Dark

by Rachel Harley

  I wish! Grinning, I bounce off the bed, powering down my iPhone, shoving it into my fleece pocket and heading back down the stairs. I pause a few feet from the kitchen door. I’m itching to go straight out, but I’ve had nothing to eat and that’s not sensible. I make myself two slices of toast, spreading it thickly with jam and gobbling it quickly sitting at the island. There’s no sign of Ellen or Justin but as I’m tipping my crusts into the bin, Justin appears from the utility.

  He grins at me. ‘Going riding?’

  ‘Yeah!’ I beam back at him. ‘God, I still can’t believe it, Jus… it’s unreal! I’ll never be able to thank you enough.’

  He wanders over, slinging a long arm around my shoulder and kissing my temple lightly.

  ‘You’re welcome. It was worth it just to see the pleasure and excitement on your face yesterday!’ He ruffles my hair as I move away from him, following me to the kitchen door.

  ‘Where’s El?’ he asks.

  ‘Changing Jared, she should be nearly done by now.’

  As I approach the front door I hear the throb of a motorbike. Justin’s eyes thread with interest and instead of making his way up the stairs, he opens the front door and steps out into the sunshine with me behind him.

  As I close the door, I see a cobalt blue superbike coast smoothly to the top of the drive, the powerful engine idling to a throaty growl as it slows to a halt a few feet from us.

  Eight

  I stare at the bike and its rider for a beat, and despite the full-face helmet, my heart starts to race again. I don’t need to see his face, the long legs and rangy, muscular torso underneath the leather jacket and jeans gives him away instantly. My breathing quickens as I remember his text.

  See you soon.

  No shit and I quiver with excitement. I can’t actually believe this. What the hell is he doing here? He’s supposed to be in bloody Dorset, isn’t he?

  Before I can take a step towards him, Justin’s two in front of me, his interest well and truly piqued. He’s a bike junkie and in all honesty, that could be Jack the Ripper sitting astride it. He doesn’t give a toss.

  As Justin reaches the bike, Carter tugs the full face helmet off, swinging one of his long legs over the seat and standing next to it. I stride past Justin, who’s still dribbling over the beautiful bike and I walk into Carter’s arms, which enfold immediately around me.

  ‘Hello, Pearl Harrison,’ he murmurs. I just gaze up at him. This is the first time I’ve seen him in broad daylight and all it does is supercharge every emotion and pleasure that I felt last night. He’s stunning – he takes my breath away. I want to ask him what he’s doing here, but I can’t find the words, just content to stare up into his heart-stopping face. My hand reaches up to stroke the front of his leather jacket and I’m about to lean up for a kiss but Justin’s words stop me. I’ve not yet introduced them.

  ‘Nice bike,’ he says casually. Their eyes lock for a moment and then Carter releases his hold on me and takes a step towards Justin, holding his hand out.

  ‘I’m Carter Jackson, it’s good to meet you.’ They shake firmly, Justin likewise introducing himself. Carter nods at his bike when they let go. ‘Aprilia RSV4. I had a Kawasaki ZX-10 until a few months ago, but the Aprilia’s in a different class.’

  I stand, feeling a bit defunct as the two of them start to talk spec, none of which means anything at all to me. Carter takes Justin all around the bike, before throwing the keys to him and holding out his helmet.

  ‘Take her out,’ he says generously. Justin hesitates for only a minute before grinning at Carter, thanking him and taking the helmet from his outstretched hand. He’s on the bike in a few seconds, shoving the helmet over his head and roaring out of the driveway. I roll my eyes.

  Jesus, Justin and bloody bikes.

  Ellen appears at the front door, Jared on her hip and but she’s not looking at me. Her eyes are locked on Carter, sweeping up and down the length of him repeatedly and now they widen. She approaches with a beaming Jared, throwing me a sly smile and I hug myself with glee. I knew he’d blow her away. Ellen appreciates beauty, despite having it in her face every day in the shape of her husband.

  Hey, you must be Carter,’ she says, offering her hand, which he takes immediately. ‘I’m Ellen, it’s nice to meet you.’ She grins at us both. ‘And that was Justin, in case he forgot to introduce himself before buggering off on your bike.’

