SO I AM TURNING 21 TOMORROW, which means you might also get a chapter tomorrow as well… maybe two.
Seriously, thank you guys for the reviews. Keep 'em coming. They motivate me to finish this story!
RedLovesBlack: Thank you!
Guest: I hope so too. I'm very excited for you guys to see what I have in store.
Gem: Again, always looking forward to hearing from you! Thanks for the continued support.
Bethany716: TY! I'm very excited for you guys to see what I have in store.
DISCLAIMER: All I own is Cheyanne.
Chapter 7:
When Carter showed up to pick her up that morning, the meeting between him and Chuck was awkward to say the least. Carter still hadn't told her exactly where they were going, but after much begging, he at least told her to dress for a day out in the sun. Assuming that meant 'picnic', she chose a white flowered dress, off the shoulder and loose, reaching her knees. She paired it with a pair of jewelled, flat black sandals. Half of her hair was up in a ponytail, the bottom half hanging over her shoulders in loose waves. She leaned closer to her vanity mirror and applied a light pink lip-gloss to finish off her makeup. As she was getting up to walk over to the floor length mirrors that served as sliding closet doors, she heard the doorbell ring.
"I'll get it," she yelled quickly, not wanting Chuck to scare Carter off. Although, she highly doubted he'd be able to. Carter didn't scare easily. They might just get into a brawl at best. Grabbing a matching purse, she threw it over her head, pulling one arm through the long strap. She hastened to the door, heart skipping a beat as she opened it. Carter stood in the hallway with a huge a smile on his face. He was wearing a pair of light blue jeans and a white Henley. Black converse covered his feet. It was a stark difference to what she was used to seeing him in, and she found she preferred it. He looked younger like this, less uptight and less serious.
"Hey," he greeted, raising her hand to his mouth to place a kiss on it, "you look beautiful."
"You don't look too bad yourself." Carter gathered her up in a hug and she nestled her face into his chest, breathing him in. He smelt like Old Spice, a scent she found comforting. "I should probably let you go before your brother finds us," he said, but he made no move to release her. It has been way too long since she'd seen him, so she didn't care if her dead father rose from the grave. Nothing would make her let him go.
"Baizen!" Except that. She grimaced, reluctantly pulling away from him at the sound of her brother's voice. Positioning herself at Carter's side, she turned to see Chuck stalking towards them both. Blair was right behind him, heels clacking repeatedly against the floor in an attempt to keep up with him. She caught his arm, stopping him in his tracks a few inches from her and Carter. The two men stared each other down, faces slightly hard. Cheyanne and Blair shared a look and she slipped her hand in Carter's, not wanting this to turn into a fight.
The silence stretched out, her heartbeat increasing with every second that passed. Chuck had promised to behave, and Carter said that he'd try to be nice for her sake. After what seemed like an eternity, Chuck extended a hand. "Nice to see you, Baizen." The hatred in his voice was poorly masked, but at least he was trying. Carter extended his own arm, giving him a short, stiff handshake.
"You too, Bass." A hush enveloped the four, the tension so thick that it could be cut with a knife. Blair was the first to grow irritated, breaking the silence with a roll of her eyes.
"So Carter, where are you taking Chey?" He turned to her, shoving the hand that he'd used to shake Chuck's into his pocket. He looked beyond grateful to not have to look at the elder Bass any longer. Cheyanne took the time to shoot her brother a glare, the meaning clear. Behave.
"It's a surprise," he said, a faint smile making its way onto his face, "even she doesn't know."
"And it's not fun," Cheyanne stated, bottom lip jutting out. "I don't like being out of the loop." Carter gave her a grin, bopping her on the nose with his index finger. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chuck start. A well-placed stomp on his foot, courtesy Blair, made him check himself.
"No, you're just used to knowing everything." She had to admit that was true. "We should leave now though," Carter continued, checking his watch, "I don't want to have you back too late and it's gonna take a while to get there."
"You're taking her out of the city?" Chuck asked, curiosity and suspicion lacing his tone. "I wasn't aware that your driver was here. I didn't see your family's car downstairs."
"That's because I came with my own," he told him. Cheyanne was not aware that Carter had a license. Like so many other teenagers back home, getting her license was a big thing and she was thrilled when she got hers. Here though, everyone had drivers, negating the need for one. She was a bit disappointed, but maybe Carter would let her drive his car. She liked driving. "I'm driving us up." Chuck cocked an eyebrow, and whether he was impressed by this or simply thought the act beneath him, she was not sure.
