Out of Time (Out of Line #2) (Volume 2) (10 page)

“I have my reasons.” He looked over at me, pinning me against the door without even touching me. “Are you?”

My heart beat so loudly in my ears I couldn’t hear anything but my own panicked thoughts. “N-No…?”

Oh my God, did he know?
Could
he know? Had Finn told him?

He tilted his head. “Is that a question or an answer?”

“An answer,” I said, straightening my spine. If I was going to save Finn’s job and keep his father employed through his last few months, then I needed to do better at lying. I tried to ignore my racing pulse. “Of course it’s an answer. What kind of question is that, anyway?”

“The question of a concerned father.”

“Well, my
concerned father
needs to realize I’m not a little girl anymore, and he needs to relax.” When he opened his mouth to argue, I shot him a look that probably could have set coals on fire. “And this goes for you, too, Mom. I’ll date who I want, when I want, and I won’t answer to either one of you for it.”

Mom gasped, covering her mouth. “Carrie, don’t yell at us.”

I closed my eyes for a second. I hadn’t even raised my voice in the slightest. “I’m not yelling. I’m simply letting you two know that
if
and
when
I’m dating a man, I’ll bring him to meet you when I’m good and ready. Not a second before. You flying out here to check on me and try to catch me in a lie isn’t going to hurry me up any. You don’t like that? Then stop trying to dig into something that isn’t your business. Last time I checked, I was a legal adult. I expect to be treated as such.”

Mom’s eyes went wider, and Dad turned red…then even redder. I never stood up to them like this, so I got the shock they were experiencing—but dude, it felt good. Really,
really
good. “You listen to me, young lady, you’ll—”

Mom squeezed his arm, but didn’t look away from me. “Dear? I think this discussion is better ended right here and now. I know that look in her eye all too well. Let it go.”

“But I—” He broke off and pointed at me. “And she—”

Mom patted his arm. “I know, Hugh. It’s called growing up. Kids do that.”

“They don’t talk to their parents like that,” he huffed. “If I’d done that to my father, I wouldn’t have been able to sit straight for a week.”

The car stopped in front of the restaurant, but none of us moved. “I love you both very much,” I said softly, “but
some
things have to be done in my time, on my terms. That’s all I’m asking.”

Dad pressed his lips together, looking as if he wanted nothing more than to shout, but he nodded. “Fine. If you choose the wrong man, I will do everything in my power to send him packing.”

I had no doubt that Finn was probably the “wrong guy” in Dad’s eyes, but nothing would send Finn running. I was confident in his love for me, and in our love for each other. “You can try.”

He narrowed his eyes on me. “Are you at least going to tell me who he is?”

“There is no ‘he’ at all,” I stated, opening the door. “Now let’s go eat.”

I heard my mother whisper something to my father, and he answered back in hushed tones. When they climbed out of the car, he looked even more pissed off, but he was quiet. I couldn’t shake the sinking suspicion that Dad knew more than he was letting on—that he was playing us both against one another until one of us broke and gave away our secrets. It wouldn’t be me.

I was determined to keep my silence, my freedom, and my Finn…

No matter what I had to do.

Friday night I tossed all my shit into the green field bag on my bed, my mind at least a million miles from this damn drill weekend. It had been two days since I last saw Carrie, and I was like a man detoxing from heroin. I had the shakes and I needed her
now
. If I could hold her for one minute, and inhale her sweet scent, it would be enough to get me through the weekend. Just a small fix.

I hugged her sweater she’d left here, holding it to my nose to inhale deeply. It wasn’t enough. I needed more. I needed
her
. But I couldn’t have her until her parents left. It was fucking ridiculous that I was so impatient considering the fact that it would only be a few days apart. It shouldn’t be so damn hard to be without her.

But it really fucking was.

Even worse? Her father suspected I was hiding something.

I
was
, but I couldn’t say it yet. Not until my father retired. And the really shitty part about this plan? My silence would only make him hate me in the end.

I couldn’t betray my own father. Not even for my own chance at happiness.

