by April Lust
“I’m sure it is,” I said quickly. When I realized that he was just trying to be nice, I blushed. “I’m sorry. I’m just worried. When we were supposed to meet an hour ago, it’s kind of hard not to worry.”
The barista nodded. “I get that,” he said carefully. “Listen, I’m going off in half an hour. Can I bring you anything? Or do you need a ride anywhere after I’m done working?”
I shook my head. “I’m okay, thanks,” I said softly. “That means a lot.”
He nodded and walked back behind the bar to serve customers. I kept staring out the window. The dark clouds rolled in; they looked like an oil painting in the gallery downtown. I always noticed it when I drove past. The gallery was in the same shopping center as Tinder’s.
Thinking about Tinder’s made me feel even worse. What if something had happened? What if Lucas had done something to Carson? My stomach churned over and over and I closed my eyes and uttered a silent prayer. Please keep him safe, I prayed. Please make sure that nothing bad happens to Carson .
Just as I was getting ready to call the police, frantic with worry, the door chimed and Carson swaggered in. He shot me a guilty grin and then ambled up to the counter to order a coffee. The nice barista had left an hour ago and been replaced by a punk girl with one side of her head shaved. She gave Carson the eye up and down his body but he didn’t notice. As glad as I was to see him, I felt anger boil in my stomach. Just what made him think it was okay to show up two hours late?
“Hi,” Carson said. He sat down in the armchair opposite from me. I looked away.
“Hi,” I said sourly. “What do you want?”
“Calm down,” Carson said. “I’m sorry. I would have called if I knew it was going to take me that long. Am I really that late?”
I rolled my eyes. “Two hours,” I said, pointing to the clock on my phone. “Two hours, Carson. You couldn’t have tried a little harder than that?”
Carson grimaced. “I told you, I was doing something important,” he said. “And I have great news. You wanna hear it?”
I narrowed my eyes. “This sounds too good to be true,” I told him flatly. “I was worried that you were dead or captured or something, asshole! You could have called me!”
Carson shrugged. “I said I’m sorry,” he said defensively. “Do you want me to go? Or do you actually want to sit down and have this conversation with me?”
“We can talk,” I said in the same sour voice as before. “What do you want to tell me?”
Carson leaned across the table. He shook a few drops from his longish hair and grinned at me like a boy. His blue eyes sparkled and shone. “It’s great,” he said quietly. “I took care of him. He was so scared, Caroline. It was like he didn’t imagine that I could be so fucking intimidating!”
I narrowed my eyes. “It was that easy?” I said skeptically. “I’m not sure I believe that. He made such a show of acting like he wasn’t afraid of you before.”
“Well, I guess he was bluffing,” Carson crowed. “I mean, he was totally easy to take care of. I just got in his face and told him that he’d be sorry if he didn’t stop messing with you. I told him the kinds of things that my club does to people like him, and I think he got the picture.”
“And he didn’t put up a fight?” I wrinkled my nose. “Are you sure?”
Carson laughed. “Stop being so negative,” he said, reaching over and grabbing my hand. A bolt of warm arousal shot through me. “I promise, it’s over and done with. I took care of it, Caroline. Just like I promised.”
I bit my lip. “Okay,” I said dubiously. “Did he delete the pictures from his phone? Did he give you the hard copies?”
Carson smirked. “He deleted everything right in front of me,” he said. “And I watched as he ripped up the envelope with the pictures in it. Then I stuck everything in the fire. It’s gone. You don’t have to worry about that anymore, I promise.”
I looked up at him. Part of me didn’t believe him, but the other part of me wanted it to be over as soon as it possibly could. “Okay,” I said finally. “So now what happens?”
Carson grinned at me. “Now you let me take you to dinner. Where do you wanna go?” He looked me up and down. “You look great, by the way. Let’s go someplace really nice.”
I bit my lip. “Are you sure this is taken care of? I mean, I trust you, Carson. I really do. But part of me is worried that Lucas has something else up his sleeve.”
Carson put his arm around me and steered me out of the Starbucks. “Trust me,” he said, throwing his head back with a chortle. “He’s taken care of. Babe, he had no idea what was happening when I showed up and threatened him. It was like he couldn’t comprehend that he was being an asshole.”
I shook my head. “Yeah, that’s not hard to imagine, knowing him,” I muttered. “He was always so determined to prove everyone wrong. It makes sense that he felt invincible for whatever reason.”
Carson handed me a helmet and climbed onto his bike. “I think we can beat the second storm,” he said, glancing at the horizon. “Come on. I know this killer Italian place a few blocks away. You’ll love it, Caroline.”
As we pulled away on his bike, I still wasn’t sure. Part of my brain was crying out in doubt. It can’t be over this quickly. There has to be a catch .
Chapter Sixteen
Caroline
Carson steered me into La Casa Pasta with one hand. The restaurant was practically empty; I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. It smelled amazing. Roasting meat and vegetables and a rich aroma of wine filled my senses. I looked up at Carson in surprise.
“This is incredible,” I whispered softly. “Have you been here before?”
