Hard To Love (16 page)

“I’m sorry, I…” Carter cut her off before she could finish her statement, reading her mind.

“Don’t,” he insisted. “Don’t apologize to me. You needed me to touch you, and I like that you need me.”

“But now, you need me to touch you,” she smiled mischievously, straining to kiss his neck.

“Oh, trust me, kitten. You’ll be doing more than
touching
me before the day is done.”

“Promises, promises,” she poked.

Carter chuckled, “We’ll see kitten.”

Ella realized they had made it to a grove of trees, where Spanish moss hung low over their heads, in a dark, shaded area. She hadn’t even realized until this moment that they were still jogging along. It was as if Smoke knew exactly where they were going, without being directed. The thought crossed Ella’s mind that maybe this wasn’t the first time he had made this trip, and how many women he must’ve taken with him.

“Seems like he knows where he’s going?”

“He does. We take this ride all the time.” Ella cringed when she heard the words. Well, so much for feeling special.

Carter felt her mood shift as her body stiffened against him. “Whoa. What just happened?”

“What?” she asked curtly.

“Don’t what me. You just went from zero to sixty in less than a minute. So, what just pissed you off?”

“Nothing,” she answered flatly.

“Oh no, sweetness. I may not know much about women, but I know when a woman says there’s
nothing
wrong, there is definitely
something
going on.”

“I’m fine.”

“Uh huh.” Carter pulled on Smoke’s reins to stop him.

“What are you doing?” Ella questioned.

“We’re gonna get something straight, right here, right now,” he said, pulling her chin around so they could make eye contact. “When I ask you a question, I expect an honest answer. Even if you think it will piss me off, Ella. I don’t do relationships, at least I never have before. And if this is going to work, we have to be honest.”

His honesty shocked her, and pierced her through the heart, knocking the last of the barriers she’d built to protect her from ever getting hurt again. Now, she knew with a certainty, this man would break her. But she also knew she had fallen completely, head over heels in love with him, and it was scaring the hell out of her.

“So, I’ll ask again. What. Just. Happened?”

Hesitantly, she asked in a small voice. “How many woman have you taken on this
ride
?”

“Hmmm, let me think. Counting you?” he asked, musingly. “One.”

“You said be honest,” she challenged.

“I am being honest!”

“Seriously? I’m your first?”

“Cross my heart, darlin’,” he said, making the cross marks over his heart. “Why would you even question that?”

“I don’t know. Smoke was taking us on this path, like he knew where he was going. I just assumed,” she shrugged.

Shaking his head, he kissed her on the back of the head. “Stop assuming, Ella. I’m not perfect, but I’m trying here.”

“I know, Carter. I’m sorry.”

With a click of his tongue, Carter nudged Smoke, and once again they were off.

Chapter Seventeen

As they walked, she began noticing the pine scrub and the light getting brighter in the shade. Once past the clearing, they came upon one of the most beautiful sights she’d ever seen. Sugar white sand lay before her, with patches of sea oats sprouting from the sand dunes and in the distance, an old dilapidated pier stood in the gulf waters, looking like ancient ruins in the sunset. Colors of orange, reds and yellows swirled in the sky painting the most romantic ambiance.

“Oh my God, Carter! This is gorgeous.”

“This is my favorite place to be,” he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders in a tight embrace. “Outside of being buried inside you. That’s my new favorite place, by the way.”

Ella bit her bottom lip to keep from letting out her little secret, and nodded her head, afraid if he knew, he’d go running with his tail between his legs. A man like Carter Dawson didn’t fall in love. This may be the closest thing Carter would ever come to being in love, and right now, she was just happy to be part of it.

“After my momma passed away, I spent a lot of time riding, just Smoke and me. I always found myself here. For some reason, I feel closer to her when I’m here.”

Oh. Dear. Lord. Her panties melted with her heart. This tough as nails man had the biggest heart of anyone she’d ever met.

Hopping off the back of Smoke, they stood there, staring out at the sun setting over the vast ocean, while Carter held her in a tight embrace. It was a surreal experience, as they stood there, watching the sunset, listening to the waves crash against the shore while the cool wind caressed her face. Ella had never felt more relaxed and at home than she did right here, wrapped in Carter’s tender arms.

