Touched by You

by Elle Wright

  “It’s a good thing you don’t use anyone else’s stick.” He circled her like a lion would its prey. “I had something else entirely in mind.”

  * * *

  Carter had been fantasizing about having Brooklyn on a pool table since their candlelight game. His mind raced with the many ways he could take her, but he settled on one in particular.

  “What are you thinking?” she asked, a sexy gleam in her brown eyes.

  “I’m thinking I want to bend you over and take you against the corner pocket.” He pointed to the spot. “Right there.”

  Something flashed in her eyes. The challenge was written across her face. She wasn’t going to back down, and he wouldn’t either. She rounded the table, moving away from him. She wasn’t making this easy. He stalked closer to her, gripped the hem of her shirt, and tugged her to him. Her eyes went wide when he placed her hand over his rock-hard erection.

  “Carter,” she breathed. “You’re really glad to see me.”

  He laughed. “I’d be even more glad if you took your clothes off.”

  Without warning, or any hint of shyness, she pulled her shirt off and dropped it on the floor. “I like your place,” she said, pushing her pants down to the floor.

  “Thank you,” he croaked, unable to take his eyes off of her. She was lovely, with her black lace boy-shorts and matching bra. Everything about her seemed tailor-made for him, from her narrow waist to her curvy hips to her tight ass. He could barely think when she was close to him, so tempting, so damn beautiful.

  Brooklyn turned around and removed her panties. Glancing at him over her shoulder, she winked. “You want to bend me over the table, huh?”

  “Hell yeah,” he answered truthfully.

  “After you bend me over the table, what happens next?” She turned to face him again and unhooked the front latch of her bra. It fell open, giving him a glimpse of her perfect breasts and pebbled nipples.

  Brooklyn got off on word play, and he found that he liked turning her on with his words. “First things first, I’m going to kiss every inch of your body, taste you until you come screaming my name, over and over again.”

  She braced a hand on the ledge of the pool table, swallowing visibly. “Damn, you’re getting good at this. And then what?”

  He stepped forward, and she took a careful step back. “Then I’ll do it again, until your legs are weak and your body is on fire for me.”

  “Yes,” she whispered, her hooded gaze on him. “I want that.”

  And Carter wanted it, too. More than he wanted his next breath or water or even food.

  He stopped directly in front of her. “Once I’ve had my fill of you, tasted every inch of you, I’ll turn you around and sink myself deep inside you.”

  Brooklyn’s eyes darkened. “Carter?” She unbuckled his belt, and slid it off.

  “Brooklyn.”

  She unzipped his pants and pushed them over his hips. “Are you ready?”

  “Always.”

  The slow smile that spread across her face told him that she was definitely in the moment with him. She tugged his shirt over his head, kissed his chest with soft, wet kisses. Then she dropped to her knees and yanked his boxers down.

  She sucked him into her mouth, circling the head before taking him in deeper. Carter’s head fell back, reveling in the feel of her lips around his length. Teasing, she traced his length with her tongue, cupping his balls in her hands and squeezing.

  Unable to control his actions, his hips pushed forward, settling into a slow rhythm as she pleasured him. It was an experience he’d never had before. Brooklyn was a like a force of nature, like an act of God that he couldn’t control or predict. The way she trusted him with her body, the way she never shied away from his touch, made him yearn to do anything he could to prove himself worthy of her.

  Groaning, he held the back of her head, brushed his fingers through her short curls. He watched her as she blew him, marveling at the pleasure on her face. Almost like she enjoyed it as much, if not more, than he did. “Beautiful, you have to stop.”

  Gripping her shoulders, he pulled her up and captured her lips with his. Turning her around, he bent her over the table and pushed into her. Emotion filled Carter as she pulsed around him. Leaning his forehead against the back of her neck, he nipped at the skin there.

  “So good.” Carter felt strung out, like an addict. Only there was no rehab in his future because his life, his existence, depended on her. In the short time he’d known her, she’d seeped into his soul, took up residence in his thoughts. He was lost in her, so addicted to her light and her love. Love?

