

Tequila Sunrises

over Georgia

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# Copyright – Tequila Sunrises over Georgia

Copyright © 2015 by Yara Greathouse

Published by Yara Greathouse, LLC, yarawrites@hotmail.com

All rights reserved.

Editor: Janie Thornley

Cover design: GoOnWrite

Photo: GoOnWrite

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a review.

If you are reading this book and have not purchased it or won it in an author or blogger contest, this book has been pirated. Please delete and support the author by purchasing the book from one of its many retailers.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

Visit my website at www.yaragreathouse.com.

Tequila Sunrises

over Georgia

Yara Greathouse

# Books by Yara Greathouse

The Girls on Top series

### Unavoidable

### Dismantled

Tequila Sunrises series

Tequila Sunrises over Georgia – A Free Novella

### Gia on My Mind (Coming soon)

# Acknowledgements

This is always the part where a few tears fall, but it goes to show the honesty of my feelings and now I will try to put those into words. These pages have been typed during a lot of little spare moments between my real full time job and all the other busyness within my life. Like a lot of other authors, I don't have lengthy periods of time where I can just sit and write. It's a little here and a little there and a lot of hope that my words somehow make sense, and that I can weave a story to help others escape their daily lives, just like I do when I read other author's books.

Without the help of a bunch of people, I wouldn't be able to do this writing thing that I love so much. I'm so humbled and grateful to each and every one of you for taking a chance on me and my stories. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Your support is one of the things that helps make my dreams into a reality.

Special thanks go out to:

Scott & Sean - You guys put up with me hiding away trying to squeeze a few words in. You keep the house clean, laundry done and help me immensely just so I can keep chasing this dream. Your unconditional love is the best. I love you so much!

Janie T. **–** My editor extraordinaire, you saved me! This novel would not have happened if it wasn't for you. You are an awesome friend. Thanks for having my back. Thank you for your great editing skills. Thank you for helping me create the best story I'm able to write. I promise, next time I will follow the schedule! Love you bunches!

Nicole Johnson and Maggie Lugo – Thank you for agreeing to beta read this story at the last minute. I needed some new eyes on it and I loved your feedback and suggestions! It means so much to me that you took the time to help me, I will never forget it!

Elexis D. **–** Thanks for beta reading, all your input, for sharing my books with all the blogs posting teasers and links. I'm so touched that you love my work so much. Your help and ideas are always welcomed and appreciated! Most of all, thank you for listening all those times I just needed to vent and not necessarily about the book. I love and care for you and your family as if I've known you for years!

Paige B. **–** My amazing PA and friend. One of the best decisions I've made was to bring you into the fold. Your help has been invaluable. It's been a wild and crazy ride, but we've barely just begun. Thank you for creating all the forms, the teasers, for sharing my books with blogs and for being available to help me anytime I needed you. You are awesome and I'm grateful to have you in my life!

My work family **–** Nick, Amy M., Amy R., Stephany, Lindsay, Cleo, Henry, Norma – Thank you for listening to my crazy ideas, showing interest on my progress, telling people about my books and supporting me during this wild ride. It really means a lot... You guys rock!

The Greathouse Girls – Thank you for being supportive and fabulous! I hope to hug you all at events soon!

To all Bloggers **–** OMG! Thank you! You guys are a vital part of the Indie Book Community. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the endless amount of support and enthusiasm you have shown for my stories. Thank you for taking the time to read and review my books \- you guys are amazing! I hope I get to meet each and every one of you during some of the author events I will be attending. So, PLEASE, drop by my table and I promise I won't squeeze you too hard!

Readers!!!! **–** You guys make my life a happier place. Even though I don't write on a full time basis, (oh, but I want to!) it's because of all of you that I am able to chase my writing dreams and create these characters for your enjoyment. You make it possible and I'm delighted and humbled. Thanks to you, I can make my dreams come true. I'm so excited about the future and all the stories floating through my mind... I hope you are too, because I cannot wait to share them with you, always!

# CHAPTER 1

## Gia

The click of the door closing behind me gave me the much needed signal to finally let out a long held breath. This was one of the toughest rooms I've had to face in the seven years I've been at this company. The meeting with Dillon Smart, CEO of Smart Home Design, Inc., (SHD), also included our VPs of Creative Design, Entertainment, and Audience Programming. I'm at a make it or break it time in my career and today will be a turning point.

As I walk past Dillon's assistant, Jessica, she smiles brightly and gives me a "thumbs up" sign. I smile back and nod but continue walking. I know she heard what went on in the meeting through the speakerphone. She's a great assistant, and by doing that, she can be ready for whatever Dillon needs within seconds. I'm glad she didn't try to speak to me because with the adrenaline release thumping in my ears, I wouldn't have been able to hear her or respond coherently.

I'm also grateful that my assistant, Kennedy, managed to clear my schedule for the rest of the day. All I want to do is get home and soak in a hot steamy bath with a glass of wine to help me relax. Now, the waiting game begins.

It's not hard to hail a cab at this time of the day in New York City, so I don't have to wait. Traffic is light and it only takes a few minutes to get to my SoHo apartment.

Walking straight to the bathroom, I start to run the water as I take off my clothes. I smile inwardly at my achievements. Coming from a small Georgia town, my mother knew early on that design was my destiny as I was always rummaging through garage sales and flea markets, repurposing things that no one wanted and most of my allowance was spent on paint, tools and home improvement store purchases. The ladies from her book club always showed interest on my re-designs and bought most of them. Ads through the church bulletin sold the remaining pieces. I was able to start saving for college early on.

In high school, I obtained a full ride at the Art Institute of Atlanta, and once attending, I scored an apprentice job with one of the most notorious graduates of the school, my mentor, Ty Penningham.

After graduation, I knew that I wanted to be a part of a modern up and coming firm, and it had to be located in one of the major cities of the United States. Ty put in a good word with a friend of his who was a Director of Design with SHD, and as they say, the rest was history. I have been working my ass off and moving through the ranks of the many different media outlets they own: their website productions, magazines and television shows. This meeting today was for them to consider me to be the Head Designer/Project Manager for a new and promising TV show, Clever Design. I have assisted and been a member of design teams for other shows. Market tests have proven that audiences are not only receptive to me, but they love my simple but elegant design ideas and enjoy my segments. At least I have that on my side. They have kept hush-hush who the competition is, so much so that not even Kennedy, who knows everything, has been able to figure it out.

After getting out of the tub, I throw my bathrobe on and go to the kitchen to make a salad. My phone ringing startles me. On the screen, Kennedy's picture smiles at me.

"Hey, Kennedy. What's up?"

"Uh, I have Jessica on the other line. Dillon wants to speak with you."

My heart stops for a few seconds and then starts beating again.

That was fast.

Really fast.

This cannot be good. It's too soon. It's only been a couple of hours. _Fuck!_

Well, might as well rip the band aid quickly.

"Go ahead, put her through."

"Okay."

"Hi Jessica, it's Gia. I'm ready for Dillon." Our company culture was pretty laid back. During formal meetings with clients, I'd normally address everyone by their last name, but during one-on-one conversations, that was not expected or wanted.

Jessica patches him through.

"Hey, Gia."

"Hey, Dillon. This is quite fast. I'm not sure what to think."

"No worries, I'm not going to drag the news. I'm calling to let you know the job is yours if you still want it."

"Don't mess with me, Dillon. What about the other candidates?"

"There were no other candidates. I've created this particular show with you in mind. The interview was just a formality. You will be the youngest designer in our network to head her own team and her own TV show. Are you in?"

I turn my head and stare at the cell phone, verify the number, and after I put it back to my ear, I pinch my thigh as hard as I can, until I wince. That's when I finally realize this is really happening.

"Gia, are you there?"

"This has nothing to do with..."

"No. It doesn't. You have worked hard and the viewers have been requesting it. So, what's your answer?"

"YES!" I say loudly, almost screaming. Dillon chuckles on the phone.

"Good, 'cause you leave tomorrow."

"Yeah? Wait... What do you mean tomorrow?"

"Exactly that. Pack your bags. I will have Kennedy get your work gear and tools from the studio ready and overnight them to the work site. Jay Michels will be your on-set assistant and Junior Designer. He's been handling things and taking my directives while I could get the necessary approvals."

"Oh, okay. Hmm, I was just wondering why so soon?"

"Well, we were supposed to start a month from now, but the owners had a schedule change and in order to avoid conflict, they need the renovations to start right away. We have secured the top construction company in the area, and I personally have been working on the design drafts until everything was approved. I'm sure they will be to your liking. Human Resources will call you in a few minutes with all the details of the new contract, which will probably be emailed and require your immediate attention. I will have a courier send the designs to you right now. Feel free to make any changes as needed. You are in charge."

"Okay. Thank you, Dillon. I will not let you down. I promise."

"I know you won't. I trust you implicitly."

"Oh, and Dillon?"

"Yes?"

"Where am I headed tomorrow?"

He chuckles again, a bit more quietly this time, before he gives me the news.

"Tomorrow you are headed to Newnan, Georgia."

My Hometown.

"Gia, don't be upset. It will be fine. Nobody needs to know you are even there."

"Dillon, you are lucky I like you. You are also lucky because I cannot shove my arm through the phone and choke the living crap out of you, my _friend._ "

"Ha! Funny – who would've thought...? Okay, I'm sure you have tons of things to do the rest of the day. All the details will be emailed to you shortly. And Gia?"

"Yes?"

"Enjoy it. You deserve it."

The call ends.

Newnan, Georgia.

The place I was born.

The state I was named after.

Where I learned everything about design.

My crazy family is there.

Carter is there.

So many bittersweet memories.

Time to wipe the slate clean. Time to create new ones.

I've finally gotten what I worked for in my career and I will "own it."

Forgetting the salad, I walk in the kitchen and straight to the cooler, pulling out a brand new bottle of wine, liquid courage. Lord knows I need it.

# CHAPTER 2

## Carter

I'm walking around the house while looking at the floor plans I received yesterday. My company is one of the largest in the area and it will take all hands on deck for this project's complete overhaul to be done in a matter of ten weeks.

"Good morning, Carter."

"Hey, Jay. So glad you are here, I wanted to ask you some questions about the wood floors... There's this other brand that has good quality and the same texture with almost the same color, but it's a lot cheaper. I picked up a sample for you to present it to the owners for their approval."

"Sure thing, Carter. I'm sure they will appreciate you looking out for the budget. We're meeting them this afternoon, so your timing's perfect."

"We are?"

"Oh, no..." He laughs quietly and shakes his finger at me. "Not we – as in me and you! I meant me and the Head Designer/Project Manager. I haven't had a chance to tell you about it as it happened yesterday... SHD's 'chosen one' will be here soon."

I laid the plans on the kitchen island and was taking a mental inventory of all that needs to be done in this room alone. Demo needs to start today or tomorrow morning at the latest.

"Do you know who is coming?"

"Yes."

"Well?"

"Uh, I think you should wait for it, some things are better experienced, not heard."

The little bastard snickers quietly and tries to hide it.

This isn't good.

Just then, as if we were already filming the show and the clapperboard was used to indicate a new scene, the door opened and I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.

