14. Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fourteen
Lina
T he guys walk back up, but they have another person with them this time. Carter.
“Look who we met.” Mason hands a bright red martini to Bailey.
Carter is dressed in a black and white suit. His longer-on-top dark brown hair is swept back. Fuck, he looks good. He wears a mask similar to Jack and Mason’s styles. I quickly take note he has more of his face covered. His amber eyes are still easy to recognize while peering through the small holes. Besides their endless depth, only his goatee’s light stubble is visible.
Jack hands Piper what looks to be a similar martini, and the dentist does the same with Avery. He didn’t even get that with the guys—what a tool. This is more of a reason I don’t think he’s right for her.
“Hi, Lina.” The side of Carter’s mouth quirks up as he places a martini in my hand. The drink is a dark maroon, mimicking the color of blood. It sends a shiver up my spine.
“Hello, Carter.” My voice comes out husky and a little shaky.
“Lina!” A masculine voice from behind us calls my name.
Everyone in our group whips their heads around at the same time. Max is heading our way—wearing the same fucking suit and mask as Carter. What are the fucking odds? Carter is larger and taller with broader shoulders, and there is no denying how my body reacts to seeing him versus anyone else.
I take a generous sip of my martini. Max casually slips an arm around my waist. My body stiffens, and I back away slightly. It was not noticeable, but enough to make his arm fall. I quickly glance over to Carter. His jaw visibly clenches while he looks away.
“Max, right?” Bailey sticks her hand out to greet him.
He lifts the arm that was just around my waist to shake Bailey’s hand. I take the opportunity to take another step further away, which happens to be closer to Carter.
“You brought a date?” he seethes through a whisper.
“I didn’t bring him.” My eyes dart to his. “Nor did he bring me .”
I need some air.
“I’m going to use the restroom.” I lean in to tell Bailey.
She nods and continues chatting with the group. I pinch the hem of my dress and sprint out of the ballroom and down an empty hallway. I have no idea where I’m going, but I need to get away for a minute to clear my head. I stroll down a second corridor with vaulted ceilings and cherry wood walls covered in antique paintings and elaborate sconces.
Under the dim lights, a room catches my eye. I push myself between the heavy double doors. A low yellow hue spills in from the hallway, casting shadows and slices of light, showing tiny dust particles floating through the air. I squint my eyes to get a better look. The walls are lined with bookshelves that span from the floor to the ceiling. It’s a library.
Pulling my dress up to prevent it from dragging across the floor, I glide to one of the shelves. Running my fingertips along the fabric spines of the books, I see a mix of classics, modern editions, and various types of encyclopedias.
Suddenly, I hear a soft click behind me—it’s loud in this quiet room, and I startle at the sound. I whip myself around, almost slipping on the slick tile floor. The light is cut off now that the door is no longer cracked, leaving only a tiny amount seeping through the bottom. A tall, dark figure stands where the light once was. My heart stops, and my limbs freeze. Oh shit. I’m in a secluded part of this old fucking gothic house.
I lower my eyes to get a better look at the figure. “Can I help you?”
The figure slowly shakes its head back and forth. I stop breathing, only to gasp with a tight breath when I hear the echo from the lock on the door. My pulse is racing.
The man takes a few deliberate steps toward me.
“Do I know you?” My voice cracks.
The figure nods. Okay, so yes?
My pulse slows slightly.
As it moves closer, I realize that the figure has the same costume as Max. I sigh in relief. By now, he’s less than arm’s length from me. The elastic on my white lace mask is hurting my ears. I reach my arms up to adjust the band. “Why are you playing with me—”
Before I realize what is happening, a dark shadow and light wind whip past my face as my arms are pinned above my head.
I gasp. Maybe not Max ?
His body is now flush with mine. This man’s breath dusts my lips, causing them to tingle. Why does he feel so familiar? Half of his face is covered behind a black mask. My eyes bounce from one of his eyes to the other while my brain is both confused and fucking turned on at the same time.
