Carter kneels down on the carpeted floor, reaching his hands around to my arse. He squeezes gently and pulls me even closer to him.
“Did you wear these for me?” The question is emphasised by Carter’s finger tracing the outline of the black lace. My hips buck beneath his touch when he drags his thumb up the centre, stopping millimetres below my clit and trailing back down. This is the sweetest torture I’ll ever feel; I’m torn between wanting him to stop immediately and praying he never does.
“In your dreams, Carter. I’m of the firm belief that a nice pair of underwear boosts your self-confidence by fifty percent.”
He doesn’t break contact as his slow torture continues, threatening to consume me.
“You’ve worked out the statistics, have you? I wasn’t awareyou were such a number cruncher. I should put you in finance with skills like that.”
“Oh shut up and kiss me, Lawrence.”?
Carter’s laugh fills the air for a moment, but it’s abruptly cut off as he draws himself up onto the bed. Hovering above me between my splayed legs, he places a chaste kiss on my lips. My hands find their way to his shirt-clad shoulders, holding him to me.
A chill goes through me at the feel of Carter’s hot breath against my ear, my eyes fluttering shut.
“Would it be okay if I removed your underwear?” His voice is barely above a whisper as it caresses the shell of my ear, and I almost combust at the tenderness of his words. I open my eyes to find him watching me as if transfixed.?
The way he’s looking at me is doing something to my insides, and while I don’t love the feeling it elicits, I don’t think I hate it either. It feels too heavy right now, so I attempt to lighten the mood.
“If you don’t remove them, I most definitely will.” Taking my hands off Carter, I move to place them on the black lace sitting on my hips. Carter stops me in my tracks, both wrists in his grasp.
“Allow me, please.”
Any fight I was going to put up is extinguished by the way he saysplease. Instead, I merely nod.?
Carter gently places my arms by my sides, releasing my wrists. His gaze remains locked on my face while he trails a featherlight touch across my abdomen for what feels like forever before finally reaching the lace. He wraps his fingers around either side and slides them down at a snail’s pace, lifting each foot in turn until I’m left bared to him from the waist down.
Without breaking eye contact, Carter bundles up myunderwear and slides them into his trouser pocket. My lips part in silent surprise, caught off guard by the caveman-esque action.
“I figured I’d hold onto them for you, since you won’t be needing them again this evening.”
“You’re awfully thoughtful, aren’t you? Now take off your shirt.”
Straightening out my legs, I cross one ankle over the other. Not a second passes before Carter’s gripping my ankle, throwing it across so I’m spread open beneath him.
“It’s adorable you think you’re in a position to make demands while your pussy is laid out in front of me like a main course.”
It’s astonishing that such a pretty face can utter such filth, and even more astonishing that it calls to my body the way it does, but I refuse to let him see the effect he’s having on me.
“Please,” I add, batting my lashes for good measure and hoping like hell I don’t sound as desperate as I feel. Because fuck, do I feel desperate. The man fills out a suit like it’s nobody’s business, but right now, I want nothing more than for it to be lying discarded on the floor.
A grin stretches across Carter’s face. “Only because you asked so nicely.”
Satisfaction swells through me, but it’s short-lived. Rather than going straight for his top button, as I’d anticipated, Carter reaches for his left cuff.?
Asshole.I should’ve known he wouldn’t let me win so easily.?
At a leisurely pace, Carter proceeds to remove one cufflink, then the other, before unhurriedly undoing the buttons of each cuff. Against my better judgement, I let out the sigh that’s beenbuilding.
“Something the matter?” There’s a twinkle in his eye as he speaks, teasing me.
“Oh, not at all. I’m enjoying watching the slowest strip tease in history.”
“You really do have quite the mouth on you, Miss Matthews.”
I wait impatiently as Carter undoes each remaining button before tossing his shirt aside.?
Holy fucking shit.
