by Terri Osburn
“How much?” she asked, hoping to tease him into a smile.
“This much,” he growled, taking her mouth with his.
The kiss touched all the broken places inside her while igniting the embers that had been smoldering for days. Carrie wrapped herself around him, absorbing his heat and power, giving as much as she took. When his fingers slipped beneath the hem of her shirt, tiny fires danced along her skin.
When Noah broke the kiss, he pressed his forehead against hers while they both caught their breath.
“Does this mean I’ll see you tonight?” Carrie asked between pants.
“As soon as I get home,” he replied.
Stars once again twinkling overhead, Noah stared at the heavens from Carrie’s porch glider as he waited for her to put Molly down to sleep. If someone had told him when he woke that morning that this was where he’d end the day, he’d never have believed them. The doubts were still there. The fear of what might happen. But for now, he would live in the present and enjoy the company of the pretty girl who’d fought to bring him around.
“She’s out,” Carrie said, joining him on the porch, throwing a blanket over them both once she’d curled up beside him. “All that trike riding wore her out.”
Despite his determination to stay away from Carrie, Noah had still taken the time during the week to modify the seat on the ancient tricycle so that Molly could ride it. He’d had to push her around, as her little legs wouldn’t reach the pedals for several months, but there was no longer any danger of her falling off.
“I did all the work,” Noah reminded her. “My back may never be the same.”
“You could have stopped at any time.”
“Then she’d have cried.”
Carrie flattened her palm over his heart and looked up at him. “She needs to learn the word no.”
“Not on my watch she doesn’t.” Noah pulled Carrie tight against him and kissed the top of her head. He’d been waiting for the right time to ask his next question, and hoped he wouldn’t upset her. “You said something today about losing a baby. You up for talking about that?”
She laid her cheek against her hand. “His name was Jeremy. The umbilical cord got wrapped around his neck. The doctors weren’t able to save him.”
Expecting the answer to have been an early-term miscarriage, Noah cursed whatever higher power toyed with people like this. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
“Me too. Spencer was devastated to lose his son. Neither of us knew how to handle it.”
“I can’t even imagine what that was like.”
She sighed. “It sucked. Big time. That was really the beginning of the end. From that point on, we were like two ghosts living in the same house.” Carrie wrapped her arms around his chest. “He shut down, and I blamed myself. My body was supposed to keep the baby alive until he could breathe on his own, but I’d done the opposite. I’d killed him.”
Noah pushed her away to look into her eyes. “Honey, you didn’t kill anyone. That was a freak thing. If anything, the doctors are the ones to blame. They should have done something. It’s their job to make sure shit like that doesn’t happen.”
“I know now that it wasn’t my fault. And it wasn’t the doctor’s fault either,” she assured him. “There was nothing they could have done. But back when it happened, it was just too much to process. I think, after that, I was looking for an excuse to make Spencer leave me. That’s why I started running around with Patch.”
“Why didn’t you ask for a divorce?”
“That would have been the adult thing to do.” She leaned into him again. “But then it would have felt like Spencer had been the one to do something wrong. Like, me leaving him would be adding insult to injury, if that makes any sense.”
In some twisted way, her logic made perfect sense. Especially knowing her state of mind at the time.
“You felt like a bad person, so you did something that would make him see you as a bad person.”
Her head tilted. “That’s it exactly. The divorce was the punishment for losing the baby, but then the abuse started, and it was the punishment for being unfaithful.” Voice brittle, she said, “I swear, I can rationalize anything.”
A habit that ignited concern in Noah. He lifted her onto his lap. “You do not deserve to be punished for anything. Do you hear me? No one should ever touch you in anger. Ever. Tell me you believe that.”
“Noah, you aren’t going to hurt me.”
“Dammit, Carrie, this is important. Say it. No one gets to hurt you. No one.”
Gripping his hand, she held it to her chest. “I told you before. I made myself a vow that I’d never let anyone hurt me again. And I won’t.” With a kiss on his knuckles, she said, “Now what about you?”
