Fumbled Love

by Lila Rose

  I clenched my teeth together.

  “Kelly, I—”

  “Don’t say no, lover boy. You know how good we were betw—”

  I ended the call. I couldn’t hear anymore.

  A second later, I felt like kicking myself. What I should have done was have Carter hand over the phone to the bimbo Kelly and told her to go find someone else to play with. That Carter and I were working on something together. I was sure of it, and I refused to second guess what I felt and what I was sure Carter felt.

  Of course there were going to be times women threw themselves at Carter. He was stunning—absolutely the hottest man I knew. Women would try for him, but I had to trust he could put a stop to it when I wasn’t around.

  I had to trust.

  Trust in him and in us.

  I couldn’t see Carter falling for Kelly’s words and cheating… not that it was cheating when we hadn’t even talked about what we were. But I knew there was something between us, that damn woman needed to know also.

  Kicking my legs so the sheet flung off me, I let out an annoyed, frustrated grumble. I sat up and slapped the bed.

  A few moments earlier.

  Carter

  I was pumped. We’d won the game, which meant we’d go to the conference championship game. Whoever won next would play in the Super Bowl against the LA Ligers. Teammates cheered and patted each other around me. I’d just finished speaking with North when I turned and slipped off my jersey and pads, flinging them into my locker, then my phone rang.

  Grabbing it, I saw the caller ID and grinned.

  “Hey, Ree.”

  “Hi, I just wanted to congratulate you on another amazing game.” Reagan’s cheery voice came over the phone. It was a little hard to hear with all the noise around me, so I blocked my other ear.

  “Thanks, sweetheart.” God, I loved she wanted to reach out to me after the game. And all the times she’d been the first to call or text while I was away. It showed me she was ready for us to move to the next stage.

  When my teammate’s roared again, I said loudly, “Sorry.”

  “It’s fine. I’ll call you later,” she shouted, and I could tell she was smiling.

  “No, wait, I’ll go somewhere—” Fuck. Hockey players had puck bunnies. Football players had the same type of women who slunk around the lockers. Jersey chasers. Without thinking, I said into the phone, “Shit, who let them in here?” When some of the team saw the women enter the room, more roars sounded. They were pumped, and all the single guys would be looking forward to the attention. I was just goddamn annoyed someone let them in.

  “Carter Anthony, it’s been too long.” Kelly, someone I hooked up with a long time ago, sauntered over.

  Hell. I hoped Reagan didn’t hear her.

  “I’m on the phone,” I clipped harshly. I wasn’t in the mood for her or any other woman, except the one on the phone.

  “I’ll let you go,” Reagan muttered. She probably didn’t think I heard, but I did, and my gut clenched.

  “No,” I demanded into the phone, just as Kelly’s hand landed on my chest. I shook my head. “Come on, how about we have a special night like last time?”

  Fuck. Reagan would have heard that since Kelly was damn close, and I was trying to fight off her octopus hands from rubbing all over me.

  “Kelly, I—”

  “Don’t say no, lover boy. You know how good we were between the sheets.” She pouted.

  “Not interested,” I told her. “Reagan?” When I received no answer, I pulled the phone away and saw a blank screen.

  Shit. Crap. Christ. She’d hung up on me.

  God no. She could be thinking the worst.

  There was no way in hell I would touch Kelly with a ten-foot pole when I had Reagan waiting at home for me. Reagan with a light laugh, soft heart, with an unfiltered mouth, and with a rockin’ body. All for me.

  Kelly went to grab for me again. I backed up, pissed about the situation and about Reagan overhearing when she could jump to some messed up conclusion.

  “Look, Kelly, that was one time, and it’ll never happen again, I have a woman now.”

  Her brows shot up. “You do?”

  “Yeah, and she was just on the fucking phone overhearing what you said.”

  She winced. At least she felt bad for it.

  “Yo, Carter. We heading out?” North asked, walking up to my side. He glanced over at Kelly and ignored her.