He slips his hand under my dress, gliding his fingertips along the outside of my legs. A shutter moves through me, and my eyelids fall closed. Two of his fingers slip under the string of my panties. I should be scared, but I’m not.
The man’s lips lightly caress the seam of my mouth. I open to let him in. He kisses me deeply, overpowering my breath. My knees weaken, my body melts, and arousal pools in my lace panties.
This is definitely not Max.
Goddamn, he tastes good—and comforting. I lean forward and dip my head into him, smashing my nose against his cheek. When his tongue slips into my mouth, a tight moan escapes.
“Tell me to stop,” he mutters before nibbling my bottom lip.
When I open my eyes, a pair of amber-colored ones stare back at me.
Carter.
Oh my god. What the hell is he doing? What the fuck do I do? Do I tell him to stop? I don’t want him to stop. But I also don’t want him to know that I want him just as badly as he wants me. It’s wrong.
“Tell me to stop.” His voice is like an aged whiskey as he begs me to put up a fight.
“I’m not going to,” I bite back, bucking him with my hips.
He runs his warm tongue along the sensitive skin on my neck, and my knees almost give out. “I’m going to show you what you’re worth.”
Carter releases his grip on my wrists, and then he drops to his knees in front of me. I didn’t realize how much of my weight I was pressing into him until I lost my balance, barely catching myself on the shelf ladder. He quickly grabs my thighs, stabilizing me. It’s dark here, and I can barely make out his silhouette kneeling before me.
“What are you doing?” I ask, my voice laced with disbelief. I’m trapped in a sitting position halfway up the steps.
He looks up at me, slowly bringing his index finger to his lips. “Shhh.”
Oh fuck.
Slowly, he lifts my layered costume dress. My heart hammers inside my chest as he ducks his head underneath it. The warmth from his fingertips brings a wetness between my legs. Am I going to let this happen? Yes, the fuck I am.
I loop one arm around the cool metal railing while he gently pulls down my panties. Oh my god. Carter is going down on me. Mid-thought, I feel the slow, wet lick of his tongue over the top of my pussy. This is happening. But does it count if he doesn’t know that I know it’s him?
I need more.
Releasing my muscles, I let both of my legs fall open. I hear a muffled moan from him right before he spreads me apart and dives his tongue deep into my insides.
“Oh fuck, C—” Catching myself, I clamp my lips together, determined not to let on that I know it’s him. He takes his time, darting his tongue in and out, switching from the tip to the flat part. Chills span my body, and it doesn’t take long for it to tense and my climax to build.
My legs start to shake as he continues to bury himself deeper into me. I curl my body around him and hook one hand behind his head. He lets me guide him with the motion I need. I can’t believe Carter could be doing this— we’re doing this. It feels so good but so fucking wrong. Panic sets in, and I feel my body start to pull away, but then he slides in a crooked finger, causing me to overheat and my eyes to water.
I’m going to let this happen.
Too late. It’s fucking happening.
Panting, I hold him in place with two hands as he lets me ride his slippery tongue until my entire body combusts with pleasure.
“Oh fuck!” I shout, falling back into the upper steps of the ladder. One hand white-knuckles the railing, desperately holding up my weakened body.
Quickly, Carter lifts to his feet and stands between my legs. Heing and buzzing with desire, I stare up at him, still unable to fully see his face.
“Good night, Lina,” he says in a rough tone, and then I hear his footsteps move away from me.
“Thank you?” I call out right before he opens the door. The light from the hallway slices through the dark room, illuminating half of his body. He glances over his shoulder one last time before stepping into the hallway and away from what happened.
Why do I feel like it should have been Max, but the thought of it not being Carter simultaneously makes me feel relieved and let down ?
Standing on unstable legs, I quickly pull myself together. Fixing my dress and running a quick hand through my hair, I prepare to rejoin the party.
Walking back into the event space, I feel my chest flush. Fanning myself, I scour the room looking for my friends. I spot Bailey, Mason, Piper, Jack, and Avery standing in a group by one of the auction tables. I make a beeline for them, but then Carter steps in front of my path, holding two drinks. My pussy is still throbbing from our little play session less than five minutes ago.
