by Monica James
When I finally catch my breath, I realize I’m probably squashing her and attempt to move. But she tightens her hold. “Five more minutes,” she sleepily says, nuzzling into the crook of my neck.
Pressed against her, both sticky and spent and still rooted deep inside her, there is no place I’d rather be. So I cocoon my body around hers and get lost in the feeling of being united with Carrie because with a new year comes New Year’s resolutions, and for me, I will do anything to ensure this feeling never ends.
I came to Paris for romance, but I’ll be leaving with so much more.
I wake to the most delectable scent on my pillow and lips—strawberries and cream.
It takes me a moment, but as soon as I stretch and realize I’m very naked, the truth smashes into me—Carrie and I had sex, and it was fucking epic.
Rolling onto my side, I reach for Carrie, but my eyes pop open when the bed is cold beside me. Shooting up, I scan the room, wondering where she could be. The en suite door is open, hinting no one is inside.
“Dove?” I call out.
Silence.
Reaching for my cell off the bedside dresser, my fingers brush over a note propped up against the lamp. Without delay, I open it, and a wave of relief passes over me.
Gone to get breakfast. Didn’t have the heart to wake you. Be back soon.
Carrie xx
Those two innocent kisses remind me of the many not so virtuous kisses I laid all over her body.
Memories assault me, and I can’t help but reminisce about the way our bodies united as one. A perfect yin to yang. All the meaningless sex I’ve had in the past feels like a distant memory because I haven’t felt this way in a very long time. I feel happy.
I thought sleeping with endless women would help make the pain go away, but instead, each warm body I had lain with chipped away at the one thing I never thought I’d have again—hope. Carrie has given me hope from the first moment I met her, and now, I feel fucking invincible.
With that as my mindset, I strip back the blankets and decide to shower before she gets back. Yes, we had incredible sex, but now, the morning talk is inevitable. Last night meant something to me, and I’m pretty certain it meant something to Carrie. But I need to know what happens next.
I take a quick shower and dress in ripped jeans and a T-shirt, a casual choice as I’m not too sure what the day holds. It is New Year’s Day, after all. We should do something special to commemorate our new beginning.
A knock sounds at the door.
It’s a little too early for housekeeping, so it’s surely Carrie. Maybe she forgot her key. I know my brain is scrambled after last night’s strenuous activities.
Unable to wipe my smug smile clean, I saunter toward the door, opening it, all but ready to lay a thousand kisses all over Carrie’s beautiful face. But who stands before me has me wanting to render myself unconscious.
“Hello, Jayden.”
I blink twice because there is no fucking way she is here. But when she steps forward and attempts to hug me, I know this is real.
Dodging her advances, I recoil backward, fearful for my soul. “Liz? What the fuck are you doing here?” My sharpness still stuns her. “How’d you know where I was?”
Toying with her pearls, she attempts to play off my insolence. “Is that any way to say hello?”
“The only salutation I wish to give you is a goodbye.” I try to shut the door, but she wedges her heeled boot in the doorway.
“I’m not going anywhere, Jayden. Not until you listen to what I have to say.”
“I’ve heard enough,” I reply, still attempting to close the door, but she won’t budge.
“I will stay here for as long as it takes.”
“Well, you’ll be waiting a while then.” It’s a struggle, us both pushing—a true reflection of what our marriage was.
“I’m sure your little tart won’t appreciate your wife camping outside your door.”
“Ex-wife,” I correct, pushing harder on the door. But she has touched a nerve because she’s right. Carrie and I are in a good place, and Liz being here will just undo any progress we made.
“Not yet,” she counters, sensing my surrender as she fights harder to make her way inside.
A curious guest passes by, watching the strange tug-of-war. I give him a strained smile, but he walks by quickly, on his way, I’m sure, to tell security of the spectacle he witnessed. Not needing any more bad press, and wanting Liz gone before Carrie returns, I have no other choice but to give in.
