It was a practical workspace that harbored a drawing table to the left and a walnut L-shaped desk to the right, protected by a leather desk pad emblazoned with the company logo. An all-in-one system surfaced from mountains of files and binders, which I had neither the time nor the proper disposition to read through, and a Chesterfield executive chair was left waiting askew.
Facing my desk, there was a small sitting area comprised of a leather couch flanked by matching loveseats that remained, more often than not, unoccupied. Charlotte moseyed around, committing to memory the dark tones of the furniture and the contrasting light nuance of the upholstery.
“What do you do here?”
She licked her lips, momentarily distracting me. Her fingers drifted over the backrest of a loveseat while her eyes scanned me suggestively.
“What exactly are you asking, Charlotte?”
I closed the space between us before she drew in another breath. Charlotte was a marvelous actress when she wanted to be, but behind her unabashed attitude and blatant innuendo, insecurities whirled furiously.
“It’s a lovely sitting area you have here. I was only curious.”
She turned around, apparently moving about with indifference. My hand wrapped around her elbow, and my body aligned against her stiff back.
“I don’t like guessing, Charlotte. I want you to ask me the actual question so I can answer properly.”
“Have you ever taken advantage of this couch...with a woman?”
Her cheeks turned scarlet, and her whole expression was a combination of shyness and mortification. She tried walking away, but I quickly pivoted her in my arms until she faced me and was no more than a heartbeat away.
“No, sweet Charlotte.”
She was blissfully flushed and flatteringly intrigued. As usual, I couldn’t resist her. Her mouth was sweet and warm as my tongue licked and stroked incessantly depths and crevices that once reached made her moan and soften into me.
“I do not bring women to my office, mostly because I don’t stick around for long enough to develop a relationship, let alone the desire to bring them to my world.”
“Why would you want to be in a relationship with me?”
My burst of laughter earned me her offended frown, but I was not laughing at her. I was laughing at the way she was addressing the issue. It was I who should have asked her why she wanted to be in a relationship with a man like me because at the end of the day, it was I who did not deserve her.
“Sugar,” I whispered, emphasizing the word. My hands cupped her face, pulling her close. Pleasure filled my system when she did not flinch at the endearment but took comfort in it. “Because you are not the kind of woman who deserves less, and I don’t believe I could handle anything else with you.”
“Such a charmer.”
“It’s the truth.” I caught her lower lip between my teeth and bit and tugged on it hard enough to make her aware of the heat simmering between us. “And now that you mentioned the couch, are you going to leave me seduced and unsatisfied?”
“Behave, Marcus,” she giggled and wriggled out of reach.
“It’s hard around you.”
Flustered but still giggling, Charlotte sauntered to my desk and slid elegantly into my beige leather chair. She touched with unnecessary delicacy the mock-ups of a car, a motorcycle, and a car engine that I kept on my desk, then she skimmed through the mess of papers. Her small frame cushioned by the tall chair was the highlight of my day.
“I suppose here is where you spend most of the time.”
Her chocolat-au-lait eyes met mine and lured me in. I stopped only when I was right in front of her. I sat on the edge of the desk with my fists placed on the polished tabletop and my knees on either side of Charlotte’s crossed legs. Finding herself suddenly cornered, her lips parted to accommodate ragged breaths.
“It is a tie between the desk and the drawing table.”
“I want you to remember me when you’ll sit again in this chair.”
She smiled impishly yet with a dose of seduction that she was undoubtedly unaware of. Glimpses of her boldness were always fascinating to witness, but they left me thunderstruck nonetheless.
“You’re cruel,” I mimicked her earlier reply. “But from now on, I will remember you as soon as I cross the threshold.”
The smile she granted me was stunning and too tantalizing to even begin to resist.
I bent closer and let my fingers slither across the bare skin of her knee then upward along the inside of her thigh. In a moment of uncontrolled rapture, Charlotte let her head fall back and her eyes close. She pressed her lips tightly together but couldn’t muffle the moan that built from her chest and materialized into a carnal sound that called for a response just as primal. I groaned, my face inches from hers, and her eyes snapped open.
