Читать книгу If Only You Knew - Gwyneth Bolton - Страница 11

She looked like a woman riding to her death sentence, Carlton thought wryly as he eyed Latonya in the back seat of his limousine. It almost seemed as if the warm, vibrant woman who had been in his arms fifteen minutes ago had been a mirage. The expression on her face showed a woman not too happy about the prospect of having dinner with him.

After crossing the line and kissing her, he knew that he wanted to kiss her again. He wanted to have her more than he’d ever wanted anything else in his entire thirty-five years of life. But if he were honest, he’d admit he’d known that before he kissed her. He’d tried to ignore his feelings. Hell, he even tried to be extra harsh on Latonya, hoping it would force her to stay clear of him. However, when he found she could gladly stay away from him, he’d started coming up with reasons to make sure he could be around her.

He wondered if working on the Biltmore project had caused a wrinkle in whatever relationship she had with Jeff Weatherby. The two of them were always flirting. Hell, Latonya always playfully flirted with the rest of the guys in the department—everyone except for him. What he wouldn’t have done to have her bat those sparkling eyes at him.

In the short time that he had known her, she had managed to get under his skin in a big way. The way she kissed him once she had loosened up suggested that sex with her would be a delightful encounter. Passion leaped from her at his touch. When he kissed her, he swore he felt electric currents shoot through his system. He needed to find a way to get her out of his system and—after kissing her—he figured a more intimate arrangement might just do the trick. If they had sex, he’d be over his infatuation and they would be able to continue working together. He usually didn’t hold any woman in his mind very long after he’d been inside her.

Permanent relationships just weren’t his style. He’d learned early in life that love and commitment never came to a good end. The things he’d witnessed with his own parents made him more than a little gun-shy when it came to long-term relationships. Love wasn’t something he was looking for.

Carlton glanced at Latonya again. Calling her a very beautiful woman felt like a huge understatement. Her flawless face was the color of rich toffee. And when she was happy, her brown eyes danced with passion and vibrancy. Her auburn hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders. He’d always imagined what her hair would look like when it wasn’t pinned up. When she’d come into the office with it down, she looked prettier than he ever could have imagined. She wore a pair of drab navy-blue slacks, and even they were sexy on her. Her body had such delicious curves that he salivated just thinking about them. She made those boring nondescript business suits she wore look like something that could be found in a lingerie shop.

He’d been struggling to keep his eyes off her all day. When she’d come and stood by him, it was all he could do not to pull her onto his lap and kiss her senseless. He barely made it out of the office to catch his breath. No woman had ever had such an impact on him.

It was a good thing she’d been able to work, because he could barely focus on anything but her. It wouldn’t have been so bad if she hadn’t kept catching him while he stared at her. Always in control of his emotions, he felt thrown off balance by the woman.

That’s why he’d made up his mind to face whatever attraction there was between them head-on. He was tired of running from it. It was out of character for him to run from anything or to deny himself something he wanted. He decided that must have been the reason Latonya was causing such strange feelings in him. Once he faced the feelings and they explored them, he would be fine.

Sitting as far away from him as she could possibly get, Latonya twisted her hands nervously in her lap as she gazed out the window. If he didn’t know better, he would think she was running scared.

He pulled out a bottle of wine from the minifridge, hoping if she had something to drink that she would loosen up a bit more.

Clearing his throat, he implored, “Latonya, look at me.”

She turned slightly and glared at him.

Well, that’s progress, he reasoned. At least she showed some emotion. He handed her a glass of wine and she took it hesitantly.

“You can drink it. It’s not poisoned.”

Rolling her eyes, she turned to face the window again. Her hand shook as she sipped the wine.

Her jittery nervousness sparked a deep desire in him to ease some of her discomfort. Sliding closer to her in the seat, he placed his arm around her. She jumped and spilled the glass of wine.

“Why are you so jumpy? Relax,” he whispered softly, picking up the glass and placing it in a holder.

He bent his head to kiss her. Her lips were soft and inviting. She tasted like the sweet wine and a hint of peppermint. Once he worked his tongue into her mouth, he felt any thirst he had ever had being quenched. She sighed just before she relaxed into his embrace and a sharp jolt raced through him at the sound. Suddenly he was struck with so much need he almost couldn’t concentrate.

