When I keep mum, his eyes flicker away from me. “Only if you want to, of course. We can just hop in the car and head back home if you prefer that. No problem at all.”
“Are you serious right now?” The words come out in a rush and a lot louder than I intended, and Carter laughs. I throw my arms around his neck and pull him as close as I can. His heart beats quickly against my own as I try to squeeze his much bigger body as best as I can.
A burst of giggles stirs in my belly, mingling with a thousand butterflies. “I’d absolutely love to stay another day. Are you sure you want to go through all of this craziness again tomorrow?”
He breathes out an easy laugh, tickling the sensitive skin under my ear, before pulling me back and holding me at arm’s length. “Are you kidding me? Today was awesome.”
Since I didn’t think this was Carter’s definition of a fun day, I raise my eyebrows in question.
He pokes me in the ribs, and I giggle again. “Really. You had fun, so I had fun. It’s as simple as that.” He holds his arm out for me, and I wrap my own arm around him, snuggling into his body. “Let’s get the car and drive to the hotel to check in.”
“Wait a second.” I halt mid-step, making him stop too. “Is that why you asked me to bring another set of clothes with me, in case I got dirty?”
His chuckle is low, his eyes sparkling mischievously. “Maybe?”
“Well played. I’ll give you that. Even though I wouldn’t have cared about wearing the same clothes again if it meant we could stay another day in the happiest place on earth.”
“I know, silly. Now let’s go.” He pulls me back into the walking crowd as my heart is ready to burst into a million pieces out of pure joy.
Disney's Grand Californian Hotel is just around the corner, and the concierge at the check-in desk informs us they even have their own entrance to the adventure park.
I’m in heaven.
Even more when we get to the suite, which doesn’t just have top-notch amenities, but is also decorated with all sorts of Disney details. It’s stinking cute, and I can’t help myself from taking pictures of everything.
I’m still taking it all in when Carter gives me a kiss on the cheek. “I’m going to take a shower.”
The spray turns on a moment later in the bathroom while I gaze out the window into the night and the few lights that are still on in the park. Even after spending all day out there, feeling like a child once more—carefree, loved, and simply happy—I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that Carter brought me here.
To the place he knows means so much to me.
The same place I begged both him and my brother to go to every year, even when it wasn’t “cool” anymore.
You won’t accept anything less, and the man you love won’t give you any less. How I wish my mom was here to laugh and cry with.
Noise coming from the bathroom pulls me out of my thoughts, leaving only one thing on my mind.
Carter.
The man who went out of his way to make this date as special as it could possibly be, earning about a million extra points in my book with his thoughtfulness.
My gaze flies to the bathroom door that’s not closed completely. I imagine Carter in the spacious shower, the hot water cascading down his beautiful body . . . If it wasn’t for my own stupid rule, I’d—
I made the dang rule, so I might as well break it.
My clothes are off in two point five seconds, and I sneak into the bathroom as quietly as I can.
Carter’s sculpted back faces me, and I’m a little giddy he hasn’t seen me yet. That bubble quickly bursts as the glass door lets out the longest squeak in history when I close it behind me.
His head snaps around so fast, I’m worried he might have hurt it before my name falls from his lips.
I grimace and wave at him. “Hi there.”
A laugh breaks from his chest as I shake my head at my awkwardness.
At least, he finds it amusing.
When his gaze finds mine again, it’s so heated, I feel it in every single cell of my body.
Even more so when he takes my hand to pull me closer. “What are you doing, Jules? Are you naughty?”
I tilt my head to the side and stare up at him, a hum vibrating in my throat. “What if I am?”
His smirk might be the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. “I wish I could say I’d be all noble and leave you to your shower before we make a mistake, but you’re too much of a temptation, and I want you too much. Only if you’re sure though. If you’re not, say the word, and I’m out of here.”
“Never.” I don’t give him a chance to say another word when I drop to my knees and take matters into my own hands so to speak. And mouth. Soon, I’m relishing in Carter’s groans and his fingers in my hair until he gets impatient and pulls me back up.
Holding my chin securely in his hand, he looks down at me, his pupils so dark, the blue is barely noticeable. “You’re a little vixen, you know that? Putting your mouth on me like this. What am I going to do with you?”
I open my mouth to reply, when he closes the distance between us and captures my lower lip with his teeth before sucking it deeply into his mouth, eliciting a low moan from me. All conscious thoughts fly from my brain when Carter devours my mouth with an intensity that makes me feel like I’m floating.
When his hard length pokes at my belly, I wrap one leg around his hip, silently urging him to give us both what we long for so badly. As he grabs me under my butt, I wrap my other leg tightly around his body too, barely having enough time to take a breath before he drives into me.
He’s relentless as we both chase our high, the intensity between us passionate and a little scary.
When my legs go weak, I have the distant thought that it might not be from this encounter that’s so incredibly sexy, I want to savor this memory for the rest of my life. The way he looks at me, the strong eye contact he holds, the yearning on his face so intense it’s almost overwhelming. Touching me in a way that’s more powerful than anything I’ve ever experienced before.
