Reaching up, he cupped her cheek and kissed her lips. They were soft kisses. Gentle kisses. Shy kisses. Charlotte was warm and sleepy in his arms and with nothing but the moonlight over them, she was beyond lovely.
She moved over him until she was straddling him. The blanket fell open, and her breasts pressed against his bare chest and it felt so good, so perfect, it had him taking those soft, sleepy kisses a little deeper. His tongue licked at her lower lip and she sighed as she opened for him, her own tongue easily meeting his.
With his hands moving up to anchor in her hair, Julian held her close, devouring her mouth and moving against her, cursing the fact that he had on sweatpants. If he could, he’d—
But Charlotte was one step ahead of him. With nimble fingers, she pulled his waistband down and together they worked to slide the garment off him. He broke the kiss and looked at her. Making love outside hadn’t been on his agenda when he’d asked her to join him. The feel of her silky skin, her warm breath dancing across his own, and the things her hands were doing to him were more than enough incentive to convince him.
“Please,” she whispered breathlessly against his lips, her hips moving against him, seeking what she wanted.
What they both wanted.
She kissed his throat, his shoulder, and down to his chest. Her tongue circled his nipple and he hissed out a breath—he was harder than a man should be who had already come three times. And yet…he was more than ready to go a fourth time.
“Charlotte,” he said, gripping her hair and bringing her mouth back to his. Their kiss was wild and untamed, bordering on brutal. Gone was the sleepy woman, and in her place was his every fantasy come to life.
It was easily three in the morning and there wasn’t a soul around, and they were sheltered by the deck so no one would see them, and yet it felt a little decadent, a little naughty to be outside like this—naked except for a thin afghan to cover them.
But when Charlotte straightened and the afghan draped around her hips, Julian looked at those perfect breasts in the moonlight and he was lost.
Again.
Only this time, he would be more than happy if he was never found.
Chapter 7
It was a good thing they’d had that perfect night, because for the two weeks after it, things were less than idyllic.
As Charlotte shut down her laptop and slid it into her briefcase, she yawned loudly. Two of her coworkers had quit, and she’d had to take on more cases than she could comfortably handle. On top of that, Hank had called because they had two families come to the shelter with a combined ten kids and he wanted her advice on developing some sort of children’s program for them.
Her eight-to-five workdays had morphed into seven-to-seven workdays—and that was if she was lucky.
Julian had been wonderful through it all—when she stayed at his place, he always had her coffee ready and then sat out on the deck with her so she could still get a beach fix in the morning. He’d brought lunch to her almost every day and managed to have dinner either ready or delivered every night whether they stayed at his place or hers.
And that was an experience.
The first night she had called to say she was working late and was just going home, he had met her there with a bag of Chinese takeout. Her nerves had been more than a little frazzled at the thought of him seeing her tiny apartment. Her entire place could fit in the living room of his place. But Julian being Julian, he never commented on it.
He had, however, commented on how small her bed was and all the reasons why they should just stay at his place.
After three nights in her full-size bed with him, she agreed.
Her phone beeped with an incoming text and she smiled when she saw Julian’s name.
Julian: Lighting the grill. How do you like your burger?
Charlotte: I’ll have to take a rain check. Problem at the shelter. Heading there now.
Julian: Anything I can do?
She wished. Unfortunately, there was no way for him to find jobs and homes for all the people currently crowding the shelter and also develop a children’s program. It was bad enough that she had the resources at her fingertips and couldn’t get it done.
Charlotte: Thanks but I need to go and see what we’re dealing with.
I’ll talk to you tomorrow
Julian: Call me tonight. I want to make sure you get home safely
That made her smile. She wished she could just tell him she’d see him later, but it was already after seven and she had at least a forty-five-minute drive and then who knew what she was going to find when she got to the shelter? It would be a late night and then she’d have to get up early and start all over again.
She was already ready for a nap tomorrow.
Charlotte: I will. I promise.
Julian: Make sure you stop and get something to eat.
Charlotte: Yes sir :)
Slipping the phone into her purse, she pulled out her keys and made her way out to the car. It was funny how well Julian knew her. In all the planning for tonight, not once had she thought about herself or stopping to get something for dinner. When she got in her car, she realized she wasn’t particularly hungry and decided to get to Santa Monica first and see what she was dealing with, and then think about dinner.
At least, that was the idea.
Two hours later, she was sitting with her head on Hank’s desk, feeling ready to cry.
Another family had arrived with three more kids. Their food truck had shown up late, and had a lot less on board than they were expecting. On top of that, she was starving and now she had a headache.
She hated days like this.
Out in the common area, people were talking and milling about, kids were screeching, and somewhere in the distance she heard something crash to the floor. At that moment, it took everything she had not to grab her purse and sneak out. No one would have to know, and if Hank should call her out on it the next time she came in, Charlotte would say she thought she’d said goodbye to everyone when she left.
