Page 42 of 40 and (So Over) Fixing It
“Good or bad?”
Her voice was barely a whisper. “Good.”
Carter’s whole body seemed to relax into the seat. He squeezed her hand hard. “I’m glad.”
“Me too.”
To an outsider it might have seemed like the most inane conversation to ever follow a hasty, hot, totally unexpected—and satisfying—sexual encounter. To Erin, it was a reassurance she’d known she needed but hadn’t expected to get.
“So what next?” she asked quietly.
Several minutes passed before Carter responded. “So…you probably won’t believe this, but right before I came down here, I swore off dating.”
Her stomach sank.
“I realized that I hadn’t really been dating because I wanted to, but because people expected me to. But now—” The look Carter gave her… There went those butterflies again. “Now I’m wondering if that was such a good decision.” He came to a stop at the red light just outside the town square and turned in his seat to look at her. “I’d like to find out what’s between us, Erin. I don’t know how that works with me leaving Sunday and you living here, but I’m open to exploring it.” He raised an eyebrow at her. “How about you?”
She held her breath, staring into his eyes. The openness there had her leaning forward, bringing her lips to his. They hadn’t kissed last night, and she needed that now, needed to know if they fit together as intimately in this moment as they had hours before.
And oh, it was good. His lips were firm, mobile, giving as well as taking. He didn’t hesitate—his tongue sneaked into her mouth and mated with hers. Heat traveled through her body to settle between her legs.
A honking horn broke them apart. Carter glanced into the rearview mirror and let off the brake. Erin gave a nervous laugh.
Carter broke the silence. “Well?”
“Well…” Cheeky ass. “I can’t believe I’m saying this considering what a massive wrong foot we got off to, but I’d like to explore this too.”
Carter shook his head. “You’re never gonna let me live that down, are you?”
She grinned. “Oh, absolutely not.”
As they continued through town, that quick kiss was all Erin could think about, that and the feel of Carter’s hand surrounding hers, his fingers stroking her, his scent surrounding her. She knew she needed to calm down, get this runaway freight train under control, but the closer they got to the mansion, the faster her heart beat. JD’s place didn’t exactly offer privacy, but she couldn’t help hoping for a few moments to explore things between them just a little further.
Maybe shewasthat giggling teen girl, being dropped off for a date she didn’t want to end.
And maybe Carter was that teen boy, because when they reached JD’s house, he didn’t pull into the gate. He kept going, only slowing down when he neared the shed. The quiet that enveloped them when the SUV shut off allowed her to hear the fast rhythm of Carter’s breathing, as fast as hers. Which meant—
A quick glance toward Carter’s lap said her supposition was right. That was all she had time to think before Carter’s seat belt was off, hers was released, and he hauled her toward him.
Their lips met over the console. Carter gripped her jaw, tilting her head to allow him access, and she opened her mouth, inviting him in. His taste was hot, hungry, his tongue urgent, his body pressing closer despite the obstacles between them. Their lips mated again and again as she reached out a hand, palm flat, to find his chest. The muscles beneath his shirt barely yielded to her touch. She desperately wanted the chance to explore, but not here, not in the car where anyone could drive by and see them.
She broke away. “Wanna come inside?”
A blush lit up her cheeks, but Carter didn’t laugh. His gaze leveled on her with a desire that made her shiver. “I definitely would.”
And if he did, it would definitely lead to more than what they’d done last night, if that look told her anything. Was that what she wanted?
God, yes.
The two of them were out of the car and entering the murky shed in a fast minute. A glance around had Erin hesitating. “Um…”
Carter’s laugh was strained. “Am I too old to have sex on top of a table created from plywood and sawhorses?”
The fact that he mentioned sex—like, full-on sex—had her perking up. “I don’t know about you being too old, or me for that matter, but I think that table is too…something…for us to have sex on top of it.”
“Right.” He moved ahead of her into the center of the small room before turning back to face her. “Then let’s see how we can improvise.” He winked. “Unbutton your shirt.”
Holy crap, they were doing this. Really doing this. In her work shed. Now.
