Falling in Love Again: A Valentine's Day Proposal

by Mia Ford

  I lean in closer to Carter, loving the way the heat of his body shrouds me. It feels amazing. It highlights his strength, his power, the way that he’s protecting me. I adore him more and more by the minute…

  I might actually be falling for him. Really falling for him. I’m not just talking about liking him a lot. I’m talking about loving him. I never thought that I would end up here, falling for this man, yet here I am. My heart sings for him, my whole body reacts in a very strong way, in this moment I could see it lasting forever.

  The man from work… the man who is definitely wrong for me in every single way. The complicated situation that doesn’t just risk my heart, but risks my business as well. There are so many reasons why my feelings shouldn’t end up here, but they are anyway. Completely out of my control.

  Carter just isn’t what he seems. He isn’t this gruff man who hates women and responds to anything with rudeness. He isn’t closed off and nasty, ruthless to the end, that’s just a front that he puts up. A front that he’s developed because he has been badly hurt in the past. Hurt badly by his ex-wife. Actually, he’s a really nice person with a good heart and a protective spirit. He’s someone that I can really respect.

  Perhaps, despite everything, Carter Lace is everything I want and need.

  Abbi was right, I think to myself with a secret smile. I hate it but she was.

  When she isn’t so mad at me, I will tell her. That will make her laugh. This might not be a typical rom com style romance, but in a way, it is just as she said it would be. I wanted to swear off dating and I ended up falling for someone. The person who I least thought I would in the whole entire world.

  I wonder what Mom will think of him, I ask myself idly. Once all of this danger is out the way.

  I already met Carter’s mother and she seemed to like me a lot. Of course, that wasn’t in a romantic capacity, that was just as a business partner, but I have a feeling that she wouldn’t be mad about it…

  “What are you thinking?” Carter asks, shaking me from my thoughts.

  “Oh, nothing in particular.” There’s no way I can tell him the truth! He’ll think that I’m insane for dreaming about our potential future when we’re in the middle of this chaos. “Just watching the movie.”

  “Hmm, are you sure about that?” He doesn’t trust me, which makes me want to giggle. “Because I can’t follow what on earth is going on, and I’m sure you won’t be able to either.”

  “Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m not really paying any attention. I keep drifting off.”

  “Did you want to go up to bed, then? Get some serious rest.”

  “Yeah, I think that’s a good plan. I hope I’ll be able to sleep better tonight.”

  Carter takes my hand and leads me to the stairs. He keeps shooting smiles back at me which sends an unexpected shiver up and down my spine. I certainly didn’t think that today would end with me feeling certain ways, but the revelation that I might well be in love with this man really affects me. It makes me yearn for him, it causes such a stirring that I’m surprised my knees aren’t knocking together.

  “I really like your room,” I comment as we get inside. It’s lovely, all pale blues and greens with big windows to stretch over the incredible view outside his back window. He has a great stretch of garden.

  “You saw it yesterday… you do remember that, right?”

  I giggle. “I wasn’t really looking last night to be honest. I was all in shock.”

  “Yeah, of course. Well, thank you. It’s okay, I suppose.”

  “And the bed is so comfortable.” I lie back on the sheets and groan with pleasure. “I love it.”

  His weight presses down the side of the bed beside me, making me roll over towards him. I instantly press against him, and laugh again, somehow, through everything, feeling happy in this moment.

  Carter’s arm rises and wraps around me, causing the butterflies in the pit of my stomach to transform to the size of birds. Hot blood pumps around my body, each beat of my pulse is just for him. I bite down on my bottom lip and smile up at him, wondering if it’s appropriate to start things up here. Will he think me crazy?

  “You are so beautiful,” he comments with a smile. “I don’t think you know how beautiful you are, Raelyn.”

  I trace my finger up and down his chest, mewing like a pussy cat at the feel of his muscles. The light pulsing in my panties becomes a deep throbbing so powerful that I might die if I don’t have him. We’re having tonight to just be, to forget about the trauma that we’re in, so I really want to roll with that.