“You are many things, Charlotte Clark, but you’re no liar,” she murmured and then gently banged her head on the desk. “Dammit.”
With a sigh, she sat up and tried to focus. Pulling out her laptop, she started a document for all the things the shelter was in need of: more food, more volunteers, and something for the kids. Normally that wasn’t her area of expertise. Creating something to entertain children just wasn’t in her job description.
That made her stop and think, because she loved kids. Somewhere down the line, she wanted to have some. Why hadn’t she felt inclined to work on something for children until now?
That still didn’t make any magical lightbulb go off. Leaning forward, she banged her head on the desk again.
“Uh-oh. That’s not a good sign.”
Julian.
As much as she wanted to sit up and smile, she was too exhausted to pull that off. Instead, she sat up and exhaled slowly. Then she smelled something wonderful and noticed the cooler bag in his hand.
And she smiled.
Walking toward her, he gave her a sympathetic smile. “Rough night, huh?”
“You have no idea.”
Placing the bag on the desk, he sat on the corner and looked at her. “I have an idea.” He paused. “What’s going on?”
“Is there food in this bag?” she asked instead.
Julian nodded. “A burger, pasta salad, and a Coke. It’s not gourmet, but I thought you could probably use it.” And before Charlotte could even get to the bag herself, Julian opened it and set the food out for her. “Eat. Then tell me what’s happening here.”
She was too hungry to argue, and the first bite of the burger was almost orgasmic. She took two more in rapid succession—unmindful of Julian watching her and how unladylike she was eating. Putting the burger down, she opened the
cola and took a long drink, sighing happily.
Leaning back in her chair, she looked up at him appreciatively. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
Then she told him about her day and what had transpired here at the shelter. “Honestly, Julian, my brain is just mush at this point. I have no idea what to do to help these kids.”
“How old are they?”
“They range from around six to sixteen, I think. There’re two infants in the group so I’m not worried about them, but the other kids definitely need something to do.”
He nodded once and then stood up. “Finish eating. I’ll be right back.”
Charlotte was about to call him back, but her stomach had other ideas. As soon as he was out of sight, she picked up her burger and wolfed it down happily. Then the pasta salad. And then the rest of the cola. With her hand on her pleasantly full belly, she leaned back in the chair and was almost asleep when Julian walked back in.
“You ready to go?” he asked casually, cleaning up her dinner mess.
She looked at him oddly. “Go? Julian, I still haven’t figured out what I’m going to do. I need to talk to Hank and see what he’s thinking and—”
One finger covered her lips as he leaned in and kissed her on the nose. “You’re done for the day. I spoke to Hank and everything’s under control.” He took one of her hands in his and gently tugged her to her feet.
“But…but… I still need to…”
“You need to come home and sleep,” he said firmly but softly. “C’mon.”
She couldn’t speak because she yawned broadly, loudly. “Sorry.”
Julian laughed and picked up her purse and briefcase, carrying them along with the cooler bag in one hand while keeping her hand in the other. He nodded toward Hank and wished him good night, and Charlotte waved because she was yawning again and couldn’t speak.
How the heck was she supposed to drive home like this?
They stepped outside and she looked for Julian’s car. “Did you park in the lot around the corner again?”
He shook his head and walked over to her car, opening the passenger side and helping her get in.
“But… I need to… How are you going to…?”
He placed the bags in the back seat and climbed in the driver’s side. “I took an Uber to get here because I was worried about you driving home late.”
If she wasn’t so tired, she’d be…well, she’d be incredibly thankful, because as much as she didn’t like him—or anyone—thinking she couldn’t handle herself, she also appreciated how he was so concerned for her, how he came all this way to take care of her. Julian pulled away from the curb, and her eyes felt so heavy that she swore she’d close them just for a minute.
“Come on, sleepy girl. Let’s get you inside.”
Charlotte blinked several times and tried to understand where they were. It wasn’t until Julian got out of the car and came around to open her door that she saw they were in his driveway. “How…?”
Instead of answering, he lifted her in his arms.
“I can walk,” she protested, followed by another yawn.
“Humor me.”
So she did. Resting her head on his shoulder, she let him carry her into the bedroom, where he placed her on the bed. Her limbs felt like they were filled with lead, and as much as she wanted to sit and talk to him, she was just too tired. With her eyes closed, she felt Julian remove her shoes, then move up to unbutton her slacks and slowly slide them down her legs. He placed a light kiss on her belly as he worked.
Part of her perked up.
With her pants gone, his hands slid up and took her shirt with them.
He placed a kiss between her breasts.
Okay, maybe she wasn’t completely tired. She’d had a nap on the way home, after all.
Those big, talented hands of his moved around to her back and unhooked her bra. As he pulled it away, he stopped and caressed her breasts and damn if that didn’t feel great. She must have purred or moaned, because she heard him chuckle softly.
“You like that?” he asked, his voice low and husky right next to her ear.
“Mm-hmm.”
Julian stretched out beside her and began to suckle one breast as he gently kneaded the other.
