The End of Faking It

Yeah, right. ‘It’s the middle of summer.’

‘And you’re in a basement that’s as cold as an icebox,’ he pointed out with a total lack of concern. ‘You’re warmer now, right?’

‘Yes.’ She was sizzling.

‘And you’re conscious, so it worked.’ He pulled her back down to lie against him. ‘And you liked it. You burrowed right up against me. You couldn’t have got closer.’ His arms tightened again. ‘No, don’t try to wriggle away. I’m feeling cold now. Your turn as caretaker.’

A tremor racked his body, but she could hear his smile. Faker.

She buried her smile in her arm so he couldn’t see it. But she didn’t try to move away again. Just another five minutes—what harm could that possibly do? He made a fantastic human hot-water bottle.

Then her stomach rumbled.

‘You’re hungry.’

Then his stomach rumbled too.

‘You are too.’ She giggled at how loud they gurgled.

‘Mmm. We didn’t have dinner.’ His breath warmed her ear. ‘What do you have for breakfast?’

‘Fruit, yoghurt and a sprinkle of cinnamon.’ Her mouth watered at the thought of it.

‘Cinnamon smells good,’ he drawled.

‘Yeah, so much better than chlorine.’ She could feel every inch of him. There were a lot of inches. ‘You’re in a bad way.’ The hard length pressed against the top of her thighs.

‘I can live with it.’

‘You’re sure?’

‘Why?’ He moved suddenly. ‘You offering?’

He rolled above her. She shifted her legs that bit apart to welcome him. Yes, she was offering. Because she knew she couldn’t deny herself any more. Desire finally outweighed fear. Some sleep had restored perspective. Besides, given how hard he felt now, she felt confident in her ability to bring him home quickly.

He looked at her closely. She felt his body tense up even more and he smiled, bending forward to close the last inches between them. She closed her eyes, anticipating a full passion blast of a kiss.

Except he merely brushed his lips on her forehead, her cheeks, her nose. So gently, too softly. ‘We have the most insane chemistry, Penny.’

She opened her mouth to downplay it.

‘No.’ He put his fingers across her lips. ‘Don’t play games. Just be honest. Always be honest with me.’

‘Okay.’ She could let him have that. ‘We have chemistry.’ Actually they had more than chemistry. They had some experiences and likes in common. And they also shared no desire for any kind of a relationship.

‘And we’re going to experiment with it.’

Except there was still that niggling suspicion it might blow up in her face. ‘What, like a science project?’

‘Pretty much.’

‘You weren’t kidding about not being romantic.’

‘You don’t like flowers. You don’t like chocolates. You hate romance too,’ he teased, pressing even more intimately against her.

‘I don’t hate diamonds.’ She shifted sassily.

He snorted. ‘And what would you do if some guy produced a diamond ring?’ He ground his pelvis against hers in a slow circular motion. ‘You’d run so fast you’d break the sound barrier.’

She bit her lip to stop her groan of defeat.

‘We’re going to have an affair,’ he told her.

They’d been on this trajectory from the moment they’d laid eyes on each other. All she could do now was try to manage how it went. ‘Yes.’

To her surprise the relief hit as she agreed. It was closely followed by excitement. Now she’d admitted it, she wanted it immediately. The sooner she could have, the sooner she could control.

‘Tonight.’ He levered up and away from her.

She sat up—unconsciously keeping a short distance between them. ‘Tonight?’

He grinned at her obvious disappointment. ‘No condoms in here.’

Oh. She hadn’t thought of that. Thank goodness he had.

‘Won’t you let me help you out now?’ She longed to feel him shaking in her arms. She could stroke him to glory in seconds.

‘Will you let me do the same for you?’

She blinked rapidly and ducked his fixed gaze.

‘Tonight,’ he reiterated, amusement warming his authoritative tone.

She nodded. ‘Just a little fun.’

‘Can you handle that?’ All hint of humour had gone.

Hopefully. If she could stay on top. She looked back into his eyes and waved her independence flag. ‘Sure. Can you?’

CHAPTER SEVEN

TWENTY minutes later they heard the door lock click. They hid in the dark corner for another moment and dashed when the coast was clear.

‘Get changed quickly,’ he whispered.

Giggling in the women’s, Penny tossed her skirt and top on straight over her togs, scooped up her bag and was out again in less than a minute. Carter was standing in the little foyer, his shirt water-stained and creased, his jaw dark with stubble. He looked sexier and more dangerous than ever.

He held out his hand. ‘Let me take your bag.’

Penny walked quickly. ‘I’ve got it.’

Already people were arriving to use the gym and swim facility and she wanted to get out of there before anyone saw the state she was in.

‘No, let me take it,’ he insisted, blocking her path.

She frowned but he came even closer, speaking through gritted teeth.

‘Look, if you want everyone to see the size of my hard-on, sure, you take it. Otherwise let me just hold it while we get out of here, okay?’

Penny’s jaw dropped.

He put a finger under her chin and nudged it closed again. ‘Don’t act the innocent. You know exactly what you can do to me. Just like I know what I can do to you.’ His gaze imprisoned hers and pierced deep. ‘If you’ll let me.’

Penny felt as if an adrenalin injection had just been stabbed straight into her heart. The feeling flickered along her veins, molten gold—sweeter than honey yet tart at the same time. Tantalising.

He smiled.

Excitement rippled low in her belly, blocking everything—nerves, memories, fears. All were swallowed in the rising heat. She shook her head but smiled back. Him wanting her felt good. He grabbed her hand and stormed them up the stairs and through Reception.

‘Hell, you’re not here already, Penny?’ Bleary-eyed, Jed looked up from behind his desk.

She shook her head. ‘You never saw me.’

‘You and I are having a little chat later.’ Carter scowled at Jed and held the door for Penny.

He flagged two taxis.

‘We can’t share?’ she asked.

‘We get in one of those together now and you know we wouldn’t come back. I’ve got work I have to do.’

Eleven hours later, resentment-filled, she figured he’d done a lot of work. By the time she’d got home, showered, changed and returned to the office, he was already back there and concentrating. He hadn’t moved from his chair for hours. She knew because she’d gone into his office a few times—delivering more of the massive numbers of faxes and courier parcels, more wretched files—and he’d ignored her. Hadn’t even looked up, lost in a world of figures and transactions and tiny details.

And she hadn’t been able to concentrate on a thing—all jumpy and excited and impatient. Until the tiredness from the little amount of sleep had eaten her nerves and now she was grumpy and ready to stomp home alone because he hadn’t even said hello to her all day.

Worst of all, it was only just five o’clock. Theoretically she had another couple of hours to put in first. She glared at her computer screen and banged the buttons on the keyboard.

‘So.’ He suddenly leant across her desk. ‘Your place or mine?’

‘So smooth, Carter.’ She stabbed through another couple of keystrokes.

‘Just answer,’ he said roughly, putting his hand over hers. ‘I’m barely able to pull together two syllables I’m that

strung out.’

She looked at his face and was grateful she was sitting down. No muscles could stay firm against the heat in his eyes. And the grip he had on her now was thrillingly tight. It made her feel a lot better about his distance all day and she dropped any idea of holding out for some grovelling.

‘Yours.’ She was glad he’d asked. If she went to his it meant she could leave when she needed to, not have to wait for him to decide to go from hers.