“I’m scared.” Scared he would realize he’d made a huge mistake. Scared everything would fall apart. Scared I was still asleep and this whole thing was a dream.
“Me too, but trust me, we’ll figure out a way to make it work. I will never try to stop you from pursuing your dream.” He pulled back from the hug and took my hand in his.
“How are you real? I didn’t think people like you existed.”
“I didn’t until I met you.” He raised our joined hands and kissed the back of mine. “I don’t know about you, but I could use some real sleep. Let’s go home.”
Chapter Eight
‡
Carter had managed to get a couple of days off, and since I was on leave from work, we’d spent the next two nights together in his bed. The night he had to go back to work, he asked me to stay at his place so he could come home to me, and I’d done so every night since. We hadn’t made love again, and we hadn’t talked about it either. My guess was he was still trying to come to terms with my former profession.
Even without sex, things were amazing between us. I should have felt somewhat secure since he’d found out my deep dark secret and stuck around, but I couldn’t help waiting for the other shoe to drop. Things like this didn’t happen to people like me. Before long, something would happen, and my fragile world would come crashing down around me…like it always did.
I’d heard somewhere that there are two issues that led to breakups more than anything else: sex and money. Since I was no longer sleeping with johns, and the one time Carter and I had slept together was mind blowing, I was hopeful we wouldn’t have any problems in that area once we got over this awkward spell.
That left me mostly concerned about money. Carter had told me he’d help me, but I couldn’t put that kind of pressure on us. He wasn’t rich, at least not anymore, and I wouldn’t burden him with my expenses even if he was. I also couldn’t risk becoming financially dependent on him or anyone else, for that matter.
The day before I started my new waitressing gig at the club, I received an email that relieved a lot of the pressure that had been building in my mind. I went through it three times to make sure I was reading it correctly. As soon as it sank in that it was actually real, I jumped up from where I sat on Carter’s couch and ran to find him.
“Carter!” I yelled as I burst into the bedroom where he was sorting through a couple of small boxes he’d shoved in the closet during the move.
“What’s up, babe?” He looked away from the pile on the bed in front of him, giving me his undivided attention. That was one of the things I loved most about him. No matter what was going on, he made me feel like I was his top priority.
“You’ll never guess what just happened!”
“Then you’d better tell me. And make it quick. That smile on your face is giving certain parts of my body some inappropriate ideas.”
Was he finally ready to be intimate again? Playing it as cool as I could in the current the circumstances, I sat next to him on the bed and smacked his shoulder with the back of my hand. “Several months back, I was trying to think of ways I could get a new job sooner than I’d planned, so I went down to the university and filled out every scholarship application I could find. It had been so long, I assumed I wasn’t going to get anything.” It felt like the pride was going to explode out of me. “I just got an email from the financial aid office saying I was awarded a small scholarship! The letter said I was selected due to academic achievement during my undergraduate studies!” The money was amazing, but that someone thought I deserved it was the best part.
“Oh my God, that’s great!” He jumped from the bed, came around to my side, and lifted me until my feet were off dangling above the ground. “I’m so proud of you,” he said as he spun around in a circle. He placed me on my feet, his arms still wrapped tightly around me. “So what does this mean?”
“Well, I was worried it would take me six more months to finish saving because of the pay cut I took. Now I think I’ll be able to quit working at the club in just one more month! After that, I can get a normal-person job.”
“This is the best news I’ve heard since you told me you were demoted to waitress!” He moved his hands to the sides of my face and dominated me with an all-consuming kiss.
“I feel like celebrating,” I said when I briefly came up for air. My lips began doing dirty things to his to show him exactly what kind of celebration I had in mind. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed this kind of connection with him.
He broke away from me, lifted the edge of the comforter, and yanked, which sent all of the stuff he’d been sorting through flying to the floor. “Strip and wait for me on the bed. I’ll be right back.”
“Yes, sir,” I said with a salute. It took less than a minute to get naked and spread out on top of the now-rumpled comforter on the queen-size bed. Thank God he didn’t make me wait very long.
“God, you’re so hot.” He swirled a pale liquid in a frosted mug as he strode over to the bed. “My mother would have a heart attack if she knew what was in here, but it’s the best I could do on short notice.”
“What is it?”
“Champagne. It was warm, so I had to put it in here.”
“Of all the horrors!” I mocked and propped myself up on my elbows.
“Enough talk. Lay your pretty ass back down.” The commanding tone in his voice was hella hot.
When I was back where he wanted me, he sat next to me and ran his hands over my bare skin. After a few minutes, he held the cup above me and let the cool liquid drizzle all over my body. “Your nipples hardened before the champagne even hit your skin.” He leaned down and just barely flicked the one of them with the tip of his tongue. “I love how responsive you are.”
“Hurry!” I couldn’t wait much longer; I’d been waiting too long already.
“Yes, ma’am.”
