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CARTER HAD STARTED walking them back toward the bed as they kissed when Ruth remembered something. She pushed at his shoulders, causing him to release her immediately.
With a tight twist of his face, he asked, “Change your mind?”
“No. No way. Just... condom. Before we get too far. Do you have one?”
Relief washed over his expression. “Oh. Yeah. Good thinking. Hold on a second.”
She stood near her rumpled bed and waited as he went into his bedroom and returned in less than a minute, holding a few condom packets that he set on the nightstand.
Even knowing she should be smarter about protecting male egos, she couldn’t help but giggle. “Feeling kind of ambitious, aren’t you? You really think you’re going to need all three?”
Carter gave her a wolfish smile. “You never know.”
Unsuccessfully restraining her rippling laughter, she took a step toward him. “I suppose you might be clumsy in bed. You might tear a couple of them and need the third.”
His eyes narrowed. “Or maybe I have legendary stamina and powers of endurance.”
The laughter burst out of her. “I’m sure that’s it.”
He obviously wasn’t offended by her teasing. His eyes glinted with amusement. But he closed the last of the distance between them and said in a low, rough tone that made her shiver. “You really doubt me?”
“Well, what do you expect? In my experience, the buttoned-up nice guys are sometimes not as adventurous in the—” Her words were cut off abruptly when Carter grabbed her without warning and swung her up onto the bed in a quick, skillful move that made her squeal.
In just a few seconds, she was sprawled out with her head almost on the pillow. Carter climbed on top of her, holding himself up above her with straightened arms.
She let her fingers trail up and down the length of one strong bare arm. “Okay. That was a good move. I’ll give you that much.”
He leaned closer. “You’re going to give me more than that.”
She wasn’t sure how he did it, but that gravelly texture in his voice was as sexy as a physical touch. “Talk, talk, talk. So far, all you’ve done is talk and put me on this bed. You’re going to have to do a lot more than that if you really want to imp—”
Her teasing words were cut off again. This time by Carter kissing her hard.
It was a really good kiss. Slow and demanding and hungry. Her body melted beneath his as she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave herself over to the rush of intense feelings.
He wasn’t a boring kisser. That much was clear. His kept varying his techniques, sometimes stroking the inside of her mouth with his tongue, sometimes nipping at her bottom lip, sometimes leaving her mouth entirely for quick, tantalizing detours to her throat or ear. It didn’t take long before her body throbbed with building arousal. Her cheeks burned. Her ears buzzed. Her hips couldn’t stay still. She kept running her fingernails down the tight bare skin of his back and clutching at fistfuls of his hair as she tried to contain the sensations.
When he finally broke the kiss, raising his head so he could smile down at her smugly, she curled her lip. “Not bad,” she managed to say primly.
“Not bad? If that’s all it was, then why are you so turned on right now?”
“Who said I was—”
“This says it.” He ducked his head down to tweak one of her nipples, which were so tight they were poking out shamelessly through the thin fabric of her tank top.
She whimpered and arched up helplessly at the little move.
“I believe I’ve proved my point,” he drawled, his smile softening as he stroked some of her messy hair back from her face.
“You haven’t proved anything. You just surprised me. That’s why I reacted.”
He chuckled. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” She was enjoying the banter as much as his kisses. It was a strange experience.
“All right. Well, this time you won’t be surprised. I’m going to do it again. Right... now.” As good as his word, he ducked his head again and gave her other nipple a little flick with his lips.
Despite her best efforts to control any reaction, she gasped in pleasure and arched up again.
“Don’t say it,” she gritted out when she saw his grin.
“I’m not saying a word.” He grabbed the bottom of her tank top and pulled it off over her head. She had a curvy figure for being as short and small boned as she was, and her breasts jiggled from the motion.
Carter made a throaty sound of appreciation as he stared down at them. He was just as turned on as she was. She knew this because when he shifted above her, she could feel the hard shape of his erection, barely contained in his loose pants.
“Well, what do you think?” she demanded. A woman with any tact or discernment would probably not have asked that particular question.
His eyes moved up to her face. “Isn’t it obvious?” He rubbed his groin against her belly in a slow, feral move, making both of them groan.
“I know you’re turned on, but that could be for any number of reasons. Maybe it’s not because I’m—”
“It is because you’re gorgeous,” he murmured, his eyes raking up and down her half-naked body. “And hot and sexy and perfect.” He adjusted his position so he could take one of her nipples in his mouth and give it a hard suck. Then he murmured against her skin, “And these are the best I’ve ever seen in my life.”
