"Even if there was no harm done tonight, if his behavior went unchecked it could cause serious harm the next time, or the next. Best to stop it immediately," he said, cutting off her protest. "He's cowering because I can fire him, he knows I can fire him, and he's nervous."
She looked at him for a moment before sighing. "You're right."
"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I'm sorry, Charlie."
"Apology accepted." She shot that smile at him and his breath caught. He moved the conversation on to other, safer topics, shifting his arm so he could make lazy circles on her back with his thumb. Charlie was acutely aware of the contact, each caress sending delicious sparks through her.
Henry came over with two huge plates piled high with food, and Damien finally removed his arm from her stool. A giant sandwich on a burger bun sat in the middle of each plate, surrounded by sweet potato fries, seasoned waffle fries and onion rings. Charlie picked up the sandwich and laughed, looking at Damien and shaking her head.
"What's wrong?" Damien asked, picking up his own burger and taking a bite.
"Um, just wondering if it would be possible to get any more kinds of meat with my meat sandwich?" She put her sandwich down and removed the top bun, peeling off layers of meat. "Let's see...ham, bacon, fried egg, meat patty...what's this? A chicken breast?" Charlie picked up the bottom of the bun. "And not a tomato or pickle in sight!" She laughed loudly, putting her hand over her mouth to stifle it a bit and looking at Damien.
"It's the Full Moon burger. The house specialty. Have to feed the beast," he said, patting his stomach.
"Maybe you should change the name to the Full Carnivore?"
"Would you like some tomato or pickle, dolcezza?" he asked.
"Yes, please," she said, smiling at him gratefully. "And another plate?"
"Be right back," he said, getting up and moving behind the bar. He walked through the swing door in to the kitchen. Charlie sat, once again feeling the eyes of the other patrons on her and feeling a bit uncomfortable. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Henry's head turned towards the kitchen and he sighed, throwing his rag under the bar and heading back through the same door Damien went through. She sat and picked at her sweet potato fries, not wanting to look around, knowing if she did she would see everyone looking back at her. She heard what had to be a small group of people laughing in the kitchen, she listened closely to see if she could place Damien's laugh out of the group but they quieted too quickly.
She was smiling at her plate when she sensed someone come stand to her right. She took a sip of her Coke and turned to look at the man. He was tall, and huge, absolutely massive, a planet on two legs. That stopped her thoughts for a moment, as she considered that all the people she had seen so far in Buck Creek were tall, and she wondered vaguely if there was some kind of radiation fallout from Hanford or maybe some fracking going on releasing an odd toxin in the area. She shook herself out of her thoughts and looked up at the giant next to her.
"Hi," he said, smiling at her.
"Hi." Charlie looked at him closely and thought he might be a bit slower than the average town resident. His face, while friendly and open, had a vacancy about it that indicated a mild mental handicap.
"I'm Lewis," he said, picking up her hand and pumping it up and down a few times.
"I'm Charlie." She said, trying to pull her hand away but not able to.
"I saw you and said I was gonna come and say hi and I did."
"Yes, you did." His face suddenly erupted in a big smile, and Charlie beamed at the 'I did good' expression in it. "It is wonderful to meet you, Lewis," she said.
"Yes, it is." He pulled on her hand a bit and bent down towards her. Charlie had a panicked moment when she thought he was going to try and kiss her, but he simply put his nose to her cheek and seemed to sniff her.
"Lewis?" she heard Damien's voice from her left.
"Mr. Dimeo," Lewis said, moving to sniff her other cheek. "She don't smell like you."
"Thank you, Lewis," Damien said, taking her hand out of his. "I think your friends are waiting for you." He nodded his head towards one of the booths behind Charlie.
"Yeah." He smiled down at Charlie and patted the top of her head as if she were a child. "Nice Charlie," he said before turning around and going back to his friends.
Charlie turned and looked at Damien, eyes wide. He still had hold of her hand.
"Wow," she said under her breath.
"He didn't mean any harm," he said just as quietly, his eyes flicking to a point behind her.
"No, I didn't think he did." She gave a laugh that sounded shaky, making the conscious decision not to look behind her. "It was just a bit...bizarre to be sniffed like that."
"Lewis is a bit..."
"Unique?"
"Exactly. For some reason his sense of smell is dominant, and he can recognize a person by how they smell better than by look or voice." Damien winced inwardly at this; while not an outright lie, it was close enough to make him feel guilty.
"Really?"
"Yes." He let go of her hand and resumed his seat next to her. She looked at the bar and saw the small plate piled high with tomato slices and pickle chips and started laughing. "What?"
"So my choices are extreme meat or extreme condiments?"
"Too much?"
"A bit, maybe." She grinned at him and started to rebuild her burger. She placed pickles and tomato slices underneath and on top of the burger patty, then replaced the top bun. She took the extra meats and egg and put them on the plate. Satisfied, she took a bite of the burger and chewed thoughtfully for a moment. "Mmmm. That is delicious beef."
