Once we were inside the hall, I pulled her to a semisecluded spot.
“Val, if you want, we can forget what happened tonight. It’s your choice.”
“Mine? What about you?”
“I already made my choice. I don’t want to forget. I’d make an effort if you wanted to. But I don’t think you do. Judging by the way you opened up to me.... Fuck, I’m getting hard just remembering it.”
“Carter,” she whispered in a chiding tone, casting her gaze downward.
/> “You don’t have to answer right now. Just enjoy the evening.”
We weren’t alone again for the rest of the evening, but I kept close. Whenever our gazes crossed, she smiled before looking away quickly. Whenever I put my hand on the small of her back, or on her arm, she leaned into my touch for a few seconds before straightening up and sucking in a breath. Watching her inner battle was delicious.
By the end of the night, I knew I wouldn’t rest until Val was mine.
Chapter Ten
Val
On Monday morning, I barely found a place to sit at Walter’s. I sat on one of the chairs at a small, round table in one corner of the room, sipping my cappuccino and people-watching. My neck was oddly stiff, because I’d foregone my morning yoga session for some extra sleep, but hey, cheating was good for the soul now and again. I hadn’t bought a pancake though. Nature punished too much cheating by bestowing extra pounds.
I was midway through my coffee when I smelled the familiar whiff of mint and ocean. At first I thought I was imagining it, because Carter had been on my mind almost constantly since Saturday. But then his voice reached me too.
That sexy voice that went with the rest of the package, exactly like caramel completed my cappuccino.
“See you found a seat.” He was holding a to-go cup.
“Early bird gets the worm,” I said on a wink. “Or in this case, the table. It’s crazy here on Mondays, so I always come earlier.”
He was carrying the jacket of his suit over his arm, and his shirt stretched over his taut skin and muscles, almost as if daring every woman around to look at him... which they did.
“You’re not eating a pancake.”
“Nope. Not this morning.”
“I see. So Mondays are for denying yourself things you want?” His tone was playful, and I wondered if he included himself in those things.
“It’s healthy to exercise self-restraint now and then.”
“Might be healthy, but it’s no fun.”
He looked around for a free chair, but there wasn’t one in sight.
“Looks like you’re out of luck today,” I said. He returned his attention to me, resting his gaze on my shoulders and neck for a beat longer than polite. I lit up everywhere he looked.
“You seem amused by my shit luck.”
“Not at all.” So why was I teasing him? Erm... well, because he looked teasable, with that impeccable suit and ruffled hair. Also, I didn’t know what else to do. I could still feel his lips on mine. Even his taste was fresh in my mind. But my latest dating fiasco was still looming over my head, and I wasn’t ready to take the step from flirty messages to anything else.
I was saved from the need to make more conversation by his phone. It rang, and he looked at the screen with a frown.
“Got to take this. Have a nice day.”
For a Monday, it turned out to be excellent. I’d figured out a new perfume formula with my head chemist, which always gave me a sense of satisfaction. I relied a lot on my colleagues, because while I was great at formulas and mixes, I wasn’t a “nose,” as perfumers were often called. My sense of smell wasn’t refined enough for me to make a perfume on my own, though once we decided on the base notes, I loved playing with middle and top notes. I was also happy that I hadn’t heard from Beauty SkinEssence. Granted, it had only been a few weeks, but from experience I knew that the more time passed, the higher was the chance of them dropping this.
“You’re out already, boss?” Anne asked when I passed her desk late in the afternoon.
“Yep. See you tomorrow.”