by Jaci Burton
"I have a crimper."
He frowned.
"It's a girl thing."
"I'll leave it at that and just say you look amazing."
"Thanks." She took a sip of wine and looked around. "Your party is really something, Carter."
He nodded. "We got a good turnout this year, since Halloween is on a weekend. I'm happy people showed up. And everyone seems to be having a good time."
They definitely were. Though it was cold out, Carter had put heaters in the backyard, so some folks had spilled out onto the patio, no doubt buoyed by alcohol and the heaters. There were a lot of people in the living room dancing to the music, and some in quiet corners talking. With the added open space, there was a lot of room, which was a good thing because Molly had lost count of the number of folks who'd tumbled through the front door once it had gotten late enough that the kids had stopped coming.
Around midnight, the party started to wind down and people began to leave. While Carter was busy saying good night to everyone, and Will, Evan, and Luke made sure everyone was sober enough to drive home okay, Molly picked up random plates and cups and put away whatever food was left over, then did some dishes.
That's where Carter found her a little while later.
"Hey, you should leave that stuff in the sink. I can take care of it tomorrow."
She laid a plate in the rack, then grabbed a towel to dry her hands. "There were only a few things. And besides, it's all done."
"Thanks."
"No problem." She looked around. "Has everyone left?"
"Yeah. Will and Luke were the last to leave. We had a couple of guys they thought seemed a little unsteady, so they're driving them home."
"That's nice of them."
"Yeah. I turned off all the lights and the garage door is shut, so we're locked in for the night."
She offered up a smile. "Is that right?"
"Yeah." He lifted his arms over his head and gave her his best monster growl.
She laughed. "Now I'm really scared."
"As you should be. You're all alone with the monster now."
"Don't forget, so are you. And speaking of that, I'll be right back."
She went into his bedroom and shut the door, then shimmied out of the white toga she'd worn.
That had been her costume for everyone else. Next up was one for Carter's eyes only.
She grinned and headed into the bathroom.
Chapter 21
CARTER GRABBED A beer, then poured a glass of wine for Molly.
"Carter?"
When he heard her call his name, he headed down the hall toward the bedroom. The door was ajar, so he pushed it open, then nearly swallowed his tongue.
Molly stood next to the bed. She'd removed the white toga costume. Now all she had on was a white one-piece corset, red stiletto heels, and white thigh-high stockings.
His dick got hard in an instant.
"Holy shit, Molly."
Her lips curved in a sexy smile. "This is my other costume."
He tried to swallow. It didn't work. His throat had gone dry. "That's some costume."
"So . . . you like it."
"I like it so much that if I'd known you had it on underneath that sheet, I'd have sent everyone home hours ago." He came into the room, took a long swallow of his beer to cool his parched throat, then set the drinks down on the table by the window. "Seriously, Molly, you take my breath away."
"That was what I was hoping for. We haven't had much alone time since that night we spent together. I didn't want you to think it was a one-time thing. I didn't think it was."
He swept his fingers up her arm. "Neither did I. I've been thinking about you a lot."
She lifted her gaze to his, and, as always, her eyes mesmerized him. "Have you?"
"Yeah. And just so you know, I'd have tried to seduce you tonight, even in that baggy white sheet you were wearing earlier."
She lifted her hand to his face, using her thumb to tease his lower lip. "Good to know. But isn't this so much better?"
He was so hard right now he was afraid he might bust open the seam of his tight Frankenstein pants. Just looking at her--that white corset making her breasts threaten to spill right out, her hair flowing over her shoulders, her legs--oh, man she had great legs--and those shoes.
He pulled his wig off and dragged his fingers through his hair.
"I should go take a shower and get this green makeup off my face."
"And leave me standing here? I don't think so."
"You really want to . . . be with me looking like this?"
Her lips curved. "Maybe I have a thing for movie monsters."
"Kinky." He grasped her wrist and kissed it, then pulled her arm around his neck, drawing her body closer to his so he could touch her skin and that sexy white thing that encased her curves.
"I like the way you feel against me," he said, sifting his fingers through her wildly curling hair.
"But my hair is graying. Will you still want me when I'm old and gray?"
She was teasing him, but he wasn't in the mood for jokes right now. Not when she was half naked and pressed against him. "Yes. Hell yes."
He tunneled his fingers in her hair and pressed his lips to hers. Her answering whimper made him groan, made him want to strip her out of that flimsy, sexy thing and slide inside her, so the pounding ache in his balls would go away.
But oh, he liked the feel of her when he ran his hand down her back. There were strings back there. How the hell did she get dressed in this?
He made a mental note to ask her later, because right now her lips moved under his, her tongue flicked against his, and he picked her up and carried her to his bed, sitting her down on the edge.
He crouched down and slid his hands up her silk-clad legs. "These are nice."
She smiled down at him. "You like them?"
"Yeah. The shoes, too." He lifted her leg. "How can you walk in these things?"
"Did you see me doing any actual walking in them?"
He laughed. "No." He slipped one shoe off, then the other. "But they're hot as hell."
"I thought so, too."
He took her hands and pulled her up, then turned her around so her back was to him. "I like these laces in the back."