Letting go of the door, Liz topples forward but saves herself from face planting when she grabs the doorjamb. Uncaring, I turn my back and make my way toward the bottle of scotch on the coffee table.
The door closes behind me, the noise akin to a prison door sealing my fate for good. I don’t bother turning but instead unscrew the bottle and take a large sip.
“Starting a little early,” Liz says, her judgmental voice grating on my nerves.
“What can I say? You drive a man to drink.” She exhales, but she has another thing coming if she thinks I’m going to make this easy for her.
“The least you can do is look at me.” Her hurt is apparent but so was mine when she cheated.
“I owe you nothing, Elizabeth,” I stubbornly counter, taking another drink.
The room falls silent.
“I want you back.”
Tipping my head toward the ceiling, I sigh as a frustrated groan leaves me. “No. For the millionth time, no. The answer will always be no. N.O. No.”
Here’s to hoping if I repeat myself, it’ll finally sink in. But that’s wishful thinking.
“I will do anything, Jayden.” She advances, gripping my arm and coaxing me to look at her. But the feel of her hands on me reminds me of the fact her hands have been on many others before.
Ripping from her grip, I spin violently, pinning her with a fierce glower. “No, you clearly won’t because the only thing I want is for you to leave me alone. Yet here you are. How did you know where I was?”
Her lower lip trembles. “I have my ways.”
I don’t even want to know what that means because I am done conversing. But it appears she’s only just begun.
“I miss you so much. I miss us. I can’t sleep. I can’t eat. I’m miserable without you.” Taking a closer look at her, I can’t deny she looks thinner, sicker, and her usual flawless appearance is marred with dark circles under her eyes. Her casual outfit of skinny jeans and a pink sweater is also not one I would expect to see her in. But knowing Liz, she’s done this with intent—to display her inner turmoil, she’s unable to dress like a prized poodle because she’s so heartbroken.
But I’m not fooled.
“Well, I’m miserable with you, so too bad. You need to move on.”
“Never,” she rebukes, tears stinging her eyes. A small part of me feels sorry for her, but I promptly quash that part. “I made a terrible mistake, one I will never forgive myself for. My therapist—”
I cut her off with a snicker. “Therapist? Since when do you see a shrink?”
“Since I fucked up the best thing that’s ever happened to me!” she exclaims, stunning me with her emotion. “Please, Jayden. I’m better. I’m sorry.” She advances again, hands interlocked, begging me to listen. “I will never forgive myself for what I did. I just wanted a baby…”
“Stop.” I thrust out my hand, shaking my head. “Enough.” Memories begin to pour into me of the day she tore out my heart, and I can’t take it anymore.
“It’s not an excuse, but it’s part of the reason I did it.”
“And what’s the other part?” I bitterly ask while she turns her cheek. “Eduardo wasn’t the first, was he?”
Her silence speaks volumes.
“And the other part is clearly because you’re selfish, and narcissistic, and no matter what I gave you, it was never enough.” I fill in the blanks while a tear falls down her cheek. “You fucking ruined me, Liz! You took everything, everything from
me. Not only did you shit on everything we had, but you also took away my will to write. My only savior was tainted by the memories of what you did.”
I clutch her upper arms, anger spewing from me. “So don’t you come here and tell me you’re sorry because you’re only sorry you got caught!”
“That’s not true,” she sobs. “I love you. They meant nothing to me. You’re the only man I’ve ever loved.”
She lunges forward, her lips headed for mine, but I draw back in disgust. “That makes it all the more worse.”
If she had feelings for any of them, then maybe, maybe, one day I could forgive her. But her cheating just because makes her betrayal worse.
Liz slumps onto the sofa with her head in her hands and cries while I once again just feel numb. She is the only woman who can provoke these feelings from me, and I want no more. “Get out,” I say, exhausted and so done with this conversation.
“What can I do? How can I make this right?” she asks, raising her eyes. I’ve never seen her more distraught than right now, but I think that’s because she’s finally realizing this is over for good.
“You can sign the divorce papers.”
Harsh, but true.
