Chapter 21
Twenty-One
River
I woke up well-rested and deliciously sore with the reminder of how Carter played with my body as if it was his own personal instrument.
My heart beats a little faster thinking about last night.
The way he worships me is unreal, and I’m not only talking about in the bedroom, though the man is an absolute God.
He took me two more times in our room and once in the shower.
Completely annihilated me. I’ve never been able to get off on penetration alone, but with Carter?
Wow. And can we talk about that barbell he’s been hiding in his pants? Best sex of my life.
But I digress. What I’m really talking about is how after our workout this morning, he washed every inch of my body after he shampooed and conditioned my hair, and is now rinsing me off. The jet hits my clit.
“Mmm.”
“Ooh, you liked that.”
He changes the setting on the jet and brings the showerhead back to my clit.
“Oh, god.”
“That’s it, baby. I wanna watch you come for me. It’s the most intoxicating thing I’ve ever experienced.”
His chest presses against my back—both arms wrapped around me—one hand holding the showerhead and the other tweaking my nipples as he leans over and watches my face. I’m wrung out, my body trembling and legs weak.
“Carter . . .”
“Goddamn, Kitten,” he breathes, grabbing my chin and turning it toward him.
His lips crash to mine, and he holds me up against his chest to keep my legs from buckling until my orgasm subsides.
Eyes still closed, I hear the shower turn off, and feel a warm towel wrap around me before my feet are lifted from the ground, and I’m carried bridal style into our room and toward our bed.
“I have to go to work.”
He groans into my shoulder, setting my feet to the floor. “Fine, I’ll go make your coffee.”
I come out of our room dressed and head down to the kitchen. Carter takes a drink of my coffee like he does every day, then caps the lid before setting it down on the counter for me to take on my way out.
“Why do you always do that?”
“Because . . . I want to make sure it’s how you like it before sending you off to work with it.”
“You know, if it weren’t for the fact that your jeans were laying on the floor right next to the laundry basket, you would have me fooled into believing that you’re perfect.” I giggle, kissing him when I pass by.
He mocks horror, holding his hand to his chest. I saunter to the freezer and take out one of the breakfast sandwiches I pre-made for this week, then pop it into the microwave.
These little bad boys make sure I eat and still make it to work on time.
Carter wraps his arms around me from behind while I remove the sandwich.
“Call in today.”
“Ha!” I laugh, knowing full well he has practice in a few hours and can’t call into to work either.
I turn around in his arms and lock my hands around his neck, playing with the hair on his nape. My heart kicks into overdrive as he stares into my eyes.
“I’m serious. We can toss your pants right on top of mine. They can keep each other company on the floor next to the laundry basket while I fuck your lights out.”
Burying my head in his chest, I snort a laugh. “Carter, whatever your middle name is Graham. What am I gonna do with you?”
“It’s Elmer, and I can think of a lot of things you can do with me.”
I lean back to study his face, my brows pinching together. “Say what?”
“My middle name . . . it’s Elmer.”
My lips roll, pressing tight together.
Carter Elmer Graham. Hold it in, River. Don’t be mean—
My head falls forward, my face heats, and my shoulders shake until laughter lurches from deep within my chest and explodes out of my mouth. I can’t help it. All I can picture right now is Elmer Fudd.
“You’re really knocking it out of the park here,” I struggle to say as I wipe tears from my eyes.
His head bows, then he peers at me with the saddest eyes. My heart drops.
Oh, no.
“Why are you laughing? It’s a family name, one I’m proud of.
It was my grandfather’s name, too. I remember him sitting in his old rocker on his back porch, whittling sticks and telling me old stories about how ‘back in his day,’ and I miss him, you know?
That name means something to me, and someday I want to pass it on to my own son. ”
“Really?”
“No. I’m fucking with you. Yes, I miss my grandad, but fuck no, my middle name isn’t Elmer . . . neither was his. It’s Ethan.”
He laughs as I tap him on the chest with the back of my hand and turn around to leave, but he grabs me from behind, wrapping his arms around me again, burrowing his face into my neck, and twirling us around. I giggle, and the kitchen spins around me as he places me back on my feet.
“That was terrible. You know that? I felt bad.”
“But you set it up so perfectly.” Carter laughs again, picking up my plate and my coffee and walking me out to my car. He drops a kiss on my lips and presses his forehead to mine. “I hope you have a good day at work, baby. I’ll see you in a bit.”
Aspen falls back into a chair in front of my desk.
Just as soon as her ass hits the seat, she quickly stands back up and races out of my office.
