13. Carter

Chapter 1 3

Carter

“ M en like you are typically one of two things.” The words come out of her mouth in a slightly lower tone than usual. I mentally register confusion and a flicker of intrigue at the fact I know what her usual tone is—I’ll analyse that later. Right now, I’d love to analyse the way her cheeks are reddening as she looks over at me. She really does have beautiful eyes; perhaps I should tell her to test her reaction? Not realising, or not caring, that I’m in my head right now, Lara continues.

“One.” She raises her hand with her palm facing toward me as she unfolds her index finger to count. “You talk from experience. Cocky, but self-aware enough to know your words aren’t unfounded.”

As casually as I can manage, I make my way back over to the counter. There’s a twitch in my trousers as I walk, and I pray Lara can’t see the strain I feel. Diverting her attention in case seems like an excellent thing to do.

I cock my head to the side, a smirk forming on my face. Her eyes zone in on my lips, so I decide to show her just how cocky I can be. Parting my lips, I lazily glide my tongue along my bottom lip. Pushing my luck, I rake my eyes over her face before they lock on her mouth. Fuck, she is delicious. ?

The faintest of pink tinges graces her cheeks. My smirk morphs into a shit-eating grin as she realises she’s still staring at my lips. Her eyes shoot up to mine, instantly narrowing.

“Please continue, love. I’m very interested in option number two.” I lean forward, resting my forearms on the counter. She jerks backwards, attempting to twist her facial features into a look of disgust. She fails miserably, and my grin only grows.

“Or two, you’re all talk and absolutely no follow through. You’re intolerable of smut because it’s where you get your inspiration, and you’re ashamed and intimidated by the fact men written by women are better than the real men on this planet.” Her middle finger raises to join her index as the words tumble out with venom behind them.

Oh, this just got interesting.

I raise an eyebrow in a silent challenge. She has the audacity to stare blankly at me as if she didn’t insult the shit out of me. I don’t think before I stalk around the counter towards her. I stop mere centimetres from her, our bodies painfully close to touching.

“Do you trust me?”

Her confusion is apparent as she searches my face for meaning, but I wait.

“I hardly know you.”

Something stirs within me as she crosses her arms over her chest and narrows her eyes, the trademarks of a woman who’s been taught to stand up for herself. Recently I’ve noticed that the more I see of Lara, the more irresistible she becomes. But right now, the goal isn’t defiance; it’s surrender.

“That’s not what I asked. Do you trust me?”

A startled look flashes across her face. She shifts her weight from one foot to the other, arms still firmly crossed. “I don’t know why, but yes.”

Anyone would think she’d accepted my marriage proposal with the sheer elation coursing through me like a white water rapid. Now isn’t the time to think too deeply about that, though.

“Then take my hand.”

It hangs in the space between us in invitation, my palm up with fingers slightly curled. Lara placing her hand in mine is the last thing I see before turning around, my eyes locking on the archway leading to the back of the store. Acting purely on emotion, I march us directly into the storeroom, my grip on her soft skin unwavering.?The weight of her touch, along with the anticipation of what’s to come, is almost too much to bear.

“What on earth do you think you’re doing?” Lara asks, anger and confusion apparent in her voice. I seem to have committed her voice to memory over the past three months, and it’s for this reason alone I’m confident there’s a hint of excitement in there.

I don't say a word as I guide her to the desk in the far corner, stopping in front of it. Twisting towards her, I drop her wrist and look her in the eyes. Those blue eyes of hers are dilated, and the blood in my veins redirects to my dick. Apparently, my vital organs don’t mean shit when my cock demands attention.

“Sit.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me, Lara.” Taking one step closer, I close the gap between us. “I said, sit .” The last word comes out more demanding than its predecessors. Wide eyes blink back at me before Lara gives in and sits.

Well fuck, that was easy. And hot. Why was that so hot?

Truthfully, I was half expecting her to slap me. I kind of still am. She doesn’t strike me as someone who’d reject direction, but I also didn’t expect her to be so complicit. Cheers ring out inside my head as I think of all the ways I can take advantage of that.?

Lara’s eyes widen still as I adjust my trousers around my knees and kneel in front of her.?

