Hope Burns
Page 45
Maybe that’s why she was getting along so well with Carter. She could put him in this temporary slot where she didn’t have to think about living in this town, seeing him every day, having a real relationship with him.
They could just have fun, and this was all pretend. She could live with that, knowing that at some point it was all going to go away, because she was going to go away.
“I guess I should head on out of here and let you get some sleep.”
She looked up from the documents she was stuffing back into the envelopes, then picked up her phone. “It’s only ten o’clock, Carter.”
“Oh.”
She cocked a brow. “I had no idea you were the type to go to bed early on a school night.”
He laughed. “I think you of all people know me better than that.”
She closed the envelope and slid it across the table, then rolled the blueprints and slid the rubber band around them. “However, I understand you have to get to work early in the morning, so you’re right. You probably need your beauty rest.”
He pinned her with a look. “Now you’re baiting me.”
“Maybe.”
“Do you want to go out somewhere?”
She shook her head. “Not really.”
She moved around the table and stopped in front of him, palming his chest. “I thought we’d hang out here for a bit.”
“I can do that. Do you want to watch a movie?”
She had zero interest in watching a movie, but if it got him to hang out with her awhile longer, she was game. “Sure.”
They went into the living room and grabbed a seat on the sofa. She turned on the TV, surfing a bit.
“That one.”
She turned to face him. “Still into horror movies, I see.”
“Well, it is Halloween season. You have to get in the spirit.”
She rolled her eyes, but clicked on the movie. At least it was a classic and one she’d seen before, so none of the upcoming carnage would come as a surprise to her.
“Popcorn?” she asked.
He smiled at her. “Sure. Want me to help you?”
“No. It’s microwave popcorn, so it’ll only take a minute. I’ll bring drinks for us, too.”
She hopped up and went into the kitchen, put the popcorn in the microwave, then poured sodas. She brought the sodas in and went back for the popcorn, retaking her seat next to him.
“You missed two murders while you were gone,” he said.
She laughed and grabbed a handful of popcorn. “Imagine that. Good thing I’ve seen this movie before.”
“So, you’re a fan of horror movies, too.”
“I didn’t say that. I said I’ve seen this one before. More than once.”
“Which makes you a fan.” He tossed a kernel of popcorn at her.
She picked it up and stuffed it down his shirt.
He grabbed her wrists and gave her a warning glare, laced with amusement. “You don’t want to start a fight you can’t win.”
Now that was a challenge she couldn’t back down from. “Good point.”
After he released her hands, she took a handful of popcorn, seemingly ready to put it in her mouth. When Carter turned his attention back to the movie, she stuffed the popcorn down the back of his shirt.
He jerked and grabbed the bowl, thrusting his hand in and grasping a bunch of popcorn, then shoving it under her shirt. She squealed, then immediately silenced herself, though by now she was laughing and there was popcorn all over the floor. It was a good thing Pokey, her parents’ dog, slept in her mom’s room, because he’d be having a feast otherwise.
Carter reached under her shirt and pushed the popcorn higher, making her laugh even more.
“Shh,” he said. “You’re going to wake your parents.”
She tried to stifle her laugh, but she couldn’t stop herself. “Then stop shoving popcorn down my bra.”
“Okay.” Instead, his hand moved, ever higher, cupping her breast over her bra. “Is this better?”
She stilled, her body warming to his touch. “Much.”
He pushed her up the sofa so her head rested on the cushioned arm, then covered her body with his. His lips met hers and popcorn wars were forgotten as she wrapped her arms around him and met his kiss with equal fervor.
The last time it was slow and easy, but now, she forgot everything, even the popcorn, as he crushed her lips and took her mouth with a passion that was overwhelming, heating her body to intense levels. She arched against him, feeling desire and Carter’s erection pressing against her, heightening her own need.
She wanted him. Right here, right now, and nothing was going to get in her way. She tangled her fingers in his hair, rewarded with his groan. Desire ratcheted up to unbearable levels.
Until Carter rose up and looked down at her, the desire etched across his face matching what she felt.
“You do know we’re in your parents’ living room.”
It took her a few seconds to catch her breath, to realize he had his hand under her shirt, cupping her breast, his thumb still sweeping back and forth across her nipple. Her heart was beating a crazy, out of control rhythm against the palm of his hand.
She swallowed to coat her desert-dry throat. “Well, now I do. I kind of forgot there for a minute.”
Carter heaved a sigh, adjusting against her, letting her feel the rock-hard proof of his need rubbing against her hip.
