by C. C. Wood
“Will you stop calling him Mr. Wonderful?” I snapped.
“Well, since I’ve never met the man, I can’t exactly call him by his name,” she said.
“His name is Charles Faulkner.”
“Oh, that’s a good name. Very strong and masculine.”
I rolled my eyes. My sister was a nutjob.
“So, do you have a date with Charles any time soon?” she asked casually.
“Yes. We have a date Friday night.”
“Great! I’ll watch Carolena for you. It’s been too long since I’ve seen my niece. Besides, the creatures will enjoy seeing their cousin.”
Her daughters were four and two, so they were the perfect playmates for Carolena.
“I don’t know, Leslie.”
“Great. I’ll pick up Jelly Bean at six. Will that give you enough time to get ready for your date?” she said, acting as though she hadn’t heard me.
“Okay.”
“See you Friday!” she chirped before she hung up.
With a sigh, I turned off my phone and set it on the desk. Somehow, my sister had made me forget all about my issues with Coop and now I was worried about Charles instead. I didn’t know whether I wanted to thank her or throttle her.
FRIDAY EVENING CAME too quickly. Charles texted me that morning to say that he would come by at 7:00 and make me dinner. I didn’t mention that Carolena would be out of the house. I was too busy freaking out about it myself. My daughter was usually in bed when Charles came over, but I still felt as though her mere presence in the house was a buffer between us.
I felt apprehension take root in my gut as the day dragged on, and, by five, I was a mass of nerves. I was glad that I didn’t run into Charles as I left the office. I hurried home, changed into jeans and a t-shirt, and tidied up the house a little.
At six on the dot, the doorbell rang and Leslie stood on my front porch, grinning. Her smug smile faded when she saw my outfit.
“Is that what you’re wearing?” she asked and I could hear the hint of disdain in her voice.
“Charles is coming over and cooking for me, so I didn’t think I needed to pull out the stilettos and mini skirt.”
She shook her head as she came into the house. “I’m beginning to think there’s no hope for you. That’s exactly when you should wear an outfit like that. You’re in the house alone with a gorgeous guy. You don’t want him to be able to keep his hands off you.”
I sighed, but didn’t respond and Leslie made a sound of disgust in her throat.
“Never mind,” she muttered. “Where’s my niece?”
Just as she asked, Carolena flew around the corner, screaming, “Leelee! Leelee!”
Leslie scooped her up. “Hey, Jelly Bean! You wanna come to my house tonight?”
Carolena clapped her hands and squealed in delight.
“Great, let’s go get your stuff,” Leslie said, heading up the stairs.
I followed her. “I have a bag of diapers and wipes for her by the door.”
My sister didn’t spare me a glance as she said, “Great. I just need to get her pajamas, toothbrush, and some clothes for her to wear tomorrow.”
“What?” I asked, scrambling up the stairs after her. “What do you mean, pajamas and toothbrush? You’re just keeping her for a few hours.”
Leslie stopped just outside Carolena’s room and smirked at me. “I never said that. I’m keeping her over night.”
“No, Leslie. She needs her breathing treatment and…”
“Well, go ahead and give her the treatment while I get her stuff together and then you can pick her up tomorrow morning…or early afternoon.”
I started to argue, but Leslie put a hand on my arm.
“Yancy, she’ll be fine with me. You know I’ll call you if there are any problems. Now that I’m looking at you, you definitely seem like you need a night to yourself.” She studied me carefully. “Is everything okay?”
I lowered my head so she wouldn’t see my eyes. “Yeah. Just busy at work,” I lied. I would tell her about Coop later. I didn’t want to go through the Inquisition when I wasn’t even sure what was going to happen. It would only cause them anxiety and multiply mine.
“Okay, well, get started with her treatment and I’ll pack her a bag.”
I did as I was told. The entire time I was having a mini, internal meltdown about the fact that, in a Carolena-free house, I could have sex with Charles. While my logical brain reminded me that I wasn’t wearing matching underwear and hadn’t showered since that morning, my body was asking me what the hell my problem was because I hadn’t had sex in over a year. Damn my sister for making me think about sex.
