8. Chapter Eight
Chapter Eight
Lina
W e’re in Denver for the night, and even though there’s a sharp chill in the evening air, Carter still thought it would be a good time for him and me to bite the bullet and start training together. Even though we had this planned as a first run for a while, a part of me still has cold feet. I’m not one to work out, but this does seem like an excellent way to work through the tension between us lately.
He sent me the message about heading out together thirty minutes ago, and I have yet to get back to him. I’m not ready to embarrass myself in front of him. Carter’s broad shoulders and filled-out pilot’s uniform tell me he’s no stranger to a good workout.
One time, he was coming out of the cockpit while I had my head down, searching for a trash bag to finish cleaning the cabin, and when I came back up, my forehead hit him right in the stomach. If I hadn’t been so distracted by the way he smelled, which was fresh, clean, and fucking delicious, I would have been more aware of the hardness of his pecs that I fell into. Similar to what happened by the restrooms in the crew lounge last week, my body was quick to remind me.
In my hoodie, running shoes, and baseball hat, I sit on the edge of the hotel bed, contemplating whether I should go over to Carter’s room. We had a long day of flying, stopping in Houston, Atlanta, and now Denver. I can use that excuse for my lack of athleticism.
I let out a frustrated breath. Why am I overthinking this? I have a sexy body, a Pilates ass that is as plump as it is round, and I look adorable tonight. I push myself off the bed, grab my phone, and head out the door.
I love that the airline can book us all on the same floor. I feel safer that way, especially when walking in the halls after dark. With a brief shot of confidence, I march right up to Carter’s door and knock.
“Lina.” he has a surprised expression when he sees me.
My eyes immediately fall to his gray sweats and the clear bulge that weakens my knees. Gray- fucking-s weat season. Of course, he’s the type of guy who’d own a pair.
“Sorry I didn’t text back,” I say, zipping my necklace back and forth. “I wasn’t going to come at first. It’s been a long day.”
He steps back, gesturing for me to come in. “It was, but going on a run always helps me calm my high from flying.”
I only step halfway into the room, keeping my hands in the front pocket of my hoodie. Looking across the room, I see his clothes haphazardly placed on one of the beds and his uniform hanging from the hook inside the bureau doors.
“A little messy in here, isn’t it?”
Carter cocks his head to the side. “Are you judging me?”
“No, absolutely not.” I shake my head, smiling. “I’m simply making an observation.”
“Maybe we should walk over to your room on the way out to see what yours looks like?” he retorts.
I bite back a smile at the thought of him in my hotel room. “I don’t think so.”
“Are you worried I’ll see your panties lying all over the floor? Because if I had to take a guess, I’d say you’re pretty messy yourself.” He rests his palm on the wall next to me.
Carter referenced my panties. He’s toying with me, and it’s making my horny mind run amok. “Whatever. When you’ve been traveling as much as I have, you get more relaxed and not as worried about keeping things in order.”
He gives a wide grin. “Same with me.”
“Touché.”
A few minutes later, we’re walking out of the building and into the cool fall air. I immediately slip in my earbuds and pull up the hood on my sweater.
Carter stops and turns toward me with a confused look.
I take out one of my earbuds, assuming he’ll ask what direction we should take, so I answer before he has the chance to speak, “I’ll follow you.”
“I know that.”
He knows that? Why would he automatically think I don’t know where we are or need him to tell me what direction we need to go?
I open my mouth to snap back, but suddenly, I see his hand come up to my face. His two fingers slip behind my hair and remove the ear’s tiny white earpiece. My breath hitches, and my body freezes in place.
The back of Carter’s fingers lightly grazes the side of my cheek. “You don’t want to talk? ”
My eyelashes flutter. “Won’t we be out of breath?”
“Probably.”
Just then, my phone buzzes. I step to the curb and answer it. I barely get through a hello before her giggles seep through the speaker.
“Can I have the rest of your vodka?” Zoe asks.
I hear low talking in the background. She has people over— in my house .
“Are there people over?” I shout through the phone. “And no, you cannot have my vodka. You’re only eighteen, Zoe.”
I glance over at Carter, and he’s staring at the ground with his hands in his pants pockets. He has a playful smile on his face.
“Seriously? There’s not that much left.”
“And if I said yes? It’s not like it’s enough to share with whoever’s over anyway,” I retort, planting a firm hand on my hip.
“It’s only Luke and me. I thought offering him something to drink while he’s writing my Economics paper would be nice.”
Does she have another guy writing her papers? Zoe and I didn’t spend a lot of time together growing up, but she managed to turn into an eighteen-year-old version of me. I wish I could scold her or at least be shocked, but I can’t. She’s me, but more economical.
