Feathers and Thorne Series Books 1 - 3: The Complete Collection

Chapter Twenty-Two

Isabella

“I don’t like this.” I step out of the changing room and examine myself in the mirror, frowning critically at the bulge. “It’s not flattering at all.”

Carter crosses one leg over the other and raises an eyebrow. “You’ve said that about every single piece that you’ve tried on.”

The black lace is like butter between my fingers, and it is one of the prettiest items of clothing I’ve ever seen, but it’s also the sexiest. It has a bow in the center, a thong that rides up the crack in my ass, and a plunging neckline that leaves very little to the imagination.

Although the clerk was helpful enough in handing me a handful of clothing from the maternity section of the store, a part of me wonders if she’s trying to sabotage me on purpose. Especially when she keeps coming into the opulent cream-colored changing rooms to place a hand on Carter’s arm and ask him, in a low and sultry voice, if he needs anything.

I keep glaring at her in the mirror, but as usual, she’s acting like I don’t exist.

Given my size, I’m sure she feels certain that there is no competition, especially with her clear skin, coiffed hair, and an outfit that hugs her body in all the right places. In comparison, I feel like a beached whale, and I’m not enjoying the excursion as much as I thought.

Having Carter back has been amazing, but we’ve spent the past few hours wandering the mall while he buys everything in sight. He’s brought everything from onesies to books and everything in between, and while I’m touched by his enthusiasm and explicit show of support for the baby, a part of me feels like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Sighing, I go back into the changing room and slide the curtain shut.

I’m pulling my hoodie back on when Carter comes into the changing room and pulls the curtain behind him. He wraps both of his hands around my waist, and I stare at us in the full-length mirror. It’s strange to see the two of us in such an intimate position, especially when we’ve stood like this before, but there’s something about the way we look.

Like we’re ready to take on the whole world if it crosses us.

A swell of emotion rises and grows in my chest, and it’s expanded when Carter spins me around, kneels down in front of my stomach, and presses his lips there. Little pinpricks of happiness dart up and down my arms, and I’m humming with pleasure and surprise when Carter pulls me back out of the dressing room. He laces his fingers through mine, sending a swarm of butterflies to my stomach.

I squeeze his hand back and spot the blonde-haired clerk lingering out of the corner of my eye.

Pausing, I lift Carter’s hand up to my lips and kiss each individual finger. Then I push myself up to the tips of my toes and press my lips to his for a kiss. Before I can pull back, he wraps his arms around my waist and deepens the kiss, making me go light-headed. When my knees go weak, I cling to him and try to remember how to breathe.

But I don’t wipe the grin off my face, especially when Carter’s hands dart between us and he cups my breasts over the fabric of my hoodie. A jolt of desire courses through me as the need for air becomes too great. Carter gives me a meaningful look, and his hands move to settle over my hips. Slowly, I spin around to face the store clerk, who is red-faced and pretending to busy herself with the clothes.

“I’m sorry, but none of them seem right.” I make a vague hand gesture and clear my throat. “Do you have anything else?”

She glances between the two of us, and her gaze lingers on me. “I’ll see what else there is.”

As soon as she’s gone, Carter carries me over to the red leather couch and pulls me down onto his lap. I giggle, link my fingers over his neck, and grind against him. “I’ve missed this.”

Carter gives my ass a firm squeeze. “So have I, but don’t think this means you can talk me into sending our daughter to public school.”

My mouth falls open. “How did you know about that?”

“You and Sam aren’t as quiet as you think you are,” Carter replies, keeping one hand around my waist and the other tracing a path up to my shoulders. “And public school is completely out of the question.”

I frown. “I don’t want our daughter to be entitled or spoiled.”

Carter waves my comment away. “She’ll be fine.”

I huff. “Look at how much you’re spoiling her already, and she isn’t even here yet. Imagine how much worse you’ll be when she’s born. Public school will give her some structure and discipline. I went to public school.”

Carter pushes my hair over my shoulders and kisses my neck. “You’re the exception, not the rule, dove.”

I sigh. “Stop trying to distract me. I’m trying to make a point.”

Carter’s smirk turns wicked, and it sends a shiver racing up my spine. “You can make all the points you want to, dove, but I’m not changing my mind.”

“Why not?”

