Too Late

by Colleen Hoover

  "Some of us have class tomorrow," I say, rubbing it in yet again that I got the shitty end of the assignment. "I'll be out by noon, though."

  Dalton nods and turns back toward the house. "You invite that hot piece of ass from your Spanish class to the party?"

  "Nope. This isn't her style." Not to mention the fact that she doesn't need an invite. She's smack dab in the middle of this shit.

  He nods, knowing inviting someone into this lifestyle is something I would never do. Dalton can take on and absorb his role like nothing I've ever seen. He's had long-term relationships while undercover, even went so far as to propose once, just to keep up appearances. Of course, once the job's over, he has no problem disappearing. There's still a huge part of me that knows every person I meet while I'm Carter, is still that...a person. I don't want to mislead anyone unnecessarily, so I make it a point to be on guard and never let these things go too deep.

  He closes the door behind him and I stand alone in the front yard, staring at the house that has just become my assignment for at least the next two months. Undercover work wasn't really what I joined the force for, but it's what I'm good at. Unfortunately, I've got a really bad feeling about this one...and I've only been here a day.

  I spend the next couple of hours being escorted in and out of rooms by Asa, shaking hands with more people than I can count. At first I try to keep mental notes of everyone I meet and the way they interact with Asa, but by the fourth beer that is shoved into my hands, I stop trying. There'll be plenty of time to get to know everyone; I don't need to be too focused right now. I'm still so new to this crowd, I don't want to give anyone reason for suspicion.

  I finally break away long enough to go look for a bathroom. When I find one, the guy I now know as Jon, and two girls who can't be older than nineteen, occupy it. I close the door faster than I opened it, then head upstairs hoping to find one that isn't being used as a brothel.

  I remain in the bathroom for a good ten minutes longer than I need to. I pour my beer into the sink and fill the bottle with tap water, having gone well past my personal quota for the night. I need to spend the next few weeks completely sober.

  I stare at myself in the mirror, hoping I can pull this off. I'm not from this area, so I'm not worried about being recognized. What I'm worried about is the fact that I'm not like Dalton. I can't just turn it on and off like he does. The things I see here are the things I see when I close my eyes at night. And based on what I saw between Sloan and Asa today, I won't be getting much sleep.

  I run a washcloth under the water and wet my face, willing myself to sober up before I exit the bathroom. I toss the washcloth into the hamper of clothes. I stare at the hamper, full to the brim of dirty laundry, and wonder if Sloan is the only girl who lives here. I'm assuming she's probably the one who gets stuck with all the laundry. Not to mention the rest of the house.

  When Asa and I walked in on her cleaning the kitchen this afternoon, he stopped in the doorway and watched her clean for a moment. I stood over his shoulder, taken aback by the fact that it was the same girl from class this morning...but more so by just how beautiful she was, swaying to the music. The lyrics to the iconic Rick Springfield song, "Jessie's Girl," were running through my mind as I stood behind Asa, watching him watch her. I wanted to be the one watching her like that.

  Like she was mine.

  I inhale deeply and open the bathroom door. My eyes are pulled to the vision standing in the doorway across the hall. She spins around when she hears the bathroom door open, and her slinky dress spins with her. When she comes to a standstill, I can't pull my eyes away from the dress. It hugs her in all the right places, the spaghetti straps holding up a barely-there top that squeezes her breasts together, leaving no room for any type of bra. It pisses me off that I'm mentally thanking Asa for telling her to put on this dress.

  Breathe, Luke. Breathe.

  I finally bring my eyes to meet hers, and the look on her face doesn't match the sexy, confidant attire she's sporting. It looks like she's been crying.

  "You okay?" I ask, taking a step toward her. She glances at the stairwell with a look of fear in her eyes, then back up at me. She nods and starts to head toward the stairs, so I reach out and grab her hand, pulling her back. "Sloan, wait."

  She faces me. The girl I'm looking at right now is not the girl I met in class today. This girl is fragile. Scared. Broken.

  She takes a step toward me, folding her arms across her chest. She stares down at the floor between us, tugging on her lip with her teeth. "Why are you here, Carter?"

