31. Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-One
Carter
I came home on a late flight last night, so I didn’t get to see Lina. We briefly exchanged texts. Before bed, I thought seriously about going over to her house. Even with what time it was, but I’m still trying to tread lightly about her space and what we are.
This morning is the children’s hospital charity run. The sole reason why Lina and I started spending time together in the first place, but I view it as my only way to get closer to her. I wasn’t completely thinking when I requested her to be my partner. Looking back, I’m sure as hell glad I did—even if it will eventually bring me heartbreak.
I took a quick shower, made a cup of coffee, and now I’m on my way out the door. I’m exhausted from traveling the last few days, but I can’t wait to see Lina.
When I arrive at the event, tents are set up along the closed downtown street. I scan the sponsor tents until I find our airline, and when I see it, I head over toward my coworkers. It’s early in the morning, and the sun is starting to peek through the night sky. Even though it’s winter in the desert, the sun is still bright and brings heat .
The group of us all have matching shirts on, except the runners who have partners, in which case both names are on the back. Squeezing through the groups of people, I walk toward the group I’m most familiar with. But as I cross the grass belt on one side of the street, I can’t help but keep an extra eye out for Lina.
“Hey, Hernandez,” Christian says as I approach them.
I tip my head, greeting him. “Hey, man. Have you seen Lina?”
A band plays in the background while the groups are getting checked in. Teams of people are scattered through the large grassy area, chatting and stretching.
“I haven’t.” He lowers his sunglasses and arches a brow. “I’m surprised you don’t know where she is. You guys have been attached at the hip the last couple of months.”
Yeah, we have, and it’s going to continue. “We’ve become friends.”
“Friends who fuck,” he comments, causing his partner Hailey to join our conversation.
“Everyone knows, Carter. I don’t know why you two are still hiding it,” she remarks.
“You two have no idea what you’re talking about.” I stop mid-sentence because a tall blonde woman wearing a matching shirt strolls over. She’s wearing high-waisted running shorts and pink athletic shoes. My heart skips a beat. There she is.
“Ready to get your ass kicked.” She spars with Christian and Hailey.
“This isn’t a race,” Hailey sneers.
Lina places a hand on her hip. “I mean, it kinda is.”
“We’ve been practicing a lot,” I comment, moving into an overly extended lunge. “As soon as I loosen up, you both are going down.”
Christian lifts his upper lip in a sly smile. “I’m sure you have been practicing. Practicing fucking .”
I hold in my laughter. Christian may get on my nerves, but he’s hilarious.
Lina’s eyes shoot to mine.
I grimace and shrug. “I mean?”
“Oh my god, Carter!” she huffs. “Why am I always surrounded by such immature men?”
“You’re lucky, I guess,” Christian quips.
Lina cocks a brow, unimpressed.
“It’s not a big deal,” Hailey says with a fake smile. “We all know.”
“Okay, let’s focus on why we’re all here,” I remind them, trying to lighten the tension.
“I wondered why you turned me down when I asked you to join me in my hotel room last week in Baltimore,” she says. But that’s a lie. Clearly, she’s baiting Lina.
Lina’s lips purse together as her expression hardens. “What?”
I look over at Lina. “That didn’t happen,” I say, then turn my attention back to Hailey. “Inappropriate.”
“I made that up.” Hailey’s eyes darken before she smiles wickedly. “But your reaction confirmed that you guys are definitely fucking.”
“Bitch,” Lina spits and walks away.
“It’s no one’s business,” I scold them both, then follow quickly behind Lina.
We soon folded ourselves into the crowd of people gathered around a large stage .
Before we begin, the organizer gives a welcoming speech on stage. He is joined by the hospital board of directors and three families who receive medical treatment at the hospital. While they share their stories, my eyes stay trained on the painful yet conflicted expressions on the faces of the parents. I can’t begin to imagine what it’s like for these parents. What they have possibly gone through emotionally and mentally with their children squeezes my heart. I ache for them and feel honored to be a part of this event.
I glance to my side at Lina. She and Avery both have their arms wrapped around Bailey. From under her aviators, I notice a tear roll down her cheek.
Casually stepping closer, I rest my hand on the small of her back. Keeping her eyes on the families on stage, she moves away from her friend and into me. “My heart breaks for these kids and their parents. I can’t even imagine how hard this is,” she mumbles in my direction.
My thumb caresses her skin over her shirt. “I know. It’s heartbreaking.”
“And these stories have a happy ending, but what about the ones that don’t?”
Tilting my head down toward her, I watch her chin quiver. “Try not to think like that.”
“I know.” She wipes another tear from her face. “It’s hard not to.”
After the speeches, everyone is instructed to line up behind the starting line. Lina is on my right, followed by Avery, Bailey, and Mason. Christian and Hailey are on my left, huddled with some of our other coworkers .
Mason moves his head behind the girls to grab my attention. “Let’s fucking go,” he exclaims, fisting, bumping me. “All for those kids!”
“I’m ready to feel the burn!” I shout.
Lina giggles, then turns to Bailey. “Rein in your fuck buddy, B.”
Bailey’s eyes playfully lower. “Why don’t you rein in yours?”