  Carter was closer to paradise than he ever thought he would be. From the moment he’d pulled her out of the path of that car, he’d been helpless to stop the rush of feelings that only grew stronger each day he saw her or talked to her. The feeling that he could actually breathe again wasn’t lost on him. He’d promised himself that he’d never fall in love again, but then she was there and she made it okay to be himself, to let go. She’d made him feel something that he thought was lost to him. When she wasn’t with him, he thought about her. When they were together, he felt a high he hadn’t felt in years. Ever? No one else mattered but her, but the fire they created together.

  Brooklyn pushed back against him, drawing him from his thoughts. “Baby, where did you go?”

  Gripping her hips, he pulled out almost completely before pounding into her again. “I’m right here, beautiful.”

  She glanced back at him, pulled him into a wet kiss. “Don’t stop. Please.”

  That one word was all he needed. Carter swept a hand over her back, tracing her spine with his thumb as he thrust in and out, in and out. Smoothing a hand around her ass, he smacked it lightly.

  “Shit,” she muttered. “That’s it.”

  “You like that?” he asked, reaching around her and cupping her in his hand. She was wet with desire for him.

  “Yes.”

  With his other hand he gripped her shoulder, picking up his pace, pushing her to the edge that he knew she was close to falling over. Bending down, he whispered against her ear, “You love this, don’t you? You love when I brand you, make you mine with every stroke. I won’t be satisfied until I’ve had you in every way possible, until you realize that I’m the only man that will ever make you feel this way. I want you, Brooklyn. So bad I can taste it whenever you’re in the room, so bad that I can feel the emptiness in my gut when you’re not around. Lose control in me, the same way I’ve lost it in you.”

  Brooklyn came then, long and hard, with his name on her lips. He found his release next, digging his fingers into her hips as she milked him, pulling him over the edge with her.

  * * *

  A little while later, Brooklyn relaxed against Carter’s chest. The warm water felt like heaven to her aching muscles. After they’d made love, it was a few minutes before she could even think, let alone move. He’d carried her through the house to the master bathroom and proceeded to run a bath for them both.

  He brushed a sponge over her quivering stomach, and she moaned. “I could get used to this, Carter.”

  “Me, too.”

  A comfortable silence settled between them for a few moments as he lathered her body and washed her. How is it even possible to want him again? Pool-table sex was definitely an experience that would be ingrained in her heart forever.

  “I never thought I could do this again,” Carter said, his voice soft . . . unsure.

  “What do you mean?” He linked his hand with hers, kissed the inside of her wrist. It was a small gesture, but one she felt to her core.

  “I almost don’t want to say, because I’m hesitant to bring Krys in this bathroom with us.”

  Krys. His wife. When Carter had explained to her that he’d been married and lost his wife and child to a fire, she was sad for him. The pain still seemed to be just underneath the surface, and it had explained his behavior toward her.

  At the same time, she wasn’t stupid. Ca
rter had loved his wife. And there was a strong part of her that wondered if he’d ever be able to love her the way he loved his wife. The “fixer” in her wanted to give him space, let him work his way through the emotions involved in finally moving forward with his life after such a devastating loss. But there was another part—the part of her that didn’t want to open herself up for future heartbreak, pining after a man that was incapable of loving her the way she deserved.

  Brooklyn knew Carter wanted her. That was a no-brainer. But did he care for her? Can he love me? She was pretty sure she already loved him. It wasn’t even logical to love someone so much, so fast. Right? But she knew that she did, just as sure as she knew the sky was blue, the sun was hot, and chocolate and coffee were two of God’s greatest creations. Brooklyn wasn’t a love at first sight believer, but that’s what she’d gone and done. She’d fallen in love pretty much the moment he pulled her to safety that cold March night. And every day since then, she’d fallen deeper; harder.