“What happened to Pete?” I ask.
“Um, well, his job was done,” she speaks slowly as if I should already know this.
“You are a special kind of person, do you know that?”
“Ahh, thank you.” The tone of her voice raises with sarcasm.
“That wasn’t a—” I switch my phone to the other ear. “Whatever, fine, you can have the rest of it.” I give in, trying not to be a hypocrite. “Don’t drive or go anywhere.”
“Awesome!” she shouts. “You’re the best, Lina Bina.”
“I’m hanging up now. I’ll be home tomorrow night.” I punch End with my thumb, then slide it into my pocket, along with my earbuds. I glance over at Carter, and his smile turns into a smirk.
“At least she asked you,” he says, trying to make light of the situation.
I stomp over to him, frustrated that I somehow became a parent— or bad influence on my little sister. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Carter rests his hand on my shoulder. “And at least she’s at home and not at some party, getting drunk with random college guys.”
“I am sure that will be next.”
He gives me a wide grin. Swoon. “Maybe. Maybe not.”
I lower my eyes at him. “Don’t take Zoe’s side.”
“I’m not.” His palms come up in front of us. “I’m sure you remember what it was like being her age.”
“Ugh.” I breathe out the chilly air. We better go before the temperature drops even more. I move away from him, and then I quickly start jogging down the sidewalk.
“You coming?” I bait him as I take off down the sidewalk.
Within no time, Carter is running alongside me. We head down the street from the hotel, passing little restaurants and shops along the way.
“I saw online that there’s a park only a couple blocks down. Want to go?” His words are breathy.
I glance over at him, the crisp air burning my lungs. We’ve only been going for a few minutes, and I’m already winded. This is embarrassing. Why couldn’t I have been assigned a partner who wanted to clock our hours into the app and then head out for appetizers and margaritas?
Adrenaline is coursing through my veins while I try to keep up with Carter. It’s not that he’s trying to leave me—it’s that I’m lagging. From the corner of my eye, I see his shoulder slice through the air. Dusk has set, and the lights from the open businesses around us turn on.
All I can hear is him panting over the sounds of the cars driving on the busy street beside us. I imagine what it would be like to suck in each one of his breaths while he’s on top of me. I squeeze my eyes shut for a moment, but I get hit with flashes of what his dick looks like bouncing around inside his gray pants as he runs.
Why did he give me a hard time about my earbuds? We aren’t even talking.
When we approach the park, I’m finally in a groove, and it feels easier to keep running than to stop. One side of the park has a small playground, and the other is a large area of freshly cut grass split into two sections, with a soccer field and a long green belt.
“Over here. “Carter gestures over to the field.
I nod and follow him.
When we reach the softness of the grass, I hunch over, placing my hand on my knees. Trying to catch my breath, my lungs still are on fire, but my body is alive and buzzing.
Carter’s hands are on his waist, and he also breathes heavily.
“Fuck, that feels good,” I say, laughing through my words.
His eyes dart over to mine. They’re dark but bright at the same time. Sweat beads mist his face as he smiles. “It does, doesn’t it?”
“I do Pilates once a week, and when I can, I hop on a treadmill while traveling, but running this long felt different.”
Carter lets his head fall forward. “You’re probably experiencing a bit of runner high.”
“That’s interesting because at first I thought I was going to die!” I giggle.
“But you didn’t—and now you feel good.” His grin has a bit of smugness behind it, but I don’t care. He’s right.
“I’m glad I didn’t bring music either. It was nice hearing the sounds all around us,” I admit.
“Good. I’m happy you enjoyed it because now we have to run back.”
My jaw drops. “Damn. I forgot about that.”
“Yep.” He nods.
I pull my leg up behind me, stretching out my thigh. “Maybe next time we run in a circle?”
His mouth quirks up on one side. “Fair enough.”
A short distance away, I spot a metal swing set. I can’t remember the last time I got on a swing. I jog over to the playground, with my legs feeling weightless. The sounds of Carter’s footfalls are quickly behind me when he steps from the grass onto the wood chips surrounding the play area.
Hopping onto the swing, I grip the cold chains and start pumping my legs. I feel the intensity of his eyes watching me, which only enhances my high.
“So, we’re going to hang out here then?” he calls out. His voice has uncertainty behind it.
I dip my head back in his direction. “Yeah. ”
Carter leans against one of the poles of the metal triangle. With his arms crossed at his chest, his gaze follows me as I move back and forth, floating higher, then lower.
“Your sister lives with you, right?” he asks.
