"She made pain look beautiful."
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Eve

The drive back to Carson's place was quieter than I expected. The tension that had hung in the air earlier was still palpable, but it was different now. Carson had calmed down, his hand never leaving mine as he drove, the soft hum of the engine matching the steady rhythm of my heartbeat. Every so often, I'd glance over at him, seeing the tightness in his jaw had softened a little, his eyes more relaxed, but the weight of everything—of his family, of his mother's words—still hung heavy between us.

He was my boyfriend. My fucking boyfriend. Sure there was a part of me completely freaking out over this revelation but most of me was giggling in excitement.

I am not afraid. I am not afraid. I am not afraid

When we finally arrived at his house, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. It felt like a refuge, his home. Maybe it was the warmth, the familiarity of being here with him, but for the first time in what felt like forever, I could breathe.

Carson didn't waste time before pulling me into the house. He tossed his keys on the counter, grabbed my hand, and led me straight to his bedroom, ignoring his teammates who were watching a movie in the living room. I knew we wouldn't be talking more about what happened tonight—not yet. But I didn't mind. There was something calming about being with him, just us, letting the silence say what our words couldn't.

"You okay?" Carson asked, his voice softer now.

I nodded, smiling up at him. "Yeah. Just... tired. I think I'm finally starting to process everything."

He grinned, his hand sliding to the back of my neck, pulling me toward him gently. The moment our lips met, I felt that familiar rush of warmth, his touch soothing all the edges of my scattered thoughts. It was easy to fall into him, to let everything else melt away when he was around.

Falling back onto his bed, I moan eagerly as he gently takes off my clothes. Letting my hands trail down his hard abs as he shreds his own. His lips find there way down my body, sucking and nibbling at each curve and every dip.

My eyes roll back in my head, and I see stars. Bright and shiny, almost blinding. I've heard good sex compares to an out-of-body experience, and I never quite understood that sentiment.

But with Carson Blakes face between my legs, I do.

Both his muscled arms loop around my legs, and one hand splays across my stomach, holding me down. The other is wrapped tight around my thigh, and his fingers dig in so hard that I feel as though I might have bruises for days.

His tongue.

His. Tongue.

His fucking tongue.

He's licking me, reverently, but with just enough pressure. Just enough suction.

Just the right amount of teeth. He slides his tongue right into me, and when I try to squirm, his calloused hand pushes me harder into the too-soft mattress beneath my back. His stubble is prickly and rough against my pussy. Grating on my inner thighs. Increasing my pleasure tenfold. Partly because of the actual sensation, and partly because, well, because it's Carson. My boyfriend, if I haven't mentioned.

"Carson!" I cry out, one hand still working at my nipple while my other shoots down to his head. I'm alternating between feeling self-conscious and not giving a fuck because it's just so damn good.

He pulls back, pausing, "Tell me what you want, angel."

I push up onto my elbows and look down at him, his eyes still fixed on my pussy. "I want you to hurry up and eat me."

His eyes flit up to mine and he grins, the most carnal grin, before he licks his lips and winks at me. "What can I say? I like your pink cheeks and watching you squirm."

I blush harder.

He turns briefly to pull something out of his drawer, giving me a glorious view of his ass. Round and muscled, and so goddamn grabbable.

When he comes back, he's holding a foil condom package. His cock is huge and hard and it's pointing straight at me. "You want this, baby?"

Yes," I breathe, wanting to give him more. "I want you inside me."

"I want you on top of me," I blurt out awkwardly as I sit up. My dirty talk needs work. His eyes narrow as he fists his cock, but I keep my gaze on his face as he advances on me, my heart thundering against my ribs. Like it wants to jump out of my body and give itself to this man.

Like it knows something I don't.

With him finally hovering over me, I reach between us to grip his thick cock. And let me tell you my boyfriend's cock is thick. "Jesus. Let's hope I can walk to class tomorrow."

Carson smirks. "If you're not walking bow-legged tomorrow, I won't have done my job tonight."

Now he looks so playful, so delicious, so confident. His full attention is on me, and only me.

I swipe the head of his cock against my slick core, grinding on his tip, watching his eyes flutter shut.

He kisses me, a searing kiss that has my toes curling and my hips arching up to meet him. And then, he's pushing into me—slow, and steady, and delicious—filling me up and giving my body the time it needs to adjust. I lift a leg and wrap it around his back, pulling him nearer. Wanting him closer.

"Fuck, Eve," he growls against my lips. "Just fuck."

