“It’s obvious Carter didn’t teach you how to play.” Tristan tossed his cards down and stood. “I have to get the food ready anyway. Good hand, Hailey.”
“Thanks.” She raked in the pile of chips she’d won from Ben and scooped up the rest of the piddly stack in front of Tristan’s now vacant seat.
“Your girl’s good.” Ben shuffled the deck and dealt two cards to the rest of them. “Ty, your ante.”
“No shit, Sherlock,” he grumbled. Apparently losing made the men grumpy.
Hailey peeked at her cards. A ten and an ace. Both clubs. Normally she’d take a new card, but she took a gamble and held on to these. Carter exchanged one, and Ben and Cameron kept what they had.
Two clubs and a heart showed on the flop. A jack, eight, and seven. Loud sighs went around the table. She could get lucky and pull a flush, or possibly a straight.
Looking at Cameron’s stack of chips, she matched it and raised.
“You’re putting me all in.”
“You could always fold.”
Cameron grumbled and pushed his short stack in. “Call.”
“Might as well get this over with and call as well.” Ty matched the bet, leaving him with four chips.
Carter licked his lips and stared at her from across the table.
“Hey. None of that.” Ben kicked Carter. “You two have secret signs or something?”
“Hell. If we did, I’d have more than the stack in front of me. What you got, sweetheart?”
“You’ll have to call or raise to see. Not sure if you have enough to raise.”
A collective oooh filled the air. “You know. Sometimes a guy’s gotta know when to fold ’em.” He flicked his cards back at Ben.
“I’m out as well.” Ben flipped the next card over.
A nine of spades. She got the straight but was holding out for the flush. “What do you have left, Ty?”
“Does it matter?” By the tone of his voice, she’d bet he didn’t have much.
“I’ll put you all in then.”
“For crying out loud.” He pushed the rest of his chips in. “What’s the river card, Ben? Not that it matters. I’ve got junk.”
“Then why the hell did you call her?” Carter laughed.
“Because she’s been bluffing all night.”
“Could be bluffing right now.” She tapped the top of her cards.
Ben flipped over the river. A queen of clubs.
“Ha! I’m still in.” Cameron turned over his cards. A king of clubs and a four of clubs. “I’ve gotta flush. King high.”
“Yup.” Ty flicked his cards to Ben.
“That’s a nice hand, Cameron.” Hailey turned her ten of clubs over.
“Yes!” He stood and leaned over the table for the chips.
“But I do believe an ace beats a king.” She turned her second card over and laughed louder than she should have when Cameron swore and slumped to his seat.
“That was beautiful.”
“We got hustled.” Ben gathered the cards and put them back in the box. “Rematch next weekend? Maybe make it a couples poker party?”
“Hope’s working.”
“I am too,” Tristan called from behind the bar.
“I’ll have to check with my parents to see if they can babysit,” Ty said.
“I have a wedding to shoot anyway,” Hailey said.
“We’ll plan something soon.” Ben gave Hailey a hug. “Thanks for coming by. Next time a little warning about your mad card skills would be nice.”
When they were outside by the ATV, Carter yanked her into his chest. “That was one of the sexiest things I’ve ever seen.”
“Sexy?” His idea and her idea of sexy were nowhere near the same playing field.
“Hell yeah.” He crushed his mouth over hers, his fingers digging into her back and pushing her into him so their bodies were tightly fitted together. “It doesn’t take much for you to turn me on, Hailey. And watching you in your element, so sure and confident, laughing and having a good time. Hell.”
He kissed her again, grinding his hardness into her.
She moaned as he took the kiss deeper, her fingers clutching at his shoulders. “Your place,” she gasped for air. “Let’s get naked at your place.”
“Sweetheart.” In one swift move he had her in the ATV. She’d barely had her seatbelt and helmet on before he was speeding down the road.
And they were only one foot through his front door when her shirt came off followed by his.