  “I have to talk to Reagan ASAP.”

  “Why?” North drew out.

  “She overheard shit that wasn’t anything with Kelly.”

  “Oh crap.”

  Yep.

  But then my phone rang. Pulling it up, my eyes shot wide when I saw it was Reagan’s number flashing across the screen.

  I glanced at North. “It’s her.”

  “Well, answer it, brother.” He turned and shouted, “Quiet it down, dickheads.” Things settled a little more.

  Nodding, I pressed the button and put it against my ear. “Reagan, I’d never—”

  “Can you put Kelly on the phone please?”

  “Reagan, I—”

  “Please, Carter. I promise to be nice if that helps?”

  “It wouldn’t bother me if you weren’t. I’d let you do anything, so here she is.” I held the phone out to a shocked Kelly. “She wants to talk to you.”

  My heart was ready to punch out of my chest the way it beat so hard, as if it wanted to hit me for the stupid incident in the first place. I should have shoved Kelly away as soon as I saw her and screamed, “I have a girlfriend.” But I didn’t, now all I could think about was Reagan wanting to tell Kelly she could have me.

  Shit, would she move me out of the house?

  Out of her life?

  Kelly gulped, and said, “Hello? ... Yes. … I understand. … I’m sorry you heard that. I didn’t know. … I just like coming to these things. … Maybe you’re right. I could do better. … Thank you. Yes… you too. … I’ll put him on now. Bye.” A smiling Kelly handed me back the phone. “She sounds wonderful, Carter. I’m glad.”

  Numbly, I nodded and watched Kelly walk off before North helped me put the phone back to my ear. “Reagan?”

  “Hi, everything’s fine now.”

  I opened my mouth, closed it, and opened it again to say, “What did you say to her?”

  There was a pause.

  She sucked in a breath and said, “I told her that you and I could have something going. That I didn’t appreciate hearing what I did when I’m so far away, and then I mentioned she could do so much better than hanging around in locker rooms for guys to hook up with.”

  That woman.

  My woman.

  She surprised me all the time.

  “You’re amazing,” I said, my voice suddenly thick with emotion. I wanted to tell her exactly how I felt. I didn’t care that even though it had been a little less than two months, I was completely in love with Reagan Wild. But I couldn’t say it over the phone.

  Jesus, I wished I was home, so I could show her and tell her just how special she was to me.

  I heard her giggle. “I try.”

  “You don’t need to try, sweetheart. It’s just you.”

  North stood beside me grinning from ear to ear. I shoved him away and mouthed, “Five.” He nodded, and I moved to a quieter corner.

  “You didn’t mind I called and spoke to her?”

  “No way. Jesus, I was scared you’d jump to the wrong conclusions. Having you call back to sort it out was better than winning the game tonight.”

  She snorted.

  “Ree, I mean it. I felt sick when you overheard—”

  “We all have a past, Carter.”

  “We do, thank you for understanding.”

  “I…”

  “Sweetheart?”

  She cleared her throat. “I didn’t like hearing what she said, but what I wanted most was her to back off from you and understand you’re out of… um…”

  “Out of what
?”

  I needed to hear her say it.

  “The dating game. I mean, that’s if I read what you wanted to talk about before you left right. I could be wrong and getting ahead of myself since we haven’t actually talked, but—” She let out a cute little growl. “I didn’t like the thought of her being there with you when I wanted to be there for you to, uh, yeah, congratulate you.”

  “Baby,” I muttered into the phone and tried to dampen down my huge-ass smile. “You read the situation right back at home. We haven’t talked, but that’s where I’d like for us to go. Dating. You willing?”

  “Yes,” she admitted quietly and kind of breathlessly.

  “Damn, I wish I was home about now.”

  “So do I.”

  Fuck it. My mind was made up. In a few days, I had a free day of nothing. I had to see her. Hold her and kiss her.

