His Taste Of Christmas (Forbidden Tastes #1)

8. Carter

Chapter eight

Carter

Christmas Day

I t’s been ten days since I last laid eyes on her. Our last encounter, when I touched her, felt like an eruption of heated lust within me. My fingers tingled for days afterward. Even now, I can still feel the ghost of her skin beneath my fingertips, a haunting reminder of our brief contact. I’ve wrapped those exact fingers around my dick at the thought of her, wishing it was her skin wrapped around it and not my hand.

I’m in a taxi heading to the pub, my mind completely consumed by the thought of seeing her again. Every second that passes heightens my anticipation. Seeing Angel at Costco was the confirmation I needed. She’s a woman now, and I need her. It’s as simple as that. I can sense her attraction for me in the way her eyes trace my every move, the way her breath hitches when I’m near. Her ability to form a coherent sentence vanishes when she’s in my presence, and I can see the struggle in her eyes as she tries to maintain her composure.

The memory of her touch is seared into my mind, and the thought of feeling her skin again sends a shiver down my spine. I know she feels the same pull, the same magnetic attraction that I do. The way she looked at me, the way her body responded to my touch, it was undeniable. I need to see her, to feel her, to confirm that this connection between us is real and not just a figment of my imagination.

I intend to create a Christmas she'll never forget, and I will outdo every guy she's ever been with. My hunger for Angel to crave me with the same intensity that I crave her. I want her to wake up every day with thoughts of me, just like I do with her. Each night, she’ll find solace pleasuring herself while focusing solely on the way I satisfy her—no one else.

“What's inside that bag, son?” my dad questions.

I suppress my smile, maintaining a neutral expression while contemplating the large candy cane I purchased for Angel. Although it will take days to finish, I couldn't resist buying it when I saw it.

“I know the owner of the pub. I just got them a little thank you for getting us in at such short notice,” I say, hoping he won’t ask what’s inside because a jumbo candy cane doesn’t scream ‘thank you’, but I know it will make Angel smile.

He smacks my knee. “Carter, you're a fine lad,” he whispers, while gazing out the window as we cross London Bridge.

The pub is crowded with customers and I have yet to spot Angel in the twenty minutes since we were seated. Is she deliberately trying to avoid me? The thought alone has me grinding my teeth together with the need to go find her. Before I can do such a thing, the waiter arrives with the drinks we ordered. As he places my glass on the table, I discreetly grab his attention. “Is Angel around today?” I inquire, attempting to hide my enthusiasm. His reaction is a frown of confusion, as if caught off guard.

“Uh, yeah. She’s starting soon with Mace. They are just out back. Are you her uncle or something?” Assessing me with narrowed eyes, he stares at me as if he’s trying to figure out if he recognises me. I'm annoyed by his assumption. Cheeky fucker.

“I'm definitely not her uncle,” I seethe angrily.

He widens his eyes, bringing his hands up in surrender. “Sorry, man. I didn’t mean to offend. Do you want me to go get her?” he rushes out, placing Ty’s drink down. Casting a quick glance at Tyson, who observes this scenario play out with interest. My brother holds on tightly to things, similar to a dog with a bone. I shouldn't have thought it was wise to investigate anything with him there.

I shake my head. “No need, you're good. Don’t worry,” I mumble, and the boy nods, making his way further round the table with everyone’s drinks.

“What was that about?” Ty’s question comes quicker than expected.

I take a sip of my beer and reply with a simple, “nothing.”

Ty chuckles. “Bro, you're not getting away that easily. Nice try though.”

I cast a doubtful look at him and let out a sigh, fully aware that he won't drop it until I tell him what he wants to know. “I know someone that works here, that’s all.” With a casual shrug, I drink more of my beer. If he continues to interrogate me, I'll chug the pint in two seconds flat.

“Who?” He contorts his face in confusion, as if he should know all of my friends.

“You don’t know them.” I won't mention her, in the hope that it will make him drop the subject. His slow nodding and constant scanning of the room suggests he will be scrutinising every server that approaches to figure out who it is.

The challenge of growing up with four brothers is finding new ways to get under each other's skin. Additionally, our knowledge of one another is as familiar as our own hands. Strangely, Tyson understands me better than anyone else.

Being the second oldest, I played a big role in helping Mum and Dad raise Tyson, who is twelve years younger than me. Amongst my brothers, Ty and I have the strongest bond, and he knows me well enough to understand that there's only one reason I'm here today: because of a girl. I regret not choosing a seat at the opposite end of the table. It's not about him not caring or judging me, it's about him constantly bringing it up and causing others to become suspicious, which I don't want, especially on Christmas Day.

As he finishes handing out the drinks, the server enquires, “Are you all set for your starters?”

After receiving nods from everyone around the table, he walks off towards the kitchen. I observe the doors opening and closing, and just as I go to turn around, they swing open once more, and there she stands.

Fuck me. She is the epitome of what every guy dreams about.

I can only see her upper half due to one side of the bar blocking her bottom half, but her sexy elf attire leaves me feeling breathless. How can I get through lunch with her looking like that? Her hair cascades down her front and she's rocking a green hat with a red trim. I see a tube-style dress or top without arms that accentuates her perky breasts.

She can't be walking around like this today. I watch her closely, and when that lanky jerk shows up again, he emits a wolf whistle that makes me want to punch something. While I've never contemplated hurting anyone, I can't deny that I'm not against the idea when it comes to him. The way he looks at her makes his attraction towards her plain for everyone to see. Are they together? Have they been together in the past? The thought fills me with an unmatched fury. Wait. I knew I recognised him. He's that fucking shit that had his arm over her shoulder in the picture on her social media. Fury isn’t even what I would describe me as now. I could spit fucking fire right now. I clutch the arm of the chair I’m sitting in just to keep me seated so I don’t storm over there and do something I regret.

Angel rolls her eyes, walking to the side of the bar, and leans over to grab something from behind it. She straightens back up and walks around to the front. I see all of her and everything around me fades away.

Ty’s voice comes from behind me. “Oh, brother. You’re fucked.”