Knowing I’d possibly lost the one chance I had to come clean with the man didn’t exactly sit well, but it was my
dad
. What was I supposed to do? Throw him under the tires to save myself? Over my dead body.

Still, it sucked ass.

My phone rang, and I crossed the room to pick it up off my bed. Once I saw the number, I relaxed a bit. I’d called my father the other day, after the cryptic lunch with Senator Wallington, but he hadn’t called me back. Dad
always
called me back right away. “Hey, Dad. It’s about time you returned my call.”

“Hello, son. I heard that you—” he cleared his throat and continued, “that you were getting company out there.”

“Yeah. I kind of expected you to come.” I reclined on my bed, Carrie’s sweater still in my hands. I absentmindedly ran my fingers over the bandage covering my chest. I’d gotten new ink today. “And don’t avoid the question. Why didn’t you call me back?”

I played with her sweater as I waited for Dad to answer. He sounded sluggish tonight. He made a weird moaning sound. “I wasn’t invited to come along, and I was busy.”

I cocked a brow. “Doing what? Guarding the dog? The rest of them are here.”

Dad laughed. “You know how much they love this stupid thing. He asked me to stay behind and take care of her.”

That was a lie. Dad
never
lied to me.

“You were invited. The senator told me,” I replied, sitting up straight. “He said you were going to come out, but something came up. Then I call, and it takes you two days to get back to me? Tell me the truth—what’s up, Dad?”

“Oh. Okay, then.” Dad sighed, sounding old and tired even through the phone. “I’m sick. I have a pretty nasty flu. It’s knocked me down pretty hard.”

Well, that explained the weak tone of his voice, at least, and the non-visit. I rolled to my feet and went back to packing, balancing the phone on my shoulder and tossing Carrie’s sweater on my pillow. “Oh, that sucks. Are you on the upswing yet?”

He laughed lightly. “I’m trying.”

“Do you want me to let you go to bed? You know rest is the best thing for a flu, right?” I ran a hand over my short hair. I’d gotten it cut earlier this morning. “That and the chicken noodle soup Mom used to make, of course.”

“I am. And I do.” He coughed lightly, then laughed. “It’s not as bad as it sounds. I feel fine most of the time. It just gets worse at night.”

He didn’t sound fucking fine to me. My heart picked up speed. The sound of his weak voice brought back bad memories of Mom lying in bed, slowly wasting away till nothing was there but death. “Are you s-sure? I could come home and check on you—”

“
No
,” he said, his voice perfectly strong that time. “I’m fine. You focus on your job and stop worrying about me and my stupid virus.”

Which reminded me about the call I’d gotten—and the possible deployment. I couldn’t tell him that shit when he was sick. It could be nothing. And if it
was
something, then I’d tell him about it after this weekend. I didn’t want him losing sleep when he needed the rest. “If you’re sure…”

“I am.” He cleared his throat again, sounding like he choked back a cough at the same time. “I’m going to go now. I love you.”

I swallowed hard. He sounded like shit. “I love you, Dad.”

I hung up the phone and started to set it down, but my phone vibrated in my hand. A text from Carrie.
You home?

I sighed and tried to brush off the phone call with my father. He was sick, but he’d get better and be back to his happy self soon enough.
Yeah. Packing for cheerleading camp. You?

I grinned as soon as I hit send. She’d get a kick about where I said I’d be going, and I couldn’t wait to see what her reply was. But it didn’t come.

A few minutes passed, making me grow twitchy and forget all about my dad’s cold. Lately, the texts had been shorter and fewer, making me wonder if she was already pulling away from me. Then I remembered she was with her parents, and I kicked myself in the nuts for being such a neurotic fucking mess all the time.

My phone buzzed and I looked down at it with a hunger that was laughable. Who the hell got so excited to get a fucking text?
I’m home.

I pictured her lying in her dorm bed, all alone in a pair of skimpy shorts and a tank top. Was her hair down or in a ponytail? My heart squeezed tight. I shouldn’t miss her this much, damn it. It had only been a few days of no contact. We’d gone longer before, but that had been before we became a couple.

