My ears pick up the sound of his lips sucking his finger.
“Your fear tastes sweet. Keep them coming. It’s so much better when you cry.”
Jane enters her bedroom. I look up at her through my tears.
“I’m so sorry, Alex. I didn’t think about it. I’m such an asshole.”
“It’s okay. It isn’t your fault. I used to love that game. The son-of-a-bitch took that from me too! He’s ruined my life! I can’t have normal interactions with a man without freaking out because of him!”
“Alex, listen to me.” Jane bends down in front of me and takes my hands in hers. “He hasn’t ruined your life. Look how far you’ve come. You used to be scared to close your eyes. To do anything. Now, you’ve taken control of your independence, your success. You own your life.”
A creak at the door has me whipping my attention toward it. Carter steps in, and my head goes foggy, and my cheeks flush with embarrassment. He’s holding my glass of wine and wearing an expression of concern.
“Jane, could I speak with Alex, alone, if she’s all right with that?”
Jane looks at me for approval, and I nod. She glances at Carter.
“Yeah, sure. Let me know if you need anything,” she says to me before leaving the room.
Carter’s soft, blue eyes fall on me, and he moves forward, carefully and slowly as if I’m a wild animal he’s trying to pet. Finally reaching me, he sits down on the bed next to me and hands me the wine glass.
“Thank you.” I take it and swallow several times, trying to soothe my frayed nerves. “I’m sorry I freaked out.”
“You don’t have to explain anything to me. I wanted to make sure you’re all right.”
“Something terrible happened to me and I still have unexpected panic attacks because of it.”
“I understand. My mother had something bad happen to her too. Every once in a while, a certain trigger would leave her emotional for a few days.”
I look at him, completely shocked by what he’s sharing.
“It was before my brother and I were born. She only talked to me about it once.”
The knot in my stomach loosens and my trembling hands steady.
Carter’s hand gently slides into mine, and to my surprise, I appreciate the gesture and the warmth of his skin. Soft, blue eyes entrap me.
“I’d never ask you to share anything you don’t want to, but I do want you to know you can.”
I can’t even form words. The sincerity in his voice and his thoughtfulness soothe the remaining aches and pains.
“Would you like to come back out with me? You can blindfold me instead,” he grins playfully, and I can’t help smiling.
“Yes, I would like to join you.”
“Good.” He pulls the blindfold from his back pocket and hands it to me.
I place it back in his hand. “I’d like to try it. I trust you.”
With his pretty blues glistening, he raises the blindfold and gently places his hand on my hair and brushes it aside. Slowly, carefully, he places the blindfold over my eyes. His whispered breath warms my ear.
“It means a lot to me that you trust me.”
His hand slides into mine again and my jittery nerves settle.
CHAPTER FOUR
—
ALEX
The first coin was the easiest. Carter spotted it on the window sill, behind the curtain, and gave me great instructions to locate it.
“You have an advantage. You instruct for a living. So, what’s it say?” I outstretch my hand and he takes it from me.
“It says to take two Jell-O shots each.”
Thinking he’s going to walk away and leave me there blindfolded, I reach for the blindfold to remove it. His hand takes hold of mine and I instantly relax. “I’m not leaving you. Not for a second. You’re coming with me.”
Several steps put us back in the kitchen and he places my hand over the Jell-O shot. I gobble them up, then giggle as the liquor I’ve consumed since arriving takes effect. Carter takes my hand in his and kisses the top making me giggle again.
“You really are beautiful.”
I jump when I feel his lips touch my cheek. The sweet gesture warms me and sends a tantalizing sensation over my skin.
“You ready to find the next one? I wanna win whatever prize Jane has in store for us.”
With my grin of approval, he takes my hand in his, pulling me around the room. His hands gently take my shoulders like before, his breath warming my ear. I know he’s located another one.
