My heart was pumping rapidly and I felt dizzy with excitement. The crowd around us blurred together as we ran to where Charlie was waiting for us. Benny and Trevor ran passed him giving him high fives and congratulations. Jake gave him a slap on the back and a job well done.
By the time I got to him, he was ignoring everyone else and looking down at me with heavy breaths. He was sweaty and bruised and smiling. Absolutely glorious.
"You were incredible out there, Charlie," I said loudly so he could hear me over the cheers and shouts from the crowd and his team.
He didn't say anything, but his smile grew a little wider and his eyes a little darker. His arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me to his side. He kissed the top of my head and muttered, "Are you okay?"
I nodded and took a deep breath. At first, I thought he would smell like all sweaty men smelled, sweaty and gross. Not Charlie. He smelled like him with only a hint of that sweaty smell. It made my head swim and I was grateful he had his arm around me because walking was not going to be easy for me.
We followed after Benny and Trevor to the back room where he could wind down. He kissed my forehead before he was pulled away from me to unwrap his hands and get his cuts and bruises taken care of. His kiss had the same effect on me as it did before the fight. His lips were soft and warm and even though it was a place as regular as my forehead, I felt it in my whole body.
Benny was watching me from across the room where she was talking to Jake and Trevor. She winked my way and I gave her a desperate look. What was I supposed to do now? The fight was over, there was nothing to spend our time doing away from each other. Now was the time to pull up my big girl panties and go forward with the decision I had made.
Just let it happen.
After about an hour and a half of talking about the fight and breaking down everything Charlie did right and wrong, he looked like he was ready to fall over.
Benny and Trevor and Jake left to get ready to go out. Apparently we were all going to have a late dinner and celebrate. I had no clothing options, so there was no need for me to leave with them. My dark jeans and fancy green blouse were going to have to do wherever we ended up.
I kept reminding myself to just act normal and to stop being so nervous about spending time with Charlie. Now more than ever, I knew what I wanted. The ache between my legs and the rush of blood in my head was enough to confirm that every time he glanced over at me.
I didn't realize I was staring at the wall until the voice behind me pulled me out of my thoughts.
"You ready to get out of here?"
I turned to those bright green eyes and saw the anticipation he was feeling. He had taken a quick shower and dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt and even with the bruises on his face and the small cut above his eyebrow, he was gorgeous. I stared at him for a few seconds more before his smile started to look unsure and I saw the Charlie from my past. The teenage boy who always took care of me and always did whatever it took to make me happy. How stupid I was to not realize what we already had and both ignored.
"Yeah, I am," I said breathlessly.
He gently grasped my hand and weaved his fingers through mine, then pulled me out the door with his team murmuring complaints behind us.
"Are you going to get into trouble for leaving with me?"
His laugh was humorless and he shook his head, "No, they work for me. They just like to give me a hard time."
I wasn't so sure about that. I looked back to find a few pairs of eyes, that looked anything but happy, following me out of the room and I couldn't help but feel like I was going to cause him some trouble whether he thought so or not.
We met up with the others at the hotel restaurant, which was fancier than what I was dressed for, and Charlie sat close to me in the big booth with his warm hand on my knee and drawing small circles with his thumb.
The words on the menu blurred together and I couldn't for the life of me figure out what anyone around me was saying. My thoughts were on Charlie, his hand, and the smile he kept giving me every time I glanced his way.
"And you, Miss?"
I looked up and realized the waiter was waiting for me to order. When the hell did he even get our drinks? My heart started pounding a little harder as I felt the familiar hum in my head and that disconnection that always made my stomach twist. Charlie squeezed my knee gently and I looked over at him nervously.
"You okay?" he whispered so only I could hear him.
I just nodded, but the look in my eyes must have clued him in that I wasn't.
"Can you give us another minute, please?" he asked the waiter, who nodded and stepped over to the next table.
I looked around our table and saw Jake and Trevor talking heatedly about the fight while Benny looked at me with concern. I took a deep breath and a sip of water hoping my heart would slow down and my head would clear.
"Do you want to just order room service and call it a night, Tess? You've had a long day." Charlie had put his arm around my shoulders and was speaking quietly so no attention would be drawn to us, which I was extremely grateful for.
I was aware that I should call it a night and rest, but tonight wasn't about me and I couldn't let myself be the one to ruin it. "You did amazing tonight and I would feel awful if we missed out on celebrating with everyone. I'll be okay, I just think your hand on my leg really distracted me."
Benny heard me and snorted. "Maybe you should call it a night then," she whispered. Well, it wasn't so much a whisper since Trevor's head snapped over to look at her. She just smiled and took a sip of her wine.
"Are you sure, Tess?" Charlie asked when I turned back to him. "I don't care about going out. The only person I care about seeing right now is you."
God, the man sure did know how to make a girl swoon, or at least feel like a million butterflies just took flight in her stomach. I nodded at him with my best smile, "Let's at least have dinner and then we can go from there. I'm pretty hungry."
