by Ronna Gage
* * * *
Kelli sat in the dining room thinking about Carter. So many emotions filled her. Shame and mortification for her slutty behavior filled her with regret. Sleeping with a man on the second date and the guilt of wanting to have him inside her again battled for top priority of her promiscuous actions. Last night was the best sex I’d ever had. Carter made her come more than once, and each time built to something special. Being with him changed her. She was now, officially, a multi-orgasmic woman, and surprisingly, she reveled in the status. Phantom finger touches lingered on her body, and the taste of his lips still remained on hers. She inhaled the scent of his cologne. Lifting her blouse, she smelled where it clung to her clothes. If she didn’t stop thinking about Carter, she would have an orgasm in the dining room.
“Thank God we used protection along with the pill.” It was not only smart to take the necessary precautions but necessary. The idea of dealing with an unplanned pregnancy on top of a new job would’ve stressed her out. Not only that, but there were STDs she didn’t want to have to worry about.
I’m so glad that Carter is levelheaded enough to take care of the two of you.
What had she meant by that? How well did Tonya know Carter in the first place? Kelli noticed him sitting alone at the pool that day, and it didn’t seem odd to her at all. Tonya encouraged her to approach him. Why did the crowd he hung around with keep him at a distance? What was it about him that appeals to me but not to them? To imagine Carter hanging around the celebrity lifestyle was out of the ordinary scheme of things. He seemed perfectly comfortable in the midst. “Maybe that’s the connection. He’s like me.”
The fact that she fucked him so early into their relationship didn’t bother her as much as the feelings she developed the morning after. She felt like a fool. Something alerted her to take this relationship slowly, but last night she didn’t listen to that inner voice, and now she may have lost her only chance to do something right. “He won’t want to see me anymore.” Kelli prepared herself for the broken heart she would have to deal with in the near future—again. She didn’t want to face another broken heart. This one might break her spirit.
* * * *
Carter walked into his office all smiles. He had woken up in the hotel suite holding Kelli. She looked so adorable. Her body still smelled of her sweet orgasms. Her tousled hair fell over her face. Carter eased it back to watch her sleeping. Her lips beckoned him to kiss her. He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. Immediately, she woke up and smiled at him.
He set the leather briefcase he carried on his desk. He switched on the computer and took a quick peek at the stocks on the NASDAQ. He grinned at the open points of the day and closing points of the stock prices from the day before—steady increase. He checked the messages for the day and made a mental prioritized list when Dex’s long frame filled his doorway, interrupting him. The grim face staring at Carter wasn’t the happy-go-lucky Dex he saw last night before he left for his date. He wondered if Dex’s night was as good as his.
“Can I help you?” Carter asked with the steady tone he used to de-escalate temperamental clients.
“That fucking stock I invested in a year ago is taking a big shit.”
Telling by Dex’s tone of voice, Carter knew he expected an explanation from him about the declining stock. “And you are yelling at me because I’m a good sounding board, right?” Carter went back to his notepad and made a few more notes on some stocks he was looking at for his own portfolio.
“You told me that investing my money would be lucrative,” Dex challenged.
“Yeah, but I didn’t tell you to blindfold your eyes and shoot darts at the stock page to pick the companies you want to invest in.”
Dex shrugged off the comment. “I was bored,” he defended in a petulant tone. He walked into the office and plopped down in the chair in front of the desk. “So, how do I get out of it?”
Carter looked back at the computer. The stock that Dex referred to had been under scrutiny by the government due to suspicious irregularity with the company’s financial report. The small airline company was susceptible to a hostile takeover. He turned to his friend. “I think you should count it as a loss and pull out while you can.”
Dex nodded in agreement. “Is that what you did for Tonya’s cousin? Pull out while you could?”
Carter calmly put down his pen and gave Dex a hard look. He didn’t mind sharing the conquests of a good fuck with his friend, who was usually right there with him, but Kelli was off-limits, and he wasn’t about to share the intimate details, not on this one. He needed to set the boundaries now.
