Claiming Carter (10 page)

“Hi,” he said, charming me with that smile as he closed the door to the car behind him.

“Hi,” I replied. “I didn’t think you were actually going to come. I thought you had a meeting.”

“I did. But, I wanted to see you more than I wanted to go to the meeting. So, what’s been up with you?”

“Same as usual, I guess. Nothing better than dealing with a class full of third graders. You?”

“Nothing much. I may or may not have pissed a few people off by missing this meeting, but I just couldn’t get over how things ended last night. It bothered me all night,” Kelvin said.

“Well, I may or may not have been a little disappointed with how quickly things ended. We were having a good time up until then,” I replied. I couldn’t get over his allure. Everything about him made me want him, which, in turn, made me even more nervous.

“Me too,” Kelvin said as he flashed his irresistible smile again. “I think you have a little bit of an audience.”

I turned around and noticed that every adult on the playground was staring at us. Every teacher and teacher’s aide who’d ventured outside was giving us their full attention. Lexy was still standing by the door that we’d come out of and Mrs. Butterfield was supposed to have been helping a little girl off of the monkey bars, but was too busy staring at us to see the little girl still reaching out for her. As I glanced around the playground, I saw Tim sitting down at the picnic table. He did not look happy.

“Yeah, they’re nosy around here,” I said as I turned and faced Kelvin again. “Unfortunately, lunch is about to be over. So, I’m going to have to go soon.”

“Okay,” Kelvin said. “I didn’t want to keep you long. But, before you go, I have to be honest with you. After all the fun we had at the restaurant, I have to say, I was pretty disappointed that I wasn’t able to end the night with a goodbye kiss.”

My eyes widened and my heart felt like it dropped into the pit of my gut. “Oh?”

“Yeah, I was pretty upset about that. It’s kind of the reason I was so motivated to come here today. I felt like I needed to make up for it,” Kelvin said as he did his signature head tilt that never failed to set off fireworks in my stomach.

“Honestly, I was pretty disappointed with that as well,” I replied with a bashful smile. “So, you came here so you could kiss me? What about the audience that’s watching our every move?”

“I’m not worried about them,” Kelvin said with confidence oozing from him. “I’m only interested in you.”

I felt a warm sensation starting to build up between my thighs. Kelvin had that look again. The look that told me that he knew that he had me.

“I think my students would have a fit if they saw me kissing a guy out here,” I said.

“Come on, you know the kids aren’t paying attention. But that guy over there—the one with the suspenders on—he hasn’t taken his eyes off of us since you came out here.”

I already knew he was talking about Tim. I didn’t know any other person who wore suspenders.

“Yeah. That’s Tim. He’s my ex-boyfriend. He’s been trying to get back together, so I’m sure he’s going to be pretty upset seeing me talking to you,” I said.

Kelvin smiled as he stepped up onto the curb and moved within inches of me. He placed his hand on my hip and pulled me closer to him and I gasped as our pelvises touched. His hand rested on the side of my ass and I could feel the strength in his fingers.

“Now he’ll actually have something to be upset about,” Kelvin said as he moved his face closer to mine.

It was too late to turn back now. I wanted it. I needed him to kiss me, and I was perfectly fine with him doing even more than that, even though I knew I shouldn’t have been having those thoughts next to the playground of my school. But I didn’t seem to have it in me to fight the sensation I was feeling.

“But everyone is watching,” I said, giving myself one last excuse, even though I knew it was bullshit.

“Don’t worry about them,” Kelvin said. “I got you.”

As he spoke the words, I felt my last bit of inhibition melt away. Kelvin had pulled me closer, but it was me who lunged forward and placed my mouth on his. I closed my eyes and felt his tongue slip into my mouth, as his full, plump lips pressed aggressively against mine. He lifted his head slightly as we kissed and I could feel myself getting hotter every second that we were connected. It was as if my body had been lifted off of the ground and I was floating in midair as he continued to press my body firmly against his.

I knew the entire playground was probably watching, but it didn’t matter to me. I didn’t care who was watching, I didn’t want it to end. He had such strength and control as he kissed me and all I wanted was to give into his will. But, as quickly as the rush had come, I came slowly crashing back to Earth as he pulled away and I opened my eyes. His face was still only inches from mine and I stared into his deep, dark brown eyes as he stared into mine.

“That was definitely worth the wait,” Kelvin said as he let me go and I stumbled backwards. I couldn’t speak. I only stared at him, thinking about all the things I wanted him to do to me. “I think I can rest a little bit easier now,” he said.

“Me too,” I replied quietly.

“Good,” Kelvin said, with a smile. “Okay, I know you have to go. So, I’ll call you later, okay?”

“Okay,” I answered just as the bell rang.

“Okay.” Kelvin smiled at me one last time and a tingling sensation shot through me once again. He quickly turned around, popped open the door and slid himself inside the Bentley. As the car drove away, I turned around to find the children beginning to line up to go inside. Kelvin was right. None of them were paying attention to us. They were too busy being kids. I did, however, notice Lexy smiling at me from the door with the biggest grin I’d ever seen on her face.

As I began walking in her direction, I felt Tim’s eyes burning into me. I looked in his direction and saw him standing next to Angela Bronson with his arms folded. They had obviously seen the whole thing. As I walked past them, I smiled the brightest smile I could muster.

