by J. H. Croix
Yet, the desire I felt with Charlie was unlike anything I’d experienced. This wasn’t my first rodeo. I’d had a few semi-serious relationships, but I’d never felt such a strong pull. Instead of the complications of her life driving me away, they drew me in. I admired the hell out of her.
She was smart as hell and obviously cared deeply for her family. Not everyone would step up the way she had for her mother. While I didn’t know the story behind how her niece ended up with her, it was just another piece of the puzzle that told me she was an incredibly loyal person. It worried me to see her trying to carry all of those burdens on her own.
With that in mind, I had surreptitiously asked Holly for some advice about ways to get her some help for her mom. As far as I knew, her mom hadn’t wandered off again in the last week or so, which was a relief.
Yet, long-term, it was an untenable situation. Much as Emily seemed to be older than her years and more than willing to help out, it didn’t make sense for them not to find help. Holly had gotten a gleam in her eyes when I asked. “You like Charlie,” she’d said bluntly.
I’d simply shrugged. She was spot on, but I didn’t think Charlie would appreciate me gabbing about the fact I happened to think she was sexy as hell.
Holly had filled me in that they’d provided Charlie with a list of possible home care providers, but she was concerned Charlie felt too guilty to follow up on it. I couldn’t help but agree. Holly had gone on to say she planned to push the issue and make the referrals herself if Olive wandered off again.
Leaning my palms against the shower wall at the station, I decided another impromptu visit to Charlie was in order. After I dried off, I zapped off a text to her, letting her know I’d be stopping by with pizza for Emily and her mother. I figured she couldn’t say no to that. With Waffle to tagalong with me, I picked up three pizzas because I’d noticed Emily practically ate an entire pizza on her own.
Charlie answered the door, her hair up in a knot. She looked as if she’d just gotten home from the office. She’d chucked her white lab coat, but she had on black slacks and a button down blouse. My eyes were immediately drawn to the valley between her breasts. Because, yeah, I had it that bad.
Damn. If I’d known this was how she looked under her lab coats, I was fairly certain I’d have kissed her the first time I ever laid eyes on her. She was so tempting. Managing to drag my eyes up, I caught her gaze waiting. A flush crested her cheeks. “Hi, I just got your text.”
Before I had time for a reply, Emily skidded across the room on her socks, almost bumping into me. I thought she was going to take the pizza, but her entire focus was on Waffle. With barely a greeting to me, she dashed off to fling herself on the floor on a small circular rug in front of the couch where Waffle obligingly followed.
Catching Charlie’s eyes, I smiled. “How’s it going?”
Opening the door wide, she gestured me through. “Oh, you know. Busy day at work. Every day when Mom doesn’t wander off, I figure that’s a win.”
Following her across the living room into the kitchen, I glanced around, wondering where her mother was and fighting the urge to slide my hand down her spine. She looked weary, and I wanted to pull her close and tell her it would all be okay. I distantly wondered if I’d lost my ever-loving mind.
Thank fuck I had something to do with my hands. Setting the pizzas down, I looked over where she stood by the refrigerator. “Beer? Wine?”
“Beer will do. Every time,” I said simply.
When she flashed a small smile my way, my cock twitched. I sternly ordered it to behave. Charlie handed me a beer after removing the cap. She poured herself a glass of wine before turning around and leaning her hips against the counter, her eyes scanning the living room area.
“Em would love it if you’d just leave Waffle here,” she said with a little chuckle.
I looked over to see Emily stretched out on the rug, petting Waffle. Waffle, of course, would probably be happy to stay here. She was attached enough to me, but she was a total attention whore.
Catching Charlie’s eyes, I shrugged. “She can come visit whenever you want. Where’s your mom?”
“She’s asleep. She sleeps a lot,” she said softly. “I was going to text you and tell you not to bring too much pizza but…” Her words trailed off as her gaze flicked to the three boxes.
