Lace and Sin (Sinners Series Book 1) (9 page)

Chapter 10

Kayla

We spent the rest of the night lounging out with Alek
watching movies, playing PlayStation, and eating pizza.

Carter left at about three in the morning and Alek
went to bed straight after, giving me a huge idiotic grin before walking away.
No words spoken and no good night, just a massive grin and that’s it.

A part of me thinks that Carter only stuck around
because he didn’t want to be rude and just leave after I practically rejected
his offer to let him into my bizarre mind and life. But the bigger part of me
kind of liked that he stayed, that him and Alek got on so well, and that yes
even though they spent half the night talking weird computer nerd talk, I want
to believe that he stayed for me and me only.

I’ve been holed up in front of Alek’s computer
dissecting every inch of the blueprint I got last night. Ways to get in and
ways to get out, what the hell to even do once I was in there. Would I truly
want to kill this person, would I have it in me to do something like that?

The harder I tried to concentrate and figure something
out, the more my mind wandered to Carter. Would he just forget about me so
easily if I asked him to? Why is he trying so hard anyway, usually guys are the
ones to want non-relationship relationships, not the other way around. The more
I think about telling him to forget about me, the more annoyed I get because I
realise I honestly don’t want that.

I run my hands through my hair and grab onto it,
pulling gently in frustration, “Arrggh.”

“Did he leave you high and dry last night?” Alek
chuckles from the doorway. He steps in to the room holding a plate full of
sandwiches, and places it down in front of me.

“Peanut butter?” I ask, as I push my black frame
glasses up my nose.

“What else?” he laughs as he grabs one and bites into
it.

“And no, he didn’t leave me high and dry. He left me
confused and if you must know, kind of pissed off. I’m pissed off at you too
actually.”

“Me? Why?” he says through a mouthful.

“I heard your entire conversation and thanks for
making me sound like a hussy” I laugh and bite into my peanut butter bliss.

“Hey I back peddled, I was trying to make you sound
like you’ve never liked someone enough to bring them home to meet your good pal
Alek, and it came out wrong.”

“Yeah you’re giving him ideas, now he thinks I like
him.”

He quirks his brow at me as he chews, “You don’t like
him?”

“Of course I like him, that’s the problem, don’t you
see?”

“Why does it have to be a problem…he hasn’t run
screaming yet has he?”

“Because you haven’t told him all those stupid stories
about me yet” I laugh.

He shakes his head at me as if I’m the stupid one
here, and grabs another sandwich. We eat in silence now as we both just stare
at the blueprint projected up on the wall. I’ve made a few minor notes, but
apart from that I’ve spent my morning thinking about Carter. The boxers or
briefs mystery solved, all I had left to think about was how good it had been,
how his hands felt gliding against my skin.

“Do you want to see him again?” Alek asks quietly
after a few minutes.

A sigh escapes my lips, and all I can do is nod. I nod
because of course I want to see him again. For the first time in what feels
like a long time, I finally feel like I’ve met someone who will understand me,
someone who makes my insides melt and feel like I’ve got a swarm of bees inside
my stomach. Yup you heard me, bees, not butterflies, but bees – a whole fucking
horde of them.

My phone pings softly and vibrates on the desk in
front of me with a text message. I look up at Alek to only see him trying to
hide his smirk behind his half eaten sandwich, so I lean over and grab it
quickly, knowing full well that it’s Carter.

Carter: Fast or slow?

I grin like an idiot at my screen. Carter and his
stupid questions, which truth be told I absolutely love.

Me: Depends what the situation is…

He doesn’t reply so I quickly type out another text.

Me: Fast…always fast

Alek clears his throat before he says, “Oh my god…are
you guys sexting? While I’m in the same fucking room as you?” he laughs.

“We’re not sexting!” I yell but end up laughing right
along with him.

I spend the rest of the day pigging out on chips and
other various snacks behind the computer, while also messaging Carter of
course. I should have been doing something more productive, but I couldn’t help
myself.

Books or movies…

Good or evil…

Pain or pleasure…

It’s like he’s using this game to get to know me a bit
without making me feel like I’m sharing too much, and to be honest I like him
that tiny bit more for the effort.

Carter: Texting or calling?

This is his most recent message while I’m finally down
in bed at around eleven at night. Trying to sleep but never fully being able to
until after midnight because of everything floating through my mind. I used to
tell people I had insomnia when I was younger, until I realised it wasn’t
something to be proud of. No sleep equals too much time to think, and a zombie
looking face.

Me: Calling, I guess…easier to talk without having to
wait for an answer.

A few minutes go by without him messaging me and I
think he’s fallen asleep, but then my phone starts to vibrate softly in my
hand.
Oh my god, he’s calling me.

“Hello?” I answer softly, but on the inside I’m
practically jumping up and down on my bed.

“Hey” he says, and it’s that cute hey, where you know
they’re grinning on the other end of the phone just at the sound of your voice,
or maybe because you even answered the phone at all.

