Carter Reed(39)

He turned, his decision made, and he curved a hand into the place between my shoulders blades. He started to walk with me down a hallway. As we got further along, I saw Mike waiting for us and then I recognized it was the same box where I had left Noah and Theresa. I dug my feet in. I didn’t know what was going on, but I knew he was going to leave me there. Something came up and he needed to handle whatever it was, but I didn’t want to be left behind.

“Emma?”

“No.” I shook my head. “You’re not leaving me.” Not again.

He studied me, but then nodded. His hand tightened around mine again. My knees nearly buckled from relief as he turned to the man. “Get the information and call me. Do it quick.”

The man went off; he didn’t need to be told again.

He led me back through the hallways until we returned to the side entrance. It was our exit this time. A black car was waiting with the door open and Mike beside it. Carter gave him some signal because he left. As we drew closer to the door, he guided me into the seat by my hips and then slid beside me. When he reached to close the door, I jerked forward.

Theresa and Noah had been waiting behind us for their car. Her mouth was hanging open while Noah was frowning.

Oh no.

But the door was shut and the car took off. Carter had no idea what just happened or he didn’t care. I had a hard time believing that he didn’t know Noah was behind us.

“What?” Carter looked at me.

I must’ve made some sound. “Oh, it’s nothing.” It wasn’t worth talking about.

He reached for my hand again and raised it for a soft kiss. “Emma, tell me.”

The knots in my stomach loosened at his touch, but I shook my head. This was embarrassing in a small way. “It’s really nothing.”

“Emma,” he sighed. “Is this about Graham? They told me you asked for him to be taken away. I’m sorry about him. I should’ve seen that situation ahead of time, but I didn’t. He won’t bother you again. I promise.”

I shook my head, but I was relieved when I heard that. Then I told him, “Noah and his friend were waiting behind us.”

“I know.”

“You did?”

He nodded, his eyes lidded as he gazed at my lips. He reached up and ran his thumb over them. My heart skipped a few beats as his touch lingered. He leaned close and dropped his head, but he didn’t kiss me. I was waiting, ready for it, but his hand pressed softly against my cheek. “I did, but I didn’t think you wanted me to meet your friend.”

“I just met her this week. She’s Noah’s friend more.”

His hand tightened on my thigh. He pulled me closer to him. “Your friend too. It was her home that you went to tonight, wasn’t it?”

I nodded. I was becoming flustered at how near we were to each other. I wasn’t sure who was going to crawl into whose lap, but I was ready. I only waited for him to lift me.

“Then she’s your friend too.” He grinned, the sight was delicious to me, and rested his forehead on mine. “Anyone who disapproves of someone connected to the mob seems alright to me. You don’t need to worry that I won’t like your friend, Emma. If she’s as good to you as she has been to Noah over the years, I have no reason to dislike her.”

And there it was. That was what I had been fearful about, not what Theresa would think about Carter, but what he would think of her. It meant something to me that he approved of my one friend now. Actually, it meant a lot to me that he did—another change in my life. I had three friends who I considered family, but now it was Carter. It was quickly becoming all about him.

“What’s wrong?”

I shook my head, my throat thick with emotion. I didn’t trust myself. I would start crying. I was sick of the crying.

He cupped the side of my face and turned me to look at him. “Emma.”

The kindness in his eyes was my undoing. A few tears trickled from my eye, and he brushed them away. His touch was tender.

“Carter,” I wrenched out in a sob.

He lifted me to his lap and folded me against his chest.

The comfort I felt was home to me. I closed my eyes and burrowed into him. I stopped thinking and worrying about everything. I stopped fighting what I was feeling or how much hold this man had over my life. It wasn’t only my life anymore, it was my heart. Even without the fear of Franco Dunvan, I knew I wouldn’t want to leave him. It was like I had been watching him over the years and wanting to go to him, but I never had enough reason to. At that thought, reality hit me like a bucket of ice water. I sat upright on his lap and looked at him.

Concern and lust intermingled with him. He waited for whatever I had to say.

I sighed to myself. I should move away. I should protect my heart, but as I held his gaze, I couldn’t. Different emotions battled each other inside of me, but all it took was one look from him. There it was. One look and I was pulled to him. I would always be pulled to him.

I knew it in my gut, like an anchor thrown into the ocean. The deeper it sunk, the more I knew. I was in love with Carter Reed. As the anchor landed on the bottom of my stomach, it resonated throughout me. Shockwaves soared over my nerves and tendons. My arms shook, even my legs felt the explosion.

And then I wondered, had I always loved him? “Carter.”

“Mmm?” His thumb pressed against my lips, but he looked up again.