I giggled. “Well, you are twice the size you used to be.”
“Not quite.” He turned and closed the window and then slid off his boots.
“You okay?”
Carter sighed and wrapped his arms around me. “I am now.”
I hugged him back. “What happened?”
“Just missed you.”
I pulled away and frowned up at him. “Honey, you saw me less than an hour ago. What happened?”
He sighed and dragged his hands down his face. “Nothin’ for you to worry about, yeah? Just workin’ some shit out and needed to hold you for a bit.”
“Translation, your mom’s not happy we’re seeing each other and giving you grief.”
“Babe, it’s not your problem.”
“It is if you have to choose between us. I can’t be the reason you’re estranged from your family, honey, and if I lose you… well…” I couldn’t even verbalize the thought.
His hand slid to my neck and he pulled me against his chest. “Again, babe, you’re not gonna lose me. And if my mother doesn’t pull her head out of her ass, any estrangement that might result from that’ll be on her. She threw my letters to you away.”
“What?” I whispered. “Why?”
“Who the fuck knows? She’s obviously demented. But it doesn’t matter, Cass. I love you. She can’t come between us anymore.”
I hugged him tighter. “So, are you staying here tonight?”
“If you want me to.”
“Yeah, I want you to.” I smiled up at him. “But the rules still apply.”
“I don’t have any condoms with me, so I’ll keep my clothes on, baby,” he promised. “But I’m not promising I won’t cop a feel.”
I giggled. “I’m counting on it.”
The way my parents’ house was set up was unique. They’d built it to their specifications and it might be a little weird to some people, but it worked perfectly for us. On both the first and second floor were bedrooms with attached baths. My parents’ took the downstairs one and Shannon got the upstairs master since she was the eldest. I didn’t mind because my room had the tree.
There were two bedrooms with a jack-and-jill bathroom between, which Mia and I shared. It was a little different since we each had a toilet and a sink, but the shower, bath combo was between the toilets. There were also another two bedrooms with one more bathroom on the second floor which was where all the kids now were. One of them used to be a TV room, but had been converted when we’d all left.
He grinned and slid his hands under the waistband of my panties and cupped my bottom. “Fuck, your ass is incredible.”
“You think so?”
“Yeah, baby. Everything about you is.” He frowned. “Why?”
I shrugged. “No reason.”
He moved his hands to my waist. “You get that you’re gorgeous, right?”
I snorted. “Don’t be a dork, Carter.”
“Baby, look at me.”
“Let’s just go to bed,” I said, and tried to pull away, but he held firm.
“Hey, this is important, Cass.” I met his eyes and he smiled. “There isn’t a more beautiful woman in the world to me.”
“Well, you haven’t seen me naked yet.”
“So, let’s make that happen.”
“Soon.”
He frowned, but he let me escape and I flipped off my light and slid under the covers. Carter climbed in beside me and pulled me close.
“I love you, Cassidy.”
I rolled to face him and stroked his cheek. “I love you too.”
“You on the pill?”
I shook my head. “Not currently, no, but I’ll make an appointment with my doctor this week and take care of that.”
His hand slid under my cami and cupped a breast. “That’d be good, baby.”
I arched into his hand as his thumb slid over my nipple. “Wow. Maybe you should have brought condoms.”
He chuckled. “I don’t need condoms to take care of you, honey.”
“Yeah, but what about you?”
“Tonight’s about you.” Carter moved his hand from my breast to the apex of my thighs. “No screaming though.”
I giggled. “I don’t scream, honey. I told you that.”
“That’s only because no one’s ever made you scream.” He slipped his hand between my legs, keeping the barrier of my panties between us, and his thumb circled over my clit.
I took in a deep breath. “Possibly.”
He grinned and shifted, pushing me onto my back. He sat up and knelt between my legs, shoving the covers off of us and tugging on my panties. “Lift, baby.”