“Someone hurting me isn’t the problem.”
She shook her head. “You are not defective or broken, Noah. You’re a good man who deserves to be happy. I want you to believe that.”
“I can’t believe a lie,” he said.
“Do you see me as damaged?” Carrie asked.
Brushing her hair out of her eyes, he said, “I see you as perfect.”
“I am far from perfect. I have scars. Inside and out. But hearing you say that gives me hope that I can get there. We can both get there, Noah.”
Noah wanted to believe that was true, but he couldn’t ignore reality. “How about if for now, you believe enough for the both of us?”
Sliding her hands into his hair, she nodded, bumping her nose against his. “I can do that.” With a smile in her voice, she said, “What do you say we stop talking and pick up where we left off this afternoon?”
Noah nibbled her bottom lip. “I’m starting to think you like me.”
“You think?” she asked, laughter drifting into a purr as his fingers trailed up her back. “I hope you’re prepared for something more than kissing on this porch.”
His hands stopped. “Shit.”
Carrie dropped her head onto his shoulder. “That is not the answer I was hoping for.”
Wanting more than anything to please the woman in his arms, Noah shifted her onto the bench seat, cradling her back with his arm while his other hand reached for the button on her jeans. “There are other things we can do.”
“I thought you said—”
“Shh, honey. Let me take care of you.”
“Oh,” Carrie whispered, followed by a deep sigh when his fingers dipped into her panties. “Oh boy.”
He kissed her chin before trailing his tongue down the side of her neck to the exposed skin above the top button of her shirt. “Is that good?” he asked, exploring deeper until his fingers found her wet and ready.
“Good,” she breathed. “So good.”
His mouth closed over her breast, biting through the shirt and bra at the same time he pressed a circle over her clit. Carrie gripped his arm as she panted his name. “Noah, I can’t hold on. It’s too much.”
“Let it go, baby. Let me do this for you.”
Her legs spread wider, allowing him more access. He entered her with one finger, nice and slow, and then another.
Carrie bucked against him. “Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”
“Never, baby.”
His dick pressed so hard against his jeans Noah feared permanent damage. But this was her night. He could get his own later.
Withdrawing, he pressed deeper. Harder. His thumb hit her clit, and Carrie burst apart in his arms, his name on her lips as she rode him through it. Noah held her close as she found her way back to earth, breathing heavily as the tremors faded until she was languid against him.
When she finally opened her eyes, Noah hovered above her. “How was that?”
“Better than I remember,” she murmured. “I may never be able to move again.”
Noah chuckled. “This glider is my new favorite spot, but a lifetime on here wouldn’t be all that comfortable.”
“Give me a minute,” she said, waving a hand in the air. “I thi
nk my brain is returning to solid form.” Leaning up on her elbows, she blew a hair out of her eyes. “You’re good at that.”
He wiggled a brow. “You should see what else I can do.”
“Don’t toy with me when you aren’t prepared for an immediate demonstration.”
She had a point. Noah lifted her into a sitting position on the seat next to him. “I’d better get back to my side of the fence.”
“But you didn’t—”
A kiss cut off her words. “We’ll take care of me the next time. What are you doing tomorrow night?”
“I don’t know,” she said, her head dropping onto the back of the glider. “What day is it?”
“Tomorrow is Saturday,” he informed her.
“Dang.” Carrie threw an arm over her eyes. “The bachelorette party.”
Hiding his disappointment, he said, “So we wait until Sunday.”
“Waiting sucks,” she grumbled. “And you didn’t—”
“If you start talking dirty, I won’t be going anywhere. Prepared or not.” Noah rose to his feet, pulling her with him.
Carrie slid her arms around his neck. “So dirty talk turns you on, huh?”
Showing her exactly how turned on he was, he said, “You turn me on. The dirty talk would be a bonus.”
