I grinned against him, unable to hold it in. “You know I do.”

His hand tightened behind me. “Say it.”

“I love you.” My body melted to his. I became one with him as I said those words. Then I said it again, because I could, “I love you. I always have.”

His lips opened over mine, demanding his entrance. I gave it, because I needed all of him, as much as I could get.

CHAPTER TWENTY

The rest of the night was spent in a mix of anticipation, agony, and adrenalin. I was addicted to Carter and we couldn’t go long without a touch or a look between the two of us. Theresa noticed something was different when we came back to the main dance floor. Her eyebrows went high and she crossed the room to grab my hand. “What happened?”

“What do you mean?” I was breathless. My body was still tingling with the knowledge that Carter loved me. He loved me. A new set of sensations rushed through me.

“Emma, I might be drunk, but I’m not stupid. You’re glowing.” Her mouth dropped. “Did you guys get it on in there?”

“No!”

She shrugged. “A bit kinky, but we are at Octave.” She glanced at Carter as Noah handed him a drink. “And he’s the owner. You could do it on the main dance floor if you wanted.” She cringed. “Make sure it’s clean, though, huh?”

“We didn’t get it on.” We had come close.

“Why not? I would if he were mine.” Her voice dipped low to a seductive drawl.

Carter looked over. His eyes lingered on Theresa and narrowed before he turned back to Noah.

She barked out a laugh. “God, how many times does he get hit on? I was giving him the bedroom eyes, a lip quiver and everything and nothing. He’s loyal, I can tell.”

I stiffened. Should I get pissed about that?

Then she sighed, “I was wrong with all my rants before about him. Noah always said I didn’t know what I was talking about and I should’ve listened to him.” She gave me a wide smile. “I hope you have hot and dirty sex tonight, do it for me.”

I glanced towards my boss. “I don’t think I need to. I think you’re going to be having your own tonight.”

“No.” She rolled her eyes. “I love Brianna, but she freaked out when she saw us flirting. Look at her over there now.”

The petite blonde stood close to both men. When one of her hands lifted, as if to rest on Carter’s chest, a bolt of possessiveness went through me. He was mine. Carter caught my look, curved the ends of his mouth up, and moved out of her reach. The hand fell back to her hip, but she stiffened and her head straightened upwards. He shot me a smoldering look as if to reassure me, but I blinked rapidly and shook my head to clear the need to go over there and drag the little girl away. It was primal, setting off the ache between my legs again.

Theresa sipped her drink and murmured, “Holy woman, another hot look from him.”

“So his sister doesn’t approve of the two of you?”

She grinned at me. “Nice subject change, but I’ll take the bait.” She took a deep breath before sipping on her drink again. “Brianna is the princess in Noah’s family. Everybody dotes on her and she’s here, trying to prove that she can make it on her own. Of course, she’s doing it so she can get their grandfather’s inheritance. He made a stipulation that she had to keep a full-time job for so many years before she could touch that money. So this is her, trying to prove to everybody she can make it.”

“You guys seemed fond of each other.”

“We are. I love her like a little sister, which is probably why she freaked out when she saw me and Noah dancing together.” A sad tone rose in her voice. “And if little sister isn’t okay with it, then big brother won’t do it. Heavens that Brianna might be disturbed by something. She’s been through so much since their grandfather died ten years ago.” Her sarcasm was thick at the end.

“So everybody does what she wants?”

“Yeah,” she finished her drink and moved to the bar for another. “When their grandfather died, she had been with him. The next year was hard on her. She couldn’t sleep. She was barely eating. She started drinking, doing drugs, all of it. Unprotected sex. To say that she put that family through a second wringer after losing their grandfather is an understatement. Noah will not do anything to jeopardize her health in any way.”

“They’re okay with her working here?”

“Are you kidding me?” She shook her head. “After the initial shock, they love it. She loves it. That’s all that matters. They don’t care as long as she goes somewhere and makes money. Plus, she got that promotion.” When the bartender handed her the drink, she took a big gulp before setting it down roughly. “I know your man did that as a favor to Noah, but it didn’t help her. Now she’s got it in her head that the boss wants her. Look at her.”

She had edged close to Carter again. Her head was tipped back, her long hair cascaded down her back, and her lips were pursed in an adorable pout. I gritted my teeth and tried to keep my fingers from shattering my glass.

“I’m sorry,” Theresa groaned. “I love her. I’m just a bit sore because the night I wanted with Noah isn’t going to happen now. I don’t think it’ll ever happen.”

“She can’t have that much say over your life.”

“She does and she will.” Her eyes darkened. “And I know Noah. He is overprotective to the extreme. If there’s a slight chance that it would send her into the tailspin like before, he won’t chance it. He hasn’t even looked at me since she got here. And he won’t. We’re back to pretending we don’t know each other and I’m only his employee.”

I remembered their small argument the first night at her apartment. “That’s what it was before?”

“Yeah. His mother is great. She always includes me with their family events, but I’m not their family, not really. Noah doesn’t want me around his family. Brianna does, but not in the way I want to be there.”

“With him?”

“Exactly.”

“That sounds lonely.” It sounded like me. Carter had been my family, and then it was gone when AJ died. I destroyed my second family as well.

“I’m fine.” A hard edge was in her voice as she tossed back the rest of her drink. When she placed the glass back on the bar, she swayed to the side. I caught her, steadying her, but her head hung down. “Maybe I should go home.”