  I don't know how to answer her. I don't want to lie, but I also can't tell her the truth. I'm pretty sure it would be frowned upon if I told the girlfriend of the guy I'm trying to bust the real reason why I'm here.

  "I was invited," I say.

  She darts her head up. "You know what I mean. Why are you even involved in all of this?"

  "You're dating the very reason why I'm here," I say, referring to our mutual involvement with Asa. "It's just a job."

  She rolls her eyes as though she's heard that excuse before. Probably from Asa. But the difference between my excuse and Asa's, is that mine is the truth. She just doesn't know exactly how much of a job it really is.

  I sigh and try to ease some of the tension between us. "Sloan, I think it's safe to say we both left a few important facts out of our class assignment today."

  She releases a pained laugh. "Yeah. He should have assigned us more than three. I think five would have covered it."

  "Yep," I say. "Five facts probably would have been enough to clue me in to the fact that you have a boyfriend."

  She glances up at me, her chin tucked in. "I'm sorry," she says quietly.

  "For what?"

  She drops her shoulders and lowers her voice even more. "For the way I acted in class today. For flirting with you. I shouldn't have said some of the things I said. I swear I'm not that kind of girl. I would have never..."

  "Sloan," I interrupt, hooking my finger under her chin. I stare down at her, knowing full well I need to drop my hand and back the fuck away from her. "I don't think that about you at all. It was harmless fun, that's it."

  The word harmless looms in the air like a dark, ominous cloud. We both know that Asa is anything but harmless. Talking to her in class, standing with her in this hallway...it's the harmless moments like these that, if they occur enough, will end up being a hell of a lot more than just harmless. Asa's threat from earlier repeats in my mind. Everything about this girl is off limits. Asa has made that clear...my career makes that clear. Why can't I see it that clearly?

  I begin to drop my hand when a voice from behind us causes us both to jump.

  "You're missing the party, man."

  I spin around and Dalton is at the top of the stairwell, eyeing me like he's about to beat my ass. He has every right to, considering the mess I almost just got myself in.

  "Yeah." I take a deep breath and turn back around to face her. "We'll talk in class," I whisper. She nods and lets out a breath, relieved that the voice at the top of the stairs belonged to Dalton and not Asa. She's not the only one relieved by that.

  She turns around and heads back into her room, rather than downstairs. I can see now, based on her environment, why she doesn't get any sleep.

  As soon as the door closes behind her, I spin around and come face-to-face with Dalton. His nostrils are flaring, a dead giveaway that he's about to hit me. He shoves me against the wall and wedges his arm between my chest and throat.

  "Don't fuck this up," he seethes. He slaps his palm against the side of my head. "Play smart."

  I fold my arms behind my head and lean back on the pillow. "Take off your panties."

  She grins and bends forward, hooking her thumbs in her panties as she slowly slides them down over her hips. Her breasts are pushed together nicely in a transparent black bra. I think I'll let her leave that one on.

  "Come here."

  She bends down on the bed and crawls towa
rd me, her long blonde hair tracing up my legs as she slowly glides up my body. She positions herself above me, straddling me. This chick knows what she's doing. That can be both good and bad. I like a girl who knows how to fuck, but it also makes me wonder how many guys she's had to fuck in order to get so good. I reach over to the nightstand and grab a condom, handing it to her.

  "Put it on," I command. She keeps her eyes trained on mine as she opens it, then brings her hands to my dick. I grab her wrists and shake my head. "With your mouth."

  She grins and begins to lower her head when I hear the footsteps. Then the bedroom doorknob makes an unsuccessful turn. Fuck.

  "Asa, open the door!" Sloan yells from outside the room.

  "Fuck!" I shove the girl onto her back. I stand up and grab my pants, pulling them on as the girl on the bed looks back and forth between the door and me. I pick her clothes up off the floor and throw them toward the closet, pointing for her to go hide.

  She stands up and scoffs at my demand, shaking her head.

  If this bitch really thinks she's about to walk out of this room with Sloan on the other side of the door, she's delusional. I grab her by the shoulders and shove her toward the closet.

