Upset by his words, I sink back into my spot on the bed, thinking of what to do next. Why is he such a dick after I gave him everything he wanted? I’m so confused I want to run into the bathroom and ball my eyes out. But I won’t. That will only ruin things between us. He’ll think I’m still the same drama queen he first met. To some extent, I guess I am. Even though I am trying my best to change my ways. For him.
A beat passes between us before he reaches over and clutches my hand, giving it a quick squeeze. “I’m sorry. Remember how I told you at dinner I have certain limits?”
“Yes,” I whisper, too afraid to make eye contact with him.
“This is one of them. Understand?”
“No, not really.” That’s the truth. “I don’t see why we can’t shower together.”
“We just can’t. Okay?” He waits for me to nod before he continues. “You will have to get used to certain things about me until I become more comfortable with you. I need time. That’s all.”
“Okay.” I lean my head on his shoulder and peek up at him. “I will wait for you, Carter.”
“Good.” He flashes a panty-dropping smile. “Now, bend over the bed, so I can claim your pussy all over again.”
Hooking my leg over his, our limbs intertwined, I plant a kiss on his lips. This is nice. Being with Carter is so different from the other men I have dated. While I’ve never been with a man so aggressive and forceful, I’m excited by the promise of more.
“You never do what I tell you to do,” he mumbles against my lips. “But you will when we’re in the bedroom. Got it?”
“Uh-huh,” I breathe.
Before I have time to peel myself away from him, Carter grips me up and turns me onto my side. He brushes my hair from my neck, places kisses along my skin, and down to my shoulder.
“You need to get on the pill,” he tells me, his breath sending chills down my spine. “I want to fuck you without anything between us.”
Looking over my shoulder at him, I think over his comment before I say, “I’ve been on it since high school.”
With his massive erection digging into my ass cheek, I know what is about to come. And I allow it. Carter positions himself to line up with my entrance, his cock sliding inside me. For some reason, I trust him. And I’m not clueless when it comes to taking my medicine, unlike Kennedy.
Carter stretches me out once more, taking things slower this time. He must know I can only handle so much of him in one night, and I am thankful.
“You feel so good, baby,” he says into my ear, gripping my hip. “So fucking wet for me. You were right. You were worth the wait.”
I fight back the tears, his words having an overwhelming effect on me. While I may not understand his weird issues in bed, I know I cannot go back to a life without Carter in it.
“So were you,” I mutter under my breath. “Now, fuck me like I know you want to.”
I feel the smile on his lips as he presses them against my skin.
It’s going to hurt. I’m prepared. This is my way of giving into him. Carter is the exception to my rules. And he’s breaking all of them. I just hope he doesn’t break my heart.
Chapter 15
Carter
It’s been three weeks since my date with Sydney. In such a short amount of time, I feel myself wanting to open up to her. Unfortunately, every time I try, the words never come out. Instead, I’m left speechless, which usually leads to us having sex again. At least during those tender moments with Sydney, I don’t have to explain myself. There’s no prying into the past or my life.
Sydney has gotten used to having sex with my shirt on, though I know she would rather me fuck her completely naked. I wish I could. I wish I could change the reasons I have these issues. But the insecurities are still there, and I’m not ready to show her the tattoos on my back. Only Jenny can see them. She’s the only person who understands the importance of their meaning.
After practice, I hit the shower, washing as fast as possible, so I can get dressed and back to Sydney’s apartment. I spend most of my time there now. Even though our practice facility is closer to my house than hers, she insists on sleeping in her own bed. And since she’s been so understanding of my quirks, who am I to deny her the one thing she asks of me?
Liam West, our starting right winger, and an alternate captain strolls over to me in black track pants that hang low from his waist and a Flyers T-shirt. He’s been with the Flyers one season longer than Tyler and has a lot of talent that has gone to waste on this team. I’m hoping we can get something going since we’re already a few weeks into the new season, and we haven’t pulled our heads out of our assess.
“Have you seen the tapes?” Liam asks me, running a hand through his shaggy brown hair. A dusting of freckles covers the bridge of his nose and cheeks, and when he smiles, the dimple in his left cheek creases his skin. “Tyler thinks we found something that might help you get your game back. I haven’t seen anything unusual, but who knows. Tyler knows you and this team better than anyone.”
“Thanks for doing that.” I feel stupid that Tyler had Liam dig through film just to see where I lost my way. “Hopefully we can use whatever is on those tapes.”
As a professional athlete with a career on the line, I should have done it for myself. Too bad I hadn’t thought of it before Tyler had proposed the idea to Liam. I also wonder how many people on the team know about our experiment. Knowing Tyler, he kept this on the down low, or at least I hope he did. With secrets of his own, he’s not one to go blabbing about other people. I also didn’t expect him to ask Liam for help.