"Just don't have her back too late." He said this while looking at Cheyanne, knowing fully well that Carter would have probably ignored him. She stepped towards her brother, giving him a tight hug. "Be safe," he whispered to her, dropping a kiss on her forehead. Blair gave her a wink, and Carter took her hand, leading her out into the hallway. They remained silent until they exited the building and he led her to a white Benz, a very classy car. Thinking about it, it really was the perfect car for him.
"Well, that was fun," he deadpanned once he'd helped her in the car and gotten into the driver's seat. He pulled the seatbelt across his body, releasing it once he heard the clicking sound.
"I'm sorry about that," she said, "but believe me when I say that he was trying." He pulled out into the traffic, turning off his indicator once he'd successfully merged. "Are you going to tell me where we're going now?" she asked hopefully. She was glad that it was away from the city, already missing the quiet Ontario life that she was used too.
"Nope," he replied, popping the 'p'. He gave her a small wink and she flicked his shoulder before turning to stare out of the window. They drove for a little over an hour, keeping up a conversation the entire time. It was mostly her telling him about her first week at Constance and then it shifted to her future plans.
"I've always wanted to be a doctor," she informed him as he pulled into a large driveway. Her mouth fell open as she took in the large, stone house. It looked like a miniature castle. "Whose house is this?" She was used to luxury, as her father had ensured that she was well accommodated and taken care of, but this was like something out of a dream, or a fairy tale. Carter came around to the passenger side to open her door and help her out, ever the gentleman.
"It's been in my family for quite a while," he told her, leading her up the circular drive way. There was a fountain in the centre of it, with a statue of a mermaid brushing her hair. "We used to vacation here, but my sister lives here with her kids now. Didn't want to raise them in the city after she saw how lovely I turned out." The last part was delivered sarcastically. He led her to the back of the house, instead of through the large double doors.
"Where is she now?" she asked. If this was his sister's home, she didn't want to intrude. She'd hate to find out that Carter had put her and her kids out of the house for the purpose of their date.
"She's spending a few days in the city by my parents. I was gonna take us to park, but I thought it was the perfect opportunity to use the house. Besides," he said, as the backyard came into view, "Gossip Girl can't exactly reach us here." A large rectangular pool was the focal point of the backyard, pool chairs placed at regular intervals along the perimeter of it. He led her over to the back porch, where a table was set up, with a bench on either side. "I'll be right back," he told her once she sat down. He disappeared into the house via the heavy looking oak door, leaving her alone for a few seconds.
She looked out over the pool, knowing for a fact that the sunsets must be perfect here. Back at home, it was often too cold to go swimming, but the weather out here was nice and warm. This was definitely something she could get used too. She heard the door swing open and Carter came back out, carrying two woven baskets.
"Right," he said, taking a seat opposite her, "a doctor?" He started taking out containers of mashed potatoes, garlic bread, grilled chicken breasts and sautéed vegetables. Some of her favourite comfort foods.
"Yeah. It's what I've always wanted to be- a paediatrician that is. I already applied to Oxford-"
"Oxford?" Carter's eyebrows flew up, seemingly impressed. "That's a very hard school to get into. Not a lot of people in the UES have that kind of ambition- you're not allergic to anything, are you?"
"Raspberries," she said automatically. After her near-death experience upon trying one when she was five years old, she was reluctant to go anywhere near the stuff. Sensing the fear in her tone, he removed a container from the second basket, placing it on the bench next to him.
"We'll just not touch that," he said, "it's raspberry pie."
"Yup. I know Oxford is a long shot," she continued, picking up a heaping scoop of mashed potatoes, "but it's kind of been a childhood dream of mine, and it's an excellent research university. I mean, I applied to other colleges, but this is the one I really want to go to."
"You forgot the most important part," he told her, spearing a carrot and putting it in his mouth, "Professor X went to Oxford." Her eyebrows shot up, fork paused halfway to her mouth.
"You read X-Men?" This was more surprising than the Literature bomb he'd dropped on her a few days ago. He scoffed, taking a sip of wine from his glass. She was a little over three years below the drinking age here, one below the one back home, but that hadn't stopped Carter from pouring her a half-glass of Moscato. She much preferred a glass of Ricadonna, but the bubbly sweetness of the white wine complimented the food well. She was nearly halfway through her plate already.