“Marcus, behave.” She looked a little panicky but immensely aroused.
“I don’t want to.” I grabbed the armrest of the chair and pulled her brusquely toward me, eliciting an exquisite gasp from her delightfully red lips. “I want to do something about that unsatisfied part.”
She squirmed in her seat and pressed her thighs together while the blood charged to her mouth and cheeks. A rush of sensations recapturing our night together made my blood heat and my skin tingle with renewed yearning, a reaction that was visibly mirrored in Charlotte’s provocative posture and the unconscious undulations of her hips.
The lewd trance was abruptly broken when the door opened and Charlotte jumped in her seat, almost knocking her head against mine.
“Easy,” I breathed without turning to our intruder.
“Mr. King, there’s an emergency. If you could assist Mr. Caldwell—”
“Is Mr. Caldwell mentally incapacitated that he needs assistance?” I snapped and still did not turn to see the stunned expression of my assistant.
I focused on Charlotte’s wide eyes and ran a hand over my face. If Weston Caldwell needed my assistance, it had to be something serious although it interrupted much more entertaining and pleasing activities.
“It’s okay, Julia. I’ll be down in a minute.”
“I can wait here,” Charlotte mouthed as Julia vanished out the door in total silence.
“No. Come with me, please.”
Loud noises and hectic shouts greeted us long before we entered the workroom. I led Charlotte to a chair far from the pandemonium unfolding but close enough so she could see everything that happened. As I walked to Weston, I wondered how all the machines and devices looked to a woman who had nothing to do with engineering.
Weston assessed me, then glanced behind my shoulder and chuckled when his eyes landed upon the exquisite vision that was Charlotte Burton.
“That never happened before,” he commented.
“If we could work this out quicker, I am somewhat busy, as you can see.”
“Of course.”
He laughed but immediately adopted the business attitude that had helped him flourish from a reckless young man to a defined, efficacious businessman.
Weston and I worked on a project that was still in the pre-production stage. The engine we had in front of us looked more like a device from a science fiction movie than an actual functioning vehicle part, yet our hopes were high and our enthusiasm strong.
Since I had drawn the initial outline of the project, I was somewhat the figure the rest of the team looked up to and sought for advice. I listened patiently while Weston and our coworkers explained the difficulties they had stumbled upon and easily took charge.
Always aware of Charlotte’s gaze absorbing each and every one of our movements, I sat on a backless chair and worked side by side with my team.
“Good work,” Weston applauded, clamping my shoulder with a capable hand. He looked at the little piece he was holding then discarded it on the working table.
“We should revise some of our initial ideas.” I looked at the piece Weston had carelessly dropped, not completely sure that we didn’t need it anymore. Th
en I glanced over my shoulder and forgot to exhale. Charlotte’s hungry stare sheltered a million thoughts. I wanted to strip bare each one of them. “And now, if you’ll excuse me, I am busy.”
“You are excused. As soon as you thank me for making you look like such an expert to your date.”
“I am an expert,” I retorted.
Laughter echoed behind me as my feet carried me back to Charlotte. She stood as soon as I approached and smiled bashfully. Since I wasn’t a man who curbed his desire or postponed things he wanted to address straightaway, I secured her face between my hands and took her mouth in a demanding kiss. When she gasped, I smiled.
“What was that about?” Although her censorious eyes chided me, I knew she wasn’t asking me about the kiss.
“Your lips just begged to be kissed.” As expected and desired, she blushed a beautiful rosy hue.
“I didn’t mean that.” She squirmed, flushed, and worried her lips. “What was the trouble about?”
“We are projecting a new type of engine. They were ruining the smaller parts.”
“Explanation for dummies.”
Charlotte giggled, and I nearly leaned in for another kiss. Her eyes fluttered to my mouth as if sensing my thoughts, but a hoarse cough that rather disguised a laugh stopped us both. When we turned around, Weston was watching us with something close to bewildered appraisal.
