by Laura Lee
“So be it.” She shrugs. “For the record, I don’t think you should hide, but I understand not wanting to rock the boat.”
“I don’t know if he’ll go for it. He’s having a really hard time lying to Brody.”
“If he doesn’t go for it, he’s dumber than my boys. But for what it’s worth, I think he’s going to jump at the opportunity. You’re worth it, Carlotta.”
I pull her frail body into a hug. “Thank you, Mrs. P.”
She pats my back. “Anytime, dear.” She straightens up and smacks her hands together. “Now, let’s get to work. This dough isn’t going to press itself.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
DREW
My mind has been going fucking crazy since Charlee texted me earlier asking if she could drop by the station to talk. Of course, the first thing I thought about was dragging her to my bunk which goes against the whole not having sex plan. So instead, I’m meeting her out front where at all times we’ll have the possibility of witnesses. Speaking of my hot wife, my phone just beeped with an incoming text from her.
Charlee: I just parked.
Me: Be right out.
“I’ll be out in the bay if you guys need me. Charlee needs to talk to me real quick.”
“Just keep your splooge away from my turnouts,” Warren quips.
“Tell the missus I said hello,” Todd adds.
I shake my head. “Real funny, assholes.”
I open one of the garage doors and wait as it rolls to a stop. I shield my eyes when the sun reflects off the truck straight into my eyeballs. Once the spots have cleared, I get a beautiful glimpse of Charlee’s tanned, toned legs walking toward me.
She smiles. “Hey there, Big Guy.”
I fight the urge to pull her into my arms. “Hey there, Tiny Dancer.”
Charlee waves her hand between the two engines parked in the bay. “I’ve always wanted to ride in one of these things.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Well, mainly I just wanted to play with the lights and sirens.” She eyes the firehose attached to the side of the truck. “And maybe that big hose.”
“The hose, huh?” I wink. “You wanna hold it?”
Charlee laughs. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”
“Nah. Only the ones that I’m married to.”
She taps the tip of my nose with her index finger. “Smooth, Summers.”
I open one of the doors and pat the seat. “Climb on up.”
“Really?” She starts bouncing on her feet in excitement.
Fuck, she’s adorable. “Go for it.”
I give her a little boost as she steps into the driver’s side of the truck. I may or may not purposely graze her ass in the process.
Charlee looks down at me over her shoulder. “If you wanted to grab my ass, Drew, there’s no need to be so sneaky about it.”
I spread my arms and lean against the doorframe. I don’t miss the way her eyes automatically land on my biceps. “Is that so?”
She makes a show of stretching her body, leaning between the two front seats to look behind them. In the process, said ass taunts me in little cutoff denim shorts. My hands tighten into fists to avoid grabbing those luscious round cheeks.
You’re no fun, my dick says.
Stay out of this, I scold. You’ve gotten us into enough trouble with this girl.
“What’d you want to talk about, Charlee?”
She runs her finger over my turnout coat, tracing the name patch. We keep our protective gear in the truck so we can put it on at a moment’s notice. “You drive this thing?”
“That’s usually what the driver engineer does,” I say and wink.
“This is hot. Can I try it on?”
I groan. I literally cannot tell you how many fantasies I’ve had with Charlee wearing nothing but that coat. “Sure. But it might be easier if you step out of the truck.”
She hops out of the truck and looks up at me expectantly. I reach over her head, pull the coat off the back of the seat, and wrap it around her shoulders.
Charlee threads her arms through the sleeves and holds them out in a T-position. “Damn, this thing is heavy.”
How is it possible for someone to look so cute and so unbelievably sexy at the same time? The black and yellow reflective coat practically swallows her small frame. Only the lower half of her legs are visible but my dick is acting like she’s buck naked.
You could make the nakedness happen, he suggests.
Ignoring the persistent asshole in my pants, I nod to my pack on the floor. “That thing adds about another fifty pounds.”
“I guess it’s a good thing you’re built like the Hulk then, huh?”
