Because he wouldn’t want to stop.
I didn’t want him to stop.
Maybe if my life had been normal. If I were the girl who’d crushed on the boy in school. If we had had weeks of flirting beside lockers and going on dates, then I would have slowed this down.
But we only had two days. And if I couldn’t convince him to come to Vegas, then I’d lose him.
“I don’t want to go.” I squared my shoulders, feigning more confidence than I actually felt.
Karson let out a pained groan. “Clara.”
“I want you to be the one,” I whispered.
His eyes locked on mine and whatever restraint he’d been holding onto shredded. He came at me, strong and sure, and kissed me until I was breathless. Then he took me to his room, laying me on the bed that I’d slept on with him just last night.
Karson’s kisses were tender and soft as he settled on his side, careful not to crush me under his weight. “Tell me to stop and I’ll stop.”
“Don’t stop.” I closed my eyes and arched into his lips as they trailed down my neck.
One of his hands was on my breast, the other in my hair.
When his fingers drifted to the waistband of my jeans, I ached in places I hadn’t ached before. A throb boomed in my core.
Karson never pushed too fast. He looked at me before every touch, waiting for that nod to continue. He let me conquer the fears, one by one. He let me know with his kiss and his touch and those gorgeous hazel eyes that I was in control.
And when we were both naked, our clothes piled beside us, he settled into the cradle of my hips and brushed his thumb across my cheek.
“Clara.” He whispered my name like a prayer.
I ran my fingers across his collarbone. I fit my palm to the hard muscle of his bicep. Then I gave him the nod that brought us together as one.
Later, after he’d made me see a different kind of stars, we curled together, our legs tangled and his arms encircling mine. I fell asleep with a smile.
Karson didn’t know it, but he’d just given me something I’d never had before.
A dream come true.
Chapter Eight
Clara
The murmur of voices woke me from sleep. “Who is tha—”
“Shh.” Karson’s arms squeezed around me as he whispered in my ear. Then he let me go and silently slipped from beneath his blankets, swiping up his jeans from the floor. He tugged them on and tiptoed, barefoot, toward the opening of the tent. With a glance over his shoulder, he pressed a finger to his lips and crept outside.
I scrambled to get dressed, strapping on my bra first, then rifling through the clothes scattered around me for my panties. With them on, I yanked on my jeans and shirt, then followed Karson outside. Crouching low as I walked, I weaved through the piles of junk around the tent, finding him ducked behind an old truck.
Aria was by his side.
They were both staring at Lou, who stood beside the gate.
Talking to two police officers.
Their voices echoed across the yard.
Lou’s was gruff and raspy as he thrust a photo back at one of the cops. “Never seen him.”
“Are you sure?” The officer took the photo, looking at it himself. “This is an outdated photo. Maybe you could look again.”
Lou scowled. “Never seen that kid.”
The officers shared a look. “Sir, we have reason to believe this young man is living here. In your junkyard. On your property.”
“Not here.”
“Mr. Miley, if we could just take a look around—”
“No,” Lou barked. “There’s no kid here. Don’t you think I’d know if a damn kid was living at my place?”
“There are a lot of places where a person could hide.” One officer scanned the junkyard. When his face shifted our way, all three of us hit the dirt.
Aria’s face was pale. She sat unmoving other than the short, fast breaths that made her chest rise and fall. They matched mine.
Karson’s jaw was clenched tight and his fists balled at his sides.
His mother had done this. She’d sent the police here and given them that photo.
“There’s no one here but me,” Lou repeated, agitation tainting his words.
Maybe I heard the lie because I knew the truth. But if I didn’t believe Lou, the cops might not either.
“We believe he’s involved in a breaking and entering,” one of the officers said. “He’s been stealing from his mother for years now. Family heirlooms and such. She’s finally decided to get the authorities involved.”
“Fuck,” Karson muttered.
So his mother had decided to blackmail him.
The three of us shifted again, daring another glance at the officers. Thankfully, neither was looking our way. They were focused on Lou, who seemed to be getting more frazzled every second. He shifted his weight from foot to foot. He rattled the ring of keys in his hand.
Even when he had customers come to the yard, he’d point them in the right direction, then send them on their way. He never played tour guide. If a mechanic or antique hunter came here searching for spare parts, they were left on their own, given clear directions where they could and could not search. And Lou never haggled. He had signs around the shack saying as much.
It was all so he didn’t have to prolong human interaction.
“Would you call us if you see anyone?” one of the officers asked, handing over a card.
Lou nodded and took the paper, shoving it into the pocket of his baggy jeans. Then, without waiting for the cops to leave, he turned and disappeared into his shack, slamming the door behind him.
The officers shared a look of disbelief, then walked to the street, where their cruiser was parked. As they rolled down the road, Karson, Aria and I stayed hidden, waiting until the only sound was the soft breeze through the drying summer grasses around the property.
Karson was the first to stand, shaking his head as he marched to the tent.
Aria stood and sighed. “Shit.”
“This is bad.” I got to my bare feet and pinched the bridge of my nose. “This is very bad. He told me a little about her last night. His mother. From the sound of it, she’s a manipulative, lying bitch.”
“He should leave.”
The twist in my chest was so tight I struggled to breathe. She was right. The best thing was for Karson to move on. But I wasn’t ready to give him up. Not yet. Not after last night.
“You slept in the tent again,” she said.
“We played cards pretty late. I didn’t want to wake you,” I lied.
Today was not the day to tell Aria I’d given Karson my virginity.
The sound of a slamming door echoed across the yard. Aria and I both turned toward the shop door, recognizing the sound.
Karson had disappeared to the bathroom.
“I’m going to go get my shoes.” I left Aria’s side and hurried to the tent, scanning around Karson’s bed for anything I might have left behind. Only my shoes and socks remained. The condom he’d worn last night was gone, along with the wrapper.
I blushed and took a moment to breathe before I had to face my sister again.
Should I tell her? It would make it all easier if she knew what had happened, right? There’d be no sneaking around. Right. I’d just tell her. Decision made, I stepped into my shoes and found her in the truck. I climbed inside as she was making her bed.