TAKING THE FALL - the Complete Series (15 page)

I raise my eyebrows because I’m not sure whether he’s hungry for food or for me. “I don’t think I can take another orgasm like that. You’re going to have to give me a minute,” I say, before trying to lift off of him. He locks his arm around me tightly so I can’t move.

“
And where do you think you’re going? If I want more, you’ll give me more,” he orders, but his severity loses all effect when he nuzzles into my neck. His stubble tickles my skin and makes me giggle and squirm.

“
The baby is hungry,” I pout, making Carter spring into action. He jumps up from the bed in all his naked glory. His cock is somehow hard again and I can’t help but stare at it and lick my lips ravenously. Maybe waiting so long to try this whole sex thing has turned me into a sex fiend. I can be seriously pissed off at Carter, yet I still let him do whatever he wants with me. I may be becoming an addict.

“
Eyes up here, baby. I’m not just some piece of meat,” Carter says, with a smirk on his face. I love seeing him so relaxed for once.

I smile up at him. Waking up together, rolling around in bed, getting ready to start our day, it’s so perfect and normal. But I know this is just a moment in time. We still have so much ahead of us. Carter still has to take care of business, and he would be doing that right now if I hadn’t gotten hurt. So that means there’s still more for him to handle. This is like a splash of cold water on my happiness.

Dropping my head, I look back down at the sheets until he’s standing over me. He lifts my face to meet his eyes.

“
Where did you just go, baby?” he asks as he strokes my jaw with his thumb.

“
I…it’s just…I know we don’t have this for long. I know there’s stuff you have to do. I have so many questions. I’m still really confused,” I whisper, hating that I have to bring this up. But I want it all out in the open. He said he won’t slip out on me again, but I’m still a little scared that he might. Now I know it’s not because he doesn’t love me, or doesn’t want to be with me, but because he has things he needs to take care of for us.

“
Baby, I’m not going anywhere and, to be honest, I don’t want to go into everything right now. Let’s face it later. This morning I want to enjoy my woman. I’ve wanted this for so long. Let’s just pretend for a little bit that we don’t have anything but this. Will you give me that this morning?”

I nod my head and he picks me up off the bed. I wrap my legs around him and he catches my lips. I’ve kissed few people in my life but I know no one could measure up to him. His kisses are just like our sex – full force and packed with so much emotion. He tastes and takes whatever he wants. He continues to kiss me while carrying me into the bathroom and sitting me on the sink. Turning on the water, he picks me back up and puts me in the shower.

“
You do know I can walk, right?”

“
I’m just being safe, Cherry. Bathrooms are slippery and I don’t want you to fall. You’re carrying our baby.”

I roll my eyes and Carter gives me his “do as I command look” and I just roll them again. “I’ve been taking showers for the last three months all on my own, so I think I’m fine.”

I regret the words as soon as they leave my mouth. I see the pained look on Carter’s face and I think he’s going to say something. Instead he brings his hand to my stomach and rubs it. When his eyes meet mine again, I can see how much we mean to him. It’s written across his face, clear as day. Carter isn’t a man with many faces, and the ones he gives me are nothing like I’ve ever seen him give anyone else.

“
No one will keep you from me again. Ever. I have a plan, Cherry. I’ll keep you close to me, but I’m going to finish what needs to be done. I know someone fucked with your car, so evidently they found you. I thought I hid your tracks when you took off, but it looks like I missed something. Or maybe it was me. I was selfish when I left prison and I came straight for you. I didn’t think I had any tails but I should have known they would be watching me. They knew how bad I wanted you. How nuts I went that night. They also knew the minute I took that plea deal that I’d give up anything for you. They knew I would sit in that jail cell and not give two fucks about doing that time if it meant that when I was done I would get you.”

“
Oh, Carter,” I whisper, his words bringing tears to my eyes.

“
Let me finish, Layla,” he says and places a finger over my lips. “I missed that moment when you found out you were pregnant. They took me away from here and they took that from me. I’m done with them taking me away from you. I’m going to say this one more time so you know how serious I am. I’ll never leave you again unless I’m six feet fucking under. You got me?”

“
Yes,” I tell him, feeling some of my worry slip from my shoulders.

“
Yes what?”

“
Yes, I got you Carter.”

“
Good, baby,” he says. He reaches for the shampoo. “Now let’s get you all cleaned up so I can spend the day dirtying you.”

“
Sounds perfect,” I reply, and lean my head back into the spray.

“
But after we’re all clean you have to make your men some food. I’ll need energy to do all that dirtying up.”

“
Men?” I ask. Is someone coming over?

“
Yeah, Junior and me,” he says, rubbing my belly.

“
Hey, that’s a little girl in there. Well it better be,” I scold.

“
No fucking way, Cherry. If we have a little girl who looks like you, I’ll end up back in a jail cell.”

“
Well I sure can’t squeeze any boy you made out of my vagina. That’s not happening.”

“
Fuck me. I never even thought about you going into labor. Holy shit. I don’t think I can handle seeing you like that,” he frets, the panic clear on his face.

