Chapter 24
TWENTY-FOUR
I nearly trip when I mess up again.
“Fuck,” I murmur, frustrated.
Jumping rope in the basement should help clear my mind, but I can’t nail the routine to “Up” by Cardi B.
After we got home tonight, I headed down here to work out. We had an early night for the second day in a row. It seems Swanson wants me to take it slow for a bit.
Even though we were home early, Xander was already asleep. And without him as a buffer for my thoughts, I can only obsess about her.
My mind’s been racing.
Carolina wants this.
I saw it in her eyes a few times already, but two days ago, when she saw me hurt, it was so fucking obvious. She feels this too. She is just scared. I don’t care what she told Josh.
It was a lie, a fucking lie.
And she seems to be ignoring me again. Not as bad as last time, but she didn’t really talk to me yesterday. I think the gun incident got to her more than she wants to admit.
It’s driving me nuts. Seeing her every day and not being able to act on those feelings is torture.
Every day, I have to see her and can’t tell her how much she means to me.
I have to see her fine ass and can’t squeeze it before spanking it raw.
I can’t kiss those luscious lips that would look so goddamn good around my cock, especially if she looked up at me from it with those golden eyes.
I stumble again. “Fuck,” I huff out, looking down at the boner in my pants. “I know, buddy. I hate this too.”
I wonder if she’s given Josh her first blow job yet.
I know it’s none of my damn business, but hell, I’ve never been so hard so fucking fast as when she asked if I could teach her to give head.
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve imagined it.
Her on her knees before me, me holding her head, fucking her mouth gently while telling her how to suck me.
“For fuck’s sake,” I whisper, pressing my palms against my eyes, trying to calm down. But it’s no use. The undeniable truth is that I need her. I fucking need her now.
Turning off the music, I dash up the stairs, throw on my parka, and grab Xander’s keys. Then, I head to the truck, the engine roaring to life as I speed toward the bar.
It’s already late, but my gut tells me she’s still working, and I can’t wait a second longer to find out.
My mind races with questions all centered around her.
What is it about her that has me in such turmoil?
I can’t pinpoint it. Maybe it’s because I can’t have her, and she denies the magnetic pull between us.
But I don’t believe it.
I know it’s something deeper, something meant to be.
When I arrive, I spot her polishing glasses. It seems like a calm night, with only a few patrons lingering and sipping their beers.
“Kitten,” I call for her as I approach, and Carolina looks up at me, briefly scanning the area to see if I’m alone.
“Clay, what’s wrong? Did something happen?” she asks, setting down the cloth and the glass she was polishing.
“I need to talk to you,” I demand, urgency in my voice.
“Now?” she asks, glancing over at the clock on the wall.
“It can’t wait,” I insist, clenching my fists at my sides to keep myself from reaching for her.
She briefly studies my face, then nods and disappears into the back. When she returns, her blonde coworker is trailing behind her.
“I’ll be back in a minute,” she tells the blonde.
“Oh, don’t worry, take your time,” she teases, wiggling her eyebrows at Carolina, who simply rolls her eyes.
Carolina comes around the bar, taking my hand to lead me into the back.
We navigate through the kitchen, and a guy who looks like the cook shoots me a disapproving glare.
I simply offer him a strained smile in return.
I have to remind myself that this is Carolina’s place of work, no matter how much I wish it weren’t.
The other guy is quick to turn his back to me when I look at him.
I’m a nervous wreck when we finally reach a hallway where Carolina opens her locker. I don’t want this to blow up in my face, but I can’t keep things in anymore. She slips on her jacket and takes hold of my hand again, guiding me toward the back door.
The door is illuminated by a lone light that casts a dim glow in the alleyway behind the bar. Thankfully, there’s no one in sight. Still, not wanting to risk it, I pull her by her wrist and lead her a few steps into the shadows. The light is just enough now for me to make out her face.
She gives me a critical look and asks, “Clay, what’s going on? What happened? Are you okay?”
Gently, I press her against the wall, sandwiching her between me and the hard concrete. I’m sweaty and probably smell, but we both have to live with that right now. My hands reach up to cradle her face, my thumb stroking her cheek.
“Carolina.” I exhale. The cold makes me see my breath, but my eyes don’t leave hers, and her pupils dilate.
“What…” she breathes out, sounding unsure.
