Chapter 10

TEN

CARRIE

C licks of the doorknob trying to turn and open sends my heart cracking and tumbling into a chasm of fear, my legs wobble to the coffee table where my phone lies. Clacks of a key fitting into the hole makes me swivel knowing only Cal and I have keys. He's back. My heart thrums with excitement at what he'll have to say. He must have finally decided to give in.

The door opens and I'm stunned it's a woman, one I don't know or I think I don't. She looks familiar. She closes the door behind her and turns to find me staring at her. The chasm opens wider and a dark, pitch-black sinkhole of anger and despair threatens to gather me into its arms.

"Who are you?" She asks, her tone demanding and supercilious, her glare ready to strike me down. Her voice makes the despair disappear and the anger turn red-hot.

I might be shy around men but I'm not at women looking down on me like she is now. Of course, she's beautiful and model like, dressed as if she's going on a date. That has me remembering I'm still in my pajamas having just gotten up only a few minutes ago.

My phone is in my hand, "that's what I want to know. Who are you ?"

The other woman smirks, smoothing her short sun dress, "I'm Cal's girlfriend."

"Ha. Now I know you're lying. He doesn't have a girlfriend. I'm calling the cops." I hold up my phone for her to see and swipe it awake.

She sticks one hip out, slapping her hand on it. "Go ahead. You'll just embarrass yourself when he gets mad about that. So, tell me who you are."

I thrust my head back glaring icicles at her. "I live here."

Her eyes widen and then narrow, hot barbs shooting at me. "You are a liar."

I smile, hoping to antagonize her into doing something drastic. Anything. "If I didn't why else would I be here in my pajamas?"

She visibly grinds her teeth, giving me the same shark-like, teeth-filled grin. "I have a key."

This is such a stupid game she's playing. "I'll just call Cal then. Hum?"

"No. No. You don't have to." She starts backtracking. Interesting. Or maybe not. This game is boring.

The door opens, Cal walking in and I'm so glad.

The stranger gushes, "Cal darling."

I roll my eyes at her false exuberance. He does a double take when he sees her standing on the other side of the door. "Casey, what are you doing here?"

Seeing him again, here now, makes the sinkhole in my chest explode in a magma of red-hot, burning lust, rising higher, higher, erupting. I can feel my chest blaze for him, a covetous part of me wants to fight her for him. I know he's not interested by the way his face is scrunched in disgust she's here.

"You don't belong in my home."

"She has a key, Cal." I smirk at the anger and dismay on her face.

His eyebrows and face furrows, "how did you get a key?" He grabs her arm into his hand giving it a shake for her to hurry and tell him.

Her voice shakes, she still tries to show defiance, "I found your extra and made a copy. I knew someday you'd have me over so I just made sure."

"Why would you assume I'd have you in my home? We're nothing. I could never want you." His voice is as harsh as his words and face.

Her face drops and I almost feel sorry for her except she's such a prissy douche. I saw her at the game that one time and don't remember what her name is and don't care, hope I never have to see her again.

"Cal, you don't want to upset my brother." She cries, using whoever her brother is.

Cal shakes his head at her, turning half away and waving one hand in front of him. "Casey, you just won't give up. I'm. Not. Interested. Why can't you understand that. I've only asked you out because you're easy. Yes, we've had sex but it never meant anything, just got us both off and I left right away." He shoves a glare at her as if a punch, "I still don't understand how you got my spare key. Give me your copy now. I never want to see you again."

Her jaw drops shock trembling her voice, her eyes plead with him, "b-bu-but my brother."

"Casey, I don't care who your brother is." Cal lowers his head shaking it, raising it again to look at her, a sorrowful expression on his face. "Look, I never wanted to tell you this. I never want to hurt you but Geoff asked me to take you out and keep you out of trouble. You use his name so much it's hurting his career. Since I'm single and didn't want to get involved with anyone I agreed. It seemed like a good deal at the time. We have some fun, have some sex and that's it. You've taken it too far though. I'm sorry."

She gasps and now I do feel sorry for her, her bottom jaw drops even further, moving up and down but no words come out. She throws the key in her hand almost hitting me in the face, which I dodge, turns and stomps out the door, the silence between us uncomfortable.

Cal walks to the door closing it, the click almost ominous, my chest rises and falls rapidly as the silence deepens. I'm not scared of him, just uncomfortable not knowing what's going on. Why is he here? Did he change his mind?

He swivels back to me staring. I wait for him to do or say anything, instead he just stares. I become uncomfortable, "what?"

He stares, his eyes unfocused as if all his attention is inward. "Cal." I rest my hand on his arm and he jumps, startles as if he forgot I was there. He blinks, snapping out of wherever he went, his brown eyes on mine, strolling up and down my body, desire darkening the more he stares at me, reminding me I'm in skimpy pajamas. His gaze centers on my breasts, I know he's staring at my tight nipples, his ogle only makes them tighter and painful.

"Really? Who was she?" I put my hands on my hips and put emphasis on she.

Cal licks his lips taking a step closer. "You didn't listen?"

I watched every move his tongue makes around his mouth, my pulse skipping a beat. "I…I you mentioned a man named Geoff."

He takes another step closer, his lips lift at the corners, "you don't know who Geoff Mastersen is? He's a famous actor. That was his sister."

"I gathered she was his sister. I remember her from when I first got back. I forgot what her name was."

Cal rolls back on his heels, "why are we discussing her?"

I really can't answer that, there's no reason anymore. "So, what do we do now?"

He leans forward on his feet and takes another step closer. And another. And another.

"What do we do now? I think you know."

One more step and we're chest to chest, my nipples rub against my shirt and his, the friction of the cloth makes them hard as diamonds and painful.

"What do we do now?" He whispers in my ear, his breath brushes over my skin and hair. I gulp in a gasp of air, his air of sexual magnetism wafts off him, a pull I can't resist. Tingles rush over my skin, an electric surge of passion charging a frenzy of igniting excitement making my heart and pulse burn with an ecstasy, longing to throw myself at him.

"Fuck me."

CAL

I grin ready to take her like I've always dreamed of. In my most depraved and perverted fantasies. "Good girl." I growl, ready to start my dark fantasies with her, a dark thrill coursing through my body. "Come."

Grabbing her hand I rush her to my bedroom finding it a mess. I never leave my bed rumpled and tossed about. I glare at her and she hangs her head, "I've been sleeping here since you left. This is where I've been most comfortable." She shoves her big, blue-eyed gaze at me and I can't resist her.

"Take your clothes off."

She hesitates for two seconds, slipping her tank top over her head and sliding her elastic-waisted shorts down her legs. Now she's naked, not wearing anything underneath them.

"Bad girl. You weren't wearing any undergarments. You need a punishment for going to the door dressed like this. You don't know who could have been there." I can't believe that she was almost naked when she came to the door.

"It's not my fault. She had a key. I didn't open the door." Desperation fills her voice with a spirited crack, her face a vision of open-mouthed and wide-eyed fear. This is what I like, what I hid from her mother the years we were married. I've tried to hide my deepest, darkest secrets. Even from myself and I did it but I can't anymore. I'm afraid Carrie will fear me more than she is now, that will gut me. The talk I had with Maria last night helped me think about what I've hidden from everyone my whole life. I didn't give her the dirty details but I think she knew something was different about me and urged me to follow them.

I'm afraid this night will end with her being terrorized by my dark appetites and the cravings getting stronger and stronger with time.