"Triple D." Charlie glanced at Damien to find him looking at her with pride.
They finished their meals -- as much as Charlie could, anyway -- and sat talking, oblivious to everyone else, until nearly midnight, Damien touching Charlie, little touches here and there, nothing too forward, almost as if he was making sure she was real.
. They talked about everything -- politics, religion, current events, history, movies -- no topic was taboo. Charlie told him about being a cook, how much she actually enjoyed it. Damien told her about ranching, the hard work and the satisfaction from it. They laughed a lot, too. Damien forgot his normal reticence in her presence and she forgot her normal cold sarcasm in his. She was delighted when he offered to teach her how to ride a horse, even as she realized it was an offer made of politeness more than anything else. Damien asked about her travels from Santa Fe and she talked about the different byways and small towns, as well as the wonderful places she'd seen, places that would have been overrun with tourists had they been located on main highways.
"Come on, I want to show you something," he said, standing up and tossing some bills on the counter before grabbing her hand.
"Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise," he said, flashing a smile that seemed alluringly dangerous to Charlie.
"Alright," she grabbed her sweatshirt and book and followed him out, her hand still in his. He led her to his truck and opened the passenger door for her, stepping close, making her brush against him as she climbed in. She had a brief flicker of panic, instinctual from keeping herself religiously separate from everyone for the past fifteen years, but it passed before she really registered it. Instead, she was shaken by the heat and smell of him so close to her. She buckled up and watched him climb in to the truck beside her.
He started the truck and the CD player came on, making Charlie sigh.
"What's wrong?" he asked as he pulled out of the gravel parking lot.
"Nothing."
"Sure?"
"Roxy Music. It's just very...sexy." She closed her eyes and sighed, smiling as they drove slowly through the sleepy streets. She looked at him, a laughing smile on her face. "Are you trying to seduce me, Damien?"
"With everything I am," he said, his voice serious. Charlie turned her face to look out her window, not sure how to take his serious response to her teasing. He turned
down a side street and stopped to switch to four wheel drive when they reached the end of the road.
"Where are we going?" Charlie asked as he head in to the woods.
"It's not far."
"That's not what I asked." She looked at him, his profile lit by the lights of the dash and the moonlight coming in through the window. He was incredibly sexy.
"Do you want to stop? I can take you back if you're nervous." He had stopped the truck and turned to look at her.
"No. I'm not nervous." She smiled at him, feeling shy, as he continued deeper in to the woods. She wasn't nervous, she wasn't afraid. Not in the least. And that bothered her a little. She should be. She should be demanding he take her back to the motel and never see him again. She should get the fuck out of dodge as soon as her car was ready and never look back. She knew this.
But her heart...her heart was calm. Her instinct was to just go with it, relax and let what happens happen. She felt, deep down where reason had no place, that she was safe with Damien, that as long as she was near him, nothing bad would happen to her, nothing would hurt her. She was content to follow those instincts.
"Almost there," he said, parking the truck in a small clearing. "It's just a short walk, okay?"
"Okay." She opened her door and hopped out, putting her sweatshirt on. She walked over to where he was standing and looked up at him. "What is it?"
He put a finger to her lips, making them tingle, and smiled before taking her hand and leading her through the trees. She could hear the sound of rushing water, churning water, and smiled at his back. Charlie could tell he was excited to show her this, and she started to feel his excitement, too.
They stepped past some incredibly tall cedars and her breath caught in her throat. A waterfall, no more than fifteen feet high, fell in to a swift stream of rapids. She could see the rocks in the water, the way they forced the current to change and froth. It looked like it was untouched. It was beautiful.
"Damien...it's beautiful." She was whispering, afraid to spoil the feeling of peace.
"Wait," he said, moving behind her and putting his hands on her shoulders. "It gets better."
"Impossible," Charlie breathed. She was hyper-aware of the man -- the warm, sexy, enticing man -- behind her.
"When the moon clears the trees, she kisses the water, turning it to liquid silver," he whispered. He'd lowered his mouth to her ear, and she could feel the humidity of his breath against her skin. He breathed deeply, shifting to slip his arms around her and hold her against him. Her scent made him feel intoxicated, hypnotized, and he never wanted the feeling to end.
Charlie clenched her fists at her side, fighting her urge to turn around and kiss him. She leaned back, letting her head rest against his chest, getting lost in the utter feeling of male that he exuded. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so easy, so relaxed, and she saddened to think about it. She knew that this, this level of intimacy they were sharing right now, was as far as she should allow it to go, and that made her heart ache for what could have been, for what had been taken from her. She was so lost in her thoughts she hadn't realized Damien had slid his arms around her waist and laid his cheek next to hers until she was overcome with the smell of him.
"Look," he whispered.
