Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
ASHLEY
My heart riots as Carter moves on top of me. Everything about this joining feels so right. So meant to be.
It’s silly to think like the fantasies of a teenage girl, but I can’t help it. I’ve never felt so much like this is where I’m supposed to be.
“You feel so good,” I say, truth slipping from my lips. I feel as if I’m both in and out of my body.
“Fuck, Ash, I don’t ever want to stop.”
My body contracts around him when he calls me Ash.
“You like that do you? Ash?” It happens again, and he lets out a low chuckle. “I want to see you.”
Without warning, Carter wraps his arms around me and sits up so that he’s sitting back on his heels and I’m straddling him. My hair drapes over one shoulder, and Carter gently moves it so that it lays along my back, exposing my bare chest to him.
I move over him. A moan works its way up my throat from the feel of my clit rubbing against him. I’m not going to last long in this position.
Quicker than I would like, the sensation of my impending climax builds. Carter’s fingers weave in my hair as he looks up at me in what I can only think of as awe. His gaze echoes what I’m feeling—though I’ve been like this with a man before, it’s never been like this.
It’s like knowing that this moment is going to change the trajectory of our lives.
His hand moves to my ass, and he grinds me against him. A cry of pleasure releases, then suddenly my orgasm barrels down on me. I clench around him, pleasure twisting through my entire body.
Carter pummels up from underneath me and groans out his own release. He swells inside me and pulses until we’re both covered in sweat and gasping for breath.
“I never knew it could be like that,” he says, his breathing labored against the skin of my breast.
“Me neither.”
Once we’ve caught our breath, he gently sets me on my back before slowly pulling out of me. It feels like a profound loss. He seems to feel the same based on his frown.
“I’ll be right back.” He climbs off the bed and disappears into the bathroom.
He returns moments later, lying down on his side, propping himself up on his elbow, and trailing his fingers over my stomach.
I stare at his handsome face, just visible in the darkness. “Your chin is healing well.” Today is the first day without the Band-Aid on.
“Yup. Should be good by the wedding. Enough not to be obvious at least.”
The mention of the wedding brings something to mind. It feels early to have this conversation, but the days before the wedding are ticking away.
“Speaking of the wedding… how do you want to handle it? I mean… do you want to hide what we’ve been doing from my sister and family, or…” Thank God we’re in the dark because my body is heating and not from the orgasm.
Carter tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and kisses the corner of my mouth. “I want whatever you’re comfortable with. Given my friendship with your sister, I wouldn’t have done any of this unless I thought this could really go somewhere. But I don’t want you to feel pressured.”
And to think that I once thought this man was inconsiderate.
He trails his finger along the edge of my hairline, and I bring his palm to my lips and kiss it. “I don’t want to hide this from anyone. I want us to feel free to let this be whatever it’s going to be.”
A slow smile spreads across his face. Even though it’s dark in the room, it somehow still lights up the space. “Then we’re on the same page.”
Carter shifts off his side so that he’s over me again. Then we’re kissing, and then hands are moving, and then we’re doing everything we just finished doing again.
It’s even better the second time around.
The next day around lunch, the roads are finally cleared enough for us to drive back to Mistletoe Falls. It’s a good thing, but I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t miss being holed up in this place with Carter all to myself. Without the outside world and all its demands intruding.
We check out of our room and pull onto the highway. The snowbanks at the side of the road are many feet higher than they were on our drive yesterday, but the roads are clear.
“What do you have planned for the rest of the day?” Carter asks me when we’re about ten minutes out of town.
I shrug. “All the bows need to go on the backs of the chairs, and they need to be set up in the room where the ceremony will take place. I have a couple other things to do around the B&B to get it ready since the first guests will be arriving in a few days.”
“Think you have time for some fun today?” He glances at me quickly, his straight white teeth on display.
“What kind of fun did you have in mind?” I waggle my eyebrows.
Carter’s laugh makes my chest warm. “Well, that kind of fun is always on my mind. But I was thinking maybe we could go tobogganing. I noticed a spot when we left town yesterday.”
My stomach tingles with excitement. “I’ve never been tobogganing.”
His head whips in my direction before turning back to the road. “What? Really?”
“You forget, I grew up in Florida, and I was an adult when I moved here. It’s not really the kind of thing you go out and try for the first time on your own. Not at this age anyway.”
He reaches across the cab and squeezes my hand. “Another first of firsts then?”
“I guess so.” I’m giddy like a crushing teenage girl, but I don’t care.
“Then we have to do it. How about we go home and unload these chairs and head out to the hill before it gets dark? I’ll help you with the other stuff tonight.”
“Sounds great.” I’m excited to go tobogganing for the first time, but I’m even more excited that I’m doing it with Carter.
An hour later, we’ve finished unloading all the chairs, and I collapse onto one of them. “I don’t know if I’ll have the energy to climb up the tobogganing hill now.”
Carter chuckles. “Seriously. I don’t remember it being that much work when we were loading them on the truck.”
“We had adrenaline rushing through our veins since we were trying to beat the storm.”
“Could be. Do you still want to go?”
“Absolutely. Just let me change into something warmer first.”
“Meet you back down in ten?” He arches an eyebrow.
“I’ll be ready.”
I head up to my room and change. Then I quickly braid my hair into two pigtail braids, so my hair won’t be whipping in my face or getting tangled. Within ten minutes, I’m waiting at the front door with my snow pants on, hat on my head and mittens on my hands.
I’m not usually an adventurous person, but I’m enjoying doing new things with Carter. If this is anything like skating was, he’s going to be patient and supportive. Not that I think there’s a lot of skill in sitting on a sled and riding down a hill.
Carter’s footsteps bound down the stairs before he comes into view.
When he does, the space between my thighs tingles.
He too has snow pants on and a ski jacket.
He wears a navy-blue beanie and gloves. He looks nothing like the city guy he is in his daily life in Manhattan.
I think I’m getting to see a glimpse of what he was like growing up in Oregon.
“You ready to—” The sound of his cell phone buzzing from his pocket cuts him off.
He pulls it out and looks at the screen, frowning.
“This is Carter… Hi, Ralph… Yeah, everything should have been good to go…” Carter’s shoulders slump, and he looks at me, frowning harder.
“Yes, of course. I’ll get on a call with the team right away and get to the bottom of it…
It’s no trouble… Of course… I’ll let you know once it’s resolved.
” He hangs up and holds his phone in his palm at his side.
“Problems at work?” I try not to let too much of my disappointment seep through in my words.
“I’m sorry. I’m not going to be able to go. There’s an issue with a big client at work, and my team can’t handle it on their own.”
“That’s okay.” My voice sounds more chipper than I feel. “I’ll just start in on all the things I need to get done. It’s probably for the best anyway.”
Carter pockets his phone and steps forward, resting his hands on my hips. “Are you sure? I feel awful.”
I set my hand on his chest, disappointed I can’t feel his muscles through his winter jacket. “Of course. You go do what you need to do.”
He kisses the end of my nose. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
“You don’t need to make it up to me.”
“As soon as I’m done with this, yule be mine.” He grins and arches an eyebrow. “See what I did there?”
I chuckle. “Very punny.”
He laughs and gives me a chaste kiss. “I’ll come find you when I’m done.”
“Looking forward to it.”
He squeezes my hips and heads back up the stairs.
But he doesn’t come find me until well after dinner because the issue was more involved than he expected. I’m disappointed but tell myself it’s not the end of the world.