He grinned, but I could tell he was unsure about staying. I was pretty much holding my breath and doing whatever I could to keep myself grounded for a little while longer. The waiter returned and I ordered the ribs and baked potato. The full rack of ribs. That would keep me busy.
"I'll have the same," Charlie said and handed the waiter our menus and grinned down at me. "Just in case one isn't enough."
I slapped him on the shoulder and laughed. "You know me well, Charlie."
His cheeks turned a light shade of pink and he started to fidget with his glass of water. I wondered what he was thinking, but didn't get a chance to ask. Jake started in on about a billion questions for Charlie about the fight and if he thought it went well.
I tuned out a bit as I caught my breath and calmed down a little more. Benny kept eyeing me from across the table, but I shook my head just slightly, begging her to not say anything. When the boys were deep into their conversation, she announced that we were heading to the ladies' room. Charlie kissed my cheek before I stood and winked at me, then turned back to the conversation.
Benny looped her arm through mine and practically dragged me to the bathrooms. As soon as we were inside she held back while the only woman in the room dried her hands and walked out, then she locked the door and checked the stalls quickly.
I watched her with a confused look on my face until she crossed her arms at her chest and popped her hip out, showing me she wasn't going to take any lip.
"Okay, T. You are obviously having a moment, so spill it."
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I don't know what happened. I was so deep in thought, I didn't even remember ordering drinks or anything."
"Seriously? I argued with you about whether or not you should have any wine tonight and you looked at the list for like a year before just ordering water."
My eyes widened and I shook my head, trying to remember.
"Holy shit! I think you made a switch, T! No way. It's never happened that fast before. In and out like that."
I couldn't find any words and even if I could, they wouldn't get passed the huge lump that was now in the middle of my throat.
"You weren't kidding. He pulled you out."
"What?" I was starting to hyperventilate and wondered if I was going to faint right here on this bathroom floor that looked shiny and clean, but I knew better.
She rolled her eyes and walked over to the sink and fixed her hair in the mirror. "At first, I thought you were exaggerating about Charlie bringing you back at your session. I thought maybe you were just confused, but I couldn't be sure. Stranger things have happened. Now, I believe it completely. I was right, babe. He was made for you." She washed her hands and reapplied some lip gloss. "I thought for sure Lydia was going to be here tonight when you switched on the plane, by the way."
That had been a complete disaster for me. I had been so stressed out about seeing Charlie and thought I had fallen asleep. When we were landing, Benny told me that Lydia made quite an impression on the stewardess. The glare I got from her when we walked off the plane made me think otherwise.
She turned back to me and gave me a hug. "Now. Breathe. We are going to go back out there and you aren't going to worry anymore because you already know how tonight is going to go. Charlie isn't going to leave your side and I, being of a great mind and body, just confirmed that he is pretty much your talisman. Let's have fun!"
I nodded and took a final breath before I felt all the tingling fade away. She was right. I had Charlie. "Okay. Yes. Let's do it. I'm good now. I'm not going to worry about it. I'm going to be me. Just me, no one else."
She didn't say anything more, just unlocked the door and pulled me out with her arm looped through mine again. When we arrived back at our table, the food was waiting and Jake and Trevor were halfway through their plates while Charlie was sitting back watching me. He hadn't touched his food yet.
"Aww, thanks for waiting, Charlie," Benny crooned, then looked over at Jake and Trevor. "Jeez, boys. Don't forget that the plate is inedible. I don't feel like taking a trip to the emergency room tonight, so calm the hell down." Benny was giving Trevor a look that made me burst out laughing.
I covered my mouth and shook my head, still laughing, as I sat down and Charlie wrapped his arm around me. "Don't even try to stop laughing, Tess, because it's the most beautiful thing in the world when it happens."
My smile nearly split my face in half and God, did it feel good.
Chapter 15
Charlie
Pretty sure I would give up my right arm if it meant I could read Tessa's mind. On a good day, I can read her like a book. She wears her emotions on her sleeve and is just as bad as her mother at acting. Today has been a good day, but for the life of me, I can't tell what she is thinking.
Maybe it's because I finally feel like she is letting things happen between us and I never thought that would happen in the first place. I'm in uncharted territory here and haven't the slightest clue what direction my first step should be.
After finishing our meals, we all sat and talked for another 30 minutes before deciding to make our way over to a nearby club to dance. My face was throbbing and my side ached. Trevor handed me a few Advil and a slap on the back, which didn't help the pain. Hopefully, I could make it through the night.
Tess wasn't into drinking and I was happy about that. I didn't know what would happen, but having a clear head was probably best for both of us. I didn't want her to do anything she might regret later.
We walked into the club and I immediately took her hand and wove my fingers through hers. The place was packed tight with all kinds of people and I didn't want to lose her in the chaos. She didn't look very comfortable at first in that tight of a crowd, but Benny whispered something into her ear, well more like shouted it just enough so she could hear her, and Tessa's face changed completely. She looked like whatever was said to her was some kind of epiphany. I was grateful to Benny for being the kind of friend that knew what to say and what to do to bring her back down from wherever she was when she got that distant look on her face.
