Chapter 20
Well, it is my birthday.
Gratefully, I had the forethought to close the bedroom door before going to the balcony, or Carter would have seen the messy sheets of the morning after a hot night of sex.
He placed the balloons and flowers on the brown coffee table and sat on the table before me, where I settled on the orange sofa.
“Before you say anything, let me explain about last night.”
“I don’t know if it even matters,” I replied, residual hurt and embarrassment slipped in from the night before.
“It does.” He glanced around the exquisitely decorated suite full of greens, browns, and orange decor. “This is nice. You spent my money well. We can ask for an extra night to have the weekend we planned.”
I shrugged. “This is the West Indies suite. Since we both like water, I thought having a suite representing the islands and a balcony to enjoy the breeze would be cool.”
Carter picked up my hands and implored, “I didn’t stand you up.
I slept in the parking garage, waiting for a new shift to take over.
I’ve been trying to get here since last night.
I lost my cell, couldn’t call you, and didn’t remember the suite number.
Because of security, they wouldn’t let me in.
You must have put the reservations in your name. ”
I carefully replied, “Yeah, because I didn’t want trouble if I checked in without you.”
“I don’t know your number by heart, and without a phone, I couldn’t even message you on your social media.
I stayed in the lobby for a long time holding your balloons, hoping you would come down, and then I decided to retrace my steps to find my phone.
When I couldn’t find it, I returned and slept in my car to start fresh this morning with a new staff.
Luckily, a guy who attends our school recognized me and gave me the suite number. ”
His explanation sounded plausible. Still. “What time did you get here last night?”
“Around seven,” he promptly answered.
I retorted, “Bullshit. When you didn’t show up, I saw you on IG with the team at some bar after ten.”
“The team went bar hopping, and I was with them for happy hour. Whoever it was might have posted it late, but I left there and came here around seven. I knew I lost my phone, but I thought we could search for it together once I made it here. I trust you with my credit card. The least you can do is trust my word.” After a moment of silence on my part, he entwined our fingers.
“Darren, why would I go through all this trouble to just lie to you? I wanted to surprise you and make your birthday special.”
That was what I kept telling myself until time kept ticking away. Men can easily get caught up doing whatever they’re doing and fuck the women waiting for them.
Except now I know Carter wanted to make my birthday special.
“How long have you known about my birthday?”
Carter sheepishly grinned. “The day you moved in next door, I found your IG. You don’t post a lot, but the one pic I did see was you with your family celebrating your birthday last year.
Figured if you chose to spend your birthday with me and not him, that had to mean you wanted me more.
Why didn’t you tell me it was your birthday? ”
“Because men like to ghost when a woman asks him to spend her birthday with him.”
Carter squeezed my hand. “Only if he’s not interested in her that way.”
I raised my eyebrows.
He leaned back. “And you thought I wasn’t interested in you that way?”
“Hello. You’re like this God on campus. The men either envy or love you. The women want to sex you. From the first day at In and Out, you made it clear that you wanted to just fuck around.”
“I only said that because you already have or had a man. I didn’t think you would leave him, so I was good with kicking it whenever we could. So, are you back with him or something? Thinking I stood you up, pushed you back in his arms?”
Before I could answer, he tugged me to him and pressed his lips against mine. And the sparks I’d always felt with him surprisingly returned. I thought last night with Grey would somehow make me immune.
Still holding my hands, Carter asked, “Can we just spend the weekend together? Let me show you how it could be between us. Whatever you want to do, let’s do it. Then whatever you need to tell me about him, tell me later. Let me pretend it’s just you and me a little longer.”
"Are you trying to woo me?" I smiled.
Carter's eyes sparkled. "All I know is that I can't stop thinking about you even when I want to."
The more he spoke, the more I felt his genuineness, and the anger slid away. But I couldn’t let him see the bed, and then he would be the angry one, and any chance with Carter would be over.
I wasn’t crazy.
“Then let’s go get breakfast. There’s this black-owned vegan spot not far from here. We might be able to walk there from here since it's a beautiful day.”
“My stuff is in the car. I could use a shower before we go anywhere.”
