by Iris Morland
Lucy was like a fever in his blood. He couldn’t get enough of her. He’d thought if he slept with her once, that would be that. He’d move on and find someone else. But it had only made it worse. She haunted him, and every day that she had to leave for filming, he wanted to lock her up with him in his room and never let her out.
Obviously he was losing his damn mind. That was the only explanation. Next he’d turn into the type of guy who bought an engagement ring on the third date and cried at Hallmark movies.
A half hour later, Carter turned to begin his run back to the bed-and-breakfast. Lucy would most likely be awake by the time he arrived, but they’d probably have time for a quickie before she had to go film. Anticipation built inside him. The thought of Lucy naked in the morning sunshine was enough to make him sprint.
About two blocks from the bed-and-breakfast, Hayden stepped out of Dee’s Coffee Shop. Carter had no intention of stopping to chat, but Hayden said in a suspiciously cheery voice, “Good morning.”
Lucy had told Carter all about her date with Hayden and the subsequent awkwardness between them during filming. Carter had been watching the actor, making sure he didn’t do anything that would upset Lucy. If Hayden so much as sneezed in her direction, Carter would pummel him into the sidewalk.
“Have a nice run?” Hayden squinted up at the sky. “It’s going to get pretty warm today, I think.”
Carter scowled. The fuck was he talking about? “Did you stop me to talk about the weather?”
Hayden ignored him. “I actually was just talking to Rosie. Remember her? I told her I wasn’t interested anymore, but she keeps wanting me back.” He sighed and shook his head. “Was she like that when you fucked her? Before she met me, obviously.”
“No. But then she did a lot of things I hadn’t expected after she met you.”
“Touché. But now you got your revenge.” Hayden spread his fingers, his smile devoid of warmth. “You stole little Lucy right out from under my nose. Did you fuck her yet? Based on the look on your face, you did.”
Carter didn’t think: he grabbed Hayden by his collar, his coffee spilling onto the sidewalk, and slammed him against the brick wall of the coffee shop.
“If you so much as look at her the wrong way, I’ll fucking kill you,” growled Carter. He gripped Hayden’s collar tighter, until the actor turned a little blue.
“You seriously think you have the higher moral ground here?” Hayden gasped. “When we both know you only fucked her to get revenge?”
Carter paled, but it only made Hayden laugh. His laugh turned into another gasp as Carter shook him and finally let him go.
“You don’t know a damn thing. Stay away from her, you hear me? Otherwise I’ll get your ass fired,” said Carter.
Hayden rubbed his throat, scowling. His usually perfectly coifed hair was disheveled, and his coffee had landed on his left pant leg, staining it to the knee. “You’re going to a lot of trouble for somebody who’s just an easy slut,” he spat.
Carter punched him in the gut. Hayden collapsed at his feet, wheezing, and the only reason he didn’t punch the asshole a second time was because he didn’t feel like going to jail that day while Hayden walked free.
“You touch her, and you’re dead. Got it, Masterson? I’m not fucking playing.”
Hayden looked up at him, his gaze full of hatred. “You’ll regret this.”
When Carter arrived back at the bed-and-breakfast, Lucy was awake and waiting for him in the dining room. “Where have you been?” she asked, smiling, but the smile faded as she saw his expression. “Did something happen?”
Carter didn’t care that other people were watching. Wrapping an arm around her, he kissed her forehead. “Nothing. I took a detour that took longer than I expected.” He then murmured in her ear, “Come upstairs and take a shower with me.”
Her cheeks turned pink. “I already took a shower,” she said primly.
“Come upstairs anyway.”
She glanced at the clock on the wall. “If I say yes, you have to promise not to mess up my hair. And be quick.”
“Get your ass upstairs before I carry you up there, woman. And I’ll take all the time I want.”
“Pushy, pushy.” She stuck out her tongue, smiling, and Carter knew right then that he was done for.