  I had to go home, even if it was just for the day.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Reagan

  Mom had conned me into taking a sick day since it was her birthday coming up, and she wanted to have a girls’ day that involved facials, nails, and massages. Of course, I was more than happy to help her out, and when I rang Tom and told him the truth, all he mumbled was, “Enjoy. Your dad’s covering your classes.” It was strange, but I shrugged it off since I was getting the day off. And what made it even better was that at least I knew my students wouldn’t be bored.

  I was watching some morning show and waiting for Mom to arrive to pick me up. I glanced at the time and noticed she was late, which wasn’t like her. Picking up my phone from the coffee table, intending to call her, I got distracted by a text from Carter.

  Carter: Morning, sweetheart. Hope you have a good day.

  Me: Morning, I should. I’m going to a spa with Mom for her early birthday gift to herself. Hope you’re not too busy today.

  I waited for a response, but it didn’t come. Not even from one of his friends to say he was busy. Since it was morning, they could be in the gym or a meeting together. He’d get back to me when he could. Smiling, I went into my stored numbers and brought up Mom’s. As I was just about to hit Call, the front door opened.

  “Hey, Mom. I was just about to call you,” I said, standing from the couch.

  Only it wasn’t Mom who came around the corner.

  My pulse shot with adrenaline as my heart took off beating wildly.

  “You’re not my mom,” I stated like a weirdo.

  He smiled. “No, I’m not.” His feet ate up the distance to me.

  Overwhelmed, I couldn’t contain myself. I squealed and jumped at him. Only he wasn’t prepared for it.

  We tumbled down, landing on the couch, and with Carter on top, with his hand on my breast. He looked down to his hand and then back up slowly. “Sorry,” he said, but didn’t remove it.

  It was hard, since he was on top of me, but I shrugged, smiling. Giddily happy to see him, to have him so close. I wrapped my arms around his neck. “You’ve already touched my butt, why not my boob?”

  His grin was wicked and bright. “Best day of my life helping you out with your panties.”

  I laughed. “How can you say that?”

  “Because…” He licked his lips, his grip tightening around my breast. He glanced down again, as if lost from the action. “Jesus,” he cursed under his breath.

  “What?” I asked breathlessly.

  “Ree.” He closed his eyes and then when he opened them, I saw the desire swirling. “It was the best day because you came into my life and I got to touch your butt.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes.”

  “Carter?”

  “Reagan?”

  “Do you like me?” I raised my brows teasingly.

  He chuckled, but then sobered and shook his head. “No.”

  “No?” I parroted. My heart seemed to stutter and stop beating.

  Another shake of his head. “I don’t like you. I could never just like you. Everything you do and everything you say does things to me. Great things. So I don’t just like you. I love you.”

  My breath hitched. Tears welled.

  He loved me.

  Me!

  Carter Anthony loved me.

  Wow.

  “Reagan, say something.”

  “Your hand is still on my boob.”

  He smirked, and glanced down and then up. “Yes. Is that a problem?”

  “No.”

  “No?”

  “No. I was just wondering when the man I love was going to kiss me.”

  “Christ.” He closed his eyes. His forehead came down on mine. “You love me?”

  “Yes, ah, I mean, I do, but only if you kiss me before I self-combust.”

  His eyes came open. Then he pulled back enough so I could see his grin. “I can’t have that, now, can I?”

  “No. Definitely not.”

  “Then I’d better kiss you.”

  “Please.” I nodded.

  Still grinning, he leaned in and gently touched his lips to mine, before pulling back. I grumbled under my breath, causing Carter to chuckle. “Still okay for this?”

  “Yes,” I hissed.

  “You know what it means though?”

  “What?” I asked his mouth.

  “You belong to me.”

  I hummed under my breath in contentment at those words. “But you also know it means you belong to me.”

  “Christ, yes,” he got out before he slanted his mouth over mine. I moaned. I couldn’t help it or stop it. I’d wished and thought of this moment for so long. I gripped the back of his neck, and his hand tightened around my breast, ripping another moan from within me.

