11. Sloan
Chapter eleven
Sloan
C arter’s mouth is wet and cold against mine, though the urgency behind his kiss quickly has me heating up, the chill of the rain all but forgotten.
We’re a tangle of lips and teeth and tongues, hands grasping for any bare skin we can find, as we make out like horny teenagers who’ve snuck out for the night. I can’t recall a time where I was this desperate for another man’s touch, and the fact this one is my boss doesn’t seem to detract from that need the way it should.
Strong fingers cup my face, guiding my head to the angle Carter likes best so he can claim my breath. It makes me feel cherished and possessed at the same time, as if his desire is barely restrained, a thought that has me moaning wantonly.
My core burns with need as I give myself over to the feel of his powerful body gripping at mine, warming me despite the lingering cold from my wet clothes. I don’t know how it’s possible to shiver and burn at the same time, yet there’s no denying my skin feels both in equal measure as he plunders my mouth.
His biceps bulge under my palms as I map the contours of his arms, his shoulders, settling on the pecs that rise and fall deliciously with each ragged breath. If I were able to think rationally I’d wonder how I could have this effect on him, but my rapidly swelling cock has rendered me senseless, capable of little else beyond chasing the pleasure this man’s body offers.
Carter grips my arms in his large hands, pulling me closer. I’m halfway to his lap when the shrill horn catches us both by surprise.
“What?” My chest heaves erratically as I try to see through the foggy windshield, hoping no other employees are close enough to see the steaming windows.
“Sorry. I hit the horn.” Carter’s ragged breathing matches mine, his whiskey eyes cloudy with lust. “Don’t worry, no one’s out there.”
“I wasn’t worried.” I straighten my shirt to cover the lie.
“Sure,” he chuckles with a wry smile. “Let’s finish this at the resort.” He licks the seam of my lips before giving me a chaste kiss and helping me back to the passenger seat, and with practiced ease steers us down the mountainside to the underground parking lot of his building, where the elevator can take us straight to his floor.
The moment we step inside he spins me to face him, kissing me ruthlessly as he walks me backwards down the hall, fingers tugging at my shirt.
“What are you doing?” I lift my arms so he can pull it off before I consciously decide to let him.
“Undressing you.” He nips at my bottom lip while reaching for the button on my pants, all the while driving me further into his apartment.
“You really are an impatient man,” I mutter, between kisses.
“Typically, yes.” His tongue plunges into my mouth again. “But right now we’re drenched, and if the clothes can go in the dryer, we can go in the shower. ”
The space between my legs is suddenly tight, and not because the sopping wet fabric is sticking to me.
When Carter’s finally freed us of our dripping clothes he steers me to the bathroom, where a shower big enough for four is the focal point of the room. Lined with rustic wood tiles and enclosed in glass panels, it’s both masculine and elegant, and when he pulls my shivering body under the spray, I realize it’s decadent as well.
The contrast between my cool skin and the hot water sends an almost violent shiver through my body. Carter doesn’t miss it, wrapping his arms around me and holding me close, chest to chest, while the water rains down on us.
“Better?” he asks, kissing the top of my head. It’s sweet despite the rigid erections trapped between us. The ones warming me up faster than the water.
I tip my head up to meet his lips as I wrap my arms around his back. He moans softly, and I feel his cock flutter between us.
Carter teases me with soft, gentle kisses, a hint of tongue, while reaching around me for a bottle of body wash. I hear the liquid squelch as he shakes the bottle, feel him rubbing his palms together behind my back. Then he touches me.
Starting at my shoulders he massages the gel into my skin. Suds travel down my collarbone to my pecs, followed by his hands, which cup me in their firm grip. His fingers glide easily over my slick skin, fingertips ghosting over my nipples seconds before he pinches them and gives a slow, sensual tug.
Sparks shoot straight to my cock, and I rock my hips against him to ease the growing ache.
“Is that where you want me to touch you?” He growls in my ear as he plucks the sensitive buds. I whimper in response, and his cock jerks between us. “My pleasure,” he growls, taking us both in hand .
I’m not a small man, but I’m not so large as to exceed my partner’s grip. I’d say the same is true for Carter, but both of us together… I’d be hard pressed to sheathe us completely, yet he engulfs us, and the sensation of having my cock trapped between his and his fist borders on holy.
“Fuck,” I whimper on a shaky exhale, clenching Carter’s arms in a vain attempt to keep myself standing upright.
“We’re beautiful together.” His raspy declaration has my gaze floating downward, where the sight of our dicks slotted against one another steals my breath.
“Oh,” I gasp as his fist squeezes beneath our crowns, both swollen and red with tiny beads of milky white precum seeping from our slits, before the spray of the shower washes it away.
Carter’s hand travels down to the base then climbs back to the tip, and I find myself rocking up on my toes to chase his grip.
“You like that.” Carter repeats the motion, seeming to enjoy the way my hips strain to follow his hand.
