I growled, startling the waitress, but Gerald didn’t hear or didn’t care. I glanced over my shoulder and saw the disappointment on Charlie’s face. It was hard not to see it. The waitress even looked sad for her.
John wrapped his arm around her shoulders and smiled. “It’s day one of dieting for her. It’s the worst day.”
I shifted. I wanted to punch him in the throat so he’d shut the fuck up.
The waitress beat me to shutting him up, though. “You’re dieting? Honey, you’re barely there as it is. Why don’t I bring you something delicious, instead? Our chef, Brady, makes a mean pizza.”
John opened his mouth, but it was Charlie’s voice that sounded. “That actually sounds amazing. You’re right. A diet sounds terrible.”
Gerald tried to get a word in, but the waitress just smiled and sauntered off. I was going to throw down at least twenty for her tip before we left.
“There are cameras here, Charlotte. Do you really want to be caught looking like a pig?” John grunted. “You’re wearing white, for God’s sake.”
“I need to go to the bathroom. Let me out.”
“The journalist with The Morning will be here soon. Just hold it.” Gerald’s voice was dismissive as he scrolled through his phone. “Have you finished the last chapters of the book yet?”
I turned around and stared down at John. “I’ll take Charlotte to the bathroom to be sure she’s safe. If you’ll just step out of the way.”
He looked like he was ready to argue, but I gently squeezed his shoulder and smiled coldly at him. I wanted to rip his arms off and I was sure that he could see it in my eyes. He immediately scooted out of the booth and let Charlie slip out.
The slits in her dress showed me a lot of leg that I couldn’t look away from as she stood. She cleared her throat and when I looked up, she was staring up at me with her lip clenched between her teeth. I couldn’t tell how she was feeling, but I couldn’t imagine that catching me checking her out while dealing with the two assholes at the table was a welcome sight.
I caught her elbow and gently pulled her away from the table and down the long hallway that led to the bathrooms. It was darker than the rest of the restaurant there and gave a false sense of privacy. As soon as we were farther down the hallway, Charlie stopped and leaned against the wall, breathing out a deep exhale.
“I can’t do this.”
I glanced around and saw a door marked Exit and tugged her towards it. I pushed it open, paused to make sure no alarms were going to sound, and then took us both through it. Out of the building, we were suddenly submerged in the darkness of the back alley of the place. Tall brick walls surrounded us, the heavy scent of cigarette smoke and wet pavement hung in the air, and chain-link fence closed us in on one side. The exit from the alley was a small opening, just as dark as the belly of the alley, opening up into what looked like another back alley.
When the door clicked closed behind us, I heard the small gasp of surprise from Charlie as the darkness became almost oppressive. I stepped closer to her and rested my hands on her arms. Lightly rubbing, I couldn’t help chuckling.
“I thought you could use a few seconds to relax, but this is a little darker than I planned for.”
Charlie’s hands brushed against my chest and then rested there, just over my pecs. “Anything is better than being in there right now.”
I did my best not to flex and inched closer to her. “Want me to kick their asses? They’re definitely in fine form tonight.”
“How long do you think we can hide out here before they start freaking out?”
My eyes were adjusting to the dark and I saw that her lip was tucked in between her teeth again. I lightly brushed my thumb over it, pulling it free. My dick turned to steel as she licked her lower lip and the tip of her tongue slid over the pad of my thumb. My brain stunted, I smoothed over her lips and held her face in my hand. “You shouldn’t chew on your lip so much.”
Her breath was shaky, but she didn’t move away. “Why not?”
I threw caution to the wind and stepped even closer. Our thighs and chests brushed against each other. I grunted and my free hand found its way to her hip. “When you bite your lip, I can’t help but think about sinking my own teeth into that pouty lip. I want to taste you.”
Charlie started to bite her lip again, but squeaked and shuddered. “Just when I bite my lip?”
I shook my head and slid my arm around her back, pulling her flush against me, letting her feel how much I wanted her. “So far, it’s pretty consistent.”