He started undoing them. "But honestly, Molly. I'm going to have to get you out of this thing, because I want to touch your skin."
She inhaled, let out a breath. "That would be nice."
Every touch of Carter's hands along her back was sweet torment. And he took his time undoing the laces, which she'd had to embarrass herself and ask her sister to do up for her while she was getting dressed at her parents' house. Which meant Emma had known what she was planning, but once she'd bought the corset, there was no other way, because she couldn't get into the thing without help.
Or out of it, for that matter.
Emma had been nice enough not to say a word, other than give her a secret smile in the bathroom mirror as she'd laced her up. She owed her sister--big time.
And now, as Carter oh-so-delicately and oh-so-slowly undid the laces, she bit down on her lower lip. She'd had no idea that someone getting her out of this corset could be such a sensual thing, but his knuckles caressed her back, and his breath sailed across her neck and there was his erection she knew he deliberately brushed against her butt, making her incredibly aware that this was taking way too damn long.
Until he separated the back of the corset and turned her around to face him.
"While I like this--a lot--that was some damn torture, Moll."
"For me, too."
He looked down, his fingers grazing the swell of her breasts. "Did it hurt?"
"That's not exactly what I meant."
He lifted his gaze to her face. "What did you mean, then?"
"That while you were back there undoing the laces, I was kind of hoping you'd hurry up."
He pulled the corset from her, tossing it to the chair, then cupped her breasts in his hands, using his thumbs to draw circles
around her nipples. "Are you on a timetable, Molly? Do you have a curfew?"
She cocked her head to the side and shot him a look. "No. And you know what I mean."
"I'm sorry. You're right. I was thinking when I first saw you that I wanted you naked and underneath me in an instant, so yeah, I get the impatience, believe me. But we have all night, right?"
"Yes, we do."
"Good. Because I want to take my time so I can put my mouth and my hands on every inch of your body."
If he kept talking to her--and touching her--this way, she was going to explode. She supposed that was the end game, but he was stretching her patience to the limits, especially when he knelt down and peeled her stockings off, every movement way too slow to her liking. Still, she appreciated the way he skimmed his fingers over her calves and back up her legs, pausing to kiss her thighs.
Her breath held, especially when he nudged her legs apart and kissed her inner thighs.
She felt those bolts on his neck slide along her legs, lifted her head . . .
And saw a green Frankenstein face. She expected him to make some kind of grr noise.
She burst out laughing.
Carter jerked his head up.
"What?"
"I'm sorry," she said between fits of laughter. "But Frankenstein is going down on me."
He cocked a brow, jerked on the bolts glued to his neck, pulling them off. "I told you."
"I know you did. I just didn't expect . . ." She laughed again.
He stood. "Don't. Move. I'll be right back." He headed toward the bathroom, then stopped, turned to her and pointed. "And don't start without me."
That made her laugh even harder. She rolled onto her side. "I promise to let you do all the work."
She heard the water turn on, then it hit her that she could stand to rinse the white stripes of temporary hair dye out of her own hair and the fake blood off her neck. On the plus side, she'd been dying to try out Carter's oversized shower.
She grinned and pushed the bathroom door open, letting the warm steam envelope her, then opened the shower door.
Carter's back was to her, and she admired the muscle she saw there. He turned to face her.
"Much better," she said, looking at his clean face as she shut the shower door behind her.
"Decided on a shower, or did you just miss me?" he asked, moving out of her way so she could stand under the jets.
"Both." She let the spray wet her hair, then reached for the shampoo bottle. "Plus, if you were going to wash the monster away, I probably should, too."
"Babe, there was nothing monstrous about you. You just looked full-on sex bomb."
She couldn't resist grinning as she shampooed her hair. "Well. Thanks for that compliment. But you know, I'm already in your shower, naked, so you don't have to throw them my way."
"Just stating the truth."
After she rinsed her hair and used some conditioner, he grabbed body wash and poured it into his hands, then soaped her up from her shoulders down to her toes, which felt amazing, especially since he once again took his time touching her body, lingering at her breasts and between her legs, turning her into a quivering pile of turned-on woman. By the time she rinsed, she tingled all over. The pulsing jets and the warm steamy water only added to the sensual allure of being in the shower with him.
Plus, she had to admit, she liked having warm, wet, naked Carter all to herself. His hair stuck up in spikes, his eyes looked a more clear green, and his erection hadn't abated since the moment she'd stepped into the shower with him, a fact she took quite personally in the best possible way.
When he slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to kiss her, she moaned against him, needing to feel his body against hers. She wrapped her hand around the nape of his neck, glad to be rid of the makeup and costumes and just feel naked flesh against naked flesh.
And when he cupped her breast and teased her nipple, she sucked on his tongue, urging him on. His cock slid between her legs and if it weren't for the fact they didn't have a condom in the shower, he could be inside her right now, assuaging the ache that beat an incessant rhythm deep in her core.
But soon his hand was there, massaging her, his fingers sliding inside as his thumb found her clit and rubbed back and forth.
"Carter," she murmured against his lips, lost in the rippling sensations of his magic fingers.
