Wanted Distraction(8)

He took a sip of wine, then asked, “Want to sit?” He gestured toward the sofa.

With a small laugh, I said, “I’m supposed to be interviewing you, aren’t I?”

“Why don’t we sideline that for tonight?” He took my free hand and led me over to the couch, in soft yellow with deep crimson, Southwestern accents. His touch was simple and comfortable, yet electrifying at the same time. His warm, supple skin felt heavenly against mine, and there seemed to be no awkwardness over the intimate contact. Certainly not on my part. I had no desire to pull my hand from his, so I left it in the cozy cocoon he created.

We sat next to each other, our twined fingers resting on his thigh.

“How about I send over tickets to this weekend’s game?” he suggested. “We can meet in the locker room afterward for the interview. If the team wins, it’ll be a great start to my career here.”

I nodded, but felt compelled to ask, “Why did you leave the 49ers for arena football?”

Taylor had said she thought there was a story with that situation. I’d sniff it out for her and give her credit in the magazine if she’d really been onto something. Maybe Carter had been offered a heftier paycheck. That was always newsworthy when it came to professional sports.

He took a bigger gulp of wine this time, then set his glass on the coffee table. He said, “Would you mind if I got out of this suit jacket?”

“Of course not.” Although, that meant I could no longer hold his hand hostage.

I instantly missed his warmth and the connection to him.

He shrugged out of his jacket, but didn’t bother loosening his tie. I wondered if he thought I wasn’t as at ease around him as he seemed to be with me. Did he still think I might have reservations about being alone with him in his hotel room? The notion made me slightly angry. What did I have to do to prove to him I trusted him—and that I was on cloud nine being this close to him?

“I’m not afraid of you, Carter. Take your tie off too. Get comfortable.” I gave him a serious look and added, “You don’t have to act so tentative with me, or so…I don’t know. Reticent?”

He cleared his throat, as though to dislodge his retort. Then he loosened his tie, though he didn’t remove it.

“I’m not trying to offend you, Cherish. All those protective feelings I had toward you in high school came back to me the second I saw you. Only this time… It’s me I should warn you about.”

I stared quizzically at him, a dismal thought occurring to me. “Please don’t tell me you’re gay. That would just crush me, Carter.”

He laughed heartily, surprising me. “That is definitely not something you have to worry about. I am so very straight—in fact, I’m having all kinds of straight-guy thoughts about you.”

My clit tingled and my pussy clenched. I could barely breathe, but managed to say, “Do tell.”

Carter laughed again as he shook his head. “Don’t encourage me.”

“Why not?” I demanded as excitement shot through me. “Surely you’ve noticed I’m wildly attracted to you.”

He seemed to give my words thought, then said, “Surely you’ve noticed I can’t keep my eyes off you. My hands, however, need to be another story.”

I frowned as disappointment gripped my very soul. “You’ve lost me.”

He stood and began to pace. Raking a hand through his thick, dark brown hair, he told me, “You are incredibly beautiful, Cherish. And you’ve completely blindsided me tonight. I’ll admit I’d considered contacting you when I knew I was coming back to Phoenix, but I also knew it was a bad idea.”

My heart sank. “Oh?”

Carter came to an abrupt halt and faced me. “The thing is, I always liked you. I mean really liked you. But your size made me nervous. It still does.”

I got to my feet as well and planted my hands on my hips as annoyance skittered through me. “Hey, I’m not Tinkerbell anymore. Take a good look, stud. I’m all grown up.”

He chuckled at my words, and no doubt my irritation.

“I can see you’re all grown up. That’s the problem.” His warm brown eyes skimmed my body and he added, “You’re amazing. And goddamn, I really want to kiss you. But I can’t.”

I gnawed my lower lip briefly, then ventured, “You’re engaged? Or involved with someone?”

Not that I’d be surprised, but I hadn’t allowed myself to consider the possibility, since he hadn’t been connected with anyone publicly in a few years.

But he quickly chased away the dread that settled in by saying, “No, I’m not involved with anyone. I haven’t been for a while.”