Whiskey and Lace (Lace Series) (6 page)

"Stay tonight, ok? Nothing physical, just you and me. I don't want to let you go, Eva." 

I nodded again and Carter picked me up and carried me up the stairs and into his bedroom. I felt emotionally exhausted and curled up under the covers, wrapping my arms and legs around Carter's body. He slung an arm over me and traced tiny circles along my back through my shirt. He inhaled deeply into my hair and sighed. 

"Don't leave again, Eva," he whispered softly. I sighed and fell into the best sleep I’d had in three nights.

The alarm clock rang early the next morning and I dug my head further into the blankets, willing the shrilling noise to stop. And then it did and I realized that I’d slept at Carter's last night and his warm body was still next to mine. 

"Wake up, sleepy." Carter rubbed up and down my arm. I groaned and tucked closer into him, not wanting to break the perfect, peaceful moment. I inhaled his freshwater scent and smiled. My fingers tickled along his lower abdomen and brushed along the hard planes of his stomach. 

"Eva," he groaned. "As much as I would like to show you how excited I am to wake up with you in the morning, I’ve got to get to work."

"What time is it?" My fingertips teased below the waistband of his pajama pants. 

"7:30." His warm hand covered mine and dragged it back up his chest and away from where it had been headed. 

"What?" I shrieked and jumped out of bed. "I’ve got to go." I ran into his bathroom. 

"Eva, you work from home." Carter stood and watched me scramble around his bedroom looking for my shoes with a hint of amusement in his eyes. 

"I’ve got a conference call at 8."

"Do it from here." He wrapped his arms around me and snuggled.  

"I can't." I groaned at the delicious smell of his skin. "My laptop, my notes, I have to go home."

"Ok. Meet me for lunch?" 

I quirked an eyebrow at him, remembering what had happened the last time we were supposed to have lunch.

"I’ll pick you up at noon." He slapped me on the bottom as I hustled out his bedroom door.

"And where were you last night?" Cate arched an eyebrow at me from the couch when I stepped out of my room a few hours later. I flopped down onto the couch next to her with a smile. 

"Carter's" I yawned. Cate put her tablet down and looked me square in the eye. 

"You need to spill." 

"First, why didn't you tell me that he came over looking for me?" 

"You said you didn't want to see him. You said he bulldozed you. I was playing bodyguard." She smiled proudly. 

"Well, you should have told me he came over."

"You said you needed time, and I was giving you that. You needed time to get Carter out of your system so you could think clearly."

I couldn't argue with her there. Maybe I wished she had told me, but her intentions had been good. 

"So what happened?"

"I should have given him the chance to explain. I jumped to conclusions." I didn't say out loud that it had been my own fear and insecurities that were to blame for the complete cluster that was this weekend.  

"And the picture?" 

"She snuggled in for the photo-op. They didn't go to the party together."

"Hmm."

"What?" 

"You believe him?" She asked. 

"Yes. I have no reason not to. He's controlling and moody, but he's never given me a reason not to trust him."

"I hope you know what you're doing." Cate frowned. 

"Don't worry, Cate."

"Like that's possible." She rolled her eyes. 

"In other news, I have to go to New York for a few days. There's an event for fashion bloggers they want everyone to attend."

"That's fun; wish I could come," Cate pouted. 

"You can't make it work?" Cate and I always had the best time in the city. 

"Not this time, I’m in the middle of the new collection. You'll distract me in the big city." She giggled. 

"Right, I'll distract you." I pushed her playfully and headed back to my bedroom to shower before Carter picked me up for lunch. 

"You smell delicious." Carter's eyes twinkled when I slid into the back of the Bentley. 

"Mmm, so do you," I whispered as I nuzzled into the crook of his neck. There wasn't a scent on earth I craved more than Carter's fresh, masculine scent. 

"So how was your conference call?" Carter kissed along the curve of my neck as the car pulled away from the curb. 

"Good." I giggled before pressing my lips to his in a long kiss. Carter wrapped his palm around the back of my neck and held me close to him. 

"I missed you so much," he breathed and pressed his forehead to mine. 

"It's only been a few hours." I kissed his lips and smoothed my thumbs over his thick eyebrows. 