Her sniffles make me feel like an utter bastard because no matter what she did, I don’t like seeing her cry. But this needs to end. Now. I have other pressing matters to deal with, like Carrie.
“Jayden?” Carrie stands by the doorway, her confusion apparent. I don’t blame her. She’s just walked into hell.
The moment she hears Carrie’s voice, Liz looks over her shoulder slowly. The room drops to artic temperatures. “Are you the homewrecker? The whore trying to steal my husband.”
Carrie pales and tears sting her eyes. I lunge forward, enraged. “Leave. You are not welcome.”
Liz snickers, standing proudly. However, she has no intention of going anywhere. “Jayden will tire of you, little girl. Look at him…and look at you.” She scans Carrie up and down and laughs. “I can’t believe you’re the rebound. Shame on you, Jayden. I thought you’d at least attempt an upgrade. But it appears you’ve gone blind.”
Low blow and completely untrue.
Carrie storms forward, primed on ripping into Liz, but I beat her to it. “On the contrary, Liz. I was blind, blinded by your bullshit. But the moment I met Carrie was the first time in a long time my eyes were opened. I was simply sleepwalking through life, but Carrie has changed that. You may think she’s a rebound, but she’s so much more. You’re not even half the woman she is. Now, if you’d kindly leave. Otherwise, I will throw your arse out myself.”
Liz stands her ground, swallowing down her rage. “You will regret this.”
The only thing I regret is allowing her in. “I won’t ask again.”
Liz’s tears soon dry as she pulls back her shoulders, arrogantly. “Carrie…the name of my successor.” I suddenly get punched in the stomach, and I don’t know why. “Things just got interesting.”
Carrie grins, not at all intimated by Liz. She saunters forward, standing her ground. “Yes, they did. It was a pleasure meeting you. It’s put my mind at ease.”
“At ease?” Liz asks, pursing her lips.
“Yes, at ease,” she confirms with a confident nod. “I was worried I had some stiff competition. Looks like I was wrong.”
Liz’s eye twitches, but she keeps her cool. “I’ll be seeing you around.”
“Not if I can help it,” I reply, thankful to see the back of her and even more grateful when she walks out the door.
Carrie and I are quiet, both needing to digest what just happened. Even though Liz is gone, I have a sneaking suspicion that’s not the last we’ll be seeing of her. “Dove, I…”
But I don’t have a chance to finish because Carrie steals the air from my lungs when she presses her lips to mine. Although she catches me off guard, it doesn’t take me long to catch up to speed. There is a hint of aggression to her kiss, an almost ownership as she coils her fingers through my hair and pulls.
My cock instantly stirs.
We kiss like starved beasts, clawing and biting, and if she doesn’t stop pressing that delectable body into me, I won’t be held accountable for my actions.
“Thank you,” she says from around my mouth, suckling my bottom lip.
“Why are you thanking me? I should be the one thanking you for having such a glorious derrière,” I reply, slapping her on the arse playfully.
She yelps and propels forward with a giggle.
As much as I want to continue, we need to discuss what just happened. Pulling away is beyond blasphemous, but so is allowing Liz to taint this moment with Carrie. “Sorry about that.” There is no need for me to elaborate.
Carrie sighs, pressing a hand to my cheek. “You have nothing to be sorry for. How did she know you were here?”
I shrug. “I have no idea.”
“I can’t believe you were married to her. She’s horrible.”
“I can’t believe it either.” I shudder at the thought.
Carrie averts her eyes, weighing up what to say next. “Thank you for saying what you did.”
“I meant every word.” I know she’s referring to my rebound comment.
She smiles, and the sight is really just spectacular. However, what she says next takes my breath away in a whole different manner. “Liz coming here wasn’t a complete disaster.”
I curl my lip in confusion. “Care to explain? Because from where I stand, her coming here has just jinxed this room. I’m not above bringing out the sage.”
She laughs and explains. “I just meant she kind of forced us to have the awkward morning-after talk.”