Carter keeps one hand splayed on my ass, and the other darts underneath my hoodie and grazes the sensitive skin there. “Because she’s going to have you as a mother, and I know you’re not going to let her be spoiled.”

I lean into his touch, another shiver racing through me. “It’s not going to be that simple.”

“It seems pretty simple to me.” Carter places his mouth right next to my ear, his hot breath dancing over my skin and making my stomach do all sorts of flip-flops. “And I think you’re just being stubborn.”

“I am not,” I protest weakly as his hand darts up further and closes around my sensitive nipple. “You’re the one who won’t back off.”

“I don’t back off when I know what I want, dove,” Carter whispers directly into my ear. “You and I both know how this is going to end, so why are you fighting me?”

I bury my face in the crook of his neck and exhale, trying to think past the pounding in my ears. “Why are you cheating? You’re not playing fair.”

“You know what they say, dove.” Carter’s fingers move from one nipple to the next, flicking and twisting expertly so they’re both as hard as pebbles. “Your mouth is saying one thing, but your body is telling me a completely different thing.”

My heart is pounding in my ears now. “Oh?”

“I love it when you’re this wet for me,” Carter continues in the same thick tone of voice. It feels like butter sliding across my skin, like I’m going to combust from the inside out. “Fuck, dove. Can you smell yourself?”

“You’re exaggerating.”

In one quick move, Carter’s hand darts from underneath my hoodie and into the waistband of my jeans. He wastes no time in pushing my panties aside and darting one finger in between my wet folds. “Your body can’t lie to me, dove. I can practically fucking feel how much you want me.”

I buck against his hand and lick my dry lips. “How much?”

“What?”

I lift my head up and tug on his bottom lobe. Carter shivers, and his grip on my ass tightens. “How much do I want you?”

Abruptly, he leans back to look at me, and I can see the conflict written in the depth of his eyes. He wants me as much as I want him.

Carter stops playing with me and removes his hand. He helps me to my feet and sweeps me into his arms. In the doorway to the dressing room, he stops to slide it open and sets me down on my feet. Before he can advance on me, the clerk’s voice brings us back to the present with a jolt. A heartbeat later, Carter strides over to her, yanks the dress out of her hands, and waves her away with a dismissive nod. Then he crosses back over to me, covering the room in a few short strides.

My stomach dips as he steps into the spacious, well-lit drawing room and yanks the curtain shut behind him. Wordlessly, he hands me the dress and takes a step back. My fingers are trembling as I wriggle out of my jeans. Carter’s eyes devour me hungrily, but he folds his arms over his chest and doesn’t do anything. When I pull my hoodie up over my head, fresh goosebumps break out across my skin. With one last smile in his direction, I pull the lacy black dress on and strike a pose with my hip jutted out and one hand resting on it.

“So fucking sexy,” Carter growls in a thick voice. “But you’re wearing too many clothes, dove.”

I raise an eyebrow. “This barely covers anything.”

Carter reaches for me and spins me around so I’m pressed against him. He lifts the dress over my head and tosses it on the chair in the corner. In the mirror, I see his hands skirt over my cotton panties before gliding up to my bra. He presses my breasts together, and I whimper at the contact, wanting more of this.

Wanting more of him.

I don’t know why I long for Carter with every fiber of my being. Or why I crave his touch every minute of every day?

All I know is that when Carter begins to pepper my neck with kisses, the last of my resistance melts. He ties my hair up into a bun and sinks his teeth into my neck. I lean into him and moan. Carter’s hand moves to my mouth, and he gives me a devious smirk, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

“If you keep making noises like that, it’s going to be over before it even starts, and I still have so much planned for you, dove.”

I nod a little too eagerly.

“You’re going to watch me undress you,” Carter continues, his voice dropping an octave. “You’re going to watch in the mirror, and you are not going to make a sound.”

“But—”

Carter slaps my ass. “Not a sound, or I’ll bend you over that chair and fuck you in front of the whole store.”

I snap my mouth shut and nod.

Carter rips my panties apart in one quick move and throws the tattered remains of the fabric away. In the mirror, I see his fingers disappear behind my back, and I feel them against my skin. He is taking his sweet time and making it so I’ll be panting and even more desperate for him. By the time he undoes the hook of the bra and my breasts spill forward, I feel like I’m going to explode with desire and impatience.

