Road to Absolution (13 page)

“Then what is
it?”

“I don’t know… I
just haven’t been in a bathing suit in a long time, and certainly not in front
of all these gorgeous men, not to mention their women. God, did you see Kim?
She’s like a super model.”

He rolled his
eyes. “If you find women who need to eat a cookie beautiful.”

“What?” I
giggled.

“Babe, she’s the
skeleton of a pretty woman. You, on the other hand, are the whole body.”

“Whatever.” I
felt the heat on my cheeks.

“I’m gonna tell
you a secret.”

“Oh, yeah?” I
craned my head to look up at him.

“I have always
loved you and thought your body was hot, but now that you’ve gained a little
weight, I wanna fuck you every three seconds.”

I giggled.
“Would that even be possible?”

“Can’t wait to
find out.” He kissed my nose. “You had a little preview last weekend, what do
you think?”

I shivered. “I
think I want a
lot
more.”

He grinned.
“Tonight, baby.”

I bit my lip and
nodded. “Okay.”

“Ace,” Hawk
called. “Comin’?”

“Not yet,” he
whispered and then grinned. “Clothes off, baby,” he ordered, and made his way
to the side of the boat.

I climbed up
onto the top of the boat where Dani, Kim, and Payton were letting the sun tan
them while they watched the rest of the group in the water.

“Hey, Cass,”
Dani said. “Do you need a suit?”

“No, I’m wearing
one.”

“Well, get
comfy, girl. Soak up some Vitamin D.”

I sighed and
pulled off my shirt and slid my shorts down my legs. I heard a whistle and
followed the sound to find Carter giving me a thumbs-up. He had Maverick on his
shoulders and they were horsing around. Cassidy the dog was swimming close to
them, her doggie life jacket helping to keep her bouyant.

I gasped when
Carter chucked Maverick in the air, but he didn’t throw him far, and Maverick
squealed with laughter as he bobbed in the water.

“The guys won’t
let anything happen to Maverick,” Payton promised and patted the towel she’d
laid out for me next to her. “Come and relax.”

I lowered myself
and smiled. “I don’t even know what that means.”

“Well,
reacquaint yourself with what we call ‘a break,’” Dani said. “You deserve it.”

“Twist my arm.”

“Do you need
lotion?” Dani asked.

“Oh, yeah, that
would be great,” I said, and took the tube from her. “I put sunblock on my
face, but forgot about my pasty white legs.”

“I would kill
for legs like yours. Mine are more in the vein of tree stumps.”

“Danielle
Carver, I heard that,” Booker bellowed.

“Then quit
eavesdropping.”

She and I peered
over the side to see him just below us.

“Stop insulting
my woman,” he countered. “Get me?”

She wrinkled her
face and mimicked his words with her mouth.

“Dani,” he said,
his voice low.

“I got you,
baby.” She smiled down at him. “Love you.”

“Love you too.
Hawk said there are some water noodles up there somewhere.”

“Oh, here,”
Payton said, and opened a trunk in the corner. “How many do you want?”

“Two’s good.”

She pulled out
two and dropped them down to him.

He gave her a
chin lift and swam back to the group. Dani’s face got dreamy and I bit back a
giggle. For such a sweet, innocent kindergarten teacher, she’d certainly nabbed
herself the perfect bad boy.

Finding my own
bad boy in the small group of swimmers, I smiled as he helped Maverick and Lily
with the water noodles, making sure they were good before letting go. If he
hurried up and figured out the correct way to ask me to marry him, we could get
on with our lives, but for now, I was engaged in a game of proposal chicken.

“You take
Maverick to that Kids’ Palace daycare right?” Payton asked.

“Yeah, it’s
great. The bus drops him off after school and then I pick him up. Are you
looking for something for Lily?”

Payton nodded.
“Just a couple times a week when I have a teacher meeting or Alex is working
late.”

“It’s really
fun… and cheap.” I slathered lotion over my legs. “I’ll get you all the info if
you like.”

“That would be
great.”

I laid out flat
and closed my eyes, the soft musical sound of the ladies’ conversation, lulling
me into a half-sleep kind of feeling, however, the sudden icy spray of water
had me jumping up with a squeal. I noticed I wasn’t even close to the towel I’d
been sleeping on earlier and had rolled from under the awning that hadn’t been
there earlier. Classic Cassidy, running even in my sleep.

