Chapter Seven – Caroline

They had spent most of the day walking in silence, both of them caught up in their own thoughts. Caroline could sense Carter’s apprehension: the further away from his cabin they got, the quieter he became. As the evening drew in and they set up camp, Caroline decided it was time to clear the air.

“Tell me about your beer.”

Carter had just returned from collecting firewood and she was feeding it onto the small pile of kindling she had lit. Although she wanted to return to Bear Creek, she had to admit to enjoying being out here in the wilds. Tomorrow there was a chance they would begin to encounter other people, hikers, shifters who were looking for somewhere quiet to spend a few hours as their animal.

“My beer.” Carter sat down on the ground next to the fire and began to prepare their meal. “It was something I missed, and hauling bottles up the mountain was not something I wanted to do. So I started to experiment. The first attempts were terrible. But then I found my secret ingredient.”

“Which is?” Caroline asked.

“Honey. Wild honey. My bear found a hive one day and I went back and collected some, and added it to the beer. Then I started to experiment with adding herbs, and some spices.”

“And now you have your own secret formula.” Caroline sat back and pulled her knees up to her chest, watching the flames.

“My own secret sauce,” he said grinning. “What do you think?” He took another two bottles out of his pack and passed one to her.

“I like it. A lot.” She opened the bottle. “Are you telling me the only thing in your packs is beer?”

He chuckled. “No. But I have a few more bottles left.”

“Will you make some when you get settled in your house?”

“When we get settled in our house,” he reminded her. “You are moving in with me, aren’t you?”

Caroline took a drink. “Do you think you are ready?”

“Me ready?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“For us to live together?”

Caroline nodded. “Yes, if I move in with you, you are going to have to get used to having my family visit, and the guys I know from work. You might want to be a hermit, but I don’t. And before you ask, this is not me trying to change you.”

“I get that.” Carter thought for a moment. “What will your family think of me?”

“I have no idea. My brother is ex-army, and his mate is a schoolteacher.”

“They have kids?” Carter asked.

Caroline took a slug of beer before answering. “They do.”

“How many?” Carter asked. “Are you a good aunt?”

“They have three. And I am a godmother of their baby.”

“Wow, three, they must have been together for a while,” Carter commented.

“Nope.” Caroline held her beer in both hands. “Only a little over a year. Jamie is the guardian to his best friend’s kids. Who died.” She could not keep the hitch out of her voice.

“I’m sorry.” Carter studied her before he asked, “Is this the same person who died?”

“It is,” Caroline nodded.

Carter set the meat down in the pan, and wiped his hands on his pants before coming to sit by her side. “I’m sorry.” He put his arm around her shoulders hesitantly. “I really am. That must be tough. So much unresolved.”

“Yeah.” Caroline rested her head on his shoulder. “I was a jerk.”

“I don’t believe that. But if you are, you are in good company.”

She laughed, and then hiccuped as a sob erupted from her. “Richard was my brother’s best friend, we all grew up together, and I had a monster-sized crush on him.”

“But you weren’t his mate?”

“Obviously,” Caroline replied.

“And that was tough to take, especially when he found his mate and had kids,” Carter surmised.

“Yes. And instead of being happy for him, I felt… Robbed. But he was never mine.”

“Caroline, none of us act as we should all the time. We try. But we fail, because we are human.”

“Even movie stars,” Caroline asked.

“Even movie stars. Or ex-ones. I am not going back to that life. But I do want to forge a life with you.” He sat up and looked at her, his finger under her chin, tilting it up so she had to meet his eyes. “Fate brought you up this mountain. I truly believe that.”

“Really?” Caroline asked, wanting to kiss him so damn much it hurt.

“I do. I’ve thought about it a lot today. And you know, anyone could have drawn the short straw and come up this mountain. But it was you.”

“You thought about this today?” she asked.

“I did,” he replied.

“And there was I thinking you were just being a moody bastard.”

“I’m one of those too. Although maybe not the bastard. I have a mom and a dad, who are very much alive and will love you instantly when they know you are the catalyst that brought me down off the mountain.”

“Well, wash my mouth out with soap and water,” Caroline joked. “I am trying to retrain myself not to swear, a residue from my old life.”

“Let’s let go of those old lives. Be honest with each other. You know what skeletons I have in my closet, and I know what you hide in yours. That way nothing can ever spring up and slap us in the face.”

“Deal,” she said, and placed her hand on his cheek, drawing his face down to hers. “Now kiss me.”