Work boots. Long legs covered in tight jeans. T-shirt tied up at the waist. Waist length brown hair in a pony tail that's begging to be pulled. Those lips. Those eyes. Those lips... Mmm, I already said that. _Damn_!

It can't be.

Not _her_.

Fuck.

I blink a few times and as she nears us. This is really happening.

Gia Black's fine ass was right in front of me.

My best friend's "little" sister is staring right back at me.

Last time we saw each other, I was graduating college and she was a sophomore. We were celebrating after the ceremony, alcohol was involved, and we kissed. It was a really good kiss. One of those "it will blow your mind" kisses. But again, she was my best friend's little sister and I felt I could not betray him that way. I thought that perhaps after her graduation, we could pick up where we left off, but then she took a job in New York.

Seeing her again right in front of me, it's like getting hit with a bucket full of cold water.

The attraction I feel for her is still here.

I've watched her on TV so many times but never thought a job would be the catalyst of our reunion.

I feel a smile slowly making an appearance on my face.

When she sees me, I notice a bit of a surprise first, and then her lips spread into a saucy smile.

Hell, yeah... This is going to be interesting.

I noticed Jay staring me down, so I try to look back to the plans in front of me and get my business face on. She addresses Jay first.

"Hi Jay!"

"Hey Gia! Glad you made it here okay. How was the flight?"

They embrace in a quick hug, and I can't help to give him a deadly glare. Which is stupid, because they are friends and I haven't seen her in almost ten years.

"It was okay for a last minute flight. Thank you for arranging the hotel for me."

She turns towards me with an infectious smile and I can't help myself, so I reciprocate. We stare at each other for a few seconds until Jay breaks in.

"Gia, this is Carter Owens, owner of Maxon Construction, the company hired to handle this renovation. Carter, this is Gia Black, our Project Manager and the face of Clever Design, our new show."

Her eyes have not left mine. We reach for each other's hand and when we connect, I can feel her warm, soft skin against my rough palm. She has a strong handshake. I like that. I wish I could touch more of her... My hand feels lost and out of place when she takes hers away, so I grab a pencil I have tucked behind my ear to keep my hand busy.

"It's been a while, Carter. I have heard great things about your company. I'm looking forward to us working together."

"Gia? Yes. It certainly has. You have changed a lot since I last saw you starting college and trying to get your flea market business off the ground. Changed your name?"

As she was getting ready to explain why she's not going by Georgia, Jay interrupts. "She hasn't gone by that name in years. She hates her given name."

He smiles at her. She rolls her eyes at him.

"Jay, thank you for the clarification. Next time we can keep that tidbit to ourselves, okay?" Her shiny lips, give way to a tiny smirk. I mean, if you aren't paying attention, you'd miss it.

I like it.

"Nah, I love to irritate the shit out of you, sweet pea. Need to keep you on your toes, honey, now that you have the _big_ job and all that."

He winks at her while making air quotations with his fingers. You can tell they are good friends and get along really well. I should be feeling like an outsider, but I'm so fascinated with the exchange I can't quit watching them. I'm such a freak.

"Watch your boundaries, Jay. What goes around comes around – Remember?"

Now she's the one winking at Jay. She smiles and then gives me all her attention.

"Sorry about that, Carter. I'm sure you know by now how hard it is for Jay to behave himself... Are those the most current design plans?"

"I believe so, I received these yesterday. Would you like to do a walkthrough before we start to coordinate and prioritize?"

"That's a great idea."

Taking a sip of the coffee she's been holding in her left hand since she came in, she inhales and closes her eyes, enjoying the moment. When the cup is removed, her plump lips smack against each other silently, and the tip of her tongue escapes the dark, beautiful cave of her mouth and slowly strokes the corner of her upper lip, cleaning a bit of foam that had found a home there.

I found myself wishing to lick after her, you know, to make sure it's all taken care of and no foamy residue is left behind.

And now I find myself wondering what the fuck happened to my balls, because I seemed to have misplaced them somehow.

Nodding at her, I grunt out "Follow me, please."

When I look at Jay, the little fucker wiggles his eye brows at me.

I've been made.

Fuck it.

I like her.

She is stunning. The Gia I'm used to seeing on TV doesn't even compare to the woman I have in front of me.

When her brother Nash told me that she was working on some TV show, I started to watch her in it and was amazed at how the quirky little girl became a beautiful woman.

I've watched her on TV since then and I've wanted her, knowing it could never happen.

I've jerked the shit out of my dick thinking of her hot curvy body being beneath me, for fuck's sakes!

And now that I'm seeing her in person, all my needs and wants have tripled.

Her presence is an unexpected chance.

I want her.

Taking advantage while I'm walking in front of them, I make some adjustments to my ever growing erection.

I'm fucked.

* * *

## Gia

Oh my god! How is it that out of all the companies that could be hired, Dillon Smart hires Carter's? Maybe it's a sign of good things to come?

But on the other side...

Holy Hotness! Carter is all brawny male and my god how is it possible he's not taken? Wait, maybe he is but just not wearing his wedding band.

I take a piece of Starburst candy out of my pocket, peel it and pop it in my mouth. I swear the cherry flavor helps me think better.

I was getting ready to ask Jay about Carter's status, when my eyes landed on the curve of Carter's perfect ass. His jeans are loose but not baggy, however, when it comes to his ass, they are pleasantly tight and I can only imagine how the front looks. Mmm... This is most definitely an upgrade for the Wranglers' brand. If he would model for them, all women would buy these jeans for their significant others. They look _that_ good.

I feel the area between my legs tingling in awareness. They are screaming at me – "hey, hey!!! Don't let him get away. We want to get to know him _better_! Get closer and inspect the goods." I roll my eyes at my lady bits and try to pay attention to what Carter's explaining.

As we walk through the house and talk about all the design possibilities, and the time that it will take to achieve the changes, we also try to catch up on what has been going on in our lives in the past ten years.

"Yes, Dillon Smart hired me right after college. I wish I could take all the credit but Ty Penningham did a lot of talking and convincing on my behalf. I interned with him every year while attending the Art Institute of Atlanta."

I smiled at her enthusiasm, it's contagious.

"What about you, Carter?"

"Well, as you know, your brother Nash and I graduated from the University of Georgia the same year. My older brother, Rhett, a landscape architect, had started his own business. So it made sense for me to start my own, small at first, but word of mouth traveled fast among the rich Southern families of Atlanta, and a couple of years later my business had tripled. I'm very lucky. The company has grown steadily every year to the point that now I get to choose the jobs I want to do."

I've seen some pictures of Carter on Facebook, but neither Carter nor Nash are very active in social media. I'm sure a thousand pictures would not have been enough to compare to the hunkalicious specimen that is the real Carter.

I smile at him like an idiot, somehow falling back to the role of the little girl he used to know. You know, those days when I used to follow my big brother and Carter around and spy on everything they did. Back then, three years in age difference made it hard for my brother and his friends to let me hang out with them. Now? Not so much. We are all grown up with careers and responsibilities. Now, we are compatible and relatable, working in a similar field and handling similar projects.

Who knew?

I should have visited my family more often, instead of busying myself with work so much that I couldn't squeeze in a visit.

If you would have asked me ten years ago that I was going to be working with the guy I used to crush on when I was a teenager, I would have called you a liar.

Well, there's no time like the present, and most importantly, there is no time to waste. This project is scheduled to be finished in ten weeks.

_Sigh._ Ten weeks.

Taking advantage that Jay went to check on some orders, I grab Carter by his arm and make him come to a sudden stop. I pulled on his arm so he has to turn to face me. I need to see his face when he hears what I'm about to ask.

"Well, Carter, now that we are caught up on everything we've done professionally since the last time we saw each other, now it's time to catch up in other areas of our lives."

He looks at me puzzled. The space between his well-groomed brows crinkles a bit. I take it as an opportunity of catching him off guard.

"Is there a Mrs. Carter Owens in your life?"

His hazel-green eyes open wide in surprise, and my eyes travel from them to his mouth - his rugged lips – with the bottom one a tad larger than the top one, framed by a sexy overgrown five o'clock shadow.

Those lips that I'm admiring curve up on one side, and one of his hazel-green eyes winks at me mischievously.

Great.

That totally did not come up as a casual question.

"Nope." He answers popping the "p" sound and smiling at me. "Why do you ask?"

"How's that possible?"

"You, out of most people, should know why."

I think about it for a second, then, I understood.

"You are one of those guys that prefers to keep things casual."

I say it quickly and he speaks at the same time.

"Because I'm committed to my company and don't have time for relationships."

_Oh._ I smile at him. _Hmm_... This may be easier than I originally thought. We could entertain each other while the project is being completed. After all, we all need some relief from the daily stress we face when remodeling on a tight deadline, right?

Boy, I sound a bit like a slut.

I swear, I'm not.

He's Carter Owens, for goodness sake. I've had a crush on him for so long, and he has grown up to be so perfect he could pass for a Greek god model.

Yes, I said it.

If I had a chance, I would be using bright pink sticky notes to claim every single part of his body. "This fine piece of (blank) belongs to Gia Black." Then I would fill every sticky note with _butt, hair, nose, thigh, arm..._ Well, I'm sure you get the idea.

_Crazy?_ Not in the least.

Everything about him is perfect. From the mussed hair to his size thirteen boots. How do I know? Oh, believe me. I know. And I will get confirmation from Jay shortly. Because we all know that HE knows for sure.

"Gia!"

"Oh, sorry. What were you saying?"

_Crap._ I take another piece of candy out of my pocket and pop it in my mouth. He looks at me with a questioning frown, but decides against it.

"Jay is calling us over. Sounds like a meltdown is on the way. Probably something wrong with one of the orders, but you guys are meeting with the owners this afternoon, so who knows? It's Jay."

With a nod and a smile, lots of dirty thoughts about Carter inside my head and a mouthful of deliciousness, we head on to find Jay.

# Chapter 3

## Gia

Today was a long day... Filming starts tomorrow. There's one thing I have to take care of today. Especially if I want to survive the rest of the time I'm here in town – I have to face my parents. As I drive down the familiar streets of my parents' subdivision, memories flood my mind: Riding my bike for the first time, with daddy and Nash chasing me to make sure I didn't hurt myself too badly. At the park, facing the fall winds with my Barbie kite, Nash with his Power Rangers' one and Dad had a Batman kite. Mom setting our lunch out of the picnic basket and watching us battle it out.

So many fun memories.

There were some sad ones, too.

My mind floods with the ones of me following the boys around, I became an expert at being a "spy." Watching Nash and Carter messing around with girls, that was not cool, but I was young and curious. I always left when they started to kiss and make funny sounds... It just felt wrong. It also hurt my little heart like a sonofabitch – but what did I know then? I was three years younger than Carter and my brother. I could not hang out with them. Oh but I wanted to. All because of the little girl crush I had on Carter. Watching him through the years go from girl to girl without power to do anything about it... it was tough.

Years passed by and then he went away for college, and I only saw him occasionally. I could tell by the way he looked at me that I was still a little girl in his eyes.

But that was not the case today.

Today his eyes were admiring me.

They slowly followed all the curves on my body.