“So did I.” He sat up, then grasped her hand and pulled her to a sitting position.
They could just have fun, and this was all pretend. She could live with that, knowing that at some point it was all going to go away, because she was going to go away.
“I guess I should head on out of here and let you get some sleep.”
She looked up from the documents she was stuffing back into the envelopes, then picked up her phone. “It’s only ten o’clock, Carter.”
“Oh.”
She cocked a brow. “I had no idea you were the type to go to bed early on a school night.”
He laughed. “I think you of all people know me better than that.”
She closed the envelope and slid it across the table, then rolled the blueprints and slid the rubber band around them. “However, I understand you have to get to work early in the morning, so you’re right. You probably need your beauty rest.”
He pinned her with a look. “Now you’re baiting me.”
“Maybe.”
“Do you want to go out somewhere?”
She shook her head. “Not really.”
She moved around the table and stopped in front of him, palming his chest. “I thought we’d hang out here for a bit.”
“I can do that. Do you want to watch a movie?”
She had zero interest in watching a movie, but if it got him to hang out with her awhile longer, she was game. “Sure.”
They went into the living room and grabbed a seat on the sofa. She turned on the TV, surfing a bit.
“That one.”
She turned to face him. “Still into horror movies, I see.”
“Well, it is Halloween season. You have to get in the spirit.”
She rolled her eyes, but clicked on the movie. At least it was a classic and one she’d seen before, so none of the upcoming carnage would come as a surprise to her.
“Popcorn?” she asked.
He smiled at her. “Sure. Want me to help you?”
“No. It’s microwave popcorn, so it’ll only take a minute. I’ll bring drinks for us, too.”
She hopped up and went into the kitchen, put the popcorn in the microwave, then poured sodas. She brought the sodas in and went back for the popcorn, retaking her seat next to him.
“You missed two murders while you were gone,” he said.
She laughed and grabbed a handful of popcorn. “Imagine that. Good thing I’ve seen this movie before.”
“So, you’re a fan of horror movies, too.”
“I didn’t say that. I said I’ve seen this one before. More than once.”
“Which makes you a fan.” He tossed a kernel of popcorn at her.
She picked it up and stuffed it down his shirt.
He grabbed her wrists and gave her a warning glare, laced with amusement. “You don’t want to start a fight you can’t win.”
Now that was a challenge she couldn’t back down from. “Good point.”
After he released her hands, she took a handful of popcorn, seemingly ready to put it in her mouth. When Carter turned his attention back to the movie, she stuffed the popcorn down the back of his shirt.
He jerked and grabbed the bowl, thrusting his hand in and grasping a bunch of popcorn, then shoving it under her shirt. She squealed, then immediately silenced herself, though by now she was laughing and there was popcorn all over the floor. It was a good thing Pokey, her parents’ dog, slept in her mom’s room, because he’d be having a feast otherwise.
Carter reached under her shirt and pushed the popcorn higher, making her laugh even more.
“Shh,” he said. “You’re going to wake your parents.”
She tried to stifle her laugh, but she couldn’t stop herself. “Then stop shoving popcorn down my bra.”
“Okay.” Instead, his hand moved, ever higher, cupping her breast over her bra. “Is this better?”
She stilled, her body warming to his touch. “Much.”
He pushed her up the sofa so her head rested on the cushioned arm, then covered her body with his. His lips met hers and popcorn wars were forgotten as she wrapped her arms around him and met his kiss with equal fervor.
The last time it was slow and easy, but now, she forgot everything, even the popcorn, as he crushed her lips and took her mouth with a passion that was overwhelming, heating her body to intense levels. She arched against him, feeling desire and Carter’s erection pressing against her, heightening her own need.
She wanted him. Right here, right now, and nothing was going to get in her way. She tangled her fingers in his hair, rewarded with his groan. Desire ratcheted up to unbearable levels.
Until Carter rose up and looked down at her, the desire etched across his face matching what she felt.
“You do know we’re in your parents’ living room.”
It took her a few seconds to catch her breath, to realize he had his hand under her shirt, cupping her breast, his thumb still sweeping back and forth across her nipple. Her heart was beating a crazy, out of control rhythm against the palm of his hand.
She swallowed to coat her desert-dry throat. “Well, now I do. I kind of forgot there for a minute.”
Carter heaved a sigh, adjusting against her, letting her feel the rock-hard proof of his need rubbing against her hip.
“So did I.” He sat up, then grasped her hand and pulled her to a sitting position.
