More than Lovers

by Jess Dee

  So intense was his orgasm, Charlie simply collapsed when finally it passed.

  Too spent to do much else, he pulled out of her, clasped her around the waist and rolled them both to their sides, where he spent long moments trying to find his center again.

  Sarah had knocked it clear away.

  Chapter Four

  The vibration of her phone against the bedside table woke her.

  Sarah came to consciousness slowly, aware of two things. The persistent tremor of her mobile and the hard, warm body curled around her naked back.

  She was wrapped tight in Charlie’s embrace, the fronts of his legs pressed to the backs of hers, his groin nestled against her ass and his chest a solid mattress for her back.

  Sarah resisted the urge to purr. Charlie never fell asleep after sex. Never. Usually he kissed her sweetly after the deed, dressed and left. Or helped her dress and saw her to the door.

  But tonight, after tenderly wiping her clean with a warm, wet cloth, he’d tossed her lab coat on the floor, climbed into bed, pulled her close and they’d both fallen asleep.

  A first for them.

  She’d never have guessed Charlie was a cuddler. Not when he loved the freedom of being outdoors so much.

  Careful not to disturb the sleeping man, she reached out and answered her phone with a whispered hello.

  “Oh, hi. I’m looking for Sarah.”

  “Speaking.”

  “Hey there. This is Henry Mason. Charlie Hudson gave me your number.”

  Sarah blinked, surprised he’d phoned. She’d half expected him to toss her number in the bin.

  “Oh, yeah. Of course. Hi.” She spoke softly, but still Charlie shifted behind her.

  “Charlie said I’d be calling?”

  “Yeah. He told me earlier he’d given you my number.”

  Charlie stretched, rolling his chest along her back until it was pressed taut against her. He stretched his legs too.

  “Charlie seemed to think you and I had heaps in common. He insisted I give you a call.”

  “He told me that too.”

  The man in question relaxed again, curling back around her. His arm caught her around her waist and he dipped his hand low, brushing it over her belly.

  “Did I get you at a bad time?” Henry asked. “You’re talking very quietly.”

  “No, no. Not at all.” Sarah cleared her throat. “I, er, I was watching telly and must have dozed off.” What else could she say? That Charlie was holding her deliciously in his embrace after a wicked session of hot sex?

  “I woke you?” Henry sounded contrite. “I’m sorry.”

  She checked her bedside clock. 9:07 p.m. “Not your fault,” she reassured him. “It was a long day at work.”

  Charlie’s hand brushed even lower, finding the sensitive skin of her almost hairless mound. The breath left Sarah’s lungs in a whoosh.

  “Should I call back tomorrow?” Henry asked.

  “No, please. I’m just…yawning.”

  She grabbed at Charlie’s hand with her free one, but he simply batted it away and let his fingers explore lower still, finding her clit.

  She jerked against him, and Charlie let out a soft, breathy chuckle. Gently as could possibly be, he caressed her nub.

  Sarah twisted her head to glare at him. “I’m on the phone,” she mouthed in silence.

  “I know,” he mouthed back and kept on caressing, tilting his head towards the phone. “Concentrate.”

  “No worries,” Henry said. “I’ll be quick. How would you like to meet up with me? Maybe dinner over the weekend.”

  “That…that sounds lovely.” That felt lovely. Charlie’s finger soothed over her clit, his touch gentle and enticing. Exciting. “But I can’t this weekend. I have a couple of previous arrangements.” Charlie’s earlier suggestion rang in her ears. “How about Monday evening rather? I’m working late again, but we could meet for coffee after? Around eight thirtyish?” She dropped her head on Charlie’s shoulder as pleasure washed through her, warmth seeping from her groin, through to her belly and into all four limbs.

  He snuggled in closer, stroking her a little more firmly.

  Charlie the snuggler. She liked it.

  “Coffee sounds good. Where would you like to meet?”

  “Does Bondi suit you?” Sarah had to struggle to regulate her breathing. The last thing she needed was for Henry to hear her panting through the phone.

