Page 56 of Bride Under Contract

‘Shut up!’ She smiled. ‘Are you serious?’

‘Very.’ he nodded.

‘If you’re already so rich, why do you need to impress a financier?’

‘Because I intend to stay rich,’ he retorted. ‘Get some nice clothes, and whatever else you need...’

She might have been wholly offended, but staring at her woolly hair and dusty clothes she felt a shiver of excitement. It felt as if she’d spent for ever dressed in yoga pants, with her hair in a ponytail, having dinner in front of the television. Rarely going out, let alone dating.

This wasn’t dating, though, Grace reminded herself.

Carter began to strip his top off—as uninhibited as that—and she wondered if she was about to be summoned to the bath...

Could you use condoms in water?

She had no clue. So for something to do she opened up all the freebies and brushed her teeth with a very nice brush, selected all the lovely shampoos. She was delaying, nervous...

‘Grace...’

He turned her around. He was naked from the hips up, and he wiped a little toothpaste from her lip.

And she thought he must seriously hate mangosteen, because his gaze had changed, and it would seem her mouth was kissable now.

This wasn’t love, she thought as their mouths met, but nor was it shame. It was finding out how good a kiss could be, discovering her body, feeling wanted and sexy when she’d wondered if that side of her even existed.

His tongue tasted of cognac, and when it mingled with hers she tasted mint. And her hands were on his chest, feeling the dark hair, the flat nipples. And she didn’t want this kiss to end. But he was more measured than she...pulling that sexy mouth back from her own.

‘Why don’t we lose the jungle?’ Carter suggested, pulling at the hem of her dusky and also rather dusty pink top.

The tops of her thighs ached and her breasts felt tight with anticipation as he lifted her arms and removed her top, tossing it towards a basket. She watched her very tatty bra fly that way too, and then he left it for Grace to take care of the rest. Possibly because he needed to be naked as much as she.

Although not for the reasons she’d first thought.

‘Enjoy,’ he said, taking her hand and helping her into the bath.

She watched a little bemused as he headed to the shower, and perhaps he saw her blink of surprise.

‘Did I tell you I’m not romantic?’

‘Many times.’

‘That means I don’t do candlelit baths. I’m going in here.’

‘Bastard!’ She laughed and lay back, still semi turned on, but finally relaxed, letting the fragrant water wrap around her body. Sometimes her eyes would open and drift to look at his magnificent physique, his lean legs, the indentations at the side of his taut buttocks. And it was intimate to watch him from a distance, to see the thick length that had been inside her and to feel her throat go tight. He turned and she saw the scars on his back... She closed her eyes on the vision of scorpions and fire ants, knowing he’d hate the tears that had suddenly filled her eyes.

He turned off the water, came out and wrapped a towel around his hips, and flicked through all the toiletries. He started to lather up several days’ worth of growth on his chin, not even bothering to look at her when she asked, ‘Is there any more conditioner? My hair’s all knotted.’

‘Book a hairdresser tomorrow.’

‘Please!’ Grace mumbled, lying back in the bath and letting the water wash over her, knowing he couldn’t possibly understand how awful it was going to be to face a hairdresser somewhere as gorgeous as here. She usually trimmed her own hair, and the humid air really had wreaked havoc with it, as well as the near toothless comb.

Carter was now watching Grace.

The efficient extractor fans meant he didn’t even need to wipe the mirror to shave. Still, rather than his own reflection there was a far more appealing sight in the mirror, as Grace lay back in the bath and floated. Her hair fanned out, her eyes closed, and he saw her usually pale skin was pink from the warm water. The dispersing bubbles revealed her soft breasts and his eyes moved to the dark triangle of hair.

He thought of their one night...the heat they had made.

He understood a little of what Grace meant when she’d said she kept expecting shame to kick in... In Carter’s case, though, he was waiting for regret to arrive.

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