loneliness of being in a new city. We’ve been nearly inseparable ever since, and I hadn’t let her down yet. I wasn’t about to start doing it tonight.
Paige tore through the rest of the tissue paper in the bag and squealed with laughter. “What’s this? A tiara!”
“Put it on,” I told her. “I’m busting you out of here.”
“Chloe, no!” Paige whispered, but it was too late; I was already pushing my way into Carter’s office.
The following didn’t happen exactly the way I had planned. I had expected for my overwhelming annoyance to make this confrontation easier, what I hadn’t expected was for Carter Armstrong to be so, well… captivating in person.
My breath caught when I stepped into the room and saw him. Behind a large desk—all gorgeously lit by the soft glow of the lamplight in front of him—was Carter Anderson in all of his GQ glory, and wow , pictures just did not do him justice. It was then that I felt the first traitorous pull at my heart, because I shouldn’t be finding this man so attractive, not after the way he treated Paige. But his whole existence in that moment was like a laundry list of Chloe Moore’s Favorite Things:
Tall and ruggedly handsome? Check.
Crisp white shirt undone at the collar with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows? Check.
Steel blue tie halfway undone around his neck? Check.
Five o’clock shadow? Check.
I felt a little swoop in my belly, one that stretched all the way out to my fingertips. It was an odd sensation to have after I’d spent so much of the evening angry. I still was angry, but now I had this intense desire to both yell at him and put my tongue in his mouth. Basically, the thoughts I was having about this man were obscene in many, many ways. And it was so cliche, you know, that being in such close proximity to someone like Carter Armstrong could make my anger melt into lust so suddenly, somehow making the two of them almost indistinguishable from one another.
He hadn’t even acknowledged my presence and I was already wondering what the smooth wood of his desk would feel like beneath my palms as he bent me over it, and oh god my thoughts were getting dangerously close to being X-rated. That wouldn’t be a bad thing per se, if it weren’t for the whole trying-to-get-my-best-friend-out-of-work thing. I needed to keep a level head here. Surely I could manage to do just that for at least a few minutes, right?
I nervously cleared my throat, trying to distance myself from my increasingly dirty mind and steadily growing libido.
Then, Carter Armstrong had the nerve to look over at me and smile like he wasn’t even surprised to see a stranger in his doorway. It was a disarming smile, one that made it difficult for me to focus. What was I here for again?
“Miss Moore,” he said as he stood, pressing his tie against his chest with his right hand. Huh, maybe he wasn’t surprised to see a stranger standing in his doorway after all.
I blinked. “How did you-”
“I own this building, and I employ the security guards who protect it. You think they don’t call me when a beautiful, angry blonde is on her way up to my floor?”
I sighed, all the dirty thoughts flying right out of my mind as I remembered who it was I was talking to. Evil-empire-owning Carter Armstrong. Doesn’t-care-about-anyone-but-himself-Carter Armstrong. Cocky Carter Armstrong.
No. No, I needed to think of another word to use besides ‘cocky.’
“I’m sure it’s not the first time you’ve had an angry blonde in your office,” I said with a smirk.
Carter laughed, and it was kind of sexy. Okay, it was a lot sexy, and I could begrudgingly admit that I wanted to hear it again.
“ Beautiful angry blonde,” he corrected, his eyes soft from his smile.
Ah hell. I knew I was in trouble.
CHAPTER TWO
“So, Miss Moore. What can I do for you?” Carter asked, leaning over his desk, spreading out his palms. It wasn’t unlike the
Paige tore through the rest of the tissue paper in the bag and squealed with laughter. “What’s this? A tiara!”
“Put it on,” I told her. “I’m busting you out of here.”
“Chloe, no!” Paige whispered, but it was too late; I was already pushing my way into Carter’s office.
The following didn’t happen exactly the way I had planned. I had expected for my overwhelming annoyance to make this confrontation easier, what I hadn’t expected was for Carter Armstrong to be so, well… captivating in person.
My breath caught when I stepped into the room and saw him. Behind a large desk—all gorgeously lit by the soft glow of the lamplight in front of him—was Carter Anderson in all of his GQ glory, and wow , pictures just did not do him justice. It was then that I felt the first traitorous pull at my heart, because I shouldn’t be finding this man so attractive, not after the way he treated Paige. But his whole existence in that moment was like a laundry list of Chloe Moore’s Favorite Things:
Tall and ruggedly handsome? Check.
Crisp white shirt undone at the collar with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows? Check.
Steel blue tie halfway undone around his neck? Check.
Five o’clock shadow? Check.
I felt a little swoop in my belly, one that stretched all the way out to my fingertips. It was an odd sensation to have after I’d spent so much of the evening angry. I still was angry, but now I had this intense desire to both yell at him and put my tongue in his mouth. Basically, the thoughts I was having about this man were obscene in many, many ways. And it was so cliche, you know, that being in such close proximity to someone like Carter Armstrong could make my anger melt into lust so suddenly, somehow making the two of them almost indistinguishable from one another.
He hadn’t even acknowledged my presence and I was already wondering what the smooth wood of his desk would feel like beneath my palms as he bent me over it, and oh god my thoughts were getting dangerously close to being X-rated. That wouldn’t be a bad thing per se, if it weren’t for the whole trying-to-get-my-best-friend-out-of-work thing. I needed to keep a level head here. Surely I could manage to do just that for at least a few minutes, right?
I nervously cleared my throat, trying to distance myself from my increasingly dirty mind and steadily growing libido.
Then, Carter Armstrong had the nerve to look over at me and smile like he wasn’t even surprised to see a stranger in his doorway. It was a disarming smile, one that made it difficult for me to focus. What was I here for again?
“Miss Moore,” he said as he stood, pressing his tie against his chest with his right hand. Huh, maybe he wasn’t surprised to see a stranger standing in his doorway after all.
I blinked. “How did you-”
“I own this building, and I employ the security guards who protect it. You think they don’t call me when a beautiful, angry blonde is on her way up to my floor?”
I sighed, all the dirty thoughts flying right out of my mind as I remembered who it was I was talking to. Evil-empire-owning Carter Armstrong. Doesn’t-care-about-anyone-but-himself-Carter Armstrong. Cocky Carter Armstrong.
No. No, I needed to think of another word to use besides ‘cocky.’
“I’m sure it’s not the first time you’ve had an angry blonde in your office,” I said with a smirk.
Carter laughed, and it was kind of sexy. Okay, it was a lot sexy, and I could begrudgingly admit that I wanted to hear it again.
“ Beautiful angry blonde,” he corrected, his eyes soft from his smile.
Ah hell. I knew I was in trouble.
CHAPTER TWO
“So, Miss Moore. What can I do for you?” Carter asked, leaning over his desk, spreading out his palms. It wasn’t unlike the
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