The Millionaire Falls Hard (22 page)

Carrie.

He'd seen Carrie last night. Memories stirred through his sleepy fog. Memories of having her back in his arms, of kissing her senseless, and of crashing out.

He sat up and looked around. Carrie must have put the quilt on him. He looked down. No clothes were missing, except his shoes.

He looked at his watch. Four a.m. He'd had about six hours sleep. Nowhere near enough but more than he'd had in a stretch any night in the last eight weeks.

He didn't want to sleep alone anymore. He got up and went in search of Carrie.

He found her in the middle of an enormous four-poster bed, sleeping on her left side with her hand tucked up underneath the pillow. The light from the bedside clock illuminated her face. Beautiful. For a minute he allowed himself to just stand there and gaze at her.

He removed his clothes and got in beside her spooning himself behind her.

He couldn't resist the feel of her through the tee-shirt she'd worn to bed. He peppered her neck and her shoulders with the lightest of kisses whilst his hand snuck under the hemline to cup her breast.

Carrie stirred in sleep and placed one of her legs between his. She turned slightly into him and moaned in satisfaction. Jake hardened instantly.

His hand moved down stroking her belly. Now able to get his other arm under her, he continued caressing her breast, feeling the bare tip pebble under his touch.

Carrie turned completely until they were chest to chest and putting both hands around his neck started kissing him. She teased his bottom lip with her tongue and nipped it with her teeth. She sought entry and Jake gave her permission. Their tongues caressed and clashed. The kiss got hotter. Jake placed his fingers against Carrie's mound and found her wet.

He guided his erection to her opening and slid inside. A long sigh escaped his lips. He'd missed this connection with her. It felt so good, so much better than his dreams.

Carrie had never had such an erotic dream. She felt safe in strong arms as her breasts strained against the front of her tee. Her leg was entangled in something hard. Her mouth was wet. She felt liquid heat between her legs.

Oh, she missed the feel of him inside her. If only this wasn't a dream. She started to move to match his rhythm then she felt her arms pinned to each side of her head.

As the thrusting became harder, faster, she finally distinguished between dream and reality. Slowly opening her eyes she found Jake staring down at her.

She smiled.

'Jake,' she whispered.

He smiled back. His eyes telling her how much he craved her.

He reached down to take her mouth in a hot kiss. His tongue matched the rhythm of his thrusts. Carrie pulled her legs up and wrapped them around him, pulling him in deeper. She was too close to release to think about his presence. She just accepted it. Jake put his hand between them to stroke her to climax.

Carrie screamed his name as she went over the edge. Her head thrashed from side to side as her orgasm went on and on. Jake shouted his own release seconds later as she spasmed around him and milked him dry.

He collapsed on top of her, breathing hard.

She never ceased to amaze him. That had been incredibly explosive and so erotic as she had awoken from her sleep.

Their breathing returned to normal and Jake moved off her, bringing Carrie with him and tucking her into his side.

'I love you,' he sighed.

'We're getting mar……ried.' The last part was whispered out on a soft breath, hardly heard.

Carrie raised her head to look at him, unsure she'd heard him correctly.

'Wha.. what did you just say?'

She stared at him incredulously. How could he just say that and go back to sleep? She lay there wondering if he'd said what she'd dreamt of hearing him say. Maybe it had been the sex talking. Despite what they'd shared before, that had been the hottest, most erotic, most intimate coupling so far.

Frustrated that yet again he was making a decision without consulting her - even though it was a decision she'd hoped for - she lay there and stared at the ceiling. How could she love someone so controlling? How could she consider another relationship with someone like that?

Each time she tried to pull away Jake instinctively tightened his arm around her. He moved to face her and kissed her lightly on her forehead in his sleep.

She gave in to the warmth of his embrace as she listened to his rhythmic breathing and eventually she drifted back to sleep.

*

'Good morning.'

Carrie looked up to see Jake wide awake and smiling at her.

'How long have you been watching me?'

'Not long. About fifteen minutes. You're beautiful to watch.'

Carrie blushed. 'I've got bed head and breath. I need a shower.' As she tried to move away from his embrace and get out of bed, Jake held her fast.

'You're beautiful. And I love you. Have done for a long time, although it took me a while to recognise it. I suspect it took you longer though. You certainly fought me for long enough.'

Still smiling he kissed away her frown.

'What makes you think I love you?' She bristled at his assuming tone. Even if he was right he took far too much for granted. He couldn't just swan in here after eight weeks and pick up where they'd left off in Miami, even if that was what her body was doing.

Jake arched his eyebrow as he looked at her questioningly.

'Why are you denying it? Can you honestly lie there and deny what's going on between us? The…..'

'Yes!' she shouted.

'No. I don't know. Eight weeks Jake.' She was angry now.

She pulled away and sat up.

'Eight weeks and nothing! No phone call. No email. No message via Phil. One lousy text when you left. Then nothing! What was I supposed to think? I tried to harden my heart. I couldn't face the pain.' She ended on a sob. Out of breath and drained, she burst into tears.

Jake sat up and pulled her back into his arms.

'I'm sorry,' he whispered. 'Carrie I have spent eight weeks thinking of you, dreaming about you. I would
never
intentionally hurt you.' With his thumb and forefinger under her chin he forced her to look at him.