He pulled her close, and their lips met. Despite her reservations, she wanted him. Carter was her mate, he was here, he was alive, and he wanted her more than he wanted any other woman alive. Their kiss deepened, and she slipped her leg over his thigh to straddle him, his arousal evident. Caroline moved, circling her hips, increasing the contact between their bodies. She pressed down, her clit rubbing on his hard length, kicking her arousal up a notch. It was going to be hard to deny herself what she truly wanted.

Then why do it? her bear asked.

Why do it indeed? Caroline replied.

She pressed her hands against his chest, and stroked his nipples through his T-shirt, Carter responded by placing his hand on her bottom, and holding her close, his body moving in time with hers as they kissed. It wasn’t enough.

They came to the same conclusion at the exact same time. Caroline slipped off his lap, and began to tug at her T-shirt, lifting it over her head and casting it down on the ground, before undoing the button of her combats and pushing them down off her curvy thighs. Only then did she allow herself to look at her man, who stood before her, not a stitch of clothing on his body.

Hell, yeah! her bear cried.

“Hell, yeah,” Caroline repeated.

“Like what you see?” Carter asked, hinting at the arrogance he still harbored.

“I might,” she replied. “But a girl knows it’s not about the looks. It’s all about the power. And the thrust.”

“Are we talking tanks, or men?”

“Why don’t you show me what you’ve got, and I’ll let you know.”

Carter moved toward her, a predatory animal. No matter what guilt he carried, there was no masking his star quality. He oozed confidence in his own skin. And what skin it was, tightly wrapped around muscles that were hard, made from real work in the outdoors.

“You going to stand there staring all night?” he asked, and reached for her, pulling her close. His lips found hers, while his fingers found the clasp of her bra. It fell to the ground, forgotten when he lowered his head and captured her nipple between his teeth, biting it lightly, but hard enough to send her arousal rocketing.

Caroline soon learned that Carter might be a movie star, but he was also a god where women were concerned. He lifted her up, and sat her down on a fallen log, then he knelt down, pushing her panties to one side, and trailing a finger along the length of her sex. She was wet, sopping wet, and Carter Eden, movie star, was dipping his finger inside her and stroking her inner walls.

Was this a dream? Had she banged her head and this was her mind playing tricks on her?

“Oh goodness,” she gasped as he ran his tongue over her clit. Caroline plunged her hands into his hair, holding his head between her thighs as he kissed and sucked her clit, his tongue plunging inside her before flicking over her clit. He moved, leaving her unsure where the next assault would come. It was incredible, fingers, tongue, teeth all working as one to make her come.

And she came. Her head thrown back, crying out into the night like a wounded animal as wave after wave of pleasure took hold of her and wouldn’t let go.

Carter didn’t stop. He took her to the highest of highs and then held her there, until she was completely spent.

“Did they teach you that in the movies?” she asked when she could finally speak.

“Nope, that was all me,” he replied with some pride.

“I’m impressed,” she said, kneeling down beside him, her hands caressing his cock.

“You don’t have to,” he said.

“I want to,” she answered, and dipped her head down, licking him from root to tip.

“Oh. Oh, that is good,” Carter ground out through gritted teeth.

Caroline slid her lips down over the head of his cock, her tongue rolling over it. Carter’s hips bucked, and he pushed inside her further. Caroline sucked hard. Real hard, and his breath hissed, his butt clenching as she grazed his sensitive shaft with her teeth.

“Did they teach you this in the army?” he moaned.

“You would be surprised,” she said.

“Oh, I’m gonna come.”

“That’s the idea,” she said as he reached under her body, his fingers tweaking her nipples, turning her on again.

“I want you.” He moved fast, picking her up and placing her on the ground in front of him. She was on all fours, her bottom facing him. Carter held his cock in his hand, and ran it along the length of her sex, collecting her juices, before he thrust into her, deep, hard, and long.

Caroline cried out, her fingers curling into the forest floor as she fought to hold on to reality. He was big, so big, and so deep inside her. His hands on her hips kept her in place as he drew back, and then lunged forward again. Her body rocked back, not wanting him to leave her empty, but he was strong and he had control. In and out he thrust, grazing her inner walls, the friction of skin against skin, mate claiming mate, all too much. She wanted to hang on, but when Carter slipped a hand between her thighs and stroked her clit, she came.

He followed immediately and she realized he had been hanging on, wanting her to reach her climax before he let himself go.

His seed spurted deep inside her, hot, filled with the potential of life. A vision of Jamie and Dani popped into her head; they were holding baby Richard. Would that be her in nine months’ time?

Then the feel of Carter’s lips on her spine, soft butterfly kisses on her oversensitive skin, brought her back to reality. Whatever happened, happened. They were meant to be together.

As he pulled out of her and held her close in the afterglow of their lovemaking, she knew this had broken the spell her love for Rich had cast over her. For tonight, at least.