She was intoxicating and addictive, and he couldn’t pull away from her if he wanted to. He allowed his hands to explore her luscious body. He pulled her closer until he almost had her on his lap. Still it didn’t seem close enough. If he could have inhaled her, injected her into his veins somehow, he would have done it.

He pulled away and took a ragged breath. If he didn’t stop kissing her, he would wind up quickly taking her in the back of the limo, and he didn’t want that to happen. He wanted to savor every moment. The woman had wreaked havoc with his libido and his emotions and he fully intended to take his time to see if she offered all he’d imagined.

“We should probably stop,” he managed to mutter as he tried without success to catch his breath and calm himself down.

A red stain flushed her toffee cheeks and her eyes fluttered. Her face became the picture of embarrassment as she put some distance between them. Clearing her throat, she took a deep breath.

“Mr. Harrington, I really would like you to reconsider this…dinner. I’m really not comfortable with it. I realize that there is some attraction. But this is not the best way to deal with it.” She cleared her throat again as she ran her hand across her navy slacks, picking off nonexistent lint. “I think it would be best if you just have your driver take me home.”

“Do you really? Because now that I’ve kissed you, Latonya, I can honestly say that wouldn’t work for me at all.”

She sighed and looked away, seeming emotionally torn.

He ran his fingers over her long auburn tresses. “Tell me that you’re not attracted to me. Tell me that you don’t want this as much as I do.”

With a face full of anger and passion, fueled no doubt by stilted desire, she turned to face him again. Instead of responding in words, she simply pursed her lips.

The sight of her luscious lips closed so defiantly made him want to kiss her again. At least she didn’t deny she wanted him. He took a small relief in that as he continued to toy with her hair. Pulling her closer, Carlton whispered, “I’ll tell you what, you let me treat you to dinner since you worked so hard today. And we’ll just see how the night goes. Who knows, you might even have fun.”

Her lips formed a smirk and Carlton couldn’t resist. He had to touch them. Letting his hand trail down her cheek, he traced her lips with his thumb. He could feel the steady beat of her heart as she took a deep breath.

Even though it was the last thing he wanted to do, he moved his hand. “So, do we have a deal?”

“Fine, I’ll let you buy me dinner.”

Latonya smiled and Carlton could have sworn her eyes danced just for him. He had no idea the woman’s smile could make his heartbeat skip. Not wanting to lose the closeness he was starting to feel, he let his hand rest on her shoulder and held her close.

The rest of the ride passed in silence. Carlton enjoyed the drive from downtown Miami to the restaurant near his home in Coconut Grove. The lush green foliage and the blue waters calmed him as he looked out of the window. Once they were in view of Biscayne Bay he could almost feel himself relaxing a bit. Gazing at the blue water that surrounded the freeway offered a cathartic release of tension.

Although not as beautiful as his island home in the Bahamas, Miami held a beauty special to him as well. Ever since he was a child he’d split his time between the Bahamas and the almost tropical Florida city. A Bahamian native by birth, he considered Miami home while in the States.

Coconut Grove, the place of Miami’s earliest black settlers, was also the spot his Bahamian-born great-great-grandfather decided to make his home. In the years since the first Harrington resided in Coconut Grove, the Harringtons maintained their Bahamian citizenship and heritage, keeping homes in both places. Carlton’s home on Millionaire’s Row had been in the family for several generations and he lived there by himself part of the year with a small number of servants.

When the limo pulled up in front of the small restaurant, he almost let out a sigh of relief. Out of the close confines of the limo, at least he didn’t have to worry about trying to maul the poor woman anymore. He did have some sense of decorum about public behavior. Yet one look at her sweetly rounded bottom and long legs as she stepped out of the vehicle before him made Carlton realize that he’d better request the corner table in the back just in case he forgot all his home training.

Latonya looked around the small and sophisticated restaurant and tried to catch her breath. The white linen tablecloths gave the place a Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous aura, and one look at the menu prices confirmed her observation.

