Chapter 9
Andrea
Dragging Carter to the car was hard. I know he wanted to be in there defending me, but it just wasn't worth it. Today has been exhausting. From the dream, to the phone call from Amy, the unknown number, and feeling like I'm being watched, to seeing Henry Zito. All of it is just too much for me to handle and it's making me want to escape inside myself again. The dark place that Carter brought me out of.
“I think it's a good idea for me to set up some time with Alicia,” I tell Carter as we are pulling out onto the road to head home.
Alicia is the therapist I saw for a time. She really helped to bring out the light in me when everything happened a few years ago. I wasn't in a good place after the accident and Jacob’s funeral. She became a friend and checks in with phone calls and texts here and there. It's been a long time since I went to see her, but all this makes me believe I need to.
She understands my situation. She can help me again. I just need Carter to be okay with it too, and be my rock like he always has.
He just nods, I can tell he's in his own head right now. “Carter, please just let it go. There isn't anything that will come of you taking this on personally for your career or our relationship. I need you with me baby, please,” I beg him.
He looks to me quickly and grabs my hand in his. He's shaking a little and I know it's the adrenaline he was feeling when he wanted to go after Henry. “I'm here, Starfish. I promise. I'm sorry I was losing it back there. Thank you for taking me out before I did something stupid,” he tells me while kissing my hand.
I grab his hand with both of mine and bring it to my face. I just cradle it there and let it ground me.
“Let's just go home and have a quiet night. No more talking about it. Just us, where we've always needed to be,” I tell him setting our linked hands on the center console.
“I'm all yours. Always yours.” He gives me his sweet smile I love so much, the one showing the little peek of his dimple. The smile reserved for me.
Setting my purse down on the kitchen counter, I go upstairs to put my gun away.
“I think it's a good idea we start keeping that loaded, Starfish,” he says walking into our bedroom behind me.
I just nod as I put it into the drawer on my nightstand on my side of the bed.
He puts his hands to my shoulders and starts rubbing and kneading. I drop my head back as I stand and lean into his chest. “Let me go run you a bath and you can relax while I check in with Nick real quick,” he tells me kissing the top of my head.
“I'd like that. Just don't let him steal too much time. He gets a lot of it already,” I say with a small laugh.
“Just going to see if there has been any development he hasn't included me in on today. I told him it was your day, so I wouldn't doubt he purposely left me in the dark. Just need to stay on top of this new homicide investigation,” he tells me while pulling me to the bathroom to start my bath.
Piling my hair on top of my head, I step out of my clothes as he starts the bath in our master. Grabbing my favorite lavender scented bath bomb, I toss it in as it fills. “Hurry back,” I tell him with a small kiss to his delicious lips.
He grabs my face and just looks into my eyes. His honey brown to my blue. I can see the worry in his eyes. I try to let him see clearly that I'm okay and it will all be okay. Nodding his head, he pulls me in for a tight hug, my cheek to his chest and his chin resting on the top of my head.
“You're right. Nothing can stop us now,” he says as he pulls back. “Get in the tub, Starfish. I'll be back in a few to start a movie in bed,” he tells me as he walks to the door.
Nodding, I turn around to step in the tub. Looking to the bathroom mirror in front of me, I see him watching me, the conquering hero that will tear the world apart to set mine right again. Letting the bath soothe me, I lean my head back against the side and just close my eyes.
“Andrea, let's take a walk,” Carter says to me as we walk away from our families’ camp site.
“Don't be gone too long. It's getting dark, and take your flashlights,” his dad calls to us.
He grabs two from his camper and pulls me along. I've just turned fifteen and our families are on our first annual camping trip of the year for Memorial Day weekend. Camp Dearborn in Milford is a place we've gone our entire lives.
Walking into the woods away from all the prying eyes of our families, he pulls me close and kisses me like he hasn't seen me in a year. Slipping his tongue into my mouth, I let mine dance with his as he moans and holds my face in his hands, the kiss almost getting frenzied before he pulls back, leaving me breathless.
“I've been waiting to do that since we got here,” he says bringing his forehead to mine.
“I can't get enough alone time with you. Never enough,” I whisper to him pulling his shirt in my hands to bring his body flush with mine.
Returning to walking, he pulls my hand to a log just a little ahead. We sit down and I can hear the rustling of the animals running around in the fallen leaves on the ground. It's so quiet and peaceful.
“Someday we’ll do this with our own kids,” I say, leaning my head against his arm as we sit here holding hands.
“I see it, Starfish. Forever isn't too far away.” He puts his arm around me so I'm flush to his side.
“It seems that way with how overbearing my parents get sometimes. I know they trust me with you, and would never approve of anyone else that’s five years older than me, but I wish they would give a little more,” I say, looking up and getting lost in his beautiful face. He really was sculpted perfectly.
“If I had a daughter that looked like you, I would never let a boy near her,” he says laughing.
I laugh with him at that because I can totally picture it in my head. “I need more time with you Carter, but school has been so busy with getting ready for the end of the year. Sophomore year is just around the corner in a few weeks. They might come searching for us soon,” I tell him.