“On the TV stand—” His words are cut off as a crash bang meets my ears. I move into his arms and he holds me protectively. “It’s all right. That girl, Anna, just tripped and fell. You good?” He rubs my arms and I realize I don’t want to move out of his grasp. For the first time, in a very long time, I feel safe.
“Yeah, I’m good.”
“On the TV stand, there’s one next to Kyle’s Xbox console. If you reach into the center of the TV stand, you’ll touch the console. It will be to the right of it, about five inches in.”
Walking forward, he lightly touches my shoulder and redirects me anytime I’m close to tripping over something. We reach the TV stand and I move my hand as he instructed. Feeling the wrapper of the chocolate coin, I pull it out and hand it to him. He doesn’t read it aloud, and now I’m curious.
“What’s it say?”
“For me to kiss you…on the lips.”
I shift my footing. I want him to, but I’m not sure I’m ready for it, now, at this party with people watching. I hear movement and his hand takes mine.
“I’ll save that one for later. Let’s keep looking.”
Within moments he finds another one and I pull it out.
“What’s this one say?”
“To feed the chocolate to your partner.” The sound of the wrapper crinkling reaches my ears. “Do you like chocolate?” he asks.
“Of course, I love chocolate.”
“Good. I’m gonna place it to your lips.”
Wondering how I look, I chuckle before I open my mouth. He places it on my tongue, and I lift the chocolate from his finger. His finger lingers on my lip, and I playfully swipe my tongue across it. Removing his finger, I’m left in silence, feeling odd about the encounter.
“I’m sorry.”
“No, Alex. That was…there are people around us. I don’t want them to notice how incredibly attracted I am to you.”
“Oh.” I realize what he’s saying. He liked it, maybe too much. Incredibly attracted. My cheeks couldn’t get any warmer as the words dribble around in my head.
His hand takes mine. “You ready to find the next one?”
“Yes.”
It’s taking more steps than before, and I know we’ve gone into the guest room. He lets go, and I’m left standing there, anxious about what to do next. Fidgeting uncomfortably, I freeze when warm hands cup my face and soft lips touch mine.
His kiss is affectionate, tender, and it lights up my whole body. When he ends the kiss, I let out a whimper. I don’t want it to end. It’s incredible, he tastes of lime, liquor, and delicious man. His hands take hold of my shoulders and caress me.
“There’s one by the foot of the bedpost.”
I’d nearly forgotten the game entirely. Reaching up, I place my hand on his chest.
“Please, kiss me again.”
Instantly, his hand holds me at the nape of my neck and the other wraps around me as he pulls me in close. His lips meet mine and I fall into oblivion.
We pull back from the kiss with heavy breaths, Carter’s fingers caressing my cheek.
“We’re gonna lose this game if I don’t stop kissing you.” He kisses my cheek, moves away, returns quickly, placing the gold chocolate coin in my hand.
“What’s it say?”
“To switch the blindfold.”
I giggle and reach for it, but he stops my hand.
“One more before you take it off.”
He kisses me and I lean into him. Holding me clo
se, he offers me the same affectionate, passion-filled kiss as before. My knees go weak, but he holds me steady. The kiss ends and he takes my breath with him.
“I can’t take how beautiful you are.” Slowly, he removes the blindfold and I stare up at his warm, inviting eyes. His thumb swipes my lips. “I want to keep kissing you, but we should get back to the party.”
“And it’s your turn to wear the blindfold.”
“Yes, it is.” Turning his back to me, I place it snuggly over his eyes and tie the ends. “Where to, beautiful?”
The term of endearment brings a smile to my lips. I take his hand, moving around the room, looking for the last coin we need. The closet. Jane would hide one in there. Carter follows the sound of my voice as I look around inside.
“There.” I point, then roll my eyes.
“You just pointed, didn’t you?” Carter laughs.
“Yes.”
“You’re cute.”
“It’s sitting right next to one of her high heels. Raise your hand straight out in front of you. Lower. Good. Move forward a step. Yes. Right there. You got it.”
Carter lifts the blindfold off and reads the message. “It’s another shot each.”
