Page 88 of Dirty Rival

“That statement you made earlier is why I’m telling you.” He reaches up and strokes the hair from my eyes. “I didn’t want you to know about Elijah. I have never cared what anyone thinks of my actions, or how they judge me, but I do with you. And I have never shared my decisions and explained myself to anyone but you, Carrie.”

“Why me, Reid?” I ask, not sure I’ve ever needed the answer to a question more.

“Why isn’t the question I’ve asked. How is the question.” His hand cups my face. “How did you do this to me?”

“How did I do what?”

“Become the one obsession I can’t beat.” He doesn’t give me a chance to reply or even process a reaction. He kisses me and takes me down on the sand with him.

Chapter forty-three

Carrie

Reid’s lips part mine, and we’re now lying in the sand, our bodies aligned, his leg hooked over one of mine. “How, Carrie?”

“I could ask you the same.”

“You’re obsessed with me?” he asks, caressing my cheek.

“Depends on how you define obsessed.”

“I can’t wake up and not think of you. I can’t go to bed and not think of you. I wanted to tell you about my settlement. You’re in my head, Carrie. I don’t even want to get you out anymore.”

“You couldn’t if you wanted to,” I tease, but there is a twist in my gut as I add, “Because we have Grayson to close and a board to satisfy.” I hate this convenient side of our relationship when that should be exactly what I revel in. It represents the freedom to live in the moment, to avoid emotional investment, and yet, I haven’t. It’s too late for that kind of thinking. I’m invested in all ways with Reid, and I roll to my back before he reads that in me.

Or I try to, but he doesn’t allow my escape.

He rolls with me, his leg still between mine, those blue eyes are staring down at me. “What just happened?”

“Nothing happened.”

“You think this is all about the company. That we’re here and now and gone when this is over.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“It’s not about any of those things,” he says. “I told you, Carrie. I don’t want to share you. I’m obsessed with you and it’s not the kind of obsession that goes away. You’re with me now. I’m with you now. Say it.”

“Reid—”

He kisses me, a silky caress of his tongue before he orders, “Say it.”

I’m in deep with this man, so very deep because I do it. I say it. “I’m with you now and you’re with me.”

“Do you know how many women I’ve said that to?” He doesn’t give me time to reply. “None. No one but you. This isn’t about a deal or a company. This is about you and me and us. How many men have you said that to?”

“None. Just you. You know that. I told you my history.”

“I wanted to hear it again.” His hand slides under my shirt, settling warmly on my belly. “I do want to own you, Carrie. I can’t seem to stop myself from wanting to own you.”

“You’ll never own me, Reid, but as you said to me, you can try.”

His lips, those sexy lips, quirk on the sides. “And we’ll enjoy trying, now won’t we?” His hand slips under the back of my sweats. “Let me show you how much.”

I’m instantly aware of what Reid quickly discovers; I didn’t actually put on underwear. He breathes out heavily with the realization that his hand meets no resistance. “God, woman,” he says cupping my face, “you make me crazy.” His lips touch mine, his tongue stroking deeply, even as his fingers stroke a line down the wet seam of my body, and I moan with the sensations rippling through me. He answers that moan by deepening the kiss, and his fingers are doing this crazy wonderful thing to my clit and then they’re inside me and his thumb is in just the right spot. I’m lost in the sensations rolling through me, and almost embarrassed by how fast I’m headed to that sweet, sweet escape. So very fast that I tear my mouth from Reid’s and press my face to his chest, my fingers curling around his T-shirt as I fight what is too far gone to be stopped.

“Reid, I’m—I’m—” I tumble over into bliss and my entire body quakes. It comes over me hard and fast, and then it’s over and I’m panting. “That was—”

Reid cups my face and forces my gaze to this. “So damn sexy.” He kisses me again. “And for just a few minutes, I did own you.”