The Undercover Playboy (Captured by Love Book 3) (7 page)

A tear fell and she wiped it with irritation. As if all her positive
self-talk could lessen the pain of this particular rejection. Who was she kidding?

Lucky she had a great job she was already loving. Nothing like being busy to keep her mind off matters of the heart. She’d never had much luck in the love department. Obviously, the situation hadn’t changed.

*****

C
assie felt Carter standing by her office doorway even before he spoke.

“Cass.”

She looked up
from the file she was reading. “Hi, Carter. Here to make me safe from electrocution?”

Carter smiled. “Yeah.”

“Sure. Come on in. And don’t mind me. I’m just getting myself up to speed with some company stuff.”

She tried to ignore the riotous emotions swirling through her body as Carter went to settle himself next to the wall sockets. Why the hell was it so difficult to switch off these stupid
feelings?

She held her head in her hands as she tried to concentrate on the document she was studying. But the words and numbers wouldn’t register. Her heart was pumping too fast, and every beat stirred hurt and regret, bringing them to the surface—along with her yearning for Carter.

She’d dreamt about him again last night. Her same horny dream. Only this time, Carter had stared at her with
such love and tenderness while he’d made love to her. When she’d awoken, that magical feeling had swiftly dissipated, replaced by the harsh truth that it wasn’t real.

She’d cried, a lot, and mourned the love that never was and never would be.

Her eyes pooled at the memory. Oh, no.

She stood up, needing to escape. In her haste, she hit Carter with the steel legs of her chair. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

“No worries, it didn’t hurt,” he said with a grin, which quickly disappeared when he looked at her face. “Cassie...”

“I need to go to the bathroom.”

She stayed away for a long time until she was sure that Carter was done working in her office.

*****

“
I need to go to my mum’s tonight, Cass,” Natasha said.

“Is everything okay?” Cassie asked as she stirred her bolognese sauce in the pan.

“Yes.
She just needs my help with something. I was so looking forward to your spaghetti, but I won’t be joining you for dinner.”

“No worries. There’ll be plenty left over.”

“Great. I’ll see you later tonight—or maybe tomorrow, depending on how late my mum keeps me.”

“Okay. Say hello to your parents for me.”

“I will. Bye!”

Cassie breathed a sigh of gratitude. She was glad to be alone. She didn’t
feel like talking to anyone, not even her best friends. And while Natasha was a great, supportive buddy, she was still Carter’s sister.

She mixed some sauce and cooked spaghetti in a bowl and went to sit on the couch in front of the TV. She flicked the channels, searching for a comedy show or something light that would help alleviate the heavy sadness that sat in her chest like a rock.

She heard
a knock. Ah, Natasha must have left her keys.

She placed her bowl on the coffee table and went to answer the door. Her heart jumped. “Oh, it’s you.”

“Don’t you even check who it is before you open the door?” Carter asked with a frown, hands on hips.

“I thought you were Tash,” she said dryly.

“She would have let herself in.”

“I thought she left her keys.”

“It could have been a robber wanting
to tie you up,” Carter said with a shake of his head as he walked into the apartment.

She rolled her eyes. “This is a safe building. And I assume you only got in because you bumped into Tash downstairs.”

“No. Someone else was going out so I slipped in. Anyone else can do what I just did.” His expression changed. “Mmm. Something smells good. Is there some more?” he asked, eyeing her bowl of pasta.

She stared at him in dismay. He meant to hang around? Why was he even here? “Do you know that Tash went to your parents’?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Shouldn’t you join them?”

“No.”

“Today is Tuesday.”

“Yup.”

“You usually join us for dinner on Thursdays.”

Carter faced her. “I wanted to see you.”

She let out a heavy sigh.

“Yes,” Carter said.

“What?”

“To your suggestion last night. Yes.”

She looked
down on the ground, tears springing to her eyes. This was worse than his rejection yesterday. “No, Carter.”

“Cassie—”

She smiled at him mirthlessly. “You’re sweet, Carter. But I don’t want a pity fuck.”

His jaw dropped. “A pity fuck? You think I’m here for a pity fuck?” he asked incredulously.