His tongue traced the lines of the sticky liquid from where it had flowed around my dips and curves. The bastard meticulously avoided the spots in the most desperate need of his attention. I loved this take-charge side of him, but I’d had enough. “No more teasing.” My words were followed by a moan as he pinched my nipple and rolled it between his fingers.
“I’m almost there. Patience is a virtue.”
“Please…”
“All right; it is your party after all.” With lightning speed, he stripped out of his clothes and rolled on a condom. With one smooth, yet strong, roll of his hips, he was buried to the hilt inside of me. “God, I’d forgotten just how good you feel.” The twitch in his jaw muscle gave away his struggle to maintain control. “I wish we could stay like this all the time.”
“Me too.”
He pulled all the way out and then slammed his thick cock back inside of me. As his control broke, the speed of his thrusts increased rapidly. When he lost the ability to maintain any kind of rhythm, I couldn’t hold back any longer. “Carter!” I screamed when the stars behind my eyelids went super nova. That was all it took for him to follow me over the edge.
He’d stayed inside of me as long as he could before he had to deal with the condom. After disposing of it, he came back to bed and pulled me into his arms, my head resting on his chest.
“I think we should take a shower and change the sheets,” I said when I couldn’t ignore the wet spot and the stickiness from the champagne any longer.
“I think we should go out and celebrate,” he replied. “I’m thinking a fancy restaurant with real champagne.”
“I’ll have to work an extra week to afford it.” I smiled and threaded our fingers together, resting them on his firm stomach.
“Do you really think I’d let you pay? I’ve gotta take care of my girl. What would people think if I didn’t spoil you every now and then?”
“I doubt there’s anyone who would even notice,” I said, which made me realize something. “It’s been a while since you’ve gone out with your friends.” The last time I knew of was the night of the infamous bachelor pa
rty at my club. “Maybe you should invite them over sometime.”
“Nah, you’re the only one I want to spend time with.”
“You’re going to get sick of me in no time if you keep that attitude.” His body tensed and the arm that was wrapped around me tightened. “What’s bothering you?”
“My friends were at the club that night. It makes me sick to think they might have seen you on stage. I’m not ready to find out yet.”
“Oh, well you can go out with them on your own.”
“No. I want to spend time with you. With us both working again, we won’t have enough time as it is.” He kissed the top of my head. “When you start school, it’ll be even worse.”
“I didn’t think about that.” Trying to get even closer, I wrapped my leg over his hips.
“I’m going to see if I can switch to day shift in the fall. At least that way we’ll get to sleep together all night, every night.”
“I can’t tell you how much I’d love that, but isn’t it more dangerous? I mean, there are way more cars on the roads during the day.”
He paused for a brief moment. “That’s true, but the nighttime drivers are more likely to be drunk. I’d actually thought about switching to days when I moved here a couple of weeks ago, but decided against it because night shift lined up best with your work schedule.”
“You’ve been working third shift just to spend a little extra time with me?”
“Is it that hard to believe?”
Instead of voicing my affirmative answer, I nuzzled against his neck. He hissed and jerked away from my face.
“What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?” I pulled back a little to look at his neck. Just behind his right ear were three short, but angry scratches I’d not noticed before, and knew for a fact I hadn’t caused because they weren’t fresh.
“It’s nothing.” He pulled away and covered the area in question with his hand. “I, uh, scraped it on a piece of equipment at work.”
I pulled his hand away to get a better look. They looked exactly like fingernail scratches to me, but I didn’t know all the different types of equipment used in road construction. Instead of being jealous or going psycho, I chose to believe him. There was no way he’d go through so much shit to be with me, only to turn around and cheat so soon.
“Let me go get you some antibiotic cream and a bandage. Then, since I can’t kiss it and make it better without hurting you, I’ll kiss something else instead.”
*
Another week passed, and although I was back to work, my life was still the best it had ever been.
“Keep your eyes closed,” Carter said as he guided me through the familiar path in the park. I knew where he was taking me; I just didn’t know what to expect when we got there. “Just a few more steps.” When we came to a stop, he adjusted my stance several times until he was completely satisfied with my position.
“Can I open my eyes yet?”
“Patience is a virtue.” He chuckled. Those words transported me right back to his bed. He’d discovered a new passion for teasing me until I begged for him to fuck me.
“Since when am I virtuous?”
“Hey, don’t talk that way about my girl.” He swatted my butt and moved to stand by my side. “Now you can open them.”
“Oh my God! Did you make this for me?” Hanging from a sturdy branch of our tree was a simple swing made out of rope and a single board. My legs didn’t waste any time taking me over to it.
“Yep. It makes me sad that you missed out on so many things most kids take for granted. Hop on.” I couldn’t see Carter’s face, but I’d guess his smile was just as wide as mine.
Lowering myself slowly to make sure it could handle my weight, I sat on the most amazing gift I’d ever received. “How did you know?”
“You love this tree; it just seemed fitting.”
He moved behind me and held on to the ropes, gently rocking me back and forth. “Are you sure you’re real? I still don’t believe men like you exist outside of movies and romance novels.” And, if they did, they certainly wouldn’t want me.