  "Just for a few minutes," I whisper. She starts to object, so I cover her mouth with mine. Whatever it takes to shut her up. I drop my hand between her legs, feeling her rely on me for support as her knees begin to buckle beneath her. Needless to say, her anger dissolves with each stroke. She moans into my mouth and I push her farther into my closet, just as Sloan beats on the door for a second time.

  "Two minutes," I whisper. "I'll get rid of her."

  I kiss her again, then shut the closet door. I grab a towel and wipe my hands, then walk to the bedroom door and open it.

  "It's four o'clock in the afternoon, why are you asleep?" Sloan says, shoving past me.

  She's heading toward the closet, so I grab her by the waist and pull her down onto the bed. "I had class all day. I'm tired," I say, knowing the lie will ease her resolve.

  It does.

  She relaxes and curls into my chest. "You actually went to class today?"

  I nod and bring my hands to her face, wiping a stray strand of hair out of her eyes, then tucking it behind her ear. I roll her onto her back and hover over her. The distinct bruises on her arms catch my eye, and it reminds me that I never did apologize for that incident in the kitchen.

  "I did go to class," I lie, running my fingers down her arm, over the marks I left on her. "I'm taking it seriously, Sloan. Everything I've promised you. I want to make it better." I bend down and kiss the fingertip bruises. "I love you, babe," I say softly. "I didn't mean to hurt you. Sometimes I forget how fragile your skin is."

  She presses her lips into a thin line and swallows. I can tell she's trying not to cry. This is going to take a little more work than I thought. "God, Sloan. I don't deserve you. I swear to you, I'll make it better. I'll make it better for both of us, okay?" I take both of her cheeks between the palms of my hands and I kiss her deeply. I know a girl likes it when a guy holds her face while he kisses her; like kissing is his only intention.

  It's bullshit. If guys had their way, their hands would never venture above the tits.

  "I love you," I say again as I glide my hand down to her waist. My dick swells in my pants, getting a hell of a lot harder than the whore in the closet could get it.

  As many girls as I've been with, I can honestly say Sloan turns me on more than any of them. I don't know what it is about her that I find so much more attractive than the rest of them. Her tits aren't that big and she's not even that curvy.

  I think it's her innocence. I like knowing I'm the first and only guy who's ever fucked her. I like knowing I'll be the only guy who'll ever fuck her.

  I slide my hand underneath her shirt and pull the lace of her bra down. "Let me make it up to you," I whisper. I press my mouth to the thin layer of shirt covering her nipple, and I take it between my teeth. She moans and arches her back, but pushes against my chest.

  "Asa, I just left the gym. I'm all sweaty. Let me take a shower first."

  I release her nipple from my mouth and attempt to change her mind by running my hand between her legs, rubbing at the denim of her jeans. "You're perfect," I say, licking at the sweet, sweaty skin of her neck. She stiffens, so I increase the pressure of my hand. "Relax," I whisper. She fights it, but I can feel her slowly melting against my hand. I let the subtle movement of her hips guide my hand to the right spot. I work her up, harder and harder, until she's on the verge of falling apart beneath my fingertips.

  She gives in to my coercion and relaxes her arms above her head. I sit up on my knees and unbutton her pants, easing them down her hips far enough to give me access. I slip my fingers underneath the edge of her panties and ease two of them inside of her. She moans and grasps at the sheets, balling them up in knots between her white-knuckled fists. I slowly ease my fingers in and out of her, teasing her clit with the pad of my thumb. I rake my eyes over her body as I build up speed with my hand. As soon as I feel the shudders rising up from her, I cover her mouth with mine and kiss her hard. She lets out a scream that's completely muffled by my mouth. God, I love it when she screams into my mouth. Her breath slides down my throat in labored waves, mixing with mine. I continue rubbing her until she stiffens beneath me and tries to pull my hand away. I slip my hand out of her panties, pulling them back into position.

  "You can go shower now." I kiss her again and she grabs my face, then pushes me onto my back and rolls on top of me.