“Nope, you’re not trying to entice me with that hot bod of yours,” I improvised, needing him to stay far from the bedroom. “Besides, I’m starving. I didn’t eat last night because I was too upset with you. Let me get dressed alone, and we’ll go. And after that, you decide what’s next. You down?”
Carter’s full lips spread into a relieved and happy smile. “Always.”
He grabbed me around the waist when I rose and hugged me tight.
The side of his face pressed against my belly.
I was nude underneath the robe. All he had to do was untie my robe and enjoy my body.
My core tingled at the thought of him going down on me.
And just as fast, I cleared that thought.
I couldn’t have sex with Carter this soon after Grey.
I also couldn’t deny that Grey had me wide open for sex, and I was ready to explore it with him or this man holding me right now.
“I can only imagine how hurt and mad you were last night. I’m sorry.”
I rubbed my hand over his thick, wavy hair. “You’re here now. Maybe I can braid your hair later.”
He looked up at me and shook his head.
“What? You didn’t like the way I braided your hair?” I asked, although the way he gazed up at me, I knew whatever the reason he shook his head was deeper than his hair.
“I liked it, and you can braid it later. There’s just so much I want to say to you, and I can tell you’re not ready. May never be ready.” He dropped his gaze and tapped my ass. “Go get dressed, and I’ll get my bag from the car. Need to go to T-Mobile at some point to get another phone.”
Once he left the hotel suite, I scrambled to the bedroom and made the bed look as if I had only slept in it.
I called downstairs and asked for housekeeping to ensure the linen was changed while we were gone.
I then donned a strapless, deep-red maxi dress and piled my thin braids into a bun on my head.
While I finished getting ready, Carter knocked on the now-open bedroom door. “Can I come in?”
“Yeah.”
While I applied lipstick in the mirror, he checked me out with a pleased smile.
He moved behind me and hugged me from the back.
We admired our reflection. Carter and I made an attractive couple.
Like we belonged together. My brown skin was only a shade or two lighter than his skin.
With my heels, my head fit right under his chin.
I felt beautiful and sexy in his arms. He kissed my bare shoulder, and I shivered.
He tightened his grip around me, and I felt him growing.
I quickly eased from his arms and pulled him out of the bathroom and the bedroom.
“I need a little more time, okay?” I swung our clasped hands, hoping he wouldn’t push us to have sex.
Carter released my hand and held the door open for me to pass him.
Once we were in the hall, he walked ahead.
My much shorter strides were no match for his long ones, especially in these heels.
He was pissed, and I couldn’t blame him.
He’d planned a romantic weekend for my birthday that had gone horribly so far.
He’d lost his phone, slept in his car overnight, and I barely let him touch me when he finally saw me.
I wanted to tell him everything, but how do I do that without losing him?
With everything up in the air with Grey, I didn’t want to lose Carter, who I was still interested in, for a man who didn’t want the same things in life I wanted.
When the elevator arrived, he let me on first before he followed.
Carter pressed the button and leaned against the wall, quietly.
I slipped my arms under his and kissed his goatee.
“Thank you for everything. For the hotel, for the balloons, and the flowers, for treating me so special. I don’t want to be anywhere else except with you on my birthday.
You wanted this weekend to be about getting to know each other really well.
Let’s do that. Sex confuses things, and I want to see if what I could feel for you is deeper than how much I want us to smash.
” I flirted, “Now that I believe you’re into me. ”
Carter kept his hands at his sides, though he grinned. “Smash? That doesn’t even sound right coming out of your mouth.”
“Oh, then what does sound right?”
His gaze zeroed in on my lips. “Making love.”
Desire moistened my panties as I teased, “Guess you really don’t know me at all.”
“Why, because you prefer fucking to making love?” He lifted one brow. “You’d rather I bend you over and hit it hard from the back than slide between those sexy legs of yours and stroke you slowly?”
Geez, he was making this harder than I thought. Both sounded pretty damn good. My body was still sore and had Grey’s name on it, yet I couldn’t deny I yearned for Carter, too. I buried my head in his chest. I was a virgin yesterday, and I'm quickly becoming a ho today. “Breakfast first.”
This time, his arm went around me as he chuckled. “Alright, Ms. Darren. I got you.”