His eyes stared at my lips with want.

My eyes reciprocated his.

When his skin touched mine, I thought it would scorch it - it was _that_ hot.

And sensual.

And hard.

And gentle.

And soft – all at the same time.

Is that even possible?

Before I knew it, I was parked in front of my parents house. With an overstated sigh, I place all my memories in the back of my mind. Secured and stored where they need to stay.

Carter didn't want me when he graduated college – after one kiss, he was done. No point wishing for what cannot be.

I get out of the car and walk on the driveway towards the front door. I called mom yesterday to briefly tell her about my promotion and new job. I had to promise her to come eat dinner with them.

As my hand moves to ring the bell, the door opens and my Daddy comes out with open arms to give me a big ol' hug.

"Baby girl! So happy to see you! It's been way too long!"

"Hi Daddy! It sure has been a while! I've missed you guys bunches!"

As soon as he lets me go, he does the usual – holds me at arms' length to inspect me from head to toe, then he holds my hand up and twirls me – he's done this since I was a little girl – and then gives me another quick hug.

"Is it possible that my baby girl's more beautiful than ever?"

"Oh, Daddy! You're so sweet! I'm afraid I'm the same as last time you saw me, maybe my hair's a bit longer?"

"Nonsense. Come in, girl. Your momma's in the kitchen making one of your favorite dishes."

I walk in and my brother gets up from one of the recliners and comes straight at me.

"Gia! Come here!" He envelops me in a big bear hug and I immediately feel protected. I love my big brother.

"My baby's finally home!" I hear my mom come out of the kitchen in a rush.

I turn so I can give her a big hug. "Hi, mom! I've missed you so much."

"Oh... Let me look at you... It's been too long, sugar, I don't know that I can keep dealing with you living so far up north. But it's so good to have you home! Come! Come to the kitchen and help me finish up the food. Nash, sweetie, please set the table for me, hon."

I hear my brother mumble a "Yes, ma'am." As he gives me a look that tells me things have not changed much around here. With a smile on my face, I follow my mom and dad to the kitchen.

"Umm. Smells great! Are you making..."

"Country fried steak, your favorite..."

"Oooh, yum! Can't wait to dig in!" I take a wooden spoon and fill it with mashed potatoes, and proceed to eat them with the tip of my tongue. Old habits die hard.

Mom gives me a look, shakes her head and proceeds to dip the cubed steak in the egg mixture first, the flour mixture second, and finally on the oily skillet.

I'm watching my brother getting the table ready and noticed there is a fifth place setting.

I look around, confused. "Who's missing?"

"Carter."

"Carter who?"

She gives me an annoyed look and her lips make a thin line.

"Gia, Carter has been coming to all our family dinners since his parents passed away about a year ago. His brothers are also invited, but they are not in town much."

My mouth is wide open without a sound coming out. I'm completely speechless.

Dammit.

As I'm trying to formulate a smart remark that won't get me in trouble with my parents, the backdoor opens and in comes Carter.

While he's greeting my parents, I finish licking the mashed potatoes off the wooden spoon. I walk to the sink to wash it, when I hear the one voice that makes my insides rumble in a terrible sexy way.

"Hey, Gia."

"Hey, Carter."

He does a once over and nods his head. Dang, he looks good.

My brother comes in the room and shakes hands with Carter.

Suddenly, I'm transported to the time that I was a little girl and I feel so out of place, it's pathetic.

"Everyone grab a plate and get some food. Let's catch up at the table." My mom says in a happy voice.

Me? Not so thrilled. So I have to work with this sexy man who could be modeling for GQ, where I have to control all my naughty feelings towards him, and now I have to deal with him being at my house during family dinner.

This shit ain't fair.

We all go sit down and the conversation gets going.

Nash is up first.

"So Carter, you working with Gia, is that weird?"

"A little. It's hard to get used to the idea that Gia's all grown up." He looks at me appreciatively but with respect. My daddy's at the table, after all.

Talking about my dad, is he chuckling?

"What are you laughing at, Dad?"

"This is such a small world. It's kinda funny that good ol' Carter has to answer to my baby girl." He snorts and starts laughing. Then everybody's laughing but me.

I'm not laughing at all.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, you have to remember that Carter has never been too good at following orders. He can be pretty hard-headed!"

I look at Carter and he's giving me a sexy smile and a wink.

Crap.

That's all it took for me to get turned on. I feel the heat rushing to my cheeks.

It only takes a few seconds to imagine Carter's lips on mine and... things are not getting any easier as I feel the same heat rush between my legs.

Let's try a different way...

"Dad, it's not so much about him following my orders, but us collaborating together so that this project is finished on time and under budget."

"That's right, Mr. Black. _Collaboration._ Remember that." Carter says and starts laughing.

"What am I missing?" I look at my Mom, hoping she has the answers.

"Gia, they are just being sassy. Pay them no mind, dear."

"Gia," my brother interjects. "I love you, but hate to break the news that you can be a pain in the ass, sometimes. And when I say sometimes, I mean all the time. I know this. I put up with your butt for years."

"I can't believe you, Nash Black. You're _my_ brother!"

"I'm also a realist."

"Pfft. I really don't like you right about now."

And then, as usual, my mom saves the day.

"Listen up children, regardless of how easy or how difficult Gia may be to work with, she is doing something right. She's won multiple awards and now is heading her own TV show, and we are very, very proud."

"Thanks, Mom!"

"Now, if you could only use all that authority to get time off and come visit more often..."

"Mom!"

"Alright, alright. No more fussing. Tell us how was the interview and whose house are you working on?"

And just like that, I felt at peace. I had the guys giving me a hard time, like always. Mom championing for me. My daddy listening to my every word. Yes. I was home. I was happy.

Well, mostly.

If I knew what to do about Carter, my life would be so much easier.

*Sigh*

* * *

## Carter

Damn, she is beautiful.

I sit next to Gia at dinner, and my thoughts continue to leave the conversation so I can imagine what it will feel like to put my hand on her thigh and move her skirt up slowly, until I can feel the edge of her...

"Carter?"

Whoa.

I move my gaze to follow Gia's voice.

"Yes."

"We need to go. We have to be ready early in the morning and talk to the camera crew about what's going to be happening tomorrow."

I start to get up and grab my plate. "Sure, Gia. Let me help your mom clear the table first."

"Nonsense, boy. Go on and leave. We've got this. No worries." Mrs. Black says to me sweetly.

"Yes, ma'am." I give Mrs. Black a hug, say my good night to the guys and I look casually for Gia.

"Hold on, Carter. I will walk out with you."

"Aren't you staying here?"

"Nope. I'm going to stay at the hotel with the crew. That way they are all easy to reach, if needed, of course."

She pops another one of those red candies in her mouth.

"Please note that's not what we want. If we had a choice, we'd want her here, where we can suffocate her with our love every single day!" Her mom yells from the kitchen.

I chuckle at Gia while she cringes in mock fear and opens the door for us to get through. I place my hand at her back to guide her and because I want to touch her, one way or another.

"Carter, it was nice to have you over for dinner. I'm so sorry about your parents... I hadn't realized they were no longer with us."

I give her a small smile. This is a subject I rather not get into, but she means well.

"Thanks. It's been hard not having them around, but your parents have helped us tremendously. They are way too kind."

"Well, they've known you since you were born and they were also good friends with your parents. So it doesn't surprise me that they treat you guys like family. As a matter of fact, they've always have considered you guys as an extended family."

A comfortable silence passes between us. I'm grateful that there are no more questions about this, for now. We reach her car and she turns to face me.

The street light offers a faint yellow glow that blankets everything around us, but her brown eyes somehow glimmer in the darkness and her features seem more beautiful than in daylight, if that's even possible. The tip of her tongue moves slowly over her top lip, leaving a faint wet trail that could put my thirst out of misery. I can't help but stare at the coveted mouth that I want to kiss right now - more than anything else I've ever wanted.

Her hand comes up and touches my chest, right above my heart.

Can she feel it beating?

Can she tell that it's drumming so fast it's about to win a race all of its own?

Would she know that this heart has never been affected by anyone this way?

While we know it's still in my chest, I feel it trying its hardest to get closer to her, as if it could jump out of my body and into her hand?

Impossible.

Or is it?

"Carter..."

"Yeah."

"I know we aren't best friends or anything like that, but... but please know this... If you ever need me, I... I will _always_ be here for you. Carter. I promise."

The intensity of her gaze is nailing me to an invisible wall, one that I cannot move away from, a wall that gives me no other choice but to face her, this woman who I've known and cared for so long.

"I know, Gia. I feel the same way about you."

Her full lips move upwards to gift me with her smile, while her hand moves to my right arm, never losing contact. Then she gets on her toes while at the same time she's pulling me down to place a chaste kiss on my cheek.

No.

Not going to let this moment get away.

There's something important happening between us.

God, I hope I'm right.

Just as her lips were to make contact with my cheek, I turn my head.

Our lips hover near each other's for a brief moment.

I can feel the heat of her mouth on my lips.

Our eyes meet only momentarily, because I move my hand to capture the back of her neck and with a firm possessive grip on her hair, I kiss her.

I kiss _her_.

I kiss her with passion.

With feelings I didn't know I had.

I kiss her to let her know she was no longer a child in my eyes.

As my tongue started to tease her mouth, begging for access, her hand finally leaves my arm and takes new hold behind my neck, where both hands grab a hold of my hair, searching, pulling, playing... possessing.

I move my tongue to find hers.

I taste her, lick her. I inhale her. I don't want the moment to end.

She tastes like mint, cherries and obsession.

I press behind her back, pulling her closer.

We lost ourselves in that kiss.

We found each other in that kiss.

Our bodies melded while we kissed.

It was a perfect unexpected seal.

I was out of breath and willing to let her take all my oxygen.

It was a kiss to be remembered.

A kiss where our lips worshipped each other and marked us as marred for other people.

When we finally came up for air, it was done slowly.

I don't think I will ever experience another first kiss like this with anyone else, because I want all my future kisses to come from her.

Only her.

"Gia..."

"...Carter."

The warmth we imposed on each other's mouths was now forced to cool off, as the chill of the night mingled with damp lips, creating goosebumps on our exposed skin.

We stared at each other and were painfully aware that our union had abruptly ended and we didn't know where to go from here.

Her eyes were portraying the same confusion that she was finding on mine.

The only thing I knew for sure, it was that Gia Black claimed a small part of my heart tonight, and in her arms, a full treasure awaited to be discovered.

# Chapter 4

## Gia

It's been days and I have done a great job at avoiding talking to Carter about _the kiss_.

A mammoth of a kiss that left my legs shaking like gelatin and took my lips by surprise through a storm of emotions.

I have no idea what I feel.

Carter tried to corral me earlier in the week, but as soon as we were done talking about work, I would make an excuse to leave. The fact that we have cameras following us around, have helped him stay away from me.

He's frustrated, I can tell.

To say that it's been difficult for both of us being on the same jobsite it's like saying "ant" when you really meant to say "whale."

Watching him parading around without a shirt doesn't help my situation. Yes, I know the weather's uncommonly hot for this time of year, but still. It makes my concentration work double time.