Tommy grinned. “For Josh’s birthday last year, we got catering from here,” he said. “It was out of this world amazing.”
I had to smile. “You mean you tough motorcycle guys don’t cook for your own parties?”
Carson mussed my hair and a chill of desire went down my spine. “Course not,” he said. “That would take too much time away from what really matters.”
I blushed when I heard him say the words; I imagined that ‘what really matters’ consisted of strippers and coke. As the hostess led us to a table, I looked around in awe. It wasn’t the nicest place I’d ever been to, but it was definitely the nicest place I’d been recently. My stomach rumbled as I sat down. Even drinking all of the coffee earlier hadn’t ruined my appetite.
Carson ordered for us—veal parmesan and a nice bottle of wine—and in no time it was like things had been before. He was so easy to be around; I loved how he could laugh and joke and poke fun at himself, but he was still such a tough guy. He pretended to get offended every time I mentioned the wine he’d ordered, but secretly I knew he was proud that he’d managed to make me happy.
Sometimes I looked at Carson and really saw a future with him. It wasn’t hard to picture. Carson was a guy with a stable job and I could tell that he really liked it. It wasn’t impossible to imagine that maybe he wanted to be with me, too. Or at least that he wanted to be around me more often. It seemed hard to believe how we’d met, and how eager I’d been to keep him out. Now, I was happy that I’d told him everything. If I’d told him everything and he still stuck around, that meant that he really liked me. I grinned to myself.
“What are you smiling about?”
I blushed. “Nothing,” I said softly. “Just that I think I believe you.”
Carson looked offended. “I bet,” he said, spearing a piece of asparagus and lifting it to his mouth. “Did you get enough to eat?”
I looked down at the table. We’d both cleared our plates, and I felt comfortably full. But when Carson looked me like that, my insides felt warm and melty again. I knew that in a matter of time, we’d be alone together. The thought made me get wet between the legs. I shifted uncomfortably on the seat and the sensation of my jeans rubbing against me was pleasurable.
“You look pleased about something,” Carson commented. “Do you want dessert?”
/>
I looked him and licked my lips seductively. “I do,” I said. “But not here. Let’s get something and take it home.”
Carson grinned. “I like that idea,” he said in a gruff voice. “Check!”
Just as we strolled out to the parking lot, it started to rain again. “Shit!” I cursed. “My hair!”
Carson laughed at me as he handed me a helmet. “Just put this on,” he said. “It keeps the top of your head dry at least.” He smirked. “You look adorable when you’re wet, by the way,” he added. “Very cute.”
I frowned. I could feel the water dripping down my face and soaking my whole outfit. In a matter of minutes, my jeans were clinging to my wet skin uncomfortably. I climbed on the bike behind Carson and wrapped my arms around his wet leather jacket. Even damp, he had an immense warmth to him, and I closed my eyes and snuggled closer as he drove out of the parking lot.
When we were moving faster, the rain started to feel like little pellets of agony. I yelped as it pelted my bare arms. I realized that the leather jacket protected Carson, almost like armor would do, and that was how he was able to ride in all kinds of weather. I smiled secretly to myself; even in the uncomfortably cold and stinging rain, it still felt like an amazing rush to ride on the back of his bike with him.
As we pulled out of town, I didn’t recognize the roads and streets we were on. With a jolt, I suddenly knew that we were going to Carson’s apartment instead of mine. I shivered when I thought about what it would look like. I knew that Carson wasn’t exactly hard up for money, but I couldn’t imagine him living in luxury. I hoped that he didn’t have a roommate.
We pulled up to a brick complex, and Carson parked his bike. The rain was coming down so hard that he had to yell at me when he told me which apartment was his. “I’ll be right back!” he shouted as he turned away and jogged off. Frowning, I wrapped my arms around myself and climbed up the stairs. Carson had given me his keys and they felt alien in my hands. I struggled for a moment before I could finally figure out which one was his house key.
The inside of Carson’s apartment smelled damp and musty when I opened the door. Groping on the wall for a switch, I flicked it up and dull light flooded the room. His apartment actually looked remarkably like mine, except decorated in black and grey instead of pink. I smirked as I looked around. It was every inch a bachelor pad: ashtray overflowing with cigarette butts on the coffee table, nudie mags in the bathroom. The fridge didn’t have anything but beer and a stick of butter that looked more grey than yellow. I shuddered and grabbed a beer, popping it open on the counter and waiting for Carson.
When he got back, he was dripping wet. I watched with amusement as he peeled off his jacket and threw it over the back of the couch, raking a hand through his blond hair. He flipped his head back, spraying me with water, and I cried out.
Carson crossed the room and pulled me into his arms. When he kissed me, I thought I was going to die of happiness. I closed my eyes and savored the salty, warm taste of his mouth. I could catch a hint of the wine from dinner and it made me shiver; every nerve ending, every cell in my body was paying attention. It was like I had to be around him or I would die. Eagerly, I slipped my tongue into his mouth and played with his. Carson groaned and wrapped his arms around me. His body felt cold at first because of the wet clothing but the longer we stayed pressed together, the warmer I felt. I moaned softly as he nipped at my lower lip. Before I knew it, his hands had slid underneath my bottom and picked me up, pressing me against his torso.
