“Speedy Gonzales?” She scrunched her nose in confusion as she worked his shirt over his shoulders.
“Cartoon. We can talk about it later.” In a move straight out of a romance movie, he picked her up and cradled her in his arms and then carried her to the bed. “Much later.”
“But you love to talk during sex.”
Carter lifted his head from her neck and stared down at her. “I don’t talk during sex. I speak.” The words came out soft and erotic.
“The difference?”
“Talking is conversation.” He lowered his head and ran his tongue along the edge of her ear before whispering, “I speak words to you, Hailey. To your body. To your heart. To your soul. I want to touch every place within you with my hands.” He slid them down her side, causing her to shiver in anticipation. “With my mouth.” He kissed her lips then went back to whispering in her ear. “With my words.”
Her body was on fire yet covered in goose bumps. She couldn’t move a muscle, yet wanted to wrap her arms and legs around Carter and make love to him like her life depended on it.
When his lips took hers, she opened fully. He didn’t simply take control; he took possession of every part of her, exactly as he’d said. Body, heart, and soul. He owned each one and sparked desire from every part of her body, especially her heart. Her love for him multiplied, if even possible.
“I don’t think I could love you more than I already do,” she whimpered as his hands stroked her arms. A minute ago, she would have sworn her most erogenous area was not her arms and shoulders, but Carter’s gentle caresses with his hands and his words made her want him more than ever before. “Keep speaking to me like that, Carter. Keep touching me like that.”
And he did. Over, and over, and over again.
“THIS IS NICE.” HAILEY snuggled deeper into Carter’s arms.
“Nice, huh?” He chuckled.
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” She dragged her finger across his chest, circling his heart.
“Nice doesn’t sound too impressive.”
“Oh, it’s impressive. Trust me.” She giggled and moved her hand south.
“I’m gonna need a few minutes of rest, Newman.”
“Newman,” Hailey repeated and propped herself up on an elbow. “Are you ever going to tell me why you call me that?”
“I did. Paul Newman is known for his blue eyes.”
Yeah, he’d mentioned that once during a late night phone call, and then he evaded her questions. Now, with him naked and trapped under her, she wasn’t letting him get away without telling her.
“And so are Alexis Bledel, Jennifer Aniston, and Amanda Peet. Why couldn’t you call me one of them? Seems a little creepy that you call me a guy’s name.” Not that she’d want him to call her by another woman’s name.
Carter shifted his body and hugged her tighter into his chest. “You want to know why?”
“Seeing how I’ve asked you a hundred times, um, yeah.”
He kissed the top of her head. “My grandmother, my father’s mother, had a serious crush on Paul Newman. My grandfather used to joke that she’d sell him and the family farm if Paul Newman ever came by Marshall Farm. It wasn’t just his eyes she’d loved, so my grandmother had said. It was his kind heart. His family values. His philanthropy. His blue eyes were as clear and beautiful as his soul.”
“Wow. Was your grandfather jealous?”
“No.” Carter chuckled. “His eyes were just as blue and his heart maybe even more tender. Grammy said it was what attracted her to him. Grandad was an Elizabeth Taylor fan and would call Grammy Elizabeth just for kicks.”
“That’s too funny. What was her name?”
“Beth.”
“Isn’t that the same?”
“Her name was Bethany Elizabeth, but everyone called her Beth.”
“You were close to your grandparents?”
“As close as could be. I was young when they died.”
They were quiet for a moment as she let it all sink in. Carter came from good stock, and family meant something to him. She processed his story.
“I’m sorry if calling you Newman is offensive. I never meant it that way.”
“You called me Newman after only knowing me a few weeks. Do you call every girl you meet with blue eyes Newman?”
“No.” Carter rolled to his side so they lay facing each other and rested his hand on her hip. “You’re the first. The only. The name means something to me. I don’t think about Paul Newman or any other person when I say the name, the term, really. The word means something more. Something deeper. My granddad understood that, and I hope you do too. But if you don’t like it, I won’t call you that anymore.”
She reached out and stroked his cheek. “I’m honored.”
“Although you look more like an Amanda Peet, so if you want me to call you Amanda...” His lip quirked into a devilish smile.
“Only if you want me to call you Scotty.”
“Scotty?”
“Eastwood.”
“Don’t even think about it.” He rolled on top of her and pinched her sides.
Hailey giggled as he tickled her. The ringing of her phone caused them both to still, ruining the mood. “I’m sorry.” She lifted her head and kissed his chin. “We normally have a work meet—”
Carter cut her off. “Don’t apologize for having to work. I didn’t ask if you were even free.”
She leaned over the bed and reached for her shorts, pulling out her phone from the back pocket. “Hello?” she said as she thumped her head against the pillow.
“I know you have company, but the team is meeting in an hour to troubleshoot some issues that came up regarding the Wounded Warrior course in two weeks. Think you can make it?”
She watched as Carter slid out of bed and into the bathroom. “Sure. I’ll be there.”
WHEN CARTER OPENED the door to the bathroom, Hailey stood on the other side wrapped in a bedsheet, a frown on her slightly swollen lips.