“Charlotte, please meet Weston Caldwell. Weston, this magnificent woman is Charlotte Burton, my girlfriend.”
Had she not been so tightly pressed to my side and had I not been completely attuned to her, I might have missed the sudden alteration to her mood. She shivered, and a soft puff left her lips in a rush. Wide eyes, filled with surprise and excitement, stared up at me. The dreamy, high-strung expression that fell over her face prompted to mind the delectable image of Charlotte sprawled and complacent under my body.
“Pleased to meet you,” Charlotte murmured, extending her hand while frowning softly.
Weston gave her a wide smile as he shook her hand, tracing her knuckles with his thumb. “The pleasure is entirely mine.”
Gray-eyed, a thin blade of a nose, full sculpted lips, and nearly aristocratic countenance, he was a man easy to love, who had broken lots of hearts and crushed lots of dreams.
In an unveiled possessive gesture, I wrapped my arm around Charlotte’s shoulders and pulled her closer to my side. Weston’s mouth curved to the side, and he shook his head, coaxing a smile of my own. Despite the possessiveness I displayed, I knew that Weston was thoroughly taken.
“I heard that you liked the ranch. I hope you will visit us again.”
“Oh...that Weston,” Charlotte breathed, looking from me to Weston as complete understanding dawned on her. The blush that colored her cheeks was so natural-looking that it was already a part of her.
“Yes, that Weston. Am I famous already?”
“Nearly.” Charlotte smiled a reserved, gracious smile that I instantly wanted to be only mine. “The ranch and the surroundings are marvelous. I do hope to visit again.”
“Soon.” I nodded when Charlotte looked up at me for approval. “How is Marina?”
At the mention of Marina’s name, Charlotte stiffened. My arm skated from her shoulder, down to her hip. Slowly, but with undeniable firmness, my fingers coiled around the soft curve, catching her attention. We exchanged a meaningful glance. I thought I had clarified her doubts already.
“Still mad at me, of course. I might need some help with that.”
“I’d rather not interfere where couple problems and angry women are involved.”
“Maybe I was asking for Charlotte’s help,” Weston retorted, looking as if he truly wanted to stick his tongue out in a complete childish gesture. I chuckled.
“Listen to her. And bring her chocolates. There’s nothing that chocolate can’t cure.”
It was the first part of her counsel that caught my attention. It was important to Charlotte to be listened to, to receive as much as she offered, to be met halfway. That was a lesson I should never forget.
“I’ll take that into consideration.” Weston scowled absently, his thoughts momentarily drifting someplace else. I thought of him, of Kai, of Brayden, and I shuddered with a sort of apprehension I had never felt before. In each man’s life, there was a woman who could bring him to his knees, who made him want to go to his knees for her. “Although that would require het to talk to me first.”
“I’m sure you’ll find a way.”
“I hope so.”
We said our goodbyes shortly after. Weston returned to work, and we left the workroom in a much quieter state than when we arrived. Hand in hand and leaning into each other, I was leading Charlotte to the elevator when Karl Johns, my mechanic, jogged to us.
“Mr. King, Miss—” he saluted us then trailed off when his eyes landed on Charlotte.
“Karl, is there a problem?”
There was definitely going to be if he continued looking at Charlotte below chin level.
“No. Actually, I wanted to let you know the beast is ready to go.”
“Very punctual, as usual. Thank you.” I nodded in thanks and he nodded in acknowledgment then took his leave without further ado.
“The beast?” Charlotte asked as we fell into step again. The puckered brow and hardly suppressed disapproval written on her face betrayed that she already had the answer.
“My motorcycle. You didn’t expect her to get out of our up close and personal meeting with the asphalt any better than I did, right?”
“I expected you not to get on it again this soon.” She pouted with the perfect combination of childish pique and womanly charm. I couldn’t help but bend and kiss the top of her head.
