This had to be on Carter’s terms, at his pace. He’d never had that before, he deserved to have it now.
Finally,finally, my stomach swooped as he brushed his lips over mine, tentative at first, testing with a sweet, chaste kiss that made me feel fifteen again, the kind of kiss I’d always imagined sharing with him.
Only he’d been the confident one, and I’d been new and trembling under him, and we were definitely doing this the other way around now.
Carter pressed harder on the next one, open-mouthed and insistent, the trace of a breath mint in his mouth, and a little thrill of excitement rippled through me at the thought that he’dplannedthis, he’d come back fully intending to kiss me, or he wouldn’t have bothered with the mint.
Cute.
“You’re adorable,” I murmured between kisses, gasping as his fingers ran down my side, tickling my ribs on the way to the hem of my sweater.
“I am?” Carter asked, fingers sneaking under my clothes to catch on bare skin, gentle touches that sent sparks of need bouncing around my gut.
“You are,” I said. “So cute.”
Carter grinned at me, lit up with happiness and excitement, and slid the rest of his warm hand along my skin, splaying his fingers wide, stroking as if he was tracing the lines of my tattoos.
Everyone did that, and itnevergot old. My body was exactly how I wanted it right now, and I loved having it appreciated.
He kissed me again, open-mouthed, tongue flicking at my lower lip, a giddy rush of heat flowing south. Shy as he was, it was so obvious he wanted me that I couldn’t help rolling around in it.
“I have lube and condoms,” I said. “Y’know, if you wanna…”
I could’ve phrased that more gently, probablyshouldhave phrased it more gently, but I wanted him to know that I was open to anything, whatever he wanted.
Carter pulled back, eyes flicking back and forth over my face.
“You could fuck me,” I said, brushing my thumb over his lower lip. “But no pressure.”
Carter swallowed. “You’d have to show me how,” he said, voice rough and low, syllables curling around the pit of my stomach.
I kissed him this time, sure now that it was what he wanted, nipping at that same tempting lower lip I couldn’t get enough of.
“In a minute,” I murmured against his mouth. “I’m not giving up my chance to make out with you that fast.”
* * *
I hummed happilyinto Carter’s mouth as he kissed me again, getting bold now that we were snuggled up under the sheets, naked, skin brushing against skin, the two of us getting used to how we felt against each other.
Somehow, out of his clothes, he waslessshy than he had been. Maybe because I hadn’t stopped staring at him while he undressed, low, happy sounds escaping me every time he peeled off another layer, the urge to touch overwhelming me more often than not.
Carter had a beautiful body, and I think he was surprised to realize I thought so. He didn’thaveto be covered in tattoos to be sexy.
… not that it would’ve hurt.
“I like kissing you,” he confessed softly, a smile playing around his lips, hands roaming over my skin, stroking up and down my side.
“Feeling’s mutual,” I said, grabbing the lube and shuffling closer to him, flicking the cap open.
Carter gasped as I poured it into his hand, staring down between us as I coated his fingers, working it between both of our hands to warm it up. If I was getting what I’d wanted for so long, I planned on enjoying it. Warm lube, slow prep, more kisses. All the things I liked.
Shifting positions, I threw one knee over Carter’s hip to give him space to work, resting my head against his shoulder so I could look down between us and watch.
“No rush,” I promised him. “Take your time. I love this part.”
I barely stopped myself from squirming as Carter’s fingers glided over me, breath hitching as he found what he was looking for.
“That’s it,” I encouraged, biting my lip as Carter explored, tingles of pleasure bouncing over my skin at his curious, gentle touch.
