her shoulders. He’d always been a leg man, but her generous globes drew a man’s eyes making them want to linger there. The seductive vision sent a craving so powerful his lower body throbbed with need. At that moment he knew every man there lusted after the stunningly beautiful woman he considered his, which created another jolt, one of surprise.

Typical blondes he stayed away from. Carrie drew him, with a power he couldn’t explain. Last evening, his restraint had been tested to the damn near breaking point. He never wanted a woman so much.

Matthew wiped a frustrated hand over his face and loosened his tie. Why had all these feelings hit him at once? Slammed. Like a hurling stone of proportional size had been flung at him going a hundred miles an hour. He knew it was a mistake the moment he’d asked her to dance, but he couldn’t resist having Carrie in his arms. Sensations emerged anew again as he remembered her luscious body, flush against his, swaying to the slow seductive music.

Pure heaven.

Pure torture.

Matthew blinked. The vision in his mind replaced the panoramic view in front of him. It had been damned difficult to concentrate on the meeting today. Now he allowed his lustful thoughts of Carrie to roam free. He’d already denied his body’s release. He could not deny his mind its lascivious thoughts.

Her soft features, generous curves, every detail committed to memory. Her scent enticed a man, making him want to be closer, to see if she really smelled that good. Not a strong, bold scent, nor a floral, flowery aroma. Her perfume hinted, teased, a misty, whispery, tempting quality that made him bend to her neck and inhale its fascinating fragrance. Tempting him to taste.

His body heated as he recalled how she snuggled against him, making his arms tighten of their own accord. The precise fit had made him painfully aware of every one of her soft, delectable curves. When her fingers caressed his nape, pure sexual hunger, unlike any he’d known, grabbed his gut and settled in the hardness between his legs. Stroking fingers played havoc with his body.

Thank God, the music stopped when it did. He needed the time to get his testosterone level back under control.

He wanted to see her again. Not just for sex, either. He could get that anywhere. Carrie intrigued him. In due time they would share a bed, where he would savor her and not be rushed.

He’d been attracted to her from the first, but that kiss made her an addiction, which could not be so easily explained. She’d melted under his touch. And from her scouring expression, she’d been surprised by her reaction. He would pursue her until he found out what it was that made her perplex him so.

Matthew turned from the window. His coming to New York had been a success. But then he usually got what he went after.

“Now,” he said as he picked up the phone. “Time to go after something else.”

Chapter 9

The intercom buzzed and Brenda’s voice announced, “Mr. Gorgeous Roses, line one.”

Carrie’s heart pounded
.
What was wrong with her?
He’d
walked away. Why should
her
pulse go ballistic and her mouth go dry. It wasn’t like she’d been waiting for his call.

Liar.

“Hello, Matthew.”

“Hello.” It was ridiculous the way his voice could make her melt with just one word.

They spoke at the same time.

“Are you . . .”

“Thank you . . .”

They both stopped.

“Ladies first.” His deep voice came across the line.

Ignoring the slight flutter in the middle of her chest, she glanced at the freshly cut roses. “Matthew, they’re beautiful. Thank you.”

“Not as beautiful as the lady, I assure you.”

She paid no attention to most compliments. They usually were issued as a token of politeness or a come-on for bed sport. Matthew’s words pleased her, for she believed he meant them. Not to mention what his voice did to heighten her tingling nerves.

“I know this is short notice,” he said, “but I wondered if you have plans for this evening.”

Her pulse raced. With a calm voice, she replied, “Well actually, I do.” The silence on the other end was deafening.

“Of course. A busy woman like you would have something penciled in every spot of her calendar. But it was worth taking a chance.”

Working late was more of a habit than a necessity. She’d already changed her schedule. “You see, I plan to dine with the gentleman who sent me these lovely pink roses.”

“Roses, you say,” Matthew murmured. “He’s a very lucky man.”

“I don’t know. Maybe I’m the lucky one.” Carrie couldn’t believe she was uttering such nonsense. It wasn’t like her.

“Will you be free early?”

She twisted the cord around her finger. “I believe I can arrange that.”

“Good. Shall I come for you? Say, six?”

“I’ll be ready,” she breathed.

There was another moment of silence before he spoke. “I leave tomorrow.”

Her breath caught in her throat. At first she refused to believe she’d heard him correctly. “You’re leaving?”

Matthew’s voice grated as he answered. “This stage of my business is done.”

His words hammered her brain making her realize he would be going home. To the other side of the world. The floor plummeted beneath her. She had the sinking feeling she would never see him again.

Her hand clenched the receiver, a mad desire to latch on so he couldn’t vamoose. Scared? Was she feeling scared? Since she’d
never been
scared, as far as she could remember, she might mistake her difficulty breathing for fear.

How ridiculous. She’d only known this man for a few days. Yet, she had the notion if she let him get away, she would lose the very thing that had been missing in her life.