“The accident was staged. Nothing changed from the last time we rode together until now.”
My thumb brushed across her knuckles, urging her to speak, but she continued walking somewhat stiffly while stubbornly looking ahead. Her worry flattered me.
“I can be good, Charlotte.” It was a reassurance as much as it was a promise.
“Can you?”
She regarded me with a frustrated look on her face that deepened when I grinned. I loved that she was concerned about me as much as I hated to worry her.
“If you ask me—nicely.”
She groaned, a primal sound coming from deep in her throat, and regaled me with a splendid glare. I bowed to take her mouth in a chaste kiss, and she opened like a flower, willing and sweet, even when she wasn’t exactly pleased with the man caressing her.
“Can you ask me nicely?” I asked softly, against her parted lips. She breathed unevenly, and I swallowed her breath, absorbing her very essence in a gentle but indisputably claiming kiss.
“Please be careful, Marcus.”
Even as I allowed her to read the answer in my eyes, I was afraid she could see too deep and too far past my own protective armor. I was afraid she already knew that there was nothing I wouldn’t do if she asked.
When I was in, I was in. Just like her. And with Charlotte, I was completely, irrefutably, and helplessly in.
My phone vibrated in the pocket of my jeans, and the spell was momentarily broken. I straightened, and so did Charlotte, running a hand through her hair, although her brown mane was in perfect order.
“Kai?” I answered, but my eyes were stuck on Charlotte.
The call was short and to the point. After days of atypical silence, Kai finally sounded like himself.
“If you are busy—” Charlotte trailed off hesitantly after I placed the phone back in my pocket.
“No. I promised Kai I’d pick some parts for his motorcycle and drop them by, but that can wait.”
In the middle of the hallway, unmindful of who could see us, I took her in my arms and sealed my mouth over hers again, swallowing her stunned intake of breath and stilling her protesting hands. Before I was done kissing her properly, my body caged her against the wall.
“I seem to get so little of your time. Do you think
I will trade it for anything else?”
“We’ll make more time,” she panted, leaning her head against the wall for support.
“I’m afraid it will still not be enough.”
This time, when I sought her mouth, she didn’t offer any form of resistance. She kissed me as much as she let herself be kissed. Her hands dipped beneath my jacket, molded on my hips, then crawled up my torso until they settled flat on my chest. Charlotte pulled herself to me with a gentleness that appeased the fiery need growing inside me. Instantly, my arms folded tighter around her.
“Can I help?” she asked tentatively. When my eyebrows arched, she clarified. “With your cousin.”
“You’re willing to pay him a visit.” I wasn’t sure whether it was a question or a statement. Doubt echoed even in the resulting silence.
“Little by little, remember?”
“You’re soon going to fall for Kai’s charms. I don’t take kindly to jealousy.” It was a joke, but not entirely.
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
Rolling her eyes and slapping at my chest, Charlotte laughed and sidestepped me. I caught her by the waist in a steely grasp before she took her second step and rapaciously pressed my mouth to her ear.
“I mean it.”
I led Charlotte to a room on the second floor where I had stored the motorcycle parts I had created for Kai and put them in a big box, then we returned to the car in companionable silence and hit the road just as the sun was going down over the horizon.
“So I am your girlfriend. Does that make you my boyfriend?”
There was a complete discrepancy between the amused twinkle in Charlotte’s eyes and the nervous way she kept kneading her hands while she threw me expectant glances.
“Girlfriend is too much of an understatement of what you are to me, Charlotte. But yes, I am yours and you are mine. Which reminds me of a discussion I wanted to have with you.”
“Yes?” She seemed breathless, which pleased the animal lurking within me.
“I am a very possessive man, sometimes irrationally so. I mess up a lot and act on a whim. I am flawed beyond repair, but despite all my failings, I am loyal to a fault. I cannot tolerate anything less than complete exclusiveness. This is the only thing I am not willing to negotiate.”
Darkside Love Affair Page 25