“Look,” he said quietly, pointing directly in front of them. A large, white tailed deer lay in the white sand, eyes closed, basking in the remaining sunlight.

Ella spoke softly. “Carter?”

“Hmm?”

“Your father is wrong.”

“About?” he asked, confused.

“You’re not hard to love.”

Words caught on the lump growing in Carter’s throat. Turning her in his arms, he framed her face with his wide hands, staring intently in her eyes. This felt so right. She felt right, here in his arms. But, was he ready for this? Tenderly, he began kissing the tip of her nose, her chin, her forehead, still not able to speak. His feelings were stuck in his throat, causing physical pain. He continued to rain kisses on Ella’s face, gently, trying his best to show her what he wasn’t ready to say. That he truly cared for her, and that all his feelings for her were growing faster than he knew what to do with them.

“Thank you,” he said thickly. “Stay the night with me? I want to wake up to see your beautiful green eyes looking at me with that sexy, sleepy look you get after I’ve spent the night buried deep inside you.”

No words were needed, the look in her eyes said it all. The feral look she gave him was all the incentive he needed. Carter turned, hopped on Smoke’s saddle, and pulled Ella on his lap, straddling him. Wrapping his arms around her, he sat back, adjusting her over him so her stiff nipples brushed against his chest. Her sex pulsated in reaction, as his eyes stayed focused at her lips before lowering his head, covering her lips and taking them viciously with a moan of pleasure.

Carter groaned. “Home Smoke,” he commanded.

As Smoke took them home, Ella tightened her arms around his thick neck, showering him with kisses over and over, nibbling his skin between her teeth each wet kiss. Carter kept her in a tight embrace, replying to her with his own fervorous kisses. There was no doubt in his mind, she was his, and nothing was going to take this from him. He’d been living someone else’s dream, and now it was time for him listen to his heart, and follow his own dream.

********

In what seemed like minutes, they were inside Carter’s cabin. How they got there was a complete blur, but it didn’t matter, they were there. Carter had her pinned against the front door, with her hands restrained over her head, the look in his eyes almost animalistic.

“God, I want you,” he rasped hungrily, sliding a hand between her legs.

Ella could feel his hot breath on her face as he leaned in, and her pulse began to skitter uncontrollably. Her breathing sped up until it was deep and quick.

Before she had time to respond, Carter gripped her hips and pressed his lips to hers, desperate to kiss her. A surge of hot arousal snapped inside him as his tongue glided across her bottom lip, enticing her to open up to him. Once she did, he wasted no time darting his tongue inside, tasting the sweetness that he only found in her. Cater crushed his body against Ella’s, his hand sliding over her delicate curves and into her pony tail. With one tug, he loosened it, allowing her long hair to fall over her shoulders. His heart raced as his cock filled with desire for her. He wanted to take this slow, make love to her and show her how much she meant to him, but he was too aroused to stop. Releasing her hands above her head, he wrapped his hands around her thighs, lifting her as if she was a feather. Ella encircled his hips with her legs, making him grow a million times more aroused at the thought of her squeezing him tightly between those hot, creamy thighs of hers.

Ella crushed her lips to his, plunging her tongue in between them, sucking his bottom lip into her mouth. She didn’t want to think right now. Now was not the time for the voice of reason. After basically professing her love to him, she hadn’t wanted their first time to be hard and fast, she wanted to savor him. But now, all she could think of was being bad, and all the naughty things she knew he could do to her.

“You’re mine, kitten. And I’m going to make every inch of you mine,” he growled against her lips.

All the air became trapped in Ella’s lungs, and her heart squeezed in her chest as her body trembled at all the suppressed anticipation of what she knew was to come. Suddenly, her heart was beating a mile a minute, palpitating in her throat.

Expecting her reaction, Carter licked, then sucked the pounding vein on her neck. Feeling her excitement against his tongue excited him. And, as if trying to feed their hunger into this one kiss, they stroked their tongues together, almost ferally, rubbing their bodies against one another in hunger and lust. He moved against her, as if he was trying to punish her, groaning like he could get off right where they were.

