Night Fires (17 page)

“Harder. I need more of you,” I begged as I clamped hold of his hair and brought his mouth back to my own.

He devoted every bit of himself to my pleasure, powering into me like a wild animal as each long, brutal drive propelled me higher and nearer my climax. My back bounced against the wall with each of his thrusts, the pain only enhancing the bliss that was carrying me somewhere surreal. His teeth flanked my bottom lip and when the sharp nip produced the stimulating taste of copper, I held on to him harder and came with a loud cry.

“Take it all, Alice,” he growled as he forced himself deep into me when I screamed his name like he was the only man alive on this rotten earth. He felt like a god to me right then, his dedication to making me feel good the only thing I could see and feel when he buried his face into my neck and gave in to his own orgasm, my name coming from him with a hoarse cry.

We both remained still as we tried to catch up with the frantic rhythm of our breathing. I was still clung to Carter when he turned abruptly and lowered me onto the bed. I tensed, waiting for him to give me the guilty look and then disappear. What I didn’t expect was for him to climb into bed behind me. One arm slid underneath my shoulders and curved around my chest, and pulling me back against him, he whispered in my ear. “I hope you don’t want to chat. I’m knackered.”

I lay in shock when the heavy sounds of him snoring filled the quiet room. “What the…?”

I wasn’t upset that he’d gone straight to sleep, I was more stunned by how easily and quickly he went. His chest pressed into my back with each of his deep breaths but his hold on me remained steadfast, his strong arm locking me against him in a fierce grip like he thought I would escape while he slept.

Unable to hold back the smile, I covered his arm with my own and relaxed against him. It felt so right that it suddenly it felt wrong. Carter couldn’t give me anything. I wasn’t naïve; I knew he would never grant me much of himself, because he kept that part of him secured in the past with a ghost that refused to grant him peace. Much like myself, really. But whereas Carter’s heart was completely devoted to his dead wife, mine was held by the souls of my dead family.

Carter smiled down at me when he woke, his eyes full of sleep and desire. “Good morning, Miss Bird.” His voice was thick with exhilaration as I stroked his morning erection with my tongue.

“Good morning, sir.”

He lowered his hand and threaded his fingers through my unruly curls, pulling them behind my head so he could watch me worship his glorious cock. “You’re so beautiful.”

I rewarded his compliment with a deep, long plunge down his thick shaft, my tongue sliding against the velvet of his foreskin and capturing a groan of satisfaction from him.

“With my cock buried in your mouth, you’re even more captivating.”

I swallowed as a flush of excitement raced through me, and wanting to please him further, I sucked harder, pulling at him until the unique taste of pre-cum tingled my senses. I murmured my approval and began to feast on him, willing myself to give him the best blowjob of his entire life.

“Alice,” he whispered as his fingers gripped my hair harder. I could feel him desperate to take control, to direct my devotion, but he held back. “Alice! Christ!”

Abruptly his hands left my hair and he tugged at my arm, manipulating my body around until he could grab my hips and guide my legs upwards and over his face.

Shamefully, a low growl left me when I felt his tongue slide over my pussy. “Now I can taste your beauty. And it’s just as delicious as your kisses.”

Each of his words drove my arousal into fever pitch. I’d never been with a partner that spoke during sex, never mind told me exactly what was on his mind. But I found that I liked it. Carter made me feel desirable, wanton, and I could lose all my inhibitions with him, and that in itself was a huge turn-on.

“Sweet Alice,” he mumbled against my flesh. The soft wisp of his breath over my most intimate parts made a shiver of desire trickle through my bones. I rocked over his mouth, pleading silently that he take me where I needed to go.

As if reading my mind, I yelped when I felt the sharp sting of his hand over the soft plumpness of my backside.

“Carter!”

He chuckled. “You love it.”

I didn’t argue; he was right. The faint throb on my skin only added to the pleasure he gave me and I moaned with approval when he granted me another taster of that delicate pain.

Oral sex was never something I had enjoyed before, but tasting Carter in my mouth, his frequent gift of semen making my taste buds explode with gratification, and having his face in between my legs at the same time was incredible. He rewarded my hard sucks by wrapping his lips around my clit and sucking gently, then when I teased him by running my tongue around the head of his cock, he plunged his tongue inside me and took what I offered him.

Before long I felt him swell in my mouth and his devotion on me grew frenzied. His beard scratched my thighs and his fingers bruised my hips as he grew animalistic, eating me out with a passion that I could only replicate – but without the beard.

We came together, our bodies jerking with bliss as I came in his mouth and he came in mine, our joined pleasure only heightening each other’s orgasm.

I rolled off him, panting and trembling as a sheen of sweat coated my hot skin.

“Well that’s how I want every morning to begin.”

I grinned at him when he manoeuvred himself around until he was laid beside me, upside down on the bed. His fingers softly drew across my cheek and he leaned into me, brushing a soft kiss across my mouth.

Noticing me frown, he tapped my nose. “Out with it.”

I frowned harder. “How come you can read me so well?”

“Because you’re an open book, Alice.” He smiled. “And you are the most honest person I’ve ever met. I like that I can translate every single one of your expressions.”

“I’m not sure I do,” I grumbled, but when he quirked an eyebrow, waiting for me to say what was on my mind, I swallowed and went for it. “I just… I just wondered what we’re doing.”

