Claiming Carter (12 page)

“Oh, that little motherfucker can sit on a dildo and spin around in circles. I can’t even tell you just how much I hate that little creep,” Lexy barked. “You don’t let that little prick get to you, Lil, you hear me?”

“Trust me, he’s the last thing on my mind,” I replied as I pulled a dress off the hanger and threw it on the bed. I looked it over from top to bottom, making sure I was really okay with wearing an all-black, strapless, knee-length dress. I knew that Kelvin would be sporting some kind of lavish suit with deluxe footwear that would have me melting at his feet. I figured I would try to even the playing field this time. “My only concern is making sure tonight goes well.”

“You want it to go well, huh?” Lexy mocked. “Well, like, a night of passionate, orgasm-inducing sex?”

“Well, now that you mention it,” I joked in return. “Alright, Lex, I’ve got to get going. Got a hot date.”

“I bet it will be hot. Text me when you get home. I want details.
Graphic
details,” Lexy said.

Lex and I hung up and I continued to search for the final pieces of my outfit. I strode back into my closet and began sifting through my collection of high heels. I settled on a black pair with white bottoms and a white and black striped heel. I figured a silver necklace and bracelet would finish things off nicely, so I hurried into the bathroom and took a thorough shower.

Once I was clean and dried off, I donned my outfit and nervously waited for Kelvin to arrive. I couldn’t help but wonder what was going to happen tonight. Would it be another night of sexual innuendo? Would Kelvin have me dripping all over the floor, saying all the right things, teasing me until I just couldn’t stand the space between us? And would it all be interrupted by some freak incident that would only separate us even further? The mystery of the night had me nervous as I sat on my couch. My cat, Meghan, sat next to me licking her paw and purring to herself. I was feeling a little anxious and I was glad that she’d decided to crawl up next to me and make me feel a little less alone.

Just as I was beginning to calm down, my nerves fired back up when I heard a loud engine roaring up the street. It didn’t sound like the Bentley, however, so I figured I didn’t need to jump out of my seat and run to the window. The roaring came to a stop right outside of my window, and my curiosity was too much to bear, so I got up and headed towards the front door. Before I could get there, I heard a knock at the door. Apparently I was wrong about the engine.

I made my way over to the window and peeked out. I was surprised to see that Kelvin was standing at my door. I was even more surprised when I noticed his outfit. He was wearing navy blue jeans with a black leather jacket and black gloves. His sumptuous shoes that he loved so much had been traded in for a pair of all black, Timberland boots. I frowned and shook my head in confusion as I looked down at my outfit and suddenly felt overdressed.

As I opened the door, I looked into the street, where the Bentley would have been parked, and noticed that it wasn’t there.

“Hi,” I said, still frowning. “Where’s your car—your father’s car?”

Kelvin smiled his usual stunning smile and performed his signature head tilt. It was in that moment that I stopped to admire how beautiful he was. His face was exactly the same as the first day I’d seen him in Applebee’s. His hair was acutely edged and his beard was trimmed and lined to perfection. Even with his toned down attire, Kelvin was still dazzling. When we made eye contact, my stomach still exploded with butterflies.

“Decided to make a change,” Kelvin said. “I figured things would go a little smoother if it was just me and you, so I gave James the night off.”

“So, how did you get here?” I inquired, motioning towards the empty street.

Kelvin took a step to the side and looked behind him, into the driveway. Parked behind my Honda Accord was an all-black, Evo Ducati motorcycle, with one black and gray helmet hanging from the handlebars, and another all black one strapped to the back edge of the seat.

“Holy shit. Is that yours?” I asked. My heart pounded in my chest as I waited for the answer.

“Yeah. This one is not a loaner,” Kelvin replied with a smile. It finally made sense to me why he had such a drastic change in attire.

“Wow. That is nice, but, I have to admit I feel a little overdressed,” I declared.

Kelvin shook his head. “Nah, you’re fine. Don’t worry about it. You look beautiful.”

“Thank you,” I replied, unable to control my smile caused by the compliment. “Are you sure? You don’t think I should change?”

“You’re stunning, Lilliana. There’s no changing that. You ready to go?”

I smiled again. “Yeah, I’m ready. Let’s go.” I stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind me.