Mason and I laugh in unison.
Lina cocks her head to the side. “Ha. Ha.”
“Because Mason and Bailey used to be fuck buddies.” Christian pokes his head over to us with a chuckle.
Lina whips her head around. “You figure that out all on your own, did you?”
“Everyone’s so feisty this morning,” I comment, palms up in front of me. “Let’s save it for the race, okay?”
“I heard you and Lina have been practicing.” Mason winks at me.
Bailey hooks an arm around Mason. “They’ve been practicing a lot more than running.”
Lina and I look at each other right when the whistle goes off. Suddenly, a sea of people takes off around us. Lina starts ahead of me, but I quickly catch up.
“Come on, Carter. I know how well you are with cardio.” She smirks.
I bump her with my shoulder. “Now you want to joke.”
Lina and I run at a measured pace. We pass the tall buildings downtown and small coffee shops.
Now that the sun is up, the weather is even warmer. Sweat starts to bead on my forehead. Glancing over at Lina, I notice her rolled-up T-shirt sleeves exposing her glistening skin. I wonder if anyone would notice if I pulled her into one of the alleys between the buildings.
It’s a Saturday morning, which means there will be no one in the offices and no traffic because the street is closed anyway. There are only a few little coffee shops open, and it looks like they are only for walking up.
Patiently, I wait for Lina to slow down a little. I keep my eye on her and the alleyways. When her pace changes and I see an opening, I swing my arm in front of her and grab her around the waist.
“Carter!” she gasps.
Laughing, I wrap both arms around her, shoving her into a small alcove to the side of a closed shop. Light doesn’t quite hit this side of the building, so we’re immediately eclipsed by the heavy shadows.
“Someone will see us!”
“It’s dark over here,” I reply before spotting a large family-size public restroom right next to us.
“We’re in public.” She gingerly pushes me away. There’s no force behind it.
“In here.” I clasp her hand as she follows behind me. Once we’re both inside, I lock the door behind us. “Another family restroom to save the day.”
“I can’t be around you without wanting to touch you, kiss you, and stick my tongue inside of you,” I growl into the salted skin on her neck. Caging her in, she playfully squirms underneath me until she realizes that I’m not moving.
Her laughter moves from a full belly laugh to a shallow chuckle. Lina pulls at the drawstrings on my shorts. “You want my dick, baby?”
Her eyes look hooded and heavy. “I could go for a quickie.”
My lips and tongue glide along her chin, up to her ear, and over to her soft lips. The moment we connect, her core bucks into mine.
“You’re already hard for me,” she purrs, sucking my tongue into her mouth.
Pressing my mouth deeper into hers, I open wide, trying to get as close as I can. Cutting off both of our breaths, our noses are smashed against each other’s faces in a desperate frenzy.
“Mmhmm,” I moan, pushing off the wall with one hand. My tongue licks at the inside of her lip while I slide my hand under the elastic band of her shorts.
“Oh,” she gasps. Rolling her body into me, she chases my two fingers as I search for the wetness of her slit. They both easily slip inside, sending a bolt up my spine before electrifying the head of my dick. Ready to bust off of my pants, precome drips with desperation. It’s hard and pulsating.
Taking a crooked finger, I gently begin to massage the ridged walls of her insides.
“Oh god.” Lina’s forehead falls to my shoulders.
“I love the way your chest flushes when you’re about to come,” I whisper in her ear.
Lina’s hips roll into my hand. Back and forth, she moves with the motion of my fingers. Teasing out her orgasm, I’m craving to feel her come all over my hand when her hand dives into the front of my pants. Gripping my cock tightly around the base, she pumps up and down in rhythm with her body and my fingers .
“Fuck,” I groan into her mouth. She frantically nips and sucks on my lips, letting her hands slide back and forth.
“Spit on it,” I gently demand, craving moisture.
Without a second thought, Lina releases me from her grip. She brings her hand up to her mouth, makes eye contact with me, and then spits into her palm.
“Fuck, that was hot.” I stare at her pink, swollen lips, barely catching my breath.
She kisses my neck and sinks her hand back into my pants. This time when she grabs my cock, it slides back and forth, sensitive and ready to explode.
While Lina inches an orgasm out of me, I tease one out of her. With every pump of her palm and movement of my crooked finger, our bodies buck at each other at the same time.
“I’m going to come,” she squeaks out. I pick up the pace, trying to massage deeper. Her body trembles. Her insides tighten, and my fingers get covered with her arousal. It’s almost enough to put me over the edge, but I panic because I’ll have no place to blow my load. There are no paper towels or toilet paper in this place. Dammit.
Her body is limp, except for her grip on my cock. I slide my fingers out from between her legs and bring them up to my mouth. Lina watches my every movement with her eyes the size of saucers. Slipping my two fingers into my mouth, I wrap my tongue around them, enjoying the taste of her. Sucking off every bit of her come, I let my eyes fall closed as I hear her let out a tight moan in satisfaction.
Suddenly, Lina falls to her knees.
“What are you doing?” I ask as she pops my dick out of my shorts.