They didn’t make it to his bedroom.
But they did try out the strength of his kitchen table.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“So much for the foreplay,” Hailey said as she came out of his bathroom and joined Carter in the kitchen.
He loved how plump and well-kissed her lips looked. Her cheeks were still tinged pink from their quickie on his kitchen table. Damn, she had him in knots in a matter of seconds. “What are you talking about? The past hour playing poker was foreplay.”
“For you, maybe. I wasn’t turned on and hot and horny like you.”
Carter snorted and caged her in front of the fridge. “I believe you were the one to whip off your shirt before we were even inside.”
“Nuh huh.” She snaked her arms around his neck. “That was all you.”
“Not a chance, Newman.”
“Newman?” She scrunched her nose. “You’re calling me a guy?”
He didn’t mean for the endearment to slip. “Inside joke.”
“Do I get the inside scoop if I’m going to be the butt of it?” The corners of her lips turned down.
He kissed the tip of her nose and dropped his level of teasing down a notch and squeezed her butt. “It’s a compliment. Trust me. But you’re right. I didn’t spend nearly enough time exploring your body. Next time.” He punctuated his sentence with a kiss. “In my bed.” Another kiss. “One hundred percent naked.” This kiss was longer, his tongue tracing the seam between her lips. “You and me.”
“Okay,” she agreed easily.
The past few hours with Hailey had been a dream. From their ride up the mountain, to the unexpected lovemaking, and then poker. Hell, he’d never be able to play cards with her again without thinking of the hot sex they’d had on his kitchen table.
The foreplay was one sided, though; she was right about that. Hailey had been too caught up in the game to realize what her intense skills had done to him. He owed her big time.
He trailed kisses to the corner of her mouth and across her cheek, whispering in her ear. “Hungry?”
“Mm. You’re insatiable.”
“I meant for dinner. It’s already seven.”
“Really? It feels like it was just two o’clock.”
The afternoon had flown by, as had their time in Acadia Falls. She was a fun woman to be around and made him forget about everything else. Work, responsibilities, past girlfriends, his aversion to relationships.
Keeping his hands on her hips, he skirted them in a one-eighty so he could open the fridge. Still keeping hold of her, he peered inside. “I hadn’t planned on making dinner. I’ve got some yogurts, leftover chicken, a crisper full of apples and carrots. I’m sure I have some pasta in the cabinet and a jar of sauce.”
Hailey scrunched her nose. “You don’t have to make me dinner, but thank you for the thought.”
“We can go out.” He drew her hips into his and kissed her forehead. “Or order in.”
“Can you cook?”
“Some. Not much.”
“Well, I can. How about I go to the store and grab a few things?”
“How about we go to the store and grab a few things?”
“Don’t trust me?” She tweaked his sides.
“Don’t want to be without you.” He kissed her temple then reached behind her for his keys on the counter.
Whatever was happening between them was moving fast and slow at the same time. Carter could hardly believe he’d only met Hailey less than a month ago,
and it had only been two weeks since their mutual—at least he thought it was—interest in each other started.
He’d known women and dated them a hell of a lot longer than this, but never had they taken up so much real estate in his head. In his heart.
He drove Hailey to Boons, and he followed her up and down the short aisles. There wasn’t much variety, but Boons had the basics. A couple packages of chicken, some ground beef, and pork chops. Nothing fancy. With so many local farmers selling fresh meat, they didn’t bother stocking too much, knowing it would go to waste.
“Chicken thighs okay with you?” She put a package of four in her basket.
“I love me some thighs.” He ran his hand down her curvaceous ass and squeezed her thigh.
“I have a little more meat than these guys.”
“Perfect. I’ll have these for dessert.” He nibbled on the back of her neck, following her through the store like a dog in heat.
“Salad. What do you have for fresh vegetables at home?”
“Carrots?”
“Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers?”
“Doubt it. Not until my mom’s garden is in season. Then I have the mother lode. Pun intended.”