As we approached the motorcycle, my anxiety began to spike. I had never ridden on the back of a motorcycle before, so this would be a first. Fortunately, my nerves couldn’t hold a candle to how excited I was. Everything I was experiencing with Kelvin was new and unlike anything I had ever done before. I hadn’t ever had a boyfriend meet me at the school and insist on kissing me, regardless of who was around. I also hadn’t ever been taken to a fancy restaurant in the back of a Bentley. And, I hadn’t ever been asked questions that completely turned me on while I sat at the dinner table. Now, Kelvin was about to take me on my first ever motorcycle ride, and it just made him that much more attractive.

Kelvin led me down my narrow path and into my driveway. With each step, my nerves seemed to intensify and my heart pounded in my chest. When we reached the bike, Kelvin handed me the black helmet that was strapped to the seat.

“You ever worn one of these before?” Kelvin said.

“No, never,” I replied with a nervous smile. “This is my first time riding a motorcycle.”

Kelvin flashed a subtle smile. “Okay. No need to be nervous. I promise I’ll take care of you.”

I reached out and grabbed the helmet just as Kelvin took his own helmet off of the handlebars. I couldn’t help but notice the dark gray Chicago Bears logo sticker that was stuck on the side. “How long have you been riding motorcycles?” I inquired.

“A few months now. I have a car too, but I prefer my bike, usually,” Kelvin said, with a soft, almost mournful tone.

“So, only a few months, huh? You sure you’re experienced enough to take care of me on this thing?” I asked. I tried to hide my real nerves behind my flirtatious excitement.

“Trust me. I got you,” Kelvin replied with a grin, just before slipping the fancy helmet over his head.

Luckily, my hair was short and I didn’t have to worry about ruining some expensive hairdo trying to put the helmet on. I slid my head into the small helmet and immediately felt like an idiot. I could only imagine what I must have looked like with this huge helmet resting atop my small body. Kelvin didn’t seem to mind though, as he threw his leg over the bike and sat down, looking at me over his shoulder through his open visor.

“You ready?” Kelvin asked.

I had to lift up my dress just a bit so that I was able to throw my leg over the motorcycle and climb on behind Kelvin. It took me a second to get situated as my feeling of idiocy and embarrassment still lingered on, but, nonetheless, I was ready.

“Ready,” I said as I wrapped my arms around Kelvin’s waist and rested my head on his back. He may have taken it as some sort of amorous act, but I was really just holding on for dear life.

Kelvin seemed to hesitate for a moment, making sure I was securely on board, and then he lifted his butt off the seat and pressed hard on a pedal that started the engine. The sound of the roaring engine was thunderous and made me feel roused and tense at the same time. The next thing I knew, Kelvin steadied the bike, lifted up the kickstand, and slowly backed out of the driveway, using his feet to move us backwards. Once we were in the street, Kelvin looked over his shoulder and spoke to me.

“Okay, now hold on,” he said, as he twisted his wrist and the bike drove forward, engulfing us both in a wave of loud wind.

As we drove down the road, I closed my eyes and let the air wash over me. I couldn’t believe how my fortune had changed in the last few days. It seemed like only seconds ago that I was sitting in my classroom, trying to hide my tears from my students, after having found my boyfriend with his pants down in the nurse’s office. Now, I was riding on the back of a Ducati with the sexiest man that I had ever seen. I knew that it was probably too early to get overly excited about this relationship—if I could call it that—since I knew so little about Kelvin, but in a matter of days he’d shown more potential than all of my previous boyfriends combined. Albeit premature, Kelvin seemed genuine, and worth the excitement.

The ride through the city was beautiful. Once I was sure that we weren’t about to crash to our deaths, I raised my head off of Kelvin’s back and looked around. The sunset was astonishing as we weaved in and out of traffic, around slower moving vehicles, and headed for what seemed to be the heart of the city. I looked up at the tall buildings and found myself mesmerized by the bright lights of Chicago’s club district. We were surrounded by nightclubs, hotels, and casinos. The entire street was lit up and neon lights flashed on and off, grabbing my attention as we cruised through the heavy traffic. The area was typically a tourist haven and the sidewalks were covered with pedestrians.