  God, what was Charlie doing? Thinking? And why wasn’t she trying to stop him?

  “Bondi is perfect.” He mentioned the name of a café on Hall Street. “Eight forty-five good for you?”

  “Sure is. Think I might have to have the chocolate mud cake there. It’s the best.” Sarah bent her leg, giving Charlie easier access. His movements were gentle but firm, and Sarah began to tremble. Usually she needed a lot more direct pressure before she started the climb to orgasm, but there was something about talking to another man on the phone while Charlie touched her that took her to new heights of arousal.

  It was the most erotic, wanton thing he’d ever done…and he’d done some pretty erotic stuff with her.

  Henry chuckled. “Maybe we’ll share one. I love it too. So, see you next week?”

  “See you next week.” Sarah smiled. Henry sounded nice.

  Charlie took advantage of her new position and slid his finger over her now slick folds.

  “Wait,” Sarah gasped, half-speaking to Charlie, begging him to hold off until she at least finished her call and half-speaking to Henry before he hung up. “How will I know who you are?”

  Charlie slid the finger inside her.

  “Oh, good question.” Henry paused. “How about I wear the cap I bought from Charlie when I took surf lessons from him? It has the Bondi Surf logo in front. Instant recognition.”

  Sarah laughed—a little too breathlessly for her own liking. She knew the logo well, since Charlie wore it almost every day. “Great idea.”

  Charlie nuzzled her ear.

  “See you on Monday,” Henry said. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  “Me too. See you Monday.” And they hung up.

  “Charlie—” She began to chastise him instantly, but he hushed her.

  “Shhh, beautiful. Don’t say a word. Just…feel.”

  “But I was talking to him. Henry.”

  “Yeah, I know who you were talking to.”

  “This was your idea, not mine. What are you doing, finger-fucking me while I spoke to him?”

  “Reminding you that you’re not just a brilliant brain. You’re a sensual, beautiful woman who drives me insane with wanting you. You’ll drive Henry insane as well. I promise.”

  “You’re the one driving me insane,” she grumbled as his finger glided inside her and out again, sweetly, relentlessly. But there was no fight in her, just delicious sensation.

  “Shh, Sar. Close your eyes, relax back against me and feel. No more talking.”

  How could she do anything but comply? Her eyelids slid shut and she let Charlie work his magic. She couldn’t talk, could breathe, couldn’t think…didn’t want to. Not when such delectable sensation poured over her, poured through her.

  Gone was the urgency of earlier. The desperate urge to have him inside, to feel him slamming into her as deep as he could get. This was all she needed now, the soft, soothing caresses, the exquisite tenderness, the sensual build and endless quiver of release as her climax took her.

  Not a wild explosion like before. This was more like a wonderful, gentle wave of relief. One that seemed to go on interminably, leaving her breathless and boneless.

  And when it ended, Charlie pulled her tight into his arms, kissed her on the forehead, and the two of them drifted back into sleep, neither of them stirring until the next morning.

  Charlie was right. Sarah and Henry had heaps in common, and they spent hours at the café the next Monday evening chatting. For once, Sarah didn’t feel like she was boring a man to tears about her work.

  Henry
was so fascinated with genetics, she found herself talking at length about her job and the research she was involved in, developing more effective chemotherapy treatments by establishing how various biochemical agents act on tumor cell DNA. The conversation was easy as Henry asked loads of questions. And when it was Sarah’s turn to ask about Henry’s work, he regaled her with stories about his experiences as an accountant working for a software company.

  She’d expected him to be dry and boring—maybe because she saw herself as dry and boring, and if Charlie thought she and Henry would hit it off, it was because he had to be similar to her.

  He wasn’t at all. He was funny and talkative and Sarah enjoyed herself immensely.

  She was quick to agree to meeting with him again sometime soon, simply because she liked his company so much.

  There were, however, no fireworks. Her heart didn’t pound erratically when she met him. Nor did it increase in tempo as the evening continued. But she had a blast with him and thought she and Henry would make great friends.