He shook his head. “Not sure I follow.”

I rolled on to my back and looked up at the ceiling. “Us. What are we doing? What is this between us?”

Propping himself up on his elbow he looked at me with such sadness that I braced myself for what was coming. “I was a dick, Alice. I told you that.”

“Yes, you did.” I turned on my side to look at him. Tucking my hands under my cheek I was mesmerised by the clarity in his eyes. I thought he’d have one hell of a hangover but he seemed okay. “But you never told me why you ran.”

He blinked as if confused but then clicked his tongue. “I’m not sure there’s even an answer to that.” Copying my pose, he lay his head down but continued to gaze at me. “You were the first person I’ve slept with since Elizabeth died.”

I nodded. I was surprised he’d been so honest but I made sure not to show that to him.

“Sex with Elizabeth was good.” He was open and I saw the flinch in his face at his honesty but I smiled. I would have been more worried if he’d married her and their sex life was crap. That would have been the sign of a tragedy waiting to happen – but one that happened anyway, I supposed. “But I always put that down to love, because I loved her. But then there was you.”

“Me?”

For a moment he didn’t speak and I thought he wasn’t going to clarify his statement, but he did. “Sex with you was just as good. Great, amazing… brilliant…”

“Keep going,” I joked as I preened myself with each compliment.

He laughed and leaned forward to drop a kiss to my forehead. “It surprised me. I didn’t know what to do. I had all these emotions rolling through me. Guilt because it felt so good. Happiness that you and I had gone that step further. Anger that I had let Liz down. Hope that you and I could go even further. But most of all, fear.”

I cradled his face softly, hating that he had gone through all that on his own. “Fear? Fear of what?”

The pain that covered his face almost choked me. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Fear that I would never be good enough for you. That it would happen again. Dread that I would drag you into my pathetic life when you’re already hurting.”

“Hey.” I shook my head. “You’re afraid of something that might never happen. Why worry about tomorrow when you’re living today? That’s a pointless waste. I don’t know what’s going to happen either, and like you, when everything went wrong in my life, I swore I was done with relationships of any sort. But we can’t see into the future. We’re not choosing a ring, Carter. We’re not booking a honeymoon. It’s just one day at a time.”

A soft smile curved his lips and I couldn’t help but lean forward and kiss them; they were so soft, so perfect.

“See, I didn’t think you could get more beautiful, but your heart is what stuns me,” he whispered against my mouth. “If we’re only living one day at a time, I suppose I should take what I can get while it’s today.”

I didn’t understand what he meant until he rolled me onto my back and demanded another two orgasms from me. Not that I was complaining, of course.

W
E WERE LUCKY
that the hotel had a restaurant that catered to the public along with its guests. Carter, after borrowing some of David’s clothes, sneaked out of the hotel main entrance and re-entered through the restaurant doors, joining all of us at a long table towards the back of the room.

The menu boasted an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet, but why is it that when you’re eating with someone you like, you don’t want them to think you’re greedy, especially when you’re already carrying a couple of extra pounds?

I picked at my croissant as I enviously eyed up Carter’s pile of bacon and eggs from where I sat opposite him.

“Is that all you’re having?” he asked, pointing at my plate with his knife as he scowled at me.

I shrugged, popping another piece of the delicious pastry in my mouth. It was actually quite good and I was debating snatching up another. “I’m not particularly hungry.”

Beth, who had pushed Bray out of the way so she could sit next to Carter, smirked. “I bet you have to be careful, don’t you, Alice?”

Everyone turned to her in confusion.

“Well, it looks like you’re one of those women who have to watch what they eat. And it all hangs around your thighs.”

I wanted to kick her shin under the table when a fierce blush radiated my face.

David glared at her and Janie paused, staring wide-eyed in a stunned silence with her fork midway to her mouth. Bray just lifted his eyebrows from where he hid behind his large mug of tea.

I didn’t know where to look. I had always been conscious of my thick thighs, and now, because Beth had commented about them, it confirmed what I’d always thought.

Carter turned to stare at her like she had a lesion right in the middle of her forehead – I wished. The usual irritated look passed across his face before he turned back to me. A wicked grin lifted his lips and I couldn’t help but lick my lips at the look of indulgence on his face. “Oh, I dunno,” he said loudly. “Alice’s thighs seemed fine to me when my face was buried deep between them this morning.”

More heat poured over my cheeks but this time a grin supplemented it.

“Way hay!” Bray leaned across the table and high-fived Carter. Janie beamed at me and I forced another piece of croissant into my mouth, trying to look blasé about the whole thing. I wanted to lean forward and smack a huge kiss on his mouth, but I just smiled and stared down at my plate.

However, unfazed, Beth continued with her cruel attack. “Yeah, I guess the size of your thighs is not something you’d worry about. I bet your stomach must have taken a bit of abuse.” A smug smile was perched on her face and she placed her chin on her fist as she stared at me.

I frowned, unsure of what she was talking about.

“I mean,” she continued, “every woman who has children suffers with those awful stretch marks, don’t they? I bet they’re scattered all over. Nature is cruel, I’m afraid. But then again, I suppose having a child outweighs the horrible and ugly side-effects of pregnancy, huh, Alice?”

Scrap the kick in the shin, I wanted to stab my fork through her bloody eyeball and see if I could force it out of the back of her head.