by C. A. Harms
“We need to move.” I was nudged from my side as Radley passed by, walking toward the archway.
It was then that I noticed most of the guests were seated and Kole, Adam, and Radley were all walking toward the preacher.
I lowered my hand from Charlie’s neck and brought it to rest on her hip, not giving her the chance to back away just yet.
“You look amazing,” I told her, making her once again blush. “Save me a dance later.” It was not a question. She and I would continue this later. I tried the subtle approach. I attempted the friendship and did my best to maintain control, but I’d reached my point. I wanted more, and I could tell the same thoughts had crossed her mind too.
It was time I stepped it up a notch and see if it got me the girl, or if I ended up dazed and confused on the ground after she once again showed me she was not just any girl.
Charlie said nothing as I leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss against her cheek before stepping back and walking away toward the rest of the guys.
As I joined my brother at his side, he leaned in and whispered where only I could hear him. “What was that all about?”
I still watched Charlie as she moved through an aisle in searched of a seat, my heart still thumping rapidly in my chest. “That was your little brother finally realizing what you meant when you told me you just knew when it came to Natalie.”
Adam didn’t say anything. But he didn’t have to; I could see the smirk on his face and knew that he felt relieved.
Chapter Eleven
Charlotte
I spent the entire ceremony unable to focus. It was beautiful, and Natalie looked gorgeous. I noticed the way Adam watched her walk toward him, and when she was only just a few feet away, he stepped forward and held out his hand guiding her the remaining part of the way.
I was fully aware of the way he looked at her as if she was the only person he saw.
It melted my heart because a love like that was hard to come by.
But even though there was a constant flow of activity around me, never once did my heart stop racing at the thought of Brock and the way he looked at me prior to the ceremony.
He made me feel so raw and exposed.
And even though that might sound like it was a bad thing, it truly wasn’t.
I had spent so many years hiding behind this tough girl exterior I’d built, never letting those around me see that at times, inside I was still that terrified young girl who watched in horror as two men and one woman stole my life.
But Brock watched me as if he knew.
Like he could tell that on the inside I needed someone to protect me for once.
Heal me.
It both frightened me and gave me comfort.
But I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with those feelings.
I could almost feel his eyes on me throughout the entire wedding, and when Brock walked past the entire crowd of guests, his arm linked with a petite blonde girl, he never took his eyes off of me.
Now here I stood just inside the beautifully decorated venue rented out for the reception, suddenly feeling out of place.
I didn’t know anyone, well aside from the wedding party, and at this time they were all outside occupied by the photographer.
I’d already accepted a glass of wine and used it in an attempt to tame my nervous stomach, only it wasn’t working.
Most of the guests mingled as they laughed, and some had already taken to the dance floor and began to enjoy the festivities.
But I stood leaning against the wall just a few feet away from the bar, focused on the far wall lined with doors that exited out onto a huge back deck overlooking the beach where the wedding had taken place.
Just beyond that I knew was the guy I’d tried to avoid but had no hope of resisting. I was like a hopeful child waiting for a special gift I knew was coming, yet had no idea when it would actually arrive.
“Could I interest you in a dance?” I looked to my left and came face to face with a tall, handsome man. Boyishly handsome and not that rugged sexy that Brock held.
He held his hand out to me, and I thought about rejecting his offer but then figured it had to be better than looking lonely as I stood in a corner.
“Sure,” I said in return, and I reached out and placed my now empty glass on the bar at my side.
“My name is Patrick,” he said with a smile once we made it to the dance floor, and he stepped up in front of me.
“Charlotte,” I offered in return as I lay my hands on his shoulders and closed the distance between us.
Nothing about this dance screamed sexy as he kept a small space open between us, and his hands remained in neutral locations.
“Are you friends with the bride or the groom?” he asked.
“Both, I guess,” I said in reply. “Adam and I work at the same place, and Natalie and I met through there.”
“I see.” He smiled. “Adam is my cousin.”
Which meant Brock was also his cousin.
I was just about to mention that when I heard a deep, not-so-happy voice from behind me.
“Thanks for keeping Charlie company, Pat, but I think I’ll take over now.” I looked over my shoulder to see Brock staring directly at Patrick.
“This your girl?” Patrick asked, and I felt like I was trapped.
“Yeah,” Brock replied, and I wrinkled my brows in confusion. Um, his girl?
He hooked my waist and pulled me backwards as I stumbled a bit before colliding with his hard chest.
“Brock?” I started to protest, but he only held me tighter.
The two of them had some silent stare down of some manly equation before Patrick bowed out gracefully and turned to walk away.
Brock didn’t let go of me, and he never spoke a word. To be honest, my heart was racing, and the moment of silence was good for easing the rush of adrenaline streaming through me.
Once I was settled and capable of controlling my thoughts, I turned in his arms to face him, yet he still maintained a firm hold on me.
