by Piper Frost
"You too." His smile's bright and happy. Not like a wolf's. When he leans for a hug I'm not expecting it's awkward and we fumble for a second before he starts to laugh. "Sorry."
"Kind of crazy we're halfway across the world, huh?" I chuckle nervously and look at Affton who's watching us and ignoring every word Jonathan's saying. "You enjoying the trip so far?"
"Yeah. You been before? Certainly colder than home for me." He nervously laughs and plays with his water glass.
"Yeah, seriously. The humidity in the south kills my hair though. It's actually playing nice for once." I slide my fingers through it and try to relax. This guy's nice and Affton's right. He's probably got everything I'll eventually want in a partner.
"Your hair's nice. You look beautiful." He nods then quickly looks at Affton. "You do too, Affton." He clears his throat and looks at the table. Poor guy.
"Thank you," I say, resting my hand on his arm hoping to make him not so nervous. "You don't look so bad yourself." I smile at him when he glances at me and a small smile plays on his lips.
Dinner isn't as bad as I assumed it would be when I saw the two of them walking through the door. I didn't want Affton interfering in my love life, but I'm glad that Eric was here tonight. Affton and Jonathan ended up talking work the entire time so Eric and I actually were able to keep each other company. He's...sweet. I'm not used to sweet.
We end the night with him putting his number in my cellphone and I shoot him a text so he has mine.
"He's nice," I say as soon as Affton and I get back in our suite. I haven't thought about Grant at all tonight. Not one bit. Not at...all.
"Isn't he?" She lowers my arm as I stare at my tattoo. "You two are adorable. He couldn't keep his eyes off you!"
"He's a good guy, for sure." I shrug her hands off me and walk to the kitchen, staring at the liquor bottles. The tequila bottle taunts me. Nothing good happens when you drink tequila. My fingers move to my forearm and I sigh. "Hey, I'm heading to bed."
"I'm just going to step outside and call Tommy. He should be up for work by now. Night."
A hint of jealousy hits me that I don't have that comfort with Grant. If I called him right now he'd either answer with another girl in his bed or not answer at all. I toss my clothes in my dirty clothes pile and fall to the bed, pulling out my laptop to try and get ahead of some of the work for tomorrow. My phone dings and I pull it up, fully expecting it to be Eric. He seems like the type to text almost as soon as he has a girl's phone number. A go-getter. Like he actually knows what he wants.
GRANT: This your pig?
There's a picture of Tink and Grant and they're outside at Affton's. I squeal with laughter and lie back on the bed.
CARTER: Tink!! OMG don't you LOVE her!?
GRANT: She's cool. We ate breakfast together.
Another picture takes a minute to load but when it does, he has a plate of bacon in front of my pig's face.
CARTER: Grant Matthews, don't you DARE feed her that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think that's enough exclamation marks to make my point.
GRANT: Too late. She pigged out. Why the fuck do you have a pig? You don't strike me as the pet type. Especially not a pig.
CARTER: I take offense to that. I told you I had a cat! Plus, I saved that pig. I should get a gold medal or something.
I'm actually grinning stupidly lying here and that's when it hits me. I've been busy this trip. I'm in a foreign country with all the beauty I could see...but I haven't felt right. This feels right. Grant at my place, taking care of my pig without me even asking him to? This is...fuck this is what I want.
CARTER: How's life without Afton and I there? Pretty boring?
GRANT: Naw. Me and Tommy have had strippers, booze, and cocaine aplenty since you bitches been gone. My man gets wild when his fiance goes out of town
I belt out a laugh and send an eye-roll emoji.
CARTER: Sure. I don't believe that for a second.
A picture of him pushing his jeans and red boxer briefs down, hooked under his hard cock comes through and if I'm not mistaken, he's in a barn. That looks like a barn floor. Probably working on the Kenshaw Ranch. He would fucking send a dick pic from work.
GRANT: You miss this cock dirty girl?
I smirk and my thighs squeeze together to try and ebb the need. God, I hate that I love this reaction I have to him. I shouldn't love it.
Fuck, I shouldn't feel for him what I do. But I do.
CARTER: Eh. Germany has some decent options...