She smirked. Why else would he have changed his mind? He’d just felt guilty after seeing her teary
earlier today.

Carter approached her. “I’m not here out of pity,” he said in a low voice.

She took a couple of steps back. He was getting too close for comfort. And why was he looking at her like that? “Carter...”

“I’m here because I can’t stay the hell away from you.”

She forced a chuckle, backing away some more. “Carter, seriously, everything’s cool. You don’t need to make me feel better.
But thank you for trying.”

Carter continued to saunter towards her.

“It was just an idea that I had,” she said weakly.

He narrowed his eyes and moved closer still.

She felt the wall on her back. Damn it! “What are you doing, Carter?” she asked, breathless.

“Trying to have a conversation with you. What are
you
doing?”

“You’re standing too close.”

“Who else is on your list?”

She blinked,
her mind blank. “What are you talking about?”

“The list of guys you planned to have one-night stands with.”

She shut her eyes. “Carter, I don’t really feel like talking about this.”

Carter lifted her head with a finger under her chin to force her to look at him, and her breathing stopped at the intense look in his eyes.

“I want to know who else is on that list,” he said.

“Why?”

“So I could
deck them.”

Her lips tugged upwards. “You’re sweet. But I’m fine.”

“I didn’t come here to make you feel better, Cassie,” he said insistently. “Well, I did, but not in the way you’re thinking.”

She exhaled loudly, rolling her eyes upwards to lighten the situation even as her heart constricted. “I can take rejection, Carter. It’s not a big deal.”

“It isn’t?”

“No. Did you think I was teary earlier
today because of you? It was about something else,” she said with a laugh. Did that sound forced?

Carter braced himself against the wall, his arms on either side of her. He was scowling, and she was trapped.

Damn him. Why was he crowding her? And why did his body have to emanate that searing heat that was making her weak at the knees? Damn it!

“Was I the first one you asked?” he rumbled.

“Um... yeah.” Was that relief that crossed his face?

“The only one?”

She nodded, unable to look away from his earnest gaze.

“Good. ’Cause you won’t have to ask anyone else.”

A gush of air escaped her lungs, her heart galloping in her chest. Thank God she had the wall behind her for support. “What are you saying?” she asked feebly.

Carter smiled—a tender, sweet smile that robbed her of more
oxygen.

“If you insist on having a one-night stand right now, then I’m your man,” he said softly. “All that was keeping me from asking you out before were my work commitments and the thought that you weren’t into casual.”

She stared at him, his words taking a few seconds to sink in. “Why was your work stopping you?” she croaked.

“Because I have other jobs on the side and I’m working towards
deadlines. I get too busy and my hours get too unpredictable. It’s similar to you saying you don’t have time to date seriously when you have your studies and a new job to juggle.”

She couldn’t stop gawking. Was he serious? Should she believe him and open herself up to more hurt and humiliation later?

Carter cupped her face. “Cassandra Stephens, do you know how long I’ve wanted you?”

“How long?”
she asked dumbly.

“Too damned long,” he murmured, caressing her cheeks with his thumbs.

“Why me?” she asked, her brows furrowing.

“Why you?” he asked with a laugh. “Because you’re so hot and you make me so fucking horny,” he said, snaking his arm around her waist and pulling her flush to his body.

She gasped. Was he... hard already?

Carter ran a knuckle on her jaw. “Do you know why I come
here a lot when I could just as easily spend time with Tash when we go see our parents?”

She shook her head, mesmerised by the heat in his eyes.

“Because it’s you I want to see, that’s why. Because I enjoy flirting with you, then go home and fantasise about you when I’m lying in my bed.”

Cassie blushed. Not just her face but her whole body.

“Cass, I know we both have other things we want to
achieve before wanting to be in a relationship. But will you be okay with taking it one date at a time? Just have fun with each other with no promises or commitments until we’re both ready for it?”

She gulped. Her voice had deserted her. Or maybe she was in shock.

“And I won’t let you have one-night stands with other guys,” Carter said in a harder tone, frowning.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes. I
am.”

The look in Carter’s eyes forced her to let her guard down, and instantly, delight and relief filled her. She gave in to her emotions and curved her arms around his neck, unable to smother the wide grin that formed on her face.