Filming continued, despite the tension that Lucy felt every time she was around Hayden. He never mentioned their ill-fated date. If she hadn’t been paying attention, she would’ve thought he’d forgotten all about it. But sometimes she detected an antipathy he radiated toward her, though he always masked it with a smile. Sometimes she wondered if she was imagining things. He hadn’t actually done anything to her since that night, and she was glad that at least on the surface, it had been brushed under the rug.
The Saturday before Carter left Hazel Island for Seattle, Lucy was invited out for drinks with Gwen. Alex joined them; Felicity had been invited, but according to Gwen, it had been a small miracle that they’d gotten her to leave her house to come to the beach, let alone go out with them all a second time that summer.
“Felicity is the most private person I’ve ever known,” said Gwen, shrugging. “But I keep inviting her to things in the hopes that she’ll say yes.”
“You’re one of those people, aren’t you?” Alex’s smile was wry. “You remind me of my sister. She’ll browbeat you into hanging out with her. I’d rather not beg someone to hang out with me.”
“It’s not about begging, it’s about making sure people feel like they’re invited to come along even if they don’t want to,” said Gwen.
Lucy was only paying partial attention to their conversation. Her mind was solely on Carter. He’d become edgier, more distant in the last few days with his appointment looming before him. She’d tried to get him to talk about it, but he’d shut her out so many times that she’d given up. That hadn’t stopped her from going to his room every night. She’d still wanted to feel connected to him, and if sex was the only way, so be it.
But deep down inside, she knew this thing between them was coming to an end. More than likely, Carter wouldn’t return to Hazel Island with only another week of filming left. He’d return to his life, and soon, Lucy would return to LA. The thought of never seeing Carter again made her want to drown her sorrows in a large bottle of wine.
“Lucy, what do you think?” said Gwen, interrupting Lucy’s train of thought.
Lucy forced her thoughts to the present. “What do I think about what?”
“This is why I don’t hang out with people who have new boyfriends. They’re always distracted. If they’re not texting their boyfriends, they’re totally out of it.” Alex wrinkled her nose. “No offense, Luce.”
“If you’re talking about me,” said Lucy, “Carter isn’t my boyfriend. So you don’t have to worry about that.”
Since the first time that Lucy had met her, Alex was speechless. She gaped at Lucy, then at Gwen, before saying, “Are you serious? You guys are ridiculous together.”
Alex winced after something collided with her leg—the likely culprit being Gwen’s foot.
“Don’t kick me. You know I’m right.” Alex pointed her finger in Lucy’s face. “That guy looks at you like you hung the moon in the sky. It’s nauseating. It’s like something out of a romance novel.”
“Alex, don’t torture Lucy,” said Gwen in exasperation. Gwen tilted her head toward Lucy. “That being said, you never did spill the beans. Considering you had a date with Hayden and ended up in Carter’s room that same night.”
Alex choked on her beer, Gwen pounding her on the back. Lucy blushed scarlet.
“Oh my God, you’re my hero,” gasped Alex. “You’re dating them both?”
“What? No, no. I’m not.”
Gwen and Alex waited for an explanation, and Lucy finally told them everything: her disastrous date with Hayden; Carter finding her on the beach; and almost everything that had happened after that. Lucy didn’t feel the need to tell them about their various sex
ual escapades, no matter how enjoyable they were.
“You banged Carter Roberts in his backseat? You really are my hero.” Alex’s eyes were practically sparkling. “High five!”
Lucy rolled her eyes but high-fived Alex anyway. Gwen’s expression was devoid of any mirth: she looked more concerned than anything.
“But you’re not dating. Is that what you want?” said Gwen in a soft voice.
Lucy’s blood froze, the fear that had been building inside her only growing. Up until this point, she hadn’t wanted to be honest with herself. It was easier to say that when this ended, she would be fine. Her heart hadn’t been touched, so she wouldn’t end up longing for a man she’d known she couldn’t ever have.
“It doesn’t matter, because he’s going back to Seattle and to playing ball.” Lucy shrugged, drawing circles in the condensation that had formed on the table. “It’s just a fling.”