“Yes.” I don’t even attempt to play coy. Having someone else stroke my cock has always been a favorite part of sex, second only to a warm mouth around my shaft, although if I’ve got a dick buried in me while I’m being jerked off... As far as I’m concerned there’s no higher nirvana. Just the thought has me greedy for more, and another desperate whimper falls from my lips.
“I can’t wait any longer either.” Carter spins me so I’m facing away from him, guiding us both a half step to the right.
“Put one hand on the wall to hold still. Use the other to hold your cock up.” The heat of his words nearly has me coming apart right there, so much so that I can’t move, even if I understood what he wanted.
“Now, Sloan.” He takes my shaft in his hand and presses it against my stomach, guiding my hand to hold it in place. Then he twists the shower handle. For a brief second the overhead pressure gets lighter, then it comes roaring back just as body jets I never noticed emerge from the wall, shooting pulsing streams of water on my upper thigh.
Carter reaches around me from behind to adjust the jets. Before I can register what’s happening the water hits my balls, and my knees start to buckle.
He gives a satisfied little chuckle as he grips my hips to hold me steady. “Don’t move. Let me and the jets do all the work.” Then he plunges his cock inside me.
Though he’s clearly managed to lube himself without my notice, sliding in effortlessly, I can’t stop the cry that forces its way past my lips when he enters me. It’s not painful, just sudden, and domineering in a way that ratchets my lust to a level I didn’t know was possible.
Chest pressed to the wall, a stream of water massages my sac while he pounds into me from behind, sending me to the edge of release almost immediately.
Until this moment, I never understood the appeal of shower sex. It’s slippery, awkward, and almost never leaves me satisfied. But this, the rhythmic slide of his cock combined with the water pulsing between my legs, is pleasure overload. I grit my teeth and hold my breath in an effort to slow my building climax, but the sensation is too decadent. Hedonistic almost, in the sense that all I can do is hang on while carnal bliss bombards me from all angles.
Carter slips in and out of my body, the tip of his cock massaging me from the inside as I rock my hips, straining to feel the water work its magic.
“Keep your dick up.” He reaches around to replace my hand with his, kneading my length where it’s trapped against my stomach. “Let the water massage your balls while I fuck you,” he grunts as he thrusts, my body clenching around him when his gravelly voice reaches my ears. His rhythm falters, and with that I lose the battle to prolong my release.
I come apart, knees going weak as sparks of harmony radiate over me. I feel my ass gripping and clawing at his pulsing cock as if it could somehow pull him closer. He must sense that, driving into me and holding still like he’s surrendering to my will. My orgasm is relentless, pleasuring me from within and outside of my body. A duet of euphoric sensations that rob me of control over my limbs, leaving me both boneless and breathless. Holy Hell.
As the aftershocks recede, I shift away from the jets to give my sensitive body some relief. Carter slowly withdraws and spins me to face him, trapping me against his chest as our breathing slowly returns to normal.
“That was…” He runs his fingers lightly over my back, sending shivers along my spine in spite of the warm water raining down on it.
“Yeah,” I exhale heavily.
Carter turns off the water and wraps me in a towel, rubbing his hands over the thick cotton to dry me. “I don’t suppose I could talk you into staying for dinner.”
“I’m scheduled to work at Murphy’s.”
“Would you consider calling in sick?”
Wrapped in his arms, surrounded by the lingering steam from our shower, there’s nothing I’d like more than to agree. To shelve all my obligations and live in the moment, enjoying whatever this thing is between us. But I’m not wired that way.
“I’d rather ask for time off in advance than call out, especially if I’m not really sick. I can’t do that to Lennon. ”
“He owns the biggest restaurant in town. He must have the staff to cover one missing employee. Besides, aren’t you two friends?” My skin is more damp then wet now, but pressed against his the remaining moisture threatens to coax my libido back to life. I set my palms on his chest to create a little distance in an attempt to focus my mind.
“We are, and he probably does have the staff to cover me for a night,” I agree. “But I don’t want to take advantage of our friendship. Even if we weren’t friends, I couldn’t skip out on a commitment.”
“Independent and loyal.” He tips my chin up so I’m forced to look at him. “I respect that, although I hate that it means a lonely night for me.”
“Come to Murphy’s,” I blurt, questioning the logic of seeing him in public only after I’ve extended the invite. No way I can pretend he’s just my boss after we’ve crossed the line twice. “You can grab some dinner, sit at the bar and socialize, whatever,” I rattle off innocent suggestions to hint that he’d be like any other customer.
“The only person I want to be social with is you.” He touches his lips to mine in the most tender kiss I’ve ever been given, and it’s only because it steals my breath that I don’t blurt out thoughts I have no business entertaining this soon.
Our interactions to this point have been sort of desperate and needy, and I have no complaints about that. None whatsoever, particularly knowing that while the chemistry is intense, it’s not strictly sex bringing us together. This kiss though, it’s the polar opposite of two people chasing their pleasure. It’s soft, and sweet, and speaks of something more than mutual interest. There’s feeling behind it.