I burst out laughing. This is the thing that brings panic to Carter’s face.

“
Not funny, Cherry,” he growls.

This only makes me giggle even more, earning me a classic Carter glare.

“
Okay, okay. Get me clean so I can make us something to eat. I’m starving here.”

Carter starts rubbing me down with soap, getting my boobs cleaner than they’ve ever been in my life. He says he’s only checking to see if they’re sensitive yet but I call bullshit. Next thing I know my nipples are in his mouth. He moves and kneels in front of me, thoroughly cleaning every part of me until I can barely stand. My body is like Jell-O when finishes. He stands up and makes quick work of his own cleaning. He deems us both clean and pulls me from the shower. He spends extra time drying me off, then hands me a shirt from the bag he brought in last night. He puts it on me and then nods his head in approval. It’s so freaking huge the sleeves fall to mid-forearm on me, and the hem is almost to my knees. This is saying a lot, because I’m a curvy girl, and all his shirts fit him like a second skin.

“
I have clothes I can wear. This thing is huge on me.”

“
I like seeing you in my shit, so you’ll wear it. Got it, Cherry?” He says this like it’s a question but we both know he’s telling, not asking. He smacks my ass and pushes me towards the kitchen. “Food, woman. We’re all starving here.”

I shoot him a pissed-off look but the idea of going into the kitchen and making us breakfast makes me way happier than it should. It shows me how much we’ve missed, and how excited I am to do these little things with him.

When I’m halfway down the hall, Carter grabs me and spins me around.

“
I gotta make a call so I’m going to step out back,” he tells me.

I want to question him, but I want him to know I trust him too.

“
Mmkay.”

“
Kiss me, Cherry.”

“
I can’t,” I pout.

“
And why the fuck not?” he growls.

“
Because you’re a freaking giant and I’ll never reach,” I snap at him, loving that this is what we’re bickering about. Picking me up, he gives me a soft tender kiss, different from his usual punishing kisses. He nibbles at my lips and lazily slips his tongue into my mouth. After a moment, he’s sets me back on the ground again.

“
I’ll just be out back if you need me.”

Nodding my head, I go to the kitchen and start taking things out of the fridge to make omelets. Suddenly I hear the front door lock click and Justin comes strolling in.

“
Layla! I’ve been so worried about you. I heard what happened, and you haven’t been answering any of my calls,” he says as he rushes over towards me.

Crap! I don’t even remember where I left my phone. I bet Jeanette is blowing it up right now too.

“
Sorry. Time just got away from me, I guess.” I blush when I think of what I’ve really been up to.

Taking my face in his hands, Justin looks over me

“
Is the baby okay? I told you if you ever needed anything, I’m here for you and the baby.”

“
Justin, we’re fine,” I say adamantly and I reach up to remove his hands from my face. I notice too late that he’s leaning into me.

CARTER

“
Looks like I’m going back to jail.”

I’m not out of the room five fucking minutes and this little dipshit is trying to move in on my woman.

My body moves on autopilot. Next thing I know he’s on the ground and I’m kneeling on his neck. Somewhere in the background I can hear Layla telling me to let him up. She’s adorable when she’s panicking.

“
Carter! Get off him! He’s turning blue!” I look down and see Baby Bitch, a.k.a. Justin, is in fact, turning blue. His arms and legs flail but it’s useless when I’ve got his whole body pinned down with just my knee. I don’t know why Cherry is freaking out. I told her I wanted him gone but here he is. When I walked in and saw him touching her, rage shot through my body and I swear I saw red. I don’t like Cherry seeing me like this but this is who I am. It’s best she learns to keep other men the fuck away from her now.

I reach down and punch the side of his thigh in a quick jab. It gives him a charley-horse and he starts to cramp up. I lean over and do the same to the other leg so now he’s somewhat still.

“
I’m gonna let you up because I don’t wanna get blood inside Layla’s house. But after I let you up, I’m gonna take you out back and show you the wood shed.”

“
Carter! Seriously. I don’t even have a wood shed! Let him up!” Layla sounds more and more annoyed, so I give in.

I take my body off his neck and he immediately begins to choke and cough. I grab him by his pink polo collar with both hands and push him into the nearest wall. I hold him about two feet off the floor because I’m not entirely sure his legs have recovered enough for him to stand. Sadly the little shit still isn’t eye to eye with me. I’m not sure what Cherry saw in him.

“
You mind telling me what in the fuck flavor Pop-Tart you had for breakfast that made you think it was all right touch my woman? Let me educate you. You see that redhead behind me?” I nod over my shoulder in her direction and he lets out a muffled “yeah”.

“
That pretty thing is mine. You see, you might have gotten to take her out and show her off for a little bit, but she never belonged to you. You seem like a smart kid, but I’ll dumb it down, just so you don’t get it twisted.” I lean in a little because I don’t want Baby Bitch to miss a beat. “I grew up alone and never learned to share real good. Letting you breathe the same air as her is all you’re gonna to get. You ever think about putting your prissy-ass hands on her again and you’ll be jerking off with nubs. That clear?”