“I wouldn’t go quite that far but strength training definitely helps me in the field.” I wiggle my eyebrows. “You said you wanted to talk to me about something?”
“Right.” She steps onto the running board and faces me. At this height, we’re almost eye-to-eye. “I’ve been doing some thinking about you and me.”
I finger the collar of my coat, brushing against her delicate neck. “What about you and me?”
Charlee leans into my hand. “I think we should try dating.”
I bark out a laugh. “Aren’t we a little past that point, honey?”
“Not really,” she shrugs. “Considering we never actually dated prior to getting married, I think this is perfectly reasonable.”
I link my fingers behind her back. I can’t seem to help myself and Charlee isn’t protesting in the least. “It’s not like we haven’t spent time together. We met last fall. It’s been like, ten months.”
“True.” She lifts her hand and combs her fingers through the perennial scruff on my jaw. “But until Vegas, we’ve never spent any time alone together. We don’t know much about each other.”
I nuzzle my nose into her neck. Fuck, why does she have to smell so good? Right now, she’s wearing some fruity lotion—coconut, I think. The scent is faint, but it’s intoxicating nonetheless. And when she came over right after work the other night, she smelled like garlic and red sauce which wouldn’t normally be so appealing on a person, but with her, I wanted to lick and nibble her entire body. Which I may have done when she declared that she wanted to take a shower before we filled out the annulment forms. Which now that I think about it, is probably why we never got around to doing so.
I brush her long hair aside and place my cheek against hers. “I know that I’ve never had more fun outside of the bedroom than I do with you. Or in the bedroom for that matter.”
Charlee shivers. “Drew...”
I kiss right below her ear. “I know that whenever I place my lips right here, you gasp.”
And on cue, she does just that.
My hands slip under the thin tank top she’s wearing and glide up her sides, before palming her full tits. “I know that your pussy gets wet every time I touch you here.” My thumbs brush over her nipples. “Your clit pulses when I move over here.”
She moans.
After swiping my thumbs over her nipples a few more times, my hands slides down the center of her abdomen until I reach the waistband of her shorts. “And I know that if I unbuttoned these, I would find your sexy-as-fuck piercing and I would play with it until you screamed my name.”
“Drew,” she repeats. “Kiss me.”
“With pleasure, honey.”
I don’t waste any time before branding her with my mouth. Our hands roam as our tongues duel. I didn’t think my cock could possibly get any harder but when she starts rubbing me through my pants, the horny bastard proves me wrong yet again. I’m seconds away from pulling off her shorts and taking her up against this truck when the hum of an engine approaches the station.
I break away from her. “Shit. Someone’s coming.”
“Someone was about to,” she grumbles. “So much for that idea.”
I wink. “Raincheck.”
Charlee removes my coat and I adjust my boner right before the car becomes visible.
Motherfuck.
“Is that your sister?”
“Yep.”
Devyn spots us inside the garage and gives me a curious look as she exits her vehicle. “Hey, Charlee. Fancy seeing you here.”
Charlee jumps off the truck. “Hey, Devyn.”
“Whatcha guys doin’?” Devyn asks with a knowing grin.
Charlee’s eyes widen. “Uh, thanks for the...tour, Drew. But I’ve gotta get going. Devyn, I’ll give you a call later to finalize the catering stuff for the wedding.”
Devyn looks at Charlee and then me and over to Charlee again. “Sure, Charlee. I’ll talk to you later.”
My sister waits until Charlee hops into her car and drives away. “What did I just walk in on, Drew?”
“Nothing.”
She rolls her eyes. “Let’s try again. Why was Charlee here in the first place? Is it the same reason she was at your house cooking you breakfast the other day?”
“Aren’t you supposed to be working right now?”
“I took a long lunch so I could swing by here and talk to you.” She puts her hands on her hips and breaks out the mom voice. “Now, quit trying to change the subject and tell me what’s going on between you and Charlee.”
I sit on the rear bumper of the engine. “Honestly? I have no fucking clue.”
