The Billionaire Single Dad by Mandy Baxter Page B

make it up to me later.”
    Carter Christensen was one of a kind. And for tonight, he belonged to her.

Eleven
    Bright light penetrated the inside of Carter’s bedroom. Tess stirred beside him and nestled closer to his body. He gathered her close and kissed her hairline at her temple. The past twenty-four hours had been some of the best of his life. That it was all about to come to a close left him feeling too goddamned raw.
    Nate and Chloe would be bringing the girls home in a couple of hours. As much as he wanted to lounge in bed with Tess for the remainder of the morning—to kiss, lick, suck, and let his hands roam the soft swells and dips of her body—they couldn’t be naked under the covers when the girls got there. Reality beckoned and though Carter wanted to tell it to fuck right off, he’d known that this would have to come to an end. And still, the past twenty-four hours had passed far too quickly.
    He didn’t want to give Tess up.
    Carter held her tight against him as though the simple act could change the reality of his life. He had the girls to think about and he couldn’t risk breaking all of their hearts all over again if things didn’t work out with Tess. They’d gone into this knowing all they’d had was a few borrowed hours together. Tess had agreed that it would be best to keep emotions out of the mix. So why did the thought of going back to the way things had been cause panic to rise like acid in his throat?
    â€œMorning.” Tess’s sleepy greeting drew Carter’s attention.
    He scooted down farther on the pillow and nuzzled her neck. “Morning.”
    Tess reached down between them and took the length of his cock in her palm. Memories surfaced of the previous night. Their time in the hot tub, her thighs quivering against his cheeks as she came on his tongue, the intensity of his own orgasm as she’d taken him deep in her mouth, her nails biting into his thighs. The hours spent in this bed, the way Tess had looked as she straddled his hips and rode him with wanton abandon, and the expression on her beautiful face as she’d come yet again. And the quiet moments afterward when she’d laid in his arms in the total dark and they’d murmured sweet endearments to one another. In the aftermath of their lust, the words had left his lips unbidden. I think … I could love you, Tess .
    He’d meant it. Another week, maybe two, and he could easily find himself in love with her.
    Thinking back on it, those moments were dreamlike. His chest ached and Carter rubbed at his sternum as though he could banish the emotions that continued to torture him in the harsh light of day.
    â€œI want to make you breakfast.” Tess’s breathy murmur only served to harden his cock and she angled her hip to glide against his erection. The softness of her skin branded him.
    His panic resurfaced and Carter rolled away from her with a harsh exhale. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and looked over his shoulder at Tess to find her studying him, her expression a mixture of curiosity and hurt. How could he have ever thought they could do this and come out on the other side unchanged? Unhurt.
    â€œNate will be here any time,” he said. Realization dawned and Tess sat up in bed, bringing the sheet with her. Carter wanted to tug it away, to bare her gorgeous breasts to him one last time. That would be playing with fire, though. If he started there, he knew he wouldn’t stop until he was once again buried inside of her.
    â€œWe should probably get up and get dressed, huh?” He didn’t miss the disappointment in her tone, and Carter’s mood soured. Goddamn it, he didn’t want to be the responsible adult. For the first time in his life, he wanted to be more like Travis. To care only about himself.
    That’s not who Carter was, though. He’d never be that guy. “Maybe I could get a raincheck on breakfast.”