“I can imagine,” I cut him off. “Anything else?”

“Yes. She’s at Louis’ for the next two hours working on carpet and wallpaper samples.”

“Carpet and wallpaper samples, hmm?” I take the notecard from him with Mrs. Cortez’s phone number. “Did she say if they were his current ones or future ones?”

Carlos grins. “Nope. I’m going to bet on current ones.”

“I’d bet with you but it doesn’t count if we bet the same thing.” I turn to my office then spin back, almost bumping into Carter. “Hey, did my bookshelf arrive?”

I’d swear Carlos blushes. “It’s due for delivery tomorrow.”

I point the notecard at him. “And you’re sure it’s a bookshelf this time?”

“Your mom watched as I ordered it. Definitely a bookshelf.”

“Just messing with you. Thanks.” I smile and open the door to my office. “Come in, Mr. Hughes.”

He follows me in and shuts the door just as I drop the card with Mrs. Cortez’s number in my trashcan. “Not a fan of her?” he questions, pointing to the trash.

“She’s cancelled her last four appointments. I have her number memorized at this point.” I dump my purse on the floor by my chair and flatten my hands on the desk. “What can I help you with?”

He tugs on his tie, then with carefully calculated steps, closes the space between him and my desk. He rests his hands on the desk in front of mine, and for the first time, I’m thankful for the mess I have between us, otherwise I’m certain he’d make sure our fingertips touch.

He leans forward, his gaze zeroing in on mine in that compelling way he has. I’m trapped in the intensity of his stare, and there’s nothing I can do but stand here and hope that my eyes aren’t giving away the flip-flop feeling in my stomach.

Shit.

“I have to go to California for three days to look over some things with my restaurant opening there,” he says quietly. “I wanted you to be aware that Julia will be overlooking things here, and there’s a high chance my sister might just stop in to be nosey.”

Awesome. “And if there’s a problem?”

“Then you call me. Julia will check in with you twice a day, and as efficient as she is, I’d prefer to handle any issues myself.”

“And you called me a control freak.”

“You are a control freak.” He leans forward even further.

I can feel his breath just ghosting across my lips. “I’m not.”

“You are. It’s why you dislike me so much.”

“What the hell does me supposedly being a control freak have to do with liking you or not?”

“Because.” He reaches one hand up and runs his thumb down my jaw. The backs of his fingers brush across my neck, and I swallow hard, drawing a tiny, knowing smile from him. “You can’t control what your body does when I’m around you. When I touch you.”

His hand dips over my collarbone until his fingers are dangerously close to dipping against my cleavage. I straighten, shoving off of the desk. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. If that was all… I have an appointment soon.”

He doesn’t move. He stands there stonily, the only part of him moving his eyes. They drop to my chest and flick back up, hesitating on my mouth when I lick my lips.

He really needs to leave. He’s undressing me with his eyes, for fuck’s sake. No—screw that.

The man is fucking me with his eyes, and he’s doing it damn well.

I take a deep breath and draw myself up to my full height. I’ll show him the door. I have to show him the door.

Screw this throbbing in my vagina. She’s the reason I’m in this situation. She can fuck herself later.

I stalk past Carter in the direction of the door. He’s quicker than me, though. His arm darts out and his fingers curl around my wrist, and he yanks me against his hard body. The air whooshes out of my lungs as our chests collide and he secures me against him with one strong arm.

“You’re doing it again,” he murmurs in my ear. “Responding to me. Like I can’t see it. I can. It’s written all over your pretty face.”

My blood, red hot, thunders through my body, and my cheeks flush. “You’re seeing things,” I whisper. “Please let me go.” I push against him, but he only holds me tighter.

“I deliberately stayed away from you yesterday. Do you know that?” When I shake my head, he continues. “After we had lunch, I knew I couldn’t be around you. You made the right choice in getting a taxi here. There’s no way, had you have gotten into that car with me, that I wouldn’t have smudged the fuck out of your lipstick, Bee.”

I run my tongue across the inside of my teeth as I consider what to say. What am I supposed to say? “Have you considered it’s perhaps best to coordinate with my mother and have her oversee this project instead of me?”

“A thousand times. But then I wouldn’t get to watch you while you walk and imagine you bent in front of me and your ass with my still-red palm print on it.”

Holy. What?

“It’s definitely best if you coordinate with my mother,” I breathe. His words have made every one of my nerves tingle, and right now, all my nerves seem to be in between my legs. “Three days.” I swallow. “This is destined for disaster.”

Like it always was.

“I agree,” Carter agrees huskily. “So if it’s destined, why not help it along its way?”

I open my mouth to protest, but he stops me with one swift movement that has his lips covering mine. The hotness of his mouth on mine shocks me, and I fall victim to his powerful and commanding movements. He pushes me back until my butt bumps my desk and I’m falling backward onto it.

He steadies me with his forceful grip. His other arm pushes stuff away until I’m properly perched on the edge, my legs open with him standing in between them. His hard cock pushes against my stomach as he leans into me and I curl my fingers around his neck.

I’m on fire. Everywhere.

He kisses me deeply, his tongue stroking mine, and there’s nothing but him and the raging pound of desire as it flows through my body. He eases his fingers inside the hem of my dress and up the inside of my thigh toward my aching pussy, and I know I should stop him, but oh Jesus. I can’t. My skin is tingling and my clit is throbbing in sweet anticipation of what’s coming.

He grazes his teeth across my lower lip as his thumb brushes my lace panties. My muscles clench at the gentle touch, and I tighten my grip on the back of his neck. His fingers slide my thong to the side.

I drop my head back, breaking the kiss, right as he rubs his thumb over my clit and pushes one finger inside me. Jesus. Fucking. Christ. He kisses his way down my neck, each lingering touch only adding to the fire that is my want for him right now. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

This is wrong. This is so. Fucking. Wrong.

He’s my client. It still doesn’t matter that we met before. He should not be finger-fucking me on my desk right now.

“See?” he rasps in my ear. “You can’t control this. You can’t control how fucking wet you are right now—for me. But you don’t want to, do you?” He pushes another finger inside me. “You might be a control freak, but only one of us has control over your body. And it sure as fuck isn’t you, is it?”

I want to tell him to fuck himself, but I can’t. “There’s a better use for your smart mouth,” I gasp as a jolt of pleasure sets my body alight.

“Better use for yours, too,” he retorts, nipping the side of my neck. “Look at you, Bee. Look at the way you’re riding my hand right now. What is it, baby? You want another?”

A third fingertip nudges the opening of my pussy, and my hips buck against his hand. I don’t, but I do. A whimper escapes me as he pushes a third inside me. The stretching of my pussy is far more pleasurable than painful, but I still drop my head back with a gasp.

“Hush.” Carter captures my mouth with his, biting my lower lip. “Your assistant out there doesn’t seem too bright, but it probably wouldn’t take him long to figure out what I’m doing to you.”