Distance

chapter nine

The Mark Hotel
Early Morning
Carter's POV

When I woke up, feeling Selena's body heat next to me, I couldn't help but smile. As I opened my eyes groggily, I saw that she was facing me, holding her pillow underneath her, her head resting on top of it as she slept peacefully. Her mouth was open slightly, a drool stain on the pillow. I laughed slightly, taking a mental picture in my head. She was the most beautiful woman.

"What are you laughing at?" She mumbled, her eyes still shut as she laid there.

"Nothing, go back to sleep," I cooed, smiling goofily at her.

"I can't sleep with a creeper staring at me," she joked with a small smile, abandoning her pillow as she cuddled to my chest. My arms immediately wrapped around her, my hand finding her hair as I ran my fingers through it.

"It's hard not to stare at something beautiful," I commented, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

I could feel her smiling against me, and she nuzzled her head into my neck.

"Carter?"

"Yeah, Sel?" I asked as my eyebrows furrowed together, holding her tighter.

"What are we doing?"

I didn't know how to respond. I knew how I felt, but I wasn't sure how she did. There had always been something between us but for all I knew, she'd met someone when I abandoned her, or she was too drunk to make the right decision last night.

"Selena, you know how I feel about you. And you also know that I'm not going anywhere," I told her, running my hand along her back. She pulled away and looked at me, her eyebrow raised.

"Not true. You leave tonight," she corrected me, and I frowned.

"Just because I'm leaving New York does not mean I am going anywhere. You can't get rid of me that easily. I have a jet, Sel, I don't have a problem sending an empty plane to come pick you up."

She rolled her eyes but hugged me tighter, running her fingers down my back. "I can't just leave my work to come see you, Carter. I have stuff to do too."

"I never said you didn't, Selena," I sighed, hoping we didn't get into an argument. It's not hard when you know exactly how the other is, and what upsets them. "I'm just saying, if you miss me, or need me in person somehow, I can make it happen. Whether I have to come to you, or not. My tour is almost over and after that, nothing comes before you."

Selena's POV

"...After that, nothing comes before you."

I looked up at him, almost in awe, as his hand moved from my back to cup my cheek. His words made me feel warm, because I knew he meant it. There was nothing I wanted to do more than close the distance between us, so I did, my lips gently pressing to his.

"That's good to know," I mumbled against his lips, giggling like a teenage girl. He smiled at me and before I knew it, he'd crawled over me so his legs were between mine. It was then that I really noticed that we were both still naked from our night together.

His lips found mine, moving against them slowly. His hands caressed my body gently. Nobody had ever made me feel more cherished than Carter.

I'd had boyfriends before; I even had one for a few months here in New York. It had started to get serious, and he even wanted to move in with each other. But every time something happened that made things serious, I was quick to end it. Nobody was ever to make me feel the way Carter did. A few flings with my best friend in high school were more satisfying than any serious relationship I'd been in.