But, would he really stoop this low? Framing Carter? Would he really abuse his authority, just to tighten his grip on me?
To be honest and perfectly fair, I don't have an answer for that question any more than the ten thousand other questions firing through my mind right now.
“Carter told me your brother came back droppin' threats when he found out you two were back together again,” Pops says. “Says he'd set me up for murder if Carter didn't walk away from you – again.”
“Yeah, Carter and I talked about that. He believes that you didn't do what Mason is accusing you of,” I say. “He said you're the best, most honorable man he knows.”
“If your brother is willing to railroad me to prison for murders, he knows I didn't commit,” Pops goes on, “is it that far of a reach to think that he'd set Carter up with some fake sidepiece to fuck with you both? Just to get into your head and drive a wedge between you two? I mean, come on. That's pretty benign on the scale of bullshit your brother seems capable of pullin’.”
Put in terms that simple and stark, I can see his point. And it casts a hell of a lot of doubt on what I saw that night at Carter's place.
I don't know. I just don't know who to believe right now.
“My advice? Talk to your brother,” Pops says. “See if he can convince you of the truth.”
“My head is so clouded right now, I don't know that I'd know the truth if it walked up and smacked me across the face.”
His smile is warm and genuine.
“Carter is a good man, Darby,” Pops says, his voice earnest. “Don't let anything your brother says make you doubt that. Your brother has an agenda. Carter's only agenda is to love you.”
I can't stop the tears from spilling down my cheeks. I tried, but I just can't hold them back anymore. The last thing I want to do is blubber or slip into hysterics in front of Pops. He gives me a small, warm smile, and for all the world, it feels like a grandfather trying to console his favorite granddaughter.
“Oh no, Pops,” Adriana says as she walks back into the room, her face aghast. “What did you do? What did you say to her?”
He rolls his eyes and lets out a loud snort. “Christ,” he says. “I've been around the Terminator here so long, I almost forgot that people have emotions.”
I shake my head. “He didn't say anything,” I say. “If anything, he's helped me out. A lot.”
Adriana eyes me for a moment before frowning at Pops. “You sure you didn't do anything, old man?”
He laughs. “For once, no.”
She chuckles and looks over at me again. “You’re okay, though, honey?”
I nod and wipe at my eyes. “Yeah. I'm good, actually.”
I stand up and walk over to where Pops is sitting. I wrap my arms around the back of his neck, pulling him into a tight embrace. He hugs me in return, softly patting my back. Eventually, I pull back and wipe away the last of the tears.
“Thank you, Pops,” I say. “You’re everything Carter said you were and more.”
“Oh boy,” Adriana says. “You pump up that ego on this old man anymore and he's going to be even more unbearable than usual.”
“Hey, maybe if I'm unbearable enough, you can give me a spanking,” he says.
“In your dreams, old man,” she laughs. “In your dreams.”
She's smiling and rests a hand on Pops' shoulder. The affection between them is palpable and heartwarming.
“Thank you, Pops,” I say. “Thanks for talking to me. I really appreciate it.”
“Anytime, doll,” he says. “I mean that. Come by anytime. It'd be nice to see a beautiful smiling face once in a while, instead of this beautiful scowling face I usually see. Somethin' to break up the monotony is always appreciated.”
Adriana playfully slaps him on the shoulder and laughs. I bid them both a good day and turn, leaving his apartment. As I exit the building and hail a cab, a cold gust of wind hits me, making me pull my sweater a little tighter around me, reminding me that winter is upon us.
All the while I'm standing there, waiting for my cab, my head is spinning in a million different directions, and I'm honestly not sure where it's going to stop.
At least I have a little more information to work with, which makes my next step a little bit easier.
Chapter Nineteen
Carter
I'm standing by the front door of my place, waiting for the elevator doors to open. Exactly where I’ve been since I got the call from the desk that Darby was downstairs and wanted to come up. After what seems like an eternity, I hear the soft chime of the elevator, followed by the sounds of the doors opening. And when Darby steps out into the hall, I feel my heart stutter drunkenly inside of me.
Just seeing her again makes my heart swell and infuses me with a sense of hope. Seeing her face makes me believe that there's nothing we that can't overcome together. I want to believe in that so much.
“Hey,” I say when she approaches.
“Hey,” she replies, avoiding my eyes.
I step forward to pull her into an embrace, but she steps back, recoiling from me, so I raise my hands in surrender. I don’t blame her – I’ll respect her boundaries.
For now, I need to be patient and let her play this out on her terms.
“Come in,” I say.
I follow her in and close the door behind us. She folds her arms over her midsection, almost protectively, and walks immediately over to the windows, gazing out at the city beyond. The sky is slate gray, and the forecast is promising our first snow in the next few days. It certainly feels cold enough out there to do it.
Standing there, looking at her from behind, the urge to take her in my arms is almost overpowering. It's all I can do to stop myself from going to her. But, I know I can't. She's obviously not ready for that yet. And until she is, I need to keep my distance. Being near her is too tempting, and the last thing I want to do is scare her off or give her a reason to run.
“Wine?” I ask.