She should have been too skeptical and experienced to believe that. But it sounded like he meant it. And she wanted him to mean it. So she let the pleasure from the compliment waft over her as he kissed and fondled her breasts.
He was good at that too. It didn’t take long until she was wriggling and mewing out helpless sounds that she tried to hold back by biting her lower lip. The pulsing of her arousal was making her crazy. She tried to rub herself against his hip to get some relief, but she couldn’t get in a good position.
He took his time with the sweet torture until Ruth was genuinely afraid she might come from nothing more than his work on her breasts.
“So,” he said when he finally lifted his head. He was flushed and rumpled and smiling and smoldering with a primitive pride that she really shouldn’t enjoy so much. “What were you saying about how I’m too nice to be good in bed?”
“That’s not what I said! I just meant—” She made a ridiculous sobbing sound when he gave one of her sensitized breasts another quick nip.
“I know what you meant,” he murmured, kissing his way down to her belly. “I know a challenge when I hear one. You don’t seem to understand that I’m up to any challenge you might give me.”
“I do... understand...” She lost track of the conversation. Lost track of her ability to speak. He was mouthing her soft, mostly flat belly, edging downward to where she was hot and wet and pulsing with need.
The flare of fear that sparked up didn’t make sense to her but was strong enough to compel her to action. She pulled his head back up—away from her groin—and kissed him hard and deep, pushing him over onto his back as she did.
He responded to the kiss, but after a minute he broke out of it, his eyes searching her face as he stared up at her poised above him now. “You okay, Ruth?” He reached up to tuck some of her hair behind her ear and then moved his hand to cup her cheek.
She didn’t want him to know that she’d gotten nervous about the idea of his going down on her. She wasn’t even sure why she had—just that she didn’t have a lot of experience with that activity so it made her uncomfortable. So she covered her confusion but saying in a lilting voice, “Yes. Just seemed like it was my turn to be up to a challenge.”
The questioning concern on his expression faded into a smile. “What challenge?”
“What do you think? I can get you all turned on too, you know.”
“I do know. You get me turned on just by existing. You don’t have to do anything to make it happen.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. You think I haven’t been turned by you in the past two months? You think I don’t picture you in the dark when I’m in bed and get so hot from the thought of you I have to take care of myself?”
“Really?” Her voice this time squeaked in pleased surprise.
He laughed. “Yes. Really. Why are you surprised? I thought you knew I was into you that way.”
“Why would I have known it?”
“Because I haven’t exactly done a good job hiding it.” He was frowning thoughtfully now, as if searching his mind for answers. “I thought that was why you kissed me earlier. Because you knew I wanted it. You mean you didn’t know?”
“No! I didn’t know. I just wanted to kiss you, so I did.” It felt like the world was being reshaped underneath her feet. She leaned down and murmured into his ear. “I’ve been into you that way too. Did you know that?” For good measure, she darted her tongue out to flicker briefly in the shell of his ear.
His whole body jerked in response, and he gave a helpless grunt. Then he adjusted his hold on her so he could roll them back over so he was on top. “I didn’t know that before, but I’m very glad to know it now.”
They were smiling at each other as they started to kiss again. This one lasted even longer. Slower. Deeper. When they finally broke apart, both of them were so far gone they couldn’t sustain the previous conversation. They fumbled with the rest of their clothing until they’d gotten their pajama pants off and were rubbing their bare skin together with shameless enthusiasm.
Ruth felt around on the nightstand until she’d gotten her fingers on one of the condom packets. Carter took it from her, tore it open, and rolled on the condom.
She spread her legs to make room for him. He felt her with his fingers, checking to be sure she was ready. She was more than ready. She was so wet it was almost embarrassing. He held himself in position, and she bent up her knees as he eased himself inside her.
Her spine arched up and her eyes fell closed as she moaned at the tight feel of the penetration.
Carter was breathing raggedly. “How’s that? Okay?”
“Okay?” She made a sound that was half laugh and half sob. “Oh God, it’s so good. Nothing’s ever felt so good. Please, Carter, I need you to... to...”
“To what?” He was holding himself very still, the taut muscles in his arms shaking slightly like he was desperately trying to control himself. “Tell me what you need from me, Ruth.”
