●Carlton●
It had been minutes since I last had her in my arms. Close enough that curiosity won, my hands moving on their own, learning the softness of her body. Too soft. Too tempting. The thought of turning back, pulling her with me, and fucking her the back seat had been creeping in for minutes now.
I shut my eyes and dragged a hand down my face before letting my forehead drop against the steering wheel. The red light in front of me felt personal. The longer it stayed red, the louder the urge became to go back and take her with me.
I reached for my phone on the dashboard while waiting for the light to change and unlocked it. Missed calls from my dad filled my notification bar.
You would think he missed me, the same son they shipped off to a boarding school in a country I had never even heard of. I had only come back twice since then. Once after my high school graduation and once during my first summer break in college.
He had been calling for hours. I had ignored every single one. I did not expect him to care enough to try, which was why I had already bought myself a condo before coming back.
I tapped the voicemail he had left earlier and held the phone to my ear.
"Hey, son. It's been a while since we last talked. I heard you're back in the country and I was wondering if you could come by and say hi. Your mom, your brother and I miss you. Give me a call when you get this."
A laugh slipped out of me as the light finally turned green and I drove off.
Miss me? No. If they missed me, they would not have sent me away. There was nothing worse than being a teenager in a foreign place where I did not belong. The first year was hell. The bullying pushed me until I snapped and I ended up putting two boys in the hospital. Their parents had to fly in to take them home.
The teachers beat the shit out of me for it and I remembered calling home the first chance I got, desperate, only for my mother to turn everything against me. She said none of it would have happened if I had not fucked the senator's daughter. She claimed she was protecting me by sending me to a place that looked more like a psychiatric hospital than a school.
I never understood why I was the only one punished. She was not a virgin either. She had made the first move. I just happened to be the one who paid for it.
That girl went on with her life. Married some old rich guy and left untouched by the mess she helped me create.
The drive back to my condo wasn't long, and the moment I got home, I headed straight to my study. A pile of unsigned papers was waiting for me.
I had returned to the country to oversee the completion of my company's major branch.
I had started small after college, but the energy business proved highly profitable. In no time, I was making millions from gas and oil alone. Coming back home meant I could invest more where other wealthy companies had chosen to back me.
I went through the files, signing payment approvals for the contractors so everything would be ready by the official opening. In the middle of it, my phone vibrated. It wasn't my father this time—it was my older brother, Kyle.
We used to get along well as kids, but when he realized our parents had a favorite, he changed. He became cocky and started acting just like them.
I picked up the call and put it on speaker.
"I thought you were going to ignore me, just like you were ignoring Dad."
Kyle was already drunk. Being the golden boy of the family, he spent his years attending parties and vacations like five times a year. Everything was always handed to him on a silver platter—soon, he'd be taking over Dad's businesses. He had actually called me months ago while drunk to tell me this.
"What do you want?" I asked, my tone already bored. I was starting to question why I even picked up.
"I just wanted to—" He hiccuped. "To tell you that Mom is holding a charity event. I wouldn't care if you came, but Mom really wants you there. Says she wants the whole family to be there.... And what's up with you refusing to pick up your parents' calls?"
I twirled the pen in my hand, signing the contract I'd just finished reading without looking up.
"Carl, are you there?" he asked again. I exhaled slowly. "When is she hosting the event?"
"Tomorrow," he answered quickly.
No wonder Dad had been blowing up my phone all day. I bet Mom was acting all upset, and Dad had no choice but to call me.
"I'll be there." I finally responded.
"You don't know how happy she—"
I disconnected the call, unbothered by whatever bullshit he would start yapping about then went back to the papers, finishing the last of them before heading to the cellar. I poured myself a drink and moved toward the floor-to-ceiling window.
The city looked stunning at night. The lights stretched endlessly, glittering like stars caught in the streets and for a moment, I found myself wishing she was in here with me. Watching the city with her, I didn't know if I would keep my eyes off her if she were here, or my hands.
I gulped down the bitter liquid, wincing at the taste as my eyes traced the nightscape. Then my thoughts shifted to Mom's event. She had thrown countless functions without me, so why invite me this time? There had to be a reason. No way she wanted me there for nothing.