Lights came into view the closer we got to town. I slowed down to the posted speed limit then continued past the empty boat docks. The ferry to the mainland stopped running at midnight, and afterward, the town always went quiet. There was a clanging of a bell in the distance, waves crashing against a wooden deck, and a dog that went insane with barking as we passed by.
"I don't want to go home," Carina quietly declared. "Can you take me somewhere else?"
"Like where?" I asked.
"I don't care."
So I kept driving to the only other place open that time of night. My place.
****
For a while, I'd shared a house with my brother on the mainland, but when his girl moved in, I felt they needed their space. I occupied the spare room at a friend's condo temporarily and never left. Todd had no complaints, though, he was more than happy to keep taking my money.
As we approached the front door, I instantly regretted bringing Carina there. Music and loud voices sounded from inside. I should have known. One of Todd's favorite things to do was party. It didn't matter the night of the week, and there didn't need to be a reason. It had started to get worse over the past few weeks.
"Shit," I said under my breath. It wasn't the calming atmosphere I'd had in mind when I brought her there.
"What?" Carina looked up with tired, trusting eyes. Whatever she'd gone through had left her drained, and I felt an overwhelming need to protect her.
"Nothing." I grabbed her hand and pulled her behind me.
A cloud of weed smoke assaulted us as soon as I'd opened the door. Carina scrunched her nose at the overwhelming smell.
"Sorry," I said, scanning the crowd. I wanted everyone out. The place was full of people I didn't know, and it pissed me off even more. I hated when strangers were in the house. I kept a lot of cash and a few other things I couldn't risk someone getting their hands on. One or two people? Fine. A full house? No. Somebody was about to get his ass kicked.
"Where's Todd?" I yelled when I'd finally spotted a familiar face.
"Hey, Brando." Rosie spun around with cheeks flushed from drinking, and her long black bangs falling over one eye. "Where have you been?" She giggled. When her glassy blue gaze shifted over to Carina her smile faded.
"Hi, Rosie. Have you seen Todd?"
Rosie turned to me again, the liveliness from seconds before gone.
"Todd?" she repeated, then blinked as if she were collecting her thoughts. "The patio." She lifted the arm that was covered in ink from shoulder to elbow and pointed to the half-open glass door.
"Thanks, Ro," I said. She nodded, flung one last look at Carina, then grabbed her beer and left the kitchen.
"Wasn't that the girl who...?"
"Yeah."
"Oh." Carina's lips were pinched together and eyes narrow as she watched Rosie's departure. I didn't know why, but I liked that Carina seemed bothered.
A couple of people pushed past us, moving in each direction. It was loud and chaotic, and I just wanted everyone out. I also knew it was going to take a lot of time and effort to make that happen. All I really wanted to do was be alone with Carina.
"Fuck it," I mumbled and left the kitchen with her in tow. We made our way down the hall that led to my room. I used my key to unlock the door, then flipped on the light as we stepped inside.
The only piece of furniture in the room was my bed and a folding tray I used as a nightstand. I didn't even own a dresser. I hung what I could in the closet, and the rest sat in a clothes basket on the floor. I closed and locked the door then turned to see Carina wrapping her arms around herself as she stood in the center of the open floor. Her work T-shirt and shorts were damp, and the messy bun she usually wore was hanging to one side.
"Oh, right. You must be freezing." I reached down, pulled one of my clean shirts from the basket, and offered it to her. "Here. It's probably too big, but it's dry."
She gave me a small smile and took it. After a moment of hesitation, Carina undid the button of her shorts. I turned away, picking up discarded clothes and tossing them into a pile in the corner. Even though I'd already seen her naked, I didn't want to make the moment awkward. After she'd changed, I pulled a hanger from the closet and hung her clothes up to dry. She was swimming in my white T-shirt. The sleeves stretched down to her elbows, the hem stopping high enough to leave most of her curvy legs exposed. My gaze landed on the jagged pink scar at the top of her left thigh. I noticed it the other night but didn't think she'd tell me about it if I asked. As she moved across the room, her heavy tits bounced, and in the right light, I could see her nipples through the thin material. The growing hard-on in my jeans was starting to get uncomfortable.
Carina sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her hair loose. Red waves of soft silk spilled over her shoulders and down her back. When she went to gather it in her hands to tie it up again, I stopped her.
"Wait." I sat down and gently wrapped a lock of curls around my finger. "Leave it."
Carina closed her eyes briefly, allowing my touch. When she opened her lids, our gazes met. I wondered if she knew just how beautiful she was.