His wicked grin made her mouth water and her pussy quiver with need.
“That’s my kind of incentive.” He was good at distracting her. “Where was I?”
“Still at the beginning, I’m afraid.” He grabbed her wrist when she tried to touch him. Holding it firmly against the heat of his stomach, he scowled. “You agreed to help Carlotta.”
She blew out a frustrated breath. Caleb meant to get the story, even at the expense of a good hard-on. Oh well. She had complete confidence that he’d not disappoint. “Yes. And there isn’t much more to tell. A colleague of mine helped with the divorce papers, but only as a distraction. It bought me the time I needed to secure a new identity for her.”
“You didn’t do that alone.”
“No.” She couldn’t outright lie to him. “But, I’ve learned a few things from Alec over the years. And before you ask, no. He didn’t help me.” Still not lying. “I was careful. Carlotta’s life depended on it.”
“This new identity, where’d you get it?” His brow furrowed, as if he was drawing his own conclusions.
Damn it.
She debated how much she could say without incriminating Amanda. Unfortunately, not a lot. “From a trustworthy source,” she hedged.
Hoping to move him away from the subject, she hurried along. “It was the chance she needed to start over. New name, new town. I set her up bank accounts with enough cash to last her at least a year—if she lived modestly, of course.”
“You gave her your own money?”
She’d dipped into her trust fund, which had been set up by her grandfather. The same trust fund her father had tried so hard to steal from her. Using the money to help Carlotta had been Samantha’s own personal fuck you to the man who sired her and then tried to destroy her.
“I’ve got everything I need. She didn’t have anything. Not much of a decision, really.”
“Where’d you send her?”
“Caleb. I can’t answer that.”
“You mean you won’t.”
“Don’t make this a thing. I gave my word. Don’t ask me to break it.”
The silence that brewed between them wasn’t as amicable as before. As uncomfortable as it was, Samantha wasn’t in any hurry to speak. As far as she was concerned, his next response would set the tone for how they moved forward. She wouldn’t be with a man who bullied her for what he wanted. Even temporarily. Been there, done that. So, she’d give him all the time he needed to think things through.
“There’s something I don’t get. Why you? They don’t even live here. Why not hire some fancy, big city attorney back in New York? And that isn’t a slight against you or your work, so don’t take offense.”
Releasing the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, Samantha relaxed a little. Maybe he wouldn’t press her for more. “Duly noted. And I’m not sure. Vincent has businesses here and, from what I understand, Carlotta traveled with him a great deal. I assume she came to me because they were in Austin when he’d beat the shit out of her. Maybe she’d had enough and didn’t want to wait to get back to New York.”
“Maybe.”
“Your brow crinkles in the most adorable way when you’re working something out. What are you thinking?”
He shook his head and slid down in the bed, wrapping his arms around her and crushing her to his body. He took her mouth in a heated kiss that left them both breathless. “I’m thinkin’ that it’s time to get started on naked Sunday.”
“Is that right?” She licked her lips, anticipation brewing in her sex. She bit back a moan as he cupped her shoulders and pushed her lower.
“You ready for breakfast, sugar?” he teased.
“I’ve been ready, but someone wanted to talk.” Samantha moved between his knees. She bent to place kisses on his stomach, arching her back to keep her ass high in the air.
Tiny hairs tickled her lips as she kissed and nipped his tanned skin. She’d had a quick taste of him the other night and it hadn’t been near enough to satisfy her. She wanted his flavor on her tongue, to have him feed her his pleasure.
His hips arched as she squeezed his erection between her breasts. She ducked her head and licked the moisture that seeped from his tip, the woman in her delighting in his tortured groan.
“You know what I want, Samantha. Put your mouth on me.”
Samantha purred like a cat. She felt every bit the temptress as he watched her beneath hooded lids.
“Keep your eyes on me,” she instructed him. “Don’t look away.”