'I love you with all my heart. For now. For ever. I have never said those words to anyone else and apart from our friends and children, I never will.'

'Oh God, chi…'

Jake put his fingers over her lips.

'No Carrie, please, let me finish.' He wiped away her tears with his thumbs.

'You know the life I had Carrie - not a lot of love in it after my mother died. I'm new to this sort of relationship. All I've ever done is work hard and have flings, meaningless sex. Now, with you, I want it all. But maybe I need some help being a partner. I'll make mistakes, we both will, but I want you to tell me when I do. I want to be your lover, your husband and your best friend.'

Carrie's eyes widened but Jake was on a roll and carried on.

'Why do you think I was away so long?' Without waiting for or expecting an answer he continued.

'I don't want to be away from you or our family. I don't want to travel half way round the world on my own. I want to be by your side for
your
successes. I've spent the last eight weeks restructuring my business interests, negotiating deals and selling parts of it off.'

Jake settled back against the pillows and brought Carrie with him, resting her head on his chest. Subconsciously he stroked her hair as he went on.

'The furthest I'll be in future is about a five hour flight away. Glenn's coming into the business too. I've been up and down the States, over in Australia and the Middle East. I feel like I've hardly shut my eyes in eight weeks and when I did, you were there. Knowing you were there kept me going. Knowing I was coming back to you gave me the strength to get up each day and pour over more figures, more reports, get on another flight, go talk to another potential buyer.'

Jake lifted her chin so he could look her in the eyes.

'You, my darling, you and me,
us
and our children, are the sole reasons I have packed six months work into two and stopped trying to take over the world.'

He smiled at her. 'Please believe that I love you, and
please
tell me that you love me too.'

Carrie reached up and kissed him.

'I had no idea. I'm overawed that I have inspired all of that. But Jake, the next time you get swallowed up with work what happens then? Am I going to be shut out and ignored? And you've got our future all mapped out. You talk as if it's all settled, but what about sharing it with me and making me feel that its
our
future, not just your future with me in it?' Carrie's anger started to rise again.

Jake kissed her until she softened again in his arms.

'I can't promise that I won't shut you out, because I don't know. But I hope to learn not to. And I hope you'll tell me if I do. Whack me over the head if you have to. And I'm sorry we haven't had the conversation about our future. I've dreamt about it for so long it sort of morphed into a reality for me.'

Jake's voice softened. 'Have I got it all wrong?' He looked her straight in the eye and held his breath, waiting for her answer.

'No. But we talk. We discuss, we debate, we compromise and we agree. I can't know what's in your head unless you tell me.'

Before Jake could agree, she finished. 'And I had one controlling relationship, I can't cope with another one. I can't subject Charlie to something that I don't believe is going to work. I have to know we're equals Jake.'

Jake's face split into a huge grin.

'I promise. All of that Carrie, and more. Will you please give me the words I need to hear.'

Carrie smiled at him as her hand caressed his face. 'I love you Jake. With all my heart.'

Jake pulled her into his embrace. That was all that mattered.

*

'Carrie? You've gone as white as a sheet. Are you OK?'

They were sitting in the kitchen having lunch. They'd worked side by side to prepare a light meal of poached salmon with seasonal vegetables, chatting and laughing together in complete harmony. Their conversation earlier had cleared the air and brought them close together. It had been their complaining stomachs that had finally dragged them from the bed and into the shower.

'I think I'm going to be s…..'

Carrie threw her hand up to her mouth and dashed out of the room. Jake found her heaving into the toilet bowl a moment later.

He knelt down beside her and rubbed her back while she continued to empty the contents of her stomach. When he thought she'd finished he grabbed a wash cloth and gently wiped her face.

As Carrie took a drink of water Jake cleaned up the bathroom and took her to sit down. Carrie diverted him to the porch swing.

'This is my favourite seat. Where I always sit when I'm on my own. I want to share it with you.'

Once they were comfortably settled with Jake stretched out and Carrie snuggled up beside him, she breathed deeply, loving the feeling of being wrapped in his arms and enveloped by the swing seat. It was as heavenly as she'd imagined it would be.

'Are you OK now?'

Carrie nodded against his chest. 'Jake, did you mean it each time you mentioned children?' She looked up at him. 'Do you want kids?'

She looked so pale and uncertain. Jake brushed her hair away from her face.

'Yes I do. I'd like to adopt Charlie if he'll let me. I'd also like a few of our own. There's no second measures when I throw myself into something! I'd like a big family. A houseful of noisy, happy children - the complete opposite of what I grew up with.'

It was his turn to look uncertain. 'Am I being controlling again? If you don't, we'll….' Carrie stopped him with her hand and smiled.

Her last piece of anxiety fell away.

'No, you're not and I do.' She prolonged the moment.

'Each time we made love Jake, did you ever consider protection? I know I didn't.'

Jake's face was a picture as he realised that he never had. 'Carrie, I swear, I've always used protection before.'

He wiped his hand over his face, caught up in the shock of his actions and missing what she was getting at. 'It never even crossed my mind with you. I understand the extent of your anger now. What if I'd got you pregnant and left you for eight weeks wondering what was happening?'

'You did.'

'What?'

'Jake, do you not think that given the number of times we made love, there was a distinct possibility that I'd get pregnant?'

'What!' Jake sat up. Well as much as the squidgy seat allowed.