Love Without End (7 page)

He moves a hand from my hip, takes my hand, and begins to move his finger in the same pattern etched into my memory, the figure eight. “This Han,” he whispers. I know this is an infinity sign – not a figure eight – but when I was slipping in and out of consciousness, I was truly confused. “Do you remember the words I said, too, or just me doing this from the moment they let me see you until you refused to let me touch you?”

“Carter, please.” I whisper as I watch him intently glide his index finger across the top of my hand.

“Forever and always – our love without end,” he whispers back to me, and brings his other hand around my neck, pulling my face to his, seeking permission with his eyes to talk with more than just words. Leaning in, I press my lips firmly to his, relaxing slowly, giving in to the one person I have always trusted, loved and who has never given up on me. His hand splays across my lower back pulling me closer and our kiss deepens, seeking the connection we both long for. “Han,” He pulls back just slightly and smiles, “thank you” he says and rests my head to his chest again.

“That’s what my card said, all of the cards you gave me from the hospital until you stopped sending them.” I sigh as I rest my cheek on his bare chest again. “I really just assumed you gave up on me last year, when everything stopped… the flowers, cards, random comments from Brielle and my parents. Then you go and show up at the fuckin Yacht Lot.” I ramble off and then chuckle at the end at the absurdity of it all. If you had asked me a few days ago, hell even a few months ago, I could have never imagined this moment happening. I’d never have guessed that I would be back in my Carter’s arms, even if it is only for a few days.

Little does she realize to this day I still send flower arrangements to her office every month, they are switched out by one of the staff there, I just hold back the card to avoid the stress and additional heartache that Brielle claimed it caused. I asked Brielle to stop mentioning our texts and phone conversations, and her parents respected my wishes to keep things separate when Hannah came home to visit. Tracie fought me, saying that she knew what was best for her daughter and space wasn’t it, but I disagreed. I gave a promise to Hannah and even if it killed me, I was going to do my best to fulfill it. Until now, now I am in a place where I need to make a choice, do I sign on at MU for five years in the business department, or is there a life with Hannah not in Columbia?

“The question is, are you happy I showed up at the Yacht Lot, Hannah Banana?” I ask quietly brushing the flyaway hair from her face. She nods and nuzzles into my chest as the cool breeze sweeps over us. “Let’s get you inside, I’m sure it’s getting late and you probably need to leave for work early, yeah?” I plant my feet on each side of the hammock and sit up with her in my arms, holding her securely against me. Her hands glide up my chest and around my neck into my hair before she looks up at me.

“I don’t work tomorrow, Carter, and I don’t want to go to sleep yet.” She is so matter of fact when she speaks, but the hint of mischief in her eyes has me contemplating with what head I should be using to make this decision. Just as I stand with her wrapped around me, her lips meet my ear lobe releasing the gentlest of breaths, stirring to life the head that will no doubt make the enjoyable, yet improper decision. “Mmhmm, see some things Carter Grayson, they will never change,” she murmurs into my ear and proceeds to kiss her way down my neck.

“Hannah, don’t play with me, I will take you right now,” I growl as she reaches the base of my neck. She giggles and pulls back looking all doe eyed innocent and suggestively squirms in my arms, rubbing her bikini-clad sex over my growing erection. “You’ll never learn...” I kiss her quick and hard catching her off guard and throw her into the pool.

She surfaces and screeches my name in pure shock from what I have done. The temperature is high in the high 70s and the water is at least 75 degrees if not warmer. Fuck me if she doesn’t look even better drenched. I jump in covering her yet again with water and surface to her laughing and splashing. Grabbing her waist, I pull her body into mine and take her mouth slowly at first, sucking her lower lip until granted access. My hands find the end of her dress and lift it over her head, breaking our kiss - another battle of control - taking her bikini top with it. Her moans have me straining against my already unyielding board shorts.

“I warned you baby,” I hiss against her lips walking her backwards towards the pool wall until her back slaps into it. Her nails digging into my back as I nip along her collarbone.

“Carter, now, fuck me now,” she pants in need while trying to remove my shorts with her feet. But she isn’t running this show, not tonight. I am. Pushing her back roughly against the pool wall, I pin her with my hips rocking slowly and methodically making her writhe in my arms, moaning and pleading, as I tug and twist her pebbled nipple in my free hand and capture the other with my mouth.

Freeing her breast, I ask with a smirk, “Are you ready for me yet, baby?” She simply nods and claims my mouth as if this kiss is needed like air for her to breathe. Our tongues dance as I untie her bikini bottoms and push my shorts off, “legs up” I growl just as a thrust into her hot silky cunt. “Fuck Hannah, hold on.” My feet now anchored to the base of the pool and my hands against the edge as she falls down on my cock on every upward thrust, her head resting on my shoulder, her back grazing the wall at impact but those nails dig deeper and deeper into my shoulders.

“Carter, more, more,” she groans as she bites down. I pull out and flip her toward the wall of the pool and she’s ready, her legs limber as I lift her hips and impale her again, and move my hand around her waist to stop her from hitting the wall too hard. Her pussy is clenching my throbbing cock like a vice. The closer she comes to climax, the harder and quicker I thrust. I move my hand to her throbbing clit and tease the nub rapidly until her arms reach back and wrap around my neck as she bucks her hips milking me as we come together. “CARTER, FUCKING FUCK YOU FUCK ME YES!” she cries out, and I do what I always do, I hold her until she comes down from her high, I tell her I love her,
even if it’s to myself, and I kiss her. 