“I’m so sorry. I have to meet with the team for a little bit. Will you stay here, though? I’ll bring back dinner for us. Or if you’re hungry, go eat, and I’ll nibble on something at my meeting.”
“I’d rather nibble on you.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“Hey.” He lifted her chin. “I told you never to apologize for having to work. I respect you and your job. You’re a natural. I really enjoyed watching you today, how you were with Lindsey, the hokey pokey... Maybe we can hokey pokey again later?”
“Most definitely.”
The sadness in her eyes was something he usually only saw on the days she had to travel again and leave him. “You okay?” He wiped the smudge of makeup from under her eyes.
“I don’t want to leave you.”
There was more to those words than her leaving for an hour for work. He wanted to tell her about his plans, how he’d figured it all out, but he’d wait for her to come back from her meeting.
“I’ll be here when you get back.”
“Promise?”
“I’ve got the key. I have to be to let you back in.” He kissed her lightly on the lips. “Go get dressed and get out of here. The sooner you leave, the sooner you’ll be back.”
Carter kept himself busy on his laptop while she was gone. He closed out two accounts, and sent a mockup of a website design to a new independently-owned hotel coming to Boston. It was a pretty big account and would garner him financial security for a bit. While his job had been lucrative, anything could happen in the upcoming years, and he wanted to be sure to be able to provide for Hailey.
Somehow, he lost track of time. The knock on the door was a welcomed interruption. He took off his glasses and rushed to the door, whipping it open to greet Hailey.
“It’s about time.” He tugged her into the room and into his arms and kissed her.
She moaned, or he did. It didn’t matter. This was what he wanted. To hold her in his arms. To be with Hailey forever. He didn’t want he
r going off to meetings, traveling around the country feeling guilty that she had to work. He’d managed to get a ton of work accomplished in the past hour. He could totally take his job on the road and be with her.
Carter broke off the kiss and led her to the foot of the bed where they sat. “Can we talk for minute?”
“Of course. Are you okay?” She squeezed his hand and turned sideways, her knee bumping into his thigh.
He rubbed her back with his free hand and then gave her a reassuring kiss when her eyes turned down with worry. “I love you.”
“I love you too. So why so serious?”
“You travel a lot for work.”
“I know. I’m sorry. Tonight I—”
“Uh, uh.” He rested a finger against her lips. “No apologies. What you’re doing is far more important than what I’m doing. With that being said...” He shifted so he faced her as well and took both her hands in his. “I hate being away from you. A night here or there isn’t too bad. It makes the homecoming pretty freaking spectacular.”
“That, it does.”
She inched closer, and he wanted to take her in his arms, but he had more to say. His heart pulsed rapidly in his chest. This was the first test to see if she loved him half as much as he loved her. Maybe she liked her space. Maybe she didn’t want him tagging along.
Insecurities like he’d never experienced before wrapped around his gut. “What would you say to adopting a travel companion?”
“Like a dog?” she asked oh so innocently.
Carter would have laughed if he wasn’t so nervous. “Like me.”
“You want to come on my next trip with me?”
“I want to go on all your trips with you.” He rubbed his thumbs across the back of her hands. “I can take my job on the road. All I need is my laptop. When you’re not traveling, we’ll stay at my house. You can end your lease and save money there, and you’ll save gas money and plane fare by not coming home as frequently. Especially when it’s so far out of the way.”
He watched Hailey’s face and body language for signs of excitement. Signs she was thrilled with having him by her side twenty-four-seven, and signs of her trying to figure out how to let him down easily.
“I don’t have to be with you all the time, if it’s too much. I’ll still have my house to go to. Maybe you could let me know which trips you wouldn’t mind me ... tagging along.” Her silence bore a hole in his chest. She needed to say something soon before he threw up from nerves.
“Don’t rush into anything.” He stood up and scooped up his keys and phone from the table. “We can grab something to eat and talk about it later. I’m sorry to drop this on you the second you walked through the door after working all day.”
“You’re right. It is a lot to absorb.” She stood behind him and wrapped her arms around his midsection, resting her face on his back. “You’re a lot to absorb, Carter Newman Marshall.”
“I’m sorry—”
She squeezed him hard, cutting off his words. “What exactly are you apologizing for?”
He didn’t turn around. Looking down at her hands clasped on his stomach, he sighed. “For putting you on the spot after a long work week.”
“It has been a long week. A long nine days.” She circled around until they stood toe-to-toe, her hands now resting on his lower back. He mirrored her pose. “And you’re the perfect way to end it. Thank you for coming down to Rhode Island.”
To Rhode Island. No mention of traveling to her next destination with her. “Sure. I’d do anything for you, Hailey. I hope you know that.”
“You don’t have to.”
“It’s not about having to. It’s about wanting to.”
“Well, I mean you don’t have to. My meeting tonight was about my excessive traveling. I asked if there was a way around it. I knew traveling would be part of the job, but it’s been a bit much lately. Part of that is my fault. I was so enthusiastic to learn every aspect of the company. To be part of every nonprofit event. I actually asked for all the travel.”