I lifted my hips and he slid my underwear off, throwing them to the side. Next came my cami and I was glad it was dark outside… I just wished the moon would hide as well. Although, they say that candlelight and moonlight is romantic and always make people look their best, so I hoped it worked in my favor.
Carter didn’t waste any time with words or kisses, he went straight for my clit, sucking gently at first, but increasing the pressure as my body responded. I mewed as he licked, sucked, and blew me into a near climax, stopping just as it built and causing me to cry out, albeit quietly. “Don’t stop,” I complained.
He chuckled. “I’m not stoppin’, baby, just building you up.”
“Well, don’t do that either.” I arched into him. “More.”
Carter tugged my hips so I’d slide further down the bed and guided my legs over his shoulders. “My girl’s got a greedy little cunt.”
I nodded and he slid two fingers inside of me while his tongue swirled my clit.
“Ohmigod,” I breathed out as his fingers swiped the walls of my vagina. “Yes.”
He pressed in again and then began to pump his fingers into me as he sucked on my clit. I felt my orgasm build and then his mouth covered me as I exploded.
“Fuckin’ honey, baby,” he said as he kissed each thigh and crawled up my body.
“Are you sure you don’t have any condoms? Like in your wallet or something?”
He laughed against my neck as he kissed me just below my ear. “Didn’t really plan ahead, baby. I can run home and grab them, but I’m not ready to burst our little bubble just yet.” He kissed me. “I’m also not done.”
“Ohmigod, again?”
“Unless you don’t want me to.”
I cupped his face. “I absolutely want you to.”
He grinned and kissed me again before sliding back down my body and providing me with two more mind-blowing orgasms before I crashed in his arms and didn’t wake up again until nature called at around four a.m.
“Babe,” Carter whispered as I slid out of bed.
“Gotta pee,” I returned. “Go back to sleep.”
“Confession? You’ve kicked me four times, so sleep’s not comin’ easy.”
“Ohmigod, honey, I’m so sorry.”
He chuckled. “It’s okay, I’ve got a plan.”
“I’ll pee and then you can enact your plan.”
On my way to the bathroom, I found my discarded clothing, grabbed a pair of clean panties, and made myself a little less naked before stretching out next to Carter again.
“Why’d you get dressed?” he grumbled as he wrapped an arm around my waist and kissed the back of my neck.
I smiled. “In case Maverick decides to wake me… us earlier than usual.”
He sighed.
I rolled to face him. “What do you care? You’re still fully clothed.”
“Yeah, but I like having your naked body close.”
I giggled. “You’ll have it again.”
“Can’t wait.” He grinned, kissing me quickly. “Pill next week, right?”
“Yes, honey. Promise.”
“Can I go back to sleep now?”
“You could have gone back to sleep before,” I countered.
“I need to hold you to the bed first.”
“You’re crazy.”
“Roll over, baby.”
I did, so my back was to his front and he threw a leg over my thigh and his arm over my waist.
“Mmm, love you, Carter.”
“Love you too, baby.”
With his arms wrapped tightly around me, I fell asleep within minutes and didn’t wake again until I heard the squeal of children’s laughter filter in through my open window. I rolled over and found my bed empty, so I sat up and slid out of bed. Checking my phone, it was past ten, so I peeked outside and grinned. Carter was running around with Maverick and Kai, throwing a football, and my brother-in-law, John was close, holding Alana.
Since my child was in good hands, I showered quickly and then headed downstairs where Mom, Shannon, and Mia were in the kitchen making something that smelled a lot like cinnamon rolls. Dad was sitting at the table, sipping his coffee and reading the paper.
“Why didn’t anyone wake me?” I asked as I poured myself a cup of coffee.
“Carter said you should sleep,” Shannon offered.
“Are you gonna bust her for having a boy in her room?” Mia asked.
“If it were anyone other than Carter, then probably,” Dad said.
I gasped. “You’re on the Carter fan committee too?”
“President, honey,” he said, and raised his mug in mock toast.
