by Brenna Zinn
Little wonder she had already left. She would probably laugh about his lack of stamina all the way to Chicago. Sure, he was good while he lasted, but after that, don’t count on anything but a good night’s sleep.
A mournful groan resonated in his chest. Despite his longtime love and desire for Leslie, the fact he was just too old for her was undeniable. She could never care for an old guy like him. Like taking a knife to the gut, the realization sliced deep and hurt like hell.
Opening his eyes, Carter fumbled in the dark for a lamp. When the light turned on, an involuntary grimace stiffened his muscles. All the unused sex toys he’d bought and laid out were still scattered around the room, silently mocking him.
He had to get the hell out of this place.
His cell phone sat near the fur-lined handcuffs on the bedside table. The thought of reaching over the gadget to pick up his phone had his stomach turning over, but he had no other choice. It wasn’t midnight yet and his chauffeur was still on call. If he didn’t call his driver now, he’d be stuck in this room until morning. He’d fucking walk home before he let that happen.
Twenty minutes later, the loud ding of the elevator announced his arrival at the ground floor. The doors slid open, revealing dozens of chatty well-dressed people filing into the hotel’s brightly lit lobby from the outside. Bird seed littered the marble floor all the way from the front desk to the huge glass front doors and beyond.
Carter shook his head and rubbed his stubbled face. The night was getting worse by the minute. Not only had he royally screwed up his fantasy evening with the woman he loved and had probably lost forever, he’d also missed seeing Jeff and Claire off for their honeymoon.
Damn it all!
If he ever thought about leaving his future to fate again, he’d take a long walk off a short Galveston peer.
Hanging his head low, he crept from the elevator to a large potted ficus tree, then out a side door leading directly to a parking lot. Outside the Houston humidity, thick and damp, enveloped him like a wet Army blanket. Within minutes of waiting under a lamp post on the hotel’s sidewalk, his shirt was molded damply to his skin.
“Carter?”
He turned as the sound of Leslie’s questioning voice cut into the night. Dressed again in her bridesmaid gown, she stood near the edge of the parking lot on a small area of grass and trees. Carter blinked, trying to make out what she carried in her arms. Whatever she held was small, dark, and wiggling.
“What are you doing out here?” She hiked up the bottom of her dress with her free hand and walked toward him.
Just behind her, a black Lincoln sedan pulled into the lot. His ride.
The cool clamminess of the night air made his breathing difficult. His blood pounded like an out of control drum in his temples. The crack in his battered heart threatened to give way, breaking it into a dozen pieces.
Leave now. Leslie had her fun with her old ex-boss and left. Well, what else did you expect?
He knew if he didn’t go right this moment, he might say or do something he’d only regret. He raised his arm and waved. The driver of the sedan responded by flashing the car’s bright lights and pulling up to the curb where Carter waited.
The uniformed chauffeur opened the driver’s side door, made his way around the front of the Lincoln, and nodded toward Carter after opening the rear passenger door.
“Wait!” Leslie’s sped up her approach, hugging the dark blob in her grasp.
Carter started toward the open door of the car, then stopped and took a hard, second look at the object she carried.
Was that a puppy? What the hell was she doing with a puppy at a wedding?
Leslie stopped directly in front of him, breasts heaving, her eyes as wide as a frightened deer’s. A thin veil of perspiration shimmered on her skin. Moisture welled at the corners of her big brown eyes.
“Are you leaving me, Carter? Just like that?”
Am I leaving you? Wait a minute, you left me.
Carter frowned, thoroughly confused. He stood with one foot already on the floorboard of the back seat, trying to make sense of what she had just said and why she held a bluish-gray puppy tucked in the fold of her arm. Her pained expression made his stomach lurch.
Had he screwed up yet again?
“Leslie, I think I’ve made a huge mistake.” Carter swallowed hard, barely moving the terrible lump caught in his throat. “When I woke up, you were gone and I thought…well…I thought you had left me.”
“No.” Her lips curved into a smile as a tear rolled down her cheek. “I just went down to my room to check on Blue. Then I got caught up with the wedding party when Claire and Jeff were leaving.” She raised the little Great Dane and stroked along the puppy’s back. “I was coming right back.”