Gwen sighed. “Honey, let me give you some advice. You know I was married, right? Well, I got divorced finally because I realized I wasn’t going to be what my ex wanted me to be. And I can tell you right now, he never looked at me the way Carter looks at you. You might not see it, but I have. He looks like he doesn’t know what to do with you, but he can’t look away, either. He never takes his eyes off of you.”
“How do you feel about him?” was Alex’s question.
Lucy wanted to burst into tears. She forced herself to draw in a deep breath before she answered in a whisper, “I don’t know.”
“I think you do, but that would mean you’d have to do something about it,” said Gwen kindly.
Lucy brushed away the tears that were threatening to fall. “I think—” She swallowed. “I think I want more than this with him. I think I’m falling in love with him.”
Once she’d said the words, she felt both fear and a sense of freedom. Because Gwen was right: now that she’d admitted the truth, she owed it to herself—and to Carter—to be honest with him.
Gwen squeezed Lucy’s hand. “Then you should tell him. Wouldn’t you rather know than not?”
“Yeah, not being honest is one of the easiest ways to lose somebody you care about.” Alex’s voice was far away, and Lucy wondered who she was thinking about.
Lucy fell silent, her thoughts whirling. Gwen and Alex didn’t ask her more questions, but simply sat in silent support of her. Once again, she couldn’t help but be immensely grateful that she’d gotten to know these women this summer. At the very least, she’d have no regrets on that front.
When a man walked by their table, Gwen froze. It was imperceptible, but Lucy could almost see the tension running through Gwen’s body. Lucy gazed more closely at the man: he was tall, his skin browned from the sun, his sandy brown hair streaked with blond. He had arms the size of barrels. Lucy realized that she’d seen him in town a few times, including when he’d dropped off a case of fresh crabs for the bed-and-breakfast.
The man’s gaze caught Gwen’s. He said in a rumbling voice, “Didn’t know you came here.”
Gwen didn’t respond for a long moment, prompting Alex to reply for her. “It’s the only decent dive bar in town, and you can always get a guy to buy us some drinks.”
The man looked at Lucy. “You’re one of the actors.”
Gwen finally collected herself. “Jack, you haven’t met Lucy yet? Lucy, this is Jack Benson. He’s a fisherman and catches most of the seafood I use at the bed-and-breakfast. Nobody catches better crabs.”
Jack looked embarrassed, and Gwen looked embarrassed, and Lucy desperately wanted to know what was between these two. But then Jack said goodbye and that was that.
Until the one bartender working brought them a tray of drinks. “From Jack,” he said.
“Huh,” said Alex, choosing one of the drinks for herself.
“Why are you surprised? Didn’t you say guys always buy drinks for you here?” said Lucy.
Alex snorted. “Jack Benson never buys women drinks, and I’ve been to this bar many, many times. But I guess there’s always an exception.” She looked straight at Gwen as she said the words.
Gwen had nothing to say to that remark.
Gwen has a secret, thought Lucy, and someday I’m going to get her to spill the beans.
But not tonight, because Lucy had her own love life to deal with first.
Chapter Sixteen
Despite Lucy’s best efforts, Carter eluded her all weekend. When she knocked on his door Friday night, he wasn’t in. She texted him, but he only replied to say that he was busy and he’d call her.
He didn’t call her.
She tried again on Sunday morning, but if he was in his room, he didn’t feel like opening the door. She called him one last time, knowing that he was ghosting her already before he took off for Seattle. When he didn’t pick up, she didn’t leave a voicemail. He probably wouldn’t listen to it anyway.
If Carter wanted to end things, he could say it to her face. She sat in her room all Sunday and listened for the sound of his footsteps coming up the stairs. She’d recognize them anywhere.
It was close to midnight when she heard the stairs creaking. Her eyes flew open; she’d fallen into a doze. Her heart in her throat, she heard whoever it was take a half dozen steps down the hallway before they stopped to unlock their door.