“Yeah, it’s her first year of college, and her dad refused to let her live in the dorms.”
“Makes sense. College guys are a breed of their own.”
“Oh, don’t I know?” The wind whips my hair against my face. “My mom’s wasn’t an option either—because, well, it’s my mom. So, I offered to let her move in with me for the next few years.”
“That’s nice of you. From the conversation I overheard, she seems like a handful.”
I start to slow down, feeling more relaxed. “You have no idea.”
Once I’ve come to a stop, Carter walks behind me. It’s cold outside, but when his hands cover the top of mine, I notice how hot his skin is. His elevated temperature travels up my arm and then back down the entire length of my body.
He lowers his lips to my ear and whispers, “Want a push?”
My skin tingles under his words. I slowly nod, refusing to move from this position.
Carter releases my hands, steps back, and gently shoves me. His palms meet my lower back, and then let go. I slowly slide through the air, letting my head tilt upward. The clear sky is now jet black and filled with tiny, sparkly stars. I don’t think anyone has ever pushed me on a swing. Maybe one of the many nannies we went through during my childhood. But none are worth remembering. And why does something innocent and simple like this feel so forbidden?
“Were you two close growing up?”
“Hmm?” I’m lost in peace. If I hadn’t known we were in the middle of the city, I would have thought we were on a deserted island, just the two of us. The sensation of the cool breeze wraps around me like a chilled blanket.
“You and your sister.”
“Oh. Zoe?” I feel my cheeks sting. “We didn’t grow up together. I was older by the time she was born. And then, I moved out of the house right after high school.” A wave of guilt for leaving Zoe with my self-centered mother rolls over me. They moved away briefly when she was in middle school after her dad was transferred to Oregon for work. It wasn’t long after that he and my mom divorced, and they returned to Arizona. Ironically, that’s when my dad got out of the Navy and returned.
“I see.” Carter’s voice is low.
It’s getting colder outside, and I unintentionally shiver.
“Are you cold?” he asks, clasping his hands around the chains to slow my movements.
“I am. We should head back.” The swing slows, stopping me right inside of his arms. They clasp the chains on either side of me. My back becomes flush with the front of him. A tempting taste of what it would feel like to be captured in his arms.
“Probably a good idea.” His lips are only inches away from my cheek before he steps back, letting me get off the swing.
My teeth start lightly chattering. Fuck, we still have to run back.
“Here.” Carter slips his hoodie over his head and hands it to me.
“It’s freezing, I can’t take that from you.” We both start walking toward the sidewalk and back toward the hotel.
“I’m not cold. I run hot anyway.” He spreads open the bottom and lifts it over my head.
“Are you sure?” I raise my arms, letting him put it on me. It’s warm, comforting, and a little tight on top of mine. My nostrils breathe in his scent.
He stands in front of me, holding the white strings. “Of course.”
Our eyes lock for a brief moment, but I break away. “Thank you. But this isn't going to make me want to run back.”
“I didn’t think it would.’ He smiles, pulling down the s of his black cotton shirt.
I wonder if he’s disappointed I was assigned as his partner and not being someone better. Maybe one of the other flight attendants, who is more in shape, would want to run back with him. Or one that he wouldn’t have to feel obligated to give his sweater to when he should be using it to keep himself warm.
Carter hooks an arm around me as we start walking toward the hotel. “Are you warmer now?”
Being this close to him feels like a dynamic sense of security. That first shot of whiskey, when the warmth of the alcohol travels through your muscles—relaxing them, quieting your mind, and sharpening your vision.
I have never experienced a sensation like this.
“I am,” I say, grinning as I stare at the sidewalk below.
When we return to the hotel, Carter walks me to my door.
“I’m glad we were able to do that.”
“Me too.” My nose is leaking from the wind outside. Embarrassed, I wipe it on my sleeve, which incidentally is not my sleeve but Carter’s. “Oh my god. I’m so sorry!”
He runs his tongue along his teeth and chuckles. “It’s no worries. But you will wash it before you give it back to me, right?”
I turn to place my key card into the slot. “I was going to give it back to you right now.”
He takes a few steps away, putting his palms into the air in front of us. “On second thought, keep it.”
“I’ll wash it!” I laugh. “I was kidding.”
By now, Carter is almost halfway down the hallway. “Honestly, it’s no problem at all. I have plenty more.”
Rolling my eyes. “Ha. Ha.”
“See you in the morning, baby,” he says casually. Again, with the baby ?
“Don’t call me baby,” I call out, standing in the door frame.
“You like it,” he states before turning the corner at the end of the hall.