Page 77 of Crossbones
Carter nudges me. “Well, you’re pretty good at coaxing them out of people. Old Man Halloway was so close tonight!”
We do a few more shots but my mind is firmly on my pirate captain. Harrison has come in a few times to speak to him and share a drink or two, but for the most part, he’s sat at the bar glaring in my direction. I’ve barelypaid attention to Carter. I’m being pulled a different direction and as the night winds down, I realize the truth—I’m obsessed and there’s no going back.
“Want to get out of here?” Carter asks, his eyes twinkling suggestively.
I nod, but I know what I need to do. It’s time to have the talk.
I let him pull me towards the back, the exit we always use, but I stop him in the hallway.
“Carter—” He sees the look on my face and the smile evaporates.
He nods with a sigh. “It’s him, isn’t it?”
I rub my jaw and huff a laugh. “Is it that obvious?”
Carter smiles at me sadly. “Yeah—you have it bad, mate. Not to mention he hasn’t taken his eyes off you this entire evening.”
“I’m sorry—”
Carter holds up his hand. “Don’t apologize.”
He steps into me, putting a hand on my jaw. “You’ll always be special to me, Cas. We had a lot of fun times and I’ll treasure all of them. But I think I always knew you were never mine to keep, as much as I may have hoped for that—” He shakes his head and gives me a dry smile. “Deep down I knew you were always destined to chase something wilder than me.”
He presses a chaste kiss to my lips. It’s nothing more than a peck really but I feel a hand wrap around my arm and I’m ripped away. I know it’s Blackwell before I see him. I look over my shoulder to see Carter with a surprised look on his face but it quickly turns into a grin. He shakes his head and gives me a little wave before he disappears from view, as Blackwell drags me out the back door and into the alley.
Blackwell releases my arm but he’s still crowding me. I’m wrapped in his presence and his scent, and I physically have to stop myself from leaning into him and inhaling. His chest is rising and falling rapidly, his eyes spark with anger and something deeper. He steps away with a growl of irritation and runs a hand over his face.
“What was that?” He turns to me, thrusting a hand back at the door leading into the tavern.
I fold my arms across my chest and lean back against the wall, regarding him calmly.
“What do you mean?”
“You were kissing another man—”
“That’s what people do sometimes; kiss people they like,” I say sarcastically.
Blackwell steps towards me but he’s still just out of reach.
“You’ve fucked him before haven’t you.” It’s not a question, but I answer anyway.
“Aye, many times actually.”
Now I’m just being bratty but I can’t seem to stop. I’m enjoying the look of possessive anger on his face too much. That, and the internal struggle he’s obviously having right now about whether or not he has any ground to stand on in staking his claim on me. I’m not about to make it easy on him, of course.
“Were you going to tonight?” He’s practically boiling over with barely contained rage.
I tilt my head at him, trying not to let my amusement shine through too heavily, but I can’t resist the small smirk that tugs at my lips.
“What’s it to you?” I ask. “I thought you didn’t know how to do this? Why does it matter if I’m with other people?”
That seems to frustrate him more because he simply stares, his jaw twitches in irritation.
I shrug. “At least Carter knows what he wants.”
That snaps him out of it. Blackwell’s hand curls around my throat as his body presses against mine.
“Carter can go fuck himself from now on,” he breathes.
