It was then he decided that he needed to set things back to right with her. He needed to stop pussyfooting around Elise and tell her that he loved Claire whether she accepted it or not. Luckily for him, she eventually warmed a little to the idea. She still wanted nothing to do with Claire, but Carter had every hope she would eventually come around.
He opened the door and smiled at Claire. She was so fucking beautiful. He hated knowing they were apart for almost a year. The only reason why he didn’t come for her sooner was because she deserved to be able to finish school. Of course, if he had known she was getting serious with fucking Brian, he would have come a hell of a lot sooner. If he hadn’t shown up, Claire would probably be celebrating her engagement in Brian’s bed. Instead she was about to spend however long she wanted in Carter’s bed, because he was never going to walk away from her again. She was going to have to be the one who left him.
“Does this mean what I think it means?” He asked, not even caring how pathetic and hopeful he might sound.
She nodded tentatively and tightened the knot in her trench coat.
He gestured for her to come in and shut the door behind her. He leaned against it and attempted to calm his raging hormones. He wanted to pounce on her and fuck her senseless, but he knew that probably wouldn’t go over well. She was sure to want some answers, especially since she was taking a leap of faith by choosing him.
“Claire, I want you to know I’m honored that you chose me. I know I gave you no reason to trust me. I’m going to work my ass off to prove to you that you made the right choice.”
“I know,” she responded and continued fiddling with the belt on her coat. “I plan on making you show me every fucking day that I picked the right man. I’m not that weak girl that let you walk away. I’m stronger now. I had to be. You have no idea what you left behind…” Her voice cracked and she cursed her emotions for betraying her. She wanted to come across as the self-assured, confident woman she had become. She worked hard to be that person.
“I know, baby. I’m so sorry. You have to believe me.” He took a step towards her and she decided they had plenty of time to talk later. Right now, she had to feel his lips against hers and his hard body against her soft one. They could worry about all the rest later. She wanted to make love to him, and if that made her a slut, then she didn’t care.
She held her hand out and halted his movements in her direction. “Let’s not waste time talking.” She reached down and untied her belt. Her coat parted and she slowly slid it down her arms.
Carter’s mouth dropped open at the sight of Claire’s creamy skin being revealed under her coat. She wore nothing but a pair of thigh high stockings and high-heeled shoes. And she was utterly gorgeous. No woman he had ever been with compared to her.
“I want you to fuck me,” she whispered and he lost his restraint. This was something he hoped he never got used to, losing it with her. He hoped she always affected him this way.
“You don’t have to ask me twice,” he murmured before lifting her by her ass and backing her into the wall. Her legs wrapped around his waist and her hands fisted his hair. Hard. It was such a fucking turn on. “Do you want it hard and dirty? Or slow and sweet?”
Please say hard and dirty, he thought.
“Dirty. I want to be filthy by the time we’re done.”
Fuck! He could oblige her of that. No doubt.
His cock throbbed as his mouth moved over her neck, her collarbone and then down to her tits. His tongue circled each tight bud, watching as they puckered further. He reached between them and explored her with his fingers. She was wet and growing wetter by the moment. Her legs spread around his body left her open, giving him easy access to the heart of her. It was humbling to know this was all for him.
“Carter,” she whimpered as he plunged his fingers in and out of her.
Just a little while longer, he silently promised his dick when it twitched and started to leak pre-come. God he wanted to bury himself inside her and fuck her blindly.
Lose himself in her.
Find himself in her.
Remembering how her body reacted the last time they were together, he gathered the wetness from her pussy and used it to lubricate the tight, little hole of her ass. She stiffened for a fraction of a second when his finger breached the ring of muscle and then moaned when he started to slowly fuck her there.
“More,” she whispered against his lips.
He added a second finger and slowly began scissoring them and stretching her.
“Oh!” She cried out.
“Do you want me to stop?” He stilled his fingers and looked at her face. She appeared dazed with pleasure, but there was a tightness around her mouth that concerned him.
She frantically shook her head and began to grind down on his erection. “Don’t stop. It just felt different. I want this Carter. I want you.”
He kissed her, letting his tongue linger in her mouth. Their tongues tangled as he moved them over to the bed. He laid her down gently and pushed his boxers down over his erection. Claire played with her nipples as she waited for him. Carter fumbled in his bag on the floor and pulled out a bottle of lubrication.
Claire bit her lip with anticipation. She had always wanted for Carter to claim her. All of her. She really hoped that him fingering her ass meant he was going to fuck her there too. She had overheard a girl at school talking about how good it was if the guy knew what he was doing. She really fucking hoped Carter was that guy.
Carter spread Claire’s legs wide and then worked the lube in her ass, preparing her. She began to writhe on the bed and her moans were growing louder with each second that passed. He leaned down and ran his tongue around her breasts, down her stomach and then sucked her clit in his mouth. All the while he continued to fuck her ass.
“Oh, fuck!” She screamed and he felt her muscles clamping down on his finger. God, he hoped he didn’t blow his load too quickly. She was so fucking tight.