“Looks like I’m moving on, after all,” I said, as I continued walking towards a smiling Lexy, with Kelvin Carter Jr.’s cologne emanating off me.

“Where were you?”

Kelvin Carter Jr. closed the large cherry wood door behind him and stood in front of it, resting his hands in front of him as he interlocked his fingers. James stood next to him and did the same thing. The massive table in the middle of the conference room on the top floor of the Red Chip Hotel & Casino was made of thick mahogany, and the lights hanging from the ceiling reflected off of the shiny table top.

Kelvin’s uncle, Michael Carter, was seated at the head of the empty table in a navy blue leather chair at the far end of the room. Michael was huge—six-foot-three, three hundred pounds—wearing black slacks and a red button-up shirt with black buttons and a black tie. His round face was accented by his signature goatee that hung down at least three inches from his chin, and he stared across the room at Kelvin with obvious frustration spread across his face.

Kelvin strode over to the table and grabbed the chair that was in front of him and took a seat, placing his hands on the table in front of him and interlocking his fingers. He didn’t smile. He didn’t grin. He knew his uncle was going to be pissed off at his decision to skip the meeting without letting him know, but at the time it seemed like a good idea. There was something about Lilliana that made him feel like it was worth it.

“I went to go see someone,” Kelvin said in his best stern tone.

“Someone?” Michael replied. “And you thought this
someone
was worth missing our meeting?”

Kelvin put his head down and twisted his mouth. His frustration with the situation was beginning to reach its boiling point, and he could feel himself beginning to lose his patience. His uncle’s attitude over the past few months was becoming a nuisance.

“Look, I’m sorry I missed the meeting, Uncle Mikey. I didn’t mean any disrespect,” Kelvin answered.

“Well, it’s nice of you to say that, Junior, but as you know, actions speak a lot louder than words around here,” Michael said, still staring daggers into his nephew. “I don’t know where the fuck your head is right now, but from what James tells me, you’ve gone to see this
someone
on more than one occasion. And Ant told me that he saw you at the Signature Room with this
someone
. In public. Haven’t you learned anything from the shit you just went through?”

“I’ve learned plenty. I just don’t think we have anything to really be worried about anymore. I’m not really feeling the idea of never leaving the house out of fear that something
might
happen.”

“Don’t let your pride get in the way of what you know you should be doing,” Michael snapped. “This isn’t about who’s afraid. It’s about being smart and being safe. Going out in public isn’t something that you should be doing right now.
Especially
now.”

“What do you expect me to do, Uncle Mikey? Shut my entire life down? I did that for three months straight, and I am just about sick of it at this point. I don’t want to play this stupid little game anymore,” Kelvin said in frustration.

“Hey!” Michael barked. “You made the decision to act. You chose to suit up. You are involved now, one hundred percent. And you don’t get to just change your mind all of a sudden. It’s way too late for that, Junior.”

Kelvin felt the tension creeping up his back, rising into his neck. “I know what decision I made and I was aware of the consequences when I made it. I agreed to your terms and conditions, and everything has been chill since then. So, why should I stay on lockdown? It’s over.”

Michael stood up and slammed his fist onto the expansive table. “Are you out of your fucking mind? It’s never over!” Michael paused, taking a second to calm himself down, and exhaled loudly. “You’re in over your head, nephew, and you need to just lay low. Stay out of the public, stay away from that girl, and lay low. And James is your bodyguard, not your goddamn chauffeur.”

Kelvin stood up from his seat and straightened out his suit. “With all due respect, Uncle Mikey, this is fucking bullshit. I have nothing but love for James, but I don’t need a fucking bodyguard. I don’t need anyone watching over me like I’m some child who is afraid of the boogeyman. I chose to suit up for a reason. I’m not a little bitch, and I don’t need a protector. I can take care of myself.”

“If you could take care of yourself, we wouldn’t be in this situation, Junior.”

“Stop fucking calling me Junior,” Kelvin snapped.

“Hey, who the fuck do you think you’re talking to? I know you’re feeling all brave because you’re suited, but you are just about equal to a soldier. You’re not running a damn thing.”

“I’m not trying to run anything, Uncle Mikey. But, you’re not going to treat me like a fucking little kid just because I’m
his
kid.”

“You’re right. I’m not going to treat you like a little kid, but I
am
going to treat you like you’re
his
kid—the last kid he’s got left—and that means making sure your ass is safe, even if you don’t like it,” Michael said as he pushed his chair back and began walking towards the door. “You may not think so, but we have to protect you, Kelvin. You have to always be thinking ahead, especially when it comes to who you bring into your life. Whether you’re suited or not, you’re the boss’s son, and that means you’ll always have a target on your back.”

Two-fifty-seven. The clock on the wall stared down at me, mocking me with its hands and reminding that I hadn’t heard from Kelvin since yesterday morning, at lunch. I didn’t know why he hadn’t called. It seemed odd to me that after having shared such an incredible, passionate kiss, he wouldn’t call me for over twenty-four hours.

I’d gone to bed last night, after our kiss, wishing he would call right then and there. Or, better yet, he would just show up on my doorstep and demand for me to let him in. He had no idea how bad I wanted to let him in. I could only imagine what it would’ve been like if he had shown up and kissed me with the same passion and intensity that he had the first time. Only this time he wouldn’t have stopped. We could have just gone ahead and finished what we started. But he didn’t just show up and I was forced to settle on using my imagination and my vibrator for the third day in a row.