“What?” The evil truth slapped her in the face.
Carey blinked at her. “I don’t like that look. Whatever you’re thinking, stop.”
“Well, then what do you mean by ’ground rules’?”
He tugged her body closer to his, his expression going very earnest. “I meant that I wanted you to know I’m serious about us. I wasn’t joking. I want to make this work, me and you. A real relationship. I know it’ll be hard with the winter season coming up, but I’m talking a serious commitment. And I know I’m probably not who your family wants you to date, and I’m okay with it taking time for them to warm up to me.”
Blinking, she replayed his words in her mind. He wanted a relationship? With her? That was what this was about? And he cared what her family would think?
Lifting his hand from the water, he scratched the back of his head. “I get that I’m white, and it’s not ideal, but I don’t care.”
“What are you talking about?” she blurted.
They stared at each other for a moment, confusion abounding. Carey broke first, chuckling nervously. “I just don’t want people to treat you badly because of me.”
Cupping his face, she kissed him.
“I said something right?” he asked.
Leaning against him, she nodded. No one had ever said that to her. Hell, she doubted that thought had ever been thought.
“Oh. Okay, awesome. What did I say?”
Snorting, she rolled her eyes. “You’re ruining it.”
“God, I’m talented.” He waggled his eyebrows at her. “You’re lucky to have me.”
Chapter Seven
He was damn lucky to have her. Carey couldn’t keep his hands still. He wanted to touch her everywhere, but he was supposed to be talking right now.
“So, being completely serious, lay it on me,” he said in an effort to get his mind out of the gutter. “How much crap are you going to get? Because I want to know now. It’ll save me punching someone later. Maybe.”
Elise chewed on her lip and studied him from under her lashes. “Not that bad.” She shrugged. “If I were full blooded, then it could get uncomfortable. Waxahachie is much more open than a lot of places, and the tribe isn’t as traditional as others.”
“So you won’t get shunned or anything? Do I sound stupid? Because I feel stupid, but I know the culture you grew up with is different than I’m used to.”
“Carey?”
“Yeah?”
“Stop talking.”
He closed his mouth and watched Elise. She shifted on his lap and pulled her braid over her shoulder.
“I won’t lie, there are prejudices about who you can and cannot date. Not everyone will, um, be okay with it.” She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter though. I’m not active in the tribe at all, and the people I do talk to are…supportive.”
“Why do you say it like that?” He didn’t like the pause or the way her voice sighed the last word.
Elise patted his chest. “I had a weird conversation with Danny tonight.”
“Danny?” Jealousy bit him hard. He squeezed her hip in case she’d forgotten where she was or who she was with.
“Danny. You know him. He’s the brother of the guy who built your shed. Works for one of the judges and at the Trader’s Village. He was at our house tonight and we talked.”
Her gaze slid away from him. Had they done more than talk? Why was she bringing up someone she’d never mentioned before?
“Oh, that Danny. What was he doing at your house?”
She peered up at him. “What’s wrong with you?”
He remembered the way the man looked at Elise the few times he’d been around both of them. It was the kind of look that he imagined he gave her when she wasn’t looking. “Did you ever date Danny?”
Her jaw dropped. “What? No.”
“Why not?”
She sputtered and pushed against his chest, but he wasn’t about to let her go. “Carey, stop it.”
“Just answer the question.”
“No, I haven’t dated Danny.”
“Why not?”
Glaring at him, she crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s complicated.”
“Try me.”
“We’re in the same clan.”
“So you’re related?”
“No. It’s complicated.”
Intrigued, he lifted his hand and dripped water on her shoulders. Elise shivered and glared daggers at him. “Come on, I want to understand. Please?”
She rolled her eyes and brushed the water off. Her breasts bobbed out of the water, distracting him from his purpose. “Clans. Danny and I are in the same clans. Or really, my grandmother was, and so is my father. My mother doesn’t have a clan.”
“How do you keep all of this straight? You’re already confusing me.” He shook his head and smiled.
“You’re lucky you’re cute,” she said dryly. Her body relaxed against him and she circled his neck with her arms. It was his turn to shiver from the water. “They teach you in school.”
“Really?”
“Well, at my first school. I changed to the public school in Waxahachie in junior high, so I only learned half of it, but it was enough to get the basics.”
“Why’d you change schools?”
“Why would any kid that looks different from all the other kids want to change schools?” She shrugged and feigned nonchalance. “Everyone in the tribe knows about my parents, how they fight, owe most people money and shit. I know now no one blamed me, but I didn’t always then.”
“And kids are cruel.” He kissed her forehead. “Well, as long as people aren’t going to give you shit, then I want to be serious.”
Her gaze slowly rose to his, her mouth forming a little ‘o’. “What?” Her tongue darted out and licked her lips. “What does that mean, exactly?”
“It means, only I get to do this.”
Grinning, he cupped her breast and watched the transformation on her face. Her eyes rolled back and her mouth opened on a soft moan. Wedging his other arm between them, he lazily swiped his calloused thumbs over the tight furls of her nipples. Her body twitched at each pass. Her spine arched, thrusting her breasts above the water.
