Page 43 of Anyone But Me

Guilt overtook me as my mama continued to walk to the door. I always told my moms everything. I didn’t want my mama to think I didn’t trust her with this.

“Mama?” I said before she could leave. When she turned back around, I took a deep breath and blew it out. “It’s not that I don’t want to talk to you about this. It’s just that I need to talk to someone else first.”

A wide, knowing grin spread across my mama’s face. “I know. Don’t want to make the same mistakes your old mama did. I get it.”

Then she turned and walked out of my room as if we hadn’t just had one of the biggest conversations of my entire life.

***

I knew I was being weird around Olivia from the time she arrived at our parents’ house, but I couldn’t help myself.

The weight of the conversation I needed to have with her was pushing down on me.

The problem was, I couldn’t find time away from our family to have the conversation.

The few times we did get a minute alone, I chickened out.

I had thought about asking her to spend New Year’s Eve at my moms’ house with the rest of the family, but I knew that was no use since she had tickets for a party at a bar in Philadelphia.

“Earth to Carter. Are you in there?”

I was brought back to the present moment by Olivia waving her hand in front of my face.

I swatted her hand away. “What’s up?”

“What has you so lost in thought?” Olivia smirked as she studied my face. “Or maybe I should say who .”

Does she know? That was a crazy thought. Of course she didn’t know. This was the way Olivia always teased me.

“Even if there is someone, she’s not going to tell you if you keep bothering her like that,” Ronan said with a snort. “Have you met our sister?”

Olivia rolled her eyes. “Anyway, two of our friends who were supposed to be going to that New Year’s Eve party with us tomorrow bailed, so I have extra tickets and was just wondering if you wanted to come.”

The middle of a crowded, loud bar probably wasn’t the best place to have the conversation I wanted to have with Olivia, but if I went out, I would definitely stay at her house.

That meant I could talk to her the next day before we came back to my moms’.

It was the perfect plan (aside from the whole going out on New Year’s Eve part, which was something I had always loathed).

“Sounds good to me.”

Olivia’s eyes popped wide open. “Wait. Seriously? I was sure you’d say no. This is great. I’m pretty sure Jax is coming too. It’s going to be so much fun.”

Jax is coming? There goes the talk I was planning. Also, why hadn’t Jax told me she was coming?

I took out my phone and sent her a quick text, trying to keep it cool, so she didn’t know I was freaking out. Instead of texting me back, a few seconds later, Jax called me.

“I’ll be right back,” I mumbled to my family before walking upstairs to my old bedroom.

“Hello?” I said as soon as I was safely behind my closed door.

“Surprise!” Jax said in a high-pitched scream.

“I didn’t tell you because I wanted to see the look on your face if I just showed up.

Of course, I couldn’t tell your sister that.

If I told her I wanted to surprise you, she definitely would have asked why, and it would have been a little awkward to tell her it’s because I really like how you look naked and the way you taste. ”

I had to close my eyes to gain some control. Now, all I could think about was Jax running her tongue over me, and I could barely breathe. “Y-you can’t say those things when we’re not together.”

“Lucky for you, you get to see me tomorrow.”

I wanted nothing more than to come underneath Jax’s tongue tomorrow, but I couldn’t get myself swept up in that fantasy because I knew it wasn’t going to happen.

“Except, we can’t do that. My sister can’t…

I mean… I wouldn’t want her to find out there’s…

something… happening between us, because she walks in on the two of us in bed. ”

Jax sighed. “Yeah. I definitely wouldn’t want that. It’s already weird enough not talking to her about the amazing sex I’m having. It feels like I’m keeping a secret from her. I don’t like it.”

“Yeah.” I wasn’t sure what else to say. This was getting way too close to the talk I wasn’t ready to have yet. Just finish the damn list and finally get the courage to say the things you need to say.

“At least I get to see you. Next best thing to touching you.”

“I can’t wait. See you tomorrow, Jax.”

***

When I got to Olivia’s apartment the next day, Jax was already there. It took all of my self-control to keep myself from running over to her and wrapping her in a tight hug. I wanted nothing more than to be close to her, and it sucked that we were in this situation right now.

I kept my distance from her while we hung out at the apartment with some of Olivia and Quinton’s other friends, only peeking at her quick enough to share a secret smile before going back to whatever conversation I was having with someone else.

