her way through the vines covering the ground, stopping to lean against the big cottonwood tree. She gazed across the lake, now an ominous black. Although she wasn’t a fan of the water, she liked the soothing sound of the waves hitting the shore. With the way her cheeks burned with humiliation, she welcomed the cool breeze.
Carson’s boots crunched the vegetation and Carolyn automatically tensed up when he moved in behind her.
He set his hand on her shoulder and she jerked away. “Oh hell no. You ain’t gonna ever cringe when I want to touch you.”
“But it’s okay for you to yell at me when I want to touch you? Wrong. I want to leave.”
“You got more than a little sass in ya, doncha, sugar?”
“You’ll see a whole lot more of it if you don’t take me back to my car right now.”
“Look me in the eye.”
She shook her head.
“Turn around and look me in the eye when you let me have it.”
Such a condescending… She whirled around and stood toe to toe with him. “Happy?”
“Not even fuckin’ close to happy right now.”
“Good.”
He lifted the one eyebrow that managed to be both sexy and annoying. “Why’s that good?”
“Let’s just forget tonight ever happened.” Although I doubt I’ll ever forget how mad you got when I threw myself at you.
Then his hands circled her upper arms and he yanked her close enough to get in her face. “That’s what you think? I got mad at you because you asked me to have sex with you tonight?”
She’d said that out loud?
“Well?” he demanded.
“Well, what else was I supposed to think when you yelled at me and stormed off? I don’t have any experience with this, Carson.”
“You think I don’t know that? You think maybe I’m feelin’ guilty for lettin’ it get that far out of hand in the first place? When I said you could set the boundaries as to how far you were willin’ to go with me? Then the second I put my hands on you I lost my goddamned head. The next thing I know, you’re askin’ me to fu—make love to you. And I see you—this perfect, beautiful angel, layin’ there half-dressed, with love bites on her chest and I got pissed off at myself. Not at you—never at you.”
Totally bewildered, she asked, “Why?”
“Because you deserve more for your first time than me rutting on you on top of a rickety picnic table and getting slivers in your ass.”
“Oh.”
He pulled her against his chest. “With the way I look at you and the way I was touchin’ you tonight can you honestly tell me you thought I didn’t want you?”
“I thought you did…then I wasn’t sure.”
“That’s one thing you can be very sure about.” He kissed the top of her head and smiled at her. “You ready to go?”
She nodded.
They walked back to the truck in silence. Carson held her hand but she could tell his mind was elsewhere.
The silence continued on the drive back to her car. After he parked, he kissed her—more chastely than she was used to from him. “I want to see you tomorrow night.”
Her mouth opened before her brain engaged. “Where and when?”
“This same parking area around seven?”
How would her father react if she told him she was going out again?
Do you really care?
No.
Can he stop you?
No.
Carolyn wreathed her arms around Carson’s neck and kissed him greedily. He had the skills to seduce her completely, but from this moment on she’d be a full participant in that seduction. He didn’t get to call all the shots. She didn’t relinquish his mouth until she’d had her fill of it.
For now.
She smiled and kissed that spot on his throat that made him groan. “See you here tomorrow night at seven. Don’t be late.”
Chapter Six
Carson
Carson leaned against his pickup, his elbow resting on the box, trying to look casual as he waited, even when everything inside him was wound tighter than a ball of baling twine.
Goddamn he had it bad for her. So bad he’d damn near sliced off his finger today. He’d been
Carson’s boots crunched the vegetation and Carolyn automatically tensed up when he moved in behind her.
He set his hand on her shoulder and she jerked away. “Oh hell no. You ain’t gonna ever cringe when I want to touch you.”
“But it’s okay for you to yell at me when I want to touch you? Wrong. I want to leave.”
“You got more than a little sass in ya, doncha, sugar?”
“You’ll see a whole lot more of it if you don’t take me back to my car right now.”
“Look me in the eye.”
She shook her head.
“Turn around and look me in the eye when you let me have it.”
Such a condescending… She whirled around and stood toe to toe with him. “Happy?”
“Not even fuckin’ close to happy right now.”
“Good.”
He lifted the one eyebrow that managed to be both sexy and annoying. “Why’s that good?”
“Let’s just forget tonight ever happened.” Although I doubt I’ll ever forget how mad you got when I threw myself at you.
Then his hands circled her upper arms and he yanked her close enough to get in her face. “That’s what you think? I got mad at you because you asked me to have sex with you tonight?”
She’d said that out loud?
“Well?” he demanded.
“Well, what else was I supposed to think when you yelled at me and stormed off? I don’t have any experience with this, Carson.”
“You think I don’t know that? You think maybe I’m feelin’ guilty for lettin’ it get that far out of hand in the first place? When I said you could set the boundaries as to how far you were willin’ to go with me? Then the second I put my hands on you I lost my goddamned head. The next thing I know, you’re askin’ me to fu—make love to you. And I see you—this perfect, beautiful angel, layin’ there half-dressed, with love bites on her chest and I got pissed off at myself. Not at you—never at you.”
Totally bewildered, she asked, “Why?”
“Because you deserve more for your first time than me rutting on you on top of a rickety picnic table and getting slivers in your ass.”
“Oh.”
He pulled her against his chest. “With the way I look at you and the way I was touchin’ you tonight can you honestly tell me you thought I didn’t want you?”
“I thought you did…then I wasn’t sure.”
“That’s one thing you can be very sure about.” He kissed the top of her head and smiled at her. “You ready to go?”
She nodded.
They walked back to the truck in silence. Carson held her hand but she could tell his mind was elsewhere.
The silence continued on the drive back to her car. After he parked, he kissed her—more chastely than she was used to from him. “I want to see you tomorrow night.”
Her mouth opened before her brain engaged. “Where and when?”
“This same parking area around seven?”
How would her father react if she told him she was going out again?
Do you really care?
No.
Can he stop you?
No.
Carolyn wreathed her arms around Carson’s neck and kissed him greedily. He had the skills to seduce her completely, but from this moment on she’d be a full participant in that seduction. He didn’t get to call all the shots. She didn’t relinquish his mouth until she’d had her fill of it.
For now.
She smiled and kissed that spot on his throat that made him groan. “See you here tomorrow night at seven. Don’t be late.”
Chapter Six
Carson
Carson leaned against his pickup, his elbow resting on the box, trying to look casual as he waited, even when everything inside him was wound tighter than a ball of baling twine.
Goddamn he had it bad for her. So bad he’d damn near sliced off his finger today. He’d been
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