He's caught me looking at him a few times in between takes, and his laugh... He has the most perfect laugh, all male and sexy. I couldn't help but give him a hint of a smile back.

I snap out of my reverie as I see Jay coming towards me.

"Hey, Gia..."

"Hey, Jay. How are things coming on your side? Were you able to place the countertop orders?"

"Yes, I finally was able to get the correct measurements for the outdoor living room redesign. But that's not what I want to talk to you about..."

I stop fiddling with the designs and turn to look at him.

"You sound serious. What's going on?"

"Well, I just had a conversation with the homeowners..."

"Crap. What do they want?"

"They changed their minds about all the faucets and the slipper style clawfoot bathtub..."

"What do they want?"

"They want the oil rubbed bronze hammered copper double slipper bathtub with rings AND matching under mount sinks." He throws that at me in one single breath and then inhales deeply while closing his eyes waiting for my response.

"But, but... that means we have to change the faucets, curtain rods... ohmygoodness – the floors... the tiles... won't match!"

"I know, Gia, I'm so sorry."

"You couldn't talk them out of it?"

"No they insist, and they agreed to alter the budget if necessary. They want to see new bathroom sketches tomorrow."

I roll my eyes to the back of my head. This is going to be an all-nighter.

"Jay, please go cancel everything we have ordered for the master bathroom. I have to start working on the new design. With any luck, I will have it finished sometime tomorrow. And somehow, I need to make it blend with the rest of the house."

I shake my head in annoyance.

"Are you staying late?"

"I don't think so... I'm desperate for a shower and real food. I'm going to get some takeout and come back here."

"Don't let your momma find out you called takeout 'real food' or you'll never hear the end of it."

"You ain't kiddin'."

"Okay, I'm going to call those cancellations and then I'm leaving. I need alcohol and a hot bath, in that order. Do you think Mr. Hunk would be willing to give me a massage?"

"Uh... Mr. Hunk –also known as 'got his panties in a bunch' - has been in a pissy mood lately, so that would be a no."

"You don't say... I _have_ noticed his mood to be in the darker side the last few days, I figured it had something to do with all the extra work you have been doing at _avoiding his ass._ "

"Ha! That's how much you know!" I smile and give him a sideways glance. "I'm not avoiding his ass, I'm avoiding _all_ of him."

"I knew it!"

"And now you have to put it out of your mind and forget about it. It ain't gonna happen."

"But why? Why not? He's perfect, you know."

"Yes, I see him. My eyes are in excellent working condition, my friend. It's just complicated. I don't need complications. I need to work my ass off and go back to New York."

Jay lowers his voice and whispers close to my ear, "Well, _he_ can certainly give your _ass_ the best workout ever. I have no doubt those big hands and size thirteen shoes come alongside an anaconda between his legs..."

I was right about his shoes!

"Jay! Hush your mouth! I throw my pen on the table in frustration. "But it doesn't matter anyway because I'm not going to explore that venue. I have a self-imposed dry spell on my lady bits. I have no business messing with that man. This assignment's only temporary. Remember? What if things get out of hand? Then I will either end up with a broken heart or jobless – neither of which I particularly want."

"Alright, Gia. Think about it though. Don't let beautiful opportunities to experience life at its fullest pass you by. That's how regrets are born. See you tomorrow."

Although my brain knows that Jay _is_ right, my heart knows - without a doubt - that entangling with Carter Owens will not be good for its health. It would be a disaster. A sweet, pleasurable and magnificent catastrophe.

_Gia, since when do you run away from a challenge?_ Says a little voice inside my head.

I think about this for a minute.

Life's giving me a present right now – Take advantage.

I have always been good at compartmentalizing everything.

Can I keep it just physical?

Could we label it as stress relief?

Hmm...

Perhaps. We'll see.

I guess I will need to face the fury first, and see where I stand with the man.

* * *

## Carter

Gia has been avoiding me for a few days now. I have tried to give her space to process, but it's not really working for me.

If you say I'm obsessing, I would probably say that you're correct.

I haven't been able to forget about those few minutes when our bodies connected in a way that's inexplicable, in a way that I've never experienced before.

We _really_ need to talk.

That kiss was not only a kiss.

It was more than physical. It was charged, stimulating... thrilling.

If Nash hadn't walked out the door when he did, who knows where the kiss would've taken us? I love him like a brother but if he finds out that I'm pursuing his sister, there's no tellin' what he would do to me...

I just can't stop thinking about her.

Today, I've been trying to catch her alone without the filming crew or Jay. It has started to get dark and everyone's calling it a day. Earlier, one of my guys overheard Gia tell Jay she was going to leave and come back later to work on some drafts for the master bathroom. She's given me no choice – I'm going to wait for her to come back and we should be able to talk.

In the meantime, I get busy cutting wood pieces for a built-in bookshelf I'm working on for the reading nook inside the Master Bedroom. Cutting wood pieces is somewhat methodical, and I find the repetitions calming, somehow. Sanding the wood comes right after, and it all keeps me busy until I notice her rental car is already parked in the driveway.

Realizing the amount of sawdust I have all over my clothes, I pat my jeans and my t-shirt, not making much difference, so I take off my t-shirt instead.

Grabbing a couple of wood pieces, I walk back in the house and start to look for her. I see her as I'm passing through the living room.

She looks up at me with surprise in her eyes. I smile at her and her response is to look back down at her computer.

I keep going upstairs taking the wood pieces to the bookcase to make sure they fit.

Why is she being so rude?

Is it so hard to say hello?

I don't understand why she is acting like this.

I should let it go.

Fuck, no! I'm not going to let it go until we hash this shit out.

I storm back downstairs to confront her. I make a point to step really hard when I reach the landing.

"Gia!"

With a startled look in her eyes, she finally looks at me.

Really looks at me.

"Why do you have to be so rude?"

* * *

## Gia

_Whoa_.

What the hell?

"Carter." I say his name curtly. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

Damn. I try to be a bit cold but it's really hard to be cold when you have such a powerful and gorgeous man right in front of you.

Did I fail to mention the man has no shirt on?

_Yeah_.

You get it now.

It's going to be impossible to ignore him when all I see are muscles – olive skin and muscles everywhere - tensing and moving my way.

Wait. Shit – he's coming towards me. Get up! Get up! GET UP!

I scramble out of my chair and walk away as casually as possible in order to put some distance between us. It works in my favor because he stops a few feet away from me.

I'm _totally_ faking this shit, because what I really want to do is get closer to him.

Really, really close.

Like invade all his personal space, and then some kinda' close.

Hell, I want to wrap myself around him, tight... so tight... that my skin would get marked with the creases of his muscles.

Breathe, Gia.

The goal is to not get involved.

"Gia... why are you walking away from me? All I want to do is talk for a little bit." His lips try to purse into a thin line, but the plump bottom one won't give into it. Damn! He's so sexy.

"I'm not walking away. I'm stretching my legs..."

"Yeah, right." His eyes zero in on me and he starts to approach me slowly and calculating, alluring me to stay put.

Taking a few steps back, I come in contact with the kitchen counter.

_Crap_.

Carter smirks a half smile and closes in, trapping me with his arms on each side of me.

I'm so screwed.

"You can try to fake it all you want, but I know the real truth."

I feel my lip tremble a little. Stupid nerves.

"What truth are you talking about?"

He smiles. "The fact that you are attracted to me."

"Huh?" I try so hard to look at him like I have no clue of what he's talking about. He chuckles and inches a little closer.

"Let me see if I can do 'girl' talk. I think if you were talking to one of your girlfriends, you would refer to me as 'he's sooo hot.'" He finishes with a high pitched voice, close to what a teenage girl would sound like.

I find myself smiling at his silliness and I'm gifted with his devastating smile.

"Gia, I want to talk with you about _us_."

"About _us_?"

I emphasizes the word "us" just like he'd done.

My eyes shift from side to side in a futile attempt to avoid looking at him.

Epic Fail.

Come to find out when a half-naked, hotter-than-hell hunk is right in front of me trying to get my attention, I can't fake anything.

"Look Gia, I just want to have a friendly conversation with you. I have been trying to talk to you for the past few days, but somehow you have been a step ahead of me and very successful at avoiding me."

Swallowing hard, really hard, I wish I had a drink because I'm having a terrible case of cotton mouth. I squeeze my hand inside my jean pocket and pull out a piece of red Starburst candy, peel it and put it in my mouth.

"Mm-hmm..."

I finally realize that he's not going to talk until I give him my full attention. I take a deep breath and mentally brace myself for this conversation.

Giving myself a pep talk, I repeat _"Be strong"_ in my head over and over again.

"Okay..."

He moves his arms closer to me still. As soon as we touch, the warmth of contact becomes more heated, and the heat travels through my entire body, pooling between my legs.

What the hell?

It was the teensiest touch!

How is it that this man can do this to me?

This man... the way I react to him...It's completely new territory for me.

As the heat rises on my cheeks, I look into his eyes and I can see them getting intense and darker.

"Carter, are you okay?"

If he only knew the push/pull that's going on inside my head.

"Yes. Perfect." He gives me a reassuring smile and a wink, which causes more blushing to rise up.

"Okay, you flirt. You have my full attention. What's going on?"

"Gia... Let's not play games. It's obvious that there's... _something_ significant going on between us. From the time you came through the door, you have become a fixed image in the center of my mind. I've tried to ignore it. I've tried to push it to the side. It's impossible."

"Carter... I... I don't know what to think. On one side, I don't believe it's a good idea to mix our work and personal lives..."

His eyes are searching for something inside of mine. What is it?

"Ever since we kissed... Why Carter? Why did you kiss me? I haven't been able to think of anything else. That kiss... I've never been kissed like that before. It felt... powerful. Meaningful. Like it would be a sin to push it to the side and forget about it."

"Right! I feel exactly the same – and you thought that avoiding me would explain everything? It won't. That's why I'm here... because, Gia, I don't think we should push it to the side. I don't think we should forget it. We need to see where this thing between us will take us. We need to let things happen."

Moving his arm out of the way, I walk towards the large picture window.

My heart starts to race.

Fast.

Real fast.

There are no lights outside that window and we can see the full moon and the stars in the clear, cloudless sky.

I move my palm against the window pane, as if I could touch all the things that I can see but are untouchable.

Is my heart untouchable?

Carter is too close to my heart to not take some of it when this is all said and done.

I hear him coming behind me, and even though he's not touching me, I can feel his warmth near me and his breath on my neck.

The playfulness is no longer here, between us. It has been replaced with heat and want.

"Ten weeks, Carter. Ten." I whisper.

I let him see the worry all over my face when I turn to look at him.

His hand reaches for my face and his fingers wrap behind my neck. His thumb brushes my cheek with a gentle motion.

I lean into his touch.

So much for being strong. I inhale deeply and all my senses are consumed by his clean woodsy smell that's all Carter.

"I know, Gia. Ten. But isn't ten better than none at all? Can we take it one day at a time? All I'm saying is that we should not waste one more day. Don't you want to find out what we could be when we are together?"

I'm thinking about it.

He can see it in my eyes. My mind is going one hundred thousand miles a minute.