  ‘Carter, how come you’re here? You’re supposed to be hundreds of miles away?’ I ask.

  He turns me to him, Ellen discreetly walking away from us a few yards, to give us some privacy. She bends down near one of the borders, letting Jared touch the blooming flowers. Stroking my face gently, Carter looks deeply into my eyes.

  ‘I decided not to go home. I’ve emailed my father, asked him to send the papers that need signing in the post.’ He smiles slowly. ‘I realised that I had more important things to do than drive to Dorset… and then you said that you wanted me, so, here I am.’

  I blink up at him, struggling to process what this means. If I’m reading his words correctly and I think that I am, he’s telling me that he’s here because he couldn’t force himself to drive hundreds of miles away from me. My subconscious, however, is telling me not to get too cocky.

  You don’t know that. Think about his words? He said that he had more important things to do here – how do you know that you’re one of them?

  I don’t, at least, I haven’t heard him say the words, but I don’t need to. I can see it written in his eyes, he hasn’t looked away from me, or blinked, it seems, for the last two minutes.

  ‘I do want you,’ I say huskily and he closes his eyes, dipping his lips to mine. I resist splattering myself all over him, Ellen’s over there. I treat myself to one sweep of his tongue before I pull away and he sighs, pulling me back into his arms for a beat.

  ‘I was just on my way down to see Nelson. Do you fancy coming?’

  ‘Hell, yeah!’ He kisses my nose as Ellen gets up from her knees and comes towards us.

  ‘Carter, Justin will look after your bike, don’t worry,’ she says and Carter smiles his thanks as I take his hand and tug him gently over to my white Mini. I toy with putting the roof down, it’s a nice day, but that’ll make talking difficult. The drive to the yard will take about forty minutes, and I don’t intend to waste them. I’m desperate to find out more about the incredible man that I soaked with wine last night.

  I blip the alarm and slide into the driver’s seat, tugging on my belt as he climbs in beside me. He asks permission to move his seat back a little, his long legs are nearly underneath his chin and I give it, immediately with a grin as he puts on his seatbelt and I start the engine. I suddenly realise that I don’t have the first idea how to get to Chapel View.

  Shit. You told this bloke that you own a horse, but you can’t find the yard without satellite navigation?

  It’s hardly my fault, but this is going to need an explanation. I fish my phone out of my pocket, docking it and pulling the post code from notes. I key it into the screen on the dash and I can feel his eyes on me, although he says nothing. As the map appears in front of me I finally turn my head to look at him.

  He’s lounging back in the leather, his left elbow propped up on the door, his palm holding the back of his head. His curls are brighter in daylight and they gleam as the sun catches them. I bite my lip, itching to run my fingers through them again as my hungry eyes take in the rest of him. Our gazes lock and his pupils dilate, his lips parting and I know his heartrate has just increased. I can feel it.

  The atmosphere between us has become heavy with sexual tension and my nerve endings begin to come alive, the same sweet, alien sensations that I was full of last night making a welcome and so unexpected return. I grip the steering wheel with my sweaty hands.

  ‘I, um…’ Just looking at him, sitting so relaxed and utterly gorgeous in the front seat of my car has robbed me of the ability to string a sentence together and when he raises a questi
oning eyebrow, his eyes sliding to the sat nav for a moment, I finally pull myself together.

  ‘This looks a bit weird, I know, but Nelson was given to me yesterday, on my eighteenth birthday and I’ve only been to the yard once.’

  I see him process the words, his face flooding with shock.

  ‘You were eighteen yesterday?’ There’s wonder in his eyes mixed with something else, but before I can try and decipher it, it’s gone.

  ‘Yeah,’ I grin at him. ‘Last night was my first night out!’

  ‘Wow.’ He shakes his head, shoving his curls away from his eyes as he leans forward now. My body automatically moves towards him, reeled in like a fish on a line and then he kisses me softly and gently. ‘Happy birthday,’ he whispers, his hand coming up to stroke my face. He breaks off and settles himself back into his seat and I clench my thighs together as I release the handbrake, trying to stop the pulse that I know won’t quit once it gets a hold. The man turns me on to such heights I’m struggling to cope with it, just by sitting next to him. His chemistry has invaded my DNA and deep down I know I’m already lost to him.

