Without thinking, my hand reaches up, gripping her hair by the nape of her neck, tugging her face toward mine. Our lips are mere inches apart and I can feel her warm, sweet breath on my lips. Her eyes glaze over and the tiny pinpricks of her pupils dilate into large black orbs. It’s an incredible sight to see how her eye color shifts and I realize she’s wearing contacts.
“Let me tell you something about me, Ella. I don’t like playing games. When I ask you a fu*king question, I expect an honest fu*king answer, not your snotty little comments. I’ll take you and show you exactly how I handle insolent women.”
Her mouth drops at my retort, but the heat in her expression scorches me. I lean in and lightly feather my lips over hers. When I tighten my grip in her hair, she whimpers and my dick throbs behind my zipper. There are so many emotions running through her—fear, elation, desire, and lust—which makes me wonder what exactly she’d do if I took her to my favorite spot in the city and made her come hard.
The electric magnetism that runs between us is alive and well.
“Carter…” She will be my fu*king undoing when she whimpers my name like a needy little slut. There’s nothing more I want than to be inside her right now, but I’m patient.
“Don’t ever fu*king lie to me again.” Before she can respond, I continue, “I’m taking you to dinner this weekend.”
Her brows crease and I release my hold on her hair. She didn’t realize we’d pulled up to her apartment until I let her go.
“I don’t think—”
“I didn’t ask you to think, darling. I told you, I don’t take no for an answer. Sunday. Me. You. Dinner. That gives you a day to prepare.”
Baines opens her door and escorts her to the entrance of her apartment. Before he pulls away I turn to glance at her again, finding her on the threshold of her expensive home. I can’t wait to tell Bennett she’ll be between us soon.
Soon, darling, you’ll be ours.
Ella
When the front door shuts, I lean against it and gradually slide down until my ass hits the floor. There were so many times I should have freaked out. Too many moments when I should have turned around and ran far from Carter Hamilton, but he didn’t scare me.
He did something else to me. He made me ache. He pinned me with a gaze so deep, as if he could see the horrors I’d faced. His eyes pierced me, looking directly into my darkness.
Those full lips he taunted me with sent currents of desire through my body, into my veins, and as the emotion seeped into my bones I knew I was no longer the dirty little girl. I was no longer the tainted whore. I was a woman who was desired.
I toe off my heels and push up from the floor with my body still thrumming. Heading into the kitchen, I open the fridge and grab a bottle of water, hoping it will extinguish the fire that’s been lit low in my belly.
When I flop onto my sofa, I reach for the television remote and turn it on, needing something to distract me. Dinner with Carter is a bad idea. In fact, it’s a terrible idea. But I know I’m not going to be able to stay away from him.
The images on screen do nothing to drag my attention away from Mr. Hamilton and I know I have no choice but to let this play out. As long as he doesn’t find out about my past. Would it be so bad to go for dinner? It’s just one date. Even as the thought comes to me, I know it’s a lie. He doesn’t look like a man who’d just walk away from something he wants. And for some reason, he wants me.
* * *
Rolling over in bed, I groan, knowing I have to go into the office, even though it’s a Saturday. I reach for my phone and find a message from Carter.
Carter: Good morning, Princess. I trust you’ll have a good day. I will because you’re on my mind.
This message is evidence enough that he doesn’t take no for an answer. I’m not used to it. All my past relationships, if you can call them that, I’ve pushed the men away when they got too pushy or forceful and none of them pursued me after that. They’d all walked away happily from me. But Carter, he’s different. He’s definitely forceful, but even so, the fear that normally cripples me doesn’t come.
Me: Do you always message women who don’t agree to go out with you?
Carter: Especially those. Did I mention I love a challenge?
With his snarky reply, I can’t stop the giggle that escapes my lips. As if I’m a teenager with her first boyfriend. In so many respects, I suppose I am. I’ve never really been through this flirty stage with someone. The few I have been with were merely innocent blind dates, nothing more.
There weren’t flowers and messages. And then there was the monster who took and took even though I didn’t give. Before I can respond, my phone buzzes. Sliding my finger across the screen, I answer the man who’s made a charm of hummingbirds’ flutter about in my belly.
“Hello,” I answer, my voice still raspy from sleep.
“Ella,” he whispers the word as if he’s caressing it. “I wanted to hear your voice.”
I smile. My face aches with all the grinning he’s made me do. He breathes steadily into the phone, which seems to calm me.
“And this is my voice. How are you today?” I question, finding myself flirting easily.
“I’m tempted to pick you up and take you to work. Do you think you’d want to spend time alone in the car with me?” he quips and I can hear the smirk on his face.
“Perhaps. No funny business?” I question in jest, trying to lighten my tone, but fail when I hear his heavy sigh. It’s clear he’s trying and I’m still so fu*king scared.
“Ella, I may be a pain in the arse, but I’ll never make you do something you don’t want to. Come on, I’m heading in to see Bennett anyway,” he responds.
“Fine, you can pick me up. I’ll be ready in an hour.”
“Perfect, I’ll see you soon, Princess.”
With that he hangs up and I close my eyes, savoring the word princess as I replay it in my head, recalling his gravelly timbre. Pushing off the bed, I head into the bathroom and start getting ready. If he’s that adamant to woo me, I’ll give him a chance.
Exactly an hour after his call the buzzer for my apartment rings through the expansive kitchen and living room. Dropping the yogurt container in the trash, I head to answer before it rings again. “Hello, Carter.”
“Ella, would you like me to come up?” His tone is light and I can tell he’s smiling.
“It’s okay, I’ll be down in a few minutes.” Before he can respond, I hang up and grab my purse. I’ve decided on a black knee-length woolen dress that’s warm enough I don’t need a coat. In the elevator, I inhale deep, calming breaths, hoping to relax before I come face-to-face with the man who haunted my dreams.
As the silver doors slide open, he steps forward and immediately my heart leaps into my throat, thrumming wildly at how sexy he is. Those eyes that shimmer like the ocean at night with the reflection of the moon in them. There’s a dark dusting of stubble on his angular jaw and his tousled hair looks as if he’s run his hand through it a few times.
Dressed in an exquisite charcoal Armani suit and a crisp white dress shirt, he looks like he should be on the cover for the most eligible bachelor. And he probably is.