Carrie invited Matthew in for coffee just like he knew she would. The unspoken, silent invitation was the one he struggled with. All the signals were there, and he was a fool for not taking her up on her obvious seduction. He’d be a bigger fool if he let his lust-filled body overrule his prudent conscious and fall into bed with her. Neither of them were celibate or strangers to sex. But he didn’t want her to think he expected goodbye sex.

I’ll never see you again, so let’s do it.

His eyes slid down to her firm round breasts. They would feel damn good against his chest. His palms began to prickle as he imagined his hands caressing and lifting the perfect globes to his mouth. He had to be insane to think he could resist touching the most desirable woman known to man. He wanted to trust his instincts. Maybe there was a chance at something special with this woman.

A hopeful fantasy
.

He had to get the hell out of here. Now.

Carrie placed her purse on the counter and turned. The look on her face conveyed pure need.

Oh, hell.

Matthew swallowed with difficulty and tried to breathe. He watched, spellbound, as she lifted one hand to the back of her head and released the clip holding her hair. A mass of blonde waves tumbled around her shoulders and fell to her breasts. Her eyes blazed into his.

An invitation to sin if he ever saw one.

She glided toward him with a sensuous sweep of her hips. Her voluptuous breasts shifted, attracting his gaze to the creamy swell above her cleavage. His tongue crowded his throat. A thickness settled in his chest. He had to touch her.

With one unsteady finger, he traced a path from her collarbone down the tempting V of her dress. A rush of breath escaped her lips as his finger moved to the fullness of her breast. His eyes burned a path, lifting slowly to meet her gaze. Raw desire greeted him, making his already racing pulse pound in his ears. Seeking hands lifted with a will of their own and he pulled her into his arms. His eyes narrowed as her eager lips parted for him.

Mmmmm. Sweet. Hot as hell.

Blood rushed to his groin. Carrie had a mouth made for kissing. He delved with long leisurely strokes that turned to a twirling dance of mating tongues. A groan came from deep in her throat sending his already heightened senses on overload. She crushed her breasts against him. Her sweet, hungry sounds urged him on. His hand slid down, molded her bottom, and pressed her full against his erection. His mind nearly shattered. Nothing in his life had felt so good. He had to pull her closer. Her arms tightened around his neck causing his crazed body to heave against her, taking all she had to offer. The kiss flourished hotter, deeper. Her aroused body rotated and pushed against him without restraint.

Finally, they broke apart, each gasping for air.

Too fast. Too fast.

Blood coursed through his veins like high-octane fuel in a powerful engine.

Her eyes on his, Carrie lifted his hand to her mouth. Her hair flowed around her face in sexy abandon. Dazed, he watched as she slowly and deliberately placed the tip of his finger to her lips, and held the flesh between her teeth. His cock swelled rock hard. She took tiny steps backward enticing him to follow. With each step she slid her tongue over the sensitive flesh, made sensitive by her sensual display of making love to his fingers. Taking each one into her mouth with a gentle nip, and then a lick and . . . the sucking part disoriented him.

He wouldn’t last.

Unable to wait a moment longer, he grabbed her and captured her mouth again. Sweet. So unbearably sweet. He thrust his hands in her hair, angled her head, and kissed her until he thought his lungs would explode. He couldn’t taste enough, feel enough. Lightening sparked between them.

Uncontrollable desire drove his hands over her curves. Impatient fingers quickly worked magic, removing her clothes as he followed her—one agonizing step, and then another—into the bedroom. He somehow managed to slip the impeding fabric over her shoulders, allowing the silk to slither down her body. The soft light from a bedside lamp outlined her form. Standing in only her camisole, she ensnared his gaze, toying with his control. She purposefully hooked her thumbs under the spaghetti-thin straps, and taunted, eyes daring. Then, with a sensuous wiggle, her breasts bounced. Silk slid over voluptuous curves to pool at her feet.

He swallowed his tongue.

Desire slammed his gut. Blood pounded through his veins.

Take her. Now!

He fisted his fingers, gritted his teeth, and sucked air in through his nose. Struggling for control, his eyes drank greedily while his gaze swept every delicious inch of her.

A primitive part of him demanded he grab her and lay her on the bed and bury himself to the hilt in her sleekness. He remembered to breathe. He took a deep breath, and then another to keep from pawing her in a lust-crazed fury. She was exquisite, and deserved to be petted and savored like the treasure she was. But the delectable vision before him, with the hungry eyes, shattered his control. He reached for her.

Twirling on her tiptoes, she spun around and danced to the side, just out of reach. “You have too many clothes on.”

He jerked at his tie with fury and her voice halted his movements.

“Wait. Let me.”