“I think that would best be left unsaid.”
“Well, she’s kinda freaked out about it,” Dex informed him.
“What do you mean?” Last night was one of the most remarkable nights I’ve had in a long time. It was wonderful, in fact. Where is her sudden regret coming from? She hadn’t said anything to him when he left her at the lobby of her apartment building earlier this morning.
“She thinks she’s moved too fast, and you would rather date someone who isn’t so, let’s say, quick to ball you.”
“I’m not sure I like being the gossip mill’s topic of discussion for the day.” He knew he didn’t like his best friend telling him how to date women when he was the stud of the hour for the male population of Fort Worth, Texas.
“You’re not. Just cluing you in.”
“How in the hell do you know all this stuff?”
“Tonya called you this morning. When I told her you weren’t there, we talked, which led us to speculate about her cousin’s relationship.”
Carter fell back into his chair. He gave Dex a long stare. “You do realize that her relationship is also mine.”
“Yep.” Dex sent Carter a sheepish grin.
Carter thought about what his friend said. “How in the world would Kelli or Tonya think that of me? I never treated her with anything but respect.” Well, maybe toasting to taking her dress off was a bit much. That would be treating her like a… Suddenly, he knew how Kelli came up with that thought. She didn’t exactly fit the groupie profile. She was a teacher and unused to the world of athletes and super-egos. Of course, she would have regrets this morning. She woke up thinking she was no more than another piece of ass. Of all the stupid, idiotic, non-thinking…
“Carter? Carter?”
Carter looked up at his friend. “What?”
“What are you going to do about her?” Dex repeated.
“Nothing but see her again.” Carter became uncomfortable having his friend dissect his romantic relationship.
A look of concern crossed Dex’s face. “Well, take it easy. She doesn’t sound like a woman that is willing to be in the fuck ’em and leave ’em category.”
Carter smiled. “Yeah, and that makes it all the better for me.” Suddenly, he had a plan. He was going to surround Kelli with love.
Dex smiled. “What should I do about this stock?” He handed a copy of his stock portfolio to Carter.
Although Carter was attentive to the business at hand, his mind wasn’t far from Kelli and his longing to make love to her all over again.
Chapter Eleven
The quiet apartment echoed with a deafening sound. Her heart floated with happiness, and then plummeted with despair. “God, have I truly ruined everything?” She hit her bowed head. “I’m so stupid!” The vibration of her cell phone broke through the sounds of silence and resonated like a jackhammer on the coffee table. She picked it up, looked at the LED screen, and wondered about the unfamiliar number.
“Hello, this is Kelli,” she answered.
“What are you doing later this evening?” Carter asked.
Her heart raced a notch. Her hands fidgeted with the hem of her shorts. Kelli never expected to see or hear from Carter again. Especially this soon after their last night. “Nothing. Why?” She didn’t think twice to spend more time with him. Her insides quivered with hope. Does he want to see more of me?
<
br /> “I thought we could have dinner together.”
“I’d love to,” she answered a little too quickly. Don’t blow it, Kelli.
“Great. I will see you at, say, six thirty?”
“Sounds great. I’ll see you then.”
“I look forward to it.”
She heard the soft click of the cell phone’s disengagement of the call. Her excitement built up and then exploded in a wild whoop of cheers and hurrahs. “Yes, Yes! Thank you, God, yes.” Kelli danced around the living room. “I’m gonna see Carter tonight!” she sang. Her heart fluttered with the euphoria of walking on air. “I can’t wait!”
* * * *
The ping of the doorbell echoed in the apartment, and Kelli scrambled on the slick tiled entryway to answer the door. Giddy with excitement, she couldn’t get there fast enough. Her feet slipped, and she almost crashed into the wall. Steadying her footsteps, she tiptoed to the door, and then looked through the peephole. Butterflies filled her stomach while she eyed Carter standing on the other side. Her heart soared with the reality that he was actually at her door. She paused a moment, taking the time to admire him through the vantage point. Smiling, she watched him fidget until he finally leaned against the doorframe and waited for her. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she opened the door with a smile. “Hi.”
