Dredging up all the strength I could muster, I pulled away from our explosion of feelings and the dancing of our tongues. “What do you want to do today?” I let out near breathlessly.
Charlie let out a soft chuckle. “I thought it was obvious. I like what we are doing right now.” Her Cheshire smile caused my boxers to feel suddenly very constricting.
“I am taking you out on a real date. As your boyfriend, that’s what should happen, right?” I was determined to show her how much she meant to me. I wanted a real relationship with her.
Her head flinched back slightly and her steel-gray eyes were growing distant. “A date?”
“Yes. A date. That’s what boyfriends and girlfriends do, right?”
She released another feminine giggle. That sweet sound of her happiness echoed through to my soul. “You don’t have to take me out and win me over. You have me.” I leaned into her delicate hand as she caressed the outline of my bristly jaw. “I love you, Louis. I will go anywhere, anytime with you. We don’t have to call it ‘dates.’ I just want to spend time with you.”
Well damn. I wasn’t sure how I could possibly deserve this. “Okay. Then let’s go out and spend time together.” My mind raced with ideas. “Breakfast? A run? A trip to the beach? Paddle boarding? Kayaking? Biking? Fishing?”
“That’s going to be a full day.” Her lips curled up and revealed her perfect white teeth in the most cunning of smiles.
“I just mean, we could do whatever you want.” The thought was interrupted when a very non-sexy rumble emitted from my stomach. “Although breakfast is probably a top priority for me.”
“Then let’s go to breakfast.” After a quick kiss on my lips, she pulled back the covers and left her comfortable bed and walked toward the bathroom. I had to remind myself that I wanted to do things right because having her leave the warmth of her bed was torture. I could ignore my grumbling belly and stay curled up in bed with her all day if she let me.
We each showered separately and changed before going to breakfast. We held hands and slid into the same side of the booth at the Pancake Cabin. We talked and ate like old times, but I could feel the new layer of our relationship that had developed.
“So what changed your mind about us?” Charlie asked very nonchalantly in between bites of her pancakes.
I was a little taken aback by her question. I guess I wasn’t really prepared for her to ask me outright. “A friend told me I needed to stop acting like a jackass and tell you how I feel.”
She coughed and nearly sputtered out tiny pieces of pancake from her mouth. “Who? Cameron?”
“No. It was Travis.” I couldn’t believe I even admitted that out loud. I was slightly surprised how I not only admitted I considered him my friend, but that he also had given me the single best piece of advice I had ever received in my twenty-three years of life.
“I wouldn’t have seen that coming from him.” She put her fork down and turned toward me, even though I was seated right up next to her in the cozy booth. “I was pretty sure he didn’t like you.” Gliding her hand across the vinyl of the bench, she found mine and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I didn’t exactly paint a pretty picture of you to him. In fact, I probably made it seem like you were kind of a jackass.”
I located her other hand so that I was holding both of her soft hands in mine, and I gently kissed her on her forehead, admiring her angelic face. “It’s okay. I was a jackass. I hope that someday you can manage to forgive me for hurting you like I did. And I promise if you let me, I will spend every day showing you how much I love you.”
A pink glow illuminated her cheeks before she turned away. I embarrassed her. It was pretty thrilling to see. The girl I grew up with didn’t embarrass easily. She was bold and strong, and stood by her convictions. She could be absolutely intimidating if she wanted to be. Seeing her vulnerable side was something I hadn’t expected or even knew I wanted. There was still so much to learn about her, and I was going to enjoy every minute of it.
25
Charlie
We sat on my couch watching nothing in particular after returning from a bike ride at the beach. Today had been so wonderful, I truly didn’t believe I could be any happier. We ate breakfast at my favorite place. We drove to the beach talking about everything and anything like we used to, all while holding hands. Louis occasionally glanced over at me and smiled while he drove. I love that I am, at least part of, the reason he is so happy.