“Have you completely lost your mind? What are you doing?”

“There are no security cameras.”

“What? Yes there are? Why are you talking about security cameras?”

“There are no cameras, trust me.”

I can almost see the wheels spinning in that pretty head of hers. I grasp the hem of her skirt in my hands and roughly push it up her thighs.?

“Last chance; want to take it back?” Holding her gaze, I watch as her lips part ever so slightly. Her neck catches my eye as she swallows, hands coming to rest beside mine, which are still holding her thighs.

“What are you talking about?” Her voice is anything but uncertain despite the question she asks.

“Unless you take back what you said, I’m going to prove how wrong you are. My skills are the blueprint for fictional men.”?

As if without thinking, she lets out a scoff. Immediately realising what she’s done, Lara’s eyes go wide, and a hand slaps over her mouth. All I can do is grin up at her.?

“I guess I’ve got my answer.”

I don’t wait for her to respond. My hands are on her in an instant, gripping her by the hips and pulling her to the edge of the chair. The sexy little gasp she lets out tells me she didn’t mind the strength behind that pull one bit.

I gaze up at her from my position between her knees. My heartbeat slows momentarily as I take her in. Lara’s gaze is filled with desire as her dilated eyes meet my own.?

She’d never admit it out loud, but I’ve caught her looking at me with the same expression on more than one occasion. It’s always when she thinks I’m not paying attention, but the joke is on her: I’m never not paying attention to her.?

Refusing to break eye contact with the angel in front of me, I slide my hands up her thighs, stopping an inch below their apex.?

“Tell me to stop, love.” My self-control is wavering—and fast.

The light blue hue of her eyes darkens as she gazes down at me. That plump bottom lip of hers is pulled into her mouth, teeth raking over it as she gives the slightest shake of her head. If I blinked, I would’ve missed it.?

With that, my self-control snaps. Fuck, she’s going to undo me.

Left hand firmly planted on her hip, the fingers of my right hand gently trace down Lara’s centre. I can feel the warmth emanating beneath her underwear, and my cock twitches in my trousers. Lara draws in an audible breath as I pull her underwear to the side with one swift tug. Fucking hell, she’s so wet already.?

Lara may act unaffected by me, but she can’t deny this. The fact she’s almost dripping with need, yet I’ve barely touched her, is concrete proof she’s not as disinterested as she pretends to be. I fucking knew this wasn’t one-sided. Now I need her to admit it. Perhaps a little old-fashioned edging will do the trick? Oh, who am I kidding? Once I taste this pussy, I won’t be able to stop myself from devouring her.

Practically salivating at the sight of her bared in front of me, I bring my face within inches of her, breathing in deeply. Lara lets out a groan, her hips tilting closer to my face.

“Your eagerness is working wonders for my god complex.”

“I wouldn’t be getting too cocky if I were you, Darcy.” Somehow, she manages to smirk down at me whilst batting her eyelashes. Little vixen. “In my head, you’re not you. You’re a combination of all my favourite book boyfriends.”

Oh no she didn’t.

“Is it customary down under to insult men knelt between your legs, or is that a Lara specialty?”

“Do you really want to go there right now? I mean I’m happy to discuss the men who’ve been in your position, but?—"

“That’s quite enough, you’ve made your point.” My words come out lower and huskier than expected. “But once I’ve had my way with you, you won’t even remember those arsehole’s names—fictional or otherwise.”

Lara lets out a nervous laugh. The sound is far too sweet and innocent for someone who’s about to be wrecked in the least innocent of ways.

This banter-style foreplay is certainly a first for me. I’ve never had a woman challenge me the way Lara does. It’s sexy as hell, but I think that’s due to who she is and the effect she has on me as much as it is the actual interactions themselves.

Not wasting any more time, I slide my tongue out between my teeth and toward its goal. The moment the tip makes contact with Lara’s clit, she whimpers. Fuck. I didn’t think it was physically possible for my dick to strain any harder against my trousers. With featherlight touches, the tip of my tongue grazes her clit teasingly.

Lara lets out another whimper, and fuck if it isn’t the sexiest noise I’ve heard. Keeping my tongue on her clit, I look up at her. She stares down at me with glazed eyes, the tension in her muscles visible as I peer up the length of her body.