Still kissing feverishly, he aligned his erection to the junction between her legs, scraping his cock against her through their jeans. Pulling his mouth from hers, he looked in her eyes, then her swollen lips, his face flush with carnal desire, unapologetic and reverent.

“Fuck me, Carter,” she moaned, between hurried breaths, staring into those intense blue eyes of his taking her in.

“Oh, kitten. I’m gonna find something to do with that dirty mouth of yours tonight.”

“What are you waiting on, then?”

And he was lost. Hurriedly, he made his way to his bedroom, laying her down on his king sized bed, his body came down on top of hers.

“I knew the first time I was with you, there was something different. Every other woman I’ve been able to fuck and forget, because I’ve been a selfish prick. But not you. Once was never going to be enough. I could watch you come over and over, while I come in you again and again,” he admitted.

Moving his mouth skillfully over hers, he kissed her again. Ella’s emotions were all over the place. Her defensive walls had crumbled, and no matter how hard she had tried to secure them, they had toppled over.

Rising up from her, he pulled her up, yanking her t-shirt over her head, and tossing it across the room. “These have got to go too, and quickly,” he breathed heavily, tugging Ella’s pants down her legs, taking her panties with them. Without warning, he easily shoved two fingers into her soaked entrance, finding her already wet for him.

“I’m so hard for you right now,” he whisper-hissed, before losing control, biting her bottom lip hungrily.

Ella couldn’t stop herself. She rode his fingers, circling her hips, and arching them off the mattress to take his digits deeper inside her greedy channel. Moaning loudly, she sunk her nails into his scalp, pulling his mouth closer to hers. It all felt so good. Hot, wet and delicious.

All of a sudden, Carter was on his knees, grabbing something from his nightstand drawer. Then, flipping her over on her stomach, he pulled her hips up and pushed her head down onto the mattress.

“Kitten, I need you to trust me now,” he commanded, before reentering her soaked opening. Dragging her own wetness to her other puckered opening, Ella gasped as she realized what was about to happen, her anus tightening involuntarily.

“Carter,” she cried.

“Just trust me, baby. I’m not going to hurt you,” he soothed.

Ella closed her eyes and took deep breaths as he kneaded and massaged her buttocks, dragging his fingers in and out of her wet pussy, then over her tight opening.

“Just breathe deep and relax, okay,” he whispered by her ear. She did as he said, breathing slowly, and tried to keep herself from tightening. She felt something long and metallic press against the tight ring of muscle, stretching her wider, until it slipped into her tight bud.
That wasn’t what she expected, thank God!
A low buzz and rapid vibration hit her there, sending through her a new sensation she’d never felt before. Her heart pounded when he grabbed her hands, and pulled them up behind her, holding them tightly in one large hand at the base of her back.

So many sensations hit her all at once. The unfamiliar burn in her butt, along with the aching need she felt in her sex, took her breath.

“You like that,” he stated, praying she did, because right now, he didn’t want to be gentle with her. And by her body’s response, he didn’t think she wanted him to. He could feel her twist with desire, while her body trembled around him. Greedy and hungry, like she was going to fall apart before he got inside her.

Spreading her folds apart, his thumb caressed her clit, while his fingers pumped into her harder and deeper. Ella could feel his hot, hard unyielding muscles against her skin. Her body twitched as he penetrated her, inch by inch. His thickness filled her, making the vibrations inside her rear sheath more intense.

“Sweet Jesus, El. Feeling those vibrations coming from inside your ass against my dick is driving me crazy!”

Nothing but the low buzzing sound, grunts, groans and the noise of their thighs slapping together, filled the room. With the toy vibrating in her ass, and his cock buried to the hilt inside her, all she felt was raw sensation. She felt Carter taking possession of her body, thrusting his hips as he speared her with his hard as steel shaft, still holding her arms tightly behind her back. The blood rushed through her veins, as a climax overtook her, and fireworks exploded behind her closed lids. Every muscle from her ass to her pussy clenched, her body milking him as he continued to plunge into her, slamming his hips against her ass, grunting with each stroke.