I guess that made a difference in my tolerance. I shook my head and focused on my phone.
Going to bed now?

Barely a second passed.
Maybe…

It’s either a yes or a no. What’s the hesitance?

Hold on.

The key sounded in the door, and I lurched to my feet. The only other person with a key was Carrie. And if Carrie was here…I didn’t know whether to kiss her or yell at her for being so damn reckless. With her parents in town, the last place she should be is with me.

Her father had said no one was watching us, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t lying. The man was more slippery than an eel in salt water. I didn’t trust him one bit. She walked in, closing the door behind her quickly, her eyes locking with mine. All that mattered was she was here.

A fist of emotion knocked the breath right out of me, making it hard to breathe. I took a stumbling step toward her, then another. Yeah. I wasn’t going to yell at her. I was going to kiss her and hold her and thank God she came to see me because I’d missed her way too much. My fingers itched with the need to touch her, to have her.

All I could manage to say, amidst all the feelings she brought to life with her reappearance, was one word. “
Carrie
.”

“Before you say anything, I know I’m not supposed to be here.” She leaned against the door and breathed heavily, her eyes on mine. Her gaze dipped lower, lingering on the bandage on my chest, but then she tore her eyes away. “But I have a car now. Dad bought it for me. I told Mom I wanted one and the next day it was there. It’s ridiculous how easy it was, but it got me here, and that’s all that matters.”

I blinked at her. She had a car now? I hadn’t even known she
wanted
one.

She continued on, obviously not needing a reply from me. “I parked at the store down the street. Then I went inside, left through the back, and walked here. I won’t stay long, so no one will guess where I am. Don’t yell at me.”

I opened and closed my fists. “Why would I yell at you when I could kiss you instead?”

“Then do it already,” she said, her eyes flashing at me.

I let out a broken sound I didn’t even recognize and closed the distance between us. I didn’t stop until I had her pinned against the door, my body glued to hers. I ran my hands all over her, starting at her shoulder, then dipping down her side and brushing against her breast. Her breath hitched in her throat, and I yanked her against my body, knowing I should be sending her away but unable to.

Because I was fucking lost.

“You’re really here,” I breathed. “It’s not another dream.”

“I’m really here.” She tilted her face up, her nails digging into my chest. “Are you going to kiss me or not?”

I groaned and closed my mouth over hers, slipping my tongue inside her lips as if I were a starving man and she was my last supper. And if she was? Well, at least I’d die a happy man. She let out a whimper and clung to me harder, her tiny nails piercing my skin. I couldn’t give a damn.

She could draw blood from me as often as she wanted, as long as she was
here
.

Our kiss seemed to break something inside of me. I growled as I lifted her against the door, my hands on her waist. As I undid the button, she trembled and grabbed her shirt, breaking off the kiss long enough to rip it over her head before fusing her mouth to mine once more.

I tugged her shorts over hips, letting them hit the floor, then slid my hand between her legs, expecting to feel the smooth satin of her underwear. Instead, I touched bare skin, and I shuddered with the need that punched through me. It would drive me fucking insane from now on—wondering whether she had anything on under her fucking pants.

I let go of her and crossed the room in record speed, grabbing a condom out of my drawer and tearing it open impatiently. After I had the protection aspect of what we were about to do under control, I stepped between her legs and lifted her higher against the door. I wanted to take it slow and be all seductive and romantic and shit, but she was driving me insane with the little noises she was making and the way her hips rose toward me, begging for more. And I was a desperate man.

I broke off the kiss, my breathing harsh and my cock positioned at her pussy. “This isn’t going to be sweet or soft. Are you okay with that?”

“Yes.” She buried her hands in what was left of my hair and wrapped her legs around my waist. “Just hurry
up
, damn it.”

I groaned and kissed her again, plunging inside of her in one smooth thrust. When I was buried inside her all the way, I tightened my grip on her and pressed her against the door even harder to make sure she had good support. Then…I fucking lost all control. I pulled out of her and thrust back inside—hard and fast and rough. And I didn’t stop.