“Could your fictional men do this?” I tease, flashing her a wicked grin. “I can’t wait to feel you squirm beneath me.” I don’t hesitate, just devour.

I lap and suck at her pussy, as though it were my last meal. She tastes incredible. I’ve always enjoyed eating women out, but this is something else entirely. One taste of Lara is all it takes to ruin me; bring me to my knees, both physically and metaphorically.?

Staring into her eyes, not breaking eye contact for even a moment, makes this feel even more intimate. My hand smooths down to meet my mouth at the apex of her thighs. Holding her gaze, my heart pounds beneath my chest as I plunge one finger into her core, not once allowing my tongue to leave her skin.

Her arousal coats my finger within seconds, her eyelids fluttering closed for a moment before boring into mine once more. There’s a sharp hitch in her breathing, drawing in a ragged breath. Both her hands shoot out to the chair arms, gripping them for dear life as I flick my tongue over her clit. Her thighs contract against my shoulders, squeezing, but no amount of pressure will stop me. My gaze lowers to her throat as her pulse quickens, causing her artery to thump forcefully against the soft skin of her neck.

I can tell she wants more . She needs more . I plan to give her everything she desires. Sliding a second finger in, Lara lets out something resembling a sigh mingled with a groan.?

“Look at you,” I muse between strokes, the words sounding muffled against her skin. Lara stares down at me with an unreadable expression. Well, that won’t do. I want nothing less than absolute satisfaction on her face, an undeniable look of pure bliss. “I think we can do better though, don’t you?”

Upping the ante, I work my fingers faster. Lara’s breathing begins to shallow with each pump of my fingers, but I’m not letting up. She has no idea what she’s gotten herself into by saying yes to me; I won’t stop until I’ve completely undone her.

Lara’s walls squeeze around my fingers as she begins to squirm. My fingers draw out, and I sweep my tongue over Lara’s pussy, taunting her with the gentlest pressure. Her hips buck slightly, bringing her even closer to my mouth. God, this is hot. Hotter than anything I’ve done before, and I had some wild nights during my university years.

Before I can get in my head about what Lara’s thinking right now, she lets out the sexiest little whimper as her eyes roll back and close.

“Enjoying yourself?” I ask, mouth remaining on her.

“No.” Her head is tipped back, eyes still closed, but there’s the faintest smirk tugging at the edges of her lips. “I still despise you.”

“I’m sure you do.” My lips pull into a devilish grin against her clit as I decide to really push her to the edge. Pulling my lips in over my teeth so as not to hurt her, I close my mouth around her clit and bite down.?

Her hands are in my hair in an instant, and she tugs on the dark strands, kneading her fingers into my scalp. My goodness , it feels incredible. It’s taking a ridiculous amount of self-restraint not to grab her by the wrists, pull her up onto the desk, and fuck her senseless.

Patience, Carter. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Lara’s grip tightens, and I mentally prepare to be pulled in deeper. Instead, I’m tugged backwards, away from the delectable meal I was thoroughly enjoying. Groaning, I reluctantly look up at Lara, making sure to keep my fingers firmly inside her, for good measure, of course. Lara raises a brow at me as her lips break into a soft smile.?

“Okay Darcy, you’ve proved your point,” she relents with rasp, both hands still entwined in my hair. “I take back what I said, so you can stop now.”

“Is that what you want?”

I need to know if she means what she’s saying. As much as it would kill me to stop right now, I respect her too much to ever go against her wishes.

“What do you mean?”?

“Do you want me to stop? Because I will, if that’s truly what you want.” I’m silently praying to any gods who may be out there that her answer is no. “But if you say no, I won’t relent until you’re spent beneath me in this chair.”

A nervous little laugh comes from Lara, and my heart sinks a millimetre in my chest.?

“That’s unlikely.”

Is she insulting me? Questioning my skills? Actually, she’s not even questioning them. She’s outright suggesting they aren’t adequate.?I reluctantly slide my fingers out. The last thing I want is to make her feel uncomfortable.

“Lara, I’d hate to sound like a dick, but the way your body was responding to my touch begs to differ.”