“Oh.” She wanted to be away from Maine. From him. The time they spent apart was wanted. He’d felt like a fool for rushing around this afternoon on his errand. On planning out their future together.
Hailey dropped her hands and tucked them into the back pockets of his jeans, giving him a little tug until their chests bumped. “I have to be honest with you.”
“I’d expect no less.” When he tried to step back, she yanked him back into her.
“I’ve never stayed in one place for very long. I wasn’t sure why until I did a little soul searching. And I realized it’s because I felt like I never belonged.”
“Hailey.” He cupped her cheeks in his hands. “After all the time we’ve spent together, I hope I’ve made you feel like you belong.”
“You have.” She leaned her cheek into his palm. “I meant before I came to Maine. Before I met you. But there was still lingering doubt. Not because of anything you’ve done or didn’t do, but because of my own insecurities. I guess part of me needing to travel was to see if this thing between us was real.”
“Sweetheart, it’s real.”
“I know.”
“I would have visited you earlier this summer had I known you had any doubts in us.”
“Not in us, in...”
“In me. You don’t believe I love you?” Hailey lowered her lashes, and then it hit him. It wasn’t him she doubted. Even after all these months, she didn’t think she was worthy of being loved. She believed the asshole who had done a number on her more than him.
“I...”
“Sweetheart, look at me.” He smiled down at her and wove his hands through her hair. “You’re a beautiful, amazing woman. I wish you could see you as I do.”
“Would you have given me a second glance if we met three years ago when I was twice my size?”
“Of course.”
“Bullshit. I’m not dumb. Men don’t look at overweight women the same way they do someone in shape.”
“I didn’t know you back then, so I can’t say how I would have felt, but I would have been your friend and not given any thought to your weight. I don’t judge people based on their size, their gender, their sexual preference, the color of their skin, their political views, or their religion. I judge them by their character.”
“So we would have been friends.”
“How could I not want you in my circle of friends? And then you would have captivated me with your eyes. With that smart mouth of yours.” He traced his thumb over her lips. “You would have skunked me and the boys in poker, and I would have fallen for you before, during, and after your weight loss.”
Her downcast gaze had lifted a fraction of an inch, but still hadn’t met his.
“I fell for you, Hailey. Then I fell in love with your body. Your curves. Your passion. Your strength. Most importantly, I fell in love with your heart.”
“I’ve been surrounded by flawless woman for nearly ten years. I’m nothing compared to those women. Women who would look much better perched on your arm.”
“Flawless isn’t real. It’s not a thing.” He cupped her cheeks in his palms and lifted her face to his, making sure she saw the sincerity, the love in his eyes. “It doesn’t exist, and those who are searching for it will never be happy. I don’t see flaws. I see stories. Emotions. Memories, good and bad. These are what make us unique individuals. If I wanted a cardboard cutout of some photoshopped model, I’d buy one on Amazon for fifty bucks. You, my sweet Newman, are so much more.”
He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her lips. He tasted her salty tears and prayed he could erase the doubt in her head with his love. She kissed him back and dug her hands into his back, pulling him closer. He loved her hands on him as much as he loved his hands on her.
“I want you. All of you. Scars, marks, stories, and that heart of gold.”
“You’re too good for me, Carter.”
“Stop.” He held her tight against him but broke their kiss
. “You’re entitled to a bad day, but I won’t have you discrediting us. Discrediting how much you mean to me. How beautiful you are inside and out. That’s not allowed.”
“Allowed? You’re making rules?” The lightness in her voice told him she was teasing, which was much better than the insecurity a few moments ago.
“Not rules. I don’t want to own you or tell you what to do.”
“Sounds like you did.”
“Ground rules. For both of us. If you doubt my love for you, then you talk to me about it. You don’t bury it and let time go by with unnecessary self-doubt filling your head. And I’ll do my best to show you how much you mean to me every day.”
“Hmm.” She played with the hair at the nape of his neck. “Sounds a little stalkerish to me. You following me around and all. How about I stay in Maine, so you don’t have to follow me like a sick puppy?”
Carter blinked away the confusion. They were talking about her not believing in herself, and now she flipped the conversation back to work? “What do you mean?” He lowered his hands to her waist.
“My meeting tonight was about a new job opportunity.” She slid her hands around to his chest and stood on her tiptoes to kiss his chin. “I’m the new corporate director of the New England sector of Moving Hearts. Most of my work can be done online, but I’ll have to travel a bit. Mostly in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. There are plenty of other staff who can take over Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.”
“Wait. What? But you love what you’ve been doing.”
“Exactly. All this training was so I could run things in our neck of the woods. You see”—she clasped her hands behind his neck and drew his head down to her— “I kinda fell in love with this guy, and I really didn’t like being so far away from him.”
“Kinda?” he whispered into her mouth.
“More than kinda.”
“Marry me.” The words slipped out.
Hailey gasped. “What?”
“Marry me,” he said softer this time.
She tilted her head to the side. “I thought you weren’t going to do the whole caveman bossy thing.”
All of You (A Well Paired Novel Book 7) Page 24
