His strong hands gripped my hips and pulled my body against his. He hardened against me and my core ached to feel him. “Something like this,” he said and took off his shirt, revealing the hard lines of his body. I had just a moment to drink him in before he kissed me, crashing his lips into mine like he couldn’t hold back anymore.
I melted into him, and Carter’s hands caressed my sides. When I thought my legs would completely give out, Carter picked me up like I weighed nothing, then threw me over his shoulder. “I’m taking you inside.”
“Take me wherever you want to,” I said breathlessly, literally swept off my feet.
Where Carter took me was the bedroom. He stripped off my clothes piece by piece, kissing and licking at every inch of skin he revealed. His lips and tongue left trails of fire in their wake until I was naked and glowing with desire. Carter removed everything he was wearing, but he did it much more quickly. When we were both fully bare, he pulled me into his arms again, skin on skin, and kissed me.
We tumbled into bed together, ready to go. The entire drive back from Louisville had been foreplay and I didn’t want to wait any longer. Using both hands, I stroked his cock from base to tip. My whole body clenched at the heat of it. I lay on my back and parted my legs for Carter, watching him the whole time. He grabbed a condom from his jeans and put it on. The sunlight filtering through the curtains cast us in blue shadow, highlighting all the best parts of him.
Carter positioned himself over me. His thick tip probed into my center, dipping into my wetness. I gasped at the sensation that jolted through me. My whole body was like an exposed nerve, raw and sensitive to the slightest touch.
Carter kissed me again, and I clasped his hips impatiently to pull him forward. He buried himself inside me with a growllike a wild animal, and fire scorched through my veins. We froze together, joined as one, both overwhelmed.
Then Carter started to pump into me, with slow strokes at first. Anything faster might have fried my senses. He kissed me as he fucked me, and his hands found my breasts, running his palms deliciously over my sensitive nipples.
My heart galloped and my breath came in fast pants. Carter went faster, deeper. He reached down to circle my clit with his thumb, not breaking his pounding rhythm. Every thrust sent me higher into the stratosphere, putting pressure right where I needed it.
My orgasm crackled through me like two thousand volts of pleasure. Every part of me sang with it. My back arched and I cried out, awash in endless bliss. Carter thrust all the way into me one last time. His hips jerked and he groaned, finding his own release right alongside mine.
Carter disposed of the condom and collapsed beside me, a panting mess. I wiped the sweat from his brow and smiled at him. “I love you, Carter.”
He smothered my smile in kisses. “I love you, too, Shelby.”
As silly and insecure as it might sound, it was comforting to hear him say it back. After the sex was when theI love youmattered. It was easy to love someone before and during. But would they love you tomorrow?
“So,” I said between breaths. “Does this mean you’ll be sticking around here for a while?”
Carter rubbed my back in long strokes. “I’m here for as long as you’ll have me.”
EPILOGUE
CARTER
Lying beside Shelby in bed, her naked heat against my skin, I couldn’t for the life of me imagine why I ever tried to leave. What greater joy could there be in life than to love on someone and be loved on back?
My best achievement wasn’t the size of my bank account or the accolades on my résumé. It was this moment right here, with Shelby, as close as two people could be, basking in the afterglow of real passion. This was success and what I should have been searching for the whole time.
Except I couldn’t imagine finding this kind of bliss with anyone but Shelby. There was something special about her. She coaxed out this side of me, awakening parts of my soul that had been asleep for too long. I had never really believed in soulmates before, but she had made me rethink that.
All the things that used to matter so much to me now felt small and cheap. Compared to what I felt for Shelby, they were meaningless. Worthless. Nothing could stand against love. Not when it was real. I had been powerless against it, falling for Shelby despite stubbornly resisting those feelings.
Shelby traced little circles on my chest as she cuddled with me. “I can’t believe you gave everything up for me.”
“What’s funny is I don’t feel like I gave up anything at all,” I said and pulled her up so we could face each other. “You showed me what was important. You made me really think about what I wanted and how I wanted to spend the rest of my life.”
She smiled at me. “So you chose the farm life?”
“I’m choosing the Shelby life.”
“Mm, I like the sound of that,” she said, kissing me.
I cupped her face in my hands, holding her like the precious beauty she was. “I’ll admit the fresh air is nice. And it’s good to work up a sweat with real labor, not in the gym. But overall, the main draw is you.”
I kissed her and we fooled around a little. Just having some fun making out, unable to get our fill of one another. That led to us making love again. Slowly and deliberately, milking every ounce of pleasure from each other until we were spent again.
“So what’s your plan?” she asked after a while, still lying in bed with me.
“I have some ideas about some future projects,” I said.