Carter and
Maverick stood in front of me laughing hysterically, the obvious source of my
unwelcome shower. “I hate you both.”

“Not really,
right Mom?” Maverick asked, still trying to figure out sarcasm from reality.

I smiled. “No,
not really.”

He grinned.
“Lily said her mom and dad brought ice cream. Can I have some, please?”

“Sure buddy,
after dinner,” I said, noticing that Payton and Dani weren’t with me.

“Careful on
those stairs,” Carter reminded him, and watched him walk down, returning to me
a few seconds later.

I jabbed a finger
at him. “You I still hate.”

He chuckled.
“Couldn’t resist.”

“Hmm-mm.” I
couldn’t help but smile. He was hard to stay mad at.

“Babe, you look
a little red.”

“I do?”

“Yeah.” He
frowned. “Why the fuck did they leave you up here exposed?”

“Honey, it was
probably me.” I glanced down at my body and he was right, my arms and legs were
pink. “I’m sure it’s fine. It doesn’t hurt.”

“We’ll get some
aloe on it in case.” He kissed me quickly. “Come downstairs, we’re gettin’
ready to eat.”

I slid on my
shorts and T-shirt and followed him downstairs.

“Ohmigod,
Cassidy,” Dani exclaimed. “You’re red. I’m so sorry! We rolled the awning down
to keep the sun off, it must have shifted.”

“No, I have a
sleeping problem,” I confessed. “I don’t sleep still, so I’m sure I probably
rolled out of it. Don’t worry about it.”

“I should have
checked.” She frowned. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t even
worry about it,” I assured her. “Seriously.”

“I’ll grab you
some aloe.”

I sighed and she
rushed off to find some.

L
ATER THAT NIGHT, I put Maverick to bed
then climbed into the shower, whimpering as the water hit my arms and legs. I
turned the tap to lukewarm and grabbed the soap. Holy crap I was burnt to a
crisp. I was naturally fair and wasn’t a huge sun person, so I couldn’t
remember a time I’d just laid out like that. Even at the pond, I was in the
water more than sunning myself, and my mom would load me up with SPF-4,223.

I shampooed my
hair quickly, hissing when I realized the top of my head was burnt as well. I
couldn’t bring myself to condition even though I knew my curls would cause a
mutiny. I would just have to deal with it all later.

Drying myself
was just too much, so I gingerly slipped into my robe and woodenly walked down
the hall.

“Babe, you
okay?” Carter asked.

“No,” I grumbled.

Carter followed
me into my bedroom, his mouth dropping open. “Holy shit.”

I nodded. “Even
my hair hurts.”

“Baby.” He
closed the distance between us. “How long were you in the sun?”

“I have no idea.
Maybe half an hour. You know what I’m like when I sleep, I probably rolled
totally out of cover.”

He nodded.
“Where’s that aloe Payton gave you?”

“In my purse.”

“I’ll get it.”
He left me, returning quickly with the tube. “Want to get dressed first?”

I bit my lip. At
least my face was okay… I’d slathered it and my neck with SPF50, but neglected
my head and the rest of my body. “I can’t move my arms.”

“Want some
help?”

“I guess.” I
groaned. “So much for our romantic night… we could still try,” I joked.

“Sex with
lobsters isn’t really my thing, Cass,” he retorted.

I moved to hit
him, but the motion shot pain through my skin and I groaned.

He grinned and
kissed me quickly. “Sorry, baby.”

Carter helped me
into undies and a T-shirt, then gently slathered aloe onto my worst areas. I
couldn’t bear for him to touch my head, so he left it alone. Needless to say,
sleep didn’t come easily or stay long that night. We’d snuck the dog into the
apartment and she was happy to sleep with Maverick, but I heard her whine at
about three that morning and then doors opening and closing, albeit quietly,
which meant Carter must have taken her out.

I didn’t think
I’d fall back to sleep anytime soon, so I headed to the kitchen for some water.
Carter walked back into the apartment a few minutes later. “Hey, can’t sleep?”
he whispered and set the dog’s leash on the counter.

I nodded. “I’m
fine as long as I stay on my back, but as soon as I roll it hurts.”

Carter gave me a
sympathetic smile. “Let’s get more aloe on you.”