She nods, but doesn't say anything, so I walk to the bar and take a bottle out of the refrigerator. I pour her a glass and get myself a drink while I'm at it. The lights in the main room are dim, most of the illumination coming from the fireplace. Soft jazz plays over the sound system, and as I look around, I realize how unintentionally romantic the setting is. Talk about sending the wrong fucking signal.
I reach over to flip the light switch, but Darby's voice stops me.
“No, leave it,” she says, obviously watching me in the reflection of the window. “It's fine. I'd rather it not be too bright in here anyway.”
“Okay,” I say and carry her wine over to her.
She accepts the glass with a small smile, and then turns away. Her tone is clipped, her body tense, and there is a wariness in her eyes I've never seen before. The distance between us – a chasm really – is killing me. I'm dying to do something – anything – to bridge that gap and get back to being us again. There's nothing I can do at the moment though, so I retreat a few steps back and sit on one of the stools at the bar.
“I talked to Pops,” she says.
“Yeah, he mentioned you'd stopped by,” I reply. “I'm glad you met him. He seemed really fond of you.”
I was curious when I heard she dropped by his place. I'd forgotten that I told her where he was living. Her mind though, is apparently like Eddie's – a steel fuckin' trap. I honestly don't know what they had to talk about, or why it prompted her to finally contact me after days of radio silence. Not that I care, honestly. I'm just glad she finally contacted me.
“Pops loves you a lot,” she says and takes a sip of her wine.
“And I love that old man a lot too.”
She nods. “I know,” she says. “He's a good man. Just like you said.”
“He is.”
I want to tell her about everything that happened after she left. Want to tell her what a piece of shit her brother is. But, she's dipping her toes in the waters right now and I don't want to force her hand by pushing
her into the deep end just yet. We'll get there eventually, but right now, this is her show.
“I've missed you,” she says, which surprises me – but heartens me at the same time.
“I've missed you too, Darby,” I say. “More than I can even begin to tell you.”
There's a faint smile on her lips, but a strange look in her eye that I can't interpret. She turns and walks toward me. I feel my heart beat harder with every step she takes, and when she's standing before me, and I catch a faint whiff of her perfume, of her, I feel like it’s going to explode.
Her eyes fixed to mine, she takes a long drink of her wine and sets the glass down on the bar next to me. Next, she takes the glass out of my hands and sets it next to hers. Her eyes are so direct. So penetrating. And I know the next words out of her mouth are going to be important.
“Do you love me, Carter?”
I rock backward, the breath leaving my lungs, as if she'd just punched me. It's not the question I was expecting. Not even close. It takes me a minute to get my bearings, and I sit there gaping at her for a few seconds, my head a swirling mass of confusion at the sudden change in conversation – what little conversation there was, anyway. Slowly, I start to gather myself and nod.
“With all of my heart and everything in me,” I say. “I love you, Darby White. Always have. Always will.”
Darby takes my face in her hands and pulls me to her, kissing me hard and deep. I can feel every ounce of her pain, her pleasure, her passion, and her doubts in that kiss. I pull her to me, wrapping her small body in my arms, relishing the feel of her warm body against mine.
“I love you, Darby,” I say. “I've always loved you. Ever since we met again outside of Pops' bar all those years ago. I fell in love with you that day and that love hasn't diminished one iota since then.”
Tears roll down her cheeks and she kisses me again. When she looks at me, I wipe away the tears, completely captivated by those vibrant green eyes, just like all those years ago.
I pull her to me and kiss her again, hoping she can feel the depth of my emotions through the action. She gasps softly as I kiss her neck, sliding my hands through her hair and down her back. Darby presses herself harder against me, grinding against my rapidly thickening cock.
This is not how I expected this evening to go, to be honest. But, I'm liking this turn of events. I'm liking it a lot. And I'm guessing this is her way of saying she believes me.
Taking her hand, I get off the barstool and lead her through the house, and take her into the master bathroom. Turning the lights on, I quickly dim them to a more romantic setting, and add some bubbles and salts to the tub as I turn on the warm water, filling the jetted tub that could easily accommodate four people.
“I never took you for a bubble bath kind of guy,” she says softly.
I laugh softly, more than glad to hear her sarcasm return. “Nothing beats coming home from a long day to a warm bubble bath and a drink.”
“I can probably think of a few better things.”
I pull her to me and kiss her again. As our tongues swirl together, I unbutton her shirt, tossing it onto the counter. Standing behind her, I unhook her bra, then slide the zipper down on her pencil skirt. I take both items and throw them onto the counter. They land on top of her shirt as Darby kicks off her heels. I turn around to let her watch me pull my shirt off over my head. I drop it to the floor and then unbutton my slacks. I kick my own shoes and socks off, and then let the slacks fall down to the floor, pooling around my feet.
Darby bites her bottom lip as she takes me in from head to toe. I step over to her. I lean down and kiss her again, a little more gently this time. I lead her over to the tub, and guide her into it. Feeling optimistic, I also grab a condom from my bedside table as Darby sinks down into the water, letting out a soft sigh of relief. I join her in the tub, setting the condom to the side. When the water is high enough, I shut off the faucets.