“Tell me this is real,” I plead, but she simply looks up at me, biting her lip. “Tell me you feel it too,” I continue, lowering my forehead to hers and closing my eyes. “Tell me… tell me I can have you because you already have me.”
She hesitates, and my stomach sinks.
“Kitten, tell me you feel it too,” I whisper more urgently as one of my hands wanders down to her throat, squeezing it gently.
“I do, but…”
“Fuck the ‘buts,’” I almost growl and push her chin up with my thumb, leaning in to kiss her.
At first, she freezes, then she grabs my parka and kisses me back, so I tilt her head a bit more to deepen the kiss.
Fuck, this is everything!
I’ve never felt such a strong connection while kissing anyone except Xander. Kissing him and kissing her feels the same, which makes me believe even more that we’re meant to be.
This is meant to be.
She’s so damn small, and I have to lean down to reach her soft lips. I let my hands wander down to her thighs and lift her, pressing her against the wall.
“Clay!” she hisses, gripping my shoulders.
“Wrap your legs around my waist,” I murmur against her lips.
“No, I’m too heavy. Put me down,” she protests.
“Shut up, wrap your legs around me like a good girl, and let me kiss those perfect lips,” I order, and finally, she gives in.
I bite her bottom lip for making me ask twice, and she lets out a soft whimper. Fuck, how I dreamed about this sound. And it is just for me this time.
We kiss for a long moment, getting lost inside each other, and it feels as if my worries all left my body when she gave in to me.
She gives a quiet moan against my mouth, her chest heaving as much as mine is.
Then she reaches down to firmly grasp my hard-on through my sweatpants.
A deep groan escapes my lips, and I pull back slightly, nibbling along her neck.
“Do you like what you’re feeling, kitten?
” I ask, biting down and making her gasp.
The sounds she makes… and for me.
“Feed your own ego. I’m busy,” she breathes out, slipping her hand inside my pants.
I chuckle, trying to come up with a response, but as soon as her small hand touches me, my mind goes completely blank, and all I can manage to utter is a simple “Fuck.”
Xander is a big guy, in every sense of the word, while she is small as fuck. The contrast is mind-blowing but in the best damn way.
My hand ventures from her thigh, sneaking under her hoodie. It slides up to her tits, pulling down the cup of her bra so I can play with her nipple between my fingers.
“Dio,” she breathes out, and I swiftly dive back in to kiss her.
She’s stroking my cock, and I’m already dripping with pre-cum.
She drives me fucking wild.
I need to know if I have the same effect on her, so my hand leaves her amazing tits and searches for the waistband of her jeans. I fumble with the button for a bit too long, making her huff. She leans back to open it herself, and our eyes lock as my hand slips into her panties.
I lick my lips when my fingers find her slit. As I delve in, I feel her wetness, and I watch as her eyes, locked on mine, go wide on a gasp while her body starts to tremble.
“Fuck, you’re so wet for me,” I murmur, licking up her neck. “I’m dying to fuck you, but I’m a man of culture, and I won’t do it in this filthy alleyway.”
“The only culture you possess is bacteria,” she deadpans, and I lift my head to meet her gaze once again. “Fuck me, Clay.”
Holy shit, you don’t have to tell me that twice.
I bring Carolina back to her feet and turn her around. “Hands on the wall, kitten,” I command.
She complies, and I grab her hips, pulling her back slightly so she arches her back. Then I slip my foot between hers and nudge her right foot to the side, spreading her legs wide. In this position, her pants and panties get stuck around her calves when I tug them down.
Now she’s in front of me, bent over, hands against the wall, with that delicious ass in the air. My mouth waters, seeing her pussy glisten in the faint light.
I give her ass a spank, something I’ve wanted to do since she first opened that pretty mouth to mock me, and the sound resonates in the alleyway. I quickly glance around, but we’re still alone.
“This needs to be fast and dirty, kitten, before someone shows up looking for you,” I warn her, pushing a finger inside her, eliciting a moan from her. “But I promise, once I have you in my bed, I’ll make it up to you by eating you out so thoroughly that you’ll beg me to stop.”
“Clay,” she moans my name as I slide a second finger inside her, and after a few pumps, I can tell she’s ready for me.
I let my sweatpants and boxers drop down and position myself behind her. Since she’s smaller, I have to squat down a bit to match her height. It’s like a mini leg workout as I guide my cock to her pussy, teasing her by gliding it up and down a few times.
