Page 39 of 5+Us Makes Seven

“Then what’s been going on?” he asked.

“It’s nothing. I’ve got it under control.”

“I don’t think you do. That was a very strong coffee you came over with this afternoon,” he said.

“Carter, please-”

“Natasha, as your employer, I’m worried about you. This scenario would be no different if we were working at my company.”

“Would you be holding my hand at your company?” I asked.

He sighed as he released me, but I found him wanting to come back.

I found my skin aching for his touch.

“What’s going on?” Carter asked.

“My time in Africa, it wasn’t always…”

Shit. Was I really going to do this with him?

“Good?” he asked.

“Safe,” I said. “My time in Africa wasn’t always safe. Bria is… a war-torn area. There are so many guns and so many threats and so many children ripped from their families and forced to fight in order to save their own lives.”

I felt Carter’s fingers tuck a rogue strand of hair behind my ear.

“I have nightmares sometimes,” I said.

“Of what?” he asked.

“Of the children I used to treat that died in war-torn crossfires,” I said.

“What?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I said with a sigh. “It’s not roses and pies over there, Carter. Those kids are constantly running for their lives. Hiding underneath their beds at two in the morning because of gunfire whipping by the building they’re sleeping in. And sometimes, we were ambushed. The rogue armies made of enslaved African children wanted to run us out sometimes, so they would come running over the hill and simply start shooting. Kids, not much older than yours, with automatic weapons just spraying wherever they could.”

I felt my body shaking as Carter scooted closer to me.

“Natasha, I had no idea,” he said.

“No one does,” I said. “I watched kids I taught how to talk bleeding in the middle of the dirt roads. Kids I had

just taught how to walk running for their lives. Crying for their mothers and running into our tents trying to outrun their own friends who were killing them just to try and save themselves.”

Carter’s arm slipped around my waist and pulled me into his lap.

“I’m so sorry, Natasha,” he said with a whisper.

“They were just children,” I said breathlessly. “Just innocent children.”

My forehead fell against his as my tears dripped onto his skin. He was nuzzling his nose against me. His hands were rubbing my back. My legs straddled him and my hands gripped his shirt as my trembling body tried to ground itself. My lip was shaking and tears were leaking from my eyes.

I couldn't control myself.

I didn’t know how to stop it this time.

Without another word spoken, Carter covered his lips with mine. Pulling me deeper into him to try and calm my crying. Our lips moved together as my body began to heat. I sniffled and I hiccupped with my sobs as his tongue tried to comfort me.

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