At that, he jumps down to stand in front of me. Pulling me up, he has me still standing on the log so I'm just a little taller than him. He pulls me close to him and rests his head on my chest.
“You're heart is beating so fast, Starfish,” he tells me as I feel him smile through my tank top.
“It always does when you're near,” I whisper.
He turns his head to look up at me, resting his chin on my breast bone. “It's matching the beat of mine. It hurts when you aren't with me, Starfish. I can't wait to make you mine forever, so we're never apart.”
“What do we do until then?”
“We make every moment count.”
Feeling his hand slide along my arm, I slowly open my eyes.
“What were you just thinking about? The grin on your face is priceless,” he says climbing into the tub to sit behind me.
“I was thinking about our camping trips when we were young. You promised me the world even all those years ago Carter,” I tell him as I settle my back to his front.
He lazily trails my loofah into the water and up and down my arms. “I could never wait to make you mine for all time. I hated when we were apart and had to go through your parents for some time,” he says bringing his cheek next to mine.
I turn my head at the feel of his stubble against my cheek. Capturing his lips with mine, I lazily let my tongue begin to dance with his. The pace slow, but no less any powerful. Every touch from Carter has never ever felt the same. That's what I love, it will never be enough or get old. I feel him smile against my lips.
Pulling back, I look into his eyes, searching for the humor he's suddenly finding.
“What's so funny Mr. Avery?” I ask on a whisper still dragging my lips over his.
“I was thinking of all the things I always wanted to do to you when I got you alone. But I wanted to be a gentleman and never take it too far.”
“Oh, is that so? I remember plenty of very uninnocent times over the years on those trips. In fact, just after my 18th birthday was a big one,” I tell him grabbing onto his thigh and squeezing at the thought.
He groans, no doubt remembering what I'm referring to. “I could never get enough of having you at any time. Still can't,” he says, turning me in his arms to straddle his legs.
“You tortured me with your delicious body, while our parents sat just outside of the camper around the fire waiting for us to return with the fixings for s’mores,” I say on a laugh and at the grin that curls his mouth up.
“Mmmmm and trying to get you to be quiet before they came looking to see what was taking us so long,” he says back with a gleam in his beautiful honey brown eyes.
I shut him up at the thought, and the memories brought forth of that night and so many more since.
I grab the back of his head and fuse his mouth with mine. He holds the back of my head to his, pulling slightly on my hair, just the way I love. He moves to my ears, down to my neck to the sweet spot where my shoulder and neck meet. With small nibbles, he moves back up to my neck leaving me panting and breathless. He loves to tease me.
Moving back to my mouth, he kisses me sweetly. He isn't turning this kiss over to the frenzied lust….
“Tonight is just touching you, worshipping you, and showing you my love. I want to sit and talk, spend time with you, and listen to your heart. Can we do that, Starfish? Please.”
He will never cease to amaze me. He always shows me I'm more than a body, I'm more than just a girl. Never been like the rest. I love that and need for him to show me this way sometimes.
“I'd love nothing more than to have that time with you, handsome.”
**********
Settling in the large four poster king sized bed in our room, I'm laying on his chest just listening to it beat. It's a sound I can't sleep without. A sound I can't live without. I fall asleep in his arms and he just holds me close.
**********
I wake when I hear his phone going off. Lifting my head in the dark room, I see the time on the clock. 3:30 a.m. I grab his phone and see it's Nick. I answer it for him since he hasn't moved yet.
“Hello,” I say in a groggy sleep filled voice.
“Hi Andrea, is Carter there?”
“Yes, he's sleeping. It's 3:30 in the morning Nick, can't this wait until later?”
“Sorry to wake you sweetie, but there's been another homicide and I need my partner up and at ‘em.”
Ugh. “Let me wake him up, and he’ll call you right back.”
“Okay, try and make it quick. I'm heading out here in a few and need to brief him.”
“Will do,” I tell Nick hanging up and turning over to Carter.
“Babe, you need to wake up. Nick just called your phone and needs you to go in. There's been another homicide,” I say trying to shake him awake.
He groans and rolls over taking me with him, still holding his phone. “What time is it,” he asks in a deep raspy sleep filled voice.
“It's 3:30.”
“Motherfuck,” he yells and rolls to his back.
I hand him his phone. “He wants you to call him back before he heads out in a few. He wants to brief you.”
He takes the phone and blinks at the light from the screen as he dials Nick and brings it to his ear.
“Yeah man, I'm up. What the fuck. Yeah, yeah….another female at the scrap yard? Alright I'm getting up and heading out. You better grab me some coffee, Nancy. I'm not up for this shit right now,” he says hanging up.
“I gotta go, sweetheart. Stay right here so I can crawl back in with you when I get back. Hopefully won't be long, gotta head downtown to the scrap yard,” he tells me with a kiss to my forehead as he gets up and walks to the bathroom.
As the bathroom light comes on, I'm suddenly bathed with the sight of his naked behind as he steps in and grabs a quick shower before he goes. The sight of his chiseled back, ass, and legs will never get old. Rolling over, I fall back to sleep.