Chapter 28
Twenty-Eight
Carter
I drag my hands up my face and grip my hair. I can’t do this. This isn’t right. This isn’t me.
“Fuck!”
River gathers the sheets and covers herself. I can’t bear to look at her. Not because of anything she’s done, but because of what I did to her. Seeing the complete devastation in her eyes hurts worse than anything she could ever do to me.
“I’m sorry.” Tears fill my eyes, and though I try to collect myself, I feel them roll down my cheeks and choke out a sob. “I’m so fucking sorry, baby.”
I lay back down on my side of the bed as the weight of everything that’s happened crushes me.
“I was so mad at you for hurting me that I couldn’t even think straight, but what I just did? That wasn’t okay.”
She doesn’t speak . . . and when I glance over, tear drops glimmer on her cheeks.
My chest constricts a little tighter, and I take a ragged breath.
Even though she’s lying right here beside me, I feel like we’re a million miles apart.
I miss her. I miss her so goddamn much. And even though I don’t think anyone has ever hurt me like she did, that’s not what matters.
Our marriage is what matters, and if I don’t fix this, it could very well be over.
Gathering her into my arms, I pull her closer and wind my leg around hers.
My tears dampen her hair as hers fall onto my chest. My stomach turns.
I broke my promise. I broke her heart. And I possibly broke her trust. I told her I would never hurt her, yet I did, and I did it on purpose.
We lie there, in the space of our quiet room, and draw comfort from one another, neither one of us speaking for a while until I finally break the silence.
“Generally, I like to talk things out right when they happen, but I was hurt, and after you gave me the silent treatment, I didn’t know how to respond except to retaliate.
When you left the game last night . . . and then you said what you did about playing a hero, it cut me so fucking deep.
I wanted to punish you the way you punished me, but I also needed time to sit in my feelings for a while and process.
I worried that anything I said could’ve escalated our fight or . . . I’d give in, like I always do.”
She nods. “Fighting like this, Carter. It’s breaking my heart. I can’t take it.”
I push back the loose strands of hair—clinging to her forehead—and tilt her chin up to look me in the eyes.
“We’re gonna fight. All couples do. But I promise next time, I’ll fight fair.”
“You’re so good to me, and I used that against you. I’m so sorry. I was awful.”
“You’ve apologized enough. I love you,” I say, holding her tighter. “I love you so damn much that it feels like at any moment my heart might explode out of my damn chest. This distance between us right now . . . it’s killing me.”
“It’s killing me too,” she whispers, swiping away a tear.
“I’ll admit. I shouldn't have gone behind your back and hired security for you. It’s something we should’ve discussed as a couple.
You deserved to be in on that plan all along.
” I slowly pepper kisses all over her face, tasting a mix of her tears and mine.
“I promise not to leave you in the dark again.”
“Thank you,” she whispers, as she runs her thumbs under my eyes. “Can we maybe make a rule? No more silent treatment? We work through our shit when it happens.”
“Yeah. I’d like that.” Releasing her, I roll out of bed and hold out my hand to her. “Can I just take care of you right now? Let me run you a bath and clean you up?”
She nods and places her hand in mine. I pull her up, fucking grateful I still have a wife after the shit I pulled.
“River, this is Tony, Hector, and Diesel.”
The three men stand in front of us as I make introductions. River tilts her chin up with a new level of confidence I’ve never seen before and shakes each of their hands. She glares at each one of them. I’ve been on the receiving end of that glare before. I know how they feel; it’s not fun.
“Where is the other guy? You know what? Never mind. That doesn’t even matter.
Let me tell you how this is gonna work .
. .” she says, giving a pointed look to each of them.
“I’m in charge now. You need something, come to me.
You can’t get ahold of me, then you can go to my husband, and you can tell that to any of your other minions too. ”
Before any of us can say anything or ask any questions she cuts us off with a nod. “Y’all know where we’re going?”
Tony gives a nod and looks down at his watch.
“Where are we going anyway?” I ask.
After we talked everything out, I gave her Tony, Diesel, and Hector’s phone number and I know she told them. I’m hoping one of them will slip up.
“We were ordered not to tell you, sir,” Hector says with a grin.
River’s smile spreads. She’s feeling real big right now. I can’t wait to get her back home and spank her little ass.
“Good. Glad we’re on the same page now,” she says.
We all head out of the building, and once we make it to the parking garage, I do as I’m instructed and hop into the passenger seat of River’s car.
“Are you going to tell me where you’re taking me?”
“You’ll see,” she says, smirking as she starts the engine.
A few seconds later, her Bluetooth connects to the car.
“. . . his tongue laps at my pussy . . . Oh, God . . . Fuck . . . I’m about to . . . Mmm . . .”
River’s eyes nearly pop out of her head as she fumbles with her phone. She keeps tapping the device, but the audiobook continues to play in the background. I roll my lips together, trying my damnedest not to laugh.
“I can’t move, can’t escape his punishment. ‘You have been a naughty little slut, haven’t you, pet.’ Brent runs the leather tresses down the valley of my breast.”
“Make it stop! God. Make it stop.”
“My wife is a dirty little smut slut.” I laugh, grabbing her phone out of her hand, and shoving it into my back pocket, then I turn the volume up on her radio.
That earns me a glare, and she stares at me as she pushes the mute button.
I stare right back, pushing the volume button.
