Chapter 36 #5
Her internal muscles clamped down on my fingers with a rhythmic, crushing force. I didn't stop; I pushed deeper, my tongue relentless against her as she came, her body spasming against the chair. I could feel the heat of her, the sheer intensity of her release radiating through my entire face.
"The figures are... acceptable," Carrie managed to gasp, her breath hitching sharply as a violent shudder tore through her body.
She was coming so hard her jaw locked, her eyes fluttering shut as she fought with every remaining shred of willpower not to scream into the microphone.
"Proceed with... the plan. I’ll... email... later."
She slapped the receiver down before he could even process the pause, severing the connection in an instant.
She collapsed backward, her chest heaving violently, her legs dropping from my shoulders as her whole body gave out.
Her blouse was wrecked, her hair undone, her legendary composure utterly shattered.
I stared up at her in total, dazed awe. The sheer power of her—to suffer through a peak, mind-melting climax and still deliver orders without missing a beat—was the hottest fucking thing I’d ever witnessed.
I crawled out from under the desk, my face flushed and my fingers glistening. I looked up at her, a slow, triumphant smirk spreading across my lips.
Carrie opened one eye, looking down at me with a mixture of raw desire and genuine exasperation. "You," she rasped, her voice completely shot. "Are going to be the absolute death of me."
I deliberately licked my fingers as I watched her try to gather the scattered pieces of her dignity. I let out a low, satisfied hum. "Yeah, but you love me. And you’re stuck with me now. There's no way out, Dr. Carter."
Carrie bit her lip, a soft, dazed laugh escaping her as she sat up.
She reached down, grabbing me by the waist and hoisting me up until I was straddling her lap, my trousers rubbing against the silk of her skirt.
She cupped my face, her thumbs tracing my cheekbones before she pulled me into a kiss that tasted like surrender.
"Am I really?" she asked against my lips, her voice barely a whisper, searching my eyes for the truth. "Stuck with you?"
My heart leaped into my throat. The weight of the afternoon, the image of my dad in that suit, and the tears pouring from my Mum—it all hit at once.
"Yeah," I breathed, leaning my forehead against hers. "Carrie, everything you've done... you should have seen my parents. I wish you had. You didn't just give Dad a job; you gave them their lives back."
I hesitated for a heartbeat, the finality of my next words making my stomach flip in a way that felt like freedom.
"I'm going to do it," I said, my voice growing steadier. "I'm going to hand my notice in at The Dam. For real this time."
Carrie’s eyes softened, her grip on me tightening. She didn't gloat. She just looked at me with a fierce, quiet pride that made me feel ten feet tall.
"Good," she murmured, her hand sliding into the hair at the nape of my neck. "Because I have significantly better things for you to do with your evenings than pouring pints for strangers."
I chuckled, feeling the tension of the last few years finally start to dissolve. "Oh yeah? Like what?"
"Like being here," she said, her gaze dropping to my mouth. "With me. Exactly where you belong."
I kissed her softly, my lips lingering against hers as the words finally drifted out, weightless and certain. "I love you."
The office, usually a place of cold logic and high-stakes deals, felt impossibly warm.
Carrie froze for a heartbeat, as if she was memorising the exact frequency of my voice.
Her hands, still trembling slightly from the adrenaline of the meeting, moved to frame my face.
She looked at me with an intensity that made my breath hitch.
"I love you, Alex," she whispered back, her voice thick with an uncharacteristic vulnerability. "More than I ever thought I’d be capable of."
She pulled me back into a deep, slow kiss—one that wasn't about the heat of a hallway or the thrill of a secret meeting. This one was steady. It was a promise. When she pulled away, she rested her chin on my shoulder, holding me in the quiet of the room.
"Now," she murmured, her breath warm against my neck. "Before you change your mind and decide you actually enjoy the smell of stale beer and rowdy locals... give me your phone."
I pulled back, raising an eyebrow. "My phone? Why?"
"We're doing it now," she said, her eyes dancing with that familiar, playful authority. "Call that bar. Hand in your notice. I want to hear the exact moment you become a free woman."
I laughed, a genuine, bubbling sound. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone, scrolling until I found the number for The Dam. My heart was pounding, but for the first time, it wasn't from fear. I looked at Carrie, who was leaning back in her chair, watching me with a smug, beautiful grin.
"You're a real problem, Dr. Carter," I whispered, tapping the dial button.
"Yes," she murmured back, her eyes dark. "And you're stuck with me."