“Give me a hand, babe,” he said.
Grasping his shoulders, she swung her leg over his lap and straddled him. “Like this?” Her hands dipped under the water. His semi erect cock thrust against her palm. Her hand was better than his own, that was for sure.
“That’s good. Real good.”
Leaning forward, he put his mouth over her breast and raked her with his teeth. She yelped and squeezed his cock. Groaning, he flicked his tongue over her skin. Again her hand constricted around him as she stroked from root to tip. Her other hand cupped his balls, rolling them and tracing around the base of his cock.
He switched breasts, repeating everything he’d done and holding nothing back. The way her hands gripped him and the moans each nip of his teeth tore from her were fucking hot.
“Sorry,” she mumbled after a particularly hard squeeze to his balls.
His arms shook as he cupped her breasts. “S’okay.”
“Oh god, you’re going to have to stop,” she groaned.
He froze. “Why?”
“Because.” She squirmed in his arms, eyes squeezed shut.
He pushed a hand between her legs and drove a finger into her sex. She groaned and thrust her hips forward.
“Oh god, Carey,” she gasped. “You— Can you—?”
The hard-on he’d been fighting since putting her in his lap stiffened painfully.
He had no intention of stopping, not now and not for a long time if he had his way. He wanted to push Elise. He’d never met a woman as driven and fun, who matched him. And he’d dated more than his fair share. None of them aroused possessive urges in him like she did.
“Up.” He was going to fulfill a fantasy right now.
She slid off the bench and backed away. Another time he’d admire her, but right now h
e wanted to be in her again.
Standing, he wrapped her thick braid around his hand. Tugging her head back, he kissed her. She slid her hands down his chest, pressing her fingers into his muscle, caressing his abdomen. Women had touched him before but she owned with a touch, branding him.
He walked her back a few steps across the tub, their bodies bumping and moving against and with each other.
Sucking her bottom lip into his mouth, he nibbled it before releasing her altogether. She whimpered, her cheeks flushed and hands roving over his shoulders in a vain attempt to pull him back down.
“Turn around,” he said.
She blinked, one brow arching at the growled command. Slowly she turned, looking over her shoulder at him. Without coaching, she leaned forward, grasping the edge of the tub and shoving her hips back in invitation.
His mouth dried up. He stroked a hand down her back. She closed her eyes and shivered.
It was too much. Leaning forward, he put his hands over hers and kissed her neck where it met her shoulder, then worked his way up to her jaw. She fit under him so damn well, her round ass cradling his cock, her spine bowed up into his chest.
She pressed something into his hand. Peeking over her shoulder, he laughed. She’d shoved a condom under his fingers. At least he wasn’t the only horny one.
“Carey,” she moaned as his hand took a detour across her breasts.
He was quickly learning why Elise shied away from contact. She was sensitive everywhere—her breasts, her clit, her neck. Everywhere he touched elicited a reaction. No woman had ever responded like her. The lightest brush elicited deep moans, she thrust her chest up and her legs moved restlessly.
Her back dipped and her hips arched up into his pelvis, grinding against him.
“Carey, damn it—”
“Shh.” He stroked down her back and stood. “Hey, put your knees on the bench.” He watched her ass rise out of the water, just enough to tempt with what was below. “Damn.” He sucked in a breath. He couldn’t say what he felt, not now when she might doubt which head he was thinking with. They would get to that later. Breaking open the condom, he rolled it on.
Glancing up, he caught her gaze on his cock, barely visible above the churning water.
“You’re amazing, you know that?” Did she hear the different tone in his voice? Could she read between the lines?
She lifted one shoulder. “You’re pretty amazing yourself.” The husky quality of her voice was a verbal stroke to his balls. “Now are you going to fuck me?”
He grinned, gripping her hip with one hand and using the other to guide his cock. “Babe, I’m going to rock your world.”
“Promises, promises,” she taunted, swishing her hips side to side.
His hold tightened and the movement stilled at the first caress to her folds. “Have I ever said something I don’t mean?”
Elise closed her mouth, brows lifted in surprise. Let her think about that.
He slid his cock along the length of her slit, forward over her clit and back. She shivered as he neared the swirl of tight flesh, no doubt remembering the half-drunken conversation about back-door sex that had embarrassed both of them. Back and forth he went, holding her in place and rocking back on his heels to prevent her from impaling herself.
“You’re a damn tease, Carey.”
“Nah, I just like to listen to you moan.”
He thrust forward, sliding in with ease. She gasped, arching her back. Her body spasmed around him, so responsive and damn perfect.
“Fuck, I love your ass,” he groaned, palming the lush flesh.
She rolled her hips against him, clamping her inner muscles.
“God, yes. Do that.” He let his head roll back as she repeated the maneuver. His balls drew up tight and his toes tingled. He was close, too close.
He reached around to thumb her clit, grinning when she whimpered.
Leaning forward, he scraped his chin over her shoulder. “I love those sounds you make. Do it again.”
She panted, her eyes closed. Was she as lost as he? Did she know what he wanted to say to her?
“Carey, move.”
