Read Online Taking Her Time by Cait London - Free Book Online

I’ll handle the digital camera account myself. Express that brochure on the Cayman Islands to me and what you’ve got on the trade show, and I guess that’s all until Monday morning.”
    She placed the telephone on the table, closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. Picking it up again she said, “Listen, Tim. I’m sorry. You’re doing a good job. I didn’t mean to jump on you. It’s just that this stuff has been going on all day—problems that shouldn’t arise, especially when I worked overtime to carve out this time for a break. Thanks for being so good about helping me. I’ll sign for time and a half on your next check…. Yes, everything is going fine. Same to you…. Bye.”
    Carly eased into her chair and shoved her laptop aside to make room for her arms, which she rested on the table. She placed her forehead on them. “It’s been hell today,” she said quietly. “They’ve got to make do without me once in a while. I’ve got the best assistant in the world, but not even Tim can manage what came apart—all in the one day I’ve been out of the office.”
    Did Carly realize that she’d rested against Tucker for that fraction of time?
    Looking at her all bent over her work, Tucker wished he would have brushed her hair as she’d read in the romantic novels.
    If Carly’s work was that demanding, no wonder she needed a getaway. “Do you keep this up all the time?”
    â€œI love it. I’m really good at multitasking and I’m creative as heck. But I’m just handling a lot right now and shouldn’t have jumped on my assistant. I feel bad about that.”
    Tucker understood how young Carly’s energy and competitive instincts fit well into her adult vocation. “You like the angling and the challenges, the push and the shove, the game. And you’re good. That’s why they depend on you so.”
    â€œI suppose.” She reached a hand to her shoulders and rubbed the muscles there, as if they were stiff and aching.
    She’d built herself a whole life away from him. Carly was a different person than the girl he had married….
    And still, her need to lean upon him when she was tired and frustrated was still there….
    Tucker pushed away from the wall. He preferred dealing with his customers’ payments due, than dealing with his emotions right now. He could run, like he did this morning and in their marriage. Or he could stay.
    It was his house. He’d stay, of course. He couldn’t run from Carly at every turn.
    Carly’s hand slid limply down from her shoulders and the long deep sigh said she was close to dozing.
    Tucker shook his head and walked slowly to her. He considered her as she slept, her head on her arms. He forced himself away from her, and into the kitchen, putting away his groceries. One glance back at Carly told him that she hadn’t moved.
    Drawn to watch his ex-wife without all the flash and barbs, Tucker stood beside her. She’d smiled that soft old way at him and had rested against him, as if he were home and safety to her….
    He saw his hand reaching for her hair, to ease the pen from over her ear, to smooth back her hair. It seemed only natural to release that twisted bundle of silky hair, to rub her scalp gently with his fingertips. He’d always been able to touch Carly in a way that soothed her and that pleasured him….
    Tangled in his thoughts about the softness of that one moment as she passed him, Tucker began to toy with her silky hair. He lifted the strands to watch the fading sunlight from the window catch the different shades. When Carly sighed deeply, slowly, his fingertips found her scalp, massaging gently.
    The first long, soft, erotic purr staked his steel-toe boots to the floor and sent every one of his muscles into hard alert. The next sound simulated a woman beginning her orgasm. Carly angled her head for more, and