"There's one condition, Carter."

"I'm listening..."

"You need to realize that all I have is these ten weeks. I don't have additional time. When this project's complete, I'll be going back to New York and my career. We need to be clear on that."

His fingers reach for my chin and he lifts my face towards his.

"We're clear. I understand."

I look down, and when my gaze returns to meet his eyes, the words he's been waiting for are whispered from my mouth.

"Yes. Let's see what we can be for these ten weeks."

"Yeah?"

I nod and think how weak I am when it comes to Carter. Thank god he has no knowledge of the power he has over me, or better yet, the strength I lack when it comes to him.

He laughs out loud, grabs me by the waist and pulls me towards him.

Our lips crash into each other and the taste of his mouth on mine shatters any doubts I may have had.

I kiss him.

He consumes me.

I replenish him.

His mouth moves with passion and power, letting me know that my mouth? My mouth is his. Very soon my body will be his, too.

We taste and explore with our tongues, slowly learning the little things we enjoy most.

His hands move down my sides, learning by touch the topography of my body.

The peaks and valleys of my torso.

The elevations and contours of my breasts.

If he could only imagine the rush of want between my legs.

I could be here all day, but force myself to stop.

He sucks on my top lip one last time while I lick his bottom one.

"Mmm..." A tiny moan escapes me at the same time my body shivers.

A smile forms on my face as he places small kisses all over it - jawline, cheeks, between my eyebrows, my earlobes...

Carter whispers in my ear "Not here, not now, sweetheart, but soon, very soon."

"When, then? Weren't you all alpha male a few minutes ago when you were doing the 'let's find out what we can be together' bit?" My voice's playful and sultry.

"Tomorrow. Dinner at my place."

"Why tomorrow and not now?"

"Well, it seems you've forgotten that those drafts are not going to draw themselves, and your deadline is tomorrow, after all."

"Crud."

"And, Gia? When I finish with you, you will not be able to move on your own. Your body will be my expedition. I've yet to learn what pleases it, what you respond to... and when I'm finished, you will be incoherent, unable to formulate a simple word."

I'm drenched.

I can also feel my nipples trying to burst out of my tank top – and he hasn't even touched me yet!

A rush of red covers my face, but I try to play it off.

"Promises, promises."

I move away from him and towards the drafting table.

"Noted, Mr. Owens. Tomorrow, then. I will take all these designs and head to my hotel."

"Yes, that's a great idea. Can I help you pack everything up? I'd much rather you finish these in your hotel room. I couldn't leave you here, and if I stay, you wouldn't get anything done.

"It's okay. I really needed to come back for the measurements and some notes. Since I already have those, I can finish everything at the hotel."

He nods at me. I've gotten everything packed up and ready in a few short minutes.

"Carry these for me, Carter?"

"Sure thing, sweetheart."

I'd forgotten what a Southern male is like. All the little terms of endearments. You don't hear many of those up north.

He follows me to the hotel and waits while I park, waving at me prior to going inside.

_Tomorrow night_.

Two words that carry the weight of our present arrangement, and they're also full of futures possibilities of what could be. What _we_ could be.

# Chapter 5

## Carter

I still can't believe that last night went my way. I feel so lucky that I'm going to spend the next ten weeks with Gia...

When I got home I called the cleaning company and asked them to come by in the morning, planned what I was going to cook and went to the store to get the ingredients.

This is so much more than dinner.

Tonight it will be about our first time together; about a lot of little moments that combined will make it special for the both of us.

I'm fucking glad that I'm not one of those dudes who can't cook for shit... With that said, my menus are limited. I ain't Bobby Flay but I like good tasting food, and so I've learned to cook a few dishes.

The day was passing by slow as fuck. I was ready to go. The good news is that Gia was no longer avoiding me. She was actually smiling every time she caught me looking.

During one of the cameramen breaks, I had a chance to ask her if she ate shrimp, because there was still time to change the menu, if needed.

Lucky for me she loves shrimp, so dinner will continue as planned.

I've never cooked for anyone other than my family, so it's an exciting night for me. As I was leaving, I hand her a note with my address and the time – Which gives me two hours to get ready.

The anticipation is intoxicating.

I make a quick stop by the flower shop to pick up a mixed arrangement for the dinner table. Nothing fancy, just sunflowers and daisies in a large vase. I'm staying away from the roses. Roses are expected, traditional... simply boring. That's not what I want our relationship to be. Gia is fresh, fun...unexpected.

After a quick shower, I start prepping the vegetables for the shrimp stir fry, and set them to the side. I light a few candles and place them around the living room, just to give the place a more homey and comfortable appearance. Looking around one last time, I realize the place was too quiet so I turn on Spotify and found a playlist with the Dinner Party Orchestra, it has today's hits but instrumental, and it works as background music. If I had a choice, I would play some Alternative Rock, but I'm afraid that will not be helpful in setting the mood.

I'm ready.

* * *

## Gia

Staring at the few items of clothing in the hotel's closet, makes me feel like I should have stopped after work to shop for a new outfit. Taking a deep breath, I put on an olive green tank belted dress, and since it has cooled down a bit this evening, I grab my off-white light cream cropped cardigan. It's dinner at his house, which doesn't need fancy clothes, but sexy is as sexy does, so I look for my strappy Louboutins' spiked brown sandals... Now I feel great.

I know I could give someone whiplash from going back and forth on the Carter issue, but I really feel that way in my mind. When I'm by myself, I'm that confused. I want to be with him but I'm not sure if it's a smart decision. On the other hand, when I'm near him, it all feels right, as if all the puzzle pieces fall into place.

My last relationship taught me a couple of things:

  1. Don't be so trusting,

  2. Don't 'do' anyone you work with.

And now, I'm about to break both rules. Well, technically Carter is a contractor, he doesn't work at my company, so maybe I'm only breaking one little rule instead of two.

Really doesn't make it any better.

There is something so sincere about his eyes when he looks at me...

I take a final look in the mirror nodding in approval, move over to the table to grab my handbag, – or should I say pocketbook since I'm back in the South? – find my keys and I head out before I change my mind and talk myself out of dinner tonight.

* * *

I walk to the parking lot, hit the button to unlock the rental and get in while throwing my pocketbook on the passenger's seat.

I'm nervous.

Shaking my hands, I take a deep breath to help me relax a little bit. Then, I finally start the car for the short drive to his place.

I've been alone for a while.

Maybe if I wasn't this horny I could think more clearly.

I've been working so hard, letting my work assignments fill the void. Coming back to Georgia has opened up a flood of memories, wants, and now opportunities with Carter. I think I may have forgotten how to be in a relationship, although I must confess this will not be a conventional one... It's more convenience than anything else.

Why do I feel so scared, then? It's just sex... Well, I'm lying to myself now, because for all the years I've been pining over Carter, it couldn't be "just sex." I don't want to give him a piece of me. I don't want the pain that will come when I have to go back to New York. Which means that I have to keep my feelings reigned in and just _enjoy_ the physical aspects of this... whatever it is going to be.

Earlier I had taken a look in Google Maps to see where his home is. It sits in a somewhat affluent neighborhood, but it's not a mansion or super fancy. It's a traditional ranch home with a large front porch. The street it's beautiful and lined with trees that come together to form a canopy, giving you a magical impression of the neighborhood. All the homes have similar design, but are not identical, which makes the subdivision stand out from most cookie-cutter ones.

I come to his house and pull into the long driveway. His property must be three acres, minimum. The driveway curves to the side of the house so as you come in you cannot see the garage. There is a small parking pad next to the vast front lawn, adjacent to the driveway. I carefully park there.

I sit there for a few minutes, getting my courage and armor in place. I grab a piece of chewy candy instead. It'll work just the same.

There's a knock on my window.

"What are you doing?"

I turn at the sound of Carter's voice, and smile at him as I grab my pocketbook and get out of the car.

"I was making sure I had everything I needed. Hi..."

"Hi." He moves and gives me a quick kiss on the lips and a hug. Then, he takes a deep breath while giving me a soft kiss on my forehead.

"Come on, juicy, let's go inside."

I stop. _Wait. What?_

"What did you just call me?"

He looks at me with a smirk on his lips and repeats the nickname. "Juicy!"

"Sorry, it must've slipped out. I call you juicy because you are always eating that chewy candy and their tagline is 'incredibly juicy' so I've been calling you that in my head the last few days."

"Seriously?..."

He shrugs his shoulders, and faces me as he opens the door to his home, gesturing for me to go in before I can say anything else.

This time, I cannot move.

His home... it's beautiful.

Slowly, I walk in to a fusion of different shades of gray, white, and charcoal with a very modern style. The dark plank wooden floors provide a great contrast. The open design makes it airy and comfortable. There are two gray leather couches forming an "L" and opposite those are a couple of comfy leather chairs and ottomans, matching the couch color, all adorned with white, burnt orange and patterned gray throw pillows.

The back wall is made of glass doors and windows from floor to ceiling, and they provide a view to the beautifully landscaped backyard, complete with a huge pool and a rocky cascade surrounded by tropical palm trees.

Wow.

To the left of the living area is the kitchen, full of stainless steel appliances, more dark wood cabinets and granite countertops. The breakfast bar is lined with modern stools, charcoal in color. There's a small eating area with a round glass table and four dark leather chairs. The table is set for two and has a medium size flower arrangement made of daisies and sunflowers, and it gives the whole thing a nice "homey" feeling.

This is way different than I expected Carter's place to be... and it's a huge difference to my small New York apartment.

I'm still trying to take it all in, when Carter comes from behind and whispers in my ear, "Do you like? Mi casa es su casa. Make yourself comfortable."

Dropping my pocketbook on one of the living room chairs, I follow him to the kitchen.

"Carter, this is beautiful. You would think that all the gray tones would make the room cold and uninviting, but it's not. The open layout and 'outside in' view makes it so inviting... You did really well. I love it!"

"Thanks, I will give you a tour of the rest of the house in a little bit, would you like something to drink?"

"Yes, I would. What do you have?"

"I have a fully stocked bar and an under counter wine cooler at your disposal. Or I can make you one of my specialties from my bartending college days."

"Surprise me."

He winks at me and I take the opportunity to really look at him. Worn out loose blue jeans with a couple of barely there holes, and a tight olive green t-shirt that showcases all his muscles and makes his eyes turn more green than yellow. Oh, and no shoes. _Dayum!_ I think I'll have _him_ for dinner, to hell with the real food.

I admire his muscles flexing and the fluid way he moves about the kitchen. He brings a couple of tall glasses, Gold Tequila and grenadine liquor from the small bar on the other side of the kitchen and pulls out orange juice, an orange and a jar of cherries from the fridge.

"Tell me, Gia, have you ever had a Tequila Sunrise?"

"I can't say I have." I give him a warm smile. He has mixed all the ingredients in a matter of seconds - ice, tequila and orange juice first, shaken. Then he takes the bottle of grenadine goodness and flips it upside down on top of the glass. The liquor goes straight to the bottom and then rises up. Pretty! Two drinks are quickly topped with a slice of orange and a cherry floating on top, held together by a nice stirrer in the shape of a heart.