  I lean up and press my lips lightly against Carter’s, barely grazing him. The set of tingles running through me is so intense, I instantly need so much more from him. My addiction for him intensifies.

  Carter kisses me back. Softly, at first, but the passion gets to him just like it has done me. I don’t know if he’s also being cautious, wanting to do the right thing, but this is definitely what I want to happen. As his tongue slips between my lips and he starts to explore me, I roll on top of him to take control of everything.

  “Oh, Raelyn,” he grunts between my lips. “You are just too much for me.”

  I slide my hands down his body until I reach the hemline of his shirt. He lifts off the bed just for long enough for me to strip it from him completely. I’m pretty sure that a button pings off and flies somewhere, but neither of us stop for long enough to really notice. We’re already too lost in one another.

  “Oh, Carter.” I try to find the hemline of his boxers, but instead, I find myself touching the sexy V shape of his muscles that trails all the way down to his… to his… “Oh, wow!”

  My hand wraps around his thick throbbing length, causing flames to flicker everywhere. I stretch my fingers and stroke him, panting as frantically as him as I move. Holding him like this, having the complete power over him, it turns me on so much. Almost as much as the fact that we’re actually doing this in a bed. Almost like normal people. This has to be a huge step in the right direction for us.

  I sit up so I’m straddling him while I pump my fist, just staring at his face. His gorgeous face contorted in pleasure, twisted up in a blissful agony as I send him spinning. Everything that he’s feeling, I can almost experience it too and it’s powerfully intense. It makes me tumble even deeper in to love.

  This is dangerous, I remind myself. Even more dangerous than the murderer outside.

  “Come here, you.” Before I can get too lost in that thought, thank goodness, Carter grabs me and pulls me back to him. His rock hard cock nudges my entrance, which drives me crazy, but for the moment I’m happy to just kiss him. Mostly because his kisses are seriously hot as all hell. “Mmm, you’re amazing.”

  I roll my hips over him, grinding against him, but unfortunately my clothes are in the way. That damn material that I would just love to melt away so I can have him inside of me already.

  Carter senses what I need and he flips me on to my back. As he peels the layers away that are covering me, our eyes connect and I really feel him. More than ever before. Our connection is deeper, our bond more powerful, this chemistry we share is more intense. It isn’t just physical anymore. It’s spiritual as well.

  His hands cup my breasts as his mouth connects with my throat. But just for a moment. Soon, his lips move down my body until his fingers are in the way of his lips. His mouth connects with my nipples and he sucks and licks me in to oblivion. My back arches, my hips roll, everything inside of me screams for him. Each tug sends a flurry of pleasure, each lick of his rough tongue makes me shudder, every brush of his lips leaves me glowing.

  I need him. I need him so badly I could scream. I need to feel all of him right now.

  “I… I want you,” I yell out. “Oh, Carter, I want you so badly.”

  He slams into me then, his hard thrust echoing through the room, and I scream with bliss. He fills me up perfectly, grazing my walls, hitting powerful spots that I didn’t even know I had. My head fills with a thick fog, a heady inte
nse lust that I can barely stand. I’m seeing stars already. The pressure of heat is already building. His incredible cock, his magic touch, everything about him is absolutely perfect.

  This is why I’m falling for him, I tell myself. Because he’s unique, he’s special, he’s just Carter.

  “Oh fuck,” I cry out, my whole body lighting up with lust. It’s like Christmas lights are attached to all of my veins, running through my body and they are all switched on at once. “Carter, that’s…”

  He strips the breath from my lungs. I’m literally breathless. I can’t speak, I can’t think, I’m suffocating in this lack of air, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world. Right now, this man is everything to me.

  Yet I need more. That’s the problem with Carter, I always want more with him.