I thought he’d look irritated or maybe even pissed, but he was only smiling. “What are you doing?” I asked, and he just shrugged in reply.
“This…” I used my hand to motion between us, “…isn’t us being friends.”
The humored look on his face changed, but only slightly, as he scanned over my neck and upper chest before focusing back on my eyes. “I don’t know about that, because right now, I’m feeling pretty friendly.”
I rolled my eyes because it shouldn’t have surprised me that he was being cocky and flirtatious. “You know what I mean.”
He nodded, indicating that he did in fact know. “Why can’t we be both?” he asked.
“Because we work together,” I said, as if that was enough. “It’ll complicate things.”
His hold on me tightened a little more as he pulled me in closer. “Nothing with me is simple, so complicated sounds perfect.”
“Stop, and listen to me for a minute.” Even I sounded unsure to myself. Inside I was screaming, Shut up for once and just let whatever happens happen. Stop analyzing every move; stop hiding behind your abilities and live. Enjoy.
“I am listening,” Brock spoke softer this time, “but I also don’t understand.” Neither did I, I wanted to say, because my own words were unconvincing even to me. I could talk and talk until I was blue in the face, but the point of the matter was I was attracted to him. “You like me,” he whispered, bringing his mouth closer to mine. “I like you,” he stated. The feel of his breath whisking across my cheek and lips made me shiver.
“Why run from that?” he asked.
And I had absolutely no answer to his question.
If he had asked me the day before, I could have come up with a list of reasons why this was a bad idea, but right then I had nothing.
At this point our bodies were pressed together so tightly that I could feel each breath he took as his chest rose and fell against my own. The whiskers of his jaw scuffed against my cheek,
and I instantly loved the rough texture.
I closed my eyes, concentrating only on the way he felt against me. Basking in the sensations that ran throughout my body as his hand slid around my back, coming to rest on my lower back.
The inability to deny myself took hold of me, and I tilted my head back, so I could look up at this beautiful mess of a man.
He didn’t look back at me with that same cocky demeanor he normally held.
Now he looked almost hopeful.
“What do you say, Charlie?” he asked. “You done running?”
Chapter Twelve
Brock
She was looking up at me, still giving me no indication whether she was thinking of running or staying. It was almost like she was waiting for me to back away, only the thought had not even crossed my mind.
Patrick was a slime.
The guy used his accomplishments to swoon girls, and once he got what he wanted, he would move on to the next.
Now granted, I wasn’t much better, but never had I promised women things and then left them crushed when they realized it was only a ploy to get in their pants.
Patrick left a stream of broken women everywhere he went.
Over my dead body would I ever allow Charlie to be another woman on that list.
So I went for it.
I’d told myself I would take things slow. That I would remain friends and slowly ease into uncharted territory; only when I found her dancing with Pat, that all changed.
I made my move, and I stood there hoping that I had not messed up everything. Never had I ever wanted to be only friends with Charlie, but now I was worried after this, we may not be that, either.
“What are you hoping for?” she asked, and her question confused me. I think she noticed my perplexed look. “With us,” she began speaking once again, “what are you looking for?”
“If you’re asking me do I want one night, then your answer is no.” I lifted my hand up and placed my palm against her cheek. “I want more than that. I want to stop feeling like I can’t say or do the things that are running through my mind when I’m near you. I’m always so fearful you’ll push me away if I tell you that I want you.” I brushed over her lower lip with my thumb. “I’ve wanted you since the moment you threw sass my way when you saw me standing in that hall naked.”
“It was impossible to miss,” she said with a smile.
“Oh yeah.” I sensed her playfulness and thought I’d ease some of the tension. “I thought since I suffered from Gherkinson’s disease that it would be, like, impossible to find.”
She laughed and attempted to tuck her chin toward her chest, but I stopped her hiding from me. I arched a brow when her gaze connected with mine once again, still waiting for an answer from her.
“I think we both know that you have nothing to worry about in that department.” I could see it in her eyes the day she first saw me; I’d known then she was giving me shit.
“So what do you say, Charlie?” I asked, moving on from the playful topic and hoping that she would finally give me the go ahead to do what I’d been craving all night.
“Brock,” she began, and my stomach dropped.
The tone of her voice was one of hesitation.
“We work together, but not close, so that shouldn’t make a difference. Hell, half the time we rarely see one another unless we go out of our way to do so.” I refused to let her keep backing away.
I wasn’t blind; I could see the way her body reacted to mine. I could sense she wanted this too.
“I don’t just want to soften you up so I can get you in my bed. Damn it, Charlie, you can make me wait as long as you want. I just want to stop with this game of hesitation when it comes to us.” I didn’t break eye contact as I continued my form of a plea. “I want to kiss you when the mood strikes. I want to hang out late watching movies then fall asleep with me holding you close. I want that to be okay.”
Silence set over us as she stared at me, and I never let the intense look in her eyes break me.
On the inside, I was nervous. My stomach was in knots, and my heart raced.
