Chapter 22
Jealousy is hard to shake.
We tumbled back into the suite, happy, horny, and tipsy from dancing and partying at a nearby bar with a DJ at night.
Carter had secretly paid the DJ to announce that it was my birthday.
The crowd sang Happy Birthday, and he'd held me from behind, singing in my ear.
All eyes were on us in my sexy, short pink dress, and he complemented my style with his distressed jeans, crisp white Prada button-down shirt, and brown boots.
We were easily the best-dressed and most handsome couple.
He pushed me up against the door the moment it closed and opened my mouth with his tongue. His kiss was urgent and demanding, and I wouldn't deny him this time. I wrapped one leg around his waist, and he lifted my other leg to join my first one.
"I need you now." I moaned in his mouth from the slow grind of his hardness pressed against my dripping sex.
Insane lust incited my craving, and I didn't care about anything or anyone but having him inside me.
He carried me to the sofa and lowered us so that I straddled him.
Thrilled that Carter wanted me to ride him, I reached between us and unbuckled his belt.
One of his hands cupped the back of my neck underneath my braids, and Carter admired, "You're so fucking sexy."
And with those words, I wanted to show him exactly how sexy I could be and eased off his lap to push down my strapless dress.
I stood before him in only teal panties, and with a growl, he grabbed me up and lowered us to the floor.
He reached for a condom in his back pocket, and I pushed down his pants and underwear, eager to finally feel him inside me.
His large dick, ready to pound me to oblivion, didn't intimidate me.
More than grateful I'd been stretched the night before, I had no fear of penetration or how rough he may get.
Carter snatched my panties off me, tearing the fabric before pushing my quivering thighs apart and positioning himself between my legs.
He looked down at me, asking permission with his half-lidded eyes.
I opened my legs wider and pulled his head down to kiss him.
His tongue darted in my mouth as he thrust inside me, and my eyes watered as he impaled me repeatedly.
My still throbbing center ached painfully from the sensual intrusion, and I bit his shoulder, surprised at the piercing pain.
He misinterpreted my reaction and began pumping harder and faster.
I wanted to tell him to stop, that I didn't think my body could take any more.
Until he pushed my right thigh higher, hit my spot, and my eyes rolled back from the spiral of ecstasy coursing through me.
Carter's head dipped to capture my stiff nipple while still fucking me, and all pain dissipated into pure pleasure.
All too soon, I started thrashing against him.
He held my hips in place to move at breakneck speed.
I popped open his shirt, buttons flying to scar his beautiful mahogany chest, and he became like a feral beast. Determined to make me scream.
Determined to possess me and leave his mark.
The impossible pressure inside me built to a fiery conclusion, and we both yelled as our bodies bucked and unleashed.
And he immediately rolled over protectively so I could fall on top of him.
And I fell certifiably in love with Carter St. Patrick.
“WAKE UP, SLEEPY HEAD.” His voice sounded far away as I slowly awakened from my dream of our first night together. I turned over, expecting to find Carter, and touched still-warm sheets. “Darren, we need to go.”
“I can catch a ride with Chelsea or Grey. I don’t need to leave when you leave,” I mumbled. Then he squeezed my ass, and I swatted at his hand. “Stop.”
“I need you to let me in the gym. This is my last homecoming game.” He kissed the back of my neck. “I promise to eat you out tonight if you get up.”
I smiled, although my eyes were shut. I loved Carter’s wicked tongue. “With whipped cream and cherries?”
“Extra cream.” He chuckled, and I finally sat up, rubbing my eyes. The sheet dropped to my waist, and before I could cover my naked breasts, he swooped down and sucked on both. My sex throbbed, and I unconsciously closed my legs.
It’d been six weeks of fucking and making love whenever we were in the same room for too long.
Most days, we did it more than once, and we were prone to seeking out the nearest private space, even if it was in public.
We were that hungry for each other. After the wild night we just had, I should be sore, but the touch of his lips on my breast, and I was hot, wet, and ready.
“Baby, please stop. My body needs rest. What time is it anyway?”
“4:30.”
I frowned and flopped back down. “Take my keys.”
