by Ashley Goss
“Whoever he was,” Matt grumbled with a sternness to his voice. “He didn’t deserve you.”
Charity felt a pang in her stomach. How could she be do open with a complete stranger? Glancing over at Matt, she smiled gracefully, thankful he wasn’t an ass like most guys. “You’re very kind,” She said, only with a twinge of suspicion in her tone.
“You say that as if you don’t believe it,” Matt replied as he cast a look of confusion at Charity.
“Well, I’d be lying if I said I did. It’s just that most men have this natural selfness about them. They live to conquer and destroy,” Charity murmured, peering down at her hands.
“Lucky for me, I’m not like most men. I thought I was, and I tried so hard to be, but it’s just not in me,” Matt graveled. He may have lost that innocence he once possessed, but his heart was still good. He still wanted love at the end of the day, no matter how hurt he was from the past.
The truck finally approached a tiny inn with dim lights. It was getting closer to nighttime, and the snow had thinned out slightly. Charity was sparked with worry though. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the brochure and held it in front of Matt. “You wouldn’t happen to know if this location listed on here even exists, would you?” She cried in desperation. The inn was way too shabby, and even though the cab driver had laughed when she showed him the brochure, she still hoped the cute, cozy cottage house was legit.
Matt took the brochure in his large hands, turning it over, then grinning. “I’m afraid it is, lass. Only bad thing about these travel agencies is that they prey on innocent Americans,” Matt joked as he swung open the truck door and hopped out.
Charity’s mouth gaped open. A scam?! She was ready to kill Margaret. “I can’t stay here! I have to go home!” Charity cried out as she slid out of the truck. She was about to walk towards Matt, but her ballerina flats were no match for the slippery ground, and she fell right onto her back.
“Whoa there!” Matt yelled, rushing over to her. Charity cried out in pain as she looked down at her twisted ankle. Matt quickly put one arm behind her neck and the other under her legs, picking her up as if she weighed nothing.
Charity felt as if she’d faint as Matt carried her into the inn. His jaw was clenched and his blonde curls fell in his eyes seductively. She bit down on her lip to try and fight the thoughts going through her head. “Thank you,” Charity managed to whimper out. Matt peered down at her, his eyes soft and full of want.
“It’s my pleasure,” He confessed. Slowly setting Charity down on the inn couch, Matt took his coat off and put it around Charity.
“Sir, is your wife alright?” The innkeeper inquired with worry in her voice.
Charity started to correct the inn keeper, but Matt chuckled and turned with a wide grin on his face.
“Oh, she’s quite alright ma’am. Just a little fall in the snow,” Matt explained, turning back to look at Charity’s confused face. “We’d like a room though. To get out of the cold.”
Matt had a hunger in his eyes that Charity knew all too well. But this time, Charity wasn’t afraid of it. She too had a thirst for something new and exciting.
“I’ll get on that right away, sir!” The innkeeper announced as she hurried to the back.
Kneeling beside Charity, Matt tucked his curls out of his face. “No worries there, miss. It’s cheaper to get a room for a couple rather than one,” Matt explained.
Charity pretended to be relieved, but in all honestly, she would have loved to share a night with Matt. His arms looked so strong, and his chest sculpted. He’d be the perfect match to hold Charity at night and keep her warm. “Thanks for that,” She said with a small voice. Matt nodded and started to walk towards the door. Charity knew there was a chance she’d never see him again, and based off of the course of her day, she needed him close by.
“Wait!” She called out. Matt stopped in his tracks, turning around slowly with his blue eyes wide.
“Yes?” Matt answered, praying she would ask for him to stay.
“With me not being from London, and with my new discovery that I was scammed, do you think maybe you could show me around?” The world practically flew out of Charity. She was not the type of ask guys out, but this time was different.
Her heart felt so odd and she didn’t want to take a chance on missing out on Matt.
A slow, easy smile spread across Matt’s face, brightening his eyes with a twinkle. “I thought you’d never ask. How does nine thirty tomorrow morning sound?” Matt glittered, unable to hide his excitement.
Charity nodded enthusiastically, her face in flames. “That’s perfect.”
Matt winked once at her and turned to walk the door. He looked once more at Charity before finally stepping back out in the wintery abyss. Although the wind was whipping back and forth, he felt a strong warmth taking over his entire body.
Tomorrow seemed way too far away, and he couldn’t wait to get to know Charity Parker even more.
After a grueling forty-five minutes, the innkeeper finally showed Charity to her room. Exhausted, she plopped onto the bed, not caring to check if it was clean.
“Should I fetch you an extra glass of water, miss?” The innkeeper asked gently. Charity lifted her tired head from the bed, perplexed.
“Another glass? I suppose one is enough,” she answered, letting her head drop back onto the bed.
“Oh, but what about your husband?” The innkeeper's small, wrinkled hands were folded together tightly, as she anxiously awaited Charity’s answer.
“My husband...oh! Right, my husband,” Charity lied, silently reveling in the idea of being married to a man as handsome as Matt Thunder. “He would love a glass of water.”
