Page 7 of Single Mom’s Undoing (Lucky Lady Reverse Harems #1)

CLARA

T hat evening, I’m back in my brother’s cabin. Matty is sound asleep in his room. He had a good day, and his blood pressure was good before I put him to bed, so chances are he’ll spend the entire night in dreamland.

I head to the kitchen, determined to bake a tray of his favorite cookies, though my mind is definitely not focused on baking. I keep going back to Carter, Damon, and Jace, thoughts of them making me dizzy.

I yearn for so much more.

A sudden knock on the front door startles me.

I make my way through the dimly lit hallway, briefly glancing at myself in the mirror.

My copper-red hair is pulled up in a loose bun, a few locks dangling over my ears.

By the time I open the door and see Carter and Damon standing on the wooden porch, I forget that all I have on underneath this plush robe is a short, satin nightgown.

“Hey,” I manage. “What are you doing here? ”

“Checking in,” Carter replies.

“Checking in?”

“Making sure you’re okay,” he explains.

I nod, trying to formulate a coherent response, but I find it hard to focus. “I’m okay. I was just about to bake cookies for Matty,” I tell them.

“Where is the little man?” Damon asks.

“Asleep in his room.”

He responds by holding up a bottle of red wine. Judging by the label alone, it’s not the kind one finds at the liquor store around the corner. “Would you like to share this with us?”

I should say no. I should just say good night and shut the door. I know where this will lead and I know how it will end. It’s written all over their faces. I want it, too. Badly.

“You can join me in the kitchen,” I say, taking a step back to let them in.

“It would be our pleasure,” Carter replies.

Brushing past me, he touches my hip, ever so slightly, and it’s enough to get my pulse racing.

“Thank you,” Damon says. “You’re gonna love this. It’s an excellent vintage.”

“I could certainly use a drink,” I sigh.

He pauses and gives me a curious look while I shut the front door.

The way he looks at me makes my skin sizzle all over.

Few words are needed between us, even though we would have a lot to talk about, if I were willing to open up.

It’s oddly comforting, however, to know that I don’t have to say much. Not tonight, anyway.

Once we’re gathered in the kitchen, the air thickens. Carter takes a seat at the kitchen island, briefly studying my recipe book while Damon gets a corkscrew out of the drawer to open the wine bottle. I give him a surprised look. He notices and smiles.

“We took care of the place while you were gone,” Damon reminds me. “I know where everything is.”

“Thank you for that,” I say quietly, lowering my gaze.

He reaches out and rests a hand on the small of my back. Even through the robe’s plush layer, I can still feel his incandescent touch. “It was our pleasure, Clara. I’m glad you had a nice home to come back to.”

“How is Matty feeling?” Carter asks.

“Today was a good day,” I reply with a soft smile.

“And how are you holding up?”

Damon pulls the cork out and pours a generous glass for each of us.

“Just waiting for Stephan’s lawyer to come back to Blackthorn Falls so we can get the paperwork out of the way,” I reply. “He’s on holiday with his family.”

“Well, in the meantime, you’ve got us to keep you entertained,” Damon quips and raises his glass.

I clink it and laugh, then take a slow sip. “You certainly know how to do that. And I have to say, this is a very good wine.”

“Ladybird. Australian,” he says .

“What are you baking?” Carter asks, flipping through the recipe book.

“Chocolate chip cookies with peanut butter and roasted hazelnuts.”

He chuckles. “Damn. The little man has fine taste.”

In terms of Matty’s tastes, they do resemble Carter’s. My heart races at the thought of someday telling him the truth. I could do it right now. It would only take a few words. But my courage eludes me, so I set the thought aside.

“What do you need for this?” Carter asks.

“Why?”

“I would like to help.”

I give him a confused frown. “You want to help me bake cookies for my son?”

“Is that a crime?”

Damon grins, holding the wineglass up to his lips. “This is happening, Clara, whether you planned for it or not. You might as well relax and go with the flow.”

“Way to sell me on it,” I reply and ultimately concede. “Fine. Get me the flour, the sugar, and the baking soda. I’ll handle the wet ingredients.”

“Baking soda for chocolate chip cookies?” Carter sounds conflicted.

“Just a pinch, not much,” I reassure him. “Matty likes them chewy, but I need the baking soda to stabilize the dough before I put it in the oven. His stomach can be iffy sometimes. ”

Damon moves behind me to get to the fridge. “What other ingredients do you need? Milk? Butter?”

“Just butter, thank you,” I reply, remaining still as his hand gently brushes over my back, sending playful shivers down my spine.