Carter stared at her with a longing that matched hers. His intent gaze caused a jittery, tingly, drop-your-gut-to-your-knees feeling to run through her body. Suddenly, her palms turned sweaty.
“Where are my manners? Come in.” Kelli felt like a dunce for leaving him standing in the hallway. He smiled, kissed her lightly on the cheek. “Hello.” He entered the small area inside the doorway. The heat that radiated from him surrounded and warmed her with desire. His scent filled her nostrils. The intoxicating smell reminded her of fresh air, clean, lush fields, and man. Longing engulfed her. I’d like to jump his bones right here on the ceramic floor.
He continued to the living room. She shut the door, watching the way his jeans molded the shape of his ass.
He turned to her. “How was your day?’
She walked to where he stood. “Good. I didn’t do a whole lot. I’m taking it easy and hanging out before I start interviewing for different schools in a few weeks.” She gazed into his handsome face. Their sexual energies wrapped around her, mesmerized her in a strange, euphoric atmosphere.
“You look beautiful.”
His soft words broke the spell she was under and brought her around to reality. She looked down at the simple black tank dress. Every time we go out, I manage to wear a dress. Does that mean something? Maybe, it was a subconscious decision, a sexual, sensual, bold way to communicate that she wanted him. Kelli smiled at the significance of such a gesture.
“Thank you.” She continued to stare at him, unmoving, feeling the atmosphere come alive with unseen forces that guided her hand to rest on his arm. The solid mass under her fingers warmed her cool hands. She cleared her throat. “Would you like something to drink?”
His gaze responded to her touch and then her question. His eyes grew turbulent with changing emotions. “Yeah, whatever you have,” he answered at last.
Kelli didn’t attempt to move to get their drinks. Her contentment easily fulfilled to stand in the living room with Carter and continue looking at him. What would happen if I turned away right now? Would I get these feelings again, or would he disappear, never to be seen again, like a dream my mind made up to entertain my erotic fantasies?
In her mind’s eye, Kelli could see his naked body coming to her, feel his lips on hers, and then on her skin. Her mind recognized the scent of their arousal, blending in with the images of her mental dream. His tongue licking and bathing her clit. An immediate heat collected between her legs, triggering a sharp pang deep in her womb. The crotch of her panties became saturated, and a faint musk of her feminine arousal wafted in the air filling her nostrils. Kelli hoped that Carter was close enough to know what her body wanted but dreaded it at the same time. By the sudden awareness that appeared in his eyes, she found her answer. He knows! Neither spoke—silence filled the room as each one looked at the other, yet both of them could feel the spark of electricity sizzling in the air between them. She felt a slight burning in her cheeks. Why is it that he makes me feel like a little schoolgirl?
He squeezed her hand, gaining her attention.
“Go ahead and make yourself at home while I get our drinks.” He let her hand slip out of his. She walked around the counter into the kitchen, feeling Carter’s presence close behind her. He stopped at the bar, pulled out one of the barstools, and sat down.
Kelli felt the change in atmosphere on her skin. His body’s close proximity no longer warmed her and the giddy feelings when he was close no longer bubbled inside her, all because a breakfast bar separated them. She turned to him and found him watching her. It felt oddly familiar to have him near. “I missed you,” she said in response to the realization. She’d missed him all day.
“I missed you, too. I thought about you all day.”
She smiled but still felt shaky inside. She gazed at him a moment longer. What’s happening to me? More importantly, how long will it last? Kelli pushed the latter thought out of her mind. She wouldn’t dwell on the negative energy that tried to seep into her happiness. She grabbed a beer for him and a wine cooler for herself. “How was your day?” Making idle chitchat would help to calm her nerves.
“It was all right. Win some, lose some.”
