Page 75 of A Forever Love
I can’t resist the urge to lift my hand and trail it down his cheek. His eyes close, and when my pinkie finger lightly brushes against the corner of his lips, Carter inhales sharply.
“Merida.” His voice is hoarse, partly due to sleep and partly due to the effect of my touch.
The knowledge that I have that sort of power over him makes me heady and bold. This time, as my fingers graze his lips, it’s deliberate. Carter’s lips are surprisingly soft and full. I’m so captivated by this singular softness in his otherwise rugged face that I almost miss the moment when his tongue flicks against the pad of my thumb.
“You’re playing with fire, mittens,” he murmurs, his words matching the intensity in his blazing eyes. “Think long and hard before you proceed.”
“I have thought about everything. Many times.”
“Care to share with me?” Carter grins.
Maintaining a steady voice becomes a challenging feat, but I’m determined not to let this moment slip away. “I think you should make love to me.”
His jaw falls open, as if he didn’t anticipate that. “Have you also considered the consequences? Your dad? My uncles?”
“Are you saying you’re afraid of them?”
“Not afraid, no. But I won’t deny that I’m concerned you might come to regret this later,” he admits, his hand cradling my face. There’s something so possessive and caring about his touch—it tugs at my heart. “Ever since you were a child, you’ve been the kindest, sweetest person in any room you entered, mittens. But as an adult, you’re like a treasure.”
“Who’s fishing for compliments now? Or have you forgotten who you are?”
“I know exactly who I am, Mere. But for you, I’m comfortable, like a favorite pair of jeans. You’ve known me since…well, always. But don’t forget, I come with my own baggage and problems. Have you thought about what might happen if we were to step onto the Kings Security campus as a couple? Do you believe Keith would readily accept me without questioning every past moment he entrusted me to look after you or allowed you a sleepover on a movie night?”
A lump forms in my throat as I picture someone doubting Carter or our innocent friendship. “Why are you saying all this?”
“Because I don’t want us to forget that there’s an eleven-year age gap between us, mittens.”
“Dad and Clem have a fifteen-year age difference.”
“You know it’s not quite the same.” Carter’s voice remains gentle as he tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “Clementine was twenty-five when she met Keith. You, on the other hand, were only five when I met you.”
“But even back then, I knew I loved you the most. You were the cure to my curse. You told me that I could love you and still not lose you.” My hands clutch his, which are still holding my face, and as much as I hate to admit it, my voice takes on the tone of that little girl from the café sixteen years ago.
Carter closes his eyes and rests his forehead against mine. “Say that again,” he whispers as if he’s committing a forbidden crime.
“I love you.”
“And I love you, mittens. But I don’t want you to feel pressured or rushed into anything just because I lost my control yesterday.”
“What?” I instinctively step back. “You think I love you because you kissed me last night?” If only he knew. “Do you think I’m that naive?” I pivot to leave, but before I can walk away, Carter gently tugs on my arm.
“I never want you to feel like you don’t have a choice.”
“What if I don’t want a choice? Do I even get a say in this?” I narrow my eyes on him.
Carter falls silent for a moment, his thumb lightly tracing my cheek. “Do you know how badly I want to kiss you at this very moment?”
“You certainly have a weird way of showing your emotions. I was—”
This time, when his lips meet mine, they’re even softer than the previous two times from last night. His kiss is so incredibly gentle that I can’t help but let out a contented sigh, much like Miss Sparkles when she finally settles onto her daybed after a bout of play. I realize that any previous kisses I’ve experienced, and the boys who delivered them, couldn’t compare to Carter. His kiss is like a potent drug, intoxicating and capable of inducing a delightful brain fog. For a second, my mind is distracted and I entertain the thought that Carter King, in all his embodiment, might just be the perfect all-natural, organic remedy for insomnia. My tongue leisurely brushes against his cool lips, but he pulls back abruptly.
“It’s not easy for me to forget the five-year-old who used to beg for piggyback rides because her little feet hurt.”
That single sentence dispels all the fog in my mind, and my eyes snap open. “I don’t think we need to forget who we were in the past. Because I for sure don’t want to. You were the one I needed in every moment of my life, and you continue to be that person.”
Carter’s gaze locks onto mine, searing with an intensity that reaches into the depths of my soul. “Men kill for the kind of love you’re giving me so freely, mittens, and I’m not sure if I deserve it. If I deserve you.”
Emotion swells in my throat, a reminder of the past, but I push it aside. “I believe in love because of you, Carter. And if you ever think that you aren’t enough for me, I know you’ll work to be the best because you never wanted anything less for me.”