The only time I was actually part of the same conversation as her was when she interrupted Olivia and me to ask Olivia why she had found a pair of handcuffs in one of her drawers.

Olivia laughed. “I wish the reason was as exciting as what you’re imagining.

Quinton and I sometimes watch our friend’s son so they can have date nights, and he’s currently obsessed with playing cops and robbers.

We bought a police set to keep here so we can play with him when he comes over.

” She lifted an eyebrow. “I might need to consider other uses though.”

I walked away while they continued their conversation, because I didn’t feel the need to hear the details of my sister’s sex life, especially when she was talking to the girl I was currently having sex with.

I was happy when it was time to go to the bar, because I knew everyone would couple up once the drinks became stronger and dance music was booming throughout a dark room.

Jax and I ended up in different Ubers, so I didn’t see her again until we were all standing by the bar preparing to take a shot. Everyone tapped their shot glasses together, but when Jax tapped hers against mine, she made prolonged eye contact and gave me her trademark smile.

My body heated up from that smoldering look alone, and I really wished we were anywhere but the bar right now. Suddenly, Jax dramatically grabbed her side. “Shit. I don’t feel very good.”

Olivia gave her a look that was half concerned, half amused. “I told you that you were pre-gaming too hard. You shouldn’t have taken that extra shot back at the house. We’re not as young as we used to be.”

Jax bent over and winced. “Fuck. I think you’re right.”

Shit, what is happening? I had never seen Jax like this and worried she might actually throw up.

I brought my hand to her arm and rubbed it.

If my sister thought that was weird, I didn’t care.

All I cared about right now was making sure Jax was okay.

“Are you alright? What do you need? Tell me what I can do.”

Jax shook her head and winced again. “Nothing. This is my own fault. I’ll just take an Uber back to the apartment.” She turned toward Olivia. “I’m really sorry.”

Now Olivia looked fully concerned. “Do you want me to come with you? I hate the thought of you being alone.”

“I’ll go with her,” I said reflexively. “You should stay. All of your friends are here. Plus, we all know this is much more your scene than mine.”

Olivia nodded. “If you’re sure. Just take care of my bestie, okay?”

“Of course.” That was my full focus right now.

I put my arm around Jax and supported her as we walked out of the bar. The farther we got from the group, the better her gait seemed to become. By the time we were outside, the smile had returned to her face. “You heard Olivia. You better take care of me when we get home.”

What the hell? “Wait! You’re not actually sick?”

“I am sick. I’m sick of you having clothes on.” Her grin widened. “And it looks like I just got us a bunch of alone time.”

“You lied so we could go back to the apartment and have sex?” Why did I find that so incredibly sexy. “You’re right. I’m going to take good care of you.” And I know exactly how I’m going to do it.

As soon as we were inside the apartment, I turned toward Jax and ran my hand down the front of the super tight unfairly sexy dress she was wearing, as I prepared to get myself into character. “You were bad tonight.”

Jax must have realized what I was getting at, because she licked her lips.

The fire in her eyes burned brighter than ever as she waited to see what I would do next, and the feeling was so empowering.

“Oh yeah?” She leaned in and lightly bit down on my ear before whispering into it.

“Am I in trouble? Are you going to punish me?”

Fuck, this is hot. I took a deep, shaky breath as I tried to keep myself in character. “You’re in big trouble. Go to the guest room now. When I get in there, you better be naked.”

The smile that came onto Jax’s face was in stark contrast to the fire in her eyes, which had somehow intensified even more. “Yes, ma’am.” She brought her hand up to her forehead and saluted me before skipping away.

I needed to give Jax time to get undressed, but I knew exactly how to occupy myself while I did. I went into Olivia and Quinton’s kitchen and searched through all of the drawers until I found what I was looking for. After counting to sixty, I finally went to join Jax in the guest room.

I opened the door with one hand while letting the newly acquired handcuffs dangle from one finger of my other hand. I almost lost it when I saw Jax spread out across the bed, completely nude as instructed, but I was able to reel myself back in enough to continue our role play.

“Are you ready for your punishment?” I asked, attempting to make my voice as sultry as possible.

“So ready.” Jax cleared her throat. There was a glisten of sweat dripping down her pulsating chest. “Do whatever you want to me.”

I moved my eyes toward the handcuffs then back to Jax. “Are you sure about that?”