“Please tell me you don’t let all those fresh vegetables go to waste?”
“You’ve met my mother. She’d hide me if I did such a thing. When she brings me fresh food, I eat it.”
“And if she doesn’t, you go into bachelor mode and live off of pizza and takeout.”
“You say that like there’s something wrong.”
With an exaggerated sigh, she added vegetables to her basket. At the cash register, he nudged her aside and paid the tab, then took the bags and carried them to his truck.
“I could have paid for the groceries.”
“I know.” He kissed her before he closed her door and rounded the hood to his side.
“Let me guess. You’re the type of guy who doesn’t like the woman to drive or to pay.”
“Oh, sweetheart, you can drive me anywhere, anytime.”
“Can I now? So far I’ve only been on the bottom.”
Carter growled. She did it again, brought up sex while he was driving. Thankfully, the store was less than ten minutes away. He’d been trying to spice up the foreplay by kissing her in all those places she’d mentioned at the resort while still going slow.
He kept his touches light avoiding her breasts, although he did cave and grab her ass and her thighs. She’d set him up for that one. “When we get home, you’re going to let me cook with you, right?”
“With me? I thought you were going to cook for me. You know, that whole foreplay thing.”
“Yeah? A guy cooking for you turns you on?”
“No. You cooking for me turns me on. Especially if you cook naked.”
Carter covered his crotch with his free hand. “I don’t know about that. My ... stuff could get in the way. What if I burned it in the oven.”
Hailey barked out a laugh. “Are you planning on grinding with the oven? There’s no need for your stuff to be so close. I’ve seen it. It doesn’t hang that low.”
He heard the smile in her voice.
“Sweetheart.” He picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles. “When I’m around you, I’m never hanging low.”
Somehow, they made it back to his house and inside while keeping their clothes on. By the darkening in her eyes, he could see it wouldn’t take much to talk her into a field trip to his bedroom.
Instead, he controlled his urges, and opened up the package of chicken. “Any particular way you’d like this?”
“I’d like to see what kind of fancy recipes you have up your sleeve.” Hailey hopped up on the counter next to the sink and swung her legs.
As tempted as he was to move between them, he stayed on the other side of the sink and took down all the spices he had in his arsenal. “Garlic, onion, oregano, basil, and thyme. That good?”
“Sure.”
He seasoned the meat then washed his hands, purposefully nudging her thigh with his elbow. “I’m going to start the grill, and then I’ll make the salad. You stay here and look pretty.”
Carter found the lighter in the junk drawer and went outside to start the grill. Hailey was still sitting on the counter when he returned. This time he moved between her legs and placed his hands on the counter on either side of her hips.
“Can I get you something to drink? Water, orange juice, and milk is all I have.”
“Water is perfect.”
“You sure?”
“I seriously drink a gallon a day, and I haven’t had any in a few hours.”
Right. Because he brought her to a bar to play cards. Okay, not a bar, but close enough. She’d assured him she was fine being around alcohol, but he didn’t need to be a jerk about it.
“I could drink you up,” he said, not caring how cheesy he sounded. He skimmed his hand up her leg and torso, resting it lightly on her neck before tunneling his fingers through her hair. “All night long.”
He massaged her scalp lightly, tilting her head to the side, and leaning in so he was a fraction of an inch away from her neck. Carter grinned when she moaned and stretched her neck for him. Behind her, he opened the cabinet and took down two glasses, purposely blowing on her exposed skin, then stepped away.
“Jerk.” She kicked out her foot and missed him.
“Foreplay you want, foreplay you get.”
“Can you give me a heads-up about how long this one’s gonna last? We talking weeks, days, minutes?”
“Tsk, tsk. It’s about anticipation, remember? What would Lenora and Paul say about you breaking the rules?”
“Some rules were meant to be broken.”