Then, from my right, I see Max walk up.
Why the hell did they have to wear the same fucking costume tonight?
“I got this for you,” Carter says, handing me one of the drinks.
When I go to grab it, my finger brushes against his. Heat .
“I got you one too.” Without thinking, I take the glass from Max as well. My finger brushes his. Cold .
It was Carter. Oh my god. A wave of panic moves through me. It really was him.
I whip my head to face him, frozen in place and clutching two cups, my eyes bore into his. He doesn’t even flinch.
“Why do you have two drinks?” Bailey is at my side.
“We both brought her one.” Max chuckles, oblivious to what’s going on.
“Hi, Carter. We were wondering where you went,” she comments.
“I stepped out to make a quick phone call,” he says before turning back to me. His stare reaches all the way through me. It’s intense, intoxicating, and filled with ownership. Carter slowly licks his lips, making me twitch with desire. I’d love to run my own tongue over them again. “Do you want to dance?” he asks.
The simple thought of having him so close to me, feeling the warmth of his hand on my lower back while we move together, makes me dizzy.
I swallow hard. “Sure.”
He shoots me that gorgeously dangerous smile that makes my heartbeats quicken and my mind go blank. Then, he removes my drink from my hand and sits it on the table beside his.
Watching him move slowly, he extends his arm with his palm up. Blushing, I rest my hand in his, and he leads me away from my groups of friends.
“Lina?” Avery’s voice is distant behind me. She’s probably wondering where I’m going.
I let Carter lead me onto the dance floor, not caring about anything else around me. “Is this you trying to keep me away from my date?”
“I thought you said you didn’t bring a date?” he retorts.
“I guess I did.” I roll my eyes. “You know what I mean.”
Carter stops in the middle of the wooden dance floor. We’re surrounded by guests in black and white attire, most with matching masquerade masks. They float across the floor, moving slowly with the music. Carter holds my hand out and presses a gentle kiss on it before pulling me into him in one fluid motion.
My body is flush with his. It takes my breath away. Blushing and unsure where to focus my eyes, I nervously rest my head on his shoulder while my hand is securely clasped in his. Our movements are intentionally slow as we sway our bodies back and forth in an intimate and overpowering way. I feel him lean into me, and I lean back, almost like both of us getting something from each other—my heart pounds in my chest.
My mind is still spinning from what happened in the library. Coming down off a high, I feel my muscles still, uneasy and shaky.
With Carter’s height, I feel him significantly bend to rest his cheek on my head. “You’re mine right now.”
Every single fucking bone and muscle in my body melts into a pile at his feet. I’m his more than he knows. “You get me for this dance.”
The soft, echoed guitar and slow, heavy bass of “Infinity” by The XX echo through the floor under our feet.
“I’ll take whatever you’re willing to give, baby,” he says as his lips press a firm but possessive kiss on my temple. If I could bottle them and keep them forever, I would.
Bringing my hands up to hook around his neck, I capture his eyes with mine. “I don’t like when you call me baby .”
The corner of Carter’s mouth quirks up into a sly smile that makes my panties drop every time he flashes me with it. “I know.”
“Then why do you continue to say it?” I challenge.
Carter’s hand on my lower back adds a firm pressure, pressing me against him. “Because everyone else calls you Lina, and you’re not just Lina to me.”
I let his words travel through my veins. This feels so good. He feels so good. I have no response, so I match his pressure with my core instead.
We move in silence until the song is over. When the music stops, I am sucked back into the reality of who he is and who I am. Pushing all these emotions and strange feelings aside, I straighten my posture.
Carter and I release. Staring at each other for a brief moment, I’m the first to turn around and walk away. He’s quick behind me, maintaining an arm’s length distance. I’m picking up my pace and heading back to my group of friends.
“Going back to your date?” he baits me.
I cock my head to the side, lowering my eyes. “As a matter of fact, I am.”
“But you’ll be thinking about me,” he calls over his shoulder, heading toward Mason and Jack standing by the bar.