We parked at the visitor center and took our bikes for a ten-mile ride. We rode along the coastline so the breeze kept us protected from the typical scorching August day. We rode side by side so we could continue our easy conversation. I knew at that point that he was meant to always be by my side. No wonder I had missed his presence next to me during my solitary runs. Once I had him at my side, there was a large void when he was no longer there.
We decided to go back to my apartment after our ride to change before heading out to enjoy our day together, but somehow we made it as far as the couch where we both collapsed from exhaustion. Since I wasn’t going to work again until tomorrow night, I was happy to spend every second with him next to me. There was knocking at my door while we lay next to each other on the sofa.
Since Louis was lying behind me, I figured it was easier for me to get up and see who was knocking. I stood on tiptoe to peer out the peephole and discovered the only other man that knew my heart better than I did. “It’s Cam.” I opened the door while Louis fumbled to straighten into a seated position. I hadn’t shared with him that I had already texted my brother about the change in our relationship.
“You have a key, you know.” I swatted at my twin as he entered my apartment.
“No way. I won’t be opening this door without warning now.” Cam shook his head and stepped toward the couch where Louis was wearing a perplexed expression. I followed behind my brother and stood next to where Louis was still seated.
“I told him.” Louis leered at me, seeking an answer to a question he only asked with his eyes. “I told him about us…that you and I are in a relationship.” Confusion continued to crease his brow even after my attempt at explanation.
“And how does he feel about that?” Although Louis responded to my comment, he looked in Cam’s direction, while raising to a standing position.
“Are you kidding me?” Cam’s smile broadened in approval and the lines across his forehead raised with excitement. “My best friend and my sister? It’s about time!” He fist-bumped Louis and then turned to give me a quick hug.
Louis let out an exaggerated sigh of relief. “I should have told you.” His guilt-reddened face reminded me of a little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar before dinner.
“Tell me? I knew even when you didn’t admit it to yourself.” Cam snickered. “I knew before you admitted it out loud five years ago. And although I feel bad that you both went through the stuff you did, I am glad that you didn’t let it stand in your way. I couldn’t be happier that you ended up finding your way back to each other. You two are truly meant to be together.”
“That was really deep coming from you, Cam.” I inched toward Louis and wrapped my arms around his waist.
A deep, gruff sound surfaced from my brother as he cleared his throat. “But I don’t want to see all the PDA…and I don’t want to hear about it, either.”
Louis kissed the top of my head. “We aren’t going to put rules on our relationship again. So if I feel like kissing my girlfriend, and you happen to be around, then you will just have to ignore us if you don’t want to see it.”
The sight of Cam cringing made me laugh. I knew he was happy for us. The fact that he was giving us a hard time with the PDA was proof of that. He had seen me kiss boyfriends before and never seemed to care. He only teased us because he likes us being together. He approves of our relationship. I know he was secretly always cheering for the Charlie-Louis connection from the sidelines, and for some undetermined reason, he has become quite a softie when it comes to
romance.
“So I guess Louis will be going with me tomorrow night for the coffee run?” Cam examined me as if I already knew the response to his question.
“I guess that means Alexis is working with me?” I raised an eyebrow, questioning my brother’s motivation.
“That’s a good assumption.” His matter-of-fact tone caused me to shake my head in denial.
“I wasn’t sure I would ever see the day that my brother would look for a serious relationship with a girl.”
Louis and I exchanged laughs, and my brother didn’t flinch at my implication. “Oh, grow up, you two.”
“I’m just surprised that you grew up.” I grabbed ahold of my brother and pulled him into the embrace I still held with Louis, so I could hug my two best friends. My brother had always been more than a sibling. He was my best friend. And Louis had always been more than a friend. He was the man who owned my heart. Now, here in my small living room, I had both larger-than-life men next to me. I couldn’t think of anywhere else I would rather be at that moment.