She clung to me, crying out my name. For a second I thought I hurt her, and started to pull back, but she dug her heels into my ass and held me in place, her hips moving restlessly against me. “Don’t…stop.”

I growled and plunged inside of her again, even harder. I wanted to tell her how much she meant to me, and how much I needed her in my life, but all I could do was move inside of her, making her moan and scream out my name and draw my blood.

Her nails raked down my chest to my abs, leaving a stinging sensation behind them, and I drove deeper inside of her. Her hands faltered over my bandage, but she closed her eyes and lost herself in the rhythm. When she started trembling, her thighs quivering around me, I positioned myself so that I brushed against her clit with each thrust and bit down on her neck. Within seconds, her pussy clenched around me and she tensed, her whole body going tight and hard.

I pounded into her once, twice, and one more time, my entire body shutting down from the force of the orgasm rocking through me. I collapsed against her, still supporting her weight with one arm, and dropped my head against the door by her shoulder. She breathed as unevenly as I did, and she held me close, her arms tight around me.

I didn’t want to ever move. I wanted to stay like this, buried inside of her against my fucking apartment door. Because once I moved, I knew she would have to leave, and I’d be alone again, with nothing but my thoughts to keep me company.

She lifted her head from my shoulder, looking up at me with her bright blue eyes. “I think we needed that. These past few days have been rough.”

“I know. I never thought I’d be one of those guys who needed his girl with him to be happy, but…” I shrugged and smiled at her. “I am now, and I don’t mind. What did you do to me, Ginger?”

“I don’t know, but you did it to me, too.” She blew her hair out of her face and eyed me. “What’s up with the bandage? You okay?”

I sighed and lifted her off the door, setting her down on her feet gently. She clung to me for a second, then seemed to gain her footing. Bending down, I picked up her shorts and handed them to her. “Yeah. I’m fine. Where’s your dad right now?”

She gave me a lopsided grin. “Probably still recovering from me yelling at him. I kind of told him to mind his own business from now on.” She stepped into the shorts and buttoned them, then took her shirt out of my hand and smiled her thanks. “Went all independent woman on him and everything.”

“Man, I would’ve paid to see that.” I snorted, picturing the look on her dad’s face while Carrie told him off. “I bet he didn’t know what to say.”

“Oh, he definitely didn’t.” She pulled the shirt over her head and leaned against the door, right where I’d fucked her. I would never be able to look at a door again without getting a hard-on. “It was pretty funny. I should have taken a picture of his face for you.”

I pulled on my shorts and sat down on the edge of my bed, not bothering with a shirt, and held my arms out for her. “Come here, Ginger. I can’t stand not having you in my arms for another second.”

She crossed the room and sat in my lap, curling up against my chest in a little ball. She rested her hand over my chest, right above my new tat. “Now
answer
me. What’s with the bandage?”

“I got new ink.”

She perked up at that. “Cool. Show me?”

I grinned and hugged her closer. “I will in a minute. Right now I just want to hold you before I send you back to your dad.”

“Do you think he knows about us?”

I sighed, carefully choosing my words. “I think he knows you’re seeing someone, but he doesn’t know who.”

She placed her hand over my heart. “Did he ask you if I’m seeing anyone?”

I nodded and rested my cheek on top of her head. She didn’t smell like my shampoo. For some reason, that made me sad. “He did. I told him I’d seen you with a few guys, but they all seemed to be just friends. I said you were focusing on your studies for the most part.”

“A
few
guys?” She slapped my arm hard. “You made me sound like a slut?”

I laughed. “I said they were friends.”

“But you made—”

“Oh, shut it already.” I tossed her onto the bed and climbed on top of her, laughing and kissing her into silence. When she was clinging to me and squirming beneath me, I pulled back and looked down at her. Everything from her flushed cheeks to her swollen lips screamed for me to keep her here, under me, but I knew I couldn’t. So I did the first thing that came to mind.