Page 10 of Unraveled

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she snapped back.

“Good. I meant it as one.”

Her gaze met his over the rim of the glass as she took her first sip. He could tell the precise moment the bubbles hit her tongue because her eyes closed in pleasure. He watched, mesmerized, as she drained the glass, then twirled the stem of the flute between her fingers for a moment before glancing up at him.

“So you came all this way to bring me a bottle of champagne?” She lifted the bottle and refilled her glass. “It’s good, don’t get me wrong, and I appreciate the gesture, but I don’t believe you for a second.”

“Fair enough, and true. I was driving past the store when it caught my eye, and it sounded like a good idea at the time.” He shrugged one shoulder. “I actually just wanted to see how you’re doing.”

Surprise flashed in her eyes before she quickly blinked the emotion away, replacing it instead with a cool detachedness. “I’ll be okay. The cut is healing fine, and I’ve been putting cream on it to help with the scarring.”

Her hand automatically lifted to her face, fingertips tenderly brushing the cut. His gaze drifted to the pink line that cut across her forehead and into her hairline. The stitches had come out, but the scar itself was still an angry pink. Ironically, it didn’t detract from her beauty. If anything, it almost brought her down to his level. Not quite, but almost.

She skirted his real question—how she was doing emotionally. He watched her gaze flit around the kitchen, landing on everything but him, and he debated just how far to push her. To Audrey, he was just her lawyer; he wasn’t even a friend she could confide in—yet. Winning her over would be one heck of a journey, and he was going to enjoy it.

He cleared his throat. “I also wanted to bring you the paperwork.”

She snorted, and her hand dropped back to her side as she threw a dubious look his way. “Which you could have mailed.”

“I could have, but I didn’t want to.”

“You came all the way out here just so you could hand-deliver these? Why?”

He took a predatory step toward her, and her eyes widened as she retreated until her back was pressed against the edge of the counter. “Because I couldn’t wait one more minute.”

“For… what?” Her voice was breathless, and the fire in her eyes melted away, revealing a mixture of confusion and… was that desire? He sure hoped so.

“You want to know why I’m here?”

She nodded, eyes hooded and sultry as she watched his every step. He set his glass down with a hard clink and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close. His gaze dropped to her lips.

“This.”

CHAPTER

FIVE

His lips felt warm and firm as he captured her mouth with an almost bruising force. Momentarily caught off guard, Audrey hesitated. The sensation was strangely new, yet undeniably erotic. She hadn’t kissed another man in years.

She had been with Scott since undergrad, almost nine years ago now, and to have another man’s lips on hers felt foreign but oh, so welcome. Kissing Carter was nothing like kissing Scott. The perfunctory pecks she’d received sporadically from her ex-husband couldn’t compare to the passion flowing between Carter’s lips and hers.

Her attention turned back to the man whose mouth hovered just millimeters from hers. Carter had pulled back the barest fraction at her lack of response, and she slowly lifted her gaze to his. Eyes the color of the richest coffee stared deep into hers as if he was looking through her, straight into her soul. Heat curled through her body and for the first time in years, she felt… desired. Wanted. She needed more—she needed him.

Curling one hand into his hair, she yanked his head back down, and their teeth clashed under the raw force of the kiss. His large palms stroked up her back, down over her bottom, lighting every inch of her skin on fire. She shifted, trying to get closer, needing to alleviate the ache between her legs.

She opened her mouth to him, and his tongue swept inside, curling over hers. He tasted of the sparkling, smooth champagne, and she melted against him. His hands cupped her ass, and she sucked in a breath as he lifted her, then settled her on the counter. Pushing her legs wider, he stepped between them, pressing as close as he could get.

His fingertips caught the hem of her shirt, and she lifted her arms, breaking the kiss just long enough for him to pull it over her head and toss it to the floor. She curled her fingers in the fabric of his dress shirt and pulled him back to her once more, needing to taste him again, unable to get enough. It had been so long since she’d felt this way—so long she couldn’t remember anything even remotely comparable.

Warm hands slid over the curve of her hip and around her back. Suddenly, her head felt too heavy for her neck, and it lolled to the side as his thumbs flicked over the sensitive peaks thrusting toward him.

His hands dropped away as his head drooped against the space where her shoulder met her neck. “God, I want you so much. But if you’re not ready…” He trailed off, then pulled back to look at her.

She knew it was wrong. She was still technically married, even though things had been over between Scott and her for months—years, even. Whatever was happening with Carter was different, stronger… more potent. He did something to her that she didn’t understand, and she wanted…

She didn’t know what she wanted. She wanted his addictive kisses. She wanted him to keep touching her. She wanted him to never stop.

Unable to speak, she met his dark gaze and nodded her permission to continue. The air left her lungs in a rush of excitement as he yanked her against him, and she wound her legs around his waist. Although he was only a few inches taller than her own five-nine frame, he carried her from the room like she weighed nothing at all.