Chapter 33

I stare at my watch. It’s ten past ten, and I don’t know what to do. I want to meet Carter at the treehouse, but I’m also scared. I glance out the window. The treehouse looks dark, so he might not even be there. But what if he is? What if he’s waiting for me?

I stare out the window for a couple of minutes and finally make up my mind. I’m as quiet as I can when I walk past my dad’s bedroom. I sneak out of the house and walk up to the treehouse, my steps almost soundless. I pause at the stairs and look around me. My heart beats harder with every step I take.

I gasp when I finally walk into the treehouse. Carter covered up the windows and filled the inside with fairy lights. He’s put pillows and blankets on the floor, making the entire space look cozy. He’s sitting in the middle of the makeshift bed and looks up at me.

“I thought you wouldn’t come,” he whispers. I shake my head and kick off my flip-flops before stepping onto the blankets. Carter seems nervous and cups the back of his neck.

“I wasn’t sure,” I murmur. He smiles and extends his legs while I drop to the blankets beside him.

“So why did you come?” he asks.

I blush and look away. “Because I’m done staying away from you too.”

I know it isn’t the right thing to do and my heart feels conflicted about letting down Kate and Helen, but I think I might love Carter more than anything or anyone else in the world. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stay away. Not tonight.

Carter grins and pulls me closer. “Thank god,” he says, right before he kisses me. He leans into me and I fall back onto the floor, my head on one of the pillows. He moves on top of me and spreads my legs with his knee. I bury my hands in his hair and pull him towards me, my lips crashing against his. He moans when I throw my leg around his to get him closer.

Carter’s hand moves to my breast and he kneads softly. I arch my back, wanting more, and he gladly obliges. He grabs the hem of my dress and pushes it up. I raise my hips to help him take it off and his eyes widen when he takes in my matching red lace underwear. His eyes roam over my body hungrily and I can’t help but blush.

“You too,” I whisper, tugging on his t-shirt. Carter nods and pulls his t-shirt off with ease. It’s like he gets hotter every time. The extra hours of football practice have made him even more muscular. My hands slide down his abs until I reach his jeans.

I undo the button, and he looks at me with wide eyes. “You want that off too?” he asks. I nod at him and Carter blushes more. He takes his jeans off and settles back on top of me in his boxers.

He kisses my neck and I moan when he kisses me in a spot I never knew was sensitive. He chuckles and moves down to my collarbone, taking his time exploring my body. “Fuck, Minx. You have no idea how many times I’ve imagined doing this to you. Kissing your body like this.”

He reaches around me to undo my bra and fumbles with it, unable to get it open. He curses and I start to laugh. I push my chest up and reach behind me to undo it myself. He looks embarrassed. I take the bra off and Carter inhales sharply.

“You’re so beautiful, Emilia,” he whispers. He lowers his lips to my breast and takes my nipple into his mouth. The way he swirls his tongue around it sends bursts of pleasure through my entire body.

“Carter,” I whisper. He smiles against my skin and moves further down, kissing my stomach and then the top of my panties. He pushes my legs up and kisses the inside of my thigh. I’m trembling, blinded by desire. I need him to touch me already. I don’t think I’ve ever been this turned on before.

He kisses me between my legs, right through my panties, and I moan loudly. He chuckles and does it again. I’m panting and he looks up at me as he grabs the edges of my panties. I nod and he slides them off slowly. He moves back up and settles on top of me, his lips on mine. I’m nervous and self-conscious now that I’m lying underneath him naked. My hands roam over his body until I’m holding the waistband of his boxer shorts. Carter pulls away a little to look at me.

“We don’t have to go any further, Minx. I have no expectations or anything, I just want to spend time with you. I’ll happily kiss you all night and do nothing more than that.”

My heart melts and I tug on his boxer shorts more urgently. He chuckles and eventually shrugs out of it nervously. I gasp when he’s naked and move to grab his erection, staring at it fearfully.

“You’d never fit inside me,” I murmur. Carter laughs, the awkwardness fading.

He leans on his side, lying half on top of me, and lowers his head to mine. He kisses me so gently that my heart feels ready to burst. His fingers trail over my skin until they slide over my wet folds. I gasp when his thumb finds my clit — he now knows exactly how I like it. I can barely think straight when he’s touching me like that. Within minutes, he’s got me ready to burst. My muscles spasm around his fingers and he smothers my moans with a kiss.

“Carter,” I whisper. He looks into my eyes and tilts his head in question. I’m almost too embarrassed to say it. “I want you. I want to do it.”

His eyes widen, and he gulps. “I… I… Uh, are you sure?”

I bite down on my lip. “Don’t you want me, too?” I ask.

Carter takes my hand and wraps it around himself. “What do you think, baby?”

I giggle and pull him closer. He reaches for his jeans and pulls a condom out of his pocket. I look at him through narrowed eyes and he rushes to explain. “I bought some today. I thought maybe… I don’t know.”

His ears are bright red, and his hands tremble slightly. I giggle and sit up as he rips open the packaging. He tries to roll the condom on, but it won’t roll down easily. He looks up at me with bright red cheeks and looks beyond flustered. I laugh and rise to my knees, my hands closing around his.

“Let me try.”

He nods, and after a few tries I manage to roll it down.

“So tight,” he murmurs. He grimaces, and I’m worried we might’ve done something wrong.

“Is it okay? We don’t have to…”

Carter looks at me and grins mischievously. “Baby, are you crazy? I’m pretty sure I’ve waited for this all my life.”