“I need you...” She tried to hold it back since it might be too raw, too shameless for a nice guy like Carter. But the words burst out anyway. “Fuck me. I need you to fuck me. So bad.”
He gritted out a wordless sound and started to rock his hips. Steady at first. A controlled rhythm. But his face was soon twisting with pleasure and effort, and the motion of his hips got fast and hard.
She kept whimpering as she kept pace with him, pumping her hips urgently to meet his and digging her fingernails into his shoulders in her attempt to hang on.
“Like that?” he rasped. They were shaking the bed with the force of their lovemaking.
“Yeah. Yeah. Just like that.” She wasn’t a screamer in bed. She never had been. But she was making a lot of primal sounds of effort that she couldn’t seem to help. They got louder as she neared orgasm. “Carter,” she gasped. “Gonna...”
She came before she could get the last word out. Her whole body shook through the climax as she sobbed out her pleasure. Before she’d fully come down from the high, Carter had somehow flipped them over so she was poised on top of them again.
He was really quite the energetic lover. She wouldn’t have guessed that about him. She shifted her position so she was straddling him more comfortably. Carter’s erection had slipped out of her from the motion, so she lifted up enough for him to fit himself back inside.
His eyes crawled hungrily up and down her body, from her hot cheeks and tousled hair to her bare, jiggling breasts to the place where they were joined.
She started to ride him, turned on anew by the look on his face. That raw, hot, awed admiration wasn’t anything she’d experienced before.
It took a while to get her erotic momentum going again, and her tempo was slow and even. Carter slid his hands over her body, caressing her arms, her breasts, her belly, finding her clit and rubbing it until she dropped her head back and moaned.
He kept it up until she was about to lose it. Then she braced herself on his shoulders and rode him hard and fast. He had to grip her hips to hold her down in place as he bucked up into her motion.
Her sounds of effort were louder now. She couldn’t hold them back. She was messy and sweating and so wet between the legs that she knew the moisture would be everywhere. And she didn’t care at all. Because Carter was all the way with her in this. When she looked down at him, he was watching her face as she neared orgasm again.
The fact that he was watching made it even hotter. She froze for a few seconds, right on the cusp of release, and then she let it all go with a soft exclamation of victory, shaking through the intense spasms of sensation.
Her orgasm lasted a long time, and it wiped her out. She was just aware enough to focus on Carter as he came too. His body tensed. His features contorted. He let out a loud bellow as his hips rocked hard and fast.
She could feel his release move through him. When the last of his spasms had passed, she collapsed on top of him.
He wrapped his arms around her. She could feel his body softening in the same way hers was doing. Relaxing. Letting go of all the tension.
She was still hot and exhausted and raw between the legs, but she really couldn’t remember if she’d experienced that kind of perfect satisfaction before.
Maybe never before in her life.
Carter was stroking her back and hair with one hand. After a while, he let out a low groan that sounded just as sated as she was feeling. Then he took a long breath and let it out with the word, “Fuck.”
She giggled for some reason.
“Seriously? You’re laughing?”
Her amusement simply couldn’t be contained. She raised her head so she could meet his eyes, pleased to see he was smiling too. “I’m not laughing at you.”
“Then why are you laughing?”
“I have no idea. Because it was so good, I think. We’re definitely going to have to do that again.”
“You think so?”
“Yes, I think so. It was way too good not to do it again.” She paused, suddenly wondering if she’d just babbled out something embarrassing. “Don’t you think so?”
“Yes, of course I think so. I just didn’t expect you to be so relaxed about it. So you’re not having second thoughts or worried or anything?”
When her mind started working again, she might have a few worries, but she was feeling too good to process anything else at the moment. She shrugged as she carefully swung her leg over Carter’s hips so she could get off him. “Not really. It was fun. We both enjoyed it. Why not do it again?”
He nodded as he sat up and took care of the condom. “Sounds good to me.”
They spent a few minutes cleaning up and going to the bathroom. Then they got back into bed, this time under the covers. It was still almost an hour until breakfast. No reason to get up quite yet.
Carter lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling. Ruth curled up on her side so she was facing him.
“When was the last time you had sex?” she asked.
He turned his head with arched eyebrows. “When was the last time you did?”
“I haven’t had sex since my mom died,” she told him. “I haven’t really dated much. To tell you the truth, I haven’t really been in the mood. Maybe that was why I was so enthusiastic just now. So what about you?”
