24. Twenty-Four

Twenty-Four

Anna

When we finally left the Main Event, it was late. Connor held the prizes from his tickets against his chest as if they were treasures. His tired but content grin made the night of fun a worthy celebration.

The heat smoldering in Carson's eyes made the rest of the evening feel like foreplay. The lights blinked on when he caught me, and the laser game abruptly ended. Ever since that moment, there's been a promise of retribution in his eyes that had me catching my breath in anticipation.

Carson is tucking Connor in. Our son was sound asleep when I left him. I shiver racks my body as I get ready for bed. Remembering the hot look in Carson's eyes, I dressed for bed in a daring black lace teddy. When I hear him enter the bedroom, I step boldly out of the bathroom.

His eyes flare when he sees what I'm wearing. His gaze feels scorching as it rakes over my form. He quickly divests himself of his clothes and then turns toward me, his eager cock already at full staff as it stands proud against his stomach.

Carson's eyes narrow as he demands in a gruff voice, "Come closer, Anna." Another shiver courses through me as I slowly approach him. His eyes gleam with appreciation and lust as he studies my breasts through the provocative black lace. It hides nothing from his view. I feel my nipples pebble just from his gaze. I swallow thickly.

"You're a wicked temptress, Anna." His words are hot against my cheek as he leans in closer. I left my hair down, and it now falls in waves around my shoulders.

One eyebrow arches as I sink to my knees in front of him. I reach out and boldly wrap my hand around his engorged cock. I fist him and slowly stroke from root to tip. I hear him take in a ragged breath of air as I lean forward and softly blow across the tip. There's a drop of precum, and I daintily give it a lick. I feel his hands as they roughly settle into my hair as he pulls me roughly forward. I open my lips to take his hardness into my mouth. His hips surge into me as he purposefully strokes in and out.

I continue to work him with my mouth and my hands as I lightly caress his balls. I can tell he's close to losing control as he continues to pump between my lips. "I love to watch your lips as you take my cock into your mouth," he says in a guttural tone. His hands in my hair tighten as his strokes become more aggressive.

Just as I deep-throat him, ready to take all he has to offer, he pulls my hair roughly, stopping me. "Wait," he commands in a hoarse mutter. "I want to come inside you." I blink up at him from the sudden interruption.

"Get on the bed," following his demand, I turn around. At his harsh intake of breath, I smile, knowing he's just noticed that my panties are a thong.

I crawl onto the mattress on all fours. He crawls onto the bed and positions himself behind me. I feel his blunt fingers as he slowly pushes aside the thong; his fingers continue to glide into my folds, probing my slick wetness. "You're wet for me," he says hoarsely.

Then I feel his hard grip on each hip right before he surges into me. His thrust is so powerful I fall face forward into the sheet. I quickly brace myself with my arms as there's no stopping him. Like a freight train, he plows into me again and again. I rise up to meet his thrusts; the sex is wild and rough, and it's such a turn-on.

I feel the tingle of my orgasm as it builds inside me. He must feel it, too, as he backs off on his thrusts. Slowing his pace while I pant in frustration. I was so close.

My legs quiver from my exertion in this position. He reaches for a pillow and shoves it under my belly. Then he begins to thrust again. If possible, he feels even harder, longer as he slams into me. My stomach muscles clench hard from the rough claiming of my body. He grunts as he continues to pound into me. I'm again close, and he again deliberately slows.

I whimper helplessly as my orgasm fades. "Carson, please," I practically beg him to let me climax. "I thought you liked playing games, Anna." He taunts me through gritted teeth. "Yes, but I'm… I'm so close. Carson, please!"

He leans forward over me as he whispers in my ear, "Who's in control here, Anna?"

I remain silent, not wanting to answer him. I push back against him, urging him on. He ignores my movements. "Anna, who controls your body?" He demands again.

When I don't answer him, he grinds out, "Who controls you? Say it," he orders me roughly.

I open my mouth, helpless against his demands, "You do." I finally admit in surrender, desperate for him to continue.

At my agreement, he forcefully thrust into me, and my climax again starts to build.

"Now, Anna. Come now." He commands me hoarsely through gritted teeth. His palm stings as it makes contact in a hard smack against my ass cheek. At the slap, my entire body clenches uncontrollably as I'm finally allowed to climax, and I shout out his name as I come hard.

I feel his body climax with me, and he emits a low groan. Then, the weight of his heavy body leans against me, and my arms collapse. We both fall against the bed. Spent. He rolls to his side, taking me with him. All my energy is gone. I feel his arms pull me until he's curled around my back. Exhausted, I close my eyes and let sleep take me.

When I wake in the morning, I'm alone in the bed. I reach over, and the other side of the bed is cool. Carson's been up for a while. There's a beam of sunlight showing between the blinds. I've overslept.

I give a lazy stretch. I glance down, and I'm still wearing my lingerie from the night before. Seeing the black lace against my skin, I feel a surge of womanly satisfaction. A secret smile plays on my lips, and I remember Carson's reaction when he saw me wearing it.