“This is going to hurt a bit,” he warned her as he greased up his cock with the lube. “If it gets to be too much, tell me and we’ll stop.”
She nodded her head and closed her eyes as he began prodding her there. There was a burning sensation as he breached the outer muscles and slowly worked himself inside. She felt full in a different way than she was used to.
“You feel so fucking good,” he gritted out when he was fully seated in her. She was hot and tight. It was heaven.
“You okay?” He asked. Her beautiful eyes opened and he sucked in a breath. There was so much love in them that he nearly fell to his knees with the deep regret that haunted him.
“I’m more than okay. Now fuck me.” She let out a little laugh that had them both groaning.
He slowly pulled out and then back in. He definitely wasn’t going to last long.
“Touch yourself,” he demanded. She instantly started circling her clit with her finger, dipping them inside her pussy. She could feel him moving in her. When they were both inside her pussy, she felt so full that the pressure was nearly blinding.
She worked herself faster, spurring him on faster. Carter loved that he was taking her this way. It allowed him to watch as the pleasure took over her. Her eyes rolled in her head. Her teeth dug in her lip. She whimpered. She screamed. And she convulsed as her orgasm hit. It was so hard that it sent Carter over the edge. He poured himself into her on a deep grunt of satisfaction.
“I love you, Carter,” she said softly, making him open his eyes to look at her.
“I love you too, baby girl. I never stopped loving you.” He pulled out slowly and then grabbed the box from his bag. He opened it and knelt over her on the bed. He picked up her left hand and slipped the cool metal over her finger.
“Marry me,” he whispered.
“I never thought you’d ask.”
Epilogue After the Epilogue
Two years later…
Claire wiped sweaty palms on her dress as they neared the white clapboard house with its red s
hutters and door. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she fought back her gag reflex. The house looked auspicious enough—friendly and inviting—but what it represented to her in that moment made it anything but.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” She asked Carter nervously. A sidelong glance at the man’s irritating smirk told her that he thought she was crazy. Claire didn’t think it would be wrong to wipe that smirk right off his face. This was all his fault after all.
“Its fine, baby.”
“Does she at least know we’re coming? Because I wouldn’t put it past you to force the situation.”
“I want all the people I love together in one room. It’s important to me,” he hedged rather than telling her what she wanted to know.
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
She huffed and slowed her steps. When her hand slipped from his grasp, Carter had no choice but to stop and pay attention to her.
“She knows. Have a little faith in me.” He kept his tone neutral, but she knew it was a sore subject between them. While they had come a long way over the last two years, there were still some lingering trust issues in her mind after the way he had so easily tossed her aside. The reasonable side of her knew that his daughter should have taken precedence after discovering their affair. The insensible side of Claire was still hurt that he had abandoned her for so long. She knew it was irrational to still hold on to the hurt, especially after all the ways he showed her how much he loved her and the little things he had done to make that horrible time up to her.
In the end, he had chosen her, telling Elise that she needed to accept their relationship. However, there were still times when Claire didn’t fully trust him, although she wasn’t sure of the reason.
“Sorry,” she mumbled and lightly pecked his mouth with hers.
Pulling her into his embrace, Carter kissed her deeply. Her toes began to curl and her anxiety quickly melted away.
“What I wouldn’t give to lift that skirt and bury myself inside you.”
“God that sounds remarkable,” Claire moaned when his hand drifted up to cup her breast between them.
“I’d live inside you if I could.”
“I’d let you.”
Carter pulled away at the sound of a door opening. Claire’s heart began racing and those damn butterflies started taking over her stomach again.
“Daddy,” Elise called out.
Showtime.
Carter grabbed Claire’s hand and pulled her behind him the rest of the way to the front door.
Standing in the doorway, his daughter looked radiant. Her face was aglow and she appeared happy. It was a look he wished she would wear more often.
“Hi, sweetheart,” he greeted her. Releasing Claire’s hand, he wrapped Elise up in his arms and squeezed. It had been almost a year since he had held her, and he was going to soak up every second of it. After several moments he sat her on her feet and turned to Claire. Awkward tension hung in the air as she and Elise stared silently at one another.
“Hi, Elise,” Claire spoke first. Even though her heart was in her throat, the words came out confident and smooth—just the way she had hoped they would.
Elise blinked at her old friend for several seconds before throwing her arms around Claire’s shoulders and hugging her tightly. Time had given Elise some perspective on the situation with her friend and her father. She was still hurt and confused by their secrecy, but she knew now that if Claire made her dad happy, she couldn’t stand in the way. Only time would tell if they were meant to be—Elise couldn’t be the judge and jury for that. All she could do was wish them well. Surprisingly enough, her mom was the one that beat that into her head over the past couple of years.
Claire sniffled as Elise rocked their bodies back and forth. She hadn’t known what to expect upon seeing Elise after all that time. Even though Elise had said she was fine with their relationship and Carter had flown out alone to visit her, Claire herself hadn’t come face to face with Elise until now. Some small part of her thought Elise would still be the cold, bitter bitch she had been when everything first happened, so she was thrilled to realize it was just the opposite.
