Back to the Drawing Board (30 page)

Tears accumulated in her eyes. “I hate this,” she whispered.

“I know, baby. You can’t control it, though. If this is what he wants to do, you have to accept it. I wanted to tell you one more thing.”

She lifted weary eyes to mine. “What’s that?”

“When we leave here, I’m going back to Denver and having a meeting with your parents.”

“About?”

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, ever since you disappeared on Monday. I’m going to thank them for the amazing opportunity they gave me, but that I won’t be returning to my internship.”

“No. Carter, you can’t do that.”

“I can, and I will. You and I, Julia, we’ll figure out where to go together. If you want to leave Denver and go somewhere else, I’ll be right by your side. If you want to stay and continue your work with Colorado Cares, I’ll be there too. If you want to start your own interior design company, I’ll find another place to intern and eventually work. But what I won’t do is continue at GSJ.”

“Why?”

I pushed her backwards and hovered over her, kissing her soft lips. “Because love not only shows up, it stands up. This is me, standing up for you.”

Tears shimmered in her eyes, but they didn’t fall. Her response was to lift my shirt and throw it on the floor, followed by my jeans. We didn’t speak a word as we undressed each other, finally lying naked in each other’s arms.

“You don’t have to do that, you know,” she said finally.

“Shhh,” I said, silencing her from further comments with my mouth and hands. She moaned as I caressed her with my tongue, fisting her hands in my hair as I continued further, teasing her.

“Carter . . .” She wrapped her hands around me, stroking me into oblivion as we moved slowly, kissing, touching and caressing like it was the first time. Because it was. The first time we both knew exactly how the other felt. There were no more secrets or uncertainties. She was mine, and I was hers. For the first time in my life, I felt completely content with the decisions I was going to make.

“Make love to me,” she whispered. Our eyes met, and we held our gaze as I moved gently into her, her eyes fluttering closed for a second as a moan escaped from both of us.

“Heaven,” I said. “Right here.” I lifted her arms above her head and intertwined our fingers as we moved together. The only sound in the room was our soft moans. She pushed her heels into my backside as our pace picked up, and I couldn’t help but to release one of her hands and use mine to lift her leg, changing our intensity.

Julia moaned my name, using her free hand to touch my chest and abs. She then reached between us and caressed, feeling where we were joined, the whole time looking directly into my eyes. I kissed down her leg as our lovemaking became louder, more intense.

“Now, Carter. Now,” she demanded, wiggling out of my grasp and using both of her hands to hold onto my thighs. I lifted her, pulling her closer and drove it home, sending us both spiraling out of control. I mirrored what she’d done earlier, touching her where we were joined, and she writhed under my touch, gripping the sheets as I sent her over again.

I leaned over and kissed her. “I love you, Julia.” She smiled, her dimple exposed. “And I freaking
love
that dimple. It just might be my most favorite body part. The first time you smiled at me and I saw that, I was gone.” I pressed my lips to said spot, causing her to giggle.

“Your most
favorite
body part is my
dimple
? Really?” She indicated her naked body, still under mine. “Well okay then, Mr. McIntyre. I guess I’ll say my favorite body part on you is your . . .” She looked me up and down, stopping her gaze quite south. “Blue eyes.”

We both laughed, and I pulled her over so she was lying on top of me. “I do love your dimple,” I said. “I also love your eyes, your gorgeous hair, the body that won’t quit, and . . .” I put my lips at her ear and whispered the rest.

“I love you, Carter. Thank you.”

“Thank me for what?”

“For everything. You know how I said before that I always called you on your bullshit? Well, you’ve now done the same for me. Thank you for not giving up, for knowing better than to believe what I was saying. I never want to be the reason you regret anything, though, so please think about what you’re going to do.”

“I already have, for the entire time you were gone. I’ve never been so panicked in my life, Julia. I’d just stare at the ceiling at night, my mind racing a million miles an hour on the things I’d done wrong, whether I could’ve prevented what happened, what I would do to have you call me back or knock on the door. All the things I’d say.”

“I’m sorry. I was so selfish. I just couldn’t see past my own guilt and pain. I thought it would be best for me to go away.”

“Stop saying you’re sorry. You don’t have anything to be sorry for. I think in a way, it was good.”

“Why?”

“It gave me all that time to think about what I was doing, how I felt, and what I needed to do in my life. Plus, my parents and Johnny helped.”

“How?”

“My parents were the first ones to say I loved you. They didn’t get to meet you of course, but they watched me all week. We even had our Friends Thanksgiving while they were here, and I tried. God knows I tried to enjoy myself. We all did. But we were worried sick about you.”

Julia sighed. “I missed everything. I bet they’re all so mad at me.”

“No one is mad at you. Everyone was worried. They’re glad you’re okay and here with me. Anyway, when my parents said I was in love with you, I denied it. Then Johnny said the same thing, and I sat there like, shit. They’re right. All of them. They can all see it, and I’m trying to deny it. Not because I didn’t want to be, but because I was scared. So because of all of this, it made me realize what I wanted, what I needed.”

“Are your parents going to even want to meet me now?”

“Julia. They’re the nicest people in the world. My dad said before we both got on our flights that he’d better hear from me that I’d gotten you back and that we were coming to Florida to visit for Christmas.”