When she returned to him, she stood on the opposite side of the breakfast bar and placed the beer in front of him. She reached up to open the bottle with trembling hands and prayed it wouldn’t become a big mess to clean. Carter took a drink of the beer. New tingles of want ran through her body so fast it overwhelmed her with the need to kiss his lips. Instead of reacting to the urges inside, she turned away from them. “Let’s have a quick snack,” she stated and walked back to the fridge. She opened the door and searched on each shelf for something—anything to keep her mind off him and the impure thoughts running through her head. The chill of the fridge minimized her lust, but it still lingered, smoldering beneath the surface, ready to ignite with a spark.
* * * *
Carter saw the slight tint of blush that colored her cheeks. Too engrossed with the sparkle from her eyes, he didn’t say anything about the cause for her coloring. Kelli bent over in front of the opened refrigerator, and he lost all train of thought. The hem of her dress didn’t hit much past the cheeks of her ass. Her smooth, shiny thighs tempted him to reach out and touch them. Carter took advantage of the bird’s-eye view on his perch, filling his head with all sorts of fantasies.
He imagined her bent over the island, her dress hiked above her waist, her panties down around her ankles, and he inside her, rocking into the deep recesses of her heated core. His balls tingled.
She pulled a small tray of meats and cheeses from the bottom shelf and set it on the island.
“Do you…” Suddenly, the ability to speak left him. He cleared his throat before he tried to speak again. “Do you need help?”
Kelli looked up at him and smiled. Her green eyes showed an innocent and seductive woman as they gazed at him. He knew how seductive she could be and how sweet she tasted. And he craved her more than food.
“No, I got it.” She put the tray together, unaware of his watchful eyes upon her. She bent again to retrieve a bottle of white cream dip. The material of her black dress clung to her ass. He didn’t see a panty line through the fabric. Taking a closer look, to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. His mind went wild thinking of the possibilities under the dress.
A G-string?
No, a thong!
Oh shit, no panties at all. He could feel his cock straining against the fabric of his jeans. Damned thing didn’t believe what his eyes saw and his brain registered it wanted to look for itself. The room suddenly got hot. Carter started sweating profusely under his collar. The idea to strip out of h
is shirt and feel the cool breeze of the air-conditioning on his heated body sounded better and better with each passing thought. “Did you leave the stove or oven on?” He had to find another source for the sudden heat wave. Carter flapped his shirt collar in a repeated motion. Man, that air-conditioner better kick on soon.
“No, I didn’t cook today. It’s too hot,” Kelli answered. She opened the last package of meat.
“You got that right,” Carter murmured to himself. He took a sip of beer and watched her hands open the package with care. Suddenly, he pictured her small hands on him, roaming softly against his body, heating it to the bone. He could almost feel her hands on his bared flesh. He inhaled deeply and released it slowly to calm the urge. He distracted himself with sports statistics and the titles to this week’s top twenty songs. He even thought of huge, indestructible icebergs in Alaska. Large masses of floating ice that could sink a ship if it were to get too close, but also large enough to cool his heated loins. His eyes traveled up her body, and then connected with hers. She looked at him smiling.
“I hope you’re hungry.” She walked around the bar carrying the tray of snacks, basket of crackers, and her drink.
When did she finish? When did she fill the basket? He couldn’t remember. He was too enthralled with her ass…and icebergs.
“You have no idea.” He took her drink from her hand and looked at the blush colored liquid. He considered downing the contents but thought better of it. Mixing alcohol wasn’t such a good idea.
He followed her into the living room, silently moaning inside as he gazed at her heart-shaped ass clad in the black, shiny material. He sat their drinks onto the coasters he found placed around the glass-top coffee table, sat on the couch, turned his head to offer help, and literally came eye-level with the right cheek of her ass. He moaned inwardly with the battle of urges building inside him. One part wanted to be a gentleman, the other insisted he take a touch and caress her ass. He cupped the air around it—what could he do to restrain himself from biting her cheek? Closing his fingers into fists, he considered putting them under his legs. Instead, he grabbed the beer in front of him and took a long drink. He almost drank the contents of the beer at one time, but he kept his hands busy and to himself.