“Now, Jules.” His words barely make it past his gritted teeth as the orgasm rips through me with such a force, I almost expect us both to land on the floor in one big mushy pile.
Instead, Carter holds on to me, gently pushing me against the cold wall before leaning his forehead on mine as we both listen to our harsh breathing slow down.
“Best shower ever.” Carter’s voice sounds hoarse, his exhales tickling my chin.
The only thing I manage to do is hum in agreement, utterly spent.
“Let’s get cleaned up.”
Puckering my lips, I barely reach his nose to give it a small kiss. “I’m not sure I can move.”
Carter chuckles, slowly easing out of me while I untangle my legs from him, stretching out my legs until my toes reach the tile.
His hands are around my waist, still supporting me while I wait for the feeling to come back into my legs. “You okay?”
“I will be in a minute I think.”
Where’s that built-in shower bench when you need it?
Once I’m certain I can stand on my own, we take turns washing our hair and bodies, Carter never missing a chance to run his fingers down my body or patting my butt. When we’re done, we wrap up in fluffy robes and lie on the king-sized bed.
I stare at the ceiling and groan. “I don’t want to move again.”
“Not even for room service?” Carter’s face appears in my vision, a sly smile on his face as he leans down for a kiss.
“Well . . . if you ask me like that, I’m sure I could move a little.” I giggle, something I’ve done more today than in the last few years combined.
He brushes a wet strand of hair out of my face and wiggles his eyebrows. “So . . . does that mean there are no rules for tonight?” He smirks at me and wiggles his eyebrows.
I’m trying hard to look contemplative but fail miserably and chuckle instead. “I guess you can say that. You’re very hard
to resist on a normal day, but then you take me to my favorite place in the whole world? I’d say that deserved a rule-breaking of the highest form.”
He studies me for a moment. “I hope you know I’d never expect anything from you in return. I’d never want you to do something out of some form of obligation.”
I sit up at his words and shake my head. “Oh goodness, no. You know I would never do anything because I think it’s expected of me.”
“Just wanted to make sure we’re on the same page. I wouldn’t want to pressure you like that.” The corners of his mouth lift in a smirk. “Now come back down here.” He pulls on my arm, and I lie back beside him.
We look at each other, and I wrinkle my nose. “You know, I didn’t really like my own rule anyway, but I thought it would be important for us.”
Taking one of my hands, he brings it to his mouth for a soft kiss. “No point in denying how much I hated the rule from the second you said it, but I understand why you did it. And that’s exactly the reason why nothing else is going to happen tonight, even though I already know it’s going to be pure torture for me. I’ll probably need a really cold shower in the morning. By myself this time. No more sneaking up on me like you did earlier.”
Just the thought of our shower session makes my body tingle in places I thought wouldn’t tingle for a while. “I know you liked my little surprise as much as I did.”
“Are you kidding me? I loved every minute of it.”
My face grows hot at his words. “I’m glad. I enjoyed it too. A lot.”
His hands capture my cheeks, and he gives me one of the softest kisses anyone has ever given me. It’s a kiss that leaves me breathless, the emotions behind it nearly overwhelming me again like in the shower.
Something has changed, every little touch, look, or gesture affecting me in a way that makes me feel safe but also a little anxious. If his wide eyes are anything to go by, he’s just as overwhelmed as I am.
After another long moment of wordlessly staring at each other, I blow out a puff of air and give him a shaky smile. “Should we take a look at the menu?”
He gives me a once-over, and I playfully slap his arm. “Will you stop it already?”
“Sorry. I’ll be good now, I promise.” He gets the menu from his nightstand but gives me a serious look before handing it to me. “Just know that this is important to me, more important than having sex. I want to give us a real chance.”
His words stun me for a moment before I manage to swallow my feelings that threaten to bubble over. This day has turned me into an emotional mess. Lifting one of my hands, I gently run it over his stubbled cheek. “I feel the same, which is the reason I came up with this silly rule, not that I was able to follow it for long.”
The smile on his face is slow and sexy, once more not helping the situation one bit.
“Would you stop looking at me like that already?” I throw my hands in the air and hop off the bed, motioning with my hand for him to give me the menu.
Carter laughs, but gives in to my request.
We order what seems like half the menu and enjoy our quiet night in, breaking my rule once more.
Again, my fault.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Carter
Saying our first date was a success might be the understatement of the year.
No, scratch that.
Understatement of the century.
We had another fun-filled day before heading back to Malibu. It’s impossible to deny how things have changed in one week. We spend as much time together as work allows, and I’m enjoying this new routine of meeting up at her place after a long day of work, not to mention relaxing together on the weekend.
That means I spend most of my time at Julia’s place, and she keeps pointing out how much money I’m wasting on my hotel room. Of course, she’s got a point, but I’m planning on rectifying that as soon as I can.
After all the crap I gave Ollie about doing this exact same thing with Cora and how boring it must be, I finally get it. I can’t imagine there being anything more relaxing than winding down together with a good meal, a great movie, and of course, some mind-blowing sex.
“Carter. What are you still doing in bed?” Julia walks into the room with a towel wrapped around her body and another one around her hair, her eyes wide when she sees me.
