Chapter 6
By lunchtime the next day, the ice was melting. It rained down on the house, splashing and splattering from the tree branches above. With a whir, the power snapped on in the house. Lights blazed, appliances hummed to life, and the ceiling fan began to turn.
Sam went into the kitchen and poured two tumblers of scotch. “To celebrate being back on the grid.” He held one out to Carly.
She took it, but her smile was sad. “To electricity.”
“Funny, but we’ve had plenty of that the last two days.” He pulled her in and hooked his elbow through hers as they drank. The roads would be clear soon, but he wasn’t ready for her to leave.
He pressed his lips to hers. She tasted like his fantasies, sweet and sexy and forbidden. The kind of girl who would walk away rather than face the realities of his life. And he was the asshole who’d let her walk. He’d let her go, then he’d fly home to LA and pretend it meant nothing. Pretend the women who flung themselves at him at Hollywood parties were anywhere near as real or amazing as Carly.
But maybe they didn’t have to say good-bye just yet. “How about a hot shower before you leave?”
“The water won’t be hot yet.”
“It will be by the time we get there.” He kissed her again, drinking her in.
“Oh.” She finally caught up to his train of thought, and a wicked smile curled her lips. “I could use a shower.”
“But let’s get dirty first.” He scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the living room, where he laid her down in front of the fire and did all kinds of naked and dirty things with her, until they were both limp and panting.
Carly rolled over to face him, her hair mussed in the way of a woman who’s just been thoroughly ravished. “I have to say, this is the most fun I’ve ever had during an ice storm.”
“It’s my first ice storm, but I can’t imagine anything topping it.” He reached out and brushed a lock of hair from her face.
“You’re right. I bet the water is hot by now.” She sat up, naked and gorgeous.
“You in a rush?”
“It’s time for me to go home, Sam. You have a duet to record, and I have a bakery to run.”
It was true. So why was he thinking of excuses to stall? He led the way upstairs to the master bedroom, still cold but warming steadily now that heat blasted through the vents.
“It’s weird that I haven’t been in here yet.” Carly stood in the doorway, a funny look on her face.
He glanced at the master bed, untouched since before she’d arrived. “Shame. I’ve never gotten laid in that bed.”
She rolled her eyes with a grin and led the way into the master bath. “Wow.”
It was pretty decent as bathrooms went, with a big, tiled shower and a jetted tub. He reached into the shower and twisted it on, nice and hot.
A small groan escaped her lips. “Oh God, that’s going to feel good.”
They were both overdue for a shower, it was true. But showering with Carly was the real treat. Since they were both still naked, they stepped right in. Hot water cascaded over him, and yeah, it felt amazing.
Carly tipped her face up as the water coursed over her. “You don’t realize how awesome hot water is until you don’t have it.”
He reached for the soap, using it as an excuse to touch her. She sucked in a breath as he spread suds over her chest. His dick brushed against her belly, and she glanced down with a smile. “Again? Already?”
Yeah. It seemed he was insatiable where she was concerned. And the thought of her leaving after this shower? He didn’t like it at all.
She reached for the bar of soap and lathered up her hands, spreading bubbles across his chest and down his stomach until her fingers wrapped around his dick. Fuck. He surged beneath her touch.
He’d never used so much soap in the shower. He and Carly lathered each other up, touching and teasing as they went, until his dick throbbed, aching for release, desperate for one last time with Carly.
Her hands pressed into his back as she brought her hips against his, making that little sound of arousal he’d come to recognize. She was as turned on as he was.
“What do you say?” she whispered, lifting her hips so that his dick pressed into the heat between her thighs. “One last time before I leave?”
“Hell, yes.” Except…“Dammit. Condoms are downstairs.”
She thrust herself against him with a grumble of frustration. She was so hot for him. He could feel her burning him up beneath the shower’s spray. Reluctantly, he shifted his hips away from hers. Then he reached down and stroked her. She whimpered, her head falling back.