"I can't stand when you're away." He held me tightly. 

"Me either." I smiled and placed my head on his shoulder. 

The car slowed and then came to a stop. Carter and I sat cuddled for a few more precious moments before I slipped off his lap and he opened the door. We headed for one of the only open tables in the sushi place and placed our order with the waiter. 

"I have to go to New York." I took a sip of my water, watching him through my eyelashes. 

"What? When?" 

"Tomorrow morning. There's a fashion thing Wednesday night, then I’ll be in the office Thursday and Friday."

"You'll be gone for three days?" Anger flashed in Carter's eyes. 

"Yeah, it's not the first time I’ve had to go to New York. Standard stuff." I shrugged my shoulders. 

"I don’t want you to go." Carter glared at me. 

"What? Why?" His reaction took me by surprise. 

"I just got you back, Eva, and now you're leaving again?" 

"For a work thing." Was this how it would always be? Opposition at every turn? Carter Morgan was nothing short of exhausting. 

"I don't want you to go," his voice lowered. I looked up into his eyes and saw that he was serious. Just then the waiter came with our sushi rolls. I thanked him and waited until he was out of earshot to address Carter's ridiculous request. 

"Well..." I picked up my chopsticks. "That's too bad, because I'm going." I looked him straight in the eye. He gritted his teeth together. I may have a stubborn streak, but this man was not going to trample all over my career. He took a deep breath and I maintained eye contact with him to let him know this wasn't up for negotiation. 

"Fine," he huffed and grabbed his chopsticks and dug into his salmon roll. "You can stay at my place in the city."

"You've got a place in the city?" My eyebrows shot up. 

"I have to go there for business a lot." He shrugged. 

"Well, it's ok, the company has me set up somewhere."

"Don't be silly. You're staying at my place. In fact I’ll send Parker with you. Then you can avoid taxis and he can help you with anything you need. "

"Absolutely not."

"What do yo mean absolutely not?"

"You're not sending Parker to babysit me. I don't need an escort, this isn't my first time in the big city." I rolled my eyes at him. 

"Then at least stay at my place." he glared at me. 

"Fine." I hesitated. "It will be lonely without you." 

Carter gave me a saucy smile. "Going to miss me?"

"Yes." I rubbed my foot along his leg. A dark look crossed his eyes.  

"Do that again and I’m taking you home with me, and I’ll lock you up so you can't go to New York." 

Was it wrong that something about what he said sparked lust in the pit of my stomach? 

"That's an enticing idea." My eyes sparkled in amusement. His eyebrows shot up and a wicked smile spread across his face. I grinned and snagged a piece of sushi off his plate and popped it in my mouth. 

 "So are you seeing anyone, dear?" 

"Mom." I groaned. They'd driven down into the city to meet me for lunch before I had to go to the fashion event later that night. It'd been a busy morning at the main office; since I was based in Boston and didn't come to New York often, they always jam packed my schedule when I was here. 

"Well, I haven't heard much from you since you moved. There's no one special then?" I rolled my eyes in exasperation. We'd just settled in to a table at a french bistro. 

Apparently by the ripe old age of 26 I was close to spinsterhood. She nagged me constantly about finding a "good man" to settle down with. While she was proud that her daughter worked for a major fashion website, she thought it was only a temporary stepping stone until I got married. She also thought I worked too much to meet that "good man" to settle down with. She was exasperating to say the very least. 

"Where are you staying at?" My dad tried to change the subject to take the pressure off of me. Little did he know that he wasn't changing the subject at all. 

"I’m staying at a friend's apartment." I diverted my eyes to the menu. 

"Didn't the company set you up somewhere?" My mom asked. You could get nothing by that woman. 

"Yea, but the friend insisted I stay. It's beautiful. Overlooking the park." I took a sip of water. 

"'Overlooking the park? That's a generous friend. I didn't know you had any close friends in the city." She watched me closely. Always suspicious.  

"Very close." A familiar voice stepped up behind my chair and slid a hand along my shoulder. My head whipped around in utter shock. I stared into the sparkling eyes of Carter. 

"What are you doing here?" I hissed between my teeth. 