Revealing an unexpected seductive side, she said, “I’ll remember that.” His dick twitched. “Well, hello there,” she hummed, grinding against him.
“Now you really are trying to kill me.” Noah put as much distance between them as he could while keeping his lips locked on hers. Breaking the connection, he groaned. “Have fun at your party. And no fondling the strippers.”
Pulling the blanket off the glider, she said, “No promises.”
Trudging through the gate, Noah pointed her way. “You want to fondle someone, you fondle me.”
“I’m trying,” she said with a laugh.
“Sunday,” he barked.
“Sunday,” she replied.
Chapter 11
Lorelei had no idea the sacrifice Carrie was making. Her body had been buzzing like a live wire all day, and she would much rather be throwing sparks with Noah than celebrating the end of her friend’s single-hood. It wasn’t as if Lorelei would lament giving up her freedom. She was the happiest bride Carrie had ever seen, and she and Spencer had been waiting for this day for more than thirteen years.
“I still don’t understand why you had to come and get us instead of Cooper,” she said, standing on the running board to lift Molly from the backseat of Spencer’s truck. “His house is closer, and you shouldn’t have had to go out of your way.”
Spencer joined Carrie on the passenger side and took Molly so she could climb down. Champ barreled around the truck to welcome his owner and slobber all over Molly’s shoe. The baby giggled as the black Lab licked her hand.
“Give us some room, buddy,” Spencer said. “Cooper had something else he needed to do.”
“Since when?” she asked. “It’s bad enough that you guys wouldn’t let any of us drive. What are you up to?”
In an odd plot twist, Spencer, Snow’s husband, Caleb, and Cooper had taken over the planning of Lorelei’s bachelorette party, and then they’d insisted on keeping the details a secret. Carrie, Snow, Haleigh, and Cooper’s sister Abby were all to receive rides to the Pratchett house, which seemed to be the launching point for the festivities. The logistics worked well for Carrie since Lorelei’s grandmother, Rosie Pratchett, would be keeping Molly for the night, but that didn’t mean she liked being kept in the dark.
“You’ll see,” he replied, relieving Carrie of the diaper bag and trudging across the yard. “Look what I found, Rosie.”
“There’s my little angel,” the older woman crowed, waiting on the porch with open arms. Molly recognized one of her primary spoilers immediately and dove for her. Rosie kissed the baby’s cheek. “You get bigger every time I see you.”
“It’s only been a week,” Carrie reminded the older woman.
“But a week is like months when they’re this young.”
She couldn’t argue with that, having just last night shown Noah some pictures from the week Molly had been born. Carrie still couldn’t believe she’d ever been that tiny.
Champ broke into a barking fit as a white Jeep pulled up the drive and the rest of the party spilled onto the grass. Caleb opened his wife’s door and held her hand as if they were high school sweethearts. They really were annoyingly adorable together.
“Do we know where we’re going yet?” Haleigh Rae asked.
“I’m still in the dark,” Carrie said. “Rosie, where’s Lorelei?”
“She’s putting together some last-minute items for the party.”
“So she knows what’s going on?” Abby asked.
“Nope,” Spencer said. “She’s as clueless as the rest of you.” He smiled like the conniving charmer he was. “Patience, ladies.”
“Why did we agree to this?” Snow asked.
Caleb kissed her knuckles. “Because we didn’t give you a choice.”
The screen door slammed behind them, drawing everyone’s attention. “Let’s get this show on the road,” Lorelei hollered, stopping when she caught sight of Molly. “How is my sweet cuddle bug today? Are you ready for a fun night with Granny?” Molly responded to the kiss on her nose by yanking Lorelei’s hair. “Girly, I cannot wait until you stop doing that.”
“What’s in those?” Snow asked, pointing to the colorful gift bags dangling from Lorelei’s arm.
“Bachelorette party accessories, of course.”
Carrie didn’t like the sound of that. “Don’t make us wear something weird.”