Wrapped snuggly in his arms, sated and panting, his lips cover mine in adoration, but he doesn’t say anything. The breeze has picked up, causing the little hairs on my arms and neck to stand; I shiver and shift my body to find more warmth. Carter kisses my temple and whispers for me to hold on tight, turning me to him – chest to chest, just before walking us out of the pool, straight into the house, passing the family room where Brie and Braydon are watching a movie, and into my room. Lowering me to the floor, my legs wobble slightly causing a blush to creep up my neck and flush my face.

“You okay there, cupcake?” he asks as his hands capture my face, forehead to forehead with a knowing smile. I roll my eyes and bite my lip as he saunters into the master bathroom and returns with a towel wrapped around his waist, two more in his hand. I can’t control the unconscious gawking every time his sculpted body appears. His strong brawny frame, bulging biceps, the dips and curves of his abs cause my mouth to water, my eyes wander lower to that v, you know that one that leads you to that amazing cock that just gave me yet another earth shattering orgasm. My breathing has accelerated and I’m suddenly no longer chilled. “Ready for another?”

“Carter!” I startle, “Jesus, sorry I must have spaced out.”

“Yeah spaced out burning a hole through my towel, I can make it easier for you Hannah Banana.” His voice coated in laughter matches the gorgeous toothy smile when I finally look at his face, but immediately revert to where his towel once was.
Gah, so fucking hot, how did I go two years without that cock?
I shake my head, grab the towels, walk to the opposite side of the room, and dry myself. “Come ‘ere Banana,” he says cautiously from where we both once stood now clothed in boxer briefs. I turn around to him again, my body now covered with the towel and cross the room slowly.

He walks me to my side of the bed and pulls back my covers for me. Dropping my towel, and sliding in, he kisses my forehead and tells me to sleep sweet, and he will see me in the morning. His hand almost touches the door before I stop him, “Carter, will you stay please, just to talk… catch up.” He hesitates at the door before turning around. I mumble, “Only if you want, no pressure big boy.” He gives me a wink and heads back to me, stretching out on top of the covers I am tucked under. “You can come under the covers, babe,” I say while pushing his arm.

“I think it’s safer to talk this way, Hannah, if I go under the covers, ‘big boy’ might want to play again,” he lets out a hearty laugh, and keeps the barrier in place. “I’ve missed you Han, not just the ‘us’ part of you, but your smile and laugh. I miss that.” I sigh and roll onto my side to face him, but he isn’t looking at me, he’s staring at the ceiling.

“Carter, where’ve you been since I left? What have you been doing? Tell me what I have missed,” I ask quietly, watching his jaw clench as I ask him questions that almost make me regret asking, until he rolls onto his side propping his head onto arm with a sly smirk, offering a rebuttal that he would only talk if that’s a two way street. And I agree, because I don’t want him to leave thinking I didn’t try.

We have always been able to talk to each other with no problem, well unless you add in my difficulty and shutting down two years ago. Carter tells me about how he continued his plans, even with me leaving the way I did, the plans to become an interim professor in the business department at MU and work with the athletics department. When I left, he said he dove head first into the master’s program, finishing it in record time. Then just last year, he was recruited to be a part of the athletics department where he met Braydon during a faculty meeting.

I stare at him in amazement, loving the fact that he accomplished exactly what he set out to do when we planned out our lives, with the exception that there was no Mrs. Jacobs. He said he hadn’t dated anyone or even taken anyone out on a date since I left. I can’t tell you I am surprised because that’s my Carter, loyal to a fault. But, I noticed he was holding something back by the slight hesitation, so I dug a little asking him what he wasn’t saying, and learned quickly that when I dig I should be prepared to cry or at least feel something other than content.

“I didn’t date, Hannah,” he pauses and looks at my face which I am sure is puzzled because obviously there is no way he is into guys. “No, crazy, I didn’t date dudes either. But I suppose I did go on dates. I took your momma out at least once or twice a month when your dad had to leave town on business or for a case. She misses you, even though she tells you she is doing well.” He trails off on the last sentence and rolls onto his back again. Tears silently fall from my eyes as he continues, “She just hates how life happened for you, for us; that’s all babe.”

“I know, thank you for taking care of her Carter,” I whisper, because what else can I say? I left her just as I left him and my past, without a second thought. I needed to escape. He finds my hand in the dark, gives it a squeeze, and changes the topic to me. I clear my throat, “Well the internship went surprisingly well, and multiple promotions later, I was celebrating my promotion to acting director when you popped in at the Yacht Lot. I worked really hard for that position, not the title.” I say with a smile full of pride that you can hear in my words and Carter turns back mirroring my expression.

“What about you, did you date or better yet, and I hope the answer is no, are you dating?” he clears his throat with hesitation lingering heavy on the words.

“Yes Carter, I have been out a few times, with Chase and Brody from work and some other colleagues. Brie has, or maybe had rather, a thing for Chase, and Brody is a friend – nothing more. We work together, so no, no dating. I haven’t been romantically involved with anyone and I am most certainly not dating anyone right now.” My voice takes a defensive tone for a reason I can’t explain and he watches me intently.