"Is that any way to treat the
friend
that loaned you their penthouse overlooking the park?" He slid into the chair beside me. My eyes widened, cursing the day he was born. He had no idea how my mother would drill him after finding out that there was a special someone in my life after all; a special billionaire someone with a penthouse overlooking the park. 

"We haven't met." My mom stretched her hand to Carter to shake, but instead he brought her knuckles to his lips in a soft kiss. 

"Pleasure to meet you. Carter Morgan, Evangeline’s friend from Boston." 

"Lovely." My mom's eyes flashed to mine. "I’m Elizabeth Austin, Eva’s mom." My father watched in quiet observation.

"Mr. Austin." Carter shook his hand. 

"Greg," My father said with a genuine smile. 

"Eva, you didn't say that it was a
penthouse
overlooking the park. Mr. Morgan is very generous." My mother's eyes bore into mine as if she were trying to will answers from their depths. 

"Yup." Just then the waiter stepped up to the table and before he could even introduce himself I asked about the cocktail menu. If I was going to sit through this lunch, I was going to need some help. 

"Are you sure you want to do that Evangeline? I know how alcohol effects you, and you have the event tonight." I clenched my teeth and shot a glare at Carter over my shoulder. His eyes shined with amusement. 

"Mojito." I nodded to the server. 

"So, how long have you been friends?" My mom addressed Carter, knowing she wasn't going to get any straight answers from me. 

"Just a short while. But it feels like it's been much longer." Carter's hand caressed my thigh underneath the table. I glared at him again and jerked my leg away as inconspicuously as possible. This man knew how to push every single button I had.

"Yes, Carter and I have been through the ringer together it seems." A fake smile spread across my face. 

"So how did you meet?" My mother addressed Carter again. 

"Evangeline and I met at an opening for one of my stores. We hit it off instantly you could say." Carter's hand squeezed my upper thigh firmly. As mad as I was at him at the moment, his touch still managed to send tingles to my very center. I took a long draw of my drink and steeled myself for a tortuous inquisition from my mother. 

"So you're a business owner then?" My mother asked. 

"Among other things."  Carter gave her his charming, crooked smile. 

"Well, it's wonderful to hear someone call Eva by her full name." My mother had just fallen in love with Carter. Her eyes were all dreamy and she had a wide small on her face. 

"Beautiful name for a beautiful girl." Carter smiled. I rolled my eyes. I had lost the battle before it had even begun.

My mother spent the remainder of lunch mooning over Carter. She never stood a chance of resisting Carter's charm. What was surprising is that he somehow had a way with my dad too. They talked about college football and fishing and expensive whiskey. Carter promised to send him a bottle of his favorite that he had imported from Scotland. 

"It was lovely to meet you, Carter." I swear my mother batted her eyelashes at him. A hopeless romantic she was. 

"A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Austin." Carter  kissed her on the cheek. 

"You and Eva should come visit us Upstate soon, we would love to have you," my mother addressed Carter solely. 

"We would love to come." Carter slid his arm around my waist. I would never be able to fight my mother’s questions off now. If she had any doubt Carter was more than just a friend she certainly didn't now, Carter had made sure of that. 

She leaned it to give me a tight squeeze and whispered in my ear, "He is wonderful, Eva." There she was all moony over Carter Morgan again. I rolled my eyes and pulled away to give my dad a hug.

"Take care of yourself, Eva." My dad patted my back. Carter hailed them a cab and they were off to the train station to head home. 

I started walking back towards the office on 57th Street without saying a word to Carter. He walked silently beside me for a few steps before catching my arm and twirling me around to face him. 

"No hello kiss?" Carter placed a peck on my lips and ran his fingers to the back of my neck. 

I pulled away quickly, "What's the deal Carter?" I crossed my arms and glared. 

A wide grin spread across his face, "You’re cute when you're mad." He caressed my bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. I huffed in exasperation. 

"Is that why you make me mad all the time?"

"Funny. I came to be your escort tonight." He grinned. 

"I told you, no escort needed." I held my ground with him. If he had approached wanting to accompany me tonight in a non-stalkery manner, I would have been much more receptive. But far be it for Carter to approach anything in a conventional way.