“It’s been a while for me too. Several months. I had a one-night stand earlier this year, but it wasn’t... It was mostly fueled by alcohol, and it wasn’t what I wanted. I wish I hadn’t done it.”
Ruth’s smile faded at the poignant note in his voice. “Was she drunk too?”
“Not as drunk as I was. It wasn’t... I tried to treat her well. I don’t think she was hurt or upset by the way it happened. But I wish I had acted differently. I was in a downward spiral. I should have done better.” He sighed and shook his head. “Sorry to be such a downer. We were having a good time.”
“That’s okay. We can still have a good time. Was this when things blew up with Lincoln and Summer?”
“Yes. I was a wreck. About them and about my dad’s death and about him leaving the company to Lincoln and about my own stupidity. I really lost it for a while. I hate even the memory of it now. How I could have acted that way. I always thought I was... stronger than that.”
“I don’t think anyone’s really strong enough to deal with so much all at the same time. No one would have gotten through it without breaking at least a little. And at least you didn’t hurt anyone.”
He met her eyes. “I hurt Lincoln and Summer.”
“Maybe a little, but not in a lasting way.” She reached out to stroke his cheek and then let her fingers trail down to his chest. “Carter, you can’t hold yourself up to impossible standards. You’ve always been a good guy, but that doesn’t mean you’re a perfect guy. You’re human just like the rest of us, and you were really hurt. It actually...” She cleared her throat. “It actually makes me feel a little better.”
“What does?” He covered her hand on his chest.
“Knowing that you kind of fell apart like the rest of us do occasionally. It makes you feel more real to me.”
“I’d rather be good than real.”
She stretched up to kiss his jaw. “You are good. You’re the best guy I know.”
His body grew very still for just a second. His eyes flew to her face. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. And I’ll be happy to have sex with you again if that’s something you want. Because for a nice guy, you’re pretty damn good in the bedroom.”
He chuckled. “Maybe nice guys have always been better in the bedroom, and you just didn’t know it because you didn’t give them a chance.”
“Maybe so.”
Carter gave a leisurely stretch, obviously returning to his satisfied good mood and then looked at the clock. “I guess I better take a shower. Mom’s excited about having us all together for another day, and she’ll be upset if we’re late for breakfast.”
“Okay. I need to start getting dressed too.”
He got out of bed but leaned back over to give her a quick kiss. “Thank you for this morning. I had the best time I can remember.”
“Me too. So thank you.”
***
AT NINE, BOTH RUTH and Carter were showered and dressed, so they went downstairs together to the breakfast room—which was a cute sunny room overlooking the pool and backyard that was never used for anything but breakfast.
Summer came down right at nine, and a heavy-lidded Lincoln strolled in a few minutes later. It was a quiet, pleasant meal, and the quiche, waffles, and fruit were delicious. Mrs. Wilson told them all about a new yoga class she was planning to organize, inspired by the retreat she’d recently completed.
Ruth wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do after breakfast. When Mrs. Wilson had invited her, it had sounded like just for the night, so maybe she was supposed to go home now. That would be fine with her, except she wanted to have sex with Carter again sometime soon, so she was hoping they could plan toward that end rather than leave the whole thing up in the air.
She wasn’t really an up-in-the-air person.
Carter walked with her back to her bedroom. She wasn’t sure what he wanted. He wasn’t making a move on her or anything. He just stood there like he was waiting for something. Ridiculously nervous, she went to her overnight bag and pretended to check something inside it.
“Do you need to take off?” Carter asked quietly from behind her.
“What? No. Not really. I was just...” She trailed off since she didn’t have a valid explanation for what she was doing with her bag other than “fiddling nervously.”
“Do you have plans for today?”
She turned to face him, her heart bouncing at the question. “No. Not really. I’d originally planned to catch up on some paperwork, but I don’t really feel like it.”
“Lance just texted a few minutes ago,” Carter said. He sounded casual. Light. But there was something a little stiff underlying the pose. “He wanted to know if we wanted to go out on the lake with him and Savannah. He’s got a sailboat.”
“Oh.” Ruth searched his face, trying to find evidence of whether he wanted her to accept the invitation or not. She couldn’t tell. “Did you want to do that?”
“I’d like to go. It’s always fun. But if you don’t want to, we can do something else.” He cleared his throat. “Or we don’t have to do anything if you’d rather take off.”