I nodded and
after he put the dog back in with Maverick, I let him slather me with relief.

* * *

We settled into a comfortable routine
for a week or so, Carter giving me space because of my sunburn, but waging a
sensual war that was quickly breaking down my defenses. The sunburn healed in
less than a week, but every time we planned time alone, we were interrupted and
I was sure the universe was against us.

Hawk and Payton
had signed Lily up for two days at daycare, and Payton and I had discovered the
kids were two peas in a pod… much like Carter and I had been. This fact began
the scheduling of many play dates and the blessed option of alone time with
Carter.

One such Friday
night, Carter had surprised me by taking me into the Pearl for dinner and then
back to his place. We’d watched Lily the Friday before and now Payton and Hawk
were returning the favor.

Cassidy the dog
met us at the door and we kicked off our shoes and spent a little time with her
after putting our leftovers in the fridge. Once Carter grabbed himself a beer
and poured me a glass of wine, he took my hand and led me down the hall to his
bedroom. “How many days have you been on the pill now?”

I tugged on his
hand and he turned to face me. “Nine.”

“Good, we can
forego condoms.”

“But…”

“I’m clean,
baby.” He kissed me then stepped into the bathroom and I heard the shower
start. “I got tested and the results came yesterday. Envelope’s on the
dresser,” he called.

He walked back
into the bedroom, his chest bare, his jeans unbuttoned. I swallowed my squeak
of desire.

“Am I talking
over you?”

“A little,” I
admitted.

“Sorry.” Carter
smiled and slid his hand to my neck, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I just don’t
want you to back out.”

“I can’t back
out of something I haven’t agreed to.”

“What’s the
hesitation, Cass?” He smiled. “The real one, not the ‘we need to wait for Maverick’s
sake,’ or you’re burnt to a crisp, ’cause those are kind of moot now.”

I wrinkled my
nose. “I hate that you know me so well.”

“No you don’t.”

“It’s not that
I’m hesitating, per se.” Unable to stop myself, I ran my fingers across his
six-pack. “It’s just that this will be my first time since… well...”

“I know.”

I dropped my
head back to meet his eyes. “I don’t know if you do. That night with Pierre was
awkward and that’s all I really remember. It didn’t really hurt, but, well, he
wasn’t very nice...” I groaned. “I don’t really know what I’m trying to say.”

“What do you
mean he wasn’t very nice?”

“He just pointed
out things that I needed to work on.”

Carter’s body
locked. “Like what?”

“Nothing, don’t
worry about it.”

“You know if I
ever meet this bastard, I’m gonna fuckin’ kill him.”

“Well, you
won’t, so it’s good. It’s not like he didn’t have some valid points. We were
dancing and ballet is—”

“Fuck me,
Cassidy. I swear to
Christ
, if you say one more negative thing about
your body, I’m gonna get on a fuckin’ plane, hunt that bastard down and beat
the shit out of him.” He cupped my face. “You. Are. Perfect.”

“You haven’t
seen me naked yet.”

“Yes I have, or
did you forget I spent a lot of time exploring you and feasted on your pussy?”

I shivered.
“Well…”

“Plus I put Aloe
all over you.”

“But that was
clinical.”

Carter chuckled.
“Explain the raging hard-on, then.”

“You were hard?”

“Yeah, baby.” He
sighed. “You didn’t notice I took a really long shower?”

I blushed. “I
just thought you took long showers.”

Carter laughed.
“Yeah, not that long, baby.”

I swallowed.

“I’m gonna take
care of you, honey.”

“I know. It’s
just that my first time was underwhelming and then it never happened again. I
guess I don’t really know entirely what to expect.”

“I do.” Carter
chuckled. “Babe, trust me. Tonight won’t be underwhelming. I promise.”

“For me maybe,”
I grumbled.

“For either of
us.” He kissed me quickly. “I have never made love to anyone, Cassidy, so I
can’t wait to find out what that feels like.”

“What do you
mean? You’ve slept with more than a few women.”

“But I’ve never
made love to any of them. You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved, baby, and I’m
gonna prove how much tonight.” He cupped my neck. “Trust me?” I nodded and he
kissed me. “I’m gonna shower quickly. Wanna join me?”