Jax nodded aggressively. “I deserve it.”

I studied the bed and found that it had metal slats for the headboard so I could attach one of her hands to that, but the question was what I would do with the other hand. I felt a mischievous grin spread across my face when an idea popped into my head. “You asked for it.”

I sauntered over to the bed, crawled onto it, and ran my hand up Jax’s stomach and between her breasts.

As I scratched my fingers over her throat, she swallowed hard in response.

When my hand reached her chin, I grabbed it hard enough to show who was in control without actually hurting her.

“Stay very still and only do what I tell you to.”

I attached one of the handcuffs to the bed and another around Jax’s wrist.

She wiggled the free hand and shot me a sly grin. “You forgot one.”

I grabbed her wrist and pinned her free arm to the bed. “I thought I told you to stay still. You can move that hand when I tell you to.”

Jax slammed her head back against the pillow and closed her eyes. “Fucking hell. You’re so fucking sexy.”

“Let’s see just how sexy you think I am.”

I brought my hand between her legs and moaned when I found how wet she was for me already.

I brought my coated fingers up to my lips and licked them clean, moaning once again at the taste I loved.

“That’s a lot.” I ran my fingers over her again, but this time instead of bringing them to my lips, I brought them to hers.

“I want you to experience how good you taste.”

Jax took my fingers into her mouth and sucked on them the same way she sucked other parts of my body. My center throbbed with a need I wasn’t ready to fulfill yet. This time, when my hand went between her legs, I used my thumb to massage her clit. At the same time, I ran my tongue over her nipple.

I moved two fingers inside of her and as I pushed them deeper, I bit the spot where I had just been licking. I continued to switch between biting, licking, massaging, and finger-fucking until Jax was writhing below me, then I stopped it all at once.

Jax shot upright and pulled at the handcuffs. “W-what the hell are you doing? I’m so close. Shit. Please.”

I placed a kiss on her lips before pulling away to smirk at her. “I love when you beg.”

“Pleaaaase.”

I wasn’t sure if Jax was dragging out the word to satisfy me or because she was desperate, but either way, it was good enough for me. “I stopped because I want you to come on my tongue.”

Jax grunted and slammed her body down onto the bed, which I took as her way of telling me that was exactly what she wanted. It didn’t take long for her to come with my tongue on her. Knowing I was the one to make it happen made it taste even sweeter on my lips.

“Carter, please,” Jax begged between deep breaths. “I-I need to touch you. Please.”

“Of course.” That’s exactly what I want too.

I grabbed the hand that wasn’t handcuffed to the bed and brought it to my center, which was just as wet as Jax’s had been.

I directed her fingers through my folds and moaned at the feeling of touching myself while she touched me.

I continued this for a few minutes, picking up my pace as I came closer and closer to the edge.

When I could feel my orgasm building, I dropped her hand. “Inside. Go inside of me.”

When her fingers moved to fuck me, I kept mine between my legs. Jax sat up and watched as my fingers worked on my clit while hers moved in and out. I kept going until my body became paralyzed from the toe-curling pleasure exploding throughout it.

I crumbled into a pile of limbs beside Jax. She muttered a low “fuck” and I grunted in agreement. Once I could finally move again, I undid Jax’s handcuffs and searched for my phone to check if my sister had texted.

I grabbed it just in time to see the time switch from 11:59 to midnight. I set the phone on the nightstand, then placed a kiss on Jax’s cheek. Even after everything we’d just done, this gesture felt so much more intimate. “Happy New Year.”

Jax closed her eyes and smiled dreamily. “I have a feeling this is going to be a great year.”

She brought her hand to her mouth, clearly in an attempt to stifle her yawn, but it was so loud, that wasn’t possible. “I wish I could stay up all night talking to you, but you wore me out.”

I kissed her cheek once again. “Get some rest. I’m going to sleep on the couch.”

Jax’s lips turned down. “You’re not staying with me?”

There’s no way to express how much I wish I could. “I think it’s for the best if Olivia doesn’t get home to find us in bed together.”

Jax sighed dejectedly. “I guess you’re right.” After a few seconds, she perked up slightly. “At least, next weekend, we’ll be in Vegas and have a hotel room all to ourselves. And you know what they say—what happens there, stays there.”

I ran a finger over Jax’s cheek. “I can’t wait to see what we get up to.”