She laughed. “I think I’m going to love them. And I’d love to go to Florida for Christmas. I can’t wait to see where you grew up and meet your family.”

I sat up, holding on to Julia as I adjusted us into a sitting position. I hugged her tightly. “I can’t believe it.”

“Believe what?”

“That this is happening. That we’re here, together. You want to go home with me and meet my family. That I’m in love with you. Hopelessly, crazy in love with you.”

“Well believe it, handsome,” Julia said. “I’m hopelessly, crazy in love with you, too. Now, you want to know what I want?”

“Name it.”

She turned her head and looked across the room. “Remember that one time you told me something about a fantasy of yours?”

“Everything including you is a fantasy.”

She shook her head. “No. There was one about a coat and a desk?”

She got my attention, in more than one place. I followed her gaze and saw the desk across the room where we’d thrown our things when we came in.

“Go into the bathroom,” she said, climbing off my lap. “And wait for me to call you out.”

I stood, and her eyes zeroed in on what effect she’d had on me with that mental picture. Her eyes followed me until I walked into the bathroom. I blew her a kiss and she caught it, and then signaled for me to shut the door.

I stood at the sink, looking at myself in the mirror. It had been a hellish few days, but we were here together. My head was still swimming at everything I’d found out and had happened. I hoped Johnny could find a way to get himself out of there, for Julia’s sake. Living with that guilt was going to be hard to handle.

I could hear her moving around out there, and I smiled at my reflection. I looked happy. I
was
happy. I couldn’t wait to take her home with me. The rest of it I was going to put out of my head for now. Dealing with my job, where we were going to go, all of that could be handled later.

“Car-ter! Come on out! We have a meeting, remember?”

My eyes widened. My girl was hot, and she just ratcheted it up a few million degrees.

MY HANDS SHOOK AS THE
bathroom door opened and Carter stepped out. He’d wrapped a towel around his waist, but it didn’t hide the obvious arousal behind it. I’d never done anything like this, but now was as good a time as any, right?

I sat behind the desk, my hair up in a bun and my coat buttoned completely. As requested, I had nothing on underneath it, not even a sexy bra or panties. It felt good to let loose a little after the crazy stress of this week. I couldn’t stop grinning. Carter told me he loved me. He told me he loved me
first
. He fought for me. He wanted me.

“You called for me, Ms. Gibbons?” Carter stepped up to the desk. “I finished those plans you wanted done. Would you like me to show them to you?”

Oh, he was good at this. “Yes I would, Mr. McIntyre. I hope they are to my satisfaction.”

“You’re going to have to get up and let me get to your computer so I can pull them up.” Of course, we had no computer, but I went with it. I stood, pushing the chair back as Carter walked around and stood behind me. He leaned over.

“You smell so
good
, Ms. Gibbons,” he said, making goose bumps prickle down my body.

“Mr. McIntyre, let’s keep on track. We have a lot to do today.”

“Oh yes, the plans. I’m going to need you to move this way so I can get to the computer.” I shifted, and he placed his hands on my hips. “No.
This way
.” He pulled me into him so there was no space in between us.

“Do you like this
proposal
?” he growled into my ear, grinding against me.

“It may need a few adjustments,” I said, turning to face him. His eyes followed my fingers as I began to unbutton my jacket. “Is this acceptable?”

“These
ideas
need further investigation.” He removed my fingers and continued unbuttoning the jacket himself. I was losing control and fast. The thing was, I didn’t care. I’d tried to be in control for too long. It was time to enjoy someone else taking the reins.

He reached the last button, and the jacket fell open. Carter gripped the lapels of my jacket and pulled me to him, taking my lips with his. He let go, snaking his arms under the jacket and to my naked body underneath.

“These blueprints are almost perfect,” he whispered against my lips. “Turn around.”

Need clenched low in my belly as I listened. He pulled my hair from its bun, and it cascaded around me. He fisted it gently, pulling me back so he could reach around and kiss my neck.

“Mr. McIntyre,” I purred. “I didn’t know I had
this
type of proposal.”

“You do now,” he said. “This fine body in this jacket, you’re going to get all sorts of
layouts
, Ms. Gibbons.” He lifted the jacket, caressing my body and making me almost pant with need.

“But first, there’s one more thing.”

“What’s that?”

“The plans can’t be complete with this
boulder
in the way. We’re going to have to remove it.” When he began pulling on the jacket, I assisted, shoving it down my shoulders and arms. It fell in between us on the floor and he kicked it away.

“Oh yes. The extraction of that boulder now makes the design ready to go.”

“Not exactly, Mr. McIntyre. There’s one more thing that must be done first.” I reached around and tugged the towel until it joined the jacket on the floor. “There. Now plans are set.”

“Oh yes, that’s good, Ms. Gibbons. I like a lady that remembers all the details. Now, lean over the desk and hold the edge.”

I did as he said, leaning over and closing my eyes, ready for him. Beyond ready. His hands roamed my body, starting at my ankles and moving north, stopping so he could grip my bottom and then he moved up to my back and shoulders.

“Perfection. Your body is better than the best architectural design any man could come up with. It’s a masterpiece.” He placed kisses along my spine, his hands gripping my hips as he rubbed against me. I wanted nothing more than to touch him, but I held on instead. The anticipation of what his next move would be had me a puddle of want. If he didn’t do something soon, I might beg.