"Here you go." Carter slides one drink in front of me. "I hope you like it. I normally drink beer, but I don't want you to drink this alone."

He gets quiet for a second then raises his glass.

"A toast?"

"Sure. What are we toasting to?"

"To an evening full of surprises, and to ten fun, unexpected weeks of getting to know one another. Cheers!"

I clink my glass to his. "Cheers."

I take a sip and at first, it's a bit sour but then the sweetness comes through and it all balances in your mouth. I take another, larger sip.

"Mmm... Delish! Thank you! And here I thought you just wanted to use tequila, because you know what they say about it."

Carter laughs and the rich sound of his voice added to his yummy looks send tingles all through my body.

"What, tequila makes your clothes fall off?"

"Well, it's not a proven fact, but I'm sure tequila in combination with a handsome, sexy man, could accomplish some of that."

His stares at me and blinks. When they open, his eyes become an intense storm of yellow and green right before my eyes.

I swallow hard.

He swallows hard.

"Gia...I invited you here for dinner, and I don't want to get anything started that will prevent us from enjoying a nice meal together...so..."

"So you can have me as your meal, instead."

Where the hell did _that_ come from?

Oh shit.

He comes around the counter in a flash and spins my chair so that I face him. His lips are right next to mine when his hands are fisting my hair and his hot breath's on my mouth.

"You cannot say those things, Gia, and expect me not to react... It's taking all I have to control myself..."

Carter grabs one of my hands and presses it between his legs.

Oh. My. God.

He's huge. Thick. He moves my hand up and down and without further coaxing I move my hand down further until I reach his balls, then I rub them. His surprised eyes look at me right before he kisses me. The kiss is so intense that I hear myself moan and then Carter groans right after it.

"Fuck dinner." He says. "We are going to have to postpone it since I have been presented with something better to eat."

He grabs a hold of my waist and slides me from the chair directly into him. I wrap my legs around his waist and he carries me to the bedroom.

His bedroom.

You know, where his bed is.

A bed that we are not really going to use for sleep.

We are kissing and laughing and right now my whole world is Carter. I'm so into him that when we reach the bedroom, my interior designer's eyes completely ignore my surroundings. That's a hard thing to achieve.

Another hard thing is the cock that's pressed between my legs.

Carter sits me on the bed and leans over me until his entire hard body covers mine completely. I raise my hands to touch his gruff jaw while his tongue's exploring my mouth and one of his hands is moving about my body.

"Gia, you're so sexy and beautiful."

Carter's lips abandon my mouth to leave a trail of kisses and small bites on my neck, breathing sexy words in my ear.

I know foreplay is important, but right now I'm all about sealing the deal. It's been a while and I'm under this sexy man's spell, and I want to reach the goal before I change my mind.

"Get out of your head, Gia. Stop thinking."

"Sorry." With that I give him all the permission he wants on the next kiss.

"Touch me, Carter."

He looks at me and a half smile creeps on his gorgeous face.

"I thought you'd never ask."

Standing up, he reaches for my hands and pulls me up until I'm sitting. His large hands look out of place as he removes my small cardigan and then unbuckles my slim brown belt.

"The shoes stay put, baby. You look so fucking sexy wearing heels."

I feel a light blush moving up to my face.

With flattened palms he rubs my breasts and the thin material of my clothes provide an added friction as my nipples respond to his touch.

I love it.

"Fuck, Gia, I can't wait to lick and suck these gorgeous tits."

He slides his hands down south, until he reaches the dress' hem and with a good grasp, he pulls it up. I wiggle around until he's able to take it off me.

He steps back and looks at me.

No, that's not it.

He _reveres_ me.

Then all of the sudden there is a questioning look on his face.

"You have ink?"

I nod as he turns me around to see the massive tattoo that covers almost half of my back.

"It's beautiful. What does it mean?"

Carter's warm hand traces the tattoo slowly and seductively while I explain what it is and what it means. His finger follows the color lines separating the fish from the water and the flowers. My skin ignites with his touch and when it starts to cool, I can feel goosebumps left on the trail he leaves behind.

"It's a giant watercolor Koi fish surrounded by water and lotus flowers. The fish is yellow and red, and swimming upstream. All of that means strength, good fortune, power, and love. I had to overcome some things after I left home. The drawing depicts all those things that are part of who I am today."

He's speechless, I don't blame him. I kinda forgot to mention it. It starts behind my right shoulder blade, coming down my back and then twisting its tail to the right, covering part of my right pelvis and upper thigh.

"I drew it. It took several sittings and several hours each time until it was finished. I can understand if it's a turn off..."

"What! No! It's not a turn off, it's beautiful... I've never seen anything like it. It looks like a piece of art that needs to be on a prominent wall or something...but then, your soft white skin really does make the perfect canvas."

He leans into me while I'm still facing down on the covers. He presses his dick on my ass and growls.

"Does this feel like you're a turn off? Because it's so hard and ready for you I'm afraid it may explode if not handled with care."

I smile.

"Nope, I guess I was mistaken."

"Indeed."

His hands turn me around easily so I'm flat on my back again. He's so strong there's no effort involved on his part.

"Now, sweetheart, where were we? Aah... I remember now."

Grabbing a hold of my lace boy shorts underwear, he pulls them down, slowly... all the way. Then without wasting one single minute, Carter grabs my bra's front clasp and using his thumb and index finger, pops it open.

"Hmm, this I will never forget, so fucking beautiful. The sight of you laying on my bed completely naked."

His sexy voice, low and guttural, has me fisting the sheets and he hasn't even _really_ touched me yet.

"Take off your shirt. You're overdressed for the occasion." I tell him in the best commanding voice I can muster.

The shirt is now gone and I can appreciate the nice sculpture of his body. Suddenly I feel cold and want him close to me.

"Kiss me, Carter..."

Before I'm finished his lips are on mine, seducing and tasting, no coaxing needed on his part. My hands are all over his arms, his hair, his back... I can feel all his movements and the expectation of a great night ahead has me dizzy with want.

Warm lips move away from my mouth and I miss them instantly, but I'm exalted to feel a wet warmth coating one of my nipples, being tickled with fast tongue movements, while the other one is entertained by fingers pinching the hard nub on top, causing a rush of need between my legs.

"Carter..."

"Mm hmm..."

I move my hand down between my legs and I start touching myself.

"Please..."

I whisper.

Carter removes my hand.

"Yes, baby, let me take care of you. I know exactly what you need."

His hand locates my clit, and starts rubbing up and down at first, lower and lower, until his fingers touch the wetness of my lust for him.

The anticipation has me reacting each time he touches me.

His mouth is still on me, alternating between my breasts and my mouth.

I feel one finger going in between my legs and opening me to allow some of the wetness to sift through.

"So ready for me, Gia, and tight. I like it."

Grabbing one of my legs under the knee, he lifts it up until my shoe's heel is pressing on the bed cover.

"Yes, that's it. Open up for me."

Carter's hand moves smoothly down my inner thigh, until he reaches my pussy. This time he puts two fingers inside and curls them up, looking for a very specific spot.

Fuck. The man knows what he's doing.

I feel his body moving down with a trail of licks and kisses, blowing warm air in between, causing my body to react with goose bumps all over.

"Gia, don't hold back. Now I'm going to make you see a different kind of stars. The kind that we all prefer. The kind that will make you scream my name, over and over again."

With those last words, his mouth is between my legs and he's tasting, sucking, licking and tongue fucking me while grunting.

All of these, plus the slamming of his fingers on the roof of my cervix brings me to the edge in no time at all.

The edge of ecstasy.

It's the best place one can be.

This is where pleasure meets oblivion.

Where you have to want to jump without restrain, and savor the moment.

"Fuck, Gia, you taste so fucking good!"

My fingers curl and grab a fistful of his hair, I hold on tight.

Carter's teeth graze my clit and then he sucks so hard, that I have no choice but to scream his name as a rush of goodness comes down, pooling between my legs, and my body starts to tremble like an 8.0 magnitude earthquake.

"Oh! God! I'm coming! Fuck! Carter!"

And there it is.

The sweet pleasure of the fall.

He removes his mouth, but keeps pressure on my clit with his fingers, prolonging the orgasm, and he kisses me everywhere he can reach, while waiting for my high to slow down.

I like the way he talks to me while we are so intimate. He growls-whispers all the things that he's doing or he wants to do to me.

I love a dirty-talking man.

"Did you see the fucking stars Gia? I fucking saw all of them reflected in your face...in your skin, in the way you shook and moved against my hands... against my lips. I can't wait to show them to you again, baby.

"My dick is ready for you... so fucking ready.

"I can't be gentle. Please don't ask me to be gentle right now – I want you too fucking bad..."

I manage to look at him and with a smile on my face, I release a weak "Mm-hmm..."

Then, I collect enough strength to unbutton his pants and lower the zipper.

"That was great, Carter, let's play some more..."

He kisses me, deep and wanting. His tongue circles around mine, alternating with licking and sucking my lips. I feel I'm falling behind, like I'm barely matching all the action this man's dishing out.

I've hit the jackpot. Because, if he keeps this up, I can guarantee he's quickly going to become my only obsession, and I'm going to feel like a million bucks, day in-and day out.

Carter lifts off the bed and quickly takes his pants and underwear off.

Oh my god!

When I see his dick proudly stand up, I raise up and sit on the bed, licking my lips as my mouth waters. I want that cock inside my mouth first and fucking the living shit out of me after.

While fisting his cock, a sideway smile lingers on his face.

"See something you want... Hmm?"

"Yes." I reach out to touch it and Carter lifts his index finger placing it in front of my face.

"One thing, Gia."

"What's that?"

"My self-control is a bit fickle when it comes to you. Sooo, I may have to slow things down a bit, to make sure I last as long as you need me. Okay?"

Double fuck yes!

I'm one lucky bitch.

Nodding my head, Carter brings his dick closer to me, then closer still until I can get my grabby hands around it.

Jackpot!

I pull him to my mouth and lick him all over to ensure good lubrication, then I take as much as I can in my mouth and use my hand for the rest.

Yes, my mouth's big, but he's bigger and even when I relax my throat, I still cannot take him all the way.

"Oh, Gia! Fuck!" I hear him say.

The timing of his breathing had changed, coming in and out of his mouth. In addition to the grunting, all of it assured me that what I'm doing it's spot on.

He grabs a hold of my head, but does not push; he's merely letting me do my thing. I can work his dick a bit further after a couple of minutes and then I finally adjust to his size.

My hand and head are twisting while sucking as hard as I can.

I'm enjoying this more than I expected.

"Yes, baby, just like that – fuck you're doing great!'

Gently, I graze my teeth up and down his member, lick the underside from his balls to the tip of his cock and then back.

I take one of his balls in my mouth and suck it hard. After I let it out of my mouth, I take a hold of both nuts with my hand, lifting them and then licking the sensitive area underneath.

With his body trembling, he pulls away from my mouth and smiles at me.

"Enough!"

Feeling flirty, I ask, "Am I doing a good job?"

"You are doing a fan-fucking-tastic job!"

He places his forehead against mine, and tells me in a soft whisper, "I just want to get lost in you, with you, in that moment when my eyes meet yours, where we communicate solely by touch and there's nothing else in the world but you and me."