  Charlie had done good, and when she got home, she knocked on his door to tell him as much.

  He pounced the instant she walked inside. Her clothes were stripped from her body before she managed to utter a simple hello.

  So stunned was she by Charlie’s silent demands on her body—Charlie usually never stopped talking while they had sex—it took her a couple of minutes to find her voice.

  Her gorgeous, blond-haired, blue-eyed surfer dude hadn’t been himself of late.

  Yes, they visited each other for booty calls, and yes, they made no pretense it was anything more. But the last few days had found Charlie visiting her every evening—regardless of what time Sarah came home. And more than that, he spent the nights with her too. They slept together, as in closed their eyes and fell asleep slept.

  He’d even cooked her breakfast this morning.

  Sarah couldn’t remember if the two of them had even had a cup of tea during one of their booty calls. Food had never been a part of the deal. Sleep hadn’t either.

  Sarah wasn’t complaining. Not for a second. She adored Charlie’s booty calls. Sex with him was…orgasmic. Okay, multi-orgasmic. As for the cuddling after? Now that he’d started, Charlie didn’t stop. And he was quite the cuddler, holding her as tenderly as he would a newborn, nuzzling her hair, burying his nose in her neck.

  Sarah felt so safe and cherished in his arms, it was almost impossible to stay awake when he snuggled in. She just relaxed against him to a point of languid lethargy. Hours later she’d awaken to find the sun had risen while they’d slept together.

  It almost felt like they were in a relationship. Like they’d made a natural progression from being lovers to being more. And God help her, Sarah liked the progress. Now that she knew what it was like to wake up in Charlie’s arms, she could happily spend every night with him.

  But she wouldn’t fool herself into thinking their relationship was about more than sex. It wasn’t. No man involved in a relationship would actively shove another man—or three—down his partner’s throat. She and Charlie were no more than casual lovers.

  He made no bones about the fact that he expected Sarah to meet all three men he’d lined up. He seemed to have high hopes that one of them would be “the one” for her. The man she would ultimately settle down with long-term.

  Which confused the heck out of Sarah, but she couldn’t complain. She was having too good a time with him. Like now, for instance. Charlie had her on the floor, spread naked in front of him, using a gruff voice to insist she tell him all about the evening.

  Charlie asked only once, and as Sarah relayed the details, he buried his head between her legs, opened his mouth and feasted on her pussy.

  She came twice before she managed to tell him everything.

  The second date wasn’t quite as successful as the first.

  Myles Brenner, lawyer, was a good-looking guy. No question about it. Dark hair, brooding eyes and long legs, he turned more than one woman’s head as he strolled with her through Double Bay to a café of his choice.

  He’d insisted on collecting her rather than meeting her at the restaurant, and while at first Sarah had thought it quaint and gentlemanly, after a while his chivalry became stifling.

  As polite and mannered as he was, Myles was old-school all the way. He ordered for Sarah after finding out what she wanted. He applauded her dedication to her studies and work, though clearly frowned at her aspirations to remain at the uni long-term. Over the course of the evening Sarah came to understand Myles’s way of thinking. Women should, of course, be equal to men in every way, but he didn’t think he could ever work for a woman. The idea made him uncomfortable. Furthermore, he believed women were innately better at nurturing children than men, and so when the time came, he expected his wife and the mother of his children to stay at home and raise the kids.

  His somewhat archaic perception of life spurred an interesting discussion with Charlie later that night.

  After Sarah had made it clear Myles was nice but not for her, and after Charlie had fucked her senseless on the kitchen counter as the kettle boiled for tea, she broached the subject with him.

  “Char?”

  “Mmmm?” His cheeks were still flushed, his breath not quite back to normal. He looked criminally sexy.

  “Do you ever think about having a family of your own?”

  “Sure.” He took out a couple of mugs, popped some teabags in them and added hot water. “Why d’ya ask?”

  “Something Myles said this evening. About having children.”