The moon had cleared the trees and shone fully on the water, turning it to liquid silver. Charlie looked in wonder at the falls. The spray had been changed from water to diamonds by the moon, diamonds tossed in a frothing bath of the purest silver. The rocks glowed like precious gems, and the mist that clung to the trees shimmered like platinum dust.
"Oh my god, Damien. It's magic." She put her hands over his arms, leaning more in to him without even realizing.
"I knew you'd like it," he whispered.
She felt his lips against her neck, kissing lightly from her ear down to the collar of her t-shirt. Her brain screamed at her to step away from him, to order him to stop and take her back. Her reason was fervently telling her that if she didn't stop this now she wouldn't be able to. And she saw herself doing just that. Stepping out of the warm circle of his arms, politely but firmly telling him that while she appreciated his friendship and assistance, she was not at all interested in anything more. Telling him, in no uncertain terms, that she was unavailable. She could hear herself telling him all those things.
But what she did was tilt her head, giving him more access to her skin, sighing at the sensations flooding her. He moved his mouth back up her neck, using his lips and teeth to sample her skin, until he reached her ear.
"Charlotte," he breathed, sucking her lobe in to his mouth briefly. She shivered at his use of her full name. "Kiss me."
Charlie turned in his arms without even thinking about it. She tilted her head up to his, placing her hands on his shoulders as she raised up to her toes. He held her at her waist as he brought his mouth down to hers in soft, little kisses. She felt the slight chapping of his lips against hers and it aroused her, emboldened her. She pulled at the elastic in his hair, gently sliding it down his ponytail until his hair spilled free. She ran her fingers through his slightly damp locks as he slid his hands down her sides to her ass, squeezing it sensually as he pushed his tongue past her lips.
She gasped a bit around his tongue before relaxing and allowing it full and free access to her mouth. Damien groaned as she opened up to him, pulling her closer as her tongue played with his. Her scent and taste washed through him, claiming his being, killing who he was at the same time she created him anew.
"Oh god, Damien, why do you taste so good?" she panted as he moved his lips along her jaw before trailing his tongue down her neck. He groaned against her skin at her words. She ran her hands down his back, finding the edge of his t-shirt and sliding them underneath, resting her hands against his bare skin. "Please, Damien. Kiss me."
"Gods, yes," he whispered, sliding a hand to her head and pulling her lips to his. He captured her tongue, sucking it in to his mouth as she moaned. She could feel his cock, hard, against her abdomen and she rubbed herself against it slightly, shivering at Damien's answering moan. He slid his hands on her body, moving them both to meet at her waist and sliding them beneath her shirt. He caressed up and down her back, his rough hands making her sigh. He moved his mouth to her neck again, chasing the goosebumps he brought up with his lips, as he moved his hands along her waist, slowly moving up her abdomen towards her breasts. Damien's thumbs were stroking over her skin and felt her stiffen up at the same time he felt the scars.
"Stop," she gasped, pushing away from him and bringing her hands up to her mouth. She looked down at the ground between them, panting.
"Charlotte," he said, stepping up to her, desperate to have her back in his arms.
"No!" she said, stepping back again and lifting one hand towards him, palm out. "I can't." She turned away from him and took several shaky breaths. "I'm so sorry, Damien. So, so sorry. I just...we...this has to stop."
"Why?"
"Please, just take me back to the motel."
"Charlie - "
"Please," she repeated, turning around and looking at him. He could see the pain in her eyes and his wolf howled at him for not being able to stop it. "I just...please, take me back to my room," she said quietly, dropping her eyes.
He looked at her, feeling helpless and hating it. "Okay, Charlie. Let's go," he said quietly. He went to take her hand again, feeling like his heart was being wrenched out of his chest when she winced away from him. He turned and head back towards his truck, hearing her walk behind him. He opened the door for her, giving her plenty of room to get in and closing it after her.
He climbed in and sat for a moment, hands on his thighs, head back and eyes closed. Charlie watched him out of the corner of her eye, praying silently to whatever gods would listen to make him start the truck, no questions asked, and take her back.
"What's wrong, Charlie? What did I do that was wrong?" he asked quietly.
"Nothing."
"Then why?"
&nbs
p; "I just can't, Damien."
"Why?" She could see him turn to look at her, and she turned her face away. "I want you so much, Charlie, and I could feel your want. You want me, too."
"Please don't." She looked out the window, blinking rapidly against the tears that were threatening. "I just can't. You have to accept that."
"No, I don't," he said. He started the truck and began the short drive back to the motel. They didn't speak until he reached the parking lot. She opened her door and hopped out, finally turning to look at him, shocking him with the regret he saw on her face.
"Thank you, Damien," she whispered. She closed the door and went to her room.
He watched her go inside, backing up once her door was closed. He turned towards his Aunt's driveway, not willing to go back to the den.
APPETITE Page 4