She came closer. Her delicate hands slithered up his chest to the top button. She concentrated as though it were difficult to release the tiny object through the opening. He bit his jaw. His impatience made his temples throb. He was painfully aware of every second as she playfully drug out the simple action of slipping the button free. She exerted the same practice with each one, her every move designed to entice and arouse.

Once all the fastenings escaped their hold, she pulled the fabric apart. Her fingers burned his aroused skin. Then her lips and tongue tasted his flesh. A low agonizing growl started in his belly and rumbled through his chest.

Her head lifted. A siren’s smile curved her lips as her hands slid down to the button of his pants. He inhaled a breath that sounded unreasonably loud in his ears. The teeth of his zipper thundered louder. Excruciating need throbbed in his loins.

“Carrie. You’re killing me.” He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her head up so he could capture her lips. His mouth took hers in a hot, powerful kiss. Each slick stroke of his tongue, a desperate attack on her nerve endings. He wanted her to burn, the way he burned. He managed to kick off his pants and back her toward the bed. A ragged moan escaped just before they fell together in a pool of softness.

Pure desire raged through his body. A craving so fierce, it shook him to his core. Nothing existed but this woman, and the intense hunger that demanded to be fed. His lungs ready to burst, he drew back. Focusing on her dazed eyes, he struggled, once again, for control. A ragged croak emerged from his throat. “Let me show you how good it can be between us.”

“Yes, Matthew.” Carrie seized his head and pulled him down for another soul-wrenching kiss. Surrendering to the fiery inferno within his body, he ravaged her mouth. Her fierce yearning matched his, and he lost himself in the flames of her drowning fire.

His lips roamed the silken skin of her neck finding the pulse that throbbed with every intense beat of her heart. Seeking hands explored his body with urgency, expressing her frenzy. He needed to take her soon, to put them both out of their lustful misery.

With tantalizing slowness, he searched and found the secrets of her body. His tongue drew circles around her breasts, making love to each one thoroughly, worshiping their fullness. His hand slid lower, across her bare hip and bottom before claiming the area between her legs. When her thighs opened for his seeking fingers, Matthew wanted to shout with joy. Wet. So wet, his fingers glided across her nubbin. Her cries sent him on a quest to increase his pace. She squirmed and whimpered. He savored the moments—waiting, conquering—until finally he brought her to her peak.

Never before had he needed or taken such joy in a woman’s sighs. His erection tightened. His fingers increased their rhythm. Submerged in her desire, Carrie writhed upon the bed and guttural moans escaped her throat as spasms convulsed her body.

Her teeth closed on his arm. She bit him, totally lost in her overwhelming passion. Gripped in mindless abandon, a lack of inhibition brought on by him.

Beautiful. God, she was beautiful.

He held her. Just held her. He made her writhe and twist and come for him. A feeling unlike anything he’d ever known came over him. A warmth he’d never experienced before. Honored, knowing he held something precious in his arms. He kissed her temple, her cheek. His hand roamed over creamy skin, relishing every silken inch of sweetness. Heat flared anew. Slow steady caresses grew stronger than before.

Beads of perspiration dotted Matthew’s brow. His tongue licked the vein in her neck and dipped in the groove of her collarbone. He nipped, then kissed the sting away. Tiny shock waves spiraled across her chest and streaked through her limbs. How could she react this way again after the shattering climax that made her toes curl?

Easy. Each stroke of his tongue and each brush of his hand over her sensitized flesh singed her nerve endings, and intensified her own arousal. God. He was driving her wild. He looked at her with a hunger born of necessity. He knew when to linger, where to add just the right amount of pressure. In her urgent haste for satisfaction, he tantalized her body with maddening patience.

He kissed her slowly, hungrily, and gently coaxed her legs to part. She bit her lip as he fondled the plump, moist flesh between her thighs. She cupped her breasts and arched her back, offering herself to him. He drew on one nipple then took her fully into his mouth, and slid one finger inside her wet heat. A ragged moan of pleasure escaped her mouth as she moved her hands and grasped his head tighter, imprisoning him against her naked flesh.

He used his hands and lips and teeth and tongue. He explored her body until she could take no more.

“Matthew. I need you. Oh God. I need you.”

He fumbled with a foil packet, then, braced on both arms, he positioned himself. She waited impatiently.

“Carrie. Look at me.” When she did, he slid in to the hilt.

She gasped in total amazement.

A growl of pleasure came from deep in his throat. “Sweet Jesus.”

A tremor flooded her body from head to toe.
So full. Of Matthew
. Her mind reeled.

He held still for a split second before their hunger forced him to move. He slowly pulled out and thrust in again. Carrie ground herself against him. One stroke was all it took before his fingers tightened on her bottom, lifted her and plunged repeatedly into her depth. Passion flared out of control. His hips moved faster and the pressure intensified. Desire beyond any she’d ever known, knifed her, compelled her to squeeze the backs of his thighs and meet him stroke for blissful stroke.