“Don’t count on it,” he replies, sinking into the corner of the couch behind me. Once he’s situated, he drags me between his legs like we were by the fire, only this time, I can feel how hard he is. That reminds me that my pants are unzipped, so I zip them back up and pop the button back through the hole before leaning back against his warm body.
“What movie should we watch?” Brianna asks, scrolling through a collection of available movies on the screen.
My eyes feel so heavy all of a sudden. I can’t even be bothered to look at the screen to see which movies we have to choose from. Leaning my head back against Carter, I tell myself I’ll just rest my eyes for a few seconds, then I’ll be able to pay attention to the movie.
Chapter 21
I wake to the sounds of soft moans and wet, sloppy impact. I’m disoriented for a moment, and I don’t understand what I’m hearing. A masculine grunt joins the mix and she moans again, more sharply this time.
My eyes pop open and I turn my face in the direction of the noises. The basement is dark now, the TV and all the lights off. On the sectional opposite me, Brianna is naked and riding someone. I jerk upright, half-prepared to see Carter beneath her, but when I jerk, one of Carter’s arms falls from around my body.
Another groan and a few murmured, filthy words.
Cartwright. I sink back down in relief, but confusion follows right on its tail. Why is Brianna riding Cartwright? I didn’t think they were dating.
Now that it hits me the sounds are absolutely the sounds of them having sex, my whole body heats with embarrassment. Carter stirs behind me and I tip my head back to look up at him. He’s still in the corner seat of the couch with me between his legs, so we must have fallen asleep while the movie was on.
“Mm, that’s right, just like that. Fuck, Bri,” Cartwright says as she slams down onto him again.
I should not be awake listening to this. I feel like a voyeur, but I don’t know what to do. Would it be rude to interrupt so I can slip away and give them privacy? What is the proper etiquette for something like this?
Carter moves some more, and a moment later I feel him stretch, so I look up at him. He glances at Brianna and Cartwright, but seems much less surprised, and not at all embarrassed.
“Movie must not have been very good,” he murmurs to me.
I have no idea what to say right now. I’m still playing with the idea that if I don’t speak, we can all pretend I haven’t witnessed this.
Carter is not awkward or confused. Leaning forward, he tells me, “Come on,” then climbs off the couch.
Brianna and Cartwright do not stop now that they realize we’re awake, like I expected. They keep at it like nothing changed.
“You two have fun,” Carter tells them, taking my hand and leading me around the sectional. “We’re going to bed.”
“Wait, what time is it?” I ask, realizing it must be pretty late. I need to text my mom. I told her we were watching a movie, not that I was staying the night.
I pat my pockets with my free hand, but find no phone. Did I have my phone in my pocket, or in my purse? Where is my purse? My head throbs and I wish I had my bottle of water, but I left it upstairs.
Carter doesn’t lead me back upstairs, he takes me to the opposite end of the basement where there is a room with a door. He opens the door but doesn’t bother flipping on that light.
“Spare bedroom,” he explains. “Comes in handy when we drink too much to drive home.”
“I didn’t tell my mom I would be spending the night. I need to call her, or at least send her a text so she knows I’m okay.”
Carter closes the door, and everything turns pitch black. Out in the larger part of the basement, there is at least a sliver of light from the windows, but this room has no windows. With the door closed, I can’t see anything.
My heart hammers in my chest at the sudden loss of a sense and my hand shoots out in the dark, feeling for a surface to orient myself.
“Carter,” I say uncertainly.
He finds my hand in the dark and tugs me forward. While my tone is infused with an edge of fear, Carter’s is smooth like honey. “Right here.”
“Can we turn on the light?” I ask.
He ignores my request, pulling me closer, then puts his hands on my shoulders to stop me. His hands slide to the hem of my shirt and he tugs it up over my head. I swallow, doing my best to ignore a flashback of Jake doing the same thing in the empty classroom that day. He unzips my pants and drags my jeans down next. When I go to step out of a leg hole, I lose my balance. He catches me to keep me from falling in the wrong direction, but then pushes me back onto the bed.