Pocketing the coin, he takes my hand, and we walk out to the kitchen where he places all five on the counter. He glances around at the others still searching.
“What did we win?”
Jane’s smile couldn’t get any wider as she looks at our intertwined hands. She reaches above the fridge and hands Carter two tickets. “Movie tickets.”
Carter takes the tickets from her hand and turns to me. “What would you like to see?”
Grabbing another Jell-O shot, I swallow it as my nerves prickle my skin. A date, alone, with Carter who likes to kiss me. Not sure I’m ready for it, but I’m not going to turn him down in front of everyone.
“Action or comedy.”
“Perfect.”
The party continues with an Irish whiskey and beer tasting contest, then a Who’s the Greenest outfit contest. After several more drinks, I lose my bashfulness and join Jane on the dance floor. We shake our asses to the beat of the music and I notice Carter watching my every move as he chats with Kyle.
CHAPTER FIVE
—
CARTER
“Dude, if you stare any harder, she’s gonna think you’re a creep.”
Fuck. Kyle’s right. I wonder if Alex even knows how stunning she is. I feel like a damn moth drawn to a flame every time I look at her. Tugging on my beer, I try to pry my eyes away, but the way she moves those curves has my semi growing in an uncomfortable upright direction. Her long, straight, milk chocolate hair curves around her face in layers, but it’s those bold, green eyes that draw me in, the hidden sensuality under that shy and apprehensive exterior. It’s an adorable and wicked combination. She's drank enough liquor her guard is down and she’s letting me in. My shoulders are now heavy with an angel and devil whispering sweet nothings in my ears.
“What’s her story?” I press Kyle. I have an idea, but assumptions aren’t facts.
“Don’t say anything. Jane will fucking kill me if she knows I told you.”
“Not a word,” I promise.
“She was attacked by a serial rapist. She was his last victim.”
I nearly spit out my beer and quickly gulp it back down. “Are you shitting me right now?”
“No, dude. I’m for real. She doesn’t trust men. She hasn’t dated since her attack. She had a fiancé, but he ditched her ’cause she was too sensitive about being touched and he couldn’t handle the emotional aftermath.”
“What a prick? You know him?”
“I did. We were buddies, but after he left her like that our friendship ended quickly. She spent a lot of nights here. She’d wake up screaming from nightmares. Jane would sleep in the bed with her so she felt safe and everyone could get sleep.”
“That’s fucking nuts.” I pull on my beer as tension tightens my chest. “What happened to him? You said she was his last victim.”
“The cops had him as a suspect and put a tail on him. He’d already done what he wanted to her by the time they broke in. He fired at the cops and the cops took him down.”
Tugging harder on my beer, I mentally try to absorb the sick fucking details I’m hearing. No wonder Alex is so skittish and uncomfortable being touched. The last man who touched her hurt her in the worst possible way.
“How long ago did this happen?”
“A little over a year ago. It was the one-year mark of her attack about three months ago. She backtracked and got depressed for almost a month, but she came out of it, determined not to let it affect her life.”
“She’s incredibly strong.”
“She is, Carter. She survived this guy’s twisted games and abuse for three hours. She fought to survive, and she’s come a long way. You’re one of the best guys I know. If you’re truly into her, you need to know you have the potential to end up with a great woman, but I can’t promise it will be easy to win her over. Her scars run deep.”
Meeting Alex’s gaze, I can see the curiosity taking shape. There are moments where I see a woman much like myself—observant, determined, independent. Yet so much is shadowed by the fear she harbors. I’ve never seen myself as much of the hero type, but for the first time in my life, I find myself wanting to rescue someone.
“What about family? She got any around?”
“A sister and father. She and her sister are estranged, and her father doesn’t live in the country anymore. Took a job in the UK. Jane and I are her family.”
“I’m glad she has the two of you.”
With sweat glistening their skin, the girls take a break from dancing. Alex goes for water and I watch carefully. Now that I know what she’s been through, I’m better prepared to move forward.