She brings it to her mouth. “Where else are you going to come?” she says coyly. Then, wraps her wet, warm mouth around it. I was ready to explode a second ago, but this pushed me over the edge. All the buildup of tasting her, feeling her, and I’m done for.
Looking down at Lina’s beautiful blue eyes and rose-colored cheeks, my mouth runs dry. “You look so pretty on your knees.”
She sucks harder, appreciating the compliment.
I grab the back of her head, angling in the right place. My head falls back against the cement walls. “Oh fuck.”
“Give it all to me,” she mutters, coating my shaft with saliva.
My legs lock into place, my stomach clenches, and I spill everything I’ve got into her mouth. “God, you’re doing so good, baby,” I say, my hands gripping her hair while she swallows all of it.
She continues lapping it up, making sure I’m completely empty. Out of breath, Lina stands up. “I might not need lunch later.”
Did she fucking say that?
“You’re incredible.” My voice is hoarse. I grabbed the back of her head for a quick kiss that was more a statement of you’re mine than anything else I’ve done before.
Lina walks over to the cracked mirror and fluffs her hair a few times. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, can we finish our run?”
“Yeah.” I tuck my dick back into my pants and adjust the drawstrings.
She rests a hip on the sink and crosses her arms. “I still can’t believe we became partners for this event. What are the odds, right?”
I should tell her. I rub the back of my neck. “I uh …” A smile breaks.
“What?”
“I requested you,” I admit shamelessly.
Her eyes dilate, and her mouth falls open. “Stop it.”
I suck in air between my teeth, then pull my lips to the side. “I did.”
Lina puts her hand to her chest and steps forward. “Wow, Carter, you continue to surprise me.”
“I hope you don’t mind,” I say.
“Are you kidding,” she whispers, sliding her arms around my waist. “I’m so grateful you did.”
I bend to leave a soft kiss on her temple. I’m relieved she’s not upset. Lina pulls away and reaches for the door handle. “Let’s go before people start to ask where we are.”
I nod. “Oh, and Lina?”
“Hmm?”
I flash her a half smile. “You taste fucking amazing.”
With a quick wink, she turns and leaves. I make sure my pants are straight before I’m right behind her.
The bright sun blares into my eyes as Lina and I pick up our pace. Following into line with the rest of the runners, we easily catch up. I scan the participants around the area but don’t see any of our friends. They’re probably a significant distance ahead of us by now.
“I have no energy.” My words come out broken and breathless .
That same satisfied smile from the restroom crawls across her face. “I take full responsibility for that.”
“I bet you do.”
We quickly catch up to two participants who look more like they’re strolling along the beach, alone and without a care in the world. As we get closer, I recognize them as Bailey and Mason.
I slow as we approach them. Lina, at my side, does the same.
“Okay, love birds. Get to moving,” Lina calls out. Both their heads whip around just as we match their casual speed.
“Us?” Mason retorts jokingly. “Where did you guys sneak off to?”
Lina and I exchange a quick glance.
“Lina got thirsty,” I say, smiling wide and hoping it will make her blush. And it does.
She rubs her lips together while her face turns three shades of crimson. “That’s right, I did.”
“You have a water bottle in your hand.” Bailey gestures toward the plastic canister in her left hand with the logo of the event wrapped around it.
The four of us walk in silence for a beat until I decide to break it. “She was thirsty for something else.”
“My man!” Mason chuckles, hooking an arm around Bailey.
She stares up at him, rolling her eyes. “Don’t get any ideas. We’ve messed around in enough public places.”
Lina ignores their comments. Her shoulder brushes against mine, and I can tell she wants me to put my arm around her. I want to. Hell, I do it anyway. I pull her close and let my arm loosely hang across her shoulders. Lina stiffens at first, then relaxes and smiles at me .
“We look like friends, that’s it,” I say to settle her uneasiness.
By the time we cross the fish line, Lina and I are both exhausted and hungry. Even in November, the midmorning sun can be brutal in the desert. As the event was beginning to wrap up, we hit the volunteer pancake brunch and then posed for a few marketing photos with the airline. Lina and I go through the motions of saying goodbye to our coworkers and friends before calling it a day.
Since my car is parked on the other end of the lot, I decide to walk Lina to hers first.
“So, this is it?” She turns to face me before opening the car door.
I lick my lips, still tasting her on them. “What’s it?”
She shrugs and shoves her hands in the pockets of her shorts. “This entire event is what brought us together, and it’s over in less than three hours.”
I palm the side of her car, leaning in close. “Seems like a lot of buildup for such a short amount of time.”
She laughs. “It’s a big show for the airline.”
“Clearly.” I smile. “They had that high-tech app and everything.”
“Human resources use it for promoting a healthy lifestyle as well,” she adds.
“Economical.”
Lina stares at her shuffling feet. “So, this is it? No more using running or workouts as excuses to spend time with each other?”
If she thinks we’re done after this one event that was barely enough time to cover half a morning, then she is mistaken. This 5k has always been an excuse for us to be together .
“Not a fucking chance,” I state, gripping the back of her head and pulling her lips into mine.
Suddenly, the vibration of my phone in my back pocket interrupts our embrace. I slide it out to see it’s my grandmother’s doctor.