I bit my lip as I set the note down next to my crusty-dusty dildo discarded on the nightstand. Gross. I’d have to wash that thing before Carter got a second look at it in the daylight.
On the floor, our clothes from the night before were strewn about, and I grabbed Carter’s dress shirt, grinning as I slipped it on. It hung to my knees as I buttoned it up halfway, and after a tiny moment of second-guessing myself; I tugged the shirt open a bit and snapped a cute, sleepy selfie, sending it to Carter before I could change my mind.
I wanted this to be easy, didn’t want to overthink things with him. So I wouldn’t, I decided. Fun and easy. That’s what I’d be.
I wandered downstairs while I scrolled through my texts, catching up on everything I’d missed in the chaos of yesterday. Sloane and Jules would be in town in an hour, and everyone was going to a Halloween party at the club tonight.
I smiled to myself, realizing, for once, I was going to have a date. Except, no, I wasn’t, because nobody could know anything yet.UGH!
On my way downstairs, as I passed one of the backdoors, a shadow flitted across the floor. I startled, looking up from my phone, but when I peered out the window, no one was there. Nothing but the vast expanse of gardens that opened up behind the estate, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Still, the hair on my neck raised, and for some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to open the door and step outside. I tried to shrug it off, but that’s when I noticed thecrumbled leaves just inside the door. I swallowed hard. Carterneverused the backdoor. He always came through the garage, not to mention he hated going into the massive botanical gardens behind the estate at all, because that had been his mother’s favorite place.
My eyes darted to the lock on the door, and the metal was cool under my fingertips as I triple-checked it was in fact locked, because of course it was locked. The striated marble was toasty warm under my bare feet as I headed towards the kitchen, trying to convince myself that it was probably just one of the gardeners coming in for a glass of water. Carter was hardly ever home, and even after all these years, he’d kept the estate in pristine condition. There were always staff members coming and going for routine maintenance and cleaning.
Still, as I rounded the corner to the kitchen, I couldn’t help but glance over my shoulder one last time as prickling unease settled in my gut.
Three ovens later, I finally found my breakfast, feeling a pang of sadness for Carter as I padded through the industrial-sized kitchen that probably hadn’t been used in ages. It was such a massive house for just one person. Kinda depressing.
I plopped down at the breakfast nook and opened the paper bag. Inside was an enormous breakfast sandwich and a tall cup of hot seasoned broth from the health food store up the street. The note inside read:
OJ is in the fridge. Be a good girl for me and finish your breakfast. All of it. You’ll need your strength for tonight.
Oh my.I wouldnotbe the first one to tap out tonight. So I ate everything, finishing my entire breakfast in record time.
I opened my text thread with Carter, giggling to myself as three little dots popped up and disappeared once, and then twice, in response to my sexy morning selfie. I grinned, feelingpretty damn pleased with myself, and deviously decided I was going shopping this afternoon because tonight definitely called for a new dress.
If Carter and I had to keep our hands off each other tonight, and keep this a secret, then it wouldn’t hurt to make sure at least his eyes stayed on me.
CHAPTER 34
Little Secrets
CARTER
The view of the city skyline from the floor to ceiling windows in the Vandenbergh building was incredible, but as I waited for my appointment, I hardly noticed it.
I couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t hardly remember why I was even here.
I jiggled my leg as the images from last night replayed through my mind over and over. Sara’s hair fanned out underneath her as she writhed on the sheets beneath me, begging, moaning my name. Her head thrown back, cheeks flushed while she let me do things to her that a man could only dream about.
The sight of her, face down, swollen and wet, taking that fucking unicorn horn, the mattress useless to muffle the beautiful sounds she was making—my leg bounced faster, all while I wished it weremycock buried in her, all while she hadbeggedme, for exactly that.
I was the energizer bunny, and I was practically drunk off her. Desperate for more. Fucking obsessed with waking up and remembering she was still in my bed.
I’d wanted to wake her upso badlythis morning, laid there holding her for as long as humanly possible, until I was actually running late, and when I’d finally dragged myself away, I’d been dying to wake her up and kiss her goodbye, but how could I? Not when she looked so peaceful and perfect.
I wanted that feeling every morning.
Forever.
Minus the slightly panicked feeling that she’d unlocked inside me. Minus the realization that I should have jacked off one more time before I left the house this morning because I was already aching for her again.
I hadn’t though, because my dumb shoulder was acting up after last night. Nothing could have been more worthwhile, though.
A buzz vibrated in my pocket, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw it was a text from her. My breath turned more thin than it already was as I clicked on the selfie she’d just sent me—stared at it, zoomed in on it, quickly looked around to make sure no one else could see, and zoomed in on it some more.
I dragged a hand over my face and stifled a groan. She was the sun in my world, andeverythingrevolved around her.
