Page 47 of Stand Your Ground

He was right where I’d left him, on the other side of the couch with his legs spread wide. He was slumped into the cushions, his head resting against the back. I’d cleaned him up and covered him with the thickest blanket I could find, and there was a fresh glass of water on the table next to him, ready for when he woke.

Carter groaned a little as he came to, squeezing his eyes shut before he blinked repeatedly and maneuvered to sit up. He ran a hand through his hair and over his short beard before his eyes found mine, and a slow, sleepy smile spread on his face.

I ignored the way my heart jumped at the sight, at how my own lips curled up to mirror his.

“How long have I been out?”

“Just an hour.”

“Anhour?!” He shook his head. “Jesus, woman. You quite literally fucked me to sleep.”

“Technically, a toy fucked you to sleep.”

“You were the one driving.”

I chuckled, still petting Zamboni as I nodded to the glass of water beside him. “Drink.”

Carter followed my gaze before picking up the glass and downing half of it. It was then that his eyes took in the sight of me, and he groaned, setting the water back on the table before he turned to face me.

“Liv… you’re wearing my shirt.”

I hiked the hem of it up to show where the navy-blue fabric of his briefs hugged my thigh. “These, too.”

He shook his head, hands reaching for me like he couldn’t help himself. He slid one hand roughly up my leg all the way to my hip. “I didn’t think it was possible to get turned on again tonight, but…”

A zip of something unfamiliar flittered through my stomach, but I laughed it off, laughedhimoff as I pressed a hand to his chest and pushed him back to where he was sitting before.

Carter sighed heavily, but then he started petting Zamboni’s back legs, his lazy gaze on me. “That was fun.”

“Was it?”

“I mean, it was absolute fucking torture, but it was also fun.”

I smirked. “My favorite kind of play.”

“I have no doubts.”

“And what did we learn?”

Carter groaned. “A quiz already?”

I just sipped my wine and arched a brow, waiting.

He sat back farther, still petting his dog as his brows folded in concentration. “I need to be in control. I need to set the pace, give her permission to relax, and show her I want her in every possible way.”

“Amen.”

“And if all else fails, treat it like a game.” He pointed at me. “That really worked for me. When I started thinking about it being overtime and everything riding on me holding it together, I could push through and resist.”

I chuckled. “You are such a boy.”

“And you are one hell of a woman.”

I chewed the inside of my cheek against a smile, tapping my wine glass and nodding toward his water in a silent request to finish it.

When he did, he relaxed more into the couch, smiling at where I was still idly petting behind Zamboni’s ear. “I can’t believe how fast he took to you.”

“Well, the little brat did owe me, since he ruined my shoes at Mia’s wedding.”