I blinked and within seconds his mouth was on mine and my fingers were in his hair. He slipped his hands underneath my shirt and unclasped my bra, rubbing his hands up and down my back.

Slowly tearing his mouth away from mine, he whispered against my lips. “Are you still interested in hardcore?”

I blushed.

“Tell me…” He pulled my shirt over my head. “Do you still watch that?”

“Yes…”

“Good.” He drew my bottom lip into his mouth and bit it gently. He placed my hands against his belt, silently commanding me to unbuckle it, and when I did, he lifted me out of his lap.

Taking off his shirt, he stared at me. “Take off your pants and get on the floor.”

Hesitating, I stayed on the bed, instead watching him as he took off his own pants. My eyes veered to the bulge in his briefs, as he pulled them off, I swallowed.

“Ari…” He tilted my chin up with his fingertips. “Take off your pants…And get on the floor…Now.”

I didn’t listen.

I leaned forward into his lap instead, pressing my lips against his cock.

He sucked in a breath as I took him into my mouth, threading his fingers through my hair as I bobbed up and down. His grip in my hair tightened and he tensed as I moved faster, as I felt him on the verge of coming, but he moved my head away.

Smiling, he gently pushed me out of his lap and ordered me to stand up.

Obliging, I stood in front of him and started to untie my pants, but he moved my hands away and loosened the drawstring himself. He leaned forward and pressed his mouth against my stomach—slowly trailing his tongue to the edge of my panties.

In one smooth motion, he ripped them off and pushed my pajama pants to the floor.

“Get on all fours…” he said, his voice low.

I looked at him a few seconds before obeying, letting my knees sink into his floor’s plush carpet. I kept my eyes forward as he moved behind me, as I heard the sound of him unwrapping a condom.

His hands were on my sides seconds later, and he gripped me tightly. He slid one hand between my thighs and slid a finger against my wetness, sucking in a breath as I moaned at his touch.

Without warning, he thrust into me all at once—filling me completely.

I cried out and he pulled me back by my hair. “If you scream like that…” he whispered into my ear, “everyone in this house will hear me fucking you.” He pounded into me again. “Is that what you want?”

I couldn’t focus. He wasn’t giving me a chance to respond.

“I thought you were the ‘private’ type, Ari…”

“Carter…” I moaned as he slid a hand up my waist and squeezed my breast. “Carter…”

“Yes?” He slapped my ass. Again and again.

I bit my lip to prevent myself from crying out, dug my nails into the carpet as I felt myself getting closer and closer to a release.

“Oh… Oh...Oh god…”. I felt him strumming my clit with his thumb. “Ahhh… Ahhh…”

Intense pressure was building between my thighs, and my legs were beginning to shake.

Out of nowhere, he stopped and held me still for a few seconds. His hands still firmly pressed into my skin, he whispered my name a few times before gently rocking into me.

Moaning, I felt him rubbing his hands against my sides—heard him saying, “Let go…”

He said my name one last time, and my body gave in at the same time as his; I collapsed onto the floor.

Pulling me back against him, Carter whispered a few things I couldn’t understand before sliding out of me and tossing away the condom. He slid his hands underneath me and lifted me up, placing me into his bed.

I stared at him as he wiped between my legs and ran his hands across my breasts.

“Are you okay?” he asked, turning off the TV.

I just stared at him.

Leaning down to kiss my forehead, he climbed in bed next to me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

“What’s wrong, Ari?” He looked concerned. “Was I too rough with you?”

“No…” I smiled. “I’m just not okay…I’m more than okay.”

Smiling back, he kissed my lips, my cheeks, and my forehead again and again until I drifted to sleep.

Track 15. Everything Has Changed (3:43)

The first time I woke up, I was laying on top of Carter. His hands were entwined with mine and my head was resting against his chest. Twice in the middle of the night, we’d woken up and had sex, and we’d somehow fallen asleep mid-kiss.

The second time I woke up, I was alone. And I was late.

The alarm clock was blaring loudly and my watch read 11:30.

Shit…

I jumped out of bed—heading to my closet, quickly realizing that my closet wasn’t here. Not in Carter’s room.

I pulled his drawers open looking for something better to wear than flannel pajamas. I settled on one of his T-shirts and tied it at the back. I even tried on his pants—the smallest ones I could find, but it was no use. They fell off as soon as I buttoned them.

Shit. Shit. Shit…

I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and literally gasped. There were red marks all over my neck, my lips were puffy, and my hair looked like I’d spent one too many seconds with my fingers in a live electrical socket.

Not willing to risk being fired just yet, I pulled my hair into a messy high bun, licked my lips, and found a different shirt to cover up the marks.

The pajama pants would have to stay…

“Why are you wearing a turtleneck in the dead of summer?” My boss looked up at me as I approached the pier. “Have you forgotten what part of America you live in?”

“Not at all…” I said, sweating profusely. “I just felt like wearing a turtleneck today.”

He looked at his watch. “You’re lucky I actually need you today. Get in there.”

I pushed the doors to the box office open and set down my bag.

My coworker Ashley looked up at me. “What’s got you glowing today?” She smiled. “You and Scott finally made up?”

“No, we, uh, broke up actually. I’m not glowing.”

“You are!” She stood up and walked over to me. “Tell me…”

Thankfully, I didn’t have to change the subject or find a distraction on my own. A customer approached the window, and after we arranged her boat tour, twenty more customers drew near.

Per the usual summer season, the line became never-ending, the questions nonstop. By the time our lunch hour came around, flipping a coin for who should take a break first was far more important than discussing whether I was glowing or not.

“Heads it is!” Ashley clapped. “I’ll be back in thirty minutes. You want anything?”

“No, thanks.” I flipped our window sign to “Out for Lunch” and closed the blinds.

After she left, I began the less than thrilling task of counting the sales for the first half of the day. I was halfway through the children’s tickets, when the fabric of Carter’s turtleneck itched me to the point of no return.

I pulled out my phone and called him.

“Hello?” he answered.

“Can you do me a favor?”

“I’ve already forgotten about last night.”