I close my eyes and release a groan, stilling for a second. Her pussy feels nearly hot compared to the cold outside, and I can’t wait to sink myself into her warmth.
“Quit playing around, Clay. You said we had to hurry,” she breathes out.
She’s right, so I slowly push inside, relishing the tightness that surrounds me.
“Holy fuck, kitten,” I breathe out, hearing her inhale sharply.
I give her ass another slap, leaving a red mark that I gently rub before pulling out and pushing back in slowly. I have to close my eyes. This feels like pure heaven, and I could do it all day long.
“Quick and… dirty, Clay,” Carolina reminds me between pants, and I firmly grip her hips, starting to thrust harder and faster into her. “Fuck, yes,” she moans.
My hand slips back under her hoodie, reaching up to her breasts. I squeeze them, one after the other, unable to resist.
“You’re so damn sexy, these tits… god,” I groan out. “I could spend hours just sucking on them.” I give them a firmer squeeze, and she moans in response.
What a beautiful sound.
I withdraw my hand from under her hoodie and let it travel to her ponytail, wrapping her hair around my fist and pulling it while continuing to thrust into her. She arches her back even more, and her hands lose their grip on the wall.
Needing more, I pull her up by her hair, pulling her head back so I can lick her throat. My free hand moves from her hip to her swollen and plump pussy, finding her clit. I grit my teeth to keep from coming as my fingers start tracing circles around it.
“Are you going to be a good girl for me and come all over my cock in this dirty alleyway?” I whisper into her ear, my breath hot against her cold skin.
“Yes,” she breathes out, but after another thrust, I still, my fingers pausing on her clit. “Clay!” she protests.
“Say, ‘Clay, I’m your good girl,’ and I’ll let you come,” I order, nibbling on her ear, teasing her.
She shakes her head, refusing, so I pull her hips back into mine, driving in deep, making her moan once more. “Say it,” I demand.
She shakes her head again, and I give her ass a firm spank, harder this time. Finally, she blurts out, “I’m your good girl, Clay. Now make me fucking come, asshole.”
I chuckle but continue my thrusts, my fingers finding her clit again and her walls spasm around me.
“Then come for me, kitten,” I whisper in her ear, rubbing her clit a little bit harder, and she shatters around me, gripping my cock so tightly I can’t help but come along with her, grunting and moaning. Electricity shoots through me, and with a muttered “Fuck,” I let my head fall back.
I pull her back against me, craving the deepest connection possible as I come inside her. Having this with her is more than I could have imagined. This alleyway is not what I fantasized for our first time, but in the end, the place doesn’t matter.
When we come down from the high, and our breathing no longer echoes around us, I slip out and bend down to kiss the red mark on her ass cheek that I had left earlier. Tugging up her pants and panties, I tuck my cock back into my sweatpants. Then I turn her toward me, hugging her tightly.
Kissing the top of her head, I whisper, “You’re absolutely perfect for me.”
I feel her freeze in my arms and pull back slightly to look into her eyes. Her nose is red from the cold, and I can’t resist giving it a quick, gentle kiss. When I straighten up, her eyes are wide.
“Dio, what have I done?” she questions, tears welling up.
Dread fills my stomach. “Carolina, I—”
“No, I need to go. I have to tell Joshua that I fucked up,” she interrupts, turning to leave, but I quickly grab her wrist.
“That’s the worst thing you can do right now. You’re upset and not thinking clearly. I’m sorry. This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have…” I begin.
“No, it’s not about what you did. It’s about the promises I made and what I did,” she nearly cries, her voice trembling on the verge of panic.
“Carolina, I’ll take you home. You can take a shower, get some sleep, and then we can talk to Josh together. Going to him like this will only make everything worse,” I try to soothe, realizing the gravity of the situation.
This really could have been too much. I need to have a conversation with Xander too. I fucked up badly. Again. But still, I can’t regret what just happened.
She nods, biting her lip and hugging herself tightly before whispering, “You’re right. Okay. I need to go back inside and end my shift.”
“Should I come with you? I can stay and bring you home after,” I offer, reaching out to touch her cheek, but she takes a step back.
“No, thank you. Please go home. Good night,” she quickly dismisses, turning and heading back inside.
“Kitten!” I call out, but the door closes behind her before I can say anything more.