She gave a silly little giggle. Mostly relief. “I’d be happy to go if you think it would be fun. I like them both, and it’s kind of nice to hang out with people. I haven’t done a lot of that lately.”
There she’d done it again—said something she should have held back. Now he might think she was giving him some sort of sob story. He might think she’d get too clingy.
His lips turned up in that little smile, and his posture relaxed. “Okay. Good. I’ll tell him yes then?”
She nodded. “I’ve never been sailing before, but I’m willing to give it a go.”
“Don’t worry. Lance will do all the work. It will be fun. Just don’t ask him any questions about it, or you’ll never hear the end of the lectures on how to sail.”
***
CARTER WAS RIGHT. RUTH had an amazing time on the lake. It was a brisk, sunny day—still fairly warm for late November. She wore a sweater, and there were blankets on board, so she was perfectly comfortable.
Lance’s sailboat was bigger than she’d expected. She had no idea how he made the thing go, and she forgot Carter had warned her about asking Lance questions about it. He seemed so pleased about her interest and so patient in showing her how the lines and sails worked that she didn’t even mind the long explanation.
She’d always liked when people were enthusiastic about the things they loved.
Savannah was funny and cheerful, and Carter obviously enjoyed hanging out with his friends. They felt like Ruth’s friends too. She reveled in the community.
Every once in a while a little thought would pierce through her enjoyment, reminding her that this wasn’t real and wouldn’t last, but she managed to push the thoughts back into a dark corner of her mind.
They were for another day. Not today. Today she was allowed to have fun.
They drank beer and ate snacks. After a while, Carter came to sit beside her, wrapping an arm around her and letting her recline against him. They stayed like that for a long time, chatting with Lance and Savannah, enjoying the sun, air, and water.
Ruth wouldn’t have minded if they stayed until nightfall, but it was just after four when Lance took them back to the marina at the country club.
She thanked Lance and Savannah, and they said their goodbyes before Ruth walked with Carter back to his car. “That was fun,” she said, smiling up at him as they stood next to the passenger-side door.
“Yeah. It was.” He reached out and smoothed some of her windblown hair behind her ear.
The simple, intimate gesture made her pulse throb. “Don’t you have a boat? It seems like all the rich folks in Green Valley do.”
“We had a couple of them. My dad did. But we never went out. They were just status symbols or something. It was stupid to have them when we didn’t use them. So I convinced Mom to sell the boats after Dad died. I did learn to sail when I was younger, but I never got into it the way Lance has. I’m not sure why.” He paused before adding, “Why? Did you like it that much? Did you want to learn—?”
“Oh no! I didn’t mean that. I’d never have pressured you into getting a boat and taking me out. I was just wondering, since it’s a big Green Valley thing to do, and you’re like the prince of Green Valley.”
“I’m not a prince.”
“I said you were like a prince.” She gave him a little poke. “Don’t get huffy.”
“I’m not huffy.” He was frowning at her now, but there was a smile in his eyes.
“You’re a little bit huffy. For some reason you don’t like me to call you a prince. Most guys would like that.”
“Would they? I don’t know why. Who wants to be a flimsy fantasy that doesn’t hold up instead of a real person that... that...?”
“That what?” She was so caught up in what he was saying that she leaned into his words.
He glanced away. “That someone might really love.”
“People love you, Carter. So many people love you. You know that, right?”
“Yeah. I know that.” He must have read her impatient expression because he added, “I’m serious. I know a lot of people love me. I’m really lucky in that regard. I’m not complaining. Just trying to explain why I don’t much want to be a prince.”
“I get it. I’d probably be the same way. Although no one has ever mistaken me for a princess.”
“I don’t know. You’d be a pretty good princess, although you might need to learn to not say everything that comes into your head quite so much since diplomacy is part of a princess’s duty.”
Her mouth dropped open when she realized he was teasing her, and she gave him a playful little shove.
He laughed and swung her into a brief hug. “So it’s just as well you’re not a princess. It wouldn’t be much fun if you held your tongue.”
She hugged him back, pulling away after a few seconds instead of extending the embrace the way she wanted. “I think so too.” She was about to say something else when her phone buzzed. She glanced down at the text.
“Is it important?” Carter asked.
“Kayla. Just sending me a funny selfie.”
“What’s she doing today?”
“Not much, I don’t think. Reading and trying to hide from football on the TV.”