She threw open her door just in time to see Carter closing his. Before she could jam her foot in the door, he locked it. The sound of the lock clicking felt like chains around her heart, squeezing painfully.
Lucy knocked. No answer. She knocked again, more loudly. “I’ll keep knocking until I wake up everyone in this damn place,” she said through the door. “Stop avoiding me, you coward.”
Carter threw open the door so quickly she almost tumbled to the floor in front of him. He yanked her inside, and she could smell liquor on his breath. So, that was where he’d been: drinking and probably feeling sorry for himself again.
“Anyone ever tell you that you’re a pain in the ass?” he grumbled.
“Only you. And if anyone is a pain in the ass, it’s you. Why are you ignoring me?”
Carter picked up a glass of amber-colored liquor, swirling it around for a moment. When he looked up at Lucy, his gaze was stark. “I thought that was what you’d want. This was never going anywhere, Lucy.”
“So you made the decision yourself without consulting me? Fuck you, Carter.” She grabbed the glass from him and slammed it down onto a nearby table, the liquid sloshing onto the wooden surface. “Fuck you and whatever horse you rode in on. Do you think you’re protecting me? Or are you just protecting yourself?”
“You don’t want to do this,” was his dark reply.
A little thrill burst inside her, but she wasn’t afraid. She could see beneath the mask he put on, the mask that made him irreverent and charming, without a care in the world when everything was collapsing around him. She could see it because she could see the same thing in herself.
“You don’t know what I want, because you haven’t asked,” she said.
He put his arm around her waist, pulling her close enough that she could feel how hard he was already. “What do you want, little spitfire?” His words were a heated whisper against his ear.
“You. It’s always been you.”
He sighed, like he wished she’d had another answer. Lucy, though, wasn’t one to give up easily. Stepping away, she pulled his shirt off, her breath catching as she took in the marvel that was his bare chest and abdomen. She’d seen him naked plenty of times already, but she’d yet to get a chance to savor it. She skimmed a finger down the line that bisected his belly, watching as he sucked in a breath.
When she dipped her index finger below the waistband of his jeans, he cupped her head and kissed her. He gripped her hard, his mouth ruthless as he devoured her. Moaning, she clung to him, because otherwise she’d melt into a puddle at his feet.
“I was trying to do the right thing,” he muttered, almost to himself. “I’m leaving tomorrow.”
“I know.
”
“It’d be easier if we ended everything.”
“Probably.”
Lucy touched his cheek before leaning forward and kissing him over his heart. He groaned, saying her name, as she kneeled in front of him. He let go of her hair, as if to tell her she had a choice in the matter. It only made her want to do this more.
When she freed him from the confines of his jeans, she licked his cock from base to tip. He shuddered. Lucy had always been ambivalent about going down on a guy: he enjoyed it while she found it to be something of a chore.
But this was different. She was half Carter’s size, yet she held the power now. As she sucked him, swirling her tongue around the tip, he gripped her ponytail but didn’t make her go faster. Feeling the tension in his body, the way he grew harder with every lick and every squeeze of her hand around the base of his cock, only made her want him more.
She could feel him getting close when he gently pushed her away and lifted her to her feet. Soon, their clothes were discarded in heaps on the floor as they fell into Carter’s bed.
“Fuck, baby, you’re going to kill me,” said Carter. “Your mouth should be illegal.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Brat.”
He nipped at her collarbone, squeezing her breasts together. He flicked her nipples until they were deliciously sensitive. When he parted her thighs and spread her sex, she bucked against his hand. She was already close, and he’d hardly touched her yet.
“I’m tempted to let you come right now, but I want it to be around my cock this time.” Carter’s words made her flush with want.
He moved off her for a brief moment, and she heard the sound of a foil packet opening before Carter rejoined her. He thrust inside her to the hilt, and Lucy’s eyes rolled back inside her head.
He gave her no quarter. He pounded into her until he had to cover her mouth with his hand to keep her from waking up the entire bed-and-breakfast.