  We say nothing as the navigation guides me away from the city but as soon as the roads begin to turn more rural, I start to recognise where we are. I grin. I’ll be able to drive this route blindfold in a couple of weeks. I drop my window down a notch, the summer wind catching strands of my golden hair and making it dance around my face. I flash a look at Carter. I’m expecting him to be looking out of the window, enjoying the scenery in this comfortable silence we’re travelling in but he’s not. He sitting quietly, but his eyes are locked on me and I feel a wriggle of pleasure when I see the want sitting starkly in them.

  I clear my throat. ‘How come you’re here, Carter?’ He’s already answered this question, but I want to delve a bit deeper.

  Stop bloody fishing!

  Indeed. But I don’t care. He said that he had more important things to do than drive to Dorset and I want to know what they are. I want to know if they include me.

  Well, clearly they do, knob – because he’s sitting next to you?

  I still want to hear him say it. He sits forward for a moment, stretching before relaxing back. I take my eyes off the road again, briefly and I can see the thoughts tumbling through his mind.

  ‘I…’ he starts and then shuts his mouth again. He pushes his hands through his hair, a gesture of anxiety. ‘It wasn’t an effective use of my time. I’ve got things to do and driving halfway across the country and back just to sign some paperwork is ridiculous.’

  My subconscious sags with disappointment at his words. It wasn’t me keeping him here, he has other commitments. I bite my lip, keeping my eyes on the road. I don’t want him to see the dismay in my face, the hurt that will no doubt be sitting in my eyes. What am I seriously expecting here? I’ve not even spent one full hour in this man’s company yet, I know nothing apart from his name and I’m expecting him to sit there and declare his undying love for me? I seriously need to wise up, either that, or talk to Ellen, Diane, who-the-fuck-ever, but get some advice as to how to handle this. Even if he is seriously attracted to me, he’ll run for the hills if he perceives me to be a jealous, clingy nightmare.

  I’m so busy trying to compartmentalise his words and calm my mind that I barely register his next ones.

  ‘Plus which, all I’ve had in my head for the last twelve hours is you and how you made me feel when you kissed me,’ he says almost casually and my mouth pops open, ‘and I can focus on nothing apart from doing it again.’

  As a heavy throb drops straight between my legs, I tighten my fingers around the steering wheel, stifling a desperate groan. I glance at him. I know my face is flushed, my cheeks are burning and he hikes a sexy brow as he locks with my eyes for the second I have them off the road. He’s just as affected, his full lips parted and I feel the weight of his stare as I drive. The sexual tension in the car grinds up another notch and I wonder vaguely why the hell we’re driving to see my horse and not to a Premier Inn. I can barely focus on driving the car, let alone riding. This is going to be a nightmare.

  Talk to him about something else then, moron? Get your mind off fucking him, before you wrap the car around a flaming tree!

  As I try and think of something to say, he beats me to it. He’s cottoned on that I’m not going to say anything to his revelation as to how much he wants to see and kiss me again, but he can sense that I’m a turned on mess in control of a moving vehicle and he’s evidently not stupid.

  ‘So, you live with Justin and Ellen, then?’ he asks and I nod. ‘How does that work then, are you related?’

  I shake my head. ‘No, just very close friends and I work with Justin at The Guardian.’ I reply. I’m not getting into anything more just yet. Our family dynamic is personal and despite the fact that I don’t seem to have much control around Carter at all, something stops me from blurting it all out just yet. I take my eyes from the road briefly, glancing at him and I see him make a connection in his mind, sitting forward again now.

  ‘That’s where I recognised him from!’ he exclaims. ‘I’ve read a lot about him, he’s a remarkable man.’

  ‘Yes, he is.’ My heart warms at his words and I suddenly want to give him a little more. ‘I had a bit of a shit childhood, Carter. Justin, Ellen and The Guardian helped me, got me back on my feet. I have an attic apartment in their home and I work with them both. They’re incredible people.’

  Alright, that’ll do for now. Don’t over-egg the pudding.