Yeah, every day should end like this, she thought.
Her back arched, and little by little, she became more awake. “Julian,” she cried breathlessly.
“I’m right here with you, sweetheart. Right here.”
His tone was both soothing and arousing, and as he continued to tease and pleasure her, sleep became the very last thing on her mind.
“I need you.”
She didn’t think she’d ever seen someone move so fast. One minute he was beside her and seemingly very relaxed, the next he was straddling her and whipping his shirt off. “You have me.”
And she knew she did. She also knew it was becoming more than just a physical need. The more time they spent together, the more time Charlotte wanted with him. She loved their talks, she loved sharing meals with him, and more than anything, she loved wrapping herself around him at the end of every day and sleeping in Julian’s arms every night.
Lost in her own thoughts, she didn’t notice how he’d moved away and finished undressing until he was stretched out on top of her, kissing her cheek, her shoulder, her throat. His body was warm and hard, and lazily her limbs wrapped around him. As he moved over her, with her, she vowed she was going to tell him very soon just how much he meant to her.
* * *
Being a fairly private person, Julian had no problem keeping his plans to himself. He’d kissed Charlotte goodbye that morning and watched her drive away before heading into the house.
Then he’d set about putting his plans in motion. It took about seventeen phone calls, but he finally had everything in place.
Charlotte had called to tell him she was leaving the office early and heading over to the center to try to work out some things with Hank. He knew she worked through lunch so she could leave early. He hoped it wouldn’t be long before she could go back to her normal hours.
He admired her for her work ethic and for all the things she did for the community. What he was struggling with was how little she got back. And he wasn’t referring to her pay or all of the unpaid overtime she put in, but the overall lack of reward for all of her hard work. In the last week he’d watched her grow a little wearier, a little less optimistic, and he just couldn’t allow it to continue.
Hence tonight’s plan.
Standing on the street, Julian grinned as he saw all of his calls and efforts had paid off.
“I’m not gonna lie to you,” Dylan said as he approached, “I am freaking giddy like you can’t believe about this.”
Riley stepped up beside him. “This is brilliant. I’m seriously impressed.”
Julian’s chest swelled with pride. There were no guarantees that this was going to work, but he hoped it would at least work for tonight. Then maybe it would ease a little of Charlotte’s—and the shelter’s—burden.
“Thanks for being willing to come,” he said and smiled when Paige walked over along with Savannah. “I know this was all last minute and meant you had to get a sitter for the kids.”
“My parents are still in town,” Savannah said easily. “And they love having the kids to themselves.”
“Be sure to thank them for me,” Julian said and then looked around as more people came walking toward them.
Soon there were about a dozen people standing around him, and he carefully laid out his plan to them all. Once everyone was in agreement, Julian took out his phone and texted Hank to let him know they were ready to come inside. After Hank texted him back, he looked out at his group of volunteers.
“Hank is our go-to person. He’ll meet us at the door and show you all where to se
t up. You’re not punching a clock here, but I would appreciate if you could give us at least two hours tonight.” Everyone nodded in agreement. “On top of that, this place is always looking for volunteers. If any of you find that’s your thing, talk to Hank. He’ll more than appreciate it.”
After taking another look at the group, Julian realized he was nervous. What if this whole thing failed? What if it was just a huge clusterfuck and he only succeeded in making things worse?
“Stop worrying,” Riley said as if reading his mind. “This is gonna be great.”
With a nod, Julian motioned to the door and held it open for everyone. They filed inside, and he heard Hank instructing them where to go. By the time he stepped inside, Charlotte was standing beside him in confusion.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
Rather than answer, Julian took her hand and walked over to where they were setting up. Then he explained.
“We’re here tonight to do a little music therapy,” he said. “We’ve got instruments for everyone to try. We’re going to teach the kids some songs and do a couple of sing-alongs, and Paige is going to set up a library. Savannah brought snacks and drinks for everyone.”
When he looked at Charlotte, tears were in her eyes. “I… I can’t believe you did all this.”
With his arm draped around her shoulders, Julian hugged her in close and placed a kiss on her temple. “Help me get everyone set up and then you can thank me properly later,” he teased.
And then she hugged him—full-on, full-body hugged him. “You are an amazing man, Julian Grayson, and I love that you did this.”
He held her with equal fervor and knew that if he didn’t let go of her now, he wasn’t going to get anything accomplished.
And certainly he wouldn’t be thanked properly later.
It was a great incentive.
“Come on,” he said, taking one of her hands. “Let’s do this.”
In his mind, Julian knew what he hoped to do here tonight, but the reality was even better. For two hours, there was music and laughter and one of the craziest jam sessions he’d ever witnessed. Every kid was playing something—drums, guitars, tambourines, triangles—some of them danced, and everybody sang. A lot of the parents and staff joined in, too. At one point he spotted Charlotte on the far side of the room smiling broadly even as her eyes were shining with unshed tears.
One More Moment Page 17