We’d picked up Chinese food on our way back to my apartment after canoeing in the lake. Cameron and Alexis joined us. I definitely approved of their relationship. I hadn’t ever seen Alexis smile so much. I knew it was my brother who did that for her. I loved my brother no matter what, but saying that I was delighted that he finally found a girl of substance to date was an understatement.
The fact that I could even have a conversation with a girl my brother was dating was quite an accomplishment as far as I was concerned. Alexis was smart, and I obviously had a lot in common with her, given that we worked together. She was quiet and humble, and pretty in a subtle way. I was thrilled to see someone like her with Cam.
She also wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. But given that she was an ER nurse, that really wasn’t a surprise. We paddled around the lake in the canoe as a foursome. The boys splashed at each other, and soon, Alexis and I joined in. Her hair became a soggy mess, but she didn’t seem to care. I remembered the comment my brother made not so long ago. You don’t care if you mess up your hair or get dirt under your fingernails. You are every guy’s dream. I was certainly happy that he was able to find his dream girl. I didn’t know how long their relationship would last, but I hoped it existed for a while. Alexis was the first girl who I could really see myself having as a close girlfriend. It had always been easier for me to develop friendships with boys than girls because I always seemed to have more common interests with men than women. But Alexis was so much like me, I could see why my brother got along with her so well. After all, he and I had been best friends since the womb.
Feeling quietly contented, Louis and I sat at my small table in my small kitchen and ate sesame chicken and egg rolls. All my surroundings felt small with Louis’s larger-than-life presence in it. Small wasn’t the right word, I guess. Cozy would be a better description. My apartment felt like home with him sitting at the kitchen table sharing a meal or stretched out on the couch watching television. Everything just felt comfy and right with him near me. With these comforting thoughts anchoring in my head, I found myself ridiculously grinning while sitting with Louis.
“What? Do I have something in my teeth?” He was obviously confused by my goofy smile. He didn’t have anything stuck in his teeth. He was perfect, and he was mine.
“I’m just happy to be with you.” My senses became overwrought as my feelings bubbled to the surface. I had been having these crazy feelings all day. It was surreal, yet wonderful, and overwhelming all at the same time. Joyful tears pricked at my eyes as I soaked up the intense elation overfilling my heart.
“Sweetheart, are you okay?” Evidently, Louis didn’t recognize my tears as happy ones. His tenderness was so endearing. I have never felt so loved and cared for by anyone. He has always looked after me, but things between us were at such a different level now, I thought my chest would explode if I kept my emotions shoved down inside much longer.
I pushed my chair out from the table, and I approached his side, determined to show him that everything was okay. Everything was more than okay. Standing next to him, I leaned in and grabbed his face, bringing my lips to his for a brief kiss. He pushed himself away from the table but remained sitting and pulled me into his lap.
His compelling, cobalt eyes glazed with animated emotion. I brought my mouth to his again and caressed him softly with my lips. That only lasted a few moments because my lustful state intensified. While I nibbled on his lower lip, he obliged me by partially opening his mouth for me to explore. I snaked my arms around his neck to pull him closer.
Louis lifted me up from his lap as if I weighed nothing and carried me out of the kitchen while I continued to kiss him. He walked the short distance from my kitchen to my bedroom and pushed the door open with his foot. Then he gently placed me down on the bed and even though the beginning of darkness developed outside and there wasn’t a light on in my bedroom, the smoldering lust in his eyes was discernable.
“I planned to take things slow this time.” Confliction swirled in his heated stare with heartrending tenderness and eager affection. “But my God, I want you.”
I pulled at his cotton T-shirt and tugged it up over his head. With his naked torso in front of me, I couldn’t help but run my fingers across the hard muscles of his chest and pepper kisses along his pecs. He moaned when I let my tongue graze his nipple.
In response to my initiation of clothing removal, he forcefully ripped my T-shirt from my body when he yanked it over my head and threw it on the floor next to the bed. I slipped my finger along the waistband of his shorts as I felt his growing erection straining against my core. Wanting to free him from his constricting outerwear, I snatched his shorts and boxers and pulled them down simultaneously. He finished removing them from his legs quickly by kicking the garments onto the floor.