“A puppy? Blue?” Carter choked, his head spinning. “Leslie, why do you have a puppy at the hotel?”
“Blue is your surprise. She’s for you.” Leslie moved around the car door and held out the wriggling puppy. “Now that you’re retired and moving to Galveston, I didn’t want you to be alone, so I bought her for you. I thought, since the wedding would be the last time I saw you, I’d give you something blue to remember me by.”
If there had ever been traces of doubt about his feelings for Leslie, they all evaporated at that moment. He rubbed the top of the puppy’s head, unable to stop grinning. Then, giving into the incredible feeling of happiness flooding his mind, body, and spirit, he abruptly pulled Leslie and the puppy into his trembling arms.
“I’m such a fool. I’ve lost ten years of my life building up the courage to tell you this.” He rubbed his face into her auburn hair, taking in her glorious scent, then tightened his hold. “I’m in love with you, Leslie. I have been since the moment I first saw you.”
“I love you, too,” she whispered, her own body shaking.
“You do?” Unable to believe his own ears, he gently pushed her back to examine her face.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, leaving tracks of dampness. She grinned at him and nodded.
Overcome with emotion, Carter placed his mouth on hers and kissed her, his tongue licking her lips and plunging into the welcome heat of her mouth. Despite the protesting puppy squirming between them, he drank from her like a man dying of thirst. She met his thrusting tongue with her small one, accepting the erotic duel, giving back to him as much as he gave to her.
Relief poured through him and an unfamiliar lightness surged through him. Had the puppy not started to yip in protest he might not ever have let her go.
“Leslie, I don’t want you to go to Chicago,” he said a little breathless. “I want you to come to Galveston with me. Stay with me and watch the sun rise over the Gulf of Mexico from my bedroom balcony. I want to walk the beach with you and teach you how to really surf.” He brushed a soft kiss against her lips. “I want to do everything with you.”
Her eyes widened. “You do?”
He put his mouth close to her ear. “And I want to fuck you senseless every single night.” Then he chuckled. “Of course, I’ll need some rest now and then.”
Leslie let out a soft laugh. “I think that could be arranged.”
Carter pulled the handkerchief from his front pocket and wiped the tears from her beautiful face. “I want to have children with you and watch them grow up to be fine people.” He reached down and took her free hand, entwining his fingers with hers. “Most importantly, I want to you to be with me forever.”
He gazed into her enormous brown eyes, hoping beyond hope she felt the same way, wanted the same things. Like a powerful magnet, those liquid eyes seemed to draw him in and offer him refuge.
“Forever?” she echoed. “Forever, Carter?”
A sense of calm came over him, and Carter knew exactly what he had to do. He brought her hand up and kissed it, then got down on one knee, right there in front of the hotel.
“Leslie, will you marry me? Please? I promise to love, honor, and cherish you until there’s no longer life in my body. I’
ll do anything and everything to make you happy, if you’ll consent to be my wife.”
“Oh, Carter.” A fresh wave of tears fell from her eyes. “Yes,” she said on a sob. “Yes, yes, yes!”
“Yes?” Joy surged through him, erasing the last vestige of uncertainty. He stood up, his legs not quite steady, and pulled her and the still protesting puppy back into his embrace.
“Come with me now,” he murmured. “Right now. I don’t want to let you out of my sight for even a minute.”
“A-all right. But I don’t even have any clothes except this gown.”
He smiled at her. “That’s all right. I’ll send someone later to gather our things. Besides, since I’ve had my nap I don’t think you’ll be needing your clothes for quite a while.” Only then did he notice his driver waiting on the curb, grinning like an idiot.
“Ross,” Carter called out to the chauffeur. “Take us home.”
“With pleasure, sir.”
About the Author
Equally at home camping in the mountains of Montana or shopping on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, Brenna’s journey through life has taken her all over the United States, as well as many places throughout the world. Using her travel experience as a guide and peppering in interesting characters she’s met along the way, she loves nothing better than artfully weaving erotic tales of romance and leaving readers yearning for adventures of their own.
Brenna loves to hear from her readers. If you've read her stories, let her know what you think.
Contact Brenna at [email protected] or visit her at www.brennazinn.com.
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