Page 57 of Fall to Me
“Carter . . . sweetheart?” I begin to walk toward him, glancing around at our company. “Can we talk privately . . . please?”
Carter hands the groceries off to the guys. Grabbing my hand, he pulls me into his bedroom, and I close the door behind us.
Throwing my hands out at my side, I whisper yell, “What the fuck?”
“What do you mean, what the fuck?” he whispers back, eyes wide.
I begin to pace back and forth at the foot of his bed, wearing his dark gray rug smooth the hell out.
“You invited Sean after everything you told me? Seriously? You knew Hannah would be here!”
“How would I know that?”
My brows shoot up, and my hand flies toward the door. “Oh, I don’t know . . . maybe because it’s Friendsgiving and she’s one of my best friends!”
“And he’s one of my friends. All of his family lives in Nevada. He doesn't have anyone here.”
“Good fucking gravy, Carter.”
“Did . . . did you just say good gravy? Where in God’s name did you come from?”
I roll my eyes. We stare at each other a few beats.
Then, we both burst out laughing at the irony of this entire situation.
Running a hand through my hair, I groan. “This is gonna be a complete shit show.”
“Want me to pop the popcorn?”
I snort a laugh and sit down on the edge of the bed. Carter takes the spot next to me. I look around his room, nibbling on my bottom lip.
“Did she tell you anything?” he asks.
“She told me they’ve been hooking up since the wedding. Do you know how hard it was to act like I didn’t already know?” I run my fingers through my hair. “Maybe we should keep them away from each other. He’s really doing a number on her.”
“Baby, their shit is not our shit. Alright? We’ll go out there and be good hosts, but I’m not making special accommodations for anyone.”
“I don’t see what the big deal is. Just take the guys to the game room and play pool or something.”
He takes my hand in his, toying with my wedding ring.
“I don’t want to be on the other side of the house where you’re not. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m kind of obsessed.”
“Ya big ol’ baby.” I laugh, bumping my shoulder against his arm, then without thinking, lean up and press my lips to his.
Carter hesitates, leaning back a fraction, a silent question in his expression. His minty breath feathers across my lips as we stare at each other. His eyes close, and his mouth parts on a sigh. Pressing his forehead against mine, he guides my back to the mattress, and hovers over me, teasing and nipping at my lips. His tongue peeks out, caressing mine, before he sucks my bottom lip into his mouth. His kiss is slow and sensual, like our lips are caught up in a dance and he’s memorizing every movement. Carter's mouth skims down my jaw and my neck, and I grind myself against his thigh. He dusts a kiss over my lips and whispers, “Mine.”
“Ivan and Evie are here,” Aspen interrupts from behind the door.
He looks at the door, then back at me and groans. “What did I do in my past life to get punished in this one? Be there in a sec,” he calls out.
I giggle as he pushes up from the bed to stand. Reaching down, he grabs my hands, pulling me with him. The minute we walk out of his room, the smell of popcorn hits me in the face.
I chuckle to myself. Maybe someone had the same idea as Carter. As we walk into the living room, our hands break apart. Carter joins the rest of the guys, lounging around, watching football, and I saunter into the kitchen. Aspen stands at the counter, placing foil over a casserole, and Evie holds Ivy at the table. I wash my hands, then give Evie a hug before taking her sweet baby from her arms.
“Hi, sweet girl. Look at you getting so big.” I kiss her chubby cheeks and rub my hand over her pretty curls. “I could keep you here with me forever and ever.”
“Or you and Carter can have one of your own,” Evie sasses.