My mouth forms an O because she is absolutely right. “Well, I suppose it’s not a total train wreck then.”
She tugs at her lip, clearly wanting to say something else. But she’s said enough.
Thumbing her bottom lip, I pull it free, and the hazel in her eyes turns a molten honey. “I suppose not,” she whispers, watching me closely.
A tremor passes through her, and I hum in response.
“Let’s get out of here,” I say, leaning forward and nudging her nose with mine.
“W-where?” Her falter has me wanting to beat my chest in pride. She feels this too.
“Let’s just go wherever the wind takes us. That’s how this all started, right?”
She nods, closing her eyes with a sigh when I press a gentle kiss to her cheek. “Yes,” she finally replies, which could be a response to my question as well as to what I’m doing to her body.
Detouring over to her throat, I kiss her throbbing pulse as she tips her head backward. Unable to help myself, I slip my hand between her legs and begin massaging her sex. She’s wearing thin yoga pants, so I can feel her wetness and heat.
What a smashing combination.
I increase the rhythm but pull back when she gets greedy and grinds down on my hand. “Jayden,” she groans, frustrated, while I chuckle.
“What, dove?” I can’t keep the smirk from my lips.
“Don’t dove me. Oh, god.” She whimpers when I bite her neck.
My cock is rock hard, but this isn’t about me. It’s about Carrie and evoking those breathy sighs over and over again. She spreads her legs and grips my wrist, demanding I stop fucking around, or maybe that’s exactly what she wants.
She controls the speed, and I’m more than happy to be her puppeteer. With two fingers, I stroke along her entrance before coming back up and circling over her center. She moans and slumps forward, burying herself in the crook of my neck.
I continue my delicious torment, feeling her body tighten. I could do this all day, but the need to touch her in the flesh overthrows me, and I slip my hand into her pants. Bypassing her underwear, I go straight for the kill and curse when I feel her succulent heat.
“Bloody hell,” I murmur when I insert two fingers into her.
She lets out a cry, riding my hand. “Stop talking. I’m going to come from your accent alone,” she pa
nts, driving her hips forward. “It drives me crazy.”
“Oh, dove. Don’t be saying things like that,” I counter, ensuring I talk more often from now on.
The sounds coming from her are beyond sexy, and I plan on eliciting them from her any chance I get. I sink in deep, savoring the connection because this isn’t just sex to me; it’s so much more. It’s always been so much more between us.
“I want you inside me,” she breathlessly confesses, attempting to unbuckle my belt with frantic fingers.
But this is all for her. This beautiful woman who has set my world on fire.
Dancing from her grip, I sever our connection, only to drop to my knees while tugging down her pants. A whoosh of air leaves her, then that turns to a sated moan when I bury my head between her legs.
I want her all over me—always.
Peering up at her, I grin. “Later.” Before the string of protests can leave her, I suckle at her aching clit. “Now it’s time to learn our ABCs.”
She half grunts in question, only for me to show her just what I mean.
With the tip of my tongue, I draw the letter A over her aching mound. “A,” I smugly state while her body quivers beneath me. “B.”
“Oh, my god…” she mewls, threading her fingers through my hair. “I can’t—”
But I interrupt her. “What do you know…that’s our next letter. C.” Just in case she’s forgotten what that letter looks like, I grip her upper thighs and arch upward, reminding her. “C is for cat.”
“Christ…” she adds, groaning and writhing against my tongue.
“Good girl,” I praise, rewarding her by sucking her… “Clit.”
“Crap,” she cries, thrashing against me. I honestly could do this all day.
“But the most important word of all,” I say, sweeping her entrance in one long lick, “is Carrie’s captivating cun…”
“Oh, my god!” she screams, riding my face. “I’m coming.”
Chasing her release, she bucks against me while I eat her out with a ferocious appetite. “Another one of my favorite words,” I grunt out between raspy breaths.
She whimpers, her orgasm guttural and raw. “Now…I know my…ABCs,” she pants, collapsing in a messy, beautiful heap.