  I check my mirrors and indicate, turning left. We’re only a few minutes away from the yard now and I want to steer the conversation away from me and onto him. I’m thirsty for knowledge and I have a funny feeling that when the car stops, so will the talking. We aren’t going to be able to help ourselves. I have that sweet ache again, igniting me further with every beat of my frantic heart. Carter’s words drag me away, thankfully.

  ‘I’d love to come and have a look round The Guardian. The whole concept is amazing, you must be so proud of everything you’re achieving.’

  ‘I am, and Justin would be delighted to show you around,’ I grin at him and he reaches out, placing a long-fingered hand onto my jodhpur-clad thigh. At the warmth of his fingers, the soft, delicious sparks start over my skin when he strokes my leg gently, moisture creeping between my legs. Just the touch of his hand, that’s all it takes.

  I slow the car, the road potholed and I turn to him again.

  ‘What do you do, Carter? Do you live in the city? He gives my thigh a gentle squeeze and I drop my left hand from the wheel, my fingers gently interlacing with his.

  ‘I’m three months off finishing a Masters at the University,’ he says. ‘I share a house with a mate, Rupert, who’s a lawyer.’ A gentle stroke of his fingers. ‘I’m twenty three, I’ve lived in Liverpool for the last six years, but my family are from Dorset.’

  I turn into the large car park of Chapel View and pull into a space at the far side, killing the engine and popping my seat belt. I lean against the door and look at him finally, chewing over the information that he’s just imparted.

  He’s doing a Masters? Flaming hell!

  He unclips his own seatbelt, before linking his fingers with mine again and I resist the urge to launch myself out of the seat and onto his lap.

  ‘What’s your Masters in?’

  He smiles. ‘Computer Science. I’m toying with the idea of doing a PhD, but I’m going to leave it for a couple of years. I need to earn some money first.’

  I gape at him. A Masters in Computer Science? Jesus Christ, how intelligent is he? He gives me a slow, sexy half smile.

  ‘Didn’t figure me for a nerd, then?’

  ‘Well, you don’t exactly fit the profile, Carter!’ I laugh and he joins in for a moment, before we both fall silent again, eyes locked. He’s got the most expressive eyes I’ve ever seen, there’s a different emotion in them every time I look into them, including a few that I haven’t identified yet, but now… all that
’s in his gaze now is raw want. I’ve never had a man look at me like this and although I should be continuing with the conversation, finding out more about him, right now – I don’t give a flying fuck.

  Not waiting for confirmation as to what I’m about to do will be favourably received, I shove my body out of the bucket seat, cocking my right let over the centre console and I land in his lap. He shifts his body as soon as my legs are on either side of his, my knees squashed between the gearstick and the door, but I don’t care. He leans back, stretching his own out and, reaching up, he takes my face in his hands, stroking my burning cheeks. My mouth’s hanging open now, the nearness of him, the heat rolling from his long, hard body and the smell of him, oh Jesus. I’m officially out of control again.

  I drop onto him, winding my arms around his neck and pushing my mouth desperately against his. He pulls me to his body immediately, his lips parting on a groan, our tongues colliding and curling as we gasp and writhe against each other. I grind myself onto his lap desperately, able to feel the solid length of the arousal he has buried in those jeans. Oh God, he wants me. This beautiful man wants me.

  Carter breaks away from my mouth, taking my bottom lip in his teeth and sucking it gently before shoving his face underneath my chin, nibbling my neck, his breath searing my skin as he bathes it in his hot gasps. I twitch on his lap, I’m bloody soaking and throbbing out of control down there and I plunge my hands into Carter’s curls, dragging his flushed face up, my open mouth latching onto his again.

  He French kisses me again and again, deeply then lightly and my head starts to fog. I can’t ride Nelson now in this state, I wouldn’t even be able to tack him up, let alone stay on him. My legs are like strands of spaghetti and I’m sexually aroused to embarrassing levels. I feel like an unexploded grenade and I need Carter Jackson to pull the pin.

  Carter finally pulls back again, his chest heaving. His eyes are hazed as he stares up at me, bursts of his sweet breath bathing my face twice a second.

  ‘Jesus fucking Christ…’ He bites his lip, seeming to chew something over in his mind, but then I see his eyes clear as he makes a decision. He hoists a brow at me.