Page 49 of Beauty Beneath the Sorrow
It was Carter.Oh my god.A wave of panic moves through me. Itreallywas him.
I whip my head to face him, frozen in place and clutching two cups, my eyes bore into his. He doesn’t even flinch.
“Why do you have two drinks?” Bailey is at my side.
“We both brought her one.” Max chuckles, oblivious to what’s going on.
“Hi, Carter. We were wondering where you went,” she comments.
“I stepped out to make a quick phone call,” he says before turning back to me. His stare reaches all the way through me. It’s intense, intoxicating, and filled withownership.Carter slowlylicks his lips, making me twitch with desire. I’d love to run my own tongue over them again. “Do you want to dance?” he asks.
The simple thought of having him so close to me, feeling the warmth of his hand on my lower back while we move together, makes me dizzy.
I swallow hard. “Sure.”
He shoots me that gorgeously dangerous smile that makes my heartbeats quicken and my mind go blank. Then, he removes my drink from my hand and sits it on the table beside his.
Watching him move slowly, he extends his arm with his palm up. Blushing, I rest my hand in his, and he leads me away from my groups of friends.
“Lina?” Avery’s voice is distant behind me. She’s probably wondering where I’m going.
I let Carter lead me onto the dance floor, not caring about anything else around me. “Is this you trying to keep me away from my date?”
“I thought you said you didn’t bring a date?” he retorts.
“I guess I did.” I roll my eyes. “You know what I mean.”
Carter stops in the middle of the wooden dance floor. We’re surrounded by guests in black and white attire, most with matching masquerade masks. They float across the floor, moving slowly with the music. Carter holds my hand out and presses a gentle kiss on it before pulling me into him in one fluid motion.
My body is flush with his. It takes my breath away. Blushing and unsure where to focus my eyes, I nervously rest my head on his shoulder while my hand is securely clasped in his. Our movements are intentionally slow as we sway our bodies back and forth in an intimate and overpowering way. I feel himlean into me, and I lean back, almost like both of us getting something from each other—my heart pounds in my chest.
My mind is still spinning from what happened in the library. Coming down off a high, I feel my muscles still, uneasy and shaky.
With Carter’s height, I feel him significantly bend to rest his cheek on my head. “You’re mine right now.”
Every single fucking bone and muscle in my body melts into a pile at his feet.I’m his more than he knows.“You get me for this dance.”
The soft, echoed guitar and slow, heavy bass of “Infinity” by The XX echo through the floor under our feet.
“I’ll take whatever you’re willing to give, baby,” he says as his lips press a firm but possessive kiss on my temple. If I could bottle them and keep them forever, I would.
Bringing my hands up to hook around his neck, I capture his eyes with mine. “I don’t like when you call mebaby.”
The corner of Carter’s mouth quirks up into a sly smile that makes my panties drop every time he flashes me with it. “I know.”
“Then why do you continue to say it?” I challenge.
Carter’s hand on my lower back adds a firm pressure, pressing me against him. “Because everyone else calls youLina,and you’re not justLinato me.”
I let his words travel through my veins.This feels so good. He feels so good.I have no response, so I match his pressure with my core instead.
We move in silence until the song is over. When the music stops, I am sucked back into the reality of who he is and who I am. Pushing all these emotions and strange feelings aside, Istraighten my posture.
Carter and I release. Staring at each other for a brief moment, I’m the first to turn around and walk away. He’s quick behind me, maintaining an arm’s length distance. I’m picking up my pace and heading back to my group of friends.
“Going back to your date?” he baits me.
I cock my head to the side, lowering my eyes. “As a matter of fact, I am.”
