Natalie's eyes widened.
"Hey, I'm not forcing you," he quickly added, "You can say no if you want."
"No.. uhmm. I need to check in on Betty. She might need me."
"Come on...I'm sure she's asleep by now. You can call her nanny to confirm."
"Okay," She brought out her cell phone and called Glory, Betty's nanny. And truly, Betty had fallen asleep minutes ago.
"Shall we?" Carter said stretching his hands towards her and she chuckled.
He led her to his car and opened the door for her.
As soon as they were seated, while driving, "What kind of music do you like?"
She shrugged, chuckling, "Whitney Houston?"
Carter laughed, "No way...so we have the same taste in music. I always knew there was a connection between us."
Natalie blushed and looked away as the lyrics of "I Will Always Love You" filled the car.
Finally, the car slowed down as they arrived at a huge mansion. Natalie stared in amazement at the height and beauty of it.
"How rich is this guy?" She wondered.
Natalie was so lost in admiration that she didn't notice Carter beside her.
"Shall we?" He took her hands and led the way into the house as she stood in front of the sofa.
He walked behind her and held her arms.
Natalie shivered as she felt a sensation run down her spine
"I just want to help you with this," He whispered, his breath caressing her neck as he helped her to take off her coat, "You want more wine?" He asked but she shook her head.
"No, uhm...I'm kind of tipsy."
"Just that little wine?" He laughed, "I brought us here so we could continue our drink together," Carter unbuttoned his suit and took it off.
His hands also unbuttoned his shirt and drew up his sleeves. Then he went over to the fridge and brought out a bottle of red wine with two glasses.
Walking up to Natalie, he hands her a glass and serves her.
They clinked glasses and he watched as she gulped it in one go.
"I love the wine," she moved over to him and gave him a peck on his lips.
Carter stiffened.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to. It's the wine." She giggled, placing her glass on the table. And then she felt his strong hands grab her waist and pull her to his chest.
"All these while..." He said in a low voice, "I've been holding back, controlling my emotions...but I can't hold it anymore."
His glass fell from his hands, spilling onto the sofa as he kissed her hard.
Natalie locked her arms around his neck and she moaned, grinding against him....
****
Natalie squinted her eyes as she felt the sudden reflection of the sunlight on her face. She blinked, trying to adjust to the bright lights.
"Good morning baby. I made breakfast."
A blush suddenly formed on her face as she recognized her environment, and recalled the experience last night. She had lost count after the third round.
She sat up in bed and Carter walked up to her, shirtless, with a tray of food in his hands.
Her mouth dried as she saw the slight scratches on his chest and shoulders which were attributed to last night's escapades.
"Are you naturally sweet, or you are just trying to impress."
He placed the meal on the bed.
"Eggs and bacon. My favorite." She thought. A small smile graced her lips and she took a bite, closing her eyes and humming in satisfaction.
Carter leaned in to kiss her and she pulled back.
"Don't forget, I'm a mother. I need to attend to my child." And then she stood up and entered the bathroom.
By the time she was done, Carter had called his driver to drop her off.
He saw her on the front porch. "I miss you already," He said giving her a quick peck on the lips.
*****
Natalie sat in the conference room, with a smile on her face. The past few months with Carter had been blissful. Carter had been anything but loving. He showered her with a lot of care and affection. Betty wasn't left behind as they'd often go for vacations in different countries.
She sighed softly as she recalled their moments together.
"Natalie!!"
She was snapped back out of her thoughts by Lisa who stared at her weirdly.
"Are you okay, you seem lost for a moment there?"
"Oh! Yes. I'm fine, just thinking," she replied.
"What do you possibly have to think about? Look at you, you're practically glowing, what's the secret?" she asked, nudging her arms.
"There's no secret, Lisa."
"Come on, Natalie. I know there is a man in the picture," she wiggles her brows.
Natalie gasped as her cheek turned red. She immediately looked up to check who might have possibly heard them.
Thankfully the doctors in the room weren't paying them any attention as they focused on chattering amongst themselves.
"Lower your voice, Lisa. Anyone can hear you, you know?"
Lisa rolled her eyes, "what's the big deal? Every lady wants a man that'll make her glow...."
As she talked, Carter walked into the conference room, dressed in a customized suit, his hands in his pockets.
Natalie stared at him and their eyes locked for a few seconds
"Ugh....he is so handsome, what do you think, Natalie?" Lisa whispered.
She made to respond just as Carter cleared his throat, "Ladies and gentlemen, I called this meeting here for two special announcements."
He paused and after a beat, he said, "I would love to appoint Natalie Smith as the new CEO of our subsidiary business, Z K Enterprise." A collective gasp could be heard around the room.
"What?" Everyone looked at each other in shock.
Z K Enterprise, with many branches all over the country, was said to be the most thriving business, with a net worth of about 600 billion dollars. And it had just been given to Natalie!!??
Everyone was shocked. Natalie wasn't left out as her mouth parted in surprise.
"Oh my gosh, girl! Congratulations!!" Lisa muttered excitedly, as claps resonated through the room.
"For the second one," Carter continued as he walked slowly around the room, his hands in his pockets.
When he got close to Natalie, he went in one knee.
Natalie's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets and Lisa nearly fell from her chai
r in shock.
The whole room was dead silent. He brought out a box from his pockets.
"Natalie Smith, will you marry me?"