After a particularly interesting article, she looked up at the sound of voices close by and saw a tall, slender, raven-haired woman talking to Millie, pointing toward Linc’s office. She was wearing a sleeveless dove gray dress with white trim, a slim skirt that fell midcalf, with a wide self-belt, definitely a designer brand. The garment curved perfectly over her hips, and sky-high heels pushed her to over six feet.
The woman had a fabulous figure and she was stunningly beautiful.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Aiello,” Millie said. “Linc is tied up all day. There’s no way you can get in to see him.”
“That is ridiculous. Please tell him Sophia is here. We must discuss the gala coming up next week. We need to talk, finalize our plans for next Saturday night. I must have time to choose the right gown to wear.”
Millie shook her head. “I’m sorry. Mr. Cain gave me strict instructions he isn’t to be disturbed. You might try calling him later. Or perhaps tomorrow.”
The woman’s plump lips turned down in a pout. “Linc will be very angry when he finds out Sophia was here and you would not let her see him.”
“I’m sorry,” Millie firmly repeated.
“Fine.” The woman spun around and swanned elegantly across the carpet to the elevator. The doors slid open with ading. She stepped inside, pushed the button, the doors closed, and the woman disappeared.
Carly just sat there. Her stomach was churning as if she’d swallowed a handful of rocks. Her breath seemed to be stuck in her chest. It was insane. She had no claim on Lincoln Cain. So they’d slept together. So what? They were both adults. She’d wanted him and he’d wanted her.
Aside from that he was just trying to help her, doing her grandfather a favor.
She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, suddenly weary. Surely she hadn’t thought it was more than just sex. Linc was a normal, red-blooded male, and sex was always on a man’s mind. At the moment, he was enamored of her because she was someone new.
She thought of him with the gorgeous raven-haired woman. He’d bespending next Saturday night with her. Carly wondered what excuse he would come up with. Or maybe he would just tell her the truth. He’d never said their relationship would be exclusive.
Her eyes burned. Why did it always turn out this way?
Because men were jerks and that wasn’t going to change. Surely she had learned that lesson by now.
At the sound of footsteps, she looked up to see Millie standing in front of her. “It’s not what you think.”
Carly sat up a little straighter, embarrassed the woman had caught her eavesdropping. “I-I don’t know what you mean.”
“That was Sophia Aiello. She’s aVoguecover model. She and Linc are slated to attend a charity event together a week from Saturday. It’s just a publicity stunt to help raise money. Linc has no interest in Sophia . . . though I won’t deny she might have considerable interest in him.”
Carly didn’t doubt that. She shrugged as if it didn’t matter, tried to will the ache in her chest to ease. “It’s none of my business.”
“Maybe not. But Linc’s never invited a woman into his private suite. Special circumstances or not, he took you in there. Whatever is or isn’t going on between the two of you, I don’t want that catty, spoiled little . . .Italianto give you a false impression.”
Carly forced herself to smile. “Thank you.”
But in truth, it was exactly the right impression. Somehow, with all the trouble swirling around her, she had let down her guard, let Lincoln Cain slip beneath her defenses.
She’d started to trust him. To believe he was somehow different. She’d slept with him. More than that. She’d given herself more freely than she had ever done before.
Just thinking of what they had done in bed made her red with embarrassment. It made her want to drag him back to the bedroom and have mindless, scorching, totally amazing sex with him again.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
Millie turned and went back to her desk and Carly looked back at her computer screen. She tried to immerse herself in Drake Trucking business and not think about Cain, but it was impossible to do.
She made it through the next two hours, but when Linc appeared in the cubicle and asked if she wanted to go to supper before they went back home, she told him she had a headache—which by then was true—and she didn’t feel up to going.
He cast her a glance. “All right. The helicopter is waiting whenever we’re ready.”
She just nodded. She packed up her computer and they headed for the roof. She hoped the headache excuse would be enough to get him to let her sleep in one of the other bedrooms. Tomorrow she would tell him she had changed her mind, that she wanted to return to her own home, that she appreciated his help, but from now on, she could take care of herself.
The flight back was quick and uneventful. All the way there, Linc watched her. By the time they reached the ranch house, her heart hurt and despair had her mouth so dry she could barely speak. As soon as they walked through the door, she headed for the kitchen to get a drink of water and distance herself from Linc.
As if he had some kind of Carly radar, he followed her into the room and just stood watching her. She worked to keep her hand steady as she finished the water and set the glass down in the sink.