When he bottoms out, resting in the cradle of my hips, he groans. "Are you okay? I don't know how much longer I can continue being gentle"

I nip at his chin. "I want you to ruin me."

He rears up above me, deadly serious and painfully handsome. "Careful what you wish for, angel."

He pulls all the way out before shoving himself back in. My body shakes and my head tips back. I feel every point of contact between us, every inch of skin, every hair. Even his gaze is heavy on me, like he's pulling my soul up to my skin with the look in his eye alone

He sets a slow but powerful rhythm, fucking me hard, watching my every movement, absorbing every noise.

On one hand, it's borderline unnerving. On the other, I feel like a fucking goddess beneath Carson Blake. Like he can't tear his eyes away from me, like he has all the time in the world, like he'll never get enough of this.

I know I never will.

My moans come at a higher pitch as he pushes my body taut, but he pulls out, drops to his knees, and feasts on me again.

The change in pressure, feel—the entire thing—it leaves my body reeling to catch up. A light sweat breaks out across my chest as he fucks me with his tongue like I'm the best thing he's ever tasted.

"Carson," I gasp his name, completely lost to the sensation of him playing my body like an instrument he's mastered.

Right when my nerve endings coil again, when I'm reaching for that spot that I so badly want to hit, he pulls out and drops to the floor. Leaving me empty and breathless.

He sucks harder, and my legs fall open wider. How I went from never having done this to devoured by the king of eating pussy, I'll never truly know. But I'm definitely not going to complain about it. Especially not when I'm finally barreling toward release, pushing myself down on him, fingers wantonly pinching my nipples.

But he pulls away.

I let out a frustrated growl and push up on my elbows. He gives me a devilish grin and quirk of a brow, like he knows exactly what he's doing.

"I swear to the gods Carson, if you don't finish me off right this second!"

He stares at me, as though he's processing me in front of him, before he leans back over me, cupping my skull in his big hands with so much tenderness that my chest aches. He kisses me passionately, a consuming kiss. I taste myself on his lips and feel his beard on my cheeks. His hair drops around us, closing us into an intimate bubble, and I smile against his mouth because he's all around me right now.

After a cool down moment, my body heats again for him so easily. Like I have a switch, and he's the only one who knows where it's located.

We exchange no more words as he gently lies me back down, keeping our bodies close as he does, kissing me as we go, dragging his mouth until I'm a squirming, whimpering mess beneath him. His face hovers over mine, his elbows drop onto the bed beside my head, and he stares into my eyes.

Always staring. Like if he blinks, I might disappear.

The pad of his thumb swipes across my temple reverently, brushing a wispy lock of hair from my cheek. The blunt end of his cock nudges my thigh as we bask in this moment. This anticipation. Because suddenly, this night feels different.

"I've never wanted someone so badly in my life," I confess to him. His responding smile is soft, one I'm not sure I've ever seen on him.

His thumb still strokes at my temple with heart-aching gentleness as he slides himself into me. We sigh in unison, and then he says, "Me neither, Princess. Me neither."

We both know we aren't talk about sex.

We kiss, we touch, he rocks into me, he fucks me until I shake beneath him. When we're both boneless and exhausted, he pulls me into the cradle of his body and holds me like he'll never let go.

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The room was quiet, save for the occasional creak of the floorboards and the hum of the house settling around us. Carson's sheets were still tangled around us, a reminder of the intensity of the moment we'd shared not long ago. I stretched, feeling a lazy contentment settling over me, and glanced over at Carson, his relaxed breathing a soft rhythm in the stillness.

I carefully slipped out of bed, not wanting to wake him just yet. The light from the streetlights was soft, casting a warm glow across the room, and I smiled to myself, thinking about the way he made me feel—alive, desired, seen.

I pulled on one of Carson's old T-shirts, the fabric hanging loosely around my body, and padded barefoot downstairs. I needed water. The kind of thirst that comes from everything that had just passed between us. But as I entered the kitchen, I froze in the doorway, startled to see a few of Carson's teammates lounging on the couch, eating snacks and laughing.

Kade, with his usual grin plastered across his face, looked up and spotted me first. "Well, well, look who decided to join the party." He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "You're not hiding from us, are you?"

I shook my head, a chuckle escaping me. "I'm just getting some water."

TK, sitting across from Kade, turned his head and smirked. "Not so fast. You're about to join our board game challenge. No escaping now."

"Board game challenge?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Are you guys serious?"

