After All - Romancing Manhattan

“Okay, let’s take a look at the résumés that have come in from the staffing service and see what we have.”

“Thank you,” she says with a smile. “Meet me in my office whenever you’re free.”

“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

“You’re the best,” she says with a grateful smile and walks back toward her office, down the hall from her husband’s. Quinn wanted her close. Not because he thinks he has to help her, or save her from anything. He knows Sienna is more than capable of taking care of herself.

No, he just loves her to distraction and wanted her to be nearby. It’s romantic and sweet.

Two words I never would have used to describe Quinn in the past. He’s always been kind to me, but he’s the reckless one. The bad boy. And now, with Sienna, he’s still edgy with a soft spot for the woman he’s crazy about.

I’m happy for him.

Just as I’m gathering my laptop and supplies to take into Sienna’s office, my phone pings with a text from Carter.

I’ll meet you in the parking garage at 6:00.

I send him back a quick reply and then call him on the office phone to let him know I’ll be with Sienna for a bit.

Today is going to be the longest day of my life.

“I’m so dang full,” I say with a sigh as I pat my belly. “If this is going to be the norm when we go out on dates, I’ll need to start some sort of rigorous cardio routine. And, frankly, I don’t like to sweat.”

Carter laughs and reaches for my hand. “You don’t like to sweat?”

“No. I don’t. It’s just . . . sweaty.”

“So noted,” he replies. “I plan to feed you well, Nora. I plan to do a lot of things well.”

If that doesn’t send a zing down my spine and straight to my lady parts, I don’t know what does.

I cross my legs, here in his car, trying to relieve the pressure between them.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

“Fine. Just fine. And full. Thanks for dinner. One of these nights, I’d like to cook for you.”

“Do you like to cook?”

“I love it, I just don’t usually have a lot of time for it. I cook for Gabby and me a lot when I have her on the weekends, but now that she’s spending more time with Maggie, I haven’t been doing that, either.”

“She never said that you cook,” he murmurs. “I suddenly feel like I’ve missed out on a lot of time with you and Gabby.”

“Like we’re off having fun without you?” I grin over at him and watch the way the street lights flicker over his handsome face as we drive. “It’s okay. We have time.”

He reaches for my hand and gives it a squeeze. “I’m glad.”

His hand is warm and strong, with long fingers that seem to dwarf my own hand. But it fits me perfectly.

“Come home with me,” he says softly. “I’m not ready to say good night, and Gabby’s not home.”

“I’d like that,” I reply immediately, not even pretending to be coy. There’s no need with Carter. “But my car is at the office.”

“We’ll go get it tomorrow.” He raises the back of my hand to his lips. “I’m impatient to finally be alone with you.”

“You’ve been alone with me all evening.”

“No, we were in a restaurant full of other people,” he counters and kisses my hand once more before letting go to put both hands on the wheel. “And now I get to have you to myself.”

It’s both odd and thrilling, sitting in Carter’s car, hearing him say romantic words. Unexpected.

Sexy.

And it’s about to get a whole lot sexier.

He parks and leads me up to his penthouse. I’ve been here plenty of times in the past, with Gabby, dropping off dinners, fetching or delivering this and that.

But this is new. I helped Carter pick this place out, back when he was still grief-stricken and trying to find a home for him and his daughter that didn’t remind him of his late wife. He told me to pick out five places, and we toured each of them together.

It came down to this one.

It was my favorite and he didn’t really care at the time. It’s an open floor plan, with a beautiful kitchen that I know he hardly uses.

Man, the meals I could cook in that kitchen.

But we don’t make it as far as the kitchen. Once inside the front door, I set my bag on the table and kick out of my shoes, and Carter rounds on me, his blue eyes pinning mine before he presses his body against me, pushing me against the wall.

“If this is too much, say so now.”

I’m breathing hard, and staring up into his bright blue eyes, already yearning for him.

“Not too much,” I whisper, just before he brushes his lips across my own. His touch is light, completely opposite of the intensity in his eyes and his taut muscles.