Following her, I catch sight of her black hair flying behind her as she disappears into the ladies’ room, the door slowly closing behind her.
I hear hurling before I even push the door open.
I find her on her knees, head hanging over the toilet.
“Oh, gosh. Are you okay?” I ask, even though she can’t answer me at the moment.
Holding up her hair, I rub her back as she dry heaves again and again. She doesn’t feel feverish when I place my hand on her forehead.
Leaning back against the side of the stall, she sits on the floor with her knees up, hanging her head and groaning. “I feel awful. I could curl into my comfy bed and sleep all damn day.”
I move to the sink, wetting a paper towel, then bring it back, dabbing the cool towel on her face.
“Want me to take you home?”
“No. I have too much to do. It’s just a little bug.”
The door opens and Hannah walks in.
Aspen moans again, “Oh, god,” then throws herself back over the toilet.
I side eye Hannah. “You might want to use a different restroom.”
She gives me a little salute, and without a word, turns on her heels. Aspen sits back against the stall for a few minutes before she perks up and moves to wash her hands and rinse her mouth.
“I don't know why, but every time I hit that hallway—”
Aspen stops talking just as I pull the door open to leave, the aroma of bacon hitting us in the face. She turns around again, running right back to the toilet. Encountering a little déjà vu, I lean against the wall with my arms crossed and giggle.
“A little bug, huh?”
She looks at me over her shoulders, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, her brows scrunching together in confusion.
“Is it possible that you’re pregnant?”
Her eyes nearly bulge out of her head, and I laugh.
“Maybe you should schedule a doctor’s appointment. Oh, and tell the staff and players to eat breakfast at home for the next few months . . . at least until your morning sickness goes away.”
She was like this when she was pregnant with Tucker. It was awful. I think I lost about fifteen pounds during that time. No one could eat around her before ten in the morning because anything with a smell would set her off.
All this reminds me I need to buy a Plan B pill today and schedule an appointment for birth control before Carter knocks me up. Jesus.
I crouch down in front of her and pat her knee. “Hang tight. I’ll go grab some pickle juice from the kitchen. It should settle your stomach.”
Aspen grabs my hand as I turn to leave. “Please don’t tell anyone, not even Carter. After what Cal went through . . . I want to wait before I tell him. The last thing he needs is to get excited and this end up being nothing but a fluke.”
Nodding my head, I turn to leave. After what happened with his first wife, I understand where she’s coming from. Once Aspen is settled and my doctor’s appointment for myself is booked, I sit down and get to work.
I pick up my pen to make a note, and my mind wanders to Carter.
A smile tugs at my lips. The smallest things remind me of him.
The pen I’m holding now that was sitting on top of the note he wrote to me—which is still under my keyboard.
Aerosmith playing on the radio. The smell of coffee and vanilla cream.
“What are you grinning about?”
I look up and remove the pen pressed to my bottom lip. My stomach does a little flip as Carter comes over to my desk and drops a kiss on my lips. Damn, he looks good, especially with that ball cap turned backwards.
“What are you doing up here?”
“I wanted to see my wife.”
Oh. My cheeks hurt from smiling so hard. He grabs the glass paperweight globe from my desk and sits down in the chair across from me, twirling it around in his hand. That will be another thing to add to my list of reminders of him.
“What did you want to see me about?”
He tosses the paperweight up in the air, catching it each time without ever taking his eyes off me. That thing is going to drop right on his head if he’s not careful.
I stand up, taking the globe out of his hand, and set it on my desk. “Stop. You’re gonna hurt yourself.”
Threading his bottom lip between his teeth, he asks, “Can I maybe take you out to dinner tonight or buy you a drink?”
“Carter Graham, are you asking me out on a date?” I laugh, leaning against my desk and crossing my arms.
He leans forward and grabs my hips with both hands, pulling me toward him. Resting his head against my shoulder, he wraps his arms around me, pressing his fingertips into my back. I take off his cap and run my fingers through his hair.
“We've done this whole thing backwards,” he mumbles against my shoulder, then leans back to look at me. “But I would still like to take you on a proper date. So, what’s it gonna be, Kitten? You running from me or to me this time?”
“Always to you.”
“Fucking finally,” he breathes, taking my hand in his and standing to leave just as the alarm goes off on my phone.
I round my desk and silence it as I glance at the screen. “Shit! I have to go. I have a meeting in five minutes.”
As he leaves, I gather my things to take to the conference room. Carter peeks his head back into my office. “I almost forgot, be ready by six.”
I’ll be ready, alright. Though I would’ve never admitted it before, I think I’ve been waiting as long as he has.