At 6:50, Leslie carried a smiling and waving Carolena out to her car. Before she got in, she looked back at me.
“I left you a present on your nightstand. Maybe you and Mr. Wonderful can use them tonight!” she yelled.
I immediately knew what she meant. That sneaky heifer left condoms in my bedroom. I shook my head and managed to resist flipping her the bird. I loved my sisters but they were nutty. Of course, while I’d been buried in books in high school, Leslie attended a liberal arts college and I think her minor was sleeping with every bum on campus. Fortunately, the bum she chose to marry turned out to be a decent guy once he graduated, shaved off his chin pubes, and got a job. Still, she had always been more sexually adventurous than I and I should have known that she would pull a stunt like this.
As they drove away, Carolena waved at me out the back window and tried to blow kisses. I smiled, but it still hurt a little to watch her leave. It always shocked me how well my little girl acclimated to my absence. It also made me a little sad, because it meant that she was used to it.
Feeling a little melancholy about my baby growing so quickly and a lot freaked out over a box of condoms on my nightstand, I went back into the house and did a quick tidy up of the kitchen. I didn’t bother to go upstairs because I knew seeing the box would just make my anxiety worse. The doorbell rang at seven on the dot. Charles stood on my porch, two grocery bags in his hands and a smile on his face.
As soon as he saw me, his smile faded. “What’s wrong? Did your ex bother you today?”
He came inside, put the bags on the floor, and, as he wrapped his arms around me, kicked the door shut with his foot. I stood in the circle of his arms for a few seconds before I relaxed into his embrace. I buried my face against his pectoral and looped my arms around his lean waist.
“Yancy?” he prompted.
I realized I hadn’t answered his question. “No, I haven’t heard from Coop since Monday. It’s just that my sister came by and picked up Carolena for a sleep over at her house. I don’t know why it made me sad because she’s done it before.”
The muscles in Charles’ torso tightened slightly before they released. “I’m sorry.” He cuddled me a little closer, stroking a hand over the back of my hair. He didn’t say anything else, which I appreciated.
All the doubts and questions I obsessed over earlier in the week faded. Charles wasn’t like Cooper and I knew better than to think he was cut from the same cloth. I’d decided that weeks ago, yet, as soon as I had to face Coop again, I lost my inability to trust men. That wasn’t Cooper’s shortcoming, that was mine. The reaction spoke to my own insecurities.
Finally, Charles released me. “Better?” he asked, brushing my hair off my face.
I nodded.
“Good. I brought steaks, broccoli rabe, and potatoes. Ready for me to make you dinner?”
I smiled. “Sure. What’s broccoli rabe?”
Charles laughed and grabbed the bags from the floor. “One of the few green vegetables that taste good. I heard about it on a show on Food Network.”
“You watch Food Network?”
“Yup. I’m a single guy. It was either fast food or cook for myself. Since fast food was giving me a gut, I decided I’d better learn how to make my own food.” He waggled his eyebrows at me. “Makes me an awesome catch, don’t you think?”
>
I rolled my eyes and laughed. “Maybe, if you weren’t so arrogant.”
“You like me,” he countered playfully.
I stared at his back as he walked toward the kitchen and murmured, “Yes, I do.”
Chapter Twenty
I SAT ON the counter and drank an excellent pinot noir while Charles got to work making our dinner. He wouldn’t even let me get utensils for him. He asked me to point to the cabinets where he could find them.
He was surprisingly adept in the kitchen. I watched as he put fingerling potatoes on a baking sheet, tossed them with oil and seasoning, and put them in the oven to roast. He seasoned the steaks and put those on a plate. Finally, he washed the broccoli rabe, which looked like baby greens with little florets of broccoli throughout. He put it in a sauté pan with garlic, oil, salt, and pepper.