"Not me," he said, placing his glass back on the coaster, "but thanks for that reaction." He nudged her foot under the table, rubbing it gently up and down the spot just above her ankle. She continued stuffing her face, trying to ignore how good his ministrations felt. "My nephew, Mason, is really into that stuff. Kid thinks he's actually telepathic."
"So, you're not into comics?" She herself had read a few as she was a really big fan of X-Men. His foot was covering a larger distance now, her pores raising in response. He gave a shrug.
"A little. I'm more of a Captain America man, though." He finished his meal, pushing his empty plate to the side so he could lean forward on his arms.
"You said your sister had kids? As in more than one?" He had stopped playing footsie with her, allowing her to focus on finishing her meal. He gave her a nod.
"Yeah. She has a daughter, Madison. Almost two. Mason turned five three months ago." He pointed to her empty plate. "Done with that?" She pushed it towards him and he piled it on top of his.
"I'm stuffed," she said, leaning back a bit. He raised an eyebrow mischievously, feigning innocence when he spoke again.
"That's too bad," he told her, "because I've got a basketful of desserts." That had her perking up. She harboured a major sweet tooth.
"I'm not that full," she clarified, fixing her earlier statement. Her hand reached for the basket, but he moved it out of her reach, taking a hold of it and standing up. She frowned at him.
"Slow down, sugar monster," he laughed, coming around to sit next to her. "I have a fun game in mind. Hop up on the table." A bit wary, she did as he said, planting herself firmly on the table. He positioned himself on the bench so he was between her legs, producing a blindfold from the basket.
"What are you doing?" she asked, holding out a hand to stop him.
"Nothing like that," he teased, tugging on the end of one of her waves. "It's a guessing game. I'll feed you the dessert and you have to guess what it is."
"Oh." She was a bit mortified at the direction her mind went in. He tied to blindfold around her eyes, securing it at the back of her head with a knot. "I can't see anything," she informed him, open eyes only seeing layers of black cloth.
"Good." She heard him rooting around in the basket, and decided to keep the conversation going.
"What about you? Didn't you want to go to college?" He placed something between her legs, probably a container, and the edge of it poked into her thigh.
"I did," he told her, "open." She took a bite, tanginess and sweetness bursting against her tongue. "I finished this year. I did Classical Lit at Columbia." Damn. She hadn't even known.
"Really? You never told me that. Those are chocolate covered strawberries, by the way. I love those." He made a noise of approval.
"I don't think I told anyone outside of my family. I was one of the only guys in my class and my parents didn't exactly approve of my academic choices." Something rough was pressed against her lips and she took a bite, immediately making a face.
"Ugh. I hate biscotti." He handed her the glass of wine to wash it down. "Why didn't your parents approve?" She could picture him shrugging.
"My father always wanted me to come work with him in his law firm. I hated the idea of being a lawyer and we never really got along, so obviously we didn't see eye to eye on this. When he found out that I wanted to do Lit, it just made our relationship much more strained. We hardly talk now." He paused to place a piece of something soft in her mouth. As soon as it touched her tongue, she realized what it was.
"Cheesecake," she said, feeling around for his hand. Once she found it, she gripped it tightly. "I'm sorry about your dad. What about your mom?"
"She loves me, but he kind of overpowers her. You can hardly get a word in when you're talking to him, so she just lets him do what he wants. My sister's the only person who has his respect. She's a junior partner at his firm." He placed his other hand on her thigh, thumb rubbing circles through her dress. She shifted a bit at the intimate touch, but let him continue since it wasn't making her uncomfortable.
"What do you want to do?" He'd stopped trying to feed her now, not that she could focus on figuring anything out with the way his hand was slowly making its way up her thigh.
"I've always thought about teaching," he told her, "at a tertiary level." She placed her hands on her shoulders, fumbling a bit due to her momentary lack of sight.
"Professor Baizen," she teased, voice breathy, "that sounds nice."
"Yeah, it does," he whispered. "You have chocolate at the side of your mouth," he murmured. She waited for him to wipe it off, but instead, he said, "Fuck it," and held her by the waist, pulling her squarely onto his lap so that she was straddling him. Something wet touched the corner of her mouth -his tongue, she realized with a start-effectively removing the chocolate.
"You taste good." Not the chocolate. Her. They hadn't actually kissed yet, the brushing of their lips the closest they had come, but she had a feeling that was about to change. She pulled the blindfold off, not even caring that her hair was probably now messed up. It wouldn't make a difference in a few seconds, anyway. She was met with dilated pupils, and wound her arms around his neck. The first kiss was gentle, but deep, lasting a few seconds. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to do that," he told her, pulling her closer to him. The fold in his jeans, and something else, was pressing directly against her core.