  He paused to look at her, a cheeky glint in his eyes. “He wants you to have his kids? Already?”

  “Ha-ha, very funny. Not. No, we spoke in general, nothing so specific as me bearing his children.”

  His blue eyes turned dark. “When I see you sitting all naked on my kitchen chair, I want you to bear my children.”

  “Yeah, right,” she laughed. “I don’t have the energy to breathe after what you just did to me. I’m hardly going to find the oomph to make a baby now. Besides, you’re getting sidetracked again.”

  “I always get sidetracked when you’re naked. Now, what about children?” He added a splash of milk to one mug, then held the bottle up to her in question.

  She shook her head. “Black, one sweetener.” Funny how after all this time he never knew how she liked her tea. “You ever wonder what kind of father you’ll be? Involved, stay-at-home, working?”

  “Involved. Very involved.”

  “Like stay-at-home involved?”

  He handed her the tea with a thoughtful expression. “I’m not sure. Never considered it that deeply. I guess it would have to be the kind of thing my wife and I decided together. Who stays home, who raises the kids. Do we do it jointly? Would one of us take the role of primary caretaker or would we split it?”

  “So when the time comes you see yourself with a wife, not a partner?” She tried not to show her astonishment. She’d just assumed Charlie would never get married.

  “Yeah. I’m traditional that way. I want to do it like my parents did. Married and committed.” He took a long sip of tea, looking thoughtful. “When I picture myself with kids, I don’t really see the early years. I see us all at the beach. Me, my wife, the kids. Swimming, playing. I’m teaching the kids to surf.”

  “Kids, as in plural?”

  “Yeah. I want a few. Maybe three or four.”

  Sarah blinked. “That many?” She’d always thought two would be a good number. One more than her single-child status.

  He smiled. “I come from a big family. Grew up with three sisters and a brother. Can’t imagine not having a big family of my own.”

  Again Sarah blinked. “I’ve known you for ages and had no idea you even had siblings.”

  “Four of them. I’m the baby.”

  “What else don’t I know about you?”

  He wrinkled his nose. “I’m not sure, Sar, since I don’t know what you do know about me.”

&n
bsp; “Very little, apparently.” The realization distressed her. “How could we spend so much…intense time together and yet I know so little about you?”

  “Hey, don’t look so worried. You know the important bits. Like what turns me on and what gets me all horny, and you know exactly what to say or do at just the right moment.”

  “But…but apart from sex, I don’t know anything about you. Like your favorite color or your lucky number or your parents’ names or what school you went to or who your best friend was growing up. Heck, I didn’t even know you have three sisters and a brother or that you’re the baby of the family and you want children.”

  “Okay, let’s see. In order… I don’t have a favorite color or number, but if you pressed me I’d say red and eight. Red to match your hair and eight because my birthday’s on the eighth of the eighth. My parents are Walter and Elizabeth, but everyone calls them Huddo and Liz. I went to Cronulla Public and my best friend was Wes Brown. He’s still my best mate, but he lives in California now. Followed the waves and a woman there. And yes, before you ask, I miss him. As for my family, present and future, well, now you know.” Charlie leaned forward and tucked a curl behind her ear. “Don’t look so upset, beautiful.”

  “I am upset. In the last week, I’ve been on two blind dates and found out more about two complete strangers than I know about you.”

  Charlie sat back and opened his hands. “I’m an open book. Ask whatever you want to know.”

  Sarah chewed on her lip. “Okay, the best movie you’ve ever seen?”

  “I have two. The Godfather and A Fish Called Wanda.”

  Maybe those two weren’t a surprise. She’d heard Charlie quote both of them on several occasions. “Favorite subject at school?”

  Charlie grinned at her. “That’s a trick question. I didn’t have one. Hated school too much.”

  Sarah knew that. Charlie made no bones about the fact that he’d dropped out of school the minute he was legally able.

  “Right, political beliefs. Labor Party or Liberal?”

  A second before he answered she knew what he was going to say.