I nodded again
and he smiled, taking my hand. Leading me into the bathroom, he slid my shirt
over my head and cupped my breasts. “Fuck, babe, seriously, gorgeous.” He
unhooked my bra and slid it down my arms, cupping me again and drawing each
nipple into his mouth. I shivered, the sensation one I hadn’t felt before, and
he slid his hands under the elastic waistband of my skirt, pushing it down over
my hips. I stepped out of it and kicked it away from us. I was so glad I’d
shaved my legs that morning. I was also glad I’d worn my one matching set of
underwear. A white lace pair of boy shorts and bra. Not that they stayed on my
body long.

“Your turn,” I
breathed and finished unbuttoning his jeans. He pushed them from his hips and
then his boxer briefs and his cock stood hard before me. God, it was huge. I
know I didn’t really have a basis for comparison, but I was a little concerned
he might be too big for me. “Um…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Are you going
to fit?”

Carter laughed.
“You’re really good for my ego, baby.”

“But I’m kind of
serious.”

“I’ll fit,
sweetheart. Don’t worry.” He guided me into the shower and wrapped an arm
around my waist, sliding his other hand between my legs. I gasped when his
thumb slid over my clit.

“Fuck, baby,” he
breathed as she slipped two fingers inside of me. “You’re so wet.”

I giggled.
“Should I state the obvious?”

Carter chuckled
and stepped under the showerhead, running his hands through his hair before
pulling me to him and turning me into the spray. He lathered his hands with shampoo
and gently washed then conditioned my curls, then he poured body wash on to a
shower poof and ran it over my back.

“Is that my
stuff?”

“Yeah, baby.
Picked up a few things for you last week for when you’re ready to spend the
night.” He kissed my shoulder. “Got shit for Mav too.”

“And the poof?”
I couldn’t stop a giggle because, let’s be honest, ‘poof’ is kind of a funny
word to repeat when you’re about to get it on. I kept imagining Barry White
with a shower poof.

He raised an
eyebrow at my laugh. “The poof is brand new, Cassidy.”

“Good answer.” I
sighed and leaned into his touch.

He chuckled.
“Never brought a woman back here, baby.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Another good
answer,” I whispered as he slid his hand between my legs again.

I braced my
hands on his shoulders and wrapped my legs around his waist as he lifted me,
anchoring my back to the wall.

“Gonna go slow,
baby, but we can stop if you need to.”

I nodded and he
lowered me onto him. I let out a deep breath as his girth filled me, his tip
feeling as though it was touching my womb.

“Too much?”

I shook my head
and leaned down to kiss him. His tongue met mine while his hands gripped my
bottom, digging into the flesh that was much softer now than it had been years
ago. One arm slid up my back and cupped the base of my skull holding me steady
while he began to move. Slowly, giving my body a chance to get used to him.
“Carter,” I whimpered.

“Need me to slow
down?”

“No. God, it’s
amazing.”

The gentleness
of his earlier movement changed and he began to thrust deeper, faster, harder,
my arms locked around his neck as my body quickened. I felt my orgasm build and
slid my hands into his hair, gripping his head as I screamed on my climax.

Carter wasn’t
far behind me and he dropped his head on my shoulder and we tried to catch our
breath.

“Damn, you’re
strong, baby. I think I love ballet now.” I chuckled and he slid out of me and
pulled us both back under the water. He kissed me, running his hands through my
hair. “You okay?”

“Yes,” I said.
“That was… amazing.”

“We’ll get dried
off and do it again.”

“You can do it
again so soon?” I blushed at his cocky grin. “Of course you can, never mind,” I
mumbled.

Carter flipped
off the water and gently dried my hair before focusing on my body. I let him
tend to me, closing my eyes as he did. Before I knew it, I was in his arms and
he was carrying me to bed. Pulling down the comforter and sheets, he laid me
across the mattress, kneeling between my legs and pushing my knees open.
Guiding my legs over his shoulders, he covered my core with his mouth and
sucked my clit. I let out a little mew as he continued to lick, suck, and
stroke me to near orgasm again. One firmer suck had me breaking and, as I
climaxed, he slid into me. I arched against him, his sheer size nearly driving
me to climax again. He rolled onto his back, carrying me with him so I was
straddling him. I anchored my hands on his chest and shifted so I could draw
him deeper inside of me.