  I roll him onto his back and push myself back in to a sitting position so I can control the thrusts. I pick the perfect angle and pace for me, selfishly chasing an orgasm of my own. Of course I want Carter to enjoy himself as well, but I can’t help focusing on me for just a moment. I’m buzzing, sizzling, tipping closer and closer…

  And then I fall. I scream out at a top note, fully savoring every moment of the experience. It’s intense and phenomenal, it shatters and racks through me, swallowing every part of me whole. I buck and crumble, I thrash and fall apart, falling against Carter hard. He holds me tight, kissing me intensely, loving me with every part of himself. I love this, it sends me off on a romantic notion, so in the post orgasmic bliss I dream only of him and me. I think about the distant future when all of this is over and we can just be us.

  I could get hurt here, I think idly as we crash together in the bed. I could end up with my heart broken.

  But I really don’t think that’s the case. I don’t think that Carter will hurt me. I think we’re meant to be…

  29

  Carter

  “Where is Raelyn?” Gary asks me as soon as I walk through the door. “Is she not back today?”

  “Why would I know?” I do my best to blag it, but all Gary needs to do is cock his disbelieving eyebrow at me for me to know that he’s seen right through me. “Okay, fine. She isn’t going to be here today.”

  “Is she okay? She wasn’t herself yesterday at all and we’re all worried.”

  “She isn’t well. She’ll be back when she’s better. For the time being, we can all hold things together, can’t we?” Gary nods, but he still looks unsure. “You’ll tell Leon to hold it together, won’t you?”

  I feel bad not giving him more to go off of, but this is all I can share. There’s no way I can tell him the truth. He’ll end up in this shit, just like I am. I don’t want to end up dragging anyone else into it.

  “Yeah sure. Leon and I have everything sorted. There isn’t anything to worry about.”

  “Good, good. Well, I’m going to be catching up on some paper work in my office, so come get me if you need me.”

  “We won’t disturb you unless we need to… but I don’t think we’ll need to, so I wouldn’t worry.”

  I smile at him gratefully. Thank goodness he can see what I need today. “I appreciate it, Gary.”

  He walks off, thankfully trusting me enough to leave it there, and I head straight into my office. Leaving Raelyn at home today was the right thing to do. She couldn’t be here today, but I don’t know how I’m going to get through the day myself. I have been checking my cell phone all morning long to see if I have anything from Lee, be so far nothing yet. He’s taking a long time, but I guess I need to be patient.

  I turn my computer on and tap my fingers anxiously on the desk while I wait for it to come to life. As soon as it does, I run through my emails. Quite a lot have piled up since I’ve been distracted, so there’s a lot to keep me occupied. That’s good really, I need something to keep me occupied so I don’t end up insane.

  Ring, ring… Ring, ring…

  I actually end up so distracted that I almost ignore my phone to focus on work. It’s only when I recall that Lee is calling me, I jump up and grab it to answer, panic tearing through me. And it’s him!

  “Lee,” I gasp excitedly in to the handset. “It’s you!”

  “Yes, it is. I wanted to make sure I had everything before coming to you.”

  “Oh, of course, I know, I trust you. I’ve only been driving myself a bit insane while waiting.”

  “I can imagine. But I have what you need now. I have a lot of information for you.”

  “Such as what?” I rake my fingers anxiously through my hair. “Is it part of the organized crime groups?”

  “That’s how it looked on the outside, yes. And I was almost prepared to believe as such, but something didn’t quite sit right so I kept on digging. What I discovered is that it’s more of a gang crime.”

  “Gang? I didn’t realize that we had a gang issue… is this separate from the others?”

  “This is basically reckless kids trying to play with the big boys to emanate what they see. They aren’t part of the mob groups, and I presume they wouldn’t accept them, so what they are doing is more gang like. It isn’t so much organized crime as it is trying to claim territory and fighting over it.”

  “Oh right… well, that’s good, isn’t it? If it isn’t the big time criminals, we should be okay?”