As the motorcycle slowed down, I looked up at the building that we were about to drive underneath. It was a fairly tall structure—maybe forty floors—with bright red letters running up the side The letters came together to form two words; Red Chip. Kelvin maneuvered the bike under the building, into the dark parking lot and parked the expensive motorcycle in a space that was positioned directly next to what looked to be a private elevator. When the motor stopped, my ears were still ringing from the roar of the engine and the blare of the wind.

“You good?” Kelvin said as he pulled his helmet off of his head.

“I’m good,” I answered, pulling off my own helmet and climbing off of the back of the bike. “That was an amazing ride.”

“I’m glad you like it. See, I told you I would take care of you. Not bad for three months, huh?”

“Not bad at all,” I replied. “I’m impressed.”

Kelvin reached over and took the helmet from my hands. “Oh, that was nothing. I haven’t started trying to impress you yet.”

Kelvin, carrying both motorcycle helmets, led me into the elevator we were parked next to. The stainless steel doors slid open and we both stepped inside. When the doors closed, Kelvin inserted a small, circular key into a slot under the buttons, then pressed the button to take us to the forty-seventh floor.

“Why did you need a key?” I inquired.

“Can’t get to the penthouse without the key,” Kelvin answered.

“You rented out the penthouse of this hotel?”

“Not exactly. My father owns the Red Chip Hotel and Casino. When I left college and started working for my dad, he let me stay here for free. So, I live here,” Kelvin said.

“Wow,” I exclaimed. “Must be nice to stay in a hotel penthouse for free. Your dad sounds like an awesome guy. Letting you live in his hotel for free, and letting you cruise around in his Bentley, too.”

Kelvin put his head down, seemingly in thought. “Yeah,” he said lowly. “He’s okay.”

“I bet,” I said. “So, you’re twenty-two years old, son to a rich father, you ride in Bentleys and own a Ducati, and you wear fancy suits everywhere you go. You must be being stalked by all kinds of women. Quite the catch.” I hoped that my obvious probe into Kelvin’s love life wasn’t all that obvious. I just couldn’t help but wonder how a man this gorgeous, with so many things going for him, could ever be single.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Kelvin answered with a smile. “I think you’d be surprised by how many nights I actually spend alone. Like I said before, finding a woman who is interested in the flash of my life is easy. But I’m interested in having a woman who can see past all of that. My life is pretty busy and I’m pretty picky about who I let into my life.”

“And what is it about me that makes you want to let me in?”

Kelvin performed his signature head tilt and looked me up and down. “I don’t know
exactly
what it is yet. But, I know it’s something. And, I know I like it.”

I felt my cheeks begin to heat up, and I looked across the elevator at Kelvin as he stared back at me with a subtle grin. As he smiled, my gaze uncontrollably dropped down to his mouth. His lips were perfectly round and I felt a sudden urge to relive the kiss we’d shared on the playground. The memory rushed back to me and my heart rate elevated as we stared at each other. The night was just beginning, but I could already feel myself yearning for his touch.

Just then, the elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open, forcing us to break eye contact. Kelvin stepped out of the elevator first, and I had to take a deep breath to help calm myself down. It seemed it didn’t take much for Kelvin to get me excited.

I stepped out of the elevator and marveled at the room in front of me. The elevator opened up into a long hallway with overhead lights that were set into the wooden ceiling. Kelvin exited the hallway and walked to his right, into what looked like a living room. I followed him, looking at the decorative pictures on the wall as I stepped. When I reached the end of the hall, the massive room in front of me was beautiful. The floors were a perfectly polished mahogany and the space of the room was almost intimidating. The entire right side of the room was the kitchen, complete with black, marble countertops and cherry wood cabinets with black, marble door handles. The left side of the room was the living room. The three couches in the center were a deep, dark red, separated by shiny black end tables. The TV on the wall had to at least have been sixty inches and the wall opposite the kitchen was made entirely of glass, giving the entire room a perfect view of the skyline of Chicago. There was much more to the house than what I was able to see, and I didn’t want to explore the substantial suite without Kelvin leading the way, but I certainly was curious what else the penthouse had to offer. I hoped that I would be able to see more before the night was over.