She has the audacity to look momentarily taken aback, as if this is the first she’s heard of it. As if she wasn’t the one moaning and whimpering not one minute ago.

“I’m not disagreeing with that,” she mumbles softly, her cheeks growing pinker as she looks down at her lap. “I don’t have a great track record when it comes to men getting me off. Truthfully, I should say it’s the men who don’t have a great track record.” With a gleam in her eye, she shrugs. “I’ve never had a problem getting myself off.”

Well, shit, I did not think this was where the conversation was heading. I must admit, quite frankly, I’m astounded by this revelation. What sort of useless men are they raising in Australia??

“Hold on,” I say, trying to put my reeling thoughts into words. “Are you meaning to tell me no man has feasted on you to the point of orgasm?”

Lara gives me a coy look. “Well, one or two may have.” My eyes are drawn to her lap, where her fingers are fiddling with each other. Is she nervous? Or have I made her uncomfortable?

“But the odds aren’t in your favour,” Lara continues. Her eyes search mine briefly, and I wonder what it is she’s looking for.

“I’m not usually one to bet, but I’d put my money on me.” I give her my cockiest smile from my position between her legs. “I accept.”

A laugh slips from Lara’s lips before she quickly covers her mouth as if she can’t believe she laughed. “I’m sorry, you accept what?” she responds, dropping her hand to her lap.

“I accept your challenge.”?

This time, the laugh is carefree. “That wasn’t a challenge, Mr Darcy.” Big blue eyes narrow in my direction. As much as it boosts my ego to know she’s thought of me enough to give me a nickname, it might be nice to hear my name on her lips at a time like this. But if I want this to happen again—which I absolutely do—it’s not worth the risk of her knowing my identity. Because if she knows that, it’s only a matter of time before she knows how the media has portrayed me.

“No? That’s too bad, I’ve already accepted. One does not simply back down from an accepted challenge.”

“You’re insane.” The smile she’s struggling to hold back, combined with the heat in her eyes, tells a different story. Now that I can work with.

Her legs have slowly come together, which simply won’t do. Placing a hand on the inside of each knee, I yank them apart. A startled Lara lets out a small gasp as she looks down at me once more.?

My hands trail up the inside of her thighs. “I vow to be the one to ruin those odds, Lara.” Her name comes out in an unfamiliar gravel.?

My hands reach their target, and I lean forward once more, refusing to break eye contact with the angel above me.

As my tongue makes contact with her clit, the unimaginable happens.

The fucking doorbell chimes.

Lara jumps in the chair, her hands twisting in my hair, attempting to push me away. The entire scenario makes me chuckle, even with the erection I’m sporting.?

Aware we’re no longer alone in the store, I rise from my position on the floor. But not before giving Lara one last languid lick, then adjusting the placement of her underwear. Lara stands, and I make sure to pull her skirt into place.

Before she can run, I place a hand on her forearm. She turns to face me, and I lean in. My lips graze the shell of her ear as I speak.

“If you think we’re finished, Lara, you’ll soon find yourself to be very mistaken.” The words are more of a murmur than anything, but the answering goosebumps gracing her skin tell me she heard every word.

In no rush, I allow my gaze to trace each curve of Lara’s rear form as she retreats to the shop floor, taking in each detail like it’s the last time I’ll have the privilege. Given the way in which the last ten minutes went, I think there’s a good chance it certainly will not be the last time.?

Dropping into the seat Lara vacated, I let out a deep breath. There’s a dangerous play-by-play occurring at the front of my mind—the way it felt to have Lara gripping my hair and tugging. The way she writhed beneath my touch, her reactiveness lighting up something inside me. The way my cock ached to connect with some part of her each time she elicited one of those little whimpers.?

As the front of my trousers threatens to become concerningly tight, my daydreaming is cut short. The overhead bell sounds, echoing throughout the shop—the telltale sign that we’re alone once more.

I can’t be certain how long I’ve sat here; it could’ve been two minutes or twenty. Time always seems to warp where Lara is involved, regardless of whether she’s physically here or if I’m merely thinking of her. The latter has become increasingly more frequent, which both concerns and excites me.

Time to face the music.