She licked lips again and then looked up at me with heat in her eyes. “And if I bit my lip right now?”
I stroked her throat with my thumb and moved my hand into her hair. Pulling her face closer to mine, I hesitated with our lips a breath apart. “I’m going to kiss you.”
“If I bite my lip?”
I shook my head. “Either way.”
Her hips pressed firmer against mine and her hands on my chest moved to my sides. “What are you waiting for?”
I looked down at her mouth and then back into her eyes. There was weight behind the choice I made. If I pulled back, I doubted I’d get a chance to get that close to her again. If I kissed her, I felt like I was getting into something. Something messy that wouldn’t wrap up pretty with a bow and a goodbye blow job in the parking lot.
I was fucked either way. When her fingers tensed at my sides and her breath held, I dove into whatever it was going to be. I slipped my mouth over hers and felt warm silk.
As soon as our mouths touched, I knew I’d made the right choice. She melted into me. Her body pressed completely against mine, her arms locked around me, and what was meant to be a soft kiss quickly turned hot.
I pressed my mouth firmly against hers, loving the feel of her body giving under mine. She came alive against me, though. Gone was the submissive Charlie from the table. She stroked her tongue over my lips and into my mouth when I groaned. She tasted like lemon and mint as her tongue stroked over mine.
Warning bells were a thing of the past. In that moment, I couldn’t hear or think about anything else around us.
She tilted her head and I kissed her deeper, biting that lower lip the way I’d wanted to since I first saw her. Her nails bit into my back and I slipped my hand down to her ass, gripping it tight. Charlie’s leg came up and she wrapped her thigh around my hip, pushing her body harder against mine. It still wasn’t enough.
I easily lifted her against me and pushed her against the wall behind her. Both of her legs wrapped around me and I felt the heat of her core over my jean-clad erection. Her mouth slipped from mine and her head fell back against the brick behind her.
“Oh, God.” She looked at me through heavy eyes and licked her lips. “This should be illegal.”
I pushed my hips into her and bent my head to taste the smooth skin of her throat. My heart was beating wildly in my chest, something about Charlie making everything feel brand-new. My dick throbbed painfully in my pants and I could feel the excitement beading at the tip of me.
Charlie shoved her hands in my hair and pulled my mouth up. “Kiss me.”
I did as I was told, kissing her hard. Our teeth bumped, she bit and pulled at my lip, I licked her mouth. It was messy and hot, so fucking out of control that I didn’t know what was happening next.
Her body arched against mine and I rocked my hips into her core again and again. The little mewls of pleasure and moans made me go faster and harder. I squeezed her ass harder and pulled at her hair. She scratched my shoulders and then her entire body stiffened and she let out a little scream into my mouth.
Realizing she’d just come while we dry-humped like a couple of kids in an alleyway did a few things to me. First, I had to bury my face in her neck and ball my fists up on the wall behind her head to try to regain control and not embarrass myself like I hadn’t done since I was a kid. Second, it made me aware of where we were and what we’d just done. Anyone could’ve seen us. She was supposed to be
married.
Charlie’s pants were little puffs of air into the side of my head as she came down. Her body loosened and, slowly, her legs lowered to the ground. She kept her arms around me and groaned into my ear. “Well…”
I tried to laugh, but it came out like a growl. “Yeah.”
“Um… What… You…” She took a deep breath. “I, uh, I don’t know what to say. I’m a little embarrassed.”
I lifted my head and looked down at her. A crooked grin lifted one side of my mouth as I shrugged. “Sex in the bathroom is off limits—right?”
She lifted an eyebrow, even as her cheeks reddened.
“Yeah, I thought so.” I pushed back from her and turned away to adjust myself in my pants to try and hide the massive erection still hanging out there.
Charlie surprised me by wrapping her arms around me from behind. “They’re going to think I’m pooping.”
That time I did laugh.