“I can’t take your work keys.” He picked me up out of the bed like I weighed nothing and deposited me on the bench at the end of his bed. “Don’t move, and don’t lay back.”
I curled up on the side and drifted back to sleep.
I thought I was a morning person until we started dating.
Carter woke up most mornings by five, no matter when he went to sleep.
It was like he was a machine. I hadn’t had much rest since we started dating.
Between sexing and his early morning routines, I longed to sleep uninterrupted, which had become impossible since I spent every night at his place.
He put my joggers over my feet and up my legs and tapped my ass so I could lift it. He then pulled me upright and helped me don a sweatshirt. “I’m getting good practice for whenever we have babies.”
I smiled, half-asleep. “Yeah...I’m going to be out working, bringing home the money, and you’ll stay home with our badass kids.”
“Why they got to be badass?”
“Because they’re half yours.” I finally opened my eyes wide and grinned as he grabbed my hand and led me to the bathroom.
Carter passed me the Crest and my toothbrush before he walked back out. “I’m warming up the car because it’s cold. Don’t make me come back here.”
“I’m up...I’m up. Just go start the car.”
Five minutes later, we were on our way to campus.
I leaned on his shoulder and wrapped my hand around his bicep. “You know you got this, right? Homecoming will be a breeze.”
“I don’t know why I have this nervous energy. We’ve won every homecoming game since my freshman year.” His head rested on mine briefly. “Maybe it’s because I only have three more games, or this is the last time my mother will see me play.”
Although he hadn’t changed his mind, Carter still hadn’t made his intentions to leave football known.
He told me he made peace with his decision.
His restlessness at night screamed otherwise.
His mother, brother, and a few other relatives were in the city to watch him play his last homecoming.
We all had dinner last night. His mother was cordial, though she still blamed me for her son’s decision.
My family would arrive tonight because it was also my last homecoming at this university, and they wanted to meet Carter.
“It doesn’t have to be the last time,” I reminded him quietly.
“You have a gift, and it’s not about being the savior for your family, who really don’t need saving, by the way.
It’s about facing your fears, the unknown, or whether you can cut it in the NFL.
That’s why you don’t want to play anymore.
Afraid you can’t handle the pressure. I’ve always watched you play and seen your heart every single time.
Football runs through your veins and keeps you pumping. Can you really give up your heart?”
“What? You’ll only love me if I play ball?” He asked teasingly, though I could hear the doubt about my love for him and giving up football.
I kissed his cheek. “I am so good with having a veterinarian who comes home every night, and I don’t have to fight off millions of women.
The women on campus are enough.” Being Carter St. Patrick’s girlfriend put a bullseye in the middle of my forehead, especially because he had been notoriously known for not claiming anyone until me.
“I thought it was bad with Grey, but your fandom is on another level. And this is just college.”
He shrugged his shoulder to make me lift my head when I mentioned Grey.
He hadn’t asked me to end my friendship with Grey, but I knew he wanted to.
Although Carter had seen my condo and seen evidence of our living situation, he didn’t like Grey.
And Grey returned the favor. I kept the men separate and my contact with Grey to a minimum, which hadn’t been difficult with his vigorous training schedule.
I sighed and moved back to my side. In every way, these last six weeks with Carter had been addicting, mesmerizing, and damn right sexy.
We gelled unbelievably well, and I’d practically moved in with him.
Grey was our only point of contention. He sensed Grey’s love for me, and maybe he sensed mine for Grey, so he kept his distance from Grey.
Carter didn’t seem too keen on Chelsea either.
When I questioned him about her, he explained that he could be reserved or distant around new people.
Chelsea continued to be Chelsea, hooking up with any man she deemed remotely attractive, and the roommates we thought we would be for our last year in college didn’t materialize.
We all dipped in and out of the condo like a weigh station instead of our expensive condo that three friends shared.
Carter muttered, “Sorry.”
I tucked one foot under my thigh and defended, “I’m with you, and I’m not going anywhere. Grey wants us to win. He doesn’t speak against you anymore.”
He scoffed. “He may not say anything against me anymore, but he doesn’t want us to win. He wants you for himself.”
“Grey had years to be with me if he wanted.” Poor choice of words. The minute I said it, I regretted it.