Oh, yeah.He loved getting her off.
He pushed two fingers inside her, thrusting in the rhythm they’d built together. She rocked her hips against his hand, eyes closed and panting. He kept his eyes locked on her face, soaking up every moment of her pleasure. God, she was beautiful.
She moaned as she came, her hips pressing against his. Carly. He could never get enough.
“My turn,” she whispered playfully, returning to the game they’d been playing since she got here. She reached for the bar of soap and lathered up her hands, then reached down, cupping his balls in one hand while she gripped his cock in the other, stroking him slowly end to end.
He groaned, thrusting his hips against her, completely lost to the feel of her touch, the heat of the shower raining down on them, and Carly.
“Is this good?” she murmured, stroking gently.
“Harder,” he ground out, so turned on he could barely speak.
She tightened her grip, stroking faster. “Better?”
“Fuck,” he gasped. “Yes.” He closed his eyes, thrusting his hips in time with her hand. His orgasm was already building, tightening in his balls, burning through him as the pressure inside him built. “Carly.”
“Sam,” she whispered, moving closer so that his cock pressed against the warmth of her body. She squeezed his balls, stroking harder and faster, and his whole brain short-circuited. He pumped his hips against her, and then boom, he exploded. He grabbed at the walls of the shower to hold himself up as his knees gave out. His dick pulsed in her hand as he came, hard.
“Wow.” Carly gripped him as another wave of release spurted against her. “That was hot.”
He held on to her, lost for words, completely undone. How was he ever supposed to let her go?
When he’d finally caught his breath, they rinsed off and got out of the shower. Carly wrapped herself in a big, gray towel and padded downstairs. He toweled himself off, shrugged into a pair of jeans and a tee, and went after her.
At first, he didn’t see her, but then she came out of the guest bedroom, the one where she’d been supposed to stay during the storm. She was wearing the blue top and black jeans she’d had on when she arrived, but she wasn’t the same Carly who’d delivered sweets to his house two days ago.
This Carly was still slightly mussed from their tryst in the shower. Her eyes were warmer, her expression more relaxed. His Carly.
Except she wasn’t.
Carly busiedherself picking up the blankets and pillows they’d spread across the living room floor. She started a load of laundry and returned the pillows to the guest bed. When she got back to the living room, Sam had moved the coffee table into place. Now his house looked like it had before she arrived.
And it was time for her to go.
“My manager’s booked me a flight out of here first thing tomorrow,” he said.
Her stomach felt like she’d just gotten off a roller coaster, all tight and queasy. This was really happening. He was going back to LA. He’d be in the recording studio with Tina Torrey, making music together and who knew what else. Ugh. This sucked so much. “These last two days were…Well, they were really amazing. I’ll always remember them.”
He strode across the room and tugged her into his arms. “Amazing would be an understatement.”
“I can’t wait to hear those new songs on the radio,” she whispered over the painful lump in her throat.
“Yeah.” His voice rumbled through her.
She wanted to burrow into the warmth of his embrace and stay there, but that burning sensation behind her eyes meant she’d better get out of here before she did something really stupid like cry in front of him. She pressed her lips to his and kissed him—hard. She closed her eyes, memorizing the feel of his lips and the thrill of his tongue sliding against hers. Then she lifted her head. “Good-bye.”
“Hate that word.” Sam’s mouth quirked, but he dropped his arms from around her.
“Me, too.” She took a step back. “Good luck with everything. I hope you got all the inspiration you needed for your new album.”
“And then some.” He watched her from unreadable blue eyes.
She bent and picked up her purse. Tell me not to go. Beg me to stay. Please…
But he was silent, hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans, watching her.
She walked to the door and pulled it open. Wait! I don’t want it to end like this…
She glanced over her shoulder. Sam hadn’t moved. She was being ridiculous. They’d only known each other two days, but her heart…
“Bye, Carly.”
She drew a ragged breath. “Bye.”
Then she walked out the door and out of his life.