She takes a seat next to me. “Talk to me, Drew.”
“What did Riley tell you?”
She shrugs. “Not much. Just that he and Brody came by your place to pick you up for golf. When they got there, you were clearly in the middle of something with a woman. And since you were being so cagey, he was 99.9% sure that woman was Brody’s sister.”
“Fuck.”
“He would never say a word to anyone but me, Drew. He doesn’t like it, but he knows better. I think he was hoping I could talk some sense into you before Brody figures it out.”
I rest my head against the back of the truck. “I don’t think that’s possible, Dev. This shit is way deeper than you’re thinking.”
“What do you mean?”
I turn my head to face her. “I like her. I really like her and for the first time ever, I can imagine being with someone for the long haul. I’ve felt this way for months now, but after Vegas, it’s been much harder to hide.”
“What happened in Vegas?”
I shake my head. “I can’t tell you.”
“Oh, c’mon, Drew. I promise I won’t say anything.”
“Not even to Riley?” I challenge.
She bites her lip. “Not even to Riley. I swear. You know I don’t like keeping things from him but I can see this is important to you and it’s not my story to tell.”
“We got hitched.”
Devyn’s eyes widen. “Holy shit.”
I smirk. One thing you need to know about my sister is that she rarely swears. If a four-letter word drops out of her mouth, you know it’s serious.
“Yeah, that sentiment seems to be going around.”
She stands and starts pacing. “How do you feel? How does Charlee feel? What does this mean? What are you going to do? What are you going to say to Brody? This is huge, Drew! I can’t believe you’re freaking married!”
“Slow your roll, Devyn.” I get up and hold her shoulders to prevent her from moving. “Calm the hell down; you look like you’re about to pass out. Jesus, even I haven’t gotten this worked up about it.”
“How can you be so calm?” she gasps. “Oh my God, you want to be married! Don’t you?”
“I don’t know,” I shrug. “Maybe. I mean, it’s not the worst idea in the world.”
She slams her hand over her mouth and just stares at me.
“Nothing more to say about that, huh?” I tease.
Her arm drops to her side. “Seriously, Drew. What are you doing about this?”
I gesture for her to take a walk around the perimeter of the station. Her nervous energy is really getting to me so hopefully, this will help burn it off.
“We’re getting the marriage annulled. Beyond that, I don’t know.”
“What do you want?”
“In a perfect world, Brody would be chill about this whole thing then Charlee and I could take some time to see where this goes.”
“So you want to be with her? In a monogamous relationship?”
“Yeah, and she feels the same. But I don’t know how to make it work. I don’t want to fuck things up with Brody. But I can’t seem to stay away from Charlee either.”
Devyn gives me a sad smile. “You have to tell him, Drew. The longer you keep this from him, the more upset he’s going to be. Maybe you don’t need to mention the wedding since that’ll be voided, but if you have any chance of making a relationship with Charlee work, you can’t hide it.”
“You’re probably right,” I say as I pull her into a side hug. “So, what the hell do I do next, smarty pants?”
“I wish I knew.”
Yeah, me too, Dev. Me too.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHARLEE
The bridal march begins and all eyes are trained on the doorway to the garden where Devyn and Riley are getting married. Most people gasp when the bride makes her first appearance but it’s the man escorting her down the aisle that makes my breath hitch. Don’t get me wrong, Devyn looks incredible, but Drew?
Oh. My. God.
I don’t think there’s anything hotter in existence than Drew Summers in a tux. Between you and me, I’ve always been more attracted to the blue collar guys. They’re real. I don’t want to be with someone who takes more time getting ready in the morning than I do—been there, done that. But there’s something to be said about a man in a tux. Especially this man. His crisp white dress shirt pops against the jet black coat. He still has that artfully tossed hair but you can tell that he took more care today. And he shaved! I don’t think I’ve ever seen him without at least some light stubble. Without the facial hair, he actually has an adorably boyish face, in a giant sexy man way, of course. When he smiles as Devyn takes his arm and begins her march down the aisle, his eyes become brighter than I’ve ever seen them. As he gets closer, I can see why. The alpha beast is on the verge of tears!