Carter left that one alone and filled the two glasses with ice cubes and then with water. He handed her a glass, letting his fingers mingle with hers in an exaggerated effort to flirt.
Hailey dipped a finger in the water and then sucked on it while she gutted him with her mesmerizing eyes. The lift in her brow spoke loud and clear. Two can play at this game.
Normally, he was a gambler and would take the bet that he could win at this one, but he knew he couldn’t. As soon as she gave the word, he’d do whatever she asked, damn the Freeman rules of sex.
“I’m gonna put my meat on the grill.”
“Don’t burn it. Looks like it’s hanging a little low tonight.”
He didn’t bother to fight the laugh as he picked up the chicken and brought it outside. If there wasn’t a chill in the air and the sun was still up, he’d suggest eating on the deck. It could prolong the foreplay, help him settle a little. Eating at the kitchen table where he’d taken her like a dog in heat only an hour ago was going to be a major distraction.
Lowering the flames, he closed the lid and went back inside to start on the salad. Hailey already had a bowl out and was chopping a cucumber. “I could’ve done that.”
“I know.” She kissed his cheek and kept chopping.
Hell, that kiss on the cheek was so innocent, so simple yet it had him springing in his jeans. No wonder she liked the soft touches to her neck and kisses to her temple. He hadn’t meant them to be so sexual, but if they affected her the way the quick kiss to the cheek affected him ... holy hell.
Opening the bag of spring mix lettuce, he dumped it in the bowl. When the salad was done, he carried it to the table while Hailey washed her hands. Quite domestic they were, and it didn’t freak him out in the slightest.
When the chicken was done, he brought it inside, and they sat together at the table like a regular couple. It was nice. Sweet. And then a flash of Hailey naked, bent over the table came perfectly into view. He blinked away the memory, shoveling salad by the forkfuls in his mouth.
“You okay?” She sipped her water.
“Yup.”
“Thinking about kitchen table sex, aren’t you?”
Carter froze, his fork halfway to his mouth, and he lifted his gaze to meet hers. She thought she was going to win this round.
The cheeky grin on her face said it all. As long as he was in control of the conversation, he could keep control of his urges.
“I was.” Setting his fork by his plate, he licked his lips and zeroed in on her chest. “By the screams that were coming out of you, I’m gonna guess you like it fast and furious.”
“Fast is good.” She shrugged and cut into her chicken.
“That’s twice now we’ve taken it fast. What do ya say the third time’s a charm? Nice and slow?”
“If that’s what you want.” Again, her shoulder lifted in indifference, and she cut another bite. The blush across her cheeks was a clear sign she was more affected than she wanted to show.
“You don’t want to try slow?” He trailed a finger from her knuckles up her forearm, across her shoulder, and around her neck. “There are places I haven’t yet explored. Like here.” He dragged his fingers down her sweatshirt and in between her breasts.
“You did more than touch my boobs on the mountain.”
Yeah, he did. He closed his eyes and hid his moan at the memory. “I want more.”
“That’s what they all say.”
His eyes flung open. He couldn’t tell if she was teasing or if her words held a layer of truth to them. From the little she’d said about her past, she’d never had a long-term relationship. Whether that was her choice or not, he still wasn’t sure. Hailey liked to come off as strong and in control, but underneath her tough exterior lay a broken woman.
Maybe not broken, but not whole either. Carter wouldn’t consider himself a healer in that sense. He didn’t do complications. Normally a woman who had a clear amount of emotional baggage was someone he steered clear of.
Hailey’s movements were slower, not as steady as they’d been a few minutes ago. The slight tremble in her hand, the stain of blush across her cheek, told him she was still vested in their flirting ... and where it would end up. A few more rounds of flirting, and she’d be putty in his hands.
Closing his fingers into fists, he moved away from her and resumed eating as if touching her hadn’t affected him either. “What are your plans for the rest of the week?” If she could feign casualness, so could he.
All of You (A Well Paired Novel Book 7) Page 17