I bite my lip and chuckle, enjoying way too much making him mad. Before he can reply, I type out another one.
CARTER: Eric's here this week too. I've had some good company ; )
GRANT: But does he fuck you like this?
A video loads a second later, it's of him...fucking me from behind. My heart rate quickens and I immediately turn the sound down. As much as it should make me mad that he took that...it's really fucking hot.
CARTER: Grant! Delete that video! What if someone saw it?!
GRANT: Who said someone hasn't seen it?
I hit dial on my phone immediately, my hands trembling because he's crazy enough to actually do something with that video!
"You miss me, baby?" He chuckles.
"No!" I bark out the lie so easily I almost believe it. But I don't. Because when his low laugh comes through the line everything that I've been missing this week comes slamming back full force. "Grant, you have to delete that. Who did you show? That's not online anywhere is it?" I hiss out the words but I want to scream at him for being so stupid.
"Now, Carter Dawn, ask yourself. Would Grant Matthews do that to you?"
"I'm fucking serious!" I screech then walk over and slam my bedroom door. "Yes, Grant. Yes, it is something you would do." God, he infuriates me!
"You're learning, baby." He laughs. "I'm at work, sweating like a pig and..." There's silence for a minute. "Speaking of pig, I lost Bacon. She kinda blends in with the other pigs. Bacon!" He whistles. "Here girl."
"Bacon?" I blurt, wanting to get back to the subject of what the hell he did with that video. "Grant, focus. You didn't share that video anywhere did you?"
"Hey, baby. I gotta go. I lost your pig."
"What!" I shriek. "Grant!" Fuck! "Why the hell did you take my pig to work with you?"
"Bacon girl. You freaked me out. Found her. She was bored at home. Ginnie and Simon are at Tommy's dad's getting some surgery. Bacon was lonely."
I squeeze my eyes closed and suppress a grin. He took Tink to work with him so she'd have other pigs to play with? He...cares.
"I ha—" I start to say it because it used to flow so effortlessly, and maybe if I start saying it more it'll actually be true, but he cuts me off.
"Hate me?" He interrupts. "No you don't."
"I want to," I murmur, picking at my bedspread. He's right. I don't hate him. It's pretty fucking scary...but I think I love the asshole.
"You don't. And you love this dick. Hey, I heard you told your friends I'm not your type."
"I what now?" I let out a nervous chuckle. "I think it's been you this whole time telling me you're not my type. Or better yet, to find someone else that's more my type..." He's seriously going to start this when I'm halfway around the world?
He makes a noise. "Yeah, maybe. Hey, dirty girl, I really gotta get back to work and I think your pig's eating out another girl pig... Huh, I didn't think..."
"I'm hanging up, Grant." I end the call before he can go into detail about what my baby pig is doing. And I'm also trying to stop myself from stumbling over words when I'm not even sure what they mean yet.
I turn off my phone and swing open my door, storming out to the mini fridge and yank it open.
"Is there no fucking ice cream here?" I growl and slam the door closed.
Affton's standing there, watching me with her eyebrows high on her forehead. "You okay?"
"Grant took Tink to the ranch today. He's going to lose her." I fall to the couch and groan.
"Grant took your pig to the ranch? He removed her from our home and took her to the ranch? What the hell for?" she asks, glancing back from the kitchen area.
"Socialization. He said she was getting lonely without Ginnie and Simon there." I sigh heavy. "Affton, I think I have a problem."
"He's not going to lose your pig." She chuckles. "He used to have tons of pets when we were kids. He's surprisingly responsible with animals." She walks toward me holding out a wine glass. "Next best thing to ice cream, right?"
"Thank you." I take the glass and drink down a few large gulps before taking a deep breath and finding her gaze on me. "What? Why do you look like you're about to tell me my dad just died?"
"Oh god! Carter." She nudges me after sitting down. "Don't say that. You just said you have a problem and I'm worried. Tomorrow we have to present the line to Harvard Müller and I'm starting to sweat. Did you leave something important at home?" She's starting to talk breathily like she's about to have an anxiety attack.
I shake my head, taking another slow drink of wine and finishing off my glass. "I think I love him," I whisper, spinning my glass in my hand.