Almost immediately after he undresses me, Carter brings my arms up on either side of me. He sets them on the mirror, and I hear his zipper. I blink and use the glass to see Carter position himself behind me. He rubs himself against me, and I bite down on my bottom lip hard enough to draw blood.

I can taste my sweat and blood mixing together, but it doesn’t matter. Because Carter fills me to the hilt.

He digs his nails into my waist, eases out, and slams back into me. I push against the mirror to keep from falling backward and grind against him.

He eases all the way out and slaps my ass hard enough to make me yelp. “Good girl, dove. That’s it.”

I continue to press my lips together and try to remember how to breathe.

Seeing the two of us move together, our faces covered in sweat, and our bodies rocking back and forth against each other is erotic. Far more erotic than I thought it would be, and I can’t seem to look away.

I study Carter’s powerful build and his precise movements, and it makes the warm feeling in my stomach tighten. Wave after wave of desire builds within me until I can barely keep my eyes open. I squeeze them shut and grind backward, thrusting against Carter as hard as I can.

Abruptly, he stops moving, and a protest falls from my lips.

“I told you to watch, dove,” Carter says into my back. “You’ve been wanting me to fuck you since we got here. Open your eyes.”

My eyes fly open, and I lift my gaze up to his.

He is holding himself impossibly still, a vein pulsing in his jaw. As soon as I exhale, Carter slams back into me and covers my mouth with his hand. I swallow back moan after moan as we move together, skin sliding against skin and the smell of sex filling in the air.

By now, I’m sure that the clerk can hear us. The whole store probably can, but I can’t bring myself to care. It doesn’t even bother me that we’ll be banned from the maternity shop.

My orgasm looms, closer and closer, until I’m hurtling over the edge at an unnatural speed. Over and over, I’m falling, my body writhing and spasming as I ride out my high. The force of my orgasm rips through me as I struggle to stand upright. Carter’s fingers are digging into my hips again, and I feel like he’s the only thing keeping me from toppling over.

Then he pushes me, so I’m up against the mirror, the cool glass pressing against my flushed skin.

Carter gives a few more powerful thrusts, each more reckless and animal-like than the last.

Finally, his entire body begins to shake, and he sinks his teeth into my neck, sending dual waves of pain and pleasure through me. I twist my arms over my head to wind my fingers through his hair and wait. His breathing is hard and uneven, and it fills the air around us. Slowly, he eases out of me, gives my ass a firm stroke, and helps me straighten up.

In a daze, I struggle to find my clothes. As soon as I’m dressed, Carter pulls me into his arms to kiss me.

I swoon and feel dizzy when he sets me back down.

Weakly, I lean against the nearest wall and press a hand to my chest. “You’re definitely going to be the death of me if we keep this up.”

“You’ve still got more left in you, dove.” Carter adjusts his clothes in the mirror and pauses to give me a wink. “I’ll wait outside.”

When he’s gone, I spin around to look at my flushed face. Untying my hair, I let it fall in loose waves around my shoulders and run my fingers through it. Thankful that it’s long enough to hide my hickeys and the torn strap of my tank top, I give my reflection a small smile.

I’m rounding the corner, the dress draped over my arm, when I hear Carter’s voice. Immediately, I press myself against the nearest wall and listen.

“What the fuck do you mean there’s a bounty on my head?”

Ice settles in my veins as I poke my head around the side of the wall and see Carter pacing, his hand running through his hair.

“I don’t give a shit if he is a Donahue. His cousin had it coming after what he did. He’s lucky I didn’t mount Rich’s head and balls to a goddamn wall.”

At the mention of his name, a tight and hard knot forms in the center of my stomach.

“I’ll take care of that piece of shit later,” Carter adds in a softer voice. Before he hangs up, Carter says something else I can’t hear. With a slight shake of my head, I run a hand over my face and count backward from ten. When I step out from behind the wall, I have a slight smile already in place. Carter is typing something into his phone when I walk up to him, his face giving nothing away.

I drape an arm around his waist and kiss his cheek. “Is everything okay?”

“More problems at work. Fucking Donahues are like cockroaches.”

“There’s more of them?”

Carter shoves his phone into his pocket and tucks me into his side. “It’s nothing to worry about. Whoever the hell he is, he’s not going to come after me. By now, I’m sure he knows what was done to the Laceys and Rich.”

I swallow and give him a weak smile. “Uh-huh.”