While he cooked, we talked about everything and nothing. The conversation was light and fun. I quickly realized that he was trying to take my mind off of everything that had happened in the last week and I appreciated it.
Something else struck me, and not for the first time. Yet again, I was thinking that this was what I expected when I married Cooper. Not him cooking for me all the time, but sitting in the kitchen together while one or both of us made dinner. Nothing special, just the two of us together, talking. Now, it was Charles giving me what I’d always wanted.
My heart felt as though it were expanding to twice its size, and I recognized what I was feeling as happiness. While I had been content in my singleness for the past year and happy with my daughter, I knew something was missing. Something I seemed to be finding in Charles Faulkner, a man I’d disliked for the first few weeks I’d known him.
He started to move past where I sat on the counter, but I reached out and snagged his shirt, pulling him to me. He moved between my thighs, his arms coming around me. We simply looked at one another, saying nothing. Then, I kissed him.
It was sweet and tender, and it made tears prick the back of my eyelids. Charles released my mouth and one hand came up to tuck my face into the curve of his neck. He held me for a few moments.
After a while, he lifted his head and asked, “Better?”
I nodded and he kissed my forehead before returning to his culinary duties. I realized he thought I only needed comfort. He had no idea I was well on my way to falling in love with him.
I watched as he went about making dinner, thinking that falling in love with Charles wouldn’t be a mistake, even if we didn’t work out. He was the kind of man that would make me a better woman.
Suddenly, I was very glad my sister decided to take Carolena for the night.
DINNER WAS DELICIOUS. Charles insisted we eat it in the formal dining room and he lit the tapered candles I’d placed in the center as decoration. The steak was perfectly cooked, the potatoes crisp, and I learned that I liked the flavor of broccoli rabe. I also drank two glasses of wine. When we finished eating, Charles carried both of our plates into the kitchen and brought back two bowls of ice cream.
He set one in front of me. “I brought gelato from Paciugo. I didn’t know your preferences so I have panna cotta and pistachio.”
My mouth began to water. I loved going to Paciugo, especially during the summer. It was like an upscale ice cream shop, only with gelato, which I thought was better than ice cream. “Pistachio is my favorite flavor, but I also love the panna cotta and the tiramisu.”
Charles grinned. “Great.”
After we finished our gelato, I really was stuffed.
“Oh God, I’m full. That was so good, Charles. Thank you.”
He chuckled. “All part of my plan.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Plan?”
“Well, you see, one of my favorite movies came out on DVD this week and I was hoping we could watch it tonight.”
“What is it?” I asked, wondering if he was going to make me watch something really gory or violent.
“August: Osage County.”
I laughed. “I would love to watch that.”
He winked at me and carried our bowls into the kitchen. I followed him, thinking I’d tidy up before we began the movie, but Charles grabbed me and steered me toward the living room.
“No. You and I are going to sit down, relax, and watch a movie. There will be time to clean the kitchen later.”
I didn’t argue as he led me into the living room and sat me on the sofa. He left the room and came back a few minutes later with the DVD. Charles loaded it into the player and turned out the overhead lights, leaving a single lamp lit.
As the movie started up, he pulled my feet up and set them on the couch, arranging me so I was lying on the couch, then he squeezed in behind me.
“What are you doing?” I asked, holding back a laugh.
“Getting comfortable. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to stretch out and relax.”
He was right. I let the tension flow out of my muscles as he spooned up behind me, wrapping an arm around my waist. It was nice and it felt perfect.
About fifteen minutes into the movie, I realized there was no way I could concentrate on the film. I had no clue what was going on because my entire being was focused on the sensation of Charles’ body pressed against my back from shoulder to knee and the occasional brush of his fingers on the skin of my stomach where my shirt had ridden up slightly. The knowledge that we were alone in the house and the unopened box of condoms in my bedroom made me unable to think of anything but his hands on my body.
I looked over my shoulder at Charles. He smiled, more a quirk of his mouth than anything else. I turned over to face him and lifted a hand to trace his bottom lip with my finger.
