Page 17

Carter

Waking up in Harlee’s bed, well, that was a fucking dream come true.

The only thing that would make this any better was if my rings were on her finger, she had my last name, and my baby was in her belly.

But we would get to that.

I knew that she didn’t feel as though I had anything to prove to her, but for myself, I did.

I lay there as I watched her eyelashes flutter.

And then slowly she opened her eyes, and the moment recognition set in, I watched as she smiled, and then she whispered, “Morning.”

I winked, then said, “Morning.”

I leaned my head and pressed my lips to hers.

She did what she did yesterday, going all in with her kiss.

After a few moments, I lifted my head and said, “Share a secret with you?”

She nodded, “Always.”

“Haven’t kissed a woman in six years,” I told her.

She smiled, “Really?”

I nodded, “Never lied to you, Harlee. Never will.”

Then she smiled, “Can I share a secret with you?”

I nodded, “Always.”

She smiled, “Yesterday, I’m glad my first kiss was with you.”

I felt something in my gut tighten, “You serious?”

She nodded, “Yeah. I wasn’t lying when I said I had you on a pedestal, Carter.”

Something inside of me roared in my head, and I didn’t hesitate.

Slanting my head, I kissed her. Hard.

Trying to pour my emotions into a single kiss.

At Harlee’s moan, I shifted my body, so I was atop her.

Her hands came up and ran up and down my arms, the back of my neck, then she tangled her hands in my hair.

I pressed my body into hers, kissing her as her tongue came out and played with mine.

My hand that wasn’t bracing some of my weight moved up her hips to her waist, just under her t-shirt, my fingers pressing in, feeling the soft skin beneath my fingertips.

Knowing I needed to stop this, but knowing if I didn’t, I would do something she wasn’t ready to do.

Therefore, I lifted my head, pressed my forehead into hers, and said, “To be your first kiss, you know how to drive me fucking wild.”

She giggled, then nodded, “How’d you sleep?”

I winked down at her, “Like a fucking baby.”

She smiled, wide, then my stomach chose that moment to growl.

Her head fell back onto the pillows, laughing.

And I stayed right where I was, watching. Soaking it all in.

Never before has anyone seen a more beautiful sight.

***

After we both got up and got dressed, she in a pair of jean shorts, and a t-shirt, I had changed into clean clothes I had in my bag.

Harlee was at her stove, cracking eggs after she had made bacon and biscuits.

When I heard her ask, “So, did they say anything when you left early?”

I shook my head, “Nope.”

“Really?”

I smirked, “Yeah. Talk about you. They know about you. Saw my face when shit went down, told me to get my ass home and fix it.”

She smiled and then got back to cooking.

Once we ate, I moved her from the sink where she tried to wash the dishes and did them for her.

She was shaking her head and smiling, “This is what I have to look forward to? I cook and you clean?”

I winked at her, “Only fair.”

She nodded, “So, what do you want to do today?”

I looked at her. “Mom and Dad are having a barbecue today. Want to go with me?”

She nodded, “Totally.”

The moment we walked into the backyard hand in hand, hoots and cheers sounded.

My woman was clutched to my side, giggling.

Shortly thereafter, Talia and Mom pulled her away from me. I grumbled playfully when Talia said, “I had her first.”

I was shaking my head as I walked to my brothers and took a seat.

Then I accepted a beer from my dad.

“So, how does it feel?” Ethan asked.

I took a pull from my beer and lifted a brow, “How does what feel?” I asked.

“To be the first of us officially off the market?” Ethan asked.

I opened my mouth to answer him, but Alec opened his mouth and said, “What the hell do you mean? I’m the only one who's had girlfriends.”

Ethan didn’t say anything to that.

None of us considered Melanie’s mother his woman. Ever.

That was a shittastic form of torture I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.

I felt bad for Melanie at times, and unfortunately, with the times that I worked, I had missed a lot.

I was taken from my thoughts when my dad reached over and slapped Alec upside his head, “He said officially off the market, boy.”

Alec lifted a brow and tossed out his hands as if to say, duh, “Yeah. And?”

Garrick shook his head, “Ever plan on marrying any of them?”

Alec’s face paled. “No.”

Garrick pointed at him, “That’s our point.”

Alec tilted his head to the side, and we all watched him. Then his eyes widened, “Right.”

I shook my head and looked at Alec, “Keep being you, bro.”

He winked, “I plan on it.”

Then I looked at Ethan and answered, “Feels pretty fucking good.”

Once we ate and played a few games of corn hole, we said our goodbyes.

There was something we did sometimes, and that was to window shop on Main Street.

Therefore, once we loaded up into the truck, we went and did just that.