I don’t say anything back and shrug. My eyes travel up and down her body, taking in the tanned skin and curves. Curves I wouldn’t mind devouring once more, still not satiated after the sex we had when I got back early from work.
It was weird to go to work this morning after spending all weekend with her. Not in a bad way, just different. But then, I got my first taste of that last week after our Disneyland trip.
When I’m with her, real life almost disappears, and I wonder if I’ll ever get enough of this woman.
“Stop ogling and get ready. Neither the sex nor the catnap was planned, and my brother won’t be happy if we’re late for dinner. It’s a miracle he invited us at all, so we probably don’t want to push our luck just yet.” Gazing out the window for a moment, a deep frown etches her forehead before she snorts. “Even though I’m almost certain this is Cora’s doing. Ollie is way too much of a butthead to come around this quickly by himself.”
Things have been going well with us since our first official date—even though I definitely don’t consider that the start of us, it probably began way earlier than I even realize—but this fight with her brother is harder on her than she admits. I’m not happy about it either, but I’m also not concerned about it. But then it’s her brother and not mine.
Although, I guess that’s not strictly true. I do get it. One of the things their dad impressed upon Ollie was how to care for Julia, how to not only love her but respect her, even though she was younger. And the feeling is mutual.
Yes, they fought. Still fight. But there’s always been a much deeper devotion between them. And I know that’s what Jules worries about the most. That their fierce connection will be lost. But it won’t be. Ollie won’t allow that to happen, and that’s what I’m trusting in.
I get out of bed and walk to where she’s rummaging through her dresser. My footsteps are quiet, swallowed up by the plush cream carpet. Her body shivers when I come up behind her. “Stop worrying about it so much. It’s all good. In the end, it doesn’t really matter if Cora’s behind it or not. The most important thing is that he agreed to do it, and we get to spend some time with him. Both of us, together. I’ll be right there beside you the whole time. All right?”
She straightens and I put my arms around her, kissing her bare shoulder, wanting to reassure her. If I could, I’d take all the problems and worries away from her.
Right here. Right now. Forever.
Thankfully, she relaxes and leans her head back on my chest. “I just want things to go back to normal. I hate having two separate camps with you guys. It makes me feel like I’m choosing between the two of you, and I don’t like it. Not one bit.”
I squeeze her, nuzzling her neck, loving the fact that I know this soothes her. “No one is making you choose between us. It won’t ever come to anything like that, I promise.”
I hate seeing her like this, especially knowing I’m part of the reason. I’m half of the problem. If it wasn’t for me, she wouldn’t have any issues with her brother. The thought alone makes my stomach churn.
Julia puts her hands on mine, brushing her thumb over my skin. “Hey. Don’t you start worrying now too.”
Shaking my head, I let out a breath, making her shiver as it hits her exposed skin. To distract both of us, I lower my head and start trailing soft kisses up and down the curve of her neck. I inhale deeply, loving her fresh scent that reminds me of a tropical beach vacation.
Maybe we should take one of those once we have some downtime. I don’t think I’ve ever thought of going on a vacation with a woman before, but it feels right. Imagining it makes me . . . happy. Like pretty much everything concerning Julia do
es.
Her pulse quickens under my lips, and knowing I’m the one doing this to her is a major ego boost.
“Carter.” My name falls from her lips in a breathy whisper, making me push even farther into her, sucking on her skin a little harder. “We need to stop.”
Her words don’t sound convincing, but sadly, my mind chooses to intervene too, forcing the rational part of my brain to take over. With a frustrated groan, I let go of her neck and take a small step back.
The same frustration and desperation is mirrored in Julia’s eyes when she gazes at me over her shoulder. “Rain check?”
After a resigned nod, I give her cheek a kiss and squeeze her butt, making her squeal. “I’ll be good now, I promise.”
I hold up my hands and move away so we can both get ready.
* * *
Oliver opens the door and stares at us for a moment before springing into action. “Hey, guys. Come on in.”
The words come out slightly grumbled, but at least, he traded the frown for a small smile.
Progress.
“Hey, Ollie. It’s so good to see you.” Julia goes in for a quick hug that looks a bit unnatural for them, but it’s better than the glare he’s shooting me over her shoulder.
For now, I’m happy he remains calm at the sight of his sister and me together. “Thanks so much for inviting us.”
Another grumble from Oliver as we stand in the doorway in awkward silence.
It’s a little odd being at the house when he kicked me out three weeks ago.
“Are you guys planning on staying out there all night? Come on in already.” Cora’s voice comes from somewhere inside the house. Judging by the smell permeating the air, my guess is the kitchen.
Since I was usually the one cooking here, I doubt Oliver has donned an apron for us.
I put my hand on Julia’s lower back and give her a gentle push so we can finally go inside. She takes the lead, and Ollie walks silently next to me, immediately joining Cora’s side when we get to the kitchen.
Cora greets us with a big smile. “I hope you’re hungry. I might have gone a little overboard. But what can I say, I love cooking.” She shrugs and chuckles.
The Husband Checklist Page 18