I gasp. My eyes tear up with his beautiful words.

Who is this guy?

I don't have much time to wonder because his mouth finds mine and then we kiss.

* * *

## Carter

I'm kissing Gia, like she's my lifeline, and at the same time I'm thinking what has come over me? Where are all these words and feelings coming from? Never in my fucking life have I been this personal and intimate with a woman.

But Gia...

She's above your average girl.

She blows my mind.

I crawl back on the bed, and we are kneeling in front of each other. Rubbing her soft skin from her shoulders down, she responds to me instantly. When I reach her ass, I position her to straddle me.

I worship her skin with my lips, everywhere I can reach, until we let our bodies fall down, me on top and Gia underneath me, arranging herself to take full advantage our position.

Rubbing on her breasts I lick then suck, alternating between her tits and her mouth.

I need to feel her skin on my hands.

I need to taste her and leave a little bit of me with each kiss.

So that she knows she's mine.

And no one else can make her feel this way.

Only me.

Only her.

Only us.

I lean over to the side, grab some condoms from the side table and lay myself behind her. My hand's steadily moving up and down her torso, following the contours of her tattoo.

Her skin's soft... warm... inviting.

Beautiful.

I quickly roll on the condom.

Licking my fingers, I transfer the wetness first to her pussy and then to the head of my cock. I lift her leg and slowly thrust into her.

With a fistful of hair, I pull her head until her face is next to mine. Wrapping her leg behind my thigh, I'm free to slide my hand to her breast, where I play with her nub while I whisper sweet, dirty things in her ear.

"Yeah!" Gia screams in delight, while making little moaning noises every time I pump into her.

The thrusting gets harder, her moans make me feel alive and fill me with more desire for her satisfaction.

After pulling her leg higher and letting it rest in the nook of my elbow, my hand seeks hers and they entwine in sweet want. I can feel her tightening, molding, adjusting around my cock with the only purpose to please me, so that I can please her.

"OhMyGod!" She screams and I feel her getting closer to climax.

Our lips meet once again and we leave our mouths open, breathing in each other's essence.

This is definitely not a fuck for me.

This is 'more.'

More than sex.

More than physical.

But I can't let myself get lost in that thought.

I move my fingers to her clit and start to please her there as well.

"Carter, oh! Ooh!"

"Yes, baby! Fuck, come for me one more time. Your pussy's so ready... You're so wet. Aha, just like that..."

I move my body so now I'm on top of her, while she's pulling my hair. Gia's quite flexible. I put her legs over my shoulder and my hands on each side of her beautiful face.

We don't stop.

Supporting myself with one arm, and grabbing her by the neck with the other, while increasing the rhythm of my thrust.

"Touch yourself, Gia. Tell me how good this is for you."

Today, my dick feels like superman.

I nibble on her neck and she bites my arm, while touching herself.

"Don't stop! I'm coming Carter! I'm fucking coming!

Grunting louder, I smack my dick into her as hard, fast and deep as I can.

"Yesss! Yesss! Harder! Faster! Carter..."

Somehow I manage more of what she wants, and then I feel her spasms causing her to tighten even more than before. It's clamping down my dick, making the friction better. It's the tightest pussy I've ever had.

I fucking love it.

Touching her forehead with mine, it only takes a couple more pumps for me to reach the same ecstasy she's in.

We kiss.

Releasing her legs, but still connected to Gia, I let my weigh fall on her for a few moments, while I get myself back in control.

We smile and roll over so that we are side by side, still breathing hard.

"That was cosmic..." I say to her.

She laughs, low and sexy, and all mine.

"Carter, it was so good, I think I discovered a new galaxy, with a whole new world, all the way beyond the stars."

We laugh, and then I get off the bed to discard the used condom and get a wash rag to clean her up.

After I wash myself I throw on a clean t-shirt and underwear, returning to a very relaxed Gia, and I can't help it, I have to kiss her while tending to her most intimate parts.

"You need to rest and I need to cook, so I can feed you as originally promised."

"Why can't you lay down here with me, if only for a little while?"

"Because laying next to you will only make me want you more."

"Again? I need to replenish my strength."

"Yes, again, but later. Go ahead and rest, sweetheart. Let me take care of you."

Her eyes flutter closed and she gets comfortable in my bed.

Gia is naked.

Naked in _my_ bed.

I make myself walk away before I take a hold of her and never let her go.

I wouldn't be strong enough.

# Chapter 6

## Gia

I wake up, look at my surroundings wondering where I am, then the memories come rushing.

First, I notice that I'm happy.

Second, I notice that I'm sore.

Sore, but in a great way.

Combing my fingers through my hair, I get up to find the restroom.

Across from the room, there are more glass doors and windows from floor to ceiling, letting in the beauty of the backyard. This place is like a house built with the idea of a jungle resort in mind.

So beautiful.

After relieving myself, I grab a plush bathrobe I find next to the shower, and go to the kitchen. The aroma of the food takes me right where the action is.

I must not have napped for too long because he's just plating the meal, when he turns around to take the plates to the table, he sees me.

"There is my little champion! We are only at round one but I'm glad we're both winners."

He winks and I laugh softly.

"I've made us some fresh drinks and dinner's ready. I was coming to get you, but I see that you have impeccable timing."

I curtsy to him while on my way to the table. "I'm starving."

"Good because there's plenty of food." He comes around the table to where I am, and greets me with a quick embrace and a kiss. "Do you like stir fry? It's one of my specialties."

"I looove stir fry anything, as a matter of fact. And this Tequila Sunrise drink? Is now one of my favorites."

I think I may have made him blush a little...

He slides the chair out for me, and then sits.

"Great! That makes me feel better. Tell me about your life in New York. I want to know more."

"There's not really a lot to know. After graduation I moved there and lived in a tiny one room apartment that first year. I worked my ass off and finally the important people started to notice me. They used me as a fill in for shows when the scheduled designers could not make it for one reason or another. Slowly at first people started to ask about me in social media, they wanted to know more about me, my life, my designs... until there were overwhelming amounts of emails wanting more of me on camera. Dillon gave me a co-hosting part on a show that was not doing too well, to see if I could lift it off the ground."

"Wow, that's putting a lot of confidence in you and I can only imagine the pressure that it came with."

"Oh, I had to negotiate for reign with creative design for that show, and after a lot of back and forth, he relented and a few weeks later the show was in the top ten for the network."

"Fantastic, which show was that?"

"Color Me Happy."

"Ha! I remember that show. I watch your network when there's nothing on the Sports channels."

"You do?"

"Yes... How do you think I'm this good?" He points to the rest of the house and I nod in agreement.

"Well, you can pass for a design guru in my eyes. And the backyard, was that you too?"

"I wish I could take credit for it, but that's all on my brother, Rhett."

"Really?"

"Yes. He's a mastermind when it comes to exteriors. His company, Maxon Landscaping caters to the southern states' rich and famous."

"Nice."

"How come both of your companies have the same name?"

He chuckles.

"Because our parents are crazy and all of us boys have the same middle name. It seems they were very fond of our maternal grandfather's surname, and wanted to keep it alive at all costs."

He gets up to take our plates to the kitchen, then grabs my hand.

"Come, let me show you my brother's talent..."

Touching a pad on the wall, he automates the windows and doors to slide and open all the way, disappearing into large pockets on each side of the walls.

Wow.

"I don't even want to know how much that cost you."

"It was not as bad as you think since my brothers and I designed it and built it. Some companies may have similar products, but I doubt they have the quality and craft we do."

I step out to what looks like some type of oasis. I can't see everything in detail because it's already very dark and the lamps don't do it enough justice.

"I can't wait for the morning light so you can see all of it. There's a Jacuzzi on the upper level of the cascade, and I installed a trampoline inside the pool that we can use to jump in the deep end."

He then turns me to the side, there's some comfy furniture and a covered outside living room next to a massive grill and above the fireplace resides a giant tv. Carter pulls my hand until we reach this full size hammock. It looks like a regular hammock, but it isn't. It has a plump mattress and lots of pillows and throw blankets, with little side tables next to it. It can easily fit two or maybe more people.

"Gia this is my favorite spot in my home. This hammock faces the sun as it comes up, and to me it's one of the more peaceful, beautiful sceneries I've ever seen."

"Really? Nice! You don't have neighbors back there?"

"No neighbors. There is a gas line running through the woods back there and nothing can ever be built on that land. Even though I have a private fence around my property, it's nice to know that all that nature will never be touched. We are free to do anything we want without worries."

I smile at him and move to sit on the hammock, after setting my drink on the little table. Carter takes a few minutes to start the fireplace, and I'm grateful because the cool Fall night carries a bit of chill in the air.

"Come here, Carter. Sit next to me."

He does and I rest my head on his neck.

"Carter, I want to watch my first sunrise with you from right here."

"That's an awesome request."

He gets a large blanket over us, and I don't feel cold anymore.

Carter pulls out his phone and asks me if it's okay to take a selfie.

"Yes, on the condition that you send it to me, I want to have it on my phone, too."

Now it's my turn to ask questions.

"Tell me Carter, did you always want to be a structural engineer?"

He chuckles. "No... When I was a little boy I actually wanted to be a tiger when I grew up."

"A what?"

"A tiger. Yes, a completely different species. I was obsessed with tigers. I had them on everything and everywhere. My mom bought me this plush tiger, and I used to take it with me all the time."

I laugh at the idea of crossing species. Then I think about some paranormal books that I've read, and suddenly his kid dream was not so far-fetched.

"There are some romantic novels out there with paranormal elements of people who can shift into animals and vice versa. So I'm sure you are not the only person who's had a thought like that.

"Do you still have the stuffed toy?"

"Yes, it's falling apart from having played with it so much, but I still have it in one of my storage boxes in the bedroom. It's one of the few treasures from my childhood. I miss my parents so much, but I try to concentrate on the great memories they left behind."

"Do you remember that time after Christmas that I was trying out my new skateboard, I fell and skinned my knees? Your mom heard me screaming and came out, picked me up and took me inside to clean it and put medicine on. I was about eight, I think."

"Yes, and then she asked you to bake cookies with her and she wouldn't let us eat the cookie dough. You were sneaking little chunks here and there... I was so jealous!"

"Yeah, you wanted some so bad, and were making faces at me when your mom wasn't looking! Ha!"

"You're doggone right I did!"

"Ohmygoodness! Do you remember the time we were playing baseball with your dad in the backyard and the ball went straight for your mom's flower bushes; at the same time your dad was trying to catch it and he landed on top of all the flowers – smashed everything! When he realized what he'd done he packed us all to go get ice cream..."

Carter interrupts me and finishes recalling that day.

"...then pretended we all saw it for the first time when we came back, and mom was livid! She was so pissed! I think she knew, but couldn't get dad to confess his crimes..."

"Your parents were hilarious."

"They were amazing. I miss them."

How sweet.

How sad.

Maybe I can make him feel a little better.

"So, Carter, you do realize that I'm not wearing anything under this comfy robe."

His eyes look at me with so much desire.

