“Okay. G’night. See you tomorrow.”
******
Slowly, her eyes opened. Something was off. Harlem went to caress her stomach but felt the large hands of a man. That’s when she realized she also felt the weight of an arm draped over her body. Her eyes widened, and she stared into the darkness. Harlem blinked several times, not only to clear her vision but to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
Harlem stilled. She was supposed to be alone. Her mind was racing.How do I get to my phone to dial 9-1-1?!She didn’t even have a knife anywhere close.
She tried not to breathe or make the slightest movement that would alert the person next to her that she was awake. Still, she managed to turn enough to see a sleeping Carter lying next to her.Carter?Why is he here?
He was shirtless, exposing one chiseled muscle after another. He looked good.Damn good.Harlem swallowed hard and stared at him until she realized she was drooling.What the hell?She was losing her mind. Harlem knew one thing, he had to get up and out of her bed!
Harlem used her index finger to poke at his shoulder. She touched him as if he were dirty trash. He didn’t respond. Finally, she pushed harder on the same shoulder. “Carter! What are you doing here?!”
He was groggy. “What do you mean?”
“What do you mean,what do I mean?” She was on the verge of freaking the hell out.
“You asked me to come, remember?” He tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes.
“No. That’s why I’m asking.”
“You had a craving and called. It was too late to go home.”
“I called you?”
“Yes.”
Perplexed, Harlem scratched her forehead. She did not remember calling him. She was going to have to talk to Dr. Jones about this one.
Carter made no attempt to move. She placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed hard. “You couldn’t find anywhere else to sleep except for my bed?!”
He sat up. “I got my ass up in the middle of the night to bring you black-walnut ice-cream. You were loopy, to say the least, and didn’t want to move. So, I brought you ice-cream and a spoon.” He lifted his chin in the direction of her nightstand.
Harlem glanced over at it and saw the container.
“I didn’t think about where I was sleeping. I just fell out. Now, will you take your ass to sleep?! I have an early morning meeting tomorrow.” Carter never even opened his eyes throughout their entire conversation. He just rolled over onto his back as if nothing about this was strange.
Harlem couldn’t sleep in the bed with Carter. Not when . . . She looked down at her body. Not when he surprisingly induced some sexual tension. Harlem was a little warm andmoist. Her body was doing the absolute most! Harlem pressed her lips together and her thighs.
“Harlem?”
“Yes?”
“Are you squeezing your thighs together?”
Harlem’s entire body blushed. If a word was invented to describe total and absolute embarrassment, it would explain her current state. She couldn’t get her mouth to work for anything. Not even to deny the undeniable.
Carter finally opened his eyes. He smiled mischievously. “If you have a sexual need, I can certainly help with that. Just ask.”
Before Harlem could protest, Carter kissed a patch of skin just above her collarbone. He pulled her skin into his mouth and sucked.
“Y-you can’t do that.” She stuttered.
“Why not? You’re horny, right?”
“We can’t.”
“We can.”