Ovaries.
Down.
Guys, allow me to impart some wisdom. Never, ever, be afraid to cry in front of a woman. I mean, don’t be a whiny bitch about everything, because nobody likes those, but in times like these? Times where emotions are strong? It’s sexy as all get out. It doesn’t make you less masculine; it makes you even more so. If you try hiding your feelings just for the sake of being manly, you’re really just being a douche.
The minister greets everyone and Drew says his part about giving Devyn away before taking his place beside his nephew and my brother. As Riley and Devyn recite their beautiful vows, Drew and I sneak glances at each other. I wonder if he’s thinking about our wedding vows like I am. Geez, that feels weird—talking about my wedding. Two weeks ago, I wasn’t even dating anyone and today, I’m married. And now that I actually remember everything that happened that night, I’m not surprised that the evening ended the way it did, if I’m being honest. But am I completely insane for saying that?
“Riley, you may kiss your bride,” the minister says.
My eyes get teary as the bride and groom kiss. When they’re done, Nathan bounces into his daddy’s arms and all three of them make their return down the aisle into the house. Brody waits for his cue from the minister before taking Rainey’s arm and following them. When it’s our turn, Drew squeezes my hand before looping my arm into his.
“Have I told you lately how beautiful you are?” he whispers.
I give him an obvious once-over. “You’re not so bad yourself in that tux.”
He latches onto my arm a little tighter. “That dress is giving me all the dirty thoughts.”
I chuckle. My dress is pretty conservative. Sure, the bodice is strapless and fitted, but the chiffon is flowy and down to my ankles.
“Clearly it doesn’t take much to give you all th
e dirty thoughts.”
“Not when the thoughts are about you.” He gives me a sly wink.
“You did really well with the whole giving away the bride thing.”
“Thanks.” Drew smiles fondly. “I can’t believe my baby sister is married.”
“Yeah, it’s a big commitment. But they seem really perfect for each other.”
He looks at me thoughtfully. “Yeah. Perfect.”
Our moment is cut off when we step into the house to join the rest of the bridal party. Drew pulls Devyn into a hug and swings her in a circle. He takes his nephew into his arms and gives Riley one of those manly back pats.
Brody walks over to me and pulls on one of my loose curls in that annoying way only a little brother can do. “You clean up well, Charlotte.”
I smack his chest with the back of my hand. “You too, B.”
He looks at Rainey. “I can’t wait until I get her down the aisle.” He nods to Devyn and Riley. “You ever think about it? Wanting that for yourself? Marriage, kids, the whole package.”
“Whoa, that’s awfully deep for you.” Much easier to tease him than getting into that conversation.
He pulls Rainey into his arms when she joins us. “I’m a changed man.”
She looks between us. “Why do you guys look so serious right now?”
“I was just telling Charlee how I can’t wait to marry you,” he tells her.
She grabs his hand and smiles. “We’re needed for pictures.”
I’m starting to feel like a big, fat third wheel so I excuse myself and go ahead of them to the photographer. Of course Drew and I have to be grouped together in almost every photo. He keeps lightly brushing against me or whispering things into my ear. Nothing too obvious, but it’s distracting as hell. I can’t be in the same room with him without wanting to touch him. He seems to have the same problem which is making this situation more dangerous by the minute. I can sense a giant explosion coming, yet as his fingers brush against mine once again, I can’t find the will to care.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
DREW
As if it hasn’t been hard enough keeping my hands off Charlee tonight, we had to get thrown together on the dance floor. Even though she only gave a half-hearted attempt to catch Devyn’s bouquet, the damn thing landed in her hands like a heat-seeking missile. Guess who caught the garter and is now obligated to dance with her? Neither one of us could get away with excusing ourselves from the activity, so here we are. Seriously, is the world out to expose us? How many times can we be thrown together by sheer coincidence?