Carter’s heartbeat accelerates under my palm as the kiss gains intensity, despite remaining soft and slow. I’m not sure if that means this feels different for him, too, or if he’s just getting excited again. Either way, as tempted as I am to get lost in the moment, I can’t give myself over to it completely. Not yet.
“I should go.” I pull away slightly.
“Will you schedule time off?” His strong fingers chase a drop of water trickling down my cheek.
“When?” I ask breathlessly.
“As soon as possible.”
I barely force my head to nod before his lips claim mine again.
***
“You get caught in the rain?” Lennon takes note of my damp hair hanging in a thick curtain over my forehead, which must make me look like a shaggy dog next to his pressed khakis rolled neatly at the ankle. Going for the preppy look today, and just like every other look on him, it works.
“Something like that.” I reach for the little apron that holds my notepad and pens and tie it around my waist, which has the added benefit of keeping my eyes away from his so I can’t reveal where I’ve been. Not that I want to keep secrets indefinitely, just a little longer.
“Did you give any more thought to the bike race? Ally really wants you to come out.” I put the focus on my sister to keep it off me.
“It’d be a whole lot easier if you guys all came in here.” Lennon ducks past me on the way out of the break room, but I don’t take that as my answer.
“Aside from the fact there’s no way you could seat all of us together on one of the busiest days of the year, the point is for you to take a break.” I’m hot on his heels as he approaches the bar .
“Ally’s lived here a lot longer than you have, Sloan. She knows how hard it is for me to get away on an average day let alone that one.” Lennon casts me a look that says my sister should know better.
“Then you know as well as I do she’s used to getting her way, and she’s decided her way includes you in costume on a bike this year.”
“The only way that happens is if I hire and train a new manager in the next ten days.” Lennon starts stacking glasses on the counter in anticipation of the evening rush.
“What about Beck? He’s worked here long enough to take over, right?”
“What about me?” Beck crashes into the bar, nudging me with his arm in the process.
“You can cover for Lennon during the bike race. At least for a little while.”
“Sure, why not.” He shrugs. “As long as I can get the fourth off.”
“You already have the fourth off.” Lennon spares him a quick glance before resuming his prep work.
“Only the lunch shift, and that’s because I’m on the dance school float in the parade.” He reaches across the bar for a maraschino cherry and pops it in his mouth.
“I thought you wanted the holiday pay for working the fourth?” Lennon says.
“After careful consideration I think holiday pay isn’t worth sacrificing the chance to watch fireworks with a sexy stranger,” he replies with a comically straight face.
“How will you meet this sexy stranger if you aren’t serving him drinks at the bar?” Lennon counters.
Beck chews on his lip for about half a second. “After careful consideration it seems I’ll be working the fourth.” He grabs his tray and heads off to check on his tables .
“That boy is too curious for his own good,” Lennon mutters.
“What?” I choke back a laugh. “There’s nothing wrong with a little harmless curiosity.
“There is when people are so anxious to grow up they make bad choices.”
“He’s not a little kid anymore,” I remind Lennon.
“He’s not quite an adult either, which tourists won’t realize since all they see is a lean body and a pretty face. That’s why I want him to work the fourth. People can get carried away on vacation. I’d rather have him here where I can keep an eye on him than roaming around where he might attract the wrong attention.”
“Nice bait and switch with the night shift then. Although, I thought this was the town that’s so safe that no one locks their doors?”
“It is.” Lennon grabs a few limes and starts slicing them for garnish. “That doesn’t mean people wouldn’t try to pick him up, and he’d probably be so flattered by the attention he’d say yes to the wrong kind of girl. Or guy.”
“Fair, but you can’t keep him locked away forever.”
“I know. I just don’t want him to venture into the world of tourist hookups. He’s too… pure .”
“Beck? Pure? Have you heard what comes out of his mouth?” I cover my own, so my laughter doesn’t draw any attention.
“That’s just talk. Like I said, he’s curious.”
“He’s also not na?ve. Let’s say he does meet a visitor, is that so bad? Lots of people do it.”
“True, only I think he’s a romantic at heart. He wants to find someone, but he’s also impatient. I don’t want him confusing love with lust just because lust is right in front of him.”
“I hear you. I’ll keep an eye out for him too.” I try to appease Lennon, though in the back of my mind I’m also feeling sorry for Beck .
It must be hard to grow up under the watchful eye of the town. Well-meaning as they are, they don’t allow him the freedom to live and learn the way most of us do. When it comes to love, or lust, in my mind both are part of the journey to discover who you are. And while they can hurt, that doesn’t mean they can’t be a source of incredible pleasure.
I’m grateful I don’t have to live under the watchful eye of others, although getting close to the boss people love to speculate about might be just as bad. That thought should make me want to pump the brakes with Carter, but it doesn’t. How could it, after what happened earlier.
Our time together may have ended with orgasms, but it started because he wanted my opinion, something that gives me all sorts of anxious butterflies. True, that’s not a declaration of how he feels, yet it does imply there’s more than lust between us. He told me as much, and with that gesture he showed me he meant it. So, while this thing between us might be a dangerous path, it’s not one I want to stop following.