Kade leaned forward, his grin widening. "Oh, we're deadly serious. It's tradition after thanksgiving, and it's your initiation." He patted the seat next to him. "Come on. What's the worst that can happen?"

I laughed, both nervous and intrigued. I wasn't exactly the most competitive person, but something about the way they looked at me made me feel like I had to rise to the occasion. I took a seat, letting them set up the game, and after a few minutes, the box was opened, and pieces were scattered across the table.

"You sure you're ready for this?" TK teased. "We play for keeps."

I grinned. "Bring it on. I didn't come all this way just to watch."

The game started off simple enough, a mix of trivia and random challenges. But with Kade leading the charge, it quickly turned into a full-fledged battle of wits and laughs. Every time someone got a question wrong, there was a dramatic groan, and Kade would add, "That's a point for the champions."

As we played, I began to feel more at ease, more like part of the group. There was something about the way they interacted—playful and teasing, but still caring—that made me feel welcome. It wasn't just about winning or losing; it was about being included, about belonging. Carson's teammates were loud, boisterous, and full of energy, but I didn't feel overwhelmed. Instead, I felt... accepted.

Then, just as I was getting into the rhythm of the game, I heard the door to the kitchen creak open. I turned, Carson walked in dressed in only his grey sweatpants making me regret every decision to come out of bed.

"What's going on in here?" he asked, his voice low and teasing. His eyes swept over the room, taking in the scene. There was a pause, and then his lips curled into that signature grin. "Come back to bed, baby."

"I can't." I said with a smile, gesturing to the game board in front of me. "They challenged me. I'm just defending my honor."

Carson's grin widened, and he raised an eyebrow. "Defending your honor, huh?"

Before I could respond, Kade clapped his hands and looked over at Carson, his eyes gleaming. "You gonna join us, or what? The more, the merrier!"

Carson hesitated for a moment, glancing back at me, and then to the guys, who were practically begging him to jump in. After a second, he chuckled and walked over to the table, pulling out the chair beside me.

"I'll join," he said with a smirk. "But don't expect me to go easy on you."

I rolled my eyes, playfully nudging him. "You're on."

The game continued, and this time, with Carson joining in, the energy in the room shifted. His teammates turned up the intensity, but so did he. His competitive streak came out, and before I knew it, we were all laughing, yelling, and shouting at each other as the game turned into one chaotic, hilarious mess. There were moments of victory and defeat, but none of it mattered. All that mattered was the easy connection we shared, the way we all interacted, the way Carson and his friends treated me like one of their own.

At one point, I managed to land a particularly tricky question, and Kade's eyes went wide. "Okay, you're officially my favorite person now," he said with mock admiration. "I might have to steal your girl from you, cap."

I laughed, feeling a warmth spread through me. "Hey, I'm full of surprises."

Carson however was not so happy about the declaration, pulling my chair next to his so there wasn't an inch of space he pulled me onto his lap. Narrowing his eyes on Kade, "Try, fucker."

The game lasted well into the evening, but by the time it ended, I didn't care who had won or lost. It wasn't about the game—it was about the way I felt. Surrounded by people who had become more than just Carson's friends. They were becoming my friends too. It was like I had found a place for myself, a place where I didn't have to pretend or hide who I was. And with Carson by my side, I felt even more at ease.

Before I could make another move, my phone buzzed. I glanced down, half-expecting to see a message from Katie, probably with a new story about her family or some random question. But when I opened the text, I wasn't prepared for the picture message from my brother.

It was a selfie of him and his wife, Lizzie, with their kid—little Willa—sitting on his lap, both of them beaming at the camera. My heart squeezed at the sight. I hadn't seen them in a while, and even though we weren't close like we used to be, the warmth of the image was enough to make me feel a little more at home in my own skin.

"Missing you, sis. Hope you're doing okay. Can't wait to see you soon."

As the last piece was put away and the laughter slowly died down, Carson leaned in, brushing his lips lightly against my ear. "You really know how to keep up with these guys," he said softly.

I turned to face him, my heart skipping a beat. "I had good company."

He smiled, his gaze softening. "You're more than just good company."

I couldn't help but smile back. "Maybe I'm just getting used to being here."

And just like that, in that small, cozy living room surrounded by Carson's teammates, I realized I wasn't just getting used to it. I was already home.

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Guys the next chapter is literally heartbreaking. FUCK THAT the next FEW chapters are all so fucking heartbreaking.

I am not going to give u guys a break.