She reached up to pull his lips down to hers once again, one hand sliding up into his silky locks. His kisses were hungrier now, one hand placed firmly behind her head, the other at her waist. Little jolts of electricity shot through her body every time their lips touched. A moan escaped her lips as he placed kisses down her neck and across her collarbone. He pushed her back a bit so she was leaning against the table, which made her frown at the loss of contact.
"Hold on," he sang, sliding one of his hands slowly under the hem of her dress. Her breath hitched a bit as he placed it right above her knee, kneading the soft flesh of her thigh. The elastic of the neckline of her dress gave way beneath his lips, and she did not stop him as he pulled it down a bit, exposing the top of her lacy bra. "Is this okay?" he asked her. She gave a quick nod, so he pressed his lips against the swell of her left breast. Her head fell back as he parted his lips to suck on the skin, eyes closing tightly. There would probably be a mark, but she didn't care. Her school shirt would cover it.
When his hand started to move further up her bare thigh, though, her eyes opened. Heat had already pooled between her legs, as was the natural, biological response to such stimuli, but she wasn't quite sure if she wanted him to go further. He placed a kiss in the hollow beneath her ear, knocking all cautious thoughts out of her head for the time being. Slowly but surely, his fingers were making their way towards her core, stopping every few seconds to give her a chance to back out. Up to now, she had given him no indication that she wanted him to stop, and she knew that if she didn't he'd assume it was okay to continue.
"Carter…" she moaned, right as he pressed two fingers against her underwear. She bit her lip, a whimper escaping her lips as he pressed down on her clit, rubbing circles through the cloth. Never had she been touched like this, and while it felt good, so good, she wasn't sure if she wanted him to finger her on the first date.
"Jesus, baby. You're soaked," he marvelled, "you're a virgin, aren't you?" She nodded, forehead resting against his shoulder. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to clear her head. "Thought so," he whispered in her ear, his husky tone making her shiver, "only virgins get this wet." Oh God. He moved his fingers to the edge of her underwear, his other hand holding her waist firmly. "Want me to take care of that for you?" he asked her softly, fingers sliding along her underwear, ready to slip inside if she gave him the green light.
"I-" Her heart was beating so quickly, breath coming in short bursts. Breathe, girl. "Stop." He did so immediately, removing his lips from her neck and retracting his hand. When she opened her eyes, he was staring down at her, blue eyes filled with concern.
"Are you okay?" he questioned, placing a hand on her cheek. Her scent lingered faintly on his fingers. "I'm sorry. Was that too fast?"
"It's not you," she said, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I've just never done anything remotely close to that before. I've only ever been kissed." Understanding dawned on him, eyes widening a bit.
"You've never had an orgasm," he concluded. It was more of statement than a question.
"I have this weird intimacy thing…" she hung her head a bit, the memory of the last boy she'd told this too popping into her head. Long story short, she'd left in tears and that had been the end of her first ever relationship. Unlike the other boy, however, who had called her a prude for not wanting to go further than kissing, Carter had a totally different response. He leaned forward to place a kiss on her forehead, relief washing over her as he did so.
"That's nothing to be embarrassed about," he murmured, lips moving against her forehead as he reassured her, "we'll just take it slow. I don't mind."
"Really?" she asked, pulling back to stare at him in surprise.
"Yes," he said, arms settling around her waist, "I told you, I like you, and I was serious about that." He moved a few strands of hair out of her face as he spoke. "And I am serious about you. I don't want this to be a fling, I want something more, and if I have to slow down a bit, it's okay. Sex is not all there is to a relationship." She smiled at that.
"Is that where we're at?" she asked, bracing her hands on his broad shoulders to allow herself to play with the hair at the nape of his neck. "In a relationship?"
"Well, I don't usually do relationships, but I'm willing to try if you are," he told her, nuzzling his nose against hers.
"Hmm. I guess that would be okay."
"Good. I can still kiss you though, right?" She gave a small laugh.
"Yes, Carter. You can still kiss me."
"Great," he said, tilting his head down to capture her lips once again.
I rewrote this chapter three times. I hope you guys like it D:
OH. LET'S SEE WHO CAN SPOT THE EASTER EGG! Drop a review if you got it. It's real obvious, so I know you'll find it!
