Read Online Delectable Desire by Farrah Rochon - Free Book Online

connected to the Hawthorne-Hayes name, either.
    “Does the pressure get to you, too?” he asked.
    Lorraine’s back stiffened. “What was that?”
    “You know, the pressure that comes with trying to live up to the family’s expectations. I know what it’s like, remember?”
    He did. And her heart melted.
    This was what made Carter different. He could identify with her in a way very few men ever could. In the past, whenever she tried to convey the problems she faced being a member of her family, she was met with derision. Men thought she was being a whiny brat, that she should thank her lucky stars that she’d been born into privilege. Carter understood that being born into privilege carried its own burdens.
    “What pressures are you under?” she asked softly, her fingers clutching the phone.
    He was quiet for several moments; then Lorraine heard him sigh.
    “We’re in the midst of a transition period at Lillian’s. All indications point to my grandparents handing the reins of the business to one of us grandkids in the very near future, and everyone is trying to stand out. I’m starting to question whether it’s even worth it, you know? A part of me is ready to say to hell with it and just branch out on my own. Make a name for myself that has nothing to do with the Drayson family dynasty.”
    “Oh, goodness, I do know, Carter. I know exactly what you are speaking of. The pressure can be overwhelming.”
    “It was nice to get away from it all last night.”
    “Yes, it was,” she agreed, an unbidden smile tilting up the corners of her mouth.
    “If it was so nice, why did you run away like that?” he asked, accusation layering his softly spoken question. “I wasn’t ready for our date to end.”
    “Neither was I,” she said. “The photographer just...I don’t know... He caught me off guard. I didn’t know what you would think of me after that happened.”
    “I think that I never got the kiss I was hoping for,” Carter answered. “I’d like the chance to try again.”
    Lorraine pulled in a deep breath. Was this man real, or was he just a pro at talking a really sweet game? A really, really sweet game. Ever since Broderick nearly destroyed her, she had gone to such extreme caution when it came to the men she dated. But she had to take that next step again someday, didn’t she?
    Why not today? Why not with Carter?
    “If I asked you out again, would you say yes, Rainey?”
    Even his silly nickname made her body warm from the inside out, especially when he said it in that low, sexy tone.
    “Why don’t you ask?” she encouraged.
    His low chuckle traveled seductively up and down her spine. “Lorraine, would you like to go out with me again?”
    She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “Yes,” she answered. “I’d like that very much.”
    “Can I pick you up from your home like a gentleman this time?”
    She hesitated for a second, but now that he knew who she really was, it seemed silly to hide from him. She gave him her address.
    “I’ll see you tonight,” he said. “Make sure you wear comfortable shoes.”
    “For what reason?”
    “Tonight’s plans require a lot more walking than last night’s. I just want you to be prepared. I’ll pick you up at seven.”
    Before she could ask just what those plans were, he disconnected the call.
    She had known the man for two days, and was already going on her second date with him.
    “Hussy,” she said, and burst out laughing.
    Lorraine looked around the studio, unable to staunch the grin that broke out across her face. Nothing had really changed. She still felt as if she was drifting, unsure of what she should do with the rest of her life. But after months—no, years—of discontent, she had finally found one bright spot: Carter Drayson.

Chapter 5
    C arter pulled into the parking garage of the high-rise in Chicago’s elite Gold Coast neighborhood. He had not been surprised when Lorraine had told him where she lived, but did she have to