Chapter 15
Charlie
Sitting through the rest of dinner was excruciating. My mind was all over the place. When my meal was delivered, I barely picked at it. The waitress looked disappointed in me and I wanted to tell her that I wasn’t not eating because of some big dieting plan but because I’d just had an orgasm in the alley behind their restaurant. That seemed like an overshare, though. I couldn’t focus. Part of me was horrified that I’d just had said orgasm in said alleyway. Another part of me was wondering when I could get Tucker alone and finish what we’d started. Yet another part of me was freaking out because I’d had to slip my panties off in the bathroom and I was not okay with being next to John and Gerald without panties on.
I kept finding myself looking over at Tucker. He had his back to the table, but I could tell he might as well have been sitting at our table with the way his shoulders tensed every time John spoke. I was having trouble thinking past his mouth and the huge bulge that had rubbed me just the right way outside.
A wave of anxiety came every few minutes. I couldn’t help but panic about what we’d done. Anyone could’ve seen us. I could’ve ruined my entire career in the matter of one orgasm. One really good, I-want-to-do-it-again orgasm. Plus, what if Tucker lost his shit and outed me? What if he told some tabloid that I was easy and practically begged him for it? What if it was awkward when we got back home, and what if he quit and took Spark with him? Of course he would take her. She was his cat.
Sadness washed over me. I loved that cat. He would quit and take her and then tell everyone that the smudge on the back of my dress was from being pressed against a dirty brick wall.
I had to remind myself that I was in a public restaurant, so I couldn’t drop my head to the table and groan about my life. I couldn’t look like I was losing my cat. Well, not my cat. Someone else’s cat. Still.
Another wave of lust hit me and I looked up to find Tucker looking at me. His eyes burned and moved down to my mouth, where I was chewing the shit out of my lip. I gasped and looked away as Gerald stared at me.
“What’s going on with you? You’re acting strange.”
John snorted. “Nothing new.”
I knew my face was bright red and faked coughing to try to cover some of it up. That same waitress appeared and refilled my glass of water.
“Are you okay?”
I nodded and forced a laugh. “I’m fine. Just swallowed wrong.”
Gerald patted my hand on top of the table. “She’s being generous. We think she’s coming down with something. As much as we’re enjoying our dinner, I think we’re going to have to turn in early. Get this one home and in bed.”
I tuned out and tried to imagine life after that orgasm. Would Tucker leave? Would he stay and we’d sneak around, hooking up? It was this whole other layer of a lie that I didn’t want, but knew I’d probably end up doing it if those orgasms kept coming. When was I going to fit in time for orgasms with Tucker? I was already so busy. I didn’t think I could do it. If I cut my sleep down to three hours, instead of four, I could work him in, but I’d be exhausted. What if I fell asleep during sex? Worse, what if he fell asleep during sex? If he fell asleep in me, would he soften or would I have to be there with his larger-than-average penis in me all night?
“Charlotte!” Gerald’s harsh whisper grabbed my attention. When I looked up at him, his eyes were pissed, even as his face read docile. “I’ve been calling your name. Where are you?”
“Valet brought the car around. Are you ready?” Tucker’s voice was cold as he addressed Gerald.
There were so many subtexts happening at that table that I almost laughed. I shook my head and scooted out of the booth. I wanted to go home and bury my head under my pillow. I needed to sleep because my brain had gone into a weird mode.
Maybe I wasn’t cut out for orgasms, because I was pretty sure that Tucker had melted my brain. Wasn’t that embarrassing? All it took was a few seconds of dry-humping and I was out of my mind.
A hand at my back dragged me back to attention and I cringed when I realized it was John touching me. He leaned closer and put his mouth right up against my ear. “People are going to be taking pictures. If you could act less like a stupid bitch and more like a doting wife, that’d be great.”
I forced a smile on my face, but I’d had enough for the night. I leaned into him and lowered my voice. “Remember that no one is here to see you, John. I’m not the doting wife. You’re the doting husband. It’s my name—and then, if you’re lucky, the publications put your name.”