“Why am I just finding all of this out?”
“Because we’ve been trying not to meddle,” Mom said, and kissed my cheek as she passed me to deliver a cinnamon roll to my dad.
I heard the sliding glass door open and turned just as Maverick walked into the kitchen, followed by Carter and John.
“Morning, Mom,” Maverick said.
“Hi, kiddo. Having fun?” I asked and hugged John in greeting, taking the baby from him.
“Yeah, I beat Carter at football,” Maverick said.
“You did?” I caught Carter’s eye and smiled when he shook his head before kissing me quickly.
“He did great,” Carter said.
“How about you wash up, Mav, and then you can have one of Grandma’s cinnamon rolls.”
“Okay!” he said, and headed to the sink.
I slid into Carter’s arms and grinned up at him. “You let him win, I take it,” I whispered.
He chuckled. “I’ll never tell.”
“Did you sleep?”
He nodded. “You tried a few times to pull away from me, but settled quickly. We might need to buy some handcuffs or something and lock you to the bed.”
I giggled. “Kinky.”
“Hell yeah,” he whispered, and kissed me.
The rest of the morning was spent getting reacquainted with my niece and nephew, and firmly cementing Carter’s place within our family dynamic. Carter had apparently talked with my parents about staying with us for the remainder of the trip, which they quickly agreed to, and Jaxon dropped the dog off before he left (earlier than planned).
“I feel like I’ve totally screwed everything up,” I admitted after we put Maverick to bed that night.
“How so?” Carter asked, pulling me onto the loveseat (and practically in his lap).
“Jaxon left early, you’re here… your mom’s probably seething right now.”
“Who wants wine?” Shannon called from the kitchen.
“Me, please,” I said.
“I’ll grab a beer in a bit, Shan,” Carter returned, and then focused on me again. “You haven’t screwed anything up, Cassidy, got it?”
I sighed. “So, why did Jaxon leave early?”
“I have no idea. He said it was a work thing.” He smiled. “And I’m here because I love you. Whatever my mom’s issues are have nothing to do with us.”
I bit my lip and studied him for a few seconds. “Okay, I’m dropping it.”
He grinned and kissed me. “Thank you. You’re it for me, baby. Don’t ever doubt it.”
“Same, honey.”
Carter kissed me again and then rose to get his beer.
“Grab me some cheese when you come back, would you?” I called.
“Sure.”
The rest of the family filed in as I grabbed a stack of movies and we went through the voting process of which one to watch.
Once the film had been picked, I handed the remote to my dad, and curled up next to Carter again, promptly falling asleep. I woke the next morning in my bed with his arms wrapped around me, and smiled realizing just how strong he was. I didn’t even know he’d moved me.
God, I loved this man.
THE FOLLOWING SATURDAY, I woke up to the sound of Maverick and Carter laughing again. I hadn’t seen Carter Wednesday or Thursday, our schedules were too crazy, but he’d come over last night and stayed, and I realized pretty quickly I could seriously get used to this sound every morning. After our incredibly domesticated breakfast, Carter cleared the counter and I loaded the dishwasher while Maverick was washing his face and brushing his teeth.
“Hawk’s takin’ his boat out in a couple of hours and Payton invited us, along with Booker and Dani. Do you want to go?” Carter asked.
“Hawk has a boat?”
Carter chuckled. “Hawk has a yacht.”
“Shut up, really?” I closed the dishwasher and washed my hands.
He grinned. “Got it real cheap on a repo deal and fixed it up.”
“Wow, that sounds fun. I’ve never been on a boat before.”
“Can’t wait to see you in a bikini again.”
“I don’t own one… for obvious reasons.”
“What the fu—”
“I’m all clean,” Maverick announced as he walked toward us.
“Thanks, honey,” I said, sending a warning look to Carter who shrugged. “Carter’s invited us out on Lily’s dad’s boat. How does that sound?”