“No worries. I’m sure Emily will eat the leftovers, right?”
Charlie laughed softly, the sound low and melodic. Fuck me. Even her laugh was sexy. I couldn’t quite believe that I’d been nothing more than annoyed with her when I first met her. But I could chalk that up to being annoyed about my shoulder. I suddenly remembered something.
“Hey, when Sandy called to remind me about our appointment, she said I was scheduled with Dr. Johnson.”
Charlie‘s cheeks flushed. Okay, this was officially ridiculous. All she had to do was blush and blood shot to my groin. If she hadn’t blushed, I might’ve bought her excuse.
“Oh, it’s nothing. Just an availability thing.”
I held her gaze, taking a slow swallow of my beer. “You’re lying.” I couldn’t keep the grin from tugging at the corners of my mouth.
Her cheeks were stained pink, the flush deepening as she looked at me. She took a gulp of her wine and gave her head a little shake. I’d have given anything to climb inside her mind and see just what she was thinking right then.
“Fine. I think it’s best if you see Dr. Johnson.”
“Why?”
Her lips tightened and her eyes narrowed as she looked at me. I was pushing her, and I damned well knew it. But I didn’t care. I was going to make her explain.
“Jesse, you know,” she murmured quickly before she took another sip of wine.
“No, actually I don’t. I wouldn’t be asking if I did.” I didn’t quite know why I needed her to be straight with me on this, but I did. I supposed it might have had something to do with the fact I could hardly stop thinking about her, and I wanted to know if she maybe, just maybe, had the same issue with me.
She glanced over to Emily and Waffle and then back to me before angling her body toward me. “Jesse, do I have to spell it out? You kissed me. I can’t have a professional relationship with you and kiss you,” she hissed.
“Oh, it wasn’t a one-way street, you kissed me too,” I countered.
She almost spit out the wine she’d just sipped. She snagged a paper towel off the roll mounted above the counter. After quickly wiping her lips, she dabbed at the drop of wine that landed on her neck and was rolling down between her breasts.
I’d have given just about anything to lick that. While I might have been having naughty thoughts, I wasn’t going to do anything about it in front of our audience.
“Fine. So I did,” she said quickly as if that was the end of the conversation
Oh, hell no. Holding her gaze for a long moment, I shook my head slowly. “Why should it matter? If it was just one kiss, there’s no reason to worry. I promise to be nothing but professional. Unless you were hoping for more…”
Her nostrils flared as she took a deep breath, which also conveniently stretched her blouse across her breasts. Her nipples were taut, pressing against the thin fabric.
After a moment, she laughed. “I can’t do this conversation. Not right now.”
That was enough for me.
I carried the last plate over to the dishwasher, pausing for a moment to enjoy the sight of Charlie bent over the dishwasher as she put the silverware in the basket. I had some ideas, and I wasn’t about to walk away tonight without more of a taste of her.
The house was quiet. Charlie had checked on her mother a bit ago and reported her sound asleep, while Emily had gone off to bed as well. Charlie straightened, and I handed the plate to her. After putting it in the rack, she closed the dishwasher, tapping the button to start it. A soft hum filled the room.
She turned to face me, curling her hands on the edge of the counter. Her lips parted and her breath came out softly.
Somewhere along the way tonight while I’d been busy being nothing but appropriate in front of Emily, Charlie had pulled the pins out of her hair. It fell around her shoulders now. She’d also changed out of her slacks into a pair of cotton pants. They rested low on her hips and swung around her ankles. Yet, she’d kept her blouse on, which only tempted me to unbutton it.
I took a step, closing the distance between us. I expected her to maybe, just maybe, shimmy away from me. But she didn’t.
She simply looked at me. Her sharp features were softened with her hair down, and her cheeks pinkened as we stared at each other.
“So, I’ll see Dr. Johnson from now on. Does that mean I get more than one kiss?”
