Page 34
The morning creeps by, achingly slow. Every patient, chart, and medication feels like it’s taking forever. I keep eyeing the clock, counting down to the end of my shift and my escape to the gym.
When three o’clock finally hits, I’m buzzing with anticipation. I swap out of my scrubs and into a sundress in record time, not even caring how I look, just needing to see him. In the locker room mirror, my flushed cheeks and bright eyes scream of satisfaction and a hunger for more.
The drive to the gym is barely fifteen minutes, but every red light feels like a personal insult. My palms are sweaty on the wheel, my mind racing. What if he’s had second thoughts? What if last night was just a one-time thing?
I shove the doubts aside, reminding myself: this is Carter. The man who’s loved me quietly for years, who held me like I mattered, whispering promises that made my heart ache.
I step into the gym, greeted by the familiar rhythm of gloves on bags, the clang of weights, the grunts of effort. The smell of leather and sweat wraps around me as I search for him.
He’s in the ring, sparring with someone I don’t recognize. Even from afar, I catch the focus in his movements, the seamless flow of his body. Sweat glistens on his chest under the lights, and my mouth goes dry.
I drop my bag on a bench, intending to wait. But seeing him so powerful, so intense, makes patience impossible. His eyes find mine through the ropes, and something changes in his movement—not distraction, exactly, more like he’s performing now, each combination a little sharper, a little more deliberate. The other fighter catches him with a shot to the ribs and Carter doesn’t even look away from me.
“Time,” he says, stepping back. He speaks briefly to his partner, gives him a pat on the shoulder, then ducks through the ropes, striding toward me with that purposeful walk that makes my heart race.
“You’re early,” he says, voice rough from exertion.
“I couldn’t wait.” The honesty even surprises me, but the way his breath catches makes it worth it.
He glances around, noting the curious eyes watching us. “Come with me.”
He doesn’t even bother waiting for an answer, just takes off down the hallway with a predator’s focus. I’m right behind him, my heart trying to punch its way out of my chest as we pass the weight room, the office, and that sad-ass kitchenette. When he stops at the bathroom door, the tight little shithole nobody uses because it’s basically a broom closet with a toilet, I know exactly what’s about to go down.
“We can’t do this, Carter,” I protest, but it’s weak, and we both know it. He’s already got the door open, pulling me inside, slamming it shut behind us with a finality that leaves no room for argument.
The space is so damn tight, it feels like the walls are closing in, the buzzing light overhead making everything look uglier than it already is. But it doesn’t mean a damn thing when Carter has me locked in his gaze, a storm of hunger swirling in his dark eyes, sweat glistening on his skin from his recent workout.
“Tell me to stop,” he growls, his voice rolling through me like thunder. “Say the word, and I’m done.”
I should say it. This is stupid, reckless, fucking insane. Someone could come pounding on that door any second. But the way he’s looking at me, like I’m his last breath of air, like I’m the only thing keeping his heart beating, burns every rational thought to ash.
“Don’t stop,” I whisper, and all hell breaks loose.
His mouth finds mine hard enough that my teeth catch my lip. His hands are under my dress, gripping my thighs like he owns me. With one swift movement, he lifts me, pinning me to the door, his body pressing hard against mine. The heat and muscle of him are intoxicating, and the taste of salt on his skin is a reminder of how fucking alive we are right now.
Legs wrapped around his waist, I pull him closer, feeling him hard and ready through the thin fabric of his shorts. He groans into my mouth, a deep, primal sound that makes my whole body hum. One hand slides up my thigh, fingers curling around bare skin.
“Been losing my mind all day,” he mutters against my neck, teeth grazing my skin until I can’t draw a full breath. “Couldn’t think straight. Just kept picturing you under me, over me, fucking everywhere.”
His words light a fire inside me, and I yank his head back so I can catch his mouth again, the kiss a battle of teeth and tongues, years of pent-up need unleashed in a brutal, desperate dance.
“Need you,” I pant when we break apart, breathless and hungry. “Now, Carter. I need you now.”
I watch as his last bit of control snaps. He reaches between us, shoves my panties aside and his shorts down, and slides into me with a single, relentless thrust that knocks the air from my lungs.
A strangled sound escapes me, somewhere between a gasp and a moan, my head thumping back against the door. He’s everywhere, filling the cramped space with his presence, his breath hot against my neck.
“Fuck, Trixie,” he groans, voice rough and broken. “You feel… Jesus, you feel incredible.”
He sets a punishing rhythm that slams me against the door with every thrust, the room filling with the wet slap of bodies, our gasps, and the creaking of hinges that probably won’t hold much longer. The splintery wood and the risk of getting caught are nothing against the raw friction and the heat coiling in my stomach.
His hand slides down, finding that sensitive spot between my legs, and the dual assault of his fingers and cock has me spiraling toward the edge. I bite into his shoulder to muffle my cry as my orgasm rips through me, fierce and consuming, my body tightening around him in waves.
The storm inside me explodes, and in this tiny bathroom filled with harsh light and raw need, I’m lost.
That final contraction pulls him over the edge with me, his rhythm shattering as he follows me into release. I feel him pulse inside, his groan vibrating through my chest while his body shudders against mine.
For a few heartbeats, we stay tangled together, breathless, foreheads touching. The fluorescent light hums above, highlighting everything in sharp detail. My legs tremble around his waist, my body still buzzing from aftershocks.