She tried to wrap her mind around all that had happened between herself and Carlton. She’d felt an attraction to him from the first moment she’d seen him and that scared her. She’d never experienced such overwhelming desire before. Her grandmother, a strict, church-going woman, had a mantra that she preached to her granddaughters daily: books before boys. For the most part, Latonya had listened. She’d never wanted to disappoint her grandmother so she’d stayed clear of boys in high school and college. She often thought about what it would be like to have sex. She found herself thinking about it a whole lot more whenever Carlton was around. Those thoughts were not safe or good.

She looked up from the menu to find him gazing at her, and the heat traveled from the pit of her stomach to the tips of her toes.

Latonya was so caught up in Carlton’s gaze that she barely heard the waiter as he spouted off the list of specials in a sultry Spanish accent.

“Do you like mojitos, Tonya? I think a cocktail is in order after all our hard work today.” Carlton smiled and then ordered a pitcher full of the wonderful Cuban drink.

She took a deep breath. If a little rum, mint, sugar and lime didn’t help her get over her nervousness, nothing would. She gladly took the glass the waiter poured for her when he returned with the pitcher.

Carlton proceeded to order their meal in flawless Spanish and she bit back the urge to tell him that she had been deciding her own meals since she was twelve years old. Before her mother died she took care of preparing meals for her younger sister and herself, and after that, because of the long hours her grandmother put in cleaning the homes of others, she had to prepare meals for the entire family. The last thing she needed was some guy thinking he could just decide what she wanted or needed.

He turned to her and smiled in spite of the daggers she was shooting at him with her eyes. “I know you can order your own food. But I come here a lot and I know what’s good and what’s truly superb.”

Carlton proceeded to tell her what he’d ordered. Everything from the croquetas as an appetizer to the flan for dessert.

“The meal you’ve picked out sounds scrumptious. I can’t wait. I’m famished.” She smiled in spite of herself. It became increasingly harder to maintain an attitude with Carlton when he looked at her with that sexy glint in his eyes. She cleared her throat instead of reprimanding him and finished off her mojito.

He reached for the pitcher and refilled her glass as soon as she put it down.

“So, tell me about yourself.”

Carlton appeared sincere, but she didn’t know how much of her life she wanted to share with him. She squinted her eyes as she tried to decide. “What do you want to know?”

“I don’t know, tell me everything, anything.” He seemed genuinely interested.

“Well, let’s see. I grew up in Overtown. My grandmother practically raised me. She had a stroke about a year ago and she needs constant care until she is fully rehabilitated. She’s coming along well, though.” Looking up, she found him staring at her intently.

“Is that why you took a job with the Miami office of Harrington Enterprise? So you can be with her while she’s recovering?”

“Sort of. My grandmother took my little sister and me in when my mom died. She helped me out when I was in school, and it was understood that I would help her to send my little sister to college.” Smiling with relief when the waiter brought their food, she figured they could start eating and she could end her this-is-my-life show. She never liked talking about herself. Talking about her nondescript little life to a rich business mogul like Carlton Harrington III had to be among the most nerve-racking experiences she’d ever had.

Carlton gave her an encouraging smile. It seemed like he wanted to hear more. “That must have been rough. I lost both of my parents when I was fifteen…They died together in a plane crash. Was your dad still around?”

“That’s awful. I’m sorry to hear that.” Latonya hadn’t known that growing up parentless was something they shared. “My father left way before my mother died. And it wasn’t so rough. We had Gran and she worked extra hard to take care of us and make sure that we didn’t want for anything. When she had the stroke, I had just finished my MBA program and I realized that I had to be there for her. So, I stayed home and took over the mortgage and my sister’s tuition.”

“That’s commendable of you. Most people would have just put their grandmother in a nursing home and let their sibling fend for him or herself.”

Latonya just toyed with her food without looking up or responding. She never would have considered any of the options he mentioned, but she often felt overwhelmed by her responsibilities. Even if she did feel as if she were carrying a lot on her shoulders, she certainly wasn’t going to admit it to him.

Carlton must have sensed that he’d made her uncomfortable because he suddenly switched the subject. “So tell me how you like working for Harrington Enterprise?”

Her fork fell on the plate with a clang. She glanced up from her meal. Twisting her lips to the side, she gave him her sassiest look. “Well, up until about five months ago, I really liked it.”