With every word I spoke, the flush deepened on her cheeks. I could see the rapid flutter of her pulse along the downy skin of her neck. With any other woman, I would’ve thought this was just a little fun. But with Charlie, I felt electrified. My need for her was so intense, I’d have to beat it back with a stick to stop it.
She caught the corner of her bottom lip with her teeth, worrying it. I thought she was thinking, but that only served to ratchet up the need lashing at me. She caught my eyes and I saw something flicker in the depths. It disappeared as quickly as it came, but it made my heart squeeze. That unfamiliar need to protect, to try to ease the burdens she carried, rose inside in response to whatever I’d seen in her eyes.
“My life is kind of messy,” she finally said softly.
“Isn’t everyone’s?” I countered.
A startled laugh escaped. “I’m pretty sure not everyone moved all the way across the country to try to make their mom happy, only to find out she was already too senile to enjoy it. I’m also pretty sure not everyone is taking a crash course in parenting a 15-year-old who’s pretty cranky most of the time. That’s what I mean by messy,” she said bluntly.
“I know all that, tell me something new.” I distantly wondered why I wasn’t reacting to these details. They were the plain circumstances of her life, yet they didn’t rattle me. Rather, they fed into my drive to protect her, which in turn, fed into my need for her.
She still didn’t move and her breath came in shallow puffs. It was taking all I had not to kiss her. But I didn’t.
“That’s not enough?” she asked.
“To chase me away?”
Another startled laugh slipped out. She snatched up her almost empty wine glass on the counter beside her, gulping it down quickly. The last drop escaped, and she caught it with the tip of her tongue, which only tightened the need coiling inside of me.
“Well, I think any sane man would run,” she finally said.
“Well, then I guess I’m crazy.”
I closed the distance between us and fit my mouth over hers. The moment my lips met hers, she stiffened for a flash, the air nearly electric around us, and then she let out a low moan, opening her mouth and inviting me in. Her hand slid up to cup my nape, gripping my hair tightly. I swept my tongue into the warm welcome of her mouth, a sweet, wild heat. We kissed hungrily, greedy for each other. What I meant to be just a kiss, just like the need beating like a drum in my body, it became so much more than that.
Because, you see, with Charlie, there was no calculation. Whatever it was between us, the force was beyond my control. Threading a hand into her hair, I nearly devoured her mouth. I dimly realized I was gripping the edge of the counter tightly. Releasing my hand, I slid it down her spine, so I could cup her sweet ass and rock my arousal into her.
We were practically feral. Her leg curled around my calf, and she flexed into me. Her hand slid up under my shirt, the feel of her palm against me sending little lightning bolts everywhere under the surface of my skin.
Waffle gave a soft woof, the sound barely breaking through the fog of need. My mind was hazed with nothing more than an intense yearning for Charlie. Tearing free of our kiss, I let my forehead fall against hers, murmuring, “I think Waffle hears something.”
Opening my eyes, I found her smoky gaze waiting. A soft sound came from her throat, my heart kicking against my ribs in reply. She laughed, a raspy low chuckle.
Gathering myself, I lifted my head and glanced over my shoulder. It must’ve been a dream because Waffle was sound asleep again, one of her back legs kicking in her sleep.
“I probably…” Charlie’s words trailed off.
I sensed she was about to tell me this probably shouldn’t happen in the kitchen with her mother and niece upstairs.
“Walk with me,” I said. “It’s okay for you to leave for a little bit, right?”
She held my gaze, her eyes assessing. I didn’t know what she saw there. All I knew was I wanted her. After a moment, she nodded. “For a little bit. Em’s fifteen, she’d rather have the house to herself every night, and Mom’s out once she’s in bed. But not long,” she cautioned.
I lifted a hand, brushing her hair out of her eyes, catching sight of that streak of purple. “I didn’t mean for you to spend the night. My place is only a five-minute walk away. You can walk Waffle home with me.”
We were talking, but leaving some things blank. The blanks were already filled in my mind.