I crawl out of bed and then listen at the door. I smile when I hear Connor's boisterous laughter. And in the background, there is the sound of funny cartoon characters. I smile as I remember it's Saturday morning. Knowing I have no reason to hurry. I head for the shower.

When I finally leave the bedroom, I'm fully dressed in crisp white shorts and a black-and-white striped shirt that shows off my figure. I brush my hair until it gleamed with a healthy shine. It now cascades loosely around my shoulders. Not knowing of any plans for today, I put on a light coat of mascara to accentuate my eyes but otherwise left my face clean of makeup.

I enter the living room and see Connor sprawled in front of the television, his now empty bowl of cereal in front of him. I lean down and pick up the bowl. "Morning, kiddo," I say as I pat him on the head. "Where's your dad?"

Without his eyes leaving the screen, he answers, "He went to get his laptop out of the car."

"Has he eaten breakfast?" I ask Connor, "Yeah," he answers between his giggles at the characters dancing across the screen.

I place his bowl and spoon in the sink alongside Carson's empty bowl. I fix a bagel for myself and grab the cream cheese from the fridge. I put on a kettle to have a hot cup of tea. I'm sitting at the kitchen counter, just about to bite into my bagel, when I heard the front door open. I glance over my shoulder. Carson enters with a briefcase in his hand.

His eyebrow raises as he surveys me, sitting there at the counter. The glimmer in his eyes has a wave of warmth flooding my cheeks. He places his laptop on the table and comes up behind me. He leans down and whispers for my ears only, "I seem to remember you glancing back at me like that last night, too." Then he slides my hair behind my shoulder and brushes his lips across my cheek.

As he stands, he spies my bagel. "I see you like a little bagel with your cream cheese," he says in a teasing tone, his amused smile tugging at his lips.

I look down and then give him an answering grin. "Yes, I do." I then take a bite, relishing the taste of the warm toasted bagel smothered under a thick layer of cream cheese. With a slow sweep of my tongue, I catch any leftover bits of cream cheese. A satisfied sigh escapes my lips. I continue until every crumb has disappeared from the plate.

Carson powers up his laptop and sits down in front of it. When the kettle goes off he looks up with a curious look. "I made tea. Would you like a cup?" I ask as I stand and walk toward the kettle.

He frowns as he shakes his head. "No, but I wouldn't mind another cup of coffee."

I pour the steaming water over my tea bag and let it steep. Then I grab the coffee pot and fill his empty cup. As I place it in front of him, his arm goes around my hips, and he gives me a brief side hug.

I get my hot tea, add some honey, and bring the fragrant brew with me as I sit down across the table from him. While I sip my tea, my eyes study Carson as he pulls something up on his computer. His chiseled jaw has a shadow because he hasn't shaved. His dark hair hangs over his forehead, and I want to brush it back with my fingers. But I don't disturb him. I'm content with just looking for now. I sigh; I could easily look at him all day.

The silence stretches comfortably between us. Cartoons play in the background while sunlight filters into the dining room through the wide picture window.

Feeling my silent scrutiny, his eyes dart to mine. "I talked to Kat about the best way to introduce Connor as my son. She suggested he attend some of my more public community appearances."

I nod with a soft smile, "Good." I finish my sip of tea, "He may need a suit or at least a few more dress pants and shirts."

Carson smiles, "Yeah, most of these are pretty informal. There's a ground-breaking ceremony next week and other things like that. But there's a formal event at the end of the month. He'll need a suit or tux, and you'll need a formal gown."

"Okay," I murmur, mentally going over my wardrobe. Carson then throws out, "My mother and the girls know a place. I doubt if they would have a tux for Connor, though."

"That's fine. Let me know where you got your tux, and I'll take him shopping."

Carson continues, "I'm sending you a copy of my schedule. My admin has the events with Connor clearly marked."

I grin as I suggest, "You'll need to instruct him on how to behave—and, more importantly—what not to do in front of the cameras." I offer with a twinkle in my eye.

"Understood. My father was at a similar event at a construction site when I was young," Carson chuckles as he tells the story. "The photographer was delayed. By the time he arrived, I was covered in dirt from head to toe."

"Like father like son," I murmur as I shake my head fondly. Carson nods, "I'll be sure to explain that if he's bored, he needs to let me know. I'll gladly pay someone to keep him looking presentable."

I frown, slightly confused, "Pay someone? I promise to keep him out of trouble."

Carson glances at me, an unreadable look in his eyes. "Anna, I thought it would be best if you… avoided being in the public eye, for now." He gives a casual shrug. "Until this whole thing blows over. Kat said the gossip rags could get ahold of the story and blow it out of proportion."

A hesitant nod is about all I can manage to his casually spoken words. Each one feels like a slap in the face. No, worse, like a dismissal, a rejection of our relationship. I try to shove down my initial reaction, but my chest aches, a dull pain that spreads through my limbs. What does this mean for us? Does he not view us as a couple? Confusion and hurt swirls in my mind, a tangled mess of mixed emotions.