Carter takes the dress out of my hand and adds it to a pile of other pieces of lingerie. Then he calls out for the store clerk, who seems a little too eager to take us to the checkout line. As soon as we leave, Carter’s arm drops to my waist, and he steers me in the direction of the food court. There, he leaves me sitting at a table, replaying the conversation in my head. When he returns with two milkshakes and a plate of fries, I almost sag with relief.

“Thank you,” I mumble between bites of food.

Carter gives me an amused look. “It’s one of the many perks of you being pregnant, dove. I get to spoil you rotten, and you get to make up for the weight you lost over the past few months. It’s a win-win.”

I finish chewing and glance down at my stomach. “I’m going to be fat by the time this is over.”

“You will always be gorgeous, dove. And I can think of at least a few different ways for us to exercise after the baby comes.”

I glance up at Carter and blush. “Aren’t you tired?”

Carter takes the straw between his teeth. “I’ll never be able to get enough of you, dove.”

“I’ll remind you of that,” I tease in between bites of food. “You know when I get fat and swollen, and I can’t even see my own feet.”

Carter gives me a wicked smile. “You’ll still be the sexiest woman in the world.”

I finish eating my fries and reach for a napkin to dab my mouth. “I’m really glad we got to do this today.”

Because it’s giving us a chance to bond in a way we haven’t been able to.

“Me too.” Carter sits up straighter and reaches for my free hand. “When I was away from you, I met this old drunk at a bar this one night, and I realized something.”

I pause. “What’s that?”

“He reminded me a little of myself,” Carter admits with a frown. “And I suddenly saw myself twenty years from now, sitting on that same barstool, drinking myself into a stupor and getting into fights.”

I squeeze his hand. “That’s not going to be your future.”

It’s not what I expected Carter to say. I’m even more surprised he’s choosing to confide in me, like I’m getting another peak at the man behind the mask, but I can’t deny that I’m thrilled.

I didn’t think I’d ever be okay with Carter leaving. Although I don’t know everything he’s been through yet, there’s no denying the transformation he’s undergoing.

Or the changes he’s trying to make. Finally.

Carter clears his throat. “You’re damn straight it isn’t. Not if I can help it.”

Carter and I have been through a lot together, and even though we’re still wading through an unfamiliar labyrinth, I’m no longer filled with panic at the thought. With Carter by my side, I feel like I can take on anything and be anyone I need to be, and I’m drunk on the feeling.

Like the two of us are invincible.

For the rest of the day, Carter’s attention is focused almost entirely on me. He drags me to store after store, and each time we’re shown to a room in the back, he insists on a private show. Indulging him, I try on piece after piece of clothing, a quiet thrill racing through me the entire time. In between, he buys me snacks and plays with my hair, and I’m touched by the normalcy of it all.

By the intimacy and vulnerability.

Having Carter back feels strange, especially with this new, more open side of him, but I don’t want to dwell on it too much. A part of me is afraid there’s a clock ticking, limiting our time together, but the other part of me is determined to ignore the vicious voices in my head.

Because none of them matter as long as Carter is here.

By the end of the day, when Ernesto is trailing after us, carrying several shopping bags and working up a sweat, Carter leads me to the underground parking garage. There, he opens the car doors for me and exchanges a quick word with Ernesto while he loads the bags into the back. Then the front door opens, and Ernesto slides in, pausing to give me a warm smile in the rearview mirror. I give him a smile in return, then twist to face Carter, who slides in and pushes the button for the partition.

As soon as it’s up, Carter pulls me onto his lap and digs his nails into my waist. “I’ve been wanting to be alone with you all day, dove.”

I giggle and wriggle against him. “We have been alone more than once.”

Carter exhales and places his head in the crook of my neck. “I know, but we’ve got a lot to make up for.”

I wind my fingers through his hair. “Are you sure there’s nothing else bothering you? You can talk to me about it, you know.”

Especially since we’re trying to do things differently this time around.

I still have no idea what Carter did while he was away or what kind of demons he faced alone, but I do know that he doesn’t have to anymore. Not if I can help it.

“I want to do things differently, dove,” Carter whispers into my skin. “I’m trying, but it’s going to take some adjusting.”

I ignore the thundering of my heart as he keeps one hand on my waist, and the other strokes my back. “Does this have to do with why we’re still staying at Anita’s?”