Smiling the seductive smile that made his eyes sparkle and her stomach flutter, Carlton chuckled before responding. “Okay, I guess I set myself up for that. I know I’ve haven’t been a dream to work for.”

She tilted her head and smirked. “Gee, ya think?”

“Okay, okay, enough. Let’s eat.”

“Yes, let’s.” She tossed him a saucy grin before digging into her food.

The flavors of the powerfully seasoned dish popped all over her tongue and she couldn’t help but compliment the sexy chauvinist on his choices. The garlic and onions melded in her mouth and she momentarily worried about her breath and kissing him later on. As soon as she thought it, she chastised herself.

The last thing you need to be worried about is kissing him again, girl. You need to be concerned with getting away from him this evening with your virginity still intact. Then again, he is fine.… She tried to stop the grin that spread across her face to no avail.

“I knew you’d like it.” He flashed the smile that she was sure she’d never get tired of seeing.

“And how did you know that?”

“I just had a feeling. Right now I’m feeling like I know some other things you would like.”

Lifting her eyebrows, she gave him a quick glance. “Oh, really?”

“Yes, really.”

“And what exactly would that be?”

Smirking, he replied, “Oh, I think if you gave it half a chance you’d find that you really like me. A lot.”

She laughed at that. “Oh, really? Not suffering from a lack of confidence, are you? Some might even say you’re bordering on arrogant.”

He laughed, too, as he refreshed her glass with mojito. “I’d say confidence, not arrogance. But I think it would take more than a little convincing for you to agree with that.”

Latonya nodded. “Smart man.”

“Yes, and as a smart man, I have to say that I am enjoying spending time with you. I’m glad we got away from the office and I really don’t want this evening to end.”

Picking up her glass, she took a huge swallow. Her throat suddenly became dry while another part of her felt strangely wet.

“Are we back to the ‘spend the night with me’ conversation?” She voiced the words with an airy lightness that surprised her, given the bolt of nervous energy racing through her body. While she didn’t hold any fantasies about the rich playboy falling in love with her, she did find herself wanting, no, needing to examine her attraction to him.

Why not finally try a night of passion with a man who makes my stomach quiver with just a kiss?

Studying him carefully, taking in the hot pulsating masculinity he exuded, she impulsively decided to bargain with the devil.

“If we do this, then I want a transfer out of your department, Harrington.”

He wiped his mouth with his napkin as he gazed at her intently. She felt goose bumps trail from the base of her neck to the small of her back.

He smiled when she shivered. “We can talk about a transfer, later.” Carlton threw his napkin on the table as if challenging her.

Suddenly feeling as if he had taken over control of the negotiations, she cleared her throat. “Will we do this tonight?”

She managed to maintain a businesslike voice although the strength of her attraction gave her considerable pause.

His eyes narrowed, but not in the angry and irritated way they normally did. This time, they zeroed in on her with a desire that made her heart skip. “I honestly don’t think I could wait another night.”

Latonya fought the urge to fan herself and she swallowed before answering. “Should I meet you somewhere?” She figured—like a typical man—he’d want to go to some cheesy hotel to do the deed.

“No, my driver can take us to my place once we’ve finished dinner. I live close by.”

His place? He’s taking me to his home? Oh. My. It felt as if a huge cotton ball had lodged itself in her throat, and she could barely force out words. She thought about the huge, extravagant homes they’d passed on the drive from downtown. They were right on the cusp of downtown and Coconut Grove. From what she could see of the bayfront houses they passed, which were all blocked by tall fences and impenetrable foliage, Carlton didn’t live in a small home. Between the Italian Renaissance villas, Mediterranean-inspired mansions, and art-deco-styled superhomes, she suddenly felt out of her element. She just hoped that he didn’t say he lived on Brickell Avenue, better known as Millionaire’s Row. “Your place? You live in this neighborhood?”

“Yes. I live on Brickell Avenue. Now, let’s share this flan and get out of here. I can’t wait to taste you.” He leaned forward with a spoon in hand and took a mouthful of the dessert all the while keeping his eyes firmly focused on her.

Oh, Peanut, Latonya thought, using her childhood nickname to silently chastise herself, you are way out of your league, girl.