“It’s my party and I’ll do weird if I want to.” The bride-to-be handed each woman a bag. “Besides, these aren’t weird. They’re fun.”
The guests reached into the tissue paper with little enthusiasm.
“No way,” Haleigh murmured as Carrie spotted the purple feathers in her bag.
Abby pulled a pink boa from hers. “You don’t really expect us to wear these.”
“I don’t know,” Snow said, wrapping a royal-blue one around her neck. “I like it.”
“We’ll look like showgirls,” Haleigh argued.
“No one better lose enough clothes to qualify as a showgirl,” Caleb warned. “And it looks like your ride is here.”
Brushing feathers away from her face, Carrie looked down the driveway to see a black SUV limo coming their way.
“Get out,” Lorelei said, smacking Spencer on the arm. “That’s for us?”
“Our girls go in style,” he answered.
As the limo drew closer, Haleigh said, “That better not be who I think it is behind the wheel.”
“We wanted to make sure you ladies were well taken care of.”
“You put a spy in the car,” Abby corrected.
The vehicle parked behind Spencer’s truck, and Cooper stepped out. Removing his telltale ball cap, he bowed. “Your chariot has arrived.”
Lorelei and Snow attempted to peek through the tinted windows while Haleigh said, “And where is our chariot driver?”
“You’re looking at him.” Before his girlfriend could argue, Cooper swept her into a long, hard kiss. “Consider me driver and moral support.”
Though not common knowledge around town, the friends gathered were aware of Haleigh’s battle with alcohol addiction. She’d sworn that the others drinking during the party wouldn’t bother her, but Carrie could see relief in her eyes at the idea of Cooper being close by while she faced down temptation.
Ruffling the curls along his collar, the blonde said, “You are cute.” Turning to the ladies, she added, “No one tell my boyfriend that I hooked up with the driver, okay?”
The gang agreed to keep her secret as Cooper laughed into Haleigh’s hair.
“What are we waiting for?” Lorelei said. “Let’s check this thing out.”
The mechanic turned chauffeur opened the back door to let his passenge
rs crawl inside. By the time Carrie’s butt hit the seat, Lorelei had already popped the cork on the bottle of champagne.
“Hal,” Cooper whispered. “Check the minifridge.”
The doctor followed the suggestion to find the bottom of the fridge stocked with soda and water. Carrie smiled at the extra effort he’d gone to. She’d witnessed Haleigh’s tumble off the wagon back in the spring, and it had not been pretty. She also knew that Cooper had loved Haleigh for years before the workaholic doc had finally opened her eyes to what she was missing. Maybe that’s what had prompted Carrie’s change of heart in the dating department. Spending the majority of her time with three gag-inducing happy couples had renewed her faith in love. Or at least shown her that happy endings really were possible.
Lorelei shoved a glass of bubbly into Carrie’s hand and raised her own. “To my last girls’ night out as a single lady. Let’s make it a good one.”
“Hear, hear!” they chimed in unison, glasses tinkling together with one non-tinkling plastic bottle.
Once the glasses had been tipped, Lorelei filled them again. “So where are we going?” Abby asked. They all exchanged blank stares. Cooper had already closed the door and taken his place in the driver’s seat, but the glass divider prevented them from asking. The SUV started rolling backward, nearly sending them all onto the floor.
“I guess we’ll find out when we get there,” Snow said, bracing herself against the back of the seat.
By the time they’d reached the main road, Lorelei had popped a second bottle of champagne, which explained the hum in Carrie’s ears. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had this much to drink. At the rate this party was going, they’d have to peel her off the seat to get her home.
Despite the fact that his body ached as if he’d done a drop without his parachute, Noah wouldn’t trade the night before for anything. Carrie’s unwavering belief that they could defeat, or at least subdue, the demon in his brain offered the one thing he’d forsaken—hope. Like a black cloud shielding a deadly tornado, his future had loomed in the distance waiting to tear him apart. It wasn’t a matter of if he lost it, but when.
Until Carrie walked into his life.