Page 113 of Fall to Me
“Really?”
“No.” I laugh, shaking my head. “I really can’t sing for shit.”
Her laughter dances on the walls around us.
I sigh. “Hockey isn’t my passion. Don’t get me wrong; I love the game, but it’s not my passion.”
That’s something I’ve never admitted to anyone, not even to myself. But now that it’s out there . . . I know I won’t think about much of anything else until I decide what it means for me. For us. For our future.
Thirty-Five
Carter
I watch my wife as she looks in the mirror, putting on her earrings for Cal and Aspen’s gala, and allow my eyes to roam all over her body. Fuck. The way her tits spill out of that fitted red dress has my dick hard as a fucking rock.
Finding her heels resting on the floor beside her feet, I pick them up and lead her to sit on the bed. I kneel down, kissing the top of each foot before sliding the heels on for her and buckling the straps. She stares down at me as I run my fingertips up her calves. If we had more time, I’d bend her over this bed and fuck her until she couldn’t see straight, but we don’t so instead, I stand, offer her my hand, and haul her up to me. Her golden hair hangs in loose curls over one shoulder, and her pretty amber eyes, framed by long dark lashes, sparkle a little bit brighter today than they have before. I want to kiss her, but I know that will only get me chastised for messing up her lipstick.
She walks back over to the mirror, and I place my chest against her naked back, wrapping my arm around her andsplaying one hand across her stomach. I grip her hip with the other hand, then press my lips to her shoulder.
“You are the most stunning woman I’ve ever seen.”
She turns her head to the side and pulls my head down for a quick kiss, then wipes my mouth as I ask, “You ready?”
“Yeah, I’m ready.”
Taking her by the hand, I lead her into the living room. There, we find Diesel, Tony, and Hector sitting on the couch waiting for us. The PI has been giving me updates on Jaxon, and according to the charges to his card, as of right now, he’s still in Oklahoma. That doesn’t mean that I’m going to back off on security or any measure I need to implement to keep her safe until he’s behind bars. If that takes a lifetime, then so be it.
“When we get there, stay close, and do not let her out of your sight.”
The men stand, and Tony adjusts his tie, nodding to me. “Sure thing, boss.”
We weave in and out of traffic, the city lights and the high-rise buildings flying past us. I exit off the highway and make a right, then take a left into the parking lot of the hotel. After a forty-five-minute drive across the city, we pull up to the valet where all of us step out of the SUV. The guys hang back as River and I pose for several pictures. Flashes continue to blind us as we make our way inside, her arm tucked in mine.
“Oh, thank God you’re here,” Aspen says, rushing up to River, taking her by the hand. She then turns to me and says, “You go find Cal. I need to steal your wife for a sec.”
“Remember,” I say, tilting River’s chin up. “Don’t run off on your own. If you need to go to the restroom, you grab someone to go with you.”
“I will. I promise.”
Security gives me a nod, letting me know they’ve got her, and I kiss her forehead, then head over to Cal. Pulling him into a handshake, I clap his back.
“This is really something,” I tell him, looking around at the ballroom filled with people ready to empty their pockets for his foundation.
Pulling a check out of my jacket pocket, I hand it to him. “I’m proud of you, brother. I’ll be honest, a year ago, the thought wouldn’t have even crossed my mind that we’d be standing here today. Think of all the lives you’re impacting.”
He looks around the room. “Thank you. I’d like to think Paisley and Xander are both looking down right now, and that they’re proud of what Aspen and I are doing . . . what we’re all doing.”
“I know they are,” I say, clasping his shoulder.
Nodding, he glances down at the check, his eyes popping wide. “This is generous . . . more than I expected. Thank you, Carter.”
“You’re welcome.”
A waiter comes by, and I grab two glasses of champagne from the tray, handing one to Cal.
I hold up my glass in a toast. “To new beginnings for others.”
“To new beginnings for others.” He clinks his glass with mine.