I don't think. I know. I know by the way a smile immediately comes to my face when I think about him. Or the way I can't stop thinking about him. Or the way this week's sucked because I've missed him so much. I think I fucked myself over on this one and the look she's giving me is just confirming my fear.
"Eric?" she blurts, almost spilling her wine.
"What?" I shake off the nerves of telling her. "No! Grant!"
"Grant?" she screams so loud it echoes.
"Yep," I pop my 'p' and nod, staring at the floor then hold out my glass. "Can I have a refill?"
"Oh, Carter. Oh my god. Honey, honey." Snatching my wine glass she marches toward the bottle. "How is this even possible? He's..." She cringes at me over my shoulder. "Grant. Hot...but not love material."
"He's got a side he hasn't shown you," I mutter. "He's...sweet. In his own weird way. He's infuriating but...not. It doesn't make sense to me either, but I know how I feel." I take the glass from her when she walks back over to me. "It's terrifying but I think I need to tell him. Affton, he's taking care of my pig this week without me even asking! He trusted me to cut his hair." I laugh. "God, I sound so stupid."
"No offense, but I know all sides of Grant. Literally." She shakes her head. "He's probably just." She abruptly stops and grabs my hand. "God this sounds mean, but he's probably just using you. You're attractive, he probably likes the sex, he knows you're not like the other skanks he's used to fucking, he's gotta work a little harder for the time being. Carter," she groans my name. "I told you not to do this!"
"I didn't mean to!" I belt out. "I'm sorry! You think I wanted to fuck all this up?" I shake my head and fall silent, trying to talk myself out of these feelings but the more the word dances around my head the more I know what I'm feeling is right. "What do I do?"
"Stop. Stop immediately. Give Eric a chance! It's not like you and Grant are actually dating, right? So you can give Eric a chance and fall in love with a man worth your time."
I nod silently. She's probably right. I need to stop all contact with the guy until I can stand to be in the same room as him and not want to claw anyone else's eyes out that approaches him. I know she's right...but I'm not sure I can do that.
"I can give Eric a chance," I finally say. "Maybe it'll be fine. Good for me. Show me that what I feel for Grant is just really good sex." It's not. I know it's not, but I'll try.
"Yes! Exactly. Good sex. He's good for that. And that's all he's good for." She rubs my leg. "Do you want me to tell you really horrible stories about him that'll make you hate him? Like how he fucked Chase's sister and told everyone in school she gave him chlamydia. I mean, she probably did. But he told everyone. The janitor even knew."
I laugh and shake my head. "Thank you for trying. But I think I'm just going to bed for real this time." I stand and after setting my glass in the sink, I pass by her again as she's just sitting on the couch. "I'm really sorry, Affton."
"Yeah." She nods, her eyes wide and she won't look at me. "Me too."
The boys have all decided it's the perfect night to have a good ole southern style bachelor party for Tommy. I was planning something. Then I lost my job. Lost my planes. Technically they were commandeered by my boss that pays for them. But planning came to a halt. So now the boys want to do this redneck style. Bonfire. Trucks in the mud. Four wheelers flipping. Drag racing on the old Cluck farmland. And then we end up at Willies. No titties. No drugs. No lap dances. No gambling. Just good old fun like we used to have. I don't know why I'm okay with this, but tonight's been fun as hell and now we're singing our lungs out at Willie's. I've had two beers all night. Two. I'm not drunk and the party's still going strong. It's pretty fucking funny I used to think I needed alcohol to keep a party alive. I'm still the funnest son of a bitch this side of the Mississippi.
Bo, Affton's little brother, nods at me after almost pissing his pants 'cause Brandt Kenshaw was standing on a table singing I'm Too Sexy then fell off and face planted into old lady Harry's sweaty cleavage. Most action that old broad's seen in thirty years.
"Did you see it?" He's still laughing.
"Sadly." I chuckle and sip my beer.
"Noticed you ain't drinkin' much tonight." He gestures to my warm as piss beer with his golden shot of whiskey.
"I'm driving Tommy's ass home. I'm alright."
"How's that assistant Affton's got around the house? Dawn her name? Shit, I met her a few times but I'm pretty fucking drunk."
I laugh then correct him, "Carter Dawn. And how would I know?" I lift my beer.