Tess was always up for anything when we were younger, even though she had a lot of the same worries she has now. She had never let that stop her, though. Tonight, I could tell that she was fighting to be that same girl and for some reason, that broke my heart.
She was perfect just the way she was.
We found a table in the back, far away from the bar, and settled in. Benny and Trevor made their way to get their drinks while Jake hung back with Tess and me. She sat close to me and kept her eyes on the crowd around us. When I looked over at Jake, his eyes were on Tess, and boy did that bring out a whole new set of emotions.
"Hey, Jake? How is Jennifer these days?" I asked loudly. His head snapped over to look at me and when he saw the look on my face, he knew he had been caught.
I couldn't blame him really. Tess was gorgeous, especially tonight with her cheeks flushed and her dark hair falling around her face. The skin of her neck looked softer than silk and it taunted me with every passing second. That was no excuse, though. Jake knew from the beginning who Tess was.
"Oh, she uh, it didn't work out."
Her face turned sympathetic, "Were you two together for very long?"
"Nah, just a few months. It never got too serious."
Damn! One more reason to keep my eye on him. Tess and I may not be exclusive right now, or even really in that kind of relationship officially, but for God's sake, this wasn't high school anymore. She was off limits to everyone else and no amount of 'official' was going to change that.
"Oh, I'm sorry," she said to Jake who had the nerve to look crestfallen.
"Yeah, man, that's too bad," I said.
"Thanks. You know? Sometimes things just don't work out the way you want them to," he replied. He was looking at Tess, but I knew where his mind was. I waited for him to meet my stare, but he never did. Sneaky little bastard.
I really liked the guy. He was always good to me and was always honest, but this? He lost points with this.
I wrapped my arm around Tessa's shoulders and moved close to her ear. "You want to dance with me?"
She was watching the crowd again and her lips twitched into a sly grin at my question. The music was loud and rhythmic and the pulse in my chest matched its cadence watching the look on her face turn to excitement. She nodded her head eagerly and started to stand.
I looked over at Jake and he was watching the crowd. Smart man.
Tess placed her small hand in mine while I led her onto the dance floor with my other hand on the small of her back. She had always loved to dance. Whenever we had showed up to a party, she spent 90% of the night on the dance floor and the other 10% trying to convince me to dance with her. That was if she didn't have a boyfriend at the time. I never liked to dance, always felt like an idiot.
Really, though, I didn't want Tess to know how much she affected me and dancing with her would have been like a neon sign pointing straight to the zipper of my jeans. Over the years, I realized how great it would have been to have just gotten over myself and done it. Dancing was like sex, if you fit together well and you moved together well… well? It worked out in the end.
We made our way to the middle of the floor where Benny and Trevor were now dancing happily and laughing at each other. Trevor was the worst dancer I had ever seen, but Benny looked like she couldn't be happier anywhere else but standing there watching him make a fool out of himself. Interesting.
Tess stepped close to Benny and turned to face me as she started to sway her hips and move to the beat of the music. She always took my breath away when she moved like that. I spent a lot of parties trying to cover myself up as I watched her dance with her friends and ended a lot of nights in the bathroom by myself taking care of things.
Now? Holy shit, she was even sexier than before. She had definitely learned some new moves and had no qualms about showing them to me. Benny smiled my way and started to dance next to her while I just stood there like a moron and watched Tess
torture me.
I watched her hips move back and forth and up and down and I felt my fingers twitching, urging me to reach out and touch her. Her hands slowly combed through her hair until it fell loose around her shoulders as she pulled it down.
I groaned at the sight of her and felt my heart beat kick up another notch. She kept moving in front of me as I focused on her hips. Then, I stupidly let my eyes move up to her chest. Her breasts were perfect and moved in rhythm with her. I groaned again and licked my lips before moving my eyes to her face. She was watching me watch her and had the sexiest most sultry smile on her lips. I couldn't contain myself any longer and I stepped forward until our bodies were pressed together and I rested my hands on her hips and started to move with her. I couldn't tear my eyes away from hers. Her smile faded, but she didn't look upset, she looked hungry and if my vision was correct, needy as hell.
I suddenly had no desire to be in that club any longer, but I had no desire to stop dancing with her and knew I wouldn't be able to step away from her any time soon. My hands were pulled to her body like magnets and the curves I skimmed over were better than I imagined.
Her hips moved with mine and her arms wrapped around my shoulders. I buried my nose in her neck, inhaling the minty scent of her hair and pressed my lips to her skin. She gasped, but didn't stop dancing. My hand moved across her lower back and slightly downward until it rested at the very top of those luscious swells that fit so perfectly in her jeans. I pressed her closer and moved my lips up until they touched the sensitive spot just behind her ear.
I felt her press her body impossibly closer and grind against me, sure to feel how much I wanted her right then and there. Her chest rubbed against mine in the most glorious way.
I wanted to pour myself into her and tell her how much I needed her until my soul was laid out before her in a pathetic mess. Yeah, I wanted to be that guy. The one who got the girl he knew would devour him every day while he enjoyed every moment of it.
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