Page 88 of Take My Hand

Her fingers are delicate as they drift over my arms, my back, my chest, my thighs. I let her explore as much as she wants, enjoying myself as I sit back and watch her trace her fingers over the ink on my skin that isn’t always exposed.

The appreciation she has for the artwork I’m covered in shines on her face and it only makes me love her even more.

She rinses my body and her hands off, all the bubbles flowing down the drain, before she grazes a finger over my now very obvious erection.

I can only do so much to stave off my desire when she has her hands all over my body and I have an uninterrupted view of her own.

Carter curls her fingers around me, pumping me once, twice, three times before I let out a low groan that causes her eyes to flick up to mine.

No words are exchanged. One look and we both know what we need.

The water is shut off and towels are forgotten as I pick her up, and she wraps her legs around my waist. Our mouths fuse together as I walk us blindly into the bedroom and toss us both into the center of the bed.

Our bodies are free of barriers, our minds free of memories, and our hearts free of fear as I sheath myself in a condom and thrust into her in one even motion that has us both exhaling at the connection.

We said it before downstairs, but we’re showing it to each other now. Proving it with every caress, every kiss, every breathe, every motion.

This is love.

30

CARTER

Nikolai’s home is exactly how I pictured it would be. Flashy, a little over the top, kind of eccentric, and luxurious. Where you can tell that a designer filled Hayden’s home with modern furniture and art pieces that look more fit for a showroom than a home, it’s obvious that Nikolai himself chose every piece in his home. All of it infused with his playful, light-hearted nature from the fabrics on his chairs and curtains to the paintings and trinkets scattered about. There are more windows than wall space, basking the rooms in the dreamy golden hour lighting of the setting sun. The rays bounce off the chrome accents of his kitchen, causing everyone to squint when they hit one just right.

He has a sprawling open floor plan with a kitchen that would make any chef weep with joy leading right into a large dining area. A long table stretches in front of open glass doors that retract into the wall and give an uninterrupted view of a beautiful outdoor patio area, with the hills of California as a backdrop.

Seven place settings are already laid out on the table, accompanied by a few bottles of wine, pitchers of water, and a charcuterie board that everyone has been grazing on.

I wipe my hands against my dress, clammy from nerves that are finally beginning to settle.

Even though this dinner was mine and Scar’s idea, I’ve been nervously anticipating tonight. Not only on Hayden’s behalf because I truly hope we can get some sort of resolution for the guys tonight. But this is also the first time I’m seeing his friends since the night at the club over a week ago.

Hayden and I are in a good place, a great place, since we got everything out into the open and that’s settled some of my unease. But no matter how many times he reassured me that his friends were all horrified by what happened on my behalf, there’s still that small part of my brain that tells me that they’re silently shaming me.

However, that voice was quickly silenced when we arrived at Nikolai's house tonight. We were the last ones to arrive, having lost track of time spending most of the day tucked away in his theater room, showing each other our favorite movies, talking, and fucking in-between them.

Nikolai was the one to greet us at the door and the moment I saw the way his blue eyes still sparkled at me with that same, playful, flirtatious glint, I knew it was going to be okay. He pulled Hayden in for one of those bro hugs before throwing an arm around me and tucking me into his side, saying how great it was to see me, and leading me through his house.

Everyone was congregated in the kitchen and as soon as we entered, I was scooped up into a bear hug by Walker. He put me down at Scar’s insistence that he was crushing me, which he sort of was. He doesn't seem to fully be aware of his own strength.

Before I knew it, he was back to cracking jokes with me like nothing had even happened.

And now as I’ve settled myself on Hayden’s lap while he sits at one of the barstools at the long, granite island chatting away with Walker, the stunning woman who has been running back and forth between the dining table and kitchen finally makes her way over to me.

“I’m sorry, it’s been a hectic evening!” She extends a perfectly manicured hand toward me with an apologetic smile. “I’m Jane. I think we passed each other backstage in Texas when I visited on tour but didn’t get a chance to formally meet.”

“Nice to meet you.” I clasp my hand in hers and am surprised by the strength of her handshake. She’d give my dad a run for his money.

Despite her frantic chopping, plating, and cooking, not a single piece of her long, glossy black hair is out of place.

The resemblance between her and her twin brother is strong. She has the same shade of green eyes as Walker, although hers are sharper, more assessing than Walker’s open and playful gaze.

Jane starts chopping up walnuts for the salad as Scar dips out of the conversation Hayden and Walker are having and comes over to stand next to me, hands falling on the back of the empty barstool by my side that Hayden refused to let me sit in.

Instead, when he took a seat and I moved to sit next to him, he wrapped a hand around my waist and pulled me into his lap with a soft smile. His hands lay on my thighs, thumbs stroking absentmindedly as he talks to Walker about some new video game.

“Thanks for cooking tonight,” Scar says, eyeing the spread with appreciation.

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