So, Carter had given him a job in his garage. Which meant that he would have to find something for the kid to do when he moved back to Charlotte…if he moved back to Charlotte. If, if, if.
Letting his head fall back against the headrest, he considered driving his truck into the ocean. That made about as much sense as giving Beau a job and getting involved with Melanie.
Only it made complete sense. Yeah, he was completely screwed.
Chapter Six
Melanie flipped down the visor and took one last look at herself, before heading inside to Carter’s office. Her make-up was subdued, her hair straight as a board (and boring as one) and there was nothing remotely sexy about her outfit.
She got out of her old Honda, locking the door behind her.
Her borrowed lime green skirt swished around her legs as she walked, gravel made of oyster shells and rock crunching under her boots. The skirt was supposed to be ankle length, only she had borrowed it from Zoe who was about four inches shorter and had had it hemmed.
A cold breeze blew, making her wrap the bright orange wool cardigan tighter around her. It was possibly the most hideous outfit she’d ever worn. What looked cute on her best friend, made Melanie look like a Halloween costume gone wrong.
Carter blinked at her a couple of times as she walked through the garage. In his hand he held some kind of tool and there was a black smudge on his cheek. The dark grey thermal t-shirt he wore emphasized his muscular arms, and she knew that if he gave her the back view of his jeans, her lady parts would get all tingly.
Stupid lady parts.
“Morning,” he said, setting the tool down and grabbing a cloth. Walking toward her, he wiped off his hands and smiled. “There’s fresh pot of coffee in there.”
“I don’t drink coffee, and you missed a spot on your cheek.”
“Not you, too.” After wiping off his face, he threw the towel in a hamper by the office door. “I need at least two cups before I even feel human.”
“Maybe I’m just too dumb to know any better,” she snapped, then inwardly cringed. This wasn’t how to keep a job. Thanks to her lack of good judgment and ability to tell time, she couldn’t tell Carter to take his assistant position and shove it.
His deep green eyes grew serious. “I don’t think you’re dumb.”
“But you said—”
“I know what I said. And it came out all wrong. I’d like for you to forgive me and for us to start over.” He moved closer to her and she had to tilt her head back look at him. Something she thought was sexy as hell. Being five foot eight, it made her feel all dainty when she wore heels and a man towered over her. Well, not a man. Carter.
She frowned at her wayward thoughts.
Misunderstanding her frown, he took a step forward. “Tell me what I have to do to fix it. This isn’t us.”
“There isn’t an ‘us’, Carter.”
He took another step forward and she stepped back, glancing over her shoulder. They repeated their dance until he’d managed to shepherd her into his office and shut the door behind him. “I made it pretty damn clear last night—”
She pushed at his chest, her palm meeting with muscles so hard that she wanted to weep. “You made it perfectly clear that I’m fine to mess around with in the dark, where no one can see.”
His brows drew together, perfect lips thinning. “I had your nipple in my mouth when Jack came storming out there. He could see everything. Everything he had no damn business or right to see.”
Was Carter being possessive? Maybe even a little jealous? A wicked part of her wanted to find out the truth. “Who says he hadn’t already seen everything.”
He was on her so quickly that her heart barely had time to beat twice. “He won’t be seeing everything ever again.”Carter’s voice was smooth and calm, in direct conflict with the fury in his eyes. Strong hands tightened around her upper arms.
“I’m a grown woman. If I want to prance up and down Broad Street wearing nothing but two band-aids and a leaf, there’s nothing you can do about it.” She tried wiggling out of his embrace, but his grip was like steel bands. “You don’t own me.”
“Damn, but you drive me crazy.” He brushed his lips over hers and she shivered. “Always have.”
“The feeling’s entirely mutual.”
“Is it now?” he asked with a smile so smug that she wanted to wipe it off his face. He bent his head down, his breath hot on her neck. “Last night I dreamed about you.”
Her head fell back of its own accord as his tongue traced a path along her jaw. She could barely get out the words, “You did?”
“Oh yeah,” his voice had gone deep, almost guttural sounding. “You showed up at my garage wearing a trench coat with nothing but stocking and garters on underneath. And stilettos. Can’t forget those.”
She could stop herself from asking, “Then what happened?”
“Why don’t I show you?” He lifted her in his arms, his large hands cupping her butt. A good thing since her knees had ceased to exist. Unable to speak, she wrapped her legs around his waist, his erection deliciously pressing against her sex. He set her down on the edge of his desk and smiled like the confident man he’d become. “Never took you for the quiet type.”
“Never took you for the type that never shuts up,” she said, leaning back and propped her arms on the desktop while he made quick work of the buttons on her cardigan.
“You can shut me up anytime, baby.”
Eyeing the large Crown Royale clock over the door, she said, “You’ve got ten minutes.”
He pushed the cups of her bra down until her br**sts popped out, tight ni**les begging for his attention. “Fast is for the racetrack, not the bedroom.” He tweaked a hard peak and her hips jerked.
“An assistant is for working, not screwing on top of your desk during business hours,” she panted. No way in hell they’d have sex while she was on the clock.
Green eyes laced with bits of black glinted. “Ten minutes it is.” Then he sealed his mouth over hers. Her hands went to his head, curling her fingers into his short strands of hair. He tasted of coffee and mint…and Carter. All male and all hers.
Large hands slid under her skirt, up her bare thighs until he discovered what she wasn’t wearing. “Ah, hell…no panties,” he growled against her mouth. “So damn wet.”
She gasped as he thrust two fingers inside of her, his thumb finding her clitoris with a practiced ease.