Wanted Distraction(13)

I refused to give up on this idea, though. Yes, it would be hell in the end, when I knew exactly what it was like to kiss Carter and make love with him, and to know I’d only have this one time with him. But hell was better than having the life sucked out of me if I didn’t take advantage of this opportunity.

Stepping over the threshold of his bedroom, I experienced the kind of breathless exhilaration reserved for the most significant moments of one’s life. A long-awaited kiss. The first day on a dream job. An anticipated marriage proposal. The birth of a child.

In the back of my mind, I had qualms about what I was doing, because I knew there would be substantial emotional repercussions. But I was willing to keep the dark thoughts tucked away as excitement eclipsed the dread inherent to the realization that, come tomorrow, Carter would be nothing more than a past lover.

I kept my heels on, for obvious reasons, but was pulling my dress over my head when Carter joined me. I stood before him, wearing nothing more than a red satin strapless bra, a matching thong and the peek-a-boos.

He sucked in a sharp breath, then let it out harshly. “There’s no turning back now. I couldn’t resist you if I tried.” His searing gaze roved slowly over my body, his look so hot, I felt branded.

A scintillating thrill shimmied down my spine at the thought. I reached for the flap of his dress shirt and released the row of buttons from their holes, and freed the hem from the waist of his suit pants. He quickly removed his gold cufflinks from the sleeves and placed them on the dresser. Then he stripped off his shirt and it was all I could do not to pounce on him.

Electrifying sensations zapped all my erogenous zones at the sight of him—and he wasn’t even completely naked. He had broad shoulders and a wide chest. His torso was impeccably sculpted, with well-defined pecs, corrugated abs and rock-hard biceps. His toned muscles were covered with smooth, tanned skin. The man gave all-new meaning to the term tall, dark and handsome.

I couldn’t resist touching him. Flattening my palms against his chest, I stared up at him and said, “You are breathtaking, Carter Davis.”

He chuckled, though it sounded strained. His hands covered mine and he bent his head to kiss my forehead.

“We’re playing with fire,” he said in a dark tone. “You know that, right?”

I nodded. “This is very dangerous. I’m already anticipating a broken heart, but this isn’t a water faucet I can turn off. I want you. Badly. And that’s not going to just go away because I tell it to.”

His jaw tightened for a moment. “I don’t want to break your heart, Cherish.”

“I won’t blame you, I promise. It’s not your fault I’ve had a crush on you since high school.”

With narrowed eyes, he said, “I didn’t know.”

“What would have been the point of telling you? You had tons of girlfriends. I certainly couldn’t have competed with them.”

“You were the only girl I danced with at our prom,” he said pointedly.

This made my stomach flip. “I hadn’t noticed. I was too busy trying to keep my date from wandering off. Though that turned out to be a wasted effort.”

“He was a jerk.” Suddenly, Carter scooped me into his arms.

“Hey,” I said, instantly alarmed. “Your shoulder.”

He carried me over to the king-size bed and set me gently in the middle of it before he stretched out next to me, lying on his side. “You’re light as a feather, sweetheart.”

“So charming,” I mused, not missing the dreaminess in my voice. “But don’t do that again. I told you I don’t want to be an impediment.”

The look he gave me was a confusing one to decipher. He seemed to know his limitations, and they aggravated him. But I sensed it was more than his physical condition that upset him. I truly believed the fact he found me to be a distraction bothered him, because of the way he felt about me. Because he really didn’t want to put perimeters around our association.

My heart melted at the same time my gut twisted into a pretzel. “I’m pushing this on you, aren’t I?” I asked in a quiet voice as my fingers skimmed over his warm skin. I couldn’t help touching him when he was this close to me, and I loved how his abs and pecs flexed beneath my fingertips.

He said, “I never do anything I don’t want to, Cherish. I’m just not sure we’re being sensible. Tonight, I get to unleash everything I’m feeling toward you, but tomorrow… I have to bottle it all up.”

I swallowed down a lump of emotion. “But one night is better than no night, right?”

And what if one evening together turned into something more? What if there was a way for me to be in his life without hindering his healing progress or his career?