I manage to focus long enough to remember where the stainless steel mixing bowls are kept, my robe coming loose as I reach for them. Carter approaches, leaving the flour, sugar, and baking soda containers on the counter. I hold my breath.

“Here, let me get that for you,” he says as he tugs the robe tighter around my waist, fastening the belt into a firm knot.

“Thank you,” I whisper.

“It’ll come off later, don’t thank me yet.”

I look up in surprise to see a devilish glimmer in his gray-blue eyes. The invitation lingers on his lips as they stretch into a lazy grin.

Damon’s hands brush mine while he sets the butter on the counter. My heart trips. His eyes flick to my lips, then to the exposed skin of my neckline. He doesn’t say anything, he doesn’t have to. I feel the intention in every movement.

“Where’s Jace?” I ask.

“We had an emergency with one of our local clients. He’s handling it,” Damon explains. “But I’ll let him know you asked about him and said it would’ve been nice if he could’ve joined us.”

“But I didn’t—” I start to say but Carter leans in and plants a kiss on my cheek .

It’s enough to set me on fire and forget what the hell I was doing in the kitchen in the first place. “But you did, just not in so many words. It’s duly noted,” he says.

“You know us, Clara,” Damon adds. “You know what we’re like. And surely, by now, you also realize that it’s not just Carter who is determined to keep you from running away again; it’s all of us.”

“And you know me,” I tell Damon, raising my chin in defiance while struggling to keep my wits about me with Carter so close. “I decide what I do and where I go and?—”

“And yet you’re still here,” Carter’s voice trickles into my ear, his lips tickling my lobe. “That tells us everything we need to know.”

“Carter, I can’t…”

I gasp when his hand loosens the knot he just tied. I hold my breath when he pushes the robe off my shoulders and lets it fall to the floor.

Carter growls and cups my face, then pulls me into a hungry, devastating kiss.

I forget who I am. I forget about everything that happened. The past dissolves into a sizzling darkness as I cave in, parting my lips to welcome this man, this strong, possessive, stubborn-as-hell man, once again. His tongue wrestles mine, and I let him claim me. I let him win.

Tension gathers in my core as my pussy clenches tightly and Carter deepens the kiss. I moan against his lips and damn near tear his shirt off. Before long, his fingers work their way up my thighs, while his tongue trails wet, invisible lines down the side of my throat .

He pins me against the counter.

My nightgown slips down, revealing my full breasts.

Carter stares at them for a moment, his gaze burning into my skin. “God, you’re so fucking beautiful, Clara. How could you deprive me of this, how could you deprive yourself of this for so long?”

“I… I can’t…”

His lips close around my nipple, tongue flicking over it. The sensation is unbearable, and I tilt my head back in ecstasy as my legs part without my say-so. His hands move, always conquering, registering every inch of naked skin until his fingers find me—wet and hot for him.

“You want to,” he says, then takes care of my other breast with the same affection, suckling and nipping gently until the stinging sensation sweetens and spreads into my ribcage.

I look over to find Damon watching, his gaze dark and hungry. His lips parted. His breath ragged.

Moved by my attention, he gets up and comes around the island, closing in until his cologne fills my lungs, while Carter’s fingers slide between my slick folds. My clit is swollen and sensitive to the slightest touch. One flick is all it takes to make my hips sway forward.

“Look at you,” Damon says, leaning in to kiss my temple. “So ready and willing.”

“Oh, oh my God,” I shudder as Carter teases my clit before his fingers slide deeper, finding my entrance ready for him. He penetrates me, ever so slightly, while his mouth makes love to my breasts. His other arm snakes around my waist and pulls me in against his hard body. “Oh, don’t stop. ”

Damon kisses me.

Carter grunts and nips my nipple. I hiss and squirm against him, his skin melting into mine as he finger-fucks me into oblivion.

I lose my mind. My senses fall apart. Forget about baking and burying the past, forget about pretending like I don’t have any feelings when every fiber in my body cries out for them.

Carter gets out of his jeans and kneels before me. By the time I realize what’s about to happen, it’s too late. Damon’s got a hold of my mouth, his hands clasping tightly at my breasts, while Carter’s tongue conquers my swollen clit. He licks and sucks until the pressure becomes too much to bear.

Damon’s got me twisted around, barely able to stand. “I’ve dreamed about this moment for so long,” he whispers.

“Hold me tight,” I beg him, and he squeezes my breasts until the sweet pain translates into a shudder that travels downward.

“Come for me,” Carter commands, his fingers curled up inside me as he takes my clit in his mouth and sucks hard.

I can feel it, the edge of the blade.