"Yeah. Now where was I earlier before that monster reared its ugly head?"
He dropped to his knees, and she took in a deep breath, watching as he spread her legs and put his mouth on her sex.
Delicious sensations rippled through her as his tongue glided over her. She was swollen with need and desire, and he mastered her body until all she could do was tremble and moan.
She was so close to the edge, so primed for his touch, the passionate glide of his lips and tongue over her body, that her climax hit hard, making her entire body shudder in response.
He gripped her hips as she rode out her orgasm, then pressed gentle kisses to her thighs as she settled.
He stood, his mouth taking hers in a deep, passionate kiss that primed her passion all over again. Then she looked into his eyes, smiled at him, and dropped to her knees, wanting to give him the same mind-blowing pleasure he'd just given her.
Carter palmed the walls of the shower, unable to believe this dark-haired goddess was on her knees in front of him. He hadn't expected this from Molly--that she'd be so responsive to his touch, so sexy, so eager to be with him. He wasn't about to question why, he was just damn happy to be with her.
As she took his length between her lips, he thought he might have died and gone to heaven. Or maybe it was hell, because her lips and tongue were torture. He gritted his teeth and held on while she engulfed him, sucking him deep until he knew for certain he wouldn't last long--not when all he'd thought about all night was being alone with her, getting her naked and making love to her.
"Molly," he said, "You're going to make me come."
She hummed, a low, throaty sound along the length of his cock, and he lost it, erupting in deep waves as his orgasm catapulted from him, leaving him shaken. When he could function again, he lifted her off the floor and took her mouth, his fingers diving into her scalp to hold her as he kissed her deeply.
She raked her nails down his shoulders and arms, her passion getting him hard again.
He turned off the shower and stepped out, grabbing a towel for her. She dried off her hair in a hurry, then cast the towel aside, grasping his hands and pulling him toward the bedroom.
Yeah, he wanted that, too, more than he could put into words.
She fell onto the bed, and he grabbed a condom from the nightstand, put it on, then rolled next to her.
She pushed him onto his back and climbed on top of him, her hair loose, wet waves falling over her shoulders and breasts as she slid down over his cock.
He'd never seen anything more beautiful--or hotter. Molly, riding him, her breasts thrust out, her nails digging into his chest, her top teeth biting down on her bottom lip, lost in her own pleasure.
He gripped her hips and thrust into her, and she looked down at him, glassy-eyed, lost in her own desire.
"Take us there," he said, giving her control.
She cast a deep dark smile down at him, then rode right into orgasm. When she tightened around him and moaned with her release, he went with her, driving deep and shuddering as he let go.
She fell against his chest, her heart pumping fast and hard against his. He stroked her back, content to hear the sound of her breathing for a few minutes as they both settled. He wanted to hold her here like this, both of them suspended in that moment of contentment, where there was no conflict, no issues, no past or no future. Nothing to do but just . . . be.
When she finally sat up again, she smiled at him, then slid off.
Yeah. Reality.
He left to attend to the condom, then came back, turned off the light, and pulled the covers over them.
&nbs
p; "Can you stay tonight?" he asked.
She hesitated for a few seconds, and he wondered if she wanted to leave.
"Yes. I'd like that."
Now it was his turn to smile. "Me, too."
He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around Molly. Maybe this was just a "right now" relationship for them. Maybe they had no future together other than just the moments they could carve out together, but dammit, when they did, they were great moments.
And tonight, she was here, in his bed, wrapped around him.
For now, that was good enough.
Chapter 22
AFTER A VISIT to the doctor this morning, Molly's mother was comfortably set up in the living room on the sofa, her leg propped on the recliner.
Molly made them quesadillas for lunch, then did puzzles with her until she said she was tired and wanted to nap. She brought her a blanket and pillow and Pokey settled in next to Mom on the sofa, the two of them snoozing comfortably together while Molly did dishes and worked on some of the paperwork for tonight's committee meeting.
She wasn't sure if she was more excited about getting an update on the progress of the town square, or hanging out with Carter, who she hadn't seen in several days. She'd been busy with a slate of doctor visits for her mom, and he'd been in Tulsa at several of his shops dealing with some personnel and inventory issues. He'd called and texted her every day though, giving her a rundown of his day, asking about hers, and always making sure to inquire about her mom.
After she finished the dishes, Molly peeked in on her mom, who was still napping. That gave Molly time to finish perusing the paperwork, making sure to note some items she wanted to bring up on the agenda tonight. Then she started chopping vegetables for the stew she intended to cook for dinner. By the time her dad came home from work, her mom was awake, so he helped her into the shower and then her pajamas.
Molly served dinner, and they visited about the morning's doctor's visit.
"The doctor thinks I'm healing very well," her mom said.
Her dad looked over at Molly. "It's true. He went over reports from the therapists and the nurses. She's a model patient, recovery wise, even though she's cranky about having to stay home."
"You would be, too, if you had to stare at the living room walls every day."
Her dad squeezed her hand. "It's not forever, Georgia."
"No, it's not. The doctor promised he'd do an X ray next week. If the bones in my leg look good, he said he'd fit me with a walking cast, and we can start walking therapy."