  “I think you know you can talk to me about anything, even the uncomfortable things.” She pressed his hand against her beating heart. “As long as I’m alive, as long as you can feel my heartbeat in your palm, I’ll be here for you.”

  Carter brushed his lips over her temple, lingering there for a few seconds before he continued. “After Krys died, I wasn’t sure I could ever love someone again, not the way I loved her. It was easier to not engage, to not bring another woman into my box of pain. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  Brooklyn braced herself—for what, she wasn’t sure.

  “For the first time in forever, though, I feel hope,” Carter continued. “When I’m around you, when you’re telling me crazy things about Juicy Fruit or talking about your dreams, I’m always hit with this urge to keep you. It sounds weird, and even impossible, to want you the way I do, even though we’ve only known each other for a short time. But I want to wake up in the morning and live every moment of every day because you’re here. You’re with me, and you actually like me.”

  “I love you.” Her eyes widened and she bit down on her lip. Hard. Her admission shocked even herself. She hadn’t planned to say those words to him. And now that it was out there, in the atmosphere, she felt like she’d stripped herself bare, down the bone.

  Brooklyn’s first impulse was to apologize and tell him she didn’t mean to put him on the spot. But she wouldn’t apologize because she wasn’t actually sorry. And saying the words would be a protection mechanism, a way to even the playing field a little in case he didn’t feel the way she did.

  When he didn’t say anything, she forged ahead. “I’ve always been the type of person that has no qualms about speaking her mind. So I won’t start censoring my thoughts now. I’m already in love with you. And, call me crazy, but I trust you with my heart, even though you don’t completely trust yourself yet.”

  “How?” he asked.

  “What makes you feel unworthy to love and be loved again?”

  Carter blew out a shaky breath. “I wasn’t there, Brooklyn. I wasn’t there for Krys when she needed me. I was too busy working, too busy being Carter Marshall to even pick up the phone when she called me the night she died.”

  Carter explained the circumstances surrounding the fire, the phone call that his wife had made, the final text that she’d sent. Brooklyn knew that guilt could suffocate even the strongest person. And she didn’t want Carter to give in to that feeling.

  She wanted to hold him, to wrap him in her arms. Her heart broke at the turmoil she heard in his voice. She turned, the water sloshing around her. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she met his gaze. “Carter, did Krys know your name?”

  Frowning, he nodded. “Of course she did.”

  “Did she know you were Carter Marshall when you married her?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “But she still married you. She still loved you, Carter. You were the last person she wanted to speak to before she died. And when she didn’t get you, she sent you exactly what she thought about you in that text. I suspect she did it because she didn’t want you to punish yourself forever.”

  Brooklyn would have done the same thing, had she been in that position. She wouldn’t have wanted the man she loved to succumb to grief, not when each second they had on earth, each minute, was a chance to make it right.

  She gripped his chin, forcing him to meet her gaze. “So forgive yourself. You didn’t cause the fire and you didn’t ignite the flames. You were a victim just like Krys and Chloe were. The only difference is you were the one that was left to pick up the pieces. Just like we have the right to choose our path, you have to choose to move forward. It’s not easy. But I have to believe it’s worth it, that life is worth the pain. Because on the other side of pain, is joy—even in the midst of sorrow.”

  Chapter 20

  Carter stared at Brooklyn in awe as she mingled with his family. From the moment they’d arrived at his mother’s house, Brooklyn had taken to her family like bees to honey. And they seemed to enjoy her, too.

  She was amazing. That evening, while he was bathing with her, she’d given him a gift. The gift of understanding. She hadn’t tried to belittle his feelings, or make him feel worse. She simply loved him for it, she accepted him for the man he was. Flaws and all.

  He watched as Martin and Ryleigh chatted with Brooklyn on the other side of the room. When his best friend had arrived earlier, Martin immediately wanted to meet the woman who had made him lose all of his common sense. And when he introduced them, Brooklyn had managed to charm Martin as well. She and Ryleigh had hit it off immediately, bonding over the joys of small-town living and cooking. They’d already planned a visit to Ryleigh’s hometown of Rosewood Heights, South Carolina.