CHAPTER SIX
—
ALEX
“He’s smitten, Alex. He’s watching your every move.”
Tipping the glass back, I take several swallows before setting it on the counter and claiming one of the stools at the island.
“I know. It’s an odd sensation. It excites and freaks me out.”
“Carter is one of the good ones, babe. Kyle says so.”
“I believe him, but it’s difficult. I’m trying. I promise.”
“Are you gonna go to the movie with him?” She asks as she preps a whiskey shot and downs it.
“I don’t know.”
She pours another and slides it towards me. “You should go. It’ll be fun. Pick a movie you really want to see.”
Lifting the glass to my lips, I swallow the fiery liquid.
“You wanna dance some more? Anna is waving us over.”
“No, I’m gonna get some air. If I’m going to make it home, I need to stop drinking.”
“No one is going home,” Jane laughs, “I hid everyone’s keys.”
My eyes widen and I grab her wrist. “You’re joking, right?”
“Nope, it’s a cab or my guest room for you.”
Yes, of course, a cab. Releasing my grip, I rub her arm. “I’ll call a cab soon.”
She puckers her bottom lip. “It would be more fun if you slept over.”
“Jane, you and Kyle are gonna hump like rabbits the moment you hit the sheets. I’d rather not be present for that. You get loud.”
Jane giggles. “We do, don’t we?”
“Very.”
“Ok, well, be that way then. I do have a pair of earplugs in case you change your mind. I think Carter is crashing here tonight,” she winks and leaves me to go dance.
Stepping off the stool, I make my way out to her back deck. It’s small but equipped with the necessities—a shiny grill and an elegant set of matching table and chairs. I lean on the railing and suck in the breeze, letting it cool my warm, damp skin. I hear the sliding door behind me and Carter approaches. Putting his elbows on the railing next to me, he leans over it.
“Having a good time?”
&n
bsp; “One of the best nights I’ve had in a long time.”
“I hope you say that after dinner and a movie with me.”
“Carter—”
“Don’t say no. I understand you’re not looking to date, but it doesn’t mean we can’t hang out.”
I look away before I lose myself in the deep pool of blue. Carter pulls the tickets from his pocket and hands me one.
“We’ll go as friends. You can even pay for your own dinner…maybe.”
His grin is so delicious, my heart pitter-patters, and I struggle to say no to his charm. Taking the ticket from his hand, I smile.
“All right. We’ll go, as friends.”
“So, friend, what kind of food do you like to eat, or should we hit up a fast food drive-through on the way to the movie?” I laugh and his eyes light up. “You’re stunning when you smile.”
“Only when I smile?”
“Touché. What I really mean is, you’re beautiful all the time, no matter what you’re doing.”
“Those are nicer words than you tell a friend.”
“You women tell each other you look pretty all the time. I’m just stating the obvious.”
“Well, you’re not so bad yourself.”
“You sayin’ you think I’m pretty?” Carter grins, the corner of his eyes crinkling. His own humor cracks him up, making him even more attractive.
“Very pretty.”
Laughing, he moves closer. Feeling the warmth radiating off him, I find myself wanting to be held in his arms.
“Anything wrong with two friends kissing? I can’t stop thinking of earlier.”
Chuckling, I turn to him, admiring the tenderness I see in his eyes. “You have seriously blurred lines of what friendship is.”
“Can’t blame me for trying. I enjoy kissing you.”
Gently swiping his finger over my hand, his gaze lingers on me. I can see his interest and desire. My stomach knots, and this time, it’s not out of fear. It’s guilt. I enjoyed being kissed by him, but it’s all happening much quicker than I’m prepared for.
I withdraw my hand from his touch. “I think I’m gonna call a cab. It’s getting late and I’m pretty tired.” Stepping away from the railing, I fumble with my steps. Carter grasps my arm and stabilizes me.
Unbreak This Heart Page 3