Carter pauses for so long that I think he isn’t going to answer.

When I’m about to cut my losses, he leans back to look at me, and my heart misses a beat. “I know you want to go home, but it’s safer to stay at Anita’s and have Tristan nearby.”

I swallow and nod. “Are you sure she doesn’t mind?”

It’s been weeks since we moved in with her. While I appreciate having the Blackthorne family matriarch around for advice and support, I also don’t want her to be sick of us.

Especially when I’m going to need all the help I can get with a baby on the way.

Carter tucks my hair behind my ears. “Of course, she doesn’t mind. She loves having you around, and I’m glad the two of you had a chance to bond while I was… away.”

I press my forehead to his and blow out a breath. “Me too. Just promise you won’t ever leave like that again.”

“Dove… I thought of you every minute. Being away from you was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, and I promise that as long as it’s within my fucking control, I won’t ever leave you or our daughter.”

My stomach does odd little somersaults as I draw back and press my lips to his for a kiss. “Good.”

Both of Carter’s hands are on my hips now, holding me securely against him. “What do you feel like doing tonight? We could go out for dinner.”

I raise an eyebrow. “I’ve already had a lot to eat. I feel like you’re stuffing me up.”

Carter’s smile unfurls slowly. “Why wouldn’t I? You deserve every last bit of it.”

Ernesto draws to a stop outside of Anita’s house, and Carter captures my lips with his. His kiss is searing and demanding, and I can feel every ounce of yearning and affection poured into the gesture. With a smile, I link my fingers over his neck and try to remember how to breathe.

My chest is so tight and so full of emotion that I don’t protest when Carter sweeps me into his arms and up the driveway. And I don’t say anything when he brushes past Anita and takes the stairs two at a time. In our room, he sets me down on the bed as gently as possible and pauses to give me another earth-shattering kiss.

Before I can deepen it, he pulls back and gives me a meaningful look. Then he’s racing back down the stairs, and I hear Ernesto and Anita’s voices join his.

I’ve peeled off my clothes and settled underneath the covers when he comes back in. Wordlessly, he kicks off his shoes and throws the blankets back. For a long moment, Carter doesn’t say anything as he drinks every bare inch of me in. When he’s done, he takes a few steps back and locks the door.

That single gesture sends a wave of desire straight to my stomach.

Carter’s eyes don’t leave my face as he pulls his shirt up over his head. It falls to the floor with a flutter and is soon joined by his pants and his belt. I lick my dry lips, my breath hitching in my throat as he pulls his boxers down, revealing his smooth and taut skin.

I want to run my fingers over every part of him. I want to worship him with my tongue.

Heart thudding painfully, I sit up and spread my arms open. Carter covers the distance between us and crushes me to him, the smell of sandalwood and citrus washing over me. I place my head over the steady thumping of his heart and squeeze my eyes shut. In silence, Carter strokes my back, sending goosebumps over every inch of my skin.

I’m shivering and feeling like I’m about to combust with impatience when he pulls back to look at me as if I’m the most precious thing in the world.

Then he pushes me, so I’m lying flat on my back on the mattress. Carter crawls forward and drapes himself over me. He frames my face in his hands and looks into my eyes. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be. You’re my home, dove. You and the baby are what matters.”

My heart skips a beat. “I feel the same way.”

Carter’s mouth is feather-light and soft against mine. “Good.”

He kisses me until my head spins and knots unfurl in my chest. I’m lighthearted and high on his kisses when he begins to pepper my neck with hot, open-mouthed kisses. He traces a path from my jaw, down my neck, and over the slope of my chest. His fingers come up to flick my tender nipples, sending another jolt of desire racing through me.

When he moves onto the other nipple, I’m panting, and a thick fog of desire has settled over me. I can barely see straight, and I can’t think of anything except for Carter. And his hands and his hot and capable mouth.

Slowly, Carter kisses a path down to my center and pauses to glance up at me. His eyes are full of hunger and impatience as he pries my legs open and settles between my legs. My hands grab a fistful of the sheets on either side of me, and I arch my back. Carter uses one hand to stroke the inside of my thighs, and the other moves up to push my breasts together.

“We’re going to work up quite the appetite by the time we’re done.”

I throw my head back and moan his name when Carter’s tongue darts out and connects with my center.