“Okay,” she said slowly. “I can walk Waffle home with you.”
As I sifted my fingers through her hair, I caught the purple streak and twined it around my finger. “Where did this come from?”
“Emily did it. I was trying to bond with her. I like it,” she said with a soft smile.
“I love it,” I replied. I didn’t say aloud that it reminded me of kissing her. On the outside, she was uptight, but when she let down her guard, she was like sweet fire.
Chapter Eight
Charlie
We walked through the falling darkness with Waffle bounding ahead. The air was crisp and chilly, winter holding onto it by the teeth until spring could snatch it back.
Stars spread across the sky, glittering like diamonds. Our breath was misty in the air. I was so hot inside, I barely noticed the chill. I idly wondered if I was half out of my mind.
A small part of my brain was squeaking that I needed to hurry back home. The more rational part reminded me that I went to work every day, and Emily went to school. I could be gone for a little while. Considering that I’d set up an alarm on the home, which would alert my phone when any doors were opened, I knew it was fine to leave. Em had been all on board with that plan. If I’d worried she was the kind of kid to try to sneak out on her own, I now knew that was a pointless worry.
I supposed I was freaking out because the need spinning through my veins almost frightened me with its intensity. It was born from a part of myself I had shut down so fiercely under the weight after my father and sister had died. Layering on top of that was learning how to hold together what little was left of my family. What a hodgepodge we were.
I had missed, desperately missed, being carefree. With Jesse’s hand warm around mine, his grip strong and firm, I simply walked with him. We hadn’t spoken further. I wanted to tumble into this fire between us and forget, even if only for a little while, the weariness I’d been carrying inside for so long.
Not that I had doubted him, but I was surprised when we came into a clearing within a few minutes. There was a path from our house to his through the trees. I guessed it had been there for a long time with other neighbors meandering between homes.
As though he read my mind, he spoke, “That’s an old ski trail. It carries on past to the other side of your property as well. This area used to be owned by a single family.” He paused, gesturing in the direction where the road ended. “They used to have trails all over and let people ski here. That was before I even moved here, but I learned about it when I bought my property.”
Nodding, I looked up at the sky and inhaled a breath of crisp air. A half moon hung over the mountains in the distance, casting enough silvery light in the sky for the hulking shape of the mountains to be illuminated in the darkness.
Waffle had run ahead and was waiting on a back deck. There was
just enough light with my eyes adjusted to the darkness to see his home. It was a medium-sized, single-story house. The roof came up to a low point in the center of the roofline. Still holding my hand, Jesse walked me through the backyard onto the deck. Floor to ceiling windows ran along the length of the deck with a pair of French doors in the middle.
He opened a door, and Waffle dashed through. As we stepped inside, two lamps came on in the back corner and a light overhead, offering a soft glow in the room. I presumed the lights were set on motion detectors. Glancing around, I took in the space. We’d entered into the living room. There was a sectional couch with a television mounted on the wall to one side and a small woodstove in the back corner.
To the other side where the hardwood floor met tile was the kitchen. A counter ran along the back wall with the sink in the center, the dishwasher to one side and the refrigerator to the other. Opposite that was a curved island, which served as a divider between the rooms. On one side was the stovetop and oven, and on the other, stools for seating.
The colors were basic, everything a soft gray. Catching his eyes, I smiled. “This is nice,” I said, my voice sounding loud in the quiet room.
He shrugged. “Thanks. I had it built by a local crew—Amelia and Lucy. They run Kick Ass Construction and happen to be friends of mine.”
I’d seen the sign for the company downtown, but I hadn’t known it was run by women. I laughed, liking the idea. “Well, they do nice work,” I said, scanning the rest of the space. To the back were a doorway and a small hallway where I could see several doors on either side.
When my eyes landed on Jesse’s again, his gaze darkened. “So…” he said softly.
I didn’t know what to say, but nothing more than the sound of his voice sent my belly into a flip.