Only this time, I had Harlee’s hand in mine.

And the looks we both received were totally worth the wait.

Everyone we passed had been happy for us.

Even Mr. Olson.

Mr. Hooper.

Even Bridgett.

We had just stopped at Frozen Tree for milkshakes and were pointing at things we liked. I noticed that the sky was starting to darken; therefore, I looked down at her and asked, “Tell me what you want to do, Darling.”

She stopped, and then looked up at me, biting that bottom lip I wanted to suck between my teeth, “Anything?”

I nodded, “Yeah. Anything you want to do, the world is your oyster, gorgeous, I’m just living in it.”

She gave me that blinding smile that always rocked me to my core, and then her cheeks turned a pretty color of light pink.

I grinned down at her, placed my finger under her chin, so I could stare into those mossy oak-colored eyes, and said, “What is it?”

She bit that bottom lip of hers, and then said, “You said the world is my oyster, right?”

I nodded. Because I meant every word of that.

“Then... what I really want is to be yours.” She said.

I felt something in my chest click into place, had no idea what it meant, but if it pertained to my Harlee Belle, then I was here for it. In every sense of the word.

“You already have me.” I reminded her.

And then... she shocked the ever-loving shit out of me.

She pressed close, her body tight into mine, and then she said, “In every way that counts.”

Harlee

“Be absolutely sure about this, Darling. Cause once I get inside you, I’m never going to want to leave.”

“Never been more sure about anything in my life.”

He waited a beat, standing there, almost waiting to see if I was going to change my mind.

And when I didn’t, he swallowed.

“Say it. One more time.” He said.

“I want to be yours in every way that counts. So do it. Make me yours. And give me you. All of you.”

That was all it took.

Clothes were torn off and thrown somewhere in his bedroom.

His eyes devoured my uncovered body, as I did the same.

My eyes locked onto his hard cock.

I licked my lips at the sight of it.

And then I looked up at Carter, only to see his eyes on mine, and then he bent, wrapped his hands around the backs of my thighs, and lifted me.

My legs locked around his waist; I leaned forward and kissed him.

Our tongues came out, and danced, and then I realized we were moving, but we never stopped kissing.

Passion.

Hunger.

You could feel it in the air.

It was heady, filled with excitement.

I felt something soft cover my back as he lowered me down.

His lips moved from mine as he broke our kiss, to trail over my cheek, down my neck, and then to my breasts.

He rested himself between my thighs, as he placed his hands on my waist and slowly moved them up, wrapping them around my breasts.

My body jerked when his thumbs brushed over my nipples.

“Dreamed about these tits, baby.” He said.

“Yeah?” I asked as a smile crept across my face.

I watched as his head lowered, and then he took one nipple into his mouth, tonguing it, teasing it.

His other hand was caressing my other nipple.

And when my hips lifted to rub my sex against him, I swear I felt him smile, and then he moved his attention to my other nipple.

Against my skin, he whispered, “Yeah.”

Would it be wrong if I had no clue as to why he just said yeah?

His hand left my breast as it traveled lower, “Dreamt about this pussy, baby.”

“Yeah?” I asked as I smiled.

I felt his head come up, and then I locked my eyes with his. He winked, “Oh yeah.”

“Keep your eyes locked with mine, alright?”

I nodded.

And then when I felt his fingers trail through my sex, I felt my breath catch.

But I didn’t take my eyes from his.

I felt his fingers move deftly over my clit, and then I felt one finger push into my entrance. at the invasion, my body tensed, and then it relaxed.

My eyes stayed locked with his.

And then he moved that finger in and out, while his thumb traced circles over my clit.

And then he pulled his finger out and replaced it with another one, “Gotta get you ready, baby. Okay?”

I nodded.

“Relax,” he whispered.

At his whispered word, I relaxed my body, and then I felt a third finger in my entrance, and then he moved them in and out of me at a slow leisurely pace, and when he hit a certain spot inside of me, I couldn’t help it.

My back bowed off the bed, but my eyes stayed locked with his.

And then... at that feeling that all of this felt so right.

With him.

With what he was doing to me.

Playing my body like a bow string, I felt it.

The heat rising in my body, and then, I gasped, as my toes curled and I experienced my first orgasm.

So, that was what all the talk was about.

I hadn’t realized I had said that aloud, when Carter smiled, winked, then said, “Part of it.”

His fingers were still buried deep inside of me when he asked, “Gotta ask.”

I nodded as I slowly came down from that particular brand of high.

“You on birth control?” he asked.

I nodded, “Yeah. Talia and I both are. We both have horrible periods.”

He nodded, then he said, “You okay if I go bare?”