"Well, Gia, I think this is the perfect time for you to take a wild ride in a good 'ol saddle, don't you think?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

## Carter

After having another round of amazing sex, we fell sleep on the hammock. Luckily I had enough sense to set my phone's alarm for us to wake up in time to watch the sunrise.

We looked at the sky as it filled from an intense dark to layers of yellows, oranges and red.

It was stunning.

When the sun finally broke through, I carried Gia into the house, and we took a long hot shower together. We may or may not have had amazing shower sex. I ain't tellin'.

The weekend passed us by in a blur.

Too fast.

After stopping by the hotel so Gia could change and grab some additional clothes and a swim suit, which I told her she won't need because my specialty swim is skinny dipping, we headed to the country market to get fresh vegetables. Another stop by the butcher shop to get a couple of steaks, and then we spent the beautiful day outside, grilling kabobs and bathing in the pool.

Of course we had pool sex... We had a round inside the pool, and another fun one on the trampoline. That was... interesting. Some more oral exercises on the patio furniture, and we were walking around like everyday nudists.

That was a fun day.

Today's Sunday, and it felt good to sleep late. I made her brunch and got her some ibuprofen because she was very achy in all the right places.

Yes, I say that with a lot of pride.

My dick was feeling like superman and he performed like him, too.

"What's up with that smirk on your face, Carter?"

"Hmm, nothing, just thinking about this awesome weekend."

"Are you coming to Sunday dinner at my parents?"

"If you want me there, I sure will."

"Yes, please? This week's going to be rough without being able to cuddle with you every night."

"Why not? We can make it happen. You can move in here for the remainder of your stay."

"That would not be smart – at all! I would never get any rest!"

"You've got that right."

I pull her towards me and kiss her passionately. Her body responds, but then she freezes.

"Carter, I really need to go spend some time with my parents. They keep texting me that they want to see me."

"I understand. Are we going to tell them that we are dating?" Her eyebrows furrow as she thinks about this.

"Carter, we aren't dating, we aren't 'seeing' each other. Remember? We talked about this. No relationship of any type. Ten weeks. That's all."

My heart twisted painfully at the delivery of her words. But she's right. That was the agreement.

I fake a smile towards her. "Got it. I don't know what I was thinking."

With a nod, she turns around and says, "Bye, see you in a few hours."

That's when I realized that even though Gia didn't want to give her heart away, I was the one that was going to end up with mine in a million crushed little pieces.

# Chapter 7

## Gia

Ten weeks.

Ten weeks and three days, to be exact.

I have filled every spare moment I've had with Carter, but the time flew by anyway.

And as hard as I tried not to, I've fallen for Carter Owens.

And even though he has not said a word about it, I know deep in my soul that Carter Owens has fallen for me, too.

It was a mistake to agree to be with him. Now I have to face the consequences.

Last night was beautiful between us. And although it was late, and I was tired; my brain would not rest.

I felt bad.

Mostly, I felt sad.

I couldn't deal with the feelings I was having. I got up, wrote him a quick note and left in the middle of the night.

Like a coward.

Now, I have to face everything – I have nowhere to run. I cannot hide.

It's my last day here.

It's time to turn the finished house over to their owners.

The show ends this morning.

My heart ends this afternoon.

Carter has agreed to take me to the airport, but maybe I should ask Nash to do it.

"Hi..."

I turn away from the full length mirror we keep on the set, and put on the show for him.

"Oh! Hi Carter... How are you doing this morning?"

"Not as good as you, obviously." He gives me an upset look.

I try to keep my cool, even though it's harder to breathe now that he's here in front of me.

"I understand. Are you ready to turn the house over to the owners? It turned out beautiful. A masterpiece. Your crew can work miracles."

"Why did you leave me last night?"

"Carter this is not the time... But I can only tell you that I was upset and I needed space."

"So the physical space you are putting between us when you get on the plane later today... that space isn't enough?"

I can't answer that, because he's totally right. But if I get into it, I'm going to lose my shit. So I can't. Instead of answering his question, I give him a pleading look.

"Fine. Where is Jay, I haven't seen him this morning."

"He had to take an early flight. He was called to fill in for a designer who got sick on another show, so he pre filmed some commentaries this morning, and left me to present the final product. I miss him already."

Especially because he has been my sounding board about this Carter "thing" and I hate not having Jay around for moral support. He was very clear to me when he told me not to let great opportunities pass me by and that true love is an evasive sonofabitch.

In other words, he thought I was being an idiot.

But I'm not letting Carter find this out. He doesn't need any more ammunition.

We always have choices in life. Sometimes it's hard to make the right ones.

I'm really dying inside.

I'm going to miss him.

Hell, who am I kidding? I'm going to fall apart.

I wrestle with my feelings about Carter, versus the feelings about my career.

How am I supposed to throw away what I have worked for my entire life for someone I've only been with for ten weeks?

It's impossible.

It's would be absolutely crazy.

Maybe he would be willing to give me some time to try and come up with a plan.

Perhaps I can talk to Dillon.

Ugh! This is so frustrating!

I take out not one piece of chewy candy but two pieces, and try to get lost in the juicy goodness.

Juicy!

Crap.

The producer comes by with the director to give me this morning's briefing. I walk away with them glancing over my shoulder at Carter, who's talking to some of the crew members in the adjacent room.

I really fucked this shit up.

Well, he shares a little of the blame, too, I think.

Since he was the one with the bright idea and all.

This day is going to suck balls really, really bad.

* * *

## Carter

Nothing.

There's nothing I can do.

I've fought and lost.

Gia's taking my heart with her, and I will never be the same.

Never.

Everything's done. The filming crew's finished. The customers are ecstatic. The producer's talking about the next assignment and how much buzz the show's previews are creating.

I've gotten a lot of compliments on my work, on my crew, and promises to do business again when they decide to film back here, in the South.

But the promises that I really want, I'm not getting.

Gia has not been able to look at me since our earlier conversation ended.

And even though we have not spoken those painful words, we are also about to end _this_.

It's so much more than a fling.

Much deeper than an affair.

The angst inside my soul is shattering my being.

What can I do? What can I say to try to change her mind?

I'm sitting in the driveway with all her bags on my back seat. Jay took her car to the airport and returned it on his way back to New York earlier this morning; the company is shipping her tools and all the other filming gear.

There will be nothing left.

I see her coming outside after getting what I'm sure is the twentieth hug from the home owners.

This is going to be hard.

So hard.

She starts to walk toward me. I'm going to miss those tight jeans with the loose shirts she normally wears and now that it's been cooler weather, her jean jacket that she puts on every day.

But what I'm going to miss the most is her laughter after one of my corny jokes.

The way she takes care of me, making sure I've had enough to eat and enough rest.

Her head, relaxing on my shoulder while we wait for the sun to rise.

The taste of cherry from her mouth.

The way she looks at me when I come up with a solution to one of her many design problems.

Her attitude, when she knows she's right but I pretend that she's not.

The smell of her perfume on my sheets.

Her brown eyes looking at me, trying to tell me the things her mouth won't speak.

So much more.

I get out of the truck to open the door for her and help her get in. She has long legs but with those spike heels she likes to wear, the jump can be a bit tricky. I'd rather be there to catch her if she falls.

I want to always be the one to catch her.

But I have built my business here and she has her career in New York.

I cannot ask her to give everything up because I don't think I could do it myself, if our roles were reversed.

With a small smile, I pull out of the driveway, and away from the place where Gia became the sunrise that lit up the darkest parts of my existence.

* * *

## Gia

The ride was silent and uncomfortable.

When we finally arrived at the airport, he pulled into one of those drop off lanes. Being the middle of the day in the middle of the week, traffic was light and there were no other vehicles trying to pull in front or behind us.

This was the right time to say goodbye.

My heart fell into the pits of sadness when I saw him looking at me with tears in his eyes.

I pull the drawing out of my bag. It's rolled up and in a plastic cylinder to make sure it doesn't get creased.

"Carter, I have something for you."

"What is it?"

"Here, take a look."

Carefully, he opens the container, and pulls out the drawing. When he unrolls the paper and finally sees what it is, his breath catches.

"Gia... It's beautiful..."

"I remembered our conversation about you wanting to be a tiger when you were a kid. I painted this tiger using watercolors, to match my koi fish. As you can see, it's a frontal close up of the tiger coming out of the jungle. His paws are large and you can see the strength of his muscles under his coat, the power coming from his eyes.

"Tigers are uninhibited creatures, ferocious and sensual, wild and untamable, powerful and strong. They are driven by instincts and passion... and that's how I see you, Carter. That's how I choose to remember you."

I felt my bottom lip trembling lightly and I knew it was now or never.

"Gia, I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. I wanted you to have something special from me now that we will not see each other every day. I don't know when I'll be back, but you know I have to visit my parents, or they will disown me."

I try to say it jokingly, but it fell flat.

He rolls the drawing and comes out of the truck to open my door.

After he takes my suitcases out of the vehicle, Carter turns around and embraces me.

I embrace him.

Tight, so tight.

"This is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do." He whispers in my ear.

"I know. I wish we could write a different finale for our story."

Pulling away, with teary eyes, he tells me his goodbye.

His fingers grab my chin so that I'm unable to look away.

"Gia, thank you for the best ten weeks of my life. Now you go and conquer the world without looking back. But please know that my heart is with you, wherever you are. And I will be here, with an empty chest, until you decide to change your mind and return home with my heart in your hands."

Tears are running down my cheeks.

I can't breathe.

I can't speak.

I want to tell him how I feel, but it won't be fair to him.

So I keep quiet, and kiss him.

I kiss him with all the love and all the want I have in my heart and soul for him.

I kiss him with passion as I want him to know that I'll gladly take his heart, because it's the most meaningful, truthful gesture anyone has ever done for me.

When we finally stop sharing our fears through that kiss, I grab my bags and walk away from the one man who loves me as I am. The one man I trust never to hurt me.

I'm taking his heart.

But he has no idea that I'm leaving my heart right here, with him.

The End

(for now)

Look forward to the rest of Carter and Gia's story:

Tequila Sunrises – Gia on My Mind

Coming Soon!

# Also by Yara Greathouse

The Girls on Top series

### Unavoidable

### Dismantled

Tequila Sunrises series

Tequila Sunrises over Georgia – A Free Novella

### Gia on My Mind – Coming Soon

# A note from the Author

I recently moved from Georgia to Texas, and I found myself "homesick" a lot. I miss my friends and family an awful lot. Then it occurred to me that I could write a story set in Georgia, and tell within the words tidbits of things we used to do there – and the idea for the Tequila series was born.

Thank you for purchasing this book and taking the time to read it. Could I ask a favor? Would you be so kind to leave an honest, short review? Only a couple of sentence – that's all it's needed! It would mean so much. We Indies depend on reviews as out #1 marketing method. I would be so grateful!

I'd also love to hear from you. Connect with me at:

Website: www.yaragreathouse.com

Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

# About the Author

Yara lives in Texas where she spends her free time getting lost in writing, reading, cooking and traveling. Her first series, "Girls on Top," is about strong female lead characters and the sexy alpha males who love them.

She loves hearing from readers, bloggers and other authors at: YaraWrites@hotmail.com