His grip on my arm was punishing, but I didn’t let it show. Instead, I held my head up high and marched out of that restaurant like I knew I had to. Sweet and approachable, Charlotte Crier-Banks was fine. She wasn’t reeling from an encounter with her hotter-than-sin bodyguard. She wasn’t so tired that her brain had started to trip over its own loops. She was absolutely just fine.
We were in the car and headed home faster than John could do any more retaliating. Tucker was good at getting us out of places. He drove with a stern look on his face, his eyes steady on the road. He didn’t look back at me this time. I sat there, beside John, and did my best to be Charlotte. Being untouchable would be nice for a while.
Gerald talked, but mostly it was to John. My career was steady, he always told me. My trajectory was clear. Up was the way. If I kept doing what I was doing, I’d be global. He had to work more to make sure John had the same kind of chances. If I’d actually wanted the fame they wanted for me, I would’ve been offended that John clearly got so much more attention. As it was, I was more than glad to hand Gerald over to John.
My stomach growled loudly and I clamped my hand over it. I’d been too distracted to eat. I was paying for it. Being Charlotte let me realize how fucking hungry I was. Charlotte was always hungry.
Tucker finally glanced back at me. “Hungry?”
“I’m fine.” I couldn’t meet his eye.
“There’s a burger place on the way back to the house. Do you want me to stop?”
Gerald scoffed suddenly. “Charlotte doesn’t need that trash. If she’s still hungry after that display at the restaurant, she can eat a salad at home.”
John grunted. “I don’t know. I’d love a burger. Maybe Charlotte can just get a side salad from there or something.”
“Charlie?” Tucker asked.
The car grew silent as the two assholes in the car finally caught that Tucker wasn’t calling me Charlotte. He was using a nickname they’d forbidden long ago. Charlie was as trashy as the food at that burger joint, according to Gerald. Charlie was a girl from the wrong side of the tracks who came from nothing. Charlie wasn’t going anywhere. Charlotte was the moneymaker. There was a distinct difference for Gerald and I could tell by the clenching of his jaw that he was irked.
“Charlotte can eat at home.”
Tucker slowed down. “Charlie? Burger, or no?”
The tension in the car was thick and uncomfortable and I thought about jumping out. Tucker had slowed down enough that I’d probably make it.
> To save an argument, I shook my head. “I’m fine with eating at home. Thank you, though.”
The rest of the trip was made in silence and I’d never been happier to see my house when we pulled up. Tucker did his security thing. He made sure everything was safe before ushering me inside. He pointedly pushed me in the direction of the kitchen while he made the rest of his rounds.
Exhaustion had settled in my bones, though. I was hungry, but I was more tired. I made my way to the stairs and slowly climbed them. Each step felt like a lifetime, but I made myself do it.
I could hear Gerald and John talking somewhere downstairs while Tucker’s footsteps carried from somewhere down there, too. More anxiety pooled in my stomach about the dynamic forming between the men. It would be easy for Gerald to fire Tucker. I didn’t want that. I didn’t know what I wanted from Tucker, but I liked having him around. I finally had someone I could talk to. If the kissing stuff didn’t mess it all up.
I stopped by the makeup room and grabbed a pack of makeup-remover wipes before going to my room. I took one of the wipes out and started scrubbing at my face as I walked into my bedroom. The plush carpet under my feet felt heavenly as I kicked my shoes off.
Spark rubbed against my ankles more neurotically than normal. I knew she’d already eaten, so it wasn’t that. She was just as panicked as I was for some reason. She meowed and even reached up to slap my legs.
“What is it?”
She tangled herself between my feet and caused me to trip. I fell forward, landing on my knees on the soft carpet, catching myself with my hands on the side of the bed. Looking up, I saw something flesh-colored in my bed.
Fear threatened to strangle me, but a scream still managed to tear from my throat. It was a scream Jamie Lee Curtis would’ve been jealous of. Shoving myself backwards, I landed on Spark’s tail and she hissed before running from the room. I pushed myself backwards and stumbled to my feet.
Black Dog Security- Complete 5-Part Series Page 40