Really, that was what she was worried about? They were forcing me into a relationship with the biggest dick on the planet and she is worried about me living in the city alone. I rolled my eyes. I could take care of myself. As much as I didn’t want to tell her, I figured it would just be for the best.
ME: DON’T TELL DAD, MOM, BUT I AM WITH CARTER.
MOM: CARTER?
ME: YES, MOM. CARTER, MY EX, THE BOY FROM OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
MOM: NEITHER YOUR FATHER NOR TRENT WOULD WANT TO KNOW YOU’RE STAYING WITH ANOTHER MAN. I THINK YOU SHOULD COME HOME.
ME: I’M NOT COMING HOME. I’M TAKING SOME TIME, MOM. END OF STORY.
MOM: YOU ARE COMING TO THE ANNIVERSARY DINNER, AREN’T YOU?
My heart sank. I hadn’t asked Carter to join me for this dinner, and I wasn’t sure if he would say yes, but I had to ask him.
ME: YES, I WILL BE THERE.
I could only imagine the look on their faces when I showed up with Carter. I laughed as I imagined her sitting there with my dad, his head about to pop off. I would make a trip home before the dinner and speak with my father. I lay my phone down on the side of the tub. I didn’t want to read any more from her.
When my phone pinged again, I decided I’d had enough of relaxing. I shut my phone off, got out of the tub, dried myself off, and wrapped the plush black towel around me. I grabbed my phone and my tea, opened the bathroom door, and went to the small kitchen to drop my mug in the sink. I grabbed an apple from the fridge and turned to head into the living room when I came face to chest with a man.
I let out a loud scream, dropping my apple and phone onto the floor.
“Princess, relax, it’s only me. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Fuck, Carter.” I took in a deep breath, trying to calm my rapidly beating heart. I watched as his eyes skimmed my body from the floor up.
“I’m...I’m sorry. I didn’t think you would be home already,” I mumbled and looked down at myself. “I’m not very appropriately dressed to be running around the apartment, am I?”
“To be honest, I think you might be a little overdressed.” As the words fell from his lips, a rush of warmth filled my body. He wore that sexy smirk I had grown to love.
He reached behind his head, and in one swift motion, peeled the shirt from his body. I couldn’t help but look at the perfectly chiseled body that stood before me: broad shoulders, defined pecs, and an eight-pack of abs I was suddenly dying to lick. He put Trent to shame. Honestly, he put most men to shame. God, I had to get a hold of myself.
As he came closer, I stepped back until the counter was firmly planted in my back. I could feel the heat from his body pouring off him as my face met his chest. He placed two fingers under my chin so that his eyes never left mine. Once our eyes locked, his fingers left my chin and slid down to the edge of the towel that was wrapped around me. His fingers traced along the edge of the towel, his fingers grazing my skin occasionally, before he finally gave a little tug and the towel fell away from my body. “Whoops,” he chuckled. I could feel my face going red as his eyes trailed down my body. I still wasn’t used to him seeing me naked. “That’s better.” He winked, his lips meeting mine.
His hands wrapped around me, squeezing my ass as he pulled me closer to him. He picked me up and started carrying me to his room when a knock on the door stopped us. We both looked to the door. “Fuck,” he mumbled, placing me back on the ground. “I’m going to get that, just in case it’s my brother. He has a key. I don’t want him barging in here interrupting us. Go get into bed. I’ll be right there,” he growled.
I nodded and made my way to his room, crawling under the covers. I lay there listening, and that was when I heard Felice’s voice saying something about next weekend and needing a date. My heart sank at first, but then I heard him mumble something about being busy that weekend, and seconds later, he stood in the doorway, smiling at me.
“Sorry about that,” he said as he entered the bedroom. “It was Felice.”
“I thought so. Listen, before we get into anything, do you have plans next weekend?”
“Nope, I’m all yours.”
I smiled. “Good. My parents are having an anniversary party, and I really don’t want to go alone.”
He sat down and let out a breath. “I don’t know, Hope. They’ve never really liked me.”
“I don’t care, I like you. That should be enough.” I got up and straddled his lap, placing little kisses on his lips.
“All right then, I’m all yours.” Wrapping his arms around me, he assaulted my mouth with his tongue, deeply kissing me.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Hope
Ihad borrowed Carter’s vehicleon Wednesday to go see my parents. I drove in silence, thinking of what I was going to say to my father. I pulled into the driveway, shut the car off, and looked up at the house I had known since childhood.