Page 56 of Beauty Beneath the Sorrow
“He’s always trying to get me to meet his new girlfriends, and not that I don’t want to, but I’d rather spend the time getting to know him. Ya, know?”
“For sure. He’s probably trying to navigate a new normal like you are.”
“I think he feels like he has to spoil me to get me to love him. It’s like he’s trying to make up for lost time by buying me things.” I shrug my shoulders and cross one leg over the other. “And that’s not what I need. It’s important to me to get to know my dad and to have him in my life, I’m just unsure of what that looks like.”
“It’s such a delicate situation. He’ll never have that father-daughter relationship with you like he would have had if he had raised you, but what you guys have now can still be good.”
I nod. “Exactly. I’m trying to get him to realize that—”
“Hello.”
I hear an unfamiliar voice interrupt me. From over the side of my shoulder, I see a good-looking blonde guy with ice-blue eyes and bright white teeth.
“Hi,” I return, unsure.
“My name is Blake. Can my friend and I join you two beautiful ladies?” he asks, wafting a subtle scent of whiskey into my nose.
Avery opens her mouth to speak, but I talk first. Leaning back, I stick my hand out between us to introduce myself. “I’m Lina, and this is my friend Avery. We are here with two other guys, but you’re welcome to join us.”
“Nice to meet you both,” he says, straightening. A taller guy in a plaid shirt and jeans walks around the side of the couch. “This is my friend, Craig.”
“Are you going to a rodeo in that shirt, Craig?” Avery taunts—or maybe she’s flirting? Her level of sarcasm makes it impossible to tell.
A devious smile slowly crawls across Craig’s face. “I call dibs on that one,” he says, gesturing toward Avery.Dibs on us?
“No one is callingdibson either one of us. We’re not looking for that type of night, guys. Sorry.”
Blake slides in next to me, coiling an arm around me while I scoot closer to my friend.
“Can I help you?” That rough voice shoots a bolt of electricity up my back, and I rise from my seat on reflex. Carter and Christian have rejoined us in the small lounge area.
Blake quickly puts his hand on his lap. “Are these ladies with you?”
Christian opens his mouth to speak, but Carter cuts him off.
“Yes. They are.” His tone is clipped and threatening.
Christian hands Avery her drink and then turns to them. “You’re more than welcome to stay and hang out—don’t try to hit on our friends,” he warns.
Craig cocks his head to the side. “We’ll leave.”
Blake turns and makes eye contact with me. “Can I give you my number—”
“No.” Carter’s face hardens.
Before I respond, Blake and his friend walk away, presumably to their table.Was that jealousy that I saw?I’m all about the sweet protectiveness of him, but I am my own woman and can answer for myself.
I turn, rise to my feet, and take two steps toward Carter,leaning in close to his ear. I grab my drink from his hand, then whisper, “That is not your decision.”
As I pull away and fall back onto the couch, I notice a smirk on Carter’s face.What the hell is so amusing?
Carter calmly sits in the spot next to me. He’s close enough that his legs are pushed against mine. They’re warm, causing my pussy to clench. I flash with the memory of the library and the feeling of his mouth tasting my insides. Bracing himself on the back of the couch, he twists over me, caging me in between his large arms.
I withdraw, mirroring his movements until my back is flush against the scratchy fabric.
He slowly brings his lips to the side of my face. His breath dusts all the way up to my earlobe. “I licked it, baby. It’s mine.”
I feel my eyes grow wide as my air is cut off.