“Caroline,” Carson moaned softly. “You’re so sexy, babe.” He growled with lust and buried his face in my neck, nipping at the soft skin until I was crying out in pleasure. I could feel my heart thudding fast in my chest and I tangled my hands in his wet hair and pulled his head close. As always, Carson felt so strong, so secure and confident under my grip. I shivered as he held me close and kept me wrapped in his arms. I felt him lifting me higher and higher and carrying me down the hallway, entering a dark room, and tossing me down on something soft.
“What about dessert?” I grinned up at him in the darkness. “Didn’t you say you had something at home?”
Carson tugged me down on the bed so I was laying on my back with my legs spread. “You,” he grunted. “You’re my dessert, Caroline.”
I blushed hotly in the dark, glad that he couldn’t see me. “Okay,” I said before giggling. Suddenly I felt so shy around him. Carson kept his eyes trained on my face as he pulled his wet clothes off and tossed them on the floor. When he was standing next to the bed naked, I could see his cock sticking straight out. The sight of it made me gasp. He was so beautiful naked, I could have spent hours worshipping his body and licking him and kissing him. Or running my hands over him and pleasuring him.
I closed my eyes and suppressed a soft moan when Carson crawled onto the bed and climbed on top of me. He unsnapped my wet jeans and they were clinging to my skin so fiercely that I had to help him tug them down. Carson pulled away my wet panties in a second and tossed them on the floor. He pushed up my shirt with his fingers and tugged it over my head before I had a second to react. When he pulled off my bra and threw it to the side, I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him close. The feel of his damp skin against mine made me shiver, but in a few seconds we were both warmed up. The full-body contact of his skin on mine was super intense, and as we kissed, I could feel his cock nudging against my thigh. I spread my legs and tried to pull his hips close but Carson pulled away. He gave me a wicked grin.
“Not yet,” he teased. “I want to make you crazy first.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. “I’m already crazy for you,” I whispered. “I want you so much right now.”
Carson didn’t answer. He nudged my head up and kissed and bit my neck, trailing down and planting kisses all over my chest. I waited with baited breath as he took one of my stiff nipples into his mouth and sucked at it until I was crying out. Little bolts of pleasure were swirling around in my body and I closed my eyes and moaned loudly, digging my fingers into his soft, damp hair. Carson bit down hard on my sensitive skin and I shrieked. When he lavished my nipple with his tongue I felt some of the pain melt and disappear.
“You feel amazing,” I whispered as he kissed and sucked at my breasts. Carson slipped a hand down my body and let it rest on my lower belly, just above the little tuft of pubic hair that I keep in the front. I groaned and arched my back, trying to move his hand lower. Carson grinned at me and took his hand away. When I cried out, he laughed and reached down to pinch me. It hurt, but I cried out in frustration, wanting more pleasure. I writhed my body around on the bed, desperate for attention.
“Please touch me,” I begged softly. “I need to feel you, Carson, please!”
He grinned at me and nipped at my earlobe. A sharp jolt of arousal shot through me, and with all my strength, I pushed hard against his chest. Carson sat up and I grabbed him and tried to pin him down on the bed. He resisted but I threw my weight against him until he was laying flat on his back. As I straddled him, he groaned softly.
“Oh, fuck, Caroline,” he whispered. “I need you, I fucking need to be inside of you right now.”
I grinned and rubbed the lips of my pussy against his rock hard erection. “I know,” I said in a teasing voice. “But now I want to make you crazy.”
The sensation of Carson’s cock rubbing against me was almost too much to bear. I could feel my arousal dripping out of my pussy and coating my thighs. He groaned and shifted his hips into the air so the first inch of his cock was inside of me. It felt incredible and I moaned and threw my head back, grunting with pleasure.
Carson grabbed my hips and pulled me all the way down on his erection. When it impaled me, I cried out with pleasure and delight. Carson had a way of making me feel so full, so stuffed, that I could think of nothing but him. We made eye contact and I shivered with the intensity of it.
“I need you, Caroline,” Carson grunted. “I need you right now.” H
e began to rock in and out of me, slow at first, then faster and faster until I was screaming with pleasure. Carson shoved his thumb underneath me and began to rub and press at my clit as his cock slid in and out of me. It felt incredible and I moaned, closing my eyes and seeing stars. I could feel a hot flush all over my whole body, and I shrieked as Carson pounded me hard. Leaning over him, I dug my hands into his hair and looked close into his piercing blue eyes.
“I need you,” I whispered, grinding my hips against his cock. “I need you forever.”
Carson screamed my name and dug his fingers into my hair, yanking and pulling as I rode him. I could feel my pleasure building and building until finally, right when I was about to climax, Carson reached up and put his fingers around my throat. He glanced at me. “I need you,” he hissed. I could only moan in response; the light pressure around my neck was just what I needed to send me over the edge. As I came, flashes of light exploded behind my closed eyes. Darts of pleasure swarmed through my body like a crowd of bees, and I shivered as the delicious sensations racked through me over and over again.