We sit side by side in silence for a minute or two, simply relaxing in the warm water and staring into one another's eyes. It's intimate and I can feel the bonds between us growing and strengthening as the icy atmosphere around her begins to thaw.
“Why haven't you told me before?” she asks softly. “That you love me?”
I let out a breath. “I was afraid to.”
“Afraid?”
I nod. “I keep thinking – fearing, actually – that one day you're going to wake up and realize you can do better than me. That you should do better,” I explain. “Your brother isn't wrong – you really are too good for me, Darby. I was afraid to tell you how I really felt because that would make it real. And when feelings are real, people get hurt.”
She puts her hand on my cheek, leans forward, and kisses me softly. “None of that is true.”
I shake my head “It is though,” I say. “You are better than me.”
Darby kisses me again, but lets her lips linger. Slowly, our kiss grows more passionate and heated than before. The look in her eyes is one of absolute desire, which only fans the flames inside of me.
“Fuck,” I moan as I feel her hand beneath the water gripping my cock.
She starts to move her hand up and down, stroking me firmly and with purpose. It feels so fucking good and I softly call out her name until I can’t take it anymore.
I reach over and pull her into my lap. She sits astride me, her hands wrapped around the back of my neck, her eyes burning with a feverish intensity. I kiss her, sliding my hands up her back, slick with the water and soap, and bring them around, cupping her breasts. I lean forward and take her stiff nipple into my mouth, giving it a nip that makes her moan. The feel of her wet, slick body pressed to mine makes me impossibly hard. I can't get enough of this woman. I want to completely consume her.
I open the condom wrapper, sliding it down my cock as Darby reaches down and grabs hold of my hard length. She guides it into her warm, sweet opening and lowers herself down on it. Her forehead pressed to mine, she bites her bottom lip as she takes me inside inch by inch. When I'm fully sheathed inside of her, Darby pushes me even deeper before throwing her head back and crying out.
I slide my hands back down beneath the water and grab hold of her firm, tight ass, helping set the rhythm as she starts to slowly move up and down on my cock, the water gently splashing around us. I kiss her neck, running my tongue down to her breasts and back up again. Darby moans my name as she rides me. It never fails to amaze me how good it feels to be inside of her.
The water in the tub is sloshing, spraying above the rim, as Darby's movements start to grow frantic. Her pace growing fevered. She's thrusting herself up and down, impaling herself on my cock, crying out with every thrust.
“Yes, Carter,” she gasps. “Fuck, baby.”
After all the uncertainty of the past few days, we both needed this validation of our love. We needed to feel connected. Bonded. Electric sensations course through my body, and it feels like my skin is on fire as rides me, her warm, wet pussy gripping me tight. I feel her muscles tensing up, and she grows even tighter as she comes closer to the brink.
A moment later, she digs her nails into my shoulders, and I gasp as she throws her head back and screams. It's primal – a release of every pent-up emotion she's been carrying with her the last few days. Shuddering and breathing heavily, she leans forward, pressing her forehead to my chest, as she rides out her orgasm.
“Oh my God, Carter,” she cries out.
After that, her words break down into an incoherent jumble of sounds. Darby grinds her pussy against me, her body shaking hard as her orgasm tears through her body.
Slowly, her grip on my hair loosens and her body begins to relax again. Her breathing slows and when I look at her, I see that her cheeks are flushed, and she's smiling wide at me.
“That was amazing,” she says.
I give her a smile. “I can't get enough of you, baby.”
She bites her bottom lip, a sultry look in her eye.
“Fuck me,” she whispers.
As if she's cast a spell on me, I do exactly as she commands. I start pushing my hips harder and faster, plunging my cock in and out of her depths, unable to control myself. Unable to slow down. The water sloshes higher and higher in the tub, and I hear it slopping onto the tile below, but I don't care. It'll get cleaned up.
“Yes, oh God,” Darby moans. “Just like that.”
My pace is torrid, my breathing ragged, and the pressure inside of me is building to one powerful crescendo. I know I'm not going to last much longer.
“Come for me, Carter,” she moans softly. “I want you to come so fucking hard for me.”
As if that is the magic key that unlocks the dam, her words send a bolt of white lightning through me, searing my every nerve ending. A sound that's nowhere near human erupts from my throat and I feel my body tighten to the breaking point. I grit my teeth as I explode inside of Darby.
We stay like that, linked together, looking deep into one another's eyes as that post-coital glow wraps us up in its warm embrace. It's as if after everything that's happened the last few days, we needed this life and love-affirming act.
“I think there's more water on the floor than there is left in the tub,” Darby says and laughs.
I shrug. “That's why I have a cleaning service.”
She laughs and smacks me in the shoulder. Her smile is wide and bright – and is easily the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I catch her gaze and hold it, letting my eyes bore deep into hers.
“I love you, Darby,” I say.
“And I love you,” she replies softly.
“I'm sorry I haven't told you that before now. I should have.”
She gives me a funny little grin. “But, now you have. It's a Christmas miracle.”
I laugh and shake my head. “Yeah, let's not get carried away.”
“Scrooge.”
“That's me.”
“Yeah, I know better than that,” she says. “Tell me you love me again.”
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