We go back and forth until she throws her hands in the air.
“Ugh!”
Finally, she gives up and pulls out of the parking lot as the audiobook continues to play. I look in the mirror, finding her security detail following closely behind.
“He brings the whip down on my ass, then reaches around and thrusts two thick fingers into my pussy. ‘So fucking responsive . . .’”
I lean over and growl in her ear, “Remind you of anything, Kitten?”
“Yeah. It reminds me of something that’s never gonna happen again if you don’t give me my damn phone, Carter!”
“Nope. And you better hope we don’t get pulled over. I would love nothing more than to see your face turn fifty shades of red while this plays in the background as a cop writes your ticket.”
She side-eyes me.
How the fuck do women listen to this kind of shit and function?
I wouldn’t be able to keep the vehicle on the damn road.
We’re not even five minutes into the drive, and I’m over here adjusting myself in my seat and looking for the next exit so I can make her pull over.
I bet she’d enjoy a little exhibitionism.
I shift again thinking about my wife bent over the hood of this car.
This is hot as fuck, but also . . . now I know how she knows about Shabari, and I don’t think it has anything to do with personal experiences. That makes my smile a little brighter.
“This isn’t funny. Get a handle on those dimples, will you?”
“Why? Does it make you wanna take your panties off?”
“Who says I’m wearing any?” she asks as she presses harder on the gas.
Reaching over, I glide my fingertips up her thighs. They part on instinct, and I reach between her legs. Goddamn she’s soaked.
“This really does it for you, doesn’t it?”
“You know, there’s more to this book than smut. There is actual plot,” she says, grabbing my hand and trying to remove it.
I speak low in her ear, “Doubt that. Now, hike up your left leg, like a good fucking girl for me.”
“W-what?”
“You heard me. Put your foot on the seat and spread these sexy ass thighs, so I can feel your tight little pussy squeeze my fingers. Let’s see if you can stay between the lines.”
She hesitates but does as I say, and I push my fingers into her. Her wetness coats my fingers, and I thrust into her harder.
“Oh, fuck,” she moans.
Her foot presses down on the gas, breaking the speed limit and weaving in and out of traffic as she pants.
“What’s wrong, baby? Having a hard time keeping an even speed? Better slow down. You would hate for anyone to hear the dirty shit you listen to.”
“Goddamn, Carter. Fuck,” she moans as I curl my fingers up and press on her clit. Her eyes squeeze tight.
“Eyes on the road.”
Her eyes fly open, and her pussy begins to pulse and contract around my fingers.
“Oh, God,” she gasps as I finger fuck her through her climax.
I lift my head and look behind us.
“You think God can help get you out of this?” I ask as red and blue lights flash behind us.
She looks in the rearview mirror and drops her foot to the floorboard.
“Shit!”
Pulling off the highway, she reaches for the knob to adjust the volume, but I squeeze her thigh.
“Ah, ah, ah,” I singsong. “I warned you what would happen if we were pulled over.”
If looks could kill, I would certainly be dead. She reaches into the top of her dress and pulls up her boobs, then pulls her dress down further. Her breasts practically spill out of her tight little dress.
“What are you doing, Kitten?”
She plucks her lip gloss out of her purse along with her license and insurance card.
“What does it look like? I’m getting out of this ticket,” she snarls, running the gloss along her lips.
Chuckling, I reach over and pull the bottom of her dress down so she doesn’t flash the officer, then sit back in my seat to watch the show. The officer, who looks to be about my age, steps out of his car and approaches our vehicle.
“Ma’am, do you know why I pulled you over?”
“Get on your knees and open this pretty fucking mouth . . .”
And this. This is where it gets interesting . . .
She turns the brightest shade of red and hides her face behind her hands.
The officer bends down and looks at me through the open window.
“That wasn’t me officer,” I say, holding up one hand and pointing to the radio with the other. “My wife . . . she likes to listen to these . . . these . . . what’s this called again, baby?”
“Audiobook. It’s called an audiobook,” she grinds out through gritted teeth as the moaning persists.
“Oh yeah. An ‘audiobook’.” I use air quotes.
“I call it audio-porn. Anyway, we were arguing over if this book had plot or not, and she just haaad to prove to me that it did. I couldn’t get her to turn the damn thing down .
. . as if a higher volume would help me to better hear the plot. ” I give a dramatic roll of my eyes.
River’s jaw drops, and she whips her head my way, cutting me the most scathing look.
“My wife listens to those too.” The officer laughs. “But they get mad at us for watching the equivalent to what they’re listening to.”
“Right?” I retort, throwing my hands up as Rivers head swivels back and forth between us. “Completely unfair.”
“Wait. I know who you are. You’re Carter Graham. Man, that game last night sure made me proud to be a New Yorker.” He laughs again. “You’re out here almost breaking records and here she is . . . breaking the law.”
“Sorry,” she clips.
“Mind if I get your autograph?”
River passes me his notepad. I grab a pen out of her console and write a little message for him, sign it, then lean over, stretching my arm out to hand the notepad back.
“Thanks. I’ll go ahead and let you off with a warning, Mrs. Graham, but slow it down.”
“Yes sir.”
When the officer returns to his car, I mute the audiobook, and she smacks me in the chest. “I swear to all that’s holy, Carter . . . I’m going to rain down hellfire on your fucking ass.”
I wink and smile from ear to ear. “Can’t wait, baby.”