And just when I thought hope was lost, she lifted her hands and placed them around my neck, pulling my upper body downward as she rose up to meet me.
Our lips collided, and once the surprise wore off, I eagerly accepted her kiss.
The way her body molded to mine, I’d never guess that only moments ago we were in a debate whether it was all worth the risk. But in my opinion, it was definitely worth it.
I could taste the wine she’d had; the sweet essence covered her tongue as she toyed with mine.
Fuck, this was so much better than I had ever imagined.
Sweet, erotic.
My body was on fire, and I could feel myself growing aroused without hope of stopping it.
When she pulled back, I instantly missed her and wanted nothing more than to take what I was craving.
But I held back.
It was one of the hardest things I had ever done, but the last thing I wanted was to contradict what I had told her only moments ago.
“That was…” She trailed off as if lost in thought.
I knew what she was feeling, because right now, it was next to impossible to focus. I felt like with just one kiss the woman was able to shake the ground beneath my feet. My legs still felt unstable from the aftereffects.
***
“What was that?” I turned from the bar with a glass of wine in one hand and a beer in the other to come face to face with my brother.
I already knew what he was talking about, because there was no way anyone in the room didn’t catch the exchange between Charlotte and me.
But I chose to play stupid.
Because it was fun getting a rise out of my brother.
“What?” I asked, wrinkling up my forehead, giving a confused look.
“You know exactly what I’m referring to, jackass,” he said as he crossed his arms over his chest and widened his stance.
I tried not to laugh.
“You better not be jacking around with her, Brock,” he added. “She’s a great asset to Kole’s, and she’s happy there. We don’t need you and your happy dick ruining all that.”
I cocked a brow. “My happy dick?” I asked with an amused grin.
“Yeah,” he said, not even cracking a smile. “If your intentions with her aren’t pure, then you need to walk the fuck away and leave her be.”
“Dude, you sound like a dad,” I said, still smiling. It was impossible not to. The guy was insane.
“I am a dad,” he added. Still no smile.
“But not Charlie’s,” I stated clearly.
His stare hardened as he narrowed his eyes, emphasizing his point.
“Listen, man, we’ve talked, a lot. We both know what we want, and we know what we’re doing. Though I’m sure Charlie would appreciate you looking out for her.” I squared my shoulders and lowered the drinks. “She can take care of herself.”
We both continued to look at one another. When I felt like we’d had this silent battle long enough, I thought it was time to ease the tension.
“It’s different, Adam,” I assured him. “Charlie’s different. I have no intention of screwing her over; I care about her. I know that’s foreign territory when it comes to me, but I mean it. I like her a lot.”
Adam must have seen something in my eyes because his hard expression suddenly softened. He nodded his head and stepped back as he held out his hand as if to tell me to get going.
And I did.
Right back to the girl who was waiting for me, smiling and making my heart skip in my chest.
Damn, she was beautiful.
Chapter Thirteen
Charlotte
“The classes are going great, Charlie,” Kole said as he took a seat at the head of the conference table.
Once a month he had meetings with the entire staff, during which time we went over any issues that may have arisen as well as any ideas that may have been ment
ioned.
“We’ve had amazing feedback from a wide range of those who’ve taken your class, and the wait list to get in is only growing each day,” he continued, and I couldn’t contain my smile. It was exactly what I’d hoped for.
“My wife praises you often, and I’ve been at the opposite end of some of the defense moves you’ve taught.” He shook his head and laughed. “Never did I imagine that Lexi would be able to drop me like a wet towel.”
Radley laughed, and Adam joined in.
“Seriously, I went down fast and hit the floor with absolutely no ability to prepare for it.” Kole looked around the room as everyone laughed, I’m sure imagining tiny Lexi flipping him around like a sack of potatoes.
“I’m a survivor of some of those moves myself,” Brock spoke up, and I swear my heart lurched in my chest. His voice did this thing to me that even I didn’t quite understand yet.
We were taking things slow, but that didn’t stop me from imagining more.
“I attended one of Charlie’s classes, and she tossed me around like a rag doll. I hit the floor, and I swear the impact left me dazed and confused.”
I looked over at him, offering a smile, remembering the day fondly. “Yeah, that was a good day,” I said tauntingly.
“Any day you get to knock Brock on his ass is a good day,” Adam said with amusement.
“Touché,” Brock said, leaning back in his chair with a smirk, draping his arm over the back of my chair.
It was gym knowledge by then that he and I were dating. Though some thought I was insane, I was able to see a side of Brock not many of them did. He was actually sweet when he wanted to be.
We moved onto the remaining agenda, and during the entire time Brock continued to keep his arm over my shoulders. Only he started softly moving his fingers over the upper part of my arm, making it hard to concentrate on the words Kole spoke.
When the meeting was over, Brock followed me up to the studio room, where I gathered my things, planning to leave for the day. I was tired; after two classes and a long meeting, I just wanted to go home and take a long hot bath.