“We can take her out for dinner if you want. If you think her father would be okay with it.”
“He wouldn’t care, but you don’t have to...” Ruth was so startled she hugged her arms to her stomach. “I mean, you wouldn’t really want to get dragged along to dinner with me and Kayla.”
Carter was frowning again. This time in confusion. “Why not?”
“Why not?”
“Yeah. Why would I mind having dinner with the two of you? I liked Kayla. She seemed sweet and smart and like she could use some fun in her life.” He sounded almost bewildered. “I had a good time with the two of you last night.”
She searched his face. She really did. And she couldn’t see anything other than earnest sincerity. “Are you...?” For some reason her voice was cracking. Her eyes were burning just a little. “Are you being serious?”
He reached out to cup her face, peering at it urgently. “Ruth, what’s the matter? Why would you think I’d be lying to you?”
“I don’t. At least if you did, it would just be because you’re so nice. But it’s really okay. You don’t have to be that nice.”
“I’m not being nice. I’m telling you the truth. Can’t you see it?”
She could see it. There was nothing in his expression she didn’t believe. She wasn’t even sure why it had overwhelmed her so much, him saying that he liked Kayla and wanted to hang out with her.
“Ruth?” Carter prompted when she didn’t answer. “You look like you’re about to cry.”
“I’m not.” She wasn’t a crier. And she definitely wasn’t going to cry about something so silly.
“Do you not want me to hang out? Would you rather it just be you and her? Because I’ll understand if—”
“No, no. That’s not it. I’d love if we could take her out to dinner. Thank you for volunteering. I just didn’t think it would be very fun for you.”
“Well, it is.” He opened the car door for her, and she got in. When he’d walked around and slid behind the steering wheel, he added, “You know I’ve been working pretty much constantly for most of this year, right? So any meal that isn’t eaten at my computer is fun for me.”
She laughed at that. Then she texted Kayla, who replied immediately that she’d LOVE to go out for dinner and could they come as soon as possible if it wasn’t too much trouble.
So Ruth’s really good day wasn’t over yet.
***
THEY TOOK KAYLA TO a fancy little bistro that Ruth usually couldn’t afford. Carter made sure they got all the best stuff, so it was a real treat for Kayla.
For Ruth too.
It was almost nine when they dropped her off, and Ruth was tired and happy when Carter drove them back to his house.
“Oh,” she said, blinking as she realized where they were. “I guess I need to head back home.”
“Why? Just stay here tonight.”
“But your mom might not—”
“My mom is probably assuming that you’ll be staying here all the time. You’ve got your own room. There’s no pressure or anything. But you look tired, and it’s dark. Just stay here tonight. You can go back home tomorrow if you want.”
She hesitated since it seemed dangerous somehow to give in to something she wanted so much. But there wasn’t any mental argument that could convince her. “Okay. Why not?”
Carter seemed as pleased by that arrangement as she was. They talked to Mrs. Wilson for a while before they headed up to their rooms. Carter said he needed a shower, and that sounded like a good idea to Ruth too. So she took a long, hot shower and changed into the pajamas she’d worn the night before (since they were the only ones she had there).
She was wondering if it would be too bold to knock on the connecting door and announce to Carter that she was ready for sex anytime he was when he knocked instead.
Trying not to snicker, she swung the door open.
He blinked, as if he hadn’t expected her to be standing there. “Hi.”
“Hi,” she said back.
“I wasn’t sure...” He was wearing a clean pair of pajama pants with no shirt. The shirt he’d put on last night to come and talk to her had obviously been for her benefit since he must not sleep in a shirt. “Did you want to...? You said you’d like to have sex again, so if you’d like...”
She burst into laughter, grabbed his hand, and hauled him into her room. “I definitely want more sex. I was about to pound on the door and demand that you service me.”
He arched his eyebrows, trying for a sardonic look, but the corners of his mouth were twitching too much to pull it off. “Service you?”
“Well, something like that.”
“I’m at your service, if you think I’m up for the job.”
Ruth pulled down the covers on the bed and climbed in. “I’m optimistic about the prospects. And we have the two condoms you didn’t use from this morning. I told you that you were overly ambitious.”
Carter got into bed too and climbed over her, smiling down at her with a hot glint in his eyes. “Maybe I can make up for it tonight.”
“We’ll see.”
He leaned down to kiss her. “Yes. We will.”