“Of course I’m real. Sometimes I wonder how I got lucky enough to find you. Now hold on tight!” He flattened his hands against my back and gave me a push. My feet kicked in the air as the breeze flowed through my hair
The unfamiliar sound of the giggle escaping my throat was almost startling, but I liked it. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt so free, so lighthearted.
Once I had enough momentum, Carter moved to the side and watched. He broadened his stance and crossed his arms over his chest, as if settling in for the long haul. The smile on his face only grew as he basked in my enjoyment.
As much as I wanted to swing forever, there was something even better I wanted to do. After dragging my feet for several passes, I’d finally slowed down enough to hop off. I immediately jumped onto Carter, wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. Grasping his head between my hands, I tilted his face up and lowered mine until our lips met.
No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t seem to get close enough to him. My tongue plundered his mouth, but it wasn’t enough. My legs squeezed as tightly as they could, but it wasn’t enough.
When he shifted under my weight, I rubbed against the only thing that stood any chance of sating the need I had for him. I let go with my legs and got my feet back under me. Without breaking the kiss, I lowered us both to the ground. Although we hadn’t brought a blanket, the uncut grass was soft enough beneath us to provide a cushion from the hard, unforgiving ground.
“Please, tell me you restocked you wallet,” I pleaded.
He reached into his back pocket and produced said wallet. “Haven’t left home without one since the day I met you.”
“Thank God.” I pulled him down on top of me and started grinding my center against the thigh that had found its way between my shamelessly parted legs.
“Are you sure you want to do this in public? Someone might see us…”
“I don’t care. I just need you, and I need you now.”
We both cursed the tight black-denim shorts I’d decided to wear as I struggled to peel them away. Once I was free of the restrictive shorts, Carter shoved his jeans down to his knees and quickly rolled the condom over his impossibly hard cock. I exhaled in relief as he finally entered me. My body only felt complete when it was joined with his.
The moment was perfect. We were in our spot, making love beneath our tree. If a trip through hell is what brought me to this moment, I’d gladly make the journey all over again. There were times in the past, when I wished I could see five or ten years into the future, hoping what I saw would make it all worth it. This moment was so much better than anything I’d ever imagined. This was everything I’d never let myself hope for.
He knew my secret, and he stayed. He knew my darkest sins and still wanted me. Maybe, just maybe, I wouldn’t have to give him back. Maybe there was hope after all.
Chapter Nine
‡
At the end of my work week, which fell on a Tuesday, I could barely make it up the single flight of stairs to Carter’s apartment. After my fifth day in a row of waiting tables in stilettos, my feet were screaming at me. The rest of my body was tired and sore from balancing on the damned things. If the evil shoes, which now dangled from my fingers, hadn’t been so expensive, I’d have tossed them in the dumpster outside of the club. Or set them on fire. Or put them in a wood chipper and flushed the pieces down the toilet. Thank God I didn’t have to climb the rest of the way up to my apartment; the only place I wanted to climb was into Carter’s bed.
When I made it to the first floor, I let myself in using the key he’d had made for me and then pushed the door closed behind me. “Babe?” I called out while I got settled. The devil heels were tossed into the coat closet, followed by the ballet flats I’d changed into before I left work. After putting my keys back inside, I added my over-sized bag to the top of the pile before sliding the door closed.<
br />
When I took a few more steps into the apartment, I could hear the shower running. Since Carter had the night off, he’d asked me to call him when I left work so he could be ready for me. I had no idea what he had in mind, but if a shower was a prerequisite, I certainly couldn’t wait to find out. Although I’d showered at the club, I thought about getting in with him anyway. My feet made the decision for me when they passed by the bathroom door in favor of the bedroom.
As tired as I was, there was no way I’d voluntarily miss out on a naked, dripping wet boyfriend. Boyfriend. Damn, that word still sounded strange in my head. My panties were the only thing on my body by the time I snuggled under the covers to wait for him. Carter liked it when I left something on—said it was like unwrapping a present—but not too much because he didn’t like wasting time. The steady patter of the shower in the next room was like a soothing lullaby. No matter how hard I tried to fight it, my eyelids became too heavy to keep open.
*
I dreamt I was falling, and when I reached out to brace myself, my hand came in contact with a denim-covered thigh. It was one of those dreams that wake you up when your body tries to catch itself. When I started to regain my wits, the sensations didn’t go away. I could tell I was still on the bed but had rolled from my side onto my stomach. My fingertips moved tentatively, only to realize the distinctive feel of jeans was real. My eyes were instantly open, and any remaining fogginess evaporated from my mind.
I took a quick inventory of my surroundings. The shower was still running, so I couldn’t have been asleep more than a few minutes. The lights in the room were still off. A dark figure was looming on the bed next to me, which must have caused the mattress to dip and me to roll. It was much too large to be Carter. Hoping to get out at least one good scream, I filled my lungs with as much air as possible. Before I could release it, a large hand encased in a leather glove slammed down over my nose and mouth.
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