  We deepened the kiss, opening for one another. For our first taste of each other, I liked it a lot. His warm, wet mouth tasted of coffee as his tongue tangled with mine.

  Yet, I still needed him closer. My legs separated as he moved between them. Our bodies lined up with one another, yet he kept a lot of his weight off me with the hand that wasn’t caressing my breast.

  When I ran my hands down his back, his muscles twitched under my touch, and his kiss turned demanding. I snuck a hand up his tee, circling my fingers over his smooth, heated skin. I wanted to feel more, see more.

  I also needed to…. His hips jutted forward when I gripped his tight butt in both hands, a growled-out groan spilling from his mouth into mine. Another grip, and another thrust into me… into the right spot. I had to tear my mouth from his for breath and to whimper from the pleasure.

  Trailing his lips down my cheek, my neck, to my shoulder, he then bit.

  “Carter,” I breathed, and greedily I slipped a hand into his jeans. Only he froze. His hand left my breast and the massaging I was enjoying stopped. He then grabbed my wrist and pulled my hand free. He brought it to the front of him and kissed my wrist.

  “W-what?”

  He groaned as if in pain, resting his forehead against mine. “Sweetheart, I didn’t come home just for a quick roll in the sheets. I had to see you, kiss you, and make you understand I’m all in for this between us. I want no one but you.” He pressed his lips against my cheek and ran his tongue down to my ear. “Besides, once I get inside you, I’ll not want to leave, and I have to fly back tonight. I want to take my time, cherish each and every part of you. I don’t want a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am moment. I’d like it to be special, because you are to me.”

  Holy wow.

  He just said that.

  My heart frantically tried to beat out of my chest to get to him.

  I opened my mouth, snapped it closed and then opened it again. “You flew home just to kiss me?”

  Smiling, he sat up on the end of the couch and to my shock, picked me up and planted me on his lap. “Yes. And to make sure you knew I was in love with you.”

  I sniffed. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

  He kissed my neck. “I’m glad.”

  Still, I couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed. Carter wou
ld go after kissing me, leaving me wanting more.

  “I know,” he said as if reading my mind, cupping my face. “I should have waited until I was back fully, but I couldn’t. I acted before I thought and booked a ticket because all I wanted to do was have you in my arms. But now I feel like a dick because now we know where we stand with each other, yet I’m just leaving again at the end.”

  His words rolled around in my head. Honestly, I couldn’t be too annoyed. He’d done it to see me, to make sure I understood he loved me.

  Smiling, I shrugged. “What’s a week between us when we have so much more time together coming up.”

  He grinned, kissed my nose and said, “I’m glad you see it like that.”

  “But…” I ran my hands up his chest. “Does that mean we can’t fool around a bit?”

  His eyes lit with heat. “No. I don’t suppose it does.” Then he smirked and slowly drew me closer to have our lips just touch. Against them he said, “I always wished we’d be here, in this spot, with you up against me. I guess wishes do come true.”

  “They do,” I whispered.

  He closed his eyes. Mine followed suit, and we kissed. It was heavy, hot, and so damn amazing.

  Who’d have thought I would have the guy I crushed on in high school in my house, in my arms, and kissing me like I was treasured. If anyone would have told me Carter was my future, I would have laughed my ass off, but there it was.

  I curled my hands into his hair and slanted my mouth against his more. His hardness pulsed between my thighs as he dragged me closer, so our groins connected. I whimpered. He groaned.

  Breathless, I broke the kiss. “I never thought having you would be possible. I didn’t think….” I thinned my lips, cursing my running mind and mouth.

  “Didn’t think what?”

  Blushing, I buried my head into his neck. His hand slid around me to cup my butt. He jostled me. “Didn’t think what, Ree?”

  “That you liked bigger girls like me.”

  He groaned, but it wasn’t in pleasure. His hand threaded through my hair and gently, he tugged. I pulled back so he could have my eyes. “I was a douche. The biggest idiot back in high school. Do you remember when I told you I remembered you?”