  "What about you?" she asks, reaching down to unzip my pants.

  I grab her hand and pull it away. "I owed you one," I say. "Now go shower. We're going out tonight."

  She smiles. "Like on a date?"

  "Not like a date. It is a date."

  She grins and hops off of me, heading toward the door.

  "Lock it on your way out," I say.

  She pauses and turns around. "Why?"

  I grab the bulge in my pants. "I need to finish what you started."

  She crinkles up her nose and rolls her eyes, but she locks the door behind her. I jump up and check the lock, then turn around, just as whatever-her-name-is comes barging out of the closet. She points her finger at me and practically spits venom when she speaks. "You sick fuck!"

  I grab the hand that's pointing in my face and spin it around, wrapping her arm behind her back. I lean into her ear and press my hard-on against her stomach. "Hey, hey," I say quietly, attempting to calm her down. I run my fingers down her cheek and lightly kiss her lips. "I saved the best part for you." I press her down onto the bed, ass first. I drop my pants and kick them off, then reach for the condom and slide it on. The girl lies back on the bed and spreads her legs open.

  Fucking whore.

  I kneel down on the bed and position myself between her legs. I slide my hands underneath her back and bring them up from behind, gripping her shoulders with a firm hold. I wait silently and listen for the water to start running across the hall. When the shower starts up, I grip her tighter and slam into her so hard, she screams. I immediately put my hand over her mouth and continue slamming against her. I can't tell if she's screaming into my hand because she likes it, or because I'm fucking her so hard it hurts. The fact that I can't tell the difference turns me on even more.

  It doesn't take me long at all. Knowing I just made Sloan scream in this same spot less than two minutes ago is enough to make me finish without even having my dick balls-deep in some whore. I squeeze my eyes shut and slam into her one last time, holding my position for several seconds while her moans are still being suppressed by my hand. I drop onto my elbows and take one of her nipples in my mouth, sucking and pulling on it until every last bit of me is released.

  I relax against the girl's chest and pull out. She whimpers, squeezing her thighs against my hips, wanting more. The thought of making two girls climax beneath my fingertips just minutes apart is more than even I have ever accomplished. I toss the
condom into the trash, then lie down beside her. I push her thighs apart, then shove two fingers deep inside her, watching as her eyes roll back in her head.

  I press my cheek against hers and ease my fingers in and out. "You like this?" I whisper in her ear. She moans and breathes a yes, so I force a third finger inside her, feeling her stretch around my hand. She breathes a much louder yes this time.

  I shove the fourth finger inside her, watching as she grimaces in pain. I rub my thumb over her clit and cup my fingers upward, finding the exact spot that sends her into a tailspin.

  "You like it when I fuck you with my hand?"

  She becomes louder, moaning and grunting and yelling my name. I have to cover her goddamn mouth again with my free hand.

  I pull back and look her in the eyes. "Did you watch me fuck my girlfriend with this hand? Did that turn you on?"

  Her eyes grow wide and she doesn't respond, so I ask her again.

  "Did it?" I say, pausing the movement of my hand, causing her to whimper. I know how close she is to releasing, so I use her desperation to my advantage.

  "Tell me you liked it."

  She moans, pressing herself against my hand, silently begging me to keep going. I pull my fingers out of her and bring them up to her mouth.

  "Taste her," I say, tracing my wet fingers along her bottom lip.

  She turns her face to the side, not wanting to take my fingers in her mouth. My dick is hard again, so I position myself on top of her. The need growing between her legs makes her desperate. She tilts her face back toward me, just like I knew she would, and reluctantly opens her mouth. I grab her jaw with my other hand and force her mouth open wider, shoving two of my fingers inside.

  "Suck," I demand. She closes her lips over my fingers and sucks them.

  "Does she taste good?" I ask, rubbing myself against her faster and harder, bringing her right to the edge with me.

  She moans and nods her head, grabbing my wrist with her hand, taking turns sucking each of my fingers down to the knuckles. The feel of her tongue sliding up and down my fingers nearly makes me bust it all over her. "Fuuuck," I groan. I pull my hand out of her mouth.