  “I wouldn’t be so confident in that,” Lee tells me. “They are trying to become them in their own way, or a version of them, so they will act in the same way. Also, they are younger and more inexperienced, which could make them act in a crazy way. There’s no way of predicting what they’ll do next.”

  “Right, I see.” I hear what Lee is saying, but to be honest, this lifts my spirits. If it isn’t anyone powerful and scary then I’m not too worried. I honestly don’t think that I have anything to panic about. “So, what else?”

  “I have a name of the person I believe is responsible for the killing.”

  “Well, if you believe it is then I do too. I trust your judgement, Lee.”

  “His name is Connor Blair. He’s nearly twenty years old and has two older brothers currently in jail.”

  “If I have anything to do with it, he’ll be joining his big brothers soon enough.”

  “You are going to report this then?”

  “Yeah, I am,” I reply decisively. “I want this over and that’s the quickest way. Now I know I don’t have to worry…” Lee makes a noise, but I choose to ignore it. “I’m going to get it solved. For Raelyn as well as me.”

  “You did not get this information from me.”

  “Oh, of course, I wouldn’t do anything to risk getting you in trouble, Lee. Thank you for everything that you’ve done for me. I appreciate it a lot. You have saved me here; I hope you know that.”

  “That is truly kind of you to say, but I would strongly suggest that you take some time to think before your next move. Just because these are younger kids with less experience, it doesn’t mean relax.”

  “Thank you, Lee. I will think about it. I will also send a check your way today.”

  We say our goodbyes, and while I can hear that Lee is tentative, I’m all good. As far as I’m concerned, this is really good news. This is the beginning of the end. Without this worry, Raelyn and I can just be. Then we can work out what we’re going to do about us. I’m fairly sure we’re on the right path now, but we need to be sure that we care the same amount about each other even without drama around us.

  I head out of my office to find Gary to tell him that I’m leaving for the afternoon because I have something important to do. I can see in his eyes that he wants to question me, but thankfully, he doesn’t. Then it’s time to get into my car and to drive to the police station. On the way, I remember what Raelyn said about the guy waiting outside the police station for her… but that just fires me up more. These are kids, wanabees, idiots who think that they’re doing something good with their lives. I won’t be intimidated by that. Not a chance.

  I don’t see anyone outside the police station though
, no one to particularly grab my focus. No young lads who look like they want to get into the criminal underbelly of the world anyway. I might be wrong, I don’t know what all criminals look like, but I feel secure in my decision anyway. It’s time to get some help with this.

  I step out of the car and stride confidently towards the police station, glad to finally be doing the right thing. I will be glad to get this reported and sorted out. It’ll be good to have this over and done with. Finally!

  “Do you have everything you need now, Officer Brady?”

  “I think so.” He peers at me disapprovingly over his glasses. “The next time, I would very strongly suggest that you come to us first with this information. Rather than conducting an investigation yourself.”

  “I had to make sure that I wasn’t going to end up in any danger…”

  “The police are here to assist you with that. I cannot understand where the lack of trust comes from.”

  I decide not to answer that, instead I just give him a look. He can say what he wants to me, I am not going to put my full faith into the police without evidence that I’m going to be okay. Officer Brady is fine, and he’s listened to me well, but I’m going to make sure that I’m safe first. Well, Raelyn and me.

  “I’m going to leave then. Let you get on with your investigation.”

  “We will keep you in the loop. As soon as we have someone in custody.”

  “By someone, you mean Connor Blair. I know that you can’t tell me, but I’m sure that name means something to you, and deep down, you know that I’m right.” I hold up my hands in a surrendering gesture. “I get that you’re annoyed at me for finding out that information, but I bet you’re also glad.”

  He doesn’t reply, but that doesn’t matter because we both know that I’m right. I take off, a weight lifting from my shoulders. That wasn’t the easiest statement to make in the world, I knew that it would be problematic and it definitely was since I left it so long, but we got there in the end. We got an understanding.