My room is dark.
The window is cracked, and the waves are louder in here than anywhere else in the building. Carter lightly kicks the door shut with his foot, and his mouth goes to my neck. Stubble scrapes against my skin, and it causes a shiver to roll down my body. His strong hands grip my hips, and I arch into him. I yank his shirt up and over his head, then run my hands up his body. The heat from his skin seeps into my palms and fingers. Goose bumps form on his body, and it seems he has the same reaction to me that I have to him.
“Fuck,” he whispers, walking me backward until my legs hit the mattress.
I sit, pulling him down with me. One of his knees is between mine, and he braces himself over me. Our kisses are harder, more desperate. As his hips press between my thighs, I slide my hands up his back muscles. He groans against my mouth, and the desperate sound nearly undoes me.
His hands find the straps of my dress and slides them off my shoulders. When his lips drag across my collarbone, my eyes roll into the back of my head. It’s almost like he’s memorizing every part of me. The fabric slides down my body, revealing my nipples, which he happily tweaks with his fingers.
I gasp as his mouth finds the bare skin between my breasts. Then he takes his time, tongue circling, his teeth grazing each nipple, while his free hand pins my hip to the bed. The sensation makes me dizzy. His hand slides up my thigh under the bunched dress with his thumb drawing circles on the inside of my leg, each one higher than the last. Every nerve in my body narrows to where he’s touching me. I want him so fucking bad that I’m shaking with anticipation as he goes lower.
But before the sensation completely overwhelms me, Carter stops.
His forehead drops against my stomach, and his breathing is ragged, his body still pressed against mine. I’m suddenly awareof how exposed I am. Heat crawls up my neck, and it’s a different kind now.
“Something wrong?” My voice comes out broken.
He lifts his head. His lips are swollen, and his eyes are wild. The man who acts like he controls every room he walks into can’t even hold my gaze. “I can’t. I’m sorry.”
I sit up and pull my dress back over my shoulders, pulling the straps into place. “You’re right. Thanks for being logical.”
He drags both hands down his face, and I see his shirt crumpled on the floor.
“I leave in August,” he reminds me, but his voice is rougher than usual.
“Isn’t that the point?” I ask, not quite understanding.
He turns toward me, and my skin is still buzzing from where his mouth was.
“I know you come with an expiration date. I’m okay with that. When August arrives, you’ll leave, and whatever this is ends. Am I imagining this attraction?”
“You’re not,” he confirms.
“We can’t catch feelings,” I tell him.
He tilts his head. “Are we negotiating?”
“Yeah. I guess we are.”
Carter sucks in a deep breath.
I stare at him, and he stares back. The ocean fills the silence.
“Rules,” he says.
“Those are the only ones I have for now,” I admit.
“No feelings, and it ends on August 3?” he asks.
I nod, and he smirks.
“Are we doing this?” I ask, chewing on the corner of my lip.
He reaches forward, tucking hair behind my ear. “Let me think about it. I’ll let you know.”
“You need to think about it?” I ask, almost offended.
“Yeah,” he says, taking full control of the situation.