Pulling back, Elise smiled warmly before addressing both Claire and her father. “Why don’t you guys come inside? I made apple pie and there’s coffee on.”
“Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?” Carter teased as they followed her into the house.
Elise laughed at that. “Bobby’s mom has been giving me baking lessons. No worry though, I’m still a horrible cook. We order out almost every night.”
Claire took in the quaintness of Elise’s small house. It was everything the two of them had talked about having once they settled down after college.
Her eyes fell on a wedding picture of Elise and Bobby. They were both smiling and standing in front of an Elvis impersonator. Even with the cheesy background, it was beautiful.
Carter had been out of town when Elise and Bobby impulsively decided to scrap the large wedding they were planning and elope. Claire had gotten the email asking her to attend, but didn’t feel right going without Carter after everything that had happened. Now she regretted missing it.
Then again, Elise hadn’t been there when Claire and Carter were married on a beach in Fiji. That too had been spur of the moment while traveling for Carter’s work. Her parents hadn’t even attended seeing as they were still very much lukewarm about their son-in-law.
After everyone sampled the pie and sipped their coffee, Claire began to fidget anxiously as Elise talked about Bobby’s job as a sportscaster for the local radio station. Carter placed his hand over hers on the table, squeezing gently to calm her. She cast him a warm smile and settled, knowing she had no reason to be nervous any longer. She trusted Carter to handle this well.
“We have some news to share,” Carter announced when there was a break in the conversation.
“Oh?” Elise asked, setting her cup down on the table. Her eyes shifted between Claire and Carter as she waited for him to continue.
“Yes.” Carter picked up Claire’s hand and kissed it tenderly. Holding it to his chest he looked deep into Claire’s eyes while telling his daughter, “We’re having a baby.”
Elise’s gasp caused them both to look over at her. Her hand was covering her mouth and tears were building in her eyes, ready to spill over the sides.
Carter cursed. Elise’s stricken expression never changed, and Claire was now crying softly at his side. He felt like a man torn with no idea what to do. He hadn’t expected this to go so poorly; no man is truly good at dealing with a crying woman—let alone two.
“I should go.” Claire’s chair scraped along the linoleum as she abruptly stood. Carter grabbed her wrist with one hand and laid his other hand over her stomach. There was no way he was letting his pregnant wife run away. For as much as he loved his daughter, he loved Claire and this baby too. Elise was going to have to find a way to accept that.
“Wait,” Elise cried out. “I’m sorry. It’s just… well… We’re pregnant too.”
“Fuck,” Carter cursed. He was going to be a grandfather and yet here he was bringing another child into the world. What the hell was he thinking? He was forty years old for Christ sake. His mind began to spin with all the ways this suddenly seemed like a really bad idea.
“Daddy!” Elise shouted at the same time Claire yelled his name.
He held up his hands defensively, knowing he’d never win against two pregnant women. “You have to admit any father would feel that way about his baby girl getting knocked up,” he defended himself. He wasn’t about to admit the fact that his own insecurities were the real reason why he swore.
“When are you due?” Elise chose to ignore him and focus on Claire, who was once again seated at his side.
“End of March,” Claire informed her.
“Oh my God! Us too!”
Both girls giggled and Carter blew out a relieved breath. Giggling was much better than crying.
“You do realize this means we can have a joint baby shower like we always wanted,” Elise squealed.
“I totally forgot about that! We should so do that.” Claire clapped her hands excitedly.
The backdoor opened and Bobby came in wearing khaki pants, a blue button-down shirt and a plaid tie. “Glad I didn’t miss the reunion,” he announced, making his way to the table where he first greeted Elise with a kiss, then shook Carter’s hand and gave Claire a peck on the cheek.
Looking around the table, Carter’s heart settled and he relaxed in his chair. All was right in the world now that all of his loved ones were together again.
Turn the page to get even more Mr. D!
Hi, I’m Claire
(Bonus Scene)
Claire Reynolds took in a deep breath and slowly surveyed her half of the small dorm room. From the pink and purple paisley sheets, to the fuzzy white rug, to the kitschy reading lamp, it was all her. For so many years her personality seemed lost under the harsh thumbs of her parents. Now that she was a bona fide college student, she was ready to find herself.
Before that happened though, she needed to find her roommate. Move in was almost over and Elise Davenport was a no-show. Claire chewed her nails, hoping that the girl she had only talked to over Facebook hadn’t changed her mind. Better the devil you know than the one you don’t, her father always said. Claire had struck up a loose friendship with Elise through the school’s Facebook group and was already comfortable with her. She seemed a bit forward and a little boy crazy, but Claire could deal with that. If she had to get a new roommate, who knew what she would end up with.
Claire’s phone pinged with a text and she picked it up from the bed. It was her mother wanting to know if she needed anything. This was her way of hovering. Had it not been for the fact that the school dictated parents be gone at a certain time, Claire was sure her parents would have camped out in her bed with her.
Freedom, she thought. College and freedom were synonymous as far as she was concerned.
The Taste of Mr. Davenport Page 7