“Do we get to swim?”
“Yeah, we get to swim,” Carter answered.
“Awesome! I’ll get my suit.”
“You want to pack up whatever you want to take and we’ll swing by my place before we head to the marina?”
“Sounds good. Should we bring food?”
“We’ll stop by the store and grab a few things.” He grinned. “Your fridge is kind of empty.”
I groaned. “I know. I tend to procrastinate on shopping.”
“You still hate it, huh?”
“Ohmigod, even worse than before.”
He chuckled. “Get your stuff, babe. Jaxon’s got the dog, but we’ll grab her before we head to the boat.”
I nodded and went to find Maverick. “Hey, buddy, you got your suit?”
“Yeah, Mom.”
“Good. We should pack a change of clothes and towels as well, okay? Wanna go grab the big towels from the hall closet and bring them to my room, please?”
“Sure.”
He scampered off and I took his stuff to my room where I grabbed a canvas tote from my closet and shoved extra clothes inside. I changed into my suit then pulled clothes over the top, and we met Carter in the living room.
“Ready?” he asked.
I nodded. “What about life jackets and stuff?”
“Hawk has all that stuff.”
“For Mav too?”
“Babe, he has a daughter, I’m sure he’s got plenty of everything.”
I cocked my head. “Will you ask him, please?”
With a sigh, he pulled out his phone and sent off a text. “Asked him.”
“We’ll grab the booster seat while we wait for the answer.”
“Are you saying if he doesn’t have lifejackets, you won’t go?”
I smiled sweetly. “Yes.”
He grinned back. “If he doesn’t have them, we’ll buy them when we go to the store.”
“Where are we going to buy lifejackets on a Sunday?”
Carter laughed. “I have no fu—ah… clue.”
“Nice save,” I said.
He pulled his phone out. “Hawk’s got enough lifejackets for sixteen adults and ten kids.”
I leaned up and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for asking him.”
Carter smiled. “Let’s go.”
I grabbed my keys and followed my boys out.
* * *
Pulling up to Carter’s little bungalow in North Portland, I wasn’t surprised by his choice of house. He loved all things historic and was handy in pretty much every area, so I knew he would have chosen something to fix up.
“Mom, I gotta go,” Maverick said, grabbing his crotch.
“Let’s get you inside, then.” Carter helped him out of his booster and we headed up to his house. Opening the door, the dog barked and came running to us. “Hey, girl… I guess Jax dropped you off, huh? Saves me some time.” He spent a few seconds greeting Cassidy the dog and then guided Maverick to the bathroom while I took in the living room that we’d walked right into. A fireplace with built-in, glass-front cabinets on each side took up the wall to my right with a modern sofa and two chairs facing it. I wondered if Carter’s mom had helped decorate the room, since the painting above it looked like the one that had been in their hallway.
Carter returned, setting a leash and dog bowl on the coffee table. “I have a few things to grab and then we should be set, but do you want a tour first?”
“That would be great,” I said
“Can we go now?” Maverick rushed toward us.
I ruffled Maverick’s hair. “Carter’s gotta get his stuff, so we’ll explore for a bit.”
“Can I play with the dog?”
“Sure, buddy,” Carter said.
“No going outside though,” I added.
“I won’t, Mom.”
Carter made his way to the door, locking it and setting the alarm. “It’ll beep if the door’s opened, just in case.”
I nodded toward the fireplace. “Was that painting in your parents’ house?”
“Yeah. Anything girly in this house is from Mom.”
I giggled. “That doesn’t surprise me.”
Before we ended the tour in his bedroom, he showed me the big eat-in kitchen which he’d gutted and redid in a modern but warm and inviting way. There was also a formal dining room, hall bathroom, two other bedrooms that were in various states of disarray, and a full basement with bathroom which was on his to-do list next.
Carter’s bedroom was almost a carbon copy of his childhood one, only with a king-sized bed. “You brought your furniture with you?” I asked.
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