My subconscious answered my question when a smile sprang on my lips as I stared in the mirror, remembering our phone conversation the night before. Carter called every night, even the evenings he was at work. I appreciated that he usually waited until after eight-thirty when Diego went to bed. Since the first night, there hadn’t been anymore interruptions from members of his team. He’d told me he’d made it very clear to them that unless something was on fire not to interrupt him while he was on the phone. I grinned at the threat that was laced in his voice when he told me that.
You like him. A lot.The voice in my head was only confirming what I already knew. There was no amount of stopping my feelings as far as Carter Townsend was concerned.
A knock sounded on my door and a wave of anticipation moved through my entire body.
“Coming!” I called out, hurrying to the door. I reached the door and paused, taking a deep breath before twisting the knob and pulling it open. My breath hitched in my throat as soon as I did.
No words were spoken. Those profound eyes, the color of the Caribbean ocean, ate me up from head to toe. He began at my face, scanning it before moving lower, slowly roving over the exposed skin of my chest and cleavage. His eyes darkened as they trailed my body. I swear I could actually feel his gaze almost as much as if it were his touch. I swallowed deeply when I actually saw his eyes blaze upon spotting the heels I wore. Those same orbs moved back to my face, and before I knew what was happening, I was in his arms, his lips on mine and his hand cupping the back of my head, holding me in place.
I gripped onto his shoulder for leverage, and acquiesced to his firm lips because my body was in no position to turn him down. And he knew it, too. He took his fill of me, licking and tasting every part of my mouth that I’d opened up to him. Before long, he pulled back, pressing his forehead against mine.
“I told myself I’d keep my hands off of you until after dinner, but you’re making it hard in those heels, sugar.”
Why did it feel as if his words had reached down into the lace panties I wore and ran his tongue along my sensitized clit? Because, that’s essentially what they’d done. No man had ever looked at me so deeply, so hungrily before. I knew what it was like to be lusted after and to be wanted but this was so much more than that.
“Do you always open the door without checking to see who’s on the other side first?”
I blinked and furrowed my eyebrows, still in a trance from his kiss. “What?”
“The door. You just opened. Didn’t check the peephole first.”
“I knew it was you.”
I hadn’t finished the sentence before he was shaking his head, his lips forming into a thin line. “Safety first. Check the peephole always.”
I pulled my head back slightly to get a better view of him. “I’ve lived on my own for more than a decade.”
“Good. Then checking the peephole from here on out won’t be a problem.”
My response was cut off by another kiss. He released me and stepped back, licking his lips as if he was tasting me all over again.
“You look beautiful, by the way.” He grinned and his eyes shone, relaying the honesty in his words. I forgot whatever comeback I had for his comments on the peephole just that quickly.
“Where’s the little guy?” he asked, looking around.
“Out with my mother.” I turned back and saw the disappointment on Carter’s face. “Why?”
I watched as his hand went into his pocket and he pulled out a toy fire truck.
“Brought this for him. He asked for one. It’s signed by all the guys at the station, too.”
I took the toy from his hand and looked it over, noting the different signatures.
“He’s been talking about firefighters and firetrucks for the last two weeks.”
Carter’s smile grew.
“You didn’t have to do this.” I held up the truck.
“’Course I did. Little guy was asking about it last time I was here.”
“Thank you.” I placed the toy truck on the glass table that sat next to the couch a few feet from the door. I pulled the light spring jacket I opted to bring with me, along with my black clutch.
“Ready?”
“All set,” I responded.
Carter stepped out ahead of me and I locked the door and closed it behind me. I watched, confused when he reached around me and twisted the knob, ensuring it was locked.
