Page 36 of Carter

There was so much about that statement I wanted to ask. Like, what are you so afraid of? Why don’t youwantto make it personal?

“Are you worried about me?” I wondered. “You think I’m going to get attached?”

He shrugged. “We’ve practically grown up together. There’s a lot of familiarity there. So it might happen.”

“And that would be bad?”

“Only because you might start wanting more, and I’m not capable of that.”

What made him think he wasn’t capable of that?

I stared at him longer, trying to figure him out. There were so many parts of him he’d shut away from me, issues he wasobviously facing alone. I wanted him to involve me, bring me into his head where the truth to the way he was lurked.

“What did I say before?” I eventually replied. “I said to trust what I want. I’m a big girl, and after everything I’ve had to go through growing up, don’t you know I’m tough as nails? I can look after myself.”

It took everything in me to sound convincing. He just stared, studying me closely. He opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it, as though he changed his mind. I suddenly wondered what it was we were trying to agree on. I thought we were already friends with benefits. Why did he make it seem like we hadn’t encroached on that territory?

At that point, I didn’t think anything would change if he took it further. He already used his mouth and fingers to make me come, so what if it was his dick this time? It was just another means to get there, right?

“Fuck,” he muttered weakly, his eyes drawn to my mouth when I’d licked it. “You’re so sexy to me, Leah.”

My cheeks warmed and my heart pinched. He leaned down and kissed me, and it was another soul sucking kiss. I lifted my hips against his, telling him with the language of my body that I was not going to settle for another finger rub. I knew all about the condoms he had stuffed in the bathroom cabinet, as if he had considered this would happen too.

He pressed me against the crappy mattress with his upper weight, and I ran my hands down his back, feeling every line and curve of his hard muscles. His hands slipped under my shirt, the warmth of his skin roaming up my body, heating me up instantly. His fingers grazed against the front of my bra, lightly stroking my nipple, and I arched my back for him as he cupped my breast and squeezed gently.

Shit, it was good. I moaned into his mouth and felt his hand move to my back. A second later the pressure of my bra lessenedas he unclasped it effortlessly. He broke free from my mouth and lifted my shirt up and over my head. His breath caught in his throat once he threw off my bra and stared down at me in nothing but a thong on.

“Fuck, Leah,” he muttered, dipping his head to my chest. I felt the wet strokes of his tongue around my nipple, and I shook at the bolt of pleasure that travelled down my body to my core. He licked down my abdomen, nipping at my hips, and sliding my thong down slowly. A second later, I was completely naked and pulling him by his hair up to me so I could kiss him again. He slipped his tongue into my mouth, stroking it against mine.

My hand drifted down his front, reaching into his pants where he was hard and thick and ready. I palmed his cock and pumped him once, twice, and he quivered above me, breathing harshly against my face. His hips rocked to me with every pump, and he groaned deep in his throat.

“Jesus.” He stared down my body and up at my glazed eyes.

“Take your pants off,” I told him breathlessly.

Oh, my God.This was actually going to happen. I could hardly contain myself.

He went to kick his pants off when the sound of eager knocks broke through the moment. He paused and pulled away.

“No,” I whispered. “Don’t answer.”

“Hey dick-face!” Rome shouted from outside the suite, instantly making me sag into the mattress in defeat. “We’re going out for dinner. You said you were coming, don’t flake out now. Come on, man.”

I glared at Carter. “You promised to go out for dinner?”

He exhaled loudly and shrugged. “Fuckin’ Marlena offered me cookies, a fresh batch of them, Leah, and then I had one and she was being all sweet and shit, inviting us for dinner. What kind of sick fuck says no to going out for dinner after accepting hot cookies on a tray from the sweetest woman ever?”

I cracked a smile, only because I couldn’t help thinking of broody Carter getting all flustered because of sweet-as-pie Marlena. “It’s alright, I guess. It’s just pretty late for dinner, that’s all. I had a pizza pocket a half hour ago, and it’s almost eight o’clock now.”

“You don’t have to eat big.”

“I know.”

He looked at me apologetically and got off, his pained eyes taking me in once more. When he strode out of the bedroom, re-adjusting his man-bits, he tossed back over his shoulder, “Wear something nice.”

I froze, confused.

Since when had he ever told me to wear something nice?

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