  “Son?”

  Carter turned to face his mother. Pulling her into a tight hug, he kissed her forehead. “Mama, thank you for cooking for us.”

  “Aw, you’re welcome.”

  He let his attention drift back to Brooklyn, who was now surrounded by his brothers. Both men were flirting blatantly with her, but he wasn’t worried. Because every time their eyes locked from across the room, he was assured that he was the one she wanted. How did I get so lucky?

  “She’s a beautiful woman, son. I like her. And I can’t wait to beat her at pool. She told me about your losing streak.”

  Carter glanced at his mother and chuckled. “She is a beautiful woman, and she did crack my head on the pool table.”

  He’d seen his mother chatting with Brooklyn a little earlier. The two women had been huddled in the corner, discussing something in a low tone. Carter had been tempted to interrupt, but thought better of it. His mother was a trip on a normal day, and so was Brooklyn. Putting those two together had to mean trouble.

  “I’d say it’s pretty obvious,” his mother added.

  A smile tugged at his mouth. “Obvious?”

  His mother rocked back on her heels, clapped her hands hard, as if she’d had a revelation. “You’re falling in love. And speaking as the mother who watched you drown in sorrow for the past few years, I’d have to say it makes me happy to be able to witness it.”

  Carter dropped his eyes to the hardwood floor. He felt his mother cup the back of his neck, a gesture she’d done since he was a child, one that let him know that she had his back, that she supported him and wouldn’t let him fall.

  She tilted her head and peered into his eyes. “It’s a good thing, son. Embrace it. Embrace her. It’s okay. You definitely have your mother’s approval. Not that you need it.”

  Carter had spent several hours making love to Brooklyn that day. After their bath, after she’d reduced him to tears . . . well, a tear, she’d loved him leisurely and thoroughly right in the tub. Then he’d taken her to his bed and worshipped her body for another hour, until his mother had called and broke them out of the haze of desire.

  “And you know your mama is right,” she continued. “If I tell you a duck could pull a truck, don’t ask me no questions, just
hook the damn duck up.”

  Carter barked out a laugh. The duck pulling the truck was one of his mother’s favorite sayings. It meant that he’d do well to listen to her, no matter how far-fetched it seemed, just because she’d been the one to say it. He could trust her judgment. Iris Johnston was a wise woman, and she’d been spot-on in her observations 90 percent of the time.

  “Alright, Ma.”

  Brooklyn finally made her way over to the two of them. Her grin was a mile wide and there was a blush creeping up her neck. “Your brothers are crazy.”

  Carter glanced over her shoulder at his younger brothers. They each tipped their beer bottle to him, and he wondered what they’d said to cause his girl to blush. “What did they say?”

  Brooklyn glanced at his mother at his side, then back at him. She averted her gaze. “They just gave me a few pointers, that’s all.”

  “Oh Lord,” his mother said, waving a dismissive hand in the air. “Don’t listen to those nasty boys. Probably said something about sex.”

  Brooklyn’s blush deepened, and she let out a nervous laugh. “I can’t have this conversation with you, Mama Johnston. But you do know your sons.”

  His mother laughed. Loud. Clapping her hands with glee, she said, “I really like you, Brooklyn. I’m looking forward to spending more time with you.”

  “I can’t wait to visit again soon. And next time, I’ll bring my cue stick.”

  “Be prepared to lose. Just sayin’.”

  Brooklyn giggled. “We’ll see. It’ll be a pleasure to bust that winning streak you have.”

  In a move that shocked Carter and Brooklyn, his mother pulled his girl into a tight hug. “I would give you my spiel about taking care of my son. But something tells me you already have that covered.”

  A look passed between the two women, before Brooklyn nodded. “I definitely do.”

  “What’s going on?” he asked.

  “I was just telling your mother not to worry about the arraignment. I have it under control.”