Withdrawing, he slammed back against her ass, water splashing up onto his chest and her back. She moaned, pushing against him, meeting the hard thrust. With another woman, he might worry about hurting her, but Elise could take it. He let go of his control, slamming their bodies together with enough force she could only hold on to the tub and let him work her over, fucking her and stroking her clit. Her moans and breathless pleas were music to his ears.
She turned her face and kissed his arm where the tattoo banded his biceps. Her tongue licked a hot trail across his skin that he felt all the way to his balls.
He heard the hitch in her breath. Rolling her clit between his fingers, he bent his knees to give him better leverage. Elise screamed, tossing her head back in abandon as her climax took her. Her body hugged his cock.
Carey held her, groaning as his balls clenched, his orgasm coming from somewhere deep within. Burying his head in the curve of her neck, he muttered every praise he could think of, from her love for green nail polish—only on her toes—to the way her bellybutton was shaped like a star.
As his legs turned to jelly, he sank onto the bench, pulling her with him and cradling her in his lap, pressing kisses to her temple.
“What did you say about my bellybutton?” she panted.
He squeezed his eyes shut. “You heard that?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Damn.”
Elise had heard him utter the word love, and her coiled body had exploded. Now, Carey avoided looking at her, his cheeks a dusky pink. Her heart still knocked around, trying to orient itself. She was in love with him but he couldn’t feel the same about her. Not so soon.
Dropping her head to his shoulder, she closed her eyes. After two orgasms, a full day of work and running the emotional gantlet, she was exhausted. His hand smoothing over her back was going to lull her to sleep right there in the hot tub.
“Hey.” He nudged her shoulder.
“Sorry, sleepy.” She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. “I should go home.” That was the last place she wanted to be.
His hands stilled. “Why do you have to leave?”
“Um…”
“You’re staying.” He patted her ass and stood up, dumping her on her feet.
In the time it took for him to bound out of the tub and grab a towel, she was barely hauling herself out of the water. Her teeth chattered from the rapidly cooling night air. Carey wrapped her in an oversized towel and used the corner to wipe her face. His smile was open, honest. Though they’d been best friends, some things had been too personal to share. Now, gazing into his eyes, Elise knew he would demand to know all of her, even the parts she didn’t like. A nervous twinge shot through her. With any other man, she would have run away. But he was different. Just the way he stared at her now made her feel a host of emotions she’d never felt from another person. Treasured. Special. Loved.
“Come on, let’s go to bed. Unless you’re hungry? Can I get you anything?”
She shook her head. “Sleep sounds great.”
“As you wish.” He flipped the lights off, and led her back into the house. “Meet you in the bedroom?”
“Sure.”
She slipped into the bathroom, leaving both doors open. The bathroom was what Carey liked to call “man sized” with a large, garden tub and more counter space than he would ever use. A few things were lined up against the glass, but otherwise the space was unadorned. Not even a bathmat shielded the tile floor.
There weren’t any bedtime routines she could run through. Nothing of hers was here, but she appreciated the moment of privacy. Spying his hairbrush, she unbraided her hair and began picking out the tangles.
The lights flipped off in the living room and kitchen, and a bit of the darkness materialized into Carey filling the doorway, a towel around his hips. He watched her fingers pick out the tangles
and follow through with the brush. No one had ever watched her comb her hair out before, definitely not as if it were the main attraction of the night.
He stepped behind her, and his gaze found hers in the reflection. His hand wrapped around the brush, dwarfing hers.
“Let me?”
Didn’t he know that she could deny him nothing? She nodded and he plucked the brush from her fingers.
His brows drew together as he arranged her hair to fall down her back. She held her breath, not wanting to break the spell. Something as silly as brushing her hair shouldn’t make her melt.
“How do you start?” His voice echoed off the tile, wrapping around her.
“From the bottom. Brush it all out, and move up a little. I have a hard head. You’ll be fine.”
Carey slid the brush through her hair slowly, exerting the least force possible. She chuckled and flipped a few locks over her shoulder. Placing her hand over his, she guided the brush with more force.
“Like this.” She showed him several more strokes, until the hank of hair was tangle free and released his hand.
“That looks like it would hurt. I don’t want to bruise your head or anything. Least not by brushing it.” He winked at her in the mirror as he tried to emulate what she’d shown him.
Though he was still far gentler than she was to her hair, it felt good for someone else to brush it. She let her eyes drift closed and enjoyed it. Every now and then water splattered on the tile floor from where it was wrung out of her hair. It would dry during the night and be a mess tomorrow.
Carey’s arms wrapped around her and pulled her back against his chest. His warmth enveloped her. She put her arms over his and squeezed. She wasn’t the best with words, but she could show him how she felt. At least until she built up the courage to enunciate what was coursing through her veins.
Love. She was in love with Carey. And they were in a relationship.
She opened her eyes, startled by their reflection. He loomed over her, big and protective. His gaze watched her with a shrewd intensity he usually reserved for the worst rapids or the hardest trails.
His hand rose to brush across her cheek and cup her jaw. “Damn, you’re beautiful.”
Personal Adventures Page 5