The innkeeper nodded her head softly and headed for the door. “I’ll go fetch one at once ma’am. Oh, and just so you know, there’s a wicked storm coming in the night, so I wouldn’t advise you leaving,” She warned with a raising of her dark, bushy brows.
Charity nodded her head in understanding. The last thing she wanted to do was go outside. She needed the quiet solitude that awaited her, especially since she had such a hectic day.
Surprisingly though, she wasn’t completely pissed about it. Sure, her cab driver dropped her off in the middle of nowhere, and the getaway that Margaret had promised was a scam; but with the arrival of Matt, Charity felt so lucky. It wasn’t just because of his looks either. He had an undeniable, infectious charm, and Charity could sense he cared about her feelings even though they were strangers. From first glance she assumed he’d be cold hearted, but boy was she wrong.
Charity rolled over onto her back as a lazy smile crept onto her face. For the first time in three years, she was having that invigorating feeling of butterflies. She felt so light as if she was made of cotton. She wanted so badly to jump up and down and scream at the top of her lungs.
“I met a guy! I met a really handsome, charming guy, and I get to see him again tomorrow!” Charity thought to herself as excitement rang throughout her bones.
There was a sudden urge for her to celebrate. As of late, it hadn't seemed like she had many victories. Seeing Hayden again felt like a stab to the heart, but once she told him off she realized she had a strength she hadn’t seen before.
Maybe Charity wasn’t such a meek person after all. Her fears still existed of course, yet she wanted to bask in the moment. She never got to experience such a feeling of happiness and excitement. If anyone in the world deserves to have something to look forward to, it was Charity. Life was never that easy for her. Sure, she had a family growing up, but they never actually understood her as a person. They were loud and abrasive, and she was quiet and shy. Her only escape was school, and even there she was an outsider. A man like Matt Thunder seemed like such a dream to Charity for that very reason. Was it even real? Did he want something from her, like sex? Charity wasn’t that type of woman. In fact, her first time had been with Hayden. He was gentle thankfully, but once Charity found out he was lying to her, she felt
used. She never wanted to be some man's plaything. Was that what Matt was hoping for? The questions were drying her nuts. She eyed the wine bottle sitting in the ice bucket near the bed and immediately got up to put herself a glass. She tried to lay off the wine, but some days after long hours, it was the only thing to calm her.
Grabbing a glass from the cabinet near the bucket, she poured a full glass, then drank it down. It was a sweet red wine and went down so smooth. Taking the cup back she licked her lips, savoring the sweet taste.
“Well, here’s to my first night out of the country,” Charity cheered to her empty room. Sitting back down on the bed, Charity sighed, trying to put the pieces together.
Life was weird in the sense that when she feels everything is going to fall apart, it works out. Matt Thunder practically rescued her earlier that day. She hated being the damsel in distress, but this time she’d let it slide.
“Matt Thunder,” Charity whispered with a smile spreading across her face. She giggled as the wine started to give her a slight buzz. She was elated.
Hayden was the only man who could have made Charity so giddy. Despite hating the memories, there was one time in particular that filled Charity’s heart with joy.
It was after a long day of work with Charity finally cracking a case. She was exhausted and just wanted to curl up in bed and forget about the day. Right as she was coming out of the police station, she looked up to see a beaming Hayden with flowers in his hand.
His dark hair was slicked back as usual, and he wore a tight fitted black shirt and jeans.
“I figured you’d be here,” Hayden grinned as he held the flowers out to Charity.
“Are these...clematis?” Charity asked slowly. She was wiped out, but she faintly remembered telling Hayden they were her favorite flower.
“Yep. I remembered you telling me about them after showing me that encyclopedia of flowers you had,” Hayden mused.
“Language of flowers,” Charity corrected him. “And I’m impressed you remembered.”
“I remember a lot of things about you, Charity.”
“Like what?”
“You’re quiet but still know what you want. Intelligent, but not boastful about it. You like to be in the shadows, but you’ve got so much to offer.”
Charity had felt like a little child all over again. She always was the invisible, undesirable one. Could Hayden have been the one who saw her all along?
“You see me?” She asked in awe.
“Of course, I see. You the light of the office,” Hayden replied as he embraced Charity, kissing her on the neck. Charity closed her eyes, careful to remember the sensation of Hayden’s hungry lips.
“You’re the light in my life,” Charity had muttered, but not loud enough for him to hear. She had been so afraid for Hayden to know that she loved him. There was a part of Charity that didn’t feel that she was worthy of a man like Hayden.
That night was so special to Charity because it was the first moment she realized that even though she never had love, it was still possible to find. As Charity sat at the edge of her bed, in a foreign country for the first time, she felt that same feeling. Sure, she hated Hayden's guts, but he was her first experience.
It was time to see if there were new things, and Matt Thunder was at the top of her list.
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More from this Author
Bound by the Heart
Different Worlds
Rise of the Blood Lust (Rise Series Book One)
Rekindled Love
Simply Complicated
Christmas in London
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