“Hey you” I say in answer.

It’s quiet for a few seconds, and then he finally
asks, “So what are you wearing?”

I can’t help but laugh, and I grin like a total
dipshit when I hear his soft chuckle in response on the phone.

“Pyjamas” I finally answer.

“Yeah…Lace or cotton?”

“What do you think?” I snicker.

“Lace?” he asks hopeful.

“What if I told you I sleep naked?”

He groans into the phone a little as I giggle.

“You have an amazing laugh you know that?” he says,
his voice soft like a sweet caress through the phone speaker. This is what
normal people enjoy, what they look forward to when they meet a new attractive
guy that wants nothing but to know them, both intimately and personally. Maybe
Alek’s right. Maybe Carter won’t run when he knows more of me, I mean look at
what we’ve already done and all that he’s seen.

I sigh a little in hope, “I really want you right now
Carter” I say in almost a whisper, as if I say it too loud I might ruin the
moment somehow.

“Yeah? How badly?” he asks, obviously still grinning.

“Badly enough to want to drive to your house right now
and keep you up all night” I laugh at my honesty.

“Some of us have work in the morning…actual work I
mean” he chuckles.

“Hey I have work too.”

“Do you really?” he asks. Does he know I don’t
actually work for him in a way… is that what he’s insinuating? Did he figure
out I was only there to get close to Abram? Before I can ask or even think too
much about it, he steers the conversation back to the sexy talking.

“I wish you were here…in my bed with me” he says, his
voice low and husky.

“What would you do if I was?”

He chuckles but keeps going, “I’d slowly work my lips
against your smooth skin, down along your neck, before taking those perfect
tits of yours in my hands.”

Holy shit, I’m getting so turned on. I don’t think
I’ve ever really talked like this on the phone to anyone before. I mean there’s
something purely intimate about having to explain in detail what you would or
wouldn’t do to someone. Just their voice, describing every detail, having to paint
the image in your head of them touching you.

I find myself sliding my free hand down along my skin,
my fingers lightly tickling the skin on my stomach, before sliding into my
undies.

“Mmhmm…” is all I manage, trying to get him to keep
going.

“Are you touching yourself?”

“Yeah” I answer quickly, breathlessly.

“Fuck…”

“Keep going Carter” I say, my fingers sliding though
my wetness. I try to picture him here with me, his hands on me right where I
need them instead of my own.

“You have no idea how crazy you drive me when you say
my name like that.”

“Carter…ohhh Caaarter” I joke, but I still sound
hoarse and breathless.

I hear his soft growl in the phone and chuckle, but
don’t stop my movements.

"Keep going" he almost whispers into the
phone, and I realise how incredible his voice actually is. He could be reading
me a how-to-manual on how to fix the engine in his car, and I'd still probably
find it sexy as all hell.

"Carter...you're leaving me second guessing
everything I've always done" I tell him truthfully, because the usual me
would not be giggling like a sixteen year old on the phone while we talk dirty.
The usual me wouldn't be sitting with him in my living room eating pizza with
Alek, or even god forbid taking him along to break into an office and steal
things. I'm confused as to why he still wants to know more about me after the
little act as a criminal, especially because he figured out it was to do with
Abram Mikhalov. The one man that I'm guessing he answers to now that his dad is
gone after taking over his business.

"I don't mean to" he answers apologetically.

"I'm sorry, I just totally killed the mood"
I chuckle, "I just don't understand you that's all. Why me? Why do you
want to know more about me and not someone like...I don't know, Jimmy's
sister?"

He laughs lightly but then sighs, "You really
want to know why? Liz's well...she's just Liz that's why. And you...you're this
mystery, but that's not why I'm trying, not because I'm trying to get inside
your head, or solve the mystery that is you. You just remind me a lot of me I
guess, of the kind of person I really am underneath the stupid suits, or behind
the office desk."

I mull this over a little in my mind before I answer,
because I'm still pretty confused.

"What are you saying? That you're not who you
appear to be?"

"Kind of" is his only response, but after a
few silent seconds that feel like long minutes he adds, "It might be
easier if I show you one day, but not just yet though."

"Gee well thanks for clearing all that up for
me" I laugh, because now I'm left more curious than before. He chuckles
softly and I'm finding myself pushing all this crap into a box inside my mind,
locking it up, and leaving it for later...way later.

I hear him yawn softly so I finally say, "I
should let you go...some of us have work tomorrow."

"Hey Kayla..."

"Yeah?"

He doesn't answer right away, as if he's debating with
himself whether to say whatever it is that's on his mind. In the end he just
says, "Night babe."

"Night Carter" I say in response with a
stupid grin on my face, which I know is evident in my voice. I don't hang up
though but listen intently to his soft breaths through the speaker.

"Is this the part where I tell you to hang up
first and you giggle, then tell me that I have to hang up first?" he
teases.