His arms tightened around me as I focused my gaze on his lips.
“Kiss me,” I murmured.
I didn’t have to say it twice.
His mouth lowered to mine, coaxing my lips open for his tongue. I fell into the heady thrill I hadn’t experienced for a long, long time and I knew that this wasn’t a mistake. There was nothing but this moment.
We kissed, slowly, languorously, until my entire body felt hot. I moved closer and felt the length of his erection press against my stomach. Suddenly, my blood felt like lava in my veins, rushing quickly through my body and incinerating everything in its path.
Charles cupped my ass with one hand as the other skimmed up my ribs, brushing the side of my breast, before coming to rest on my neck. My own hands dove under the hem of his shirt, moving up his back. Growing desperate for more contact, I shoved the soft cotton higher and trailed my fingers down his spine.
He seemed as though he would be content to keep kissing me all night, but I wanted more. Unable to hold myself back, I wanted everything. I grabbed his shirt and yanked it over his head.
Charles stared at me, confusion and desire in his eyes. “Yancy, what are you doing?”
“I need you,” I said, my voice breaking over the words.
He seemed to understand exactly what I meant. “Are you sure?” His eyes were the color of the deepest part of the ocean, dark and mysterious.
I swallowed and replied firmly, “Absolutely.”
He lowered his face to mine once again, kissing me even harder and deeper than before. I felt as though I was melting into the cushions of the sofa. He seemed unsure as he trailed his hand from my neck and lightly over my breast. When I inhaled sharply, he paused and I understood that he was giving me a chance to pull away, to change my mind. Instead I arched my back so that my breast pushed more fully into his palm. I wasn’t sure where my brazenness originated. With the few partners I’d had, I was always shy the first few times we made love.
Charles smoothed his hand from my breast, down my torso, to the hem of my shirt. Quickly, he gathered the fabric in his hand and lifted if over my head. I gasped in surprise, but still didn’t stop him. I forgot to exhale as he traced the shape of my bra where it cupped my breasts. My head grew light when his mouth followed the same path.
“Breathe, Yancy.”
&n
bsp; Shivers ran along my skin and the air left my lungs in a rush. While I’d had good sex before, even great a time or two, nothing compared to what I was feeling now. I needed his hands and mouth on my skin as much as I needed oxygen.
I clutched his shoulders as he lowered his head to my chest again. As he moved his lips, tongue, and even the edge of his teeth across my sensitive skin, his hand framing the bottom curve of my breast as his thumb dragged across my nipple. The caress shot straight from my breast to the area between my thighs.
I threw my head back, panting, as he tugged the cup of my bra down and closed his mouth around the tip of my breast. “Oh, God.”
I tangled my fingers in the short strands of his hair and tugged. He lifted his head to kiss me again, his fingers tugging lightly on my nipple. My hands couldn’t stay still. I laid my palm flat on his chest. His skin was hot and the hair on his chest felt slightly rough.
As his mouth moved against mine and our tongues tangled, Charles placed his hand over mine, moving it down his body exactly where I wanted to touch him but was too shy to do it on my own.
He released my mouth, our lips barely touching. “Please touch me.”
I understood what he was asking but he didn’t move my hand the last few inches. He was letting me decide, something that made my heart pound harder and faster than it already was. If I wanted him to make love to me, I was going to have to show him.
Hesitantly, I cupped his erection through the denim of his jeans. Charles groaned softly, his mouth crashing down on mine again as I squeezed him gently before pressing my palm more firmly against his length.
I grew bolder as I felt him grow harder under my touch. My hands shaking, I dealt with the zipper and button on his jeans and slid my hand inside. As my fingertips met the velvety smooth head, Charles shuddered against me.
As I grew more avid in my exploration of his body, he seemed to loosen his hold on his control. My bra came off under the swift, economical motions of his hands and he used his mouth and hands on my breasts as he pushed his erection deeper into my grasp.