Carter’s reply was a dazzling smile. And slowly—ever so slowly—he leaned down to capture her mouth.

Electricity zinged through her at that first touch of their
lips. Carter’s kiss was soft yet insistent, his tongue seeking hers and exploring her mouth. She couldn’t help but tighten her arms around his neck. And, oh God, yes, he was already hard.

Carter let out a groan. “Do you want to know exactly what I’ve fantasised about, Cassie?” he asked, palming her ass and pressing her closer to him.

More moisture pooled between her legs. “Yes.”

“I’ve fantasised
about touching your bare skin,” Carter murmured against her lips as his hands snaked under her shirt and roamed her back.

Her breath hitched and, mindless, she lifted her right leg to give his hips more access between her thighs.

“Cassie,” Carter grunted, grinding his pelvis against hers as he recaptured her mouth for the most searing kiss she’d ever had.

She was lost. All memories of her horny
Carter dreams were rushing in, but they paled in comparison to what was happening in the here and now. And they’d barely just begun.

Carter fumbled with her bra fastenings, unclasping them in a couple of seconds. She gasped when his warm hand cupped a breast, the roughness in his palm exciting her even more.

“I’ve been wanting to touch you like this for so long, Cassie,” he rasped as his thumbs
made circular motions on her already hardened nipples.

“Carter,” she whimpered, throwing her head back against the wall in pleasure.

Carter was quick to capitalise. His mouth travelled to her neck, kissing, laving and nipping.

She didn’t know whether she’d jumped up or whether Carter had lifted her—or whether they’d both moved in unspoken accord. But both her legs were now wrapped around his
waist and he was carrying her to her bedroom, their lips fusing once again.

Carter put her down by the foot of the bed. She clung to him, her knees feeling like jello. Was this really happening? Or was she having another dream?

“Talk to me,” she whispered, placing a palm on his face. In her dreams, Carter had never spoken a word.

Carter lifted an eyebrow as he gently brushed a strand of hair
off her face. “Talk? What do you want to talk about?”

She shrugged. “Maybe you can continue telling me about your fantasies?” she asked shyly.

Carter grinned. “Ahh, so dirty talk turns you on, huh?” he said, nuzzling her cheek.

“That’s not the reason,” she said in giggly protest.

“No?” he said, grasping the hem of her shirt and lifting it off her. “So if I say I can’t wait to take your nipple
in my mouth and flick it with my tongue, that doesn’t do anything?” he asked in a sexy voice.

She gulped. Damn, that sounded good. Real good. Not just what he’d said but how he’d said it.

“Or,” Carter said, pulling her to him and leaning to speak in her ear. “What if I say I can’t wait to lick your pussy and make you come with my mouth?”

“Carter...” she said, meaning for his name to sound like
a protest, but it came out like a breathless swoon.

“I want to see how wet you are, baby,” Carter murmured as he tugged her leggings down.

“I’m soaked,” she answered. What was the point of acting coy? Never before had she felt lust this strong. And it had thrown modesty out the window. “Touch me and find out for yourself.”

“Argh, Cassie,” Carter groaned, his movements much quicker as he divested
her of her remaining clothing before lifting her and dropping her on the bed.

She laughed, thrilled by his obvious excitement.

Carter stared at her, his eyes sweeping her naked form from head to toe with an expression filled with... awe?

Her eyes misted. This man, who could have anyone he wanted, was adoring her with his eyes. If this were but a dream, she definitely didn’t want to wake up.

Her gaze went to his crotch just as Carter climbed on the bed, his look pleasingly predatory.

“Wait,” she said, scrambling to sit up. “I need to have you naked,” she said, reaching for his jeans button.

Carter didn’t say anything. He just kneeled on the bed so she could work on his fly, his breathing heavy.

She took her time, wanting to savour this moment of finally seeing that part of Carter’s
anatomy that had given her many a horny night. She felt it jerk when her hand brushed it.

“Are you getting bigger?” she teased as she pulled down his zipper.

Carter’s grin was salacious. “I can’t wait for you to hold it your hand, babe.”