His eyes narrow. "'Cause you're 'round Tommy's place more than he is. Figured you've seen her around the house."
"I have." I shrug. "She's cool I guess."
He lets out a heavy sigh. "You're fuckin' her." Shaking his head, he grabs another shot of whiskey.
I grin and shrug. "What can I say? Ladies love me."
"Yeah, yeah." Shaking his head, he smirks before walking away.
All of these mother fuckers. Every single one of them are tied down in a relationship. Now why the fuck would I want to do that when I can still get the pussy for free? Commitment is a high price to pay. I like my freedom.
Tommy plops down on the chair Bo had just been sitting in and when he almost rolls out, I lunge to grab him, settling him down before he busts his face open. Affton would definitely blame me for that.
"You as drunk as you were when you decided to get my name tattooed on your ass?"
"Nope," he blurts, shaking his head adamantly. "That's the best fuckin' idea I've ever had though." He laughs hard. "The girls thought so too!"
"I'm not so sure about that. Carter was pretty pissed." The image of me holding her hands above her head the other day while I fucked her hard enough she screamed keeps popping in my head. That fucking tattoo on her pristine skin was so distracting, but in a good way. Made my dick so fucking hard. My good girl got a tattoo and it's of my fucking name.
"She was." He laughs. "Oh well. I bet you like it, huh?" He finishes his drink and slams it to the table.
"Eh." I shrug. "My sub getting my name tattooed on her is kinda sexy." I chuckle and sip the beer even though I don't want it.
“Sub!" Tommy barks, choking on his words. "Carter's no sub. Are we talking about the same girl?"
"Same girl, brother. You know I don't do the whole full dom sub shit, but she submits. And she fucking likes it."
"Shit." He chuckles. "So you two..." He waves his hands in front of him. "Like, together and shit? A lot?"
I cock my eyebrow and watch him lift a shot to his lips. "Are you askin' if I'm fuckin' her on the regular?"
"Yesssss," he hisses after the shot goes down. "That's what I'm askin'. Cause Grant Matthews doesn't fuck anyone on the regular. Well, other than my fiancé...sometimes." He laughs. "But seriously." His tone lowers and his hand reaches across the table
to land on my shoulder. "You fuck anyone else lately?"
"Alright." I laugh and push his hand off. "I know what you're doing. I'm just having a good time with Carter. She's good in the sack. She's sexy as fuck. And she makes my dick harder than any other chick has in a long time. I'm not hung up on her or anything. I'm not writing off other women. And I'm not going to entertain you so you can run to Affton and gossip about me." I smirk at him.
"You know that's what they're probably doing right now," he mumbles. "All the way across the world." He sighs heavily and downs another shot that's set in front of him. "I miss her." He nods. "You miss Carter?" His glazed over eyes look at me like the man didn't hear anything I just said.
"No, man." I laugh and stand. "I miss pussy. So if you'll excuse me." I wander up to the bar to a girl I can have wrapped around me with one look, but she's mediocre compared to what I've had. With a heavy sigh, I lean on the bar, contemplating tequila, but I'm Tommy's ride and I won't do that to him.
"Grant." Her hand slides over my shoulder.
"No." I remove her hand and walk away.
***
Manual labor is the worst fucking thing in the world. Give me a goddamn tattoo machine or plane and I'll kill it. Doing all this manual labor on the Kenshaw Ranch lately has left me so pissed off I want to drink just to forget it.
The only good part about today is I get my motorcycle finally, and when I pull up to Tommy's and the front door's open, I grin. That means Carter and Affton are back. I need some dick therapy.
"Honey, I'm home!" I call out, walking through the door.
The girls are sitting at the dining room table with shit fucking everywhere. Fabrics and papers and technology. Too much shit.
"Didn't you broads do this shit while you were in Germany?" I plop down and stare at Carter.
"No," Affton snips and I furrow my brows at her, wondering what the fuck crawled up her ass. "There are many aspects to our jobs, Grant. Tommy's at the tattoo shop."
"Yeah. I know." I scowl at her. "You almost done here, Carter?"
Affton's sigh is so loud she may have exhaled a lung. She storms to the kitchen.