“That's not negotiable,” Carter informed whoever was on the phone. He listened for a moment, and his face hardened. A change came over him, and s
uddenly he was no longer the easy-going horse owner and car designer. His voice went cold and sharp as he transitioned into the billionaire businessman. “And what did you tell them?”
Mia sat with her head on his shoulder, trying not to eavesdrop. This was obviously a business call, and as she wasn't an employee, she didn't feel quite right about listening to it, but she didn't have much of a choice.
“That isn't an option,” Carter said. “You have two choices here, either take my deal as is or don't. This isn't a negotiation.”
The easy softness that she was used to hearing in his voice was gone. He was all business. Yet, he still cradled her against him with the utmost care. He was two people, as Mia realized most people were. The lover and the businessman. The lover and the fighter. The man and the money.
The person on the other end said something, but Mia was fighting to keep her eyelids open. Now that the party was over and she no longer had to be “on,” she was exhausted. A full day of work in addition to working a party was more than she was built to handle.
“You've made the right choice,” Carter said into the phone, his voice warm again. “We'll talk again tomorrow to work out all the details. Goodnight.”
He clicked his phone off and carefully slid it into his pocket. With his hand now free, he brushed a strand of hair from her cheek with such gentle care it made her heart smile.
“Good phone call?” she asked, closing her eyes as he stroked her hair.
“Yes,” he replied. “And how about you? How was the fundraiser?”
“Amazing.” She stifled a yawn as she sat up to look at his face. “I can't thank you enough for this. Ethan thinks we raised over two million dollars for the foster charity tonight, and I can't tell you how much that means.”
“It means two million dollars?” Carter shrugged.
She chuckled and settled back into her spot on his shoulder. “No, it means that these kids get some real opportunities. It's such a great place to start.”
He gave her a gentle squeeze. “I'm so glad you're happy. It was a good fundraiser?”
“Carter, it was perfect.” She sat up and kissed his cheek. “You truly outdid yourself. I don't know how you created such a perfect atmosphere and got all those people to come. It was more than I ever could have dreamed of. Thank you so much.”
He smiled. “You're happy, so I'm happy. That's all I wanted.”
“Deliriously happy,” she assured him with a yawn.
“Here,” he said, patting the spot on his shoulder for her to place her head. “You rest. I'll make sure you make it home safe and sound.”
“That sounds good,” Mia said, resting her head. Her eyelids were so heavy that she could barely keep them open. “Thank you so much for this, Carter. It gives me hope that maybe I can start my own non-profit.”
“You would be amazing at that,” he told her, smoothing her hair against her temple. She sighed with contentment.
“Someday,” she murmured, enjoying the idea. She had this beautiful idea of opening up a camp to help foster kids, but until today, it didn't seem feasible. After today, she felt like she could do anything.
“You had a busy night,” Carter told her. “Close your eyes and rest.”
“Okay,” she said with a jaw-cracking yawn. She nestled down into his shoulder. He pulled a jacket up over her shoulders to keep her warm. She didn't open her eyes, but the jacket was soft and smelled like him. He was so comfortable as a pillow that she was asleep before she knew it.
She dreamed she was dancing with Carter at the fundraiser. She wore her beautiful dress, and he was in his ranch jeans and t-shirt, but everyone was clapping and cheering as they danced. All of her foster kids were there, dancing along with them. They all had new shoes and backpacks and smiles as big as the sky. It was a beautiful dream.
As their dance ended, she woke up to him carrying her into her apartment. She stirred long enough to realize where she was before falling back asleep in his arms as he took care of her and put her into bed. He took off her shoes and carefully pulled off her dress before tucking her under the sheets with a gentle kiss on her forehead. She fell back asleep and continued to dance with him in her dreams, dancing the magical night away with her prince charming until morning.
Chapter 25
Carter
The sun dipped behind the mountains, turning the world into dark shadows and twilight. A cold autumn wind rattled the trees, and in the distance, a coyote howled for a meal. Carter checked his watch for what must have been the fifth time in ten minutes. He looked out the window again, waiting for Mia's car to arrive, even though she wasn't supposed to be here for another five minutes.
He just couldn't wait to see her again. It had been just over a month since their trip to Vegas, but he still felt just like he did that first night: giddy excited. Even after a month of regular dates, sleepovers, and fantastic sex, she still made him breathless and impatient to have her.
No one had ever kept his interest for this long. He knew that meant something, but he tried not to think about it. He wasn't ready to confess his feelings for her or to tell her just how serious he wanted to get. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her off.