His impressive body hovered over me, propped up by the corded muscles of his arms. I broke away from our heated kisses just so I could admire his nakedness. Staring boldly, I raked my eyes over his body. Sure, I had seen him naked that one time right from the shower, and the first time we had sex, but I didn’t have the opportunity either of those times to truly appreciate his magnificent body. Once he reached for the button on my denim shorts, I arched toward him as a warmth spread throughout my body and a moistness developed between my legs.
He pushed my shorts down and then it was his turn to stare at me. I watched as his gaze dropped from my eyes to my neck, to my breasts. I was thankful I opted for the matching lacy, lavender bra and panty set today, rather than the often mismatched undergarment choices I usually made. He continued to scan my body critically, but beamed with approval.
“You weren’t wearing any more than this on that day at the beach,” he said in a sultry voice. “You drove me crazy then, and you are driving me crazy now.” His breathing became erratic, and I felt my own breathing increase while we continued to explore each other with our mouths and hands.
“That orange bikini is one of my favorites,” I said, nearly breathlessly. “I was hoping you would like it, too.”
“Oh, you knew I would like it. Seeing you in that bikini gave me a hard-on, which is the reason I couldn’t even look in your direction during that volleyball game. No wonder Cam and I lost.”
I let out a small laugh. I liked knowing that I had caused his undoing. Brazenly grabbing ahold of his shaft, I stroked it up and down with my hand. He released a groan and started a trail of kisses along my collarbone and across the top of my breasts.
I wiggled out from beneath him and pushed him down onto his back. Reaching for his silky shaft again, I placed my mouth at the crown and licked the sensitive tip. Louis reached around my back and released the clasp of my bra. I pushed the undergarment out of the way to free my breasts from the restrictive hold of the brassiere.
As I remained hunched over him with his erection again in my mouth, he teased my nipples with the tips of his fingers. Brushing his thumbs over the sensitive buds caused t
hem to pearl and harden at his touch. I began to lose concentration at my task with his teasing strokes of my nipples. I released my hold of his extraordinary shaft and he pulled at my underwear. I shimmied them down my legs and tossed them off. They went airborne, and I wasn’t sure where they landed, but I didn’t care.
Louis tossed me onto my back and placed my breast into his mouth. I arched toward him and felt moisture intensify between my legs. He parted the sensitive folds between my legs with his fingers and exposed the sensitive nub that he eagerly began to stroke with his thumb. Once he inserted his finger into me, I screamed his name, and he tightened the sucking hold he had on my nipple with his mouth.
I felt myself trembling from the inside, and I knew I needed to have Louis in me at that moment. “I have condoms in my nightstand,” I blurted out with my eyes shut tight.
So with the swiftness of a jungle cat, he jumped off me, to my nightstand next to my bed, and then back to me. Tearing the foil wrapper with his teeth, he removed the latex covering and placed it along his full length. He hovered over me while teasing his covered shaft against my opening, I switched positions with him and pushed him onto his back again.
As I straddled him, I guided him into the place I wanted him to be, but as he began to push into me, a quick thrust caused forced entry, but I didn’t feel any pain. I was swept up by the ripples of pleasure. The heat and fullness of him completely filled me. We fit each other perfectly. He was the only one for me, and I was the only one for him.
I slid up and down him with increasing speed and friction. He matched my movements with his thrusts until I felt my channel tighten around him. Placing his firm hold on my hips kept him deeply seated inside me. He continued to pound into me at the same time as I was so desperately trying to ride him vigorously. As hot waves began pulsating around him from within me, I inched closer and closer to the ocean ecstasy roaring inside the depths of my soul. With an earsplitting grunt, he let out his release only a moment after my inner core squeezed around him. A white flash of light ignited behind my clenched eyelids, and I fell against his chest after the waves of pleasure brought me back to shore.
Love Burns Page 21