by Erin M. Leaf
“Beautiful,” he breathed, breaking for air.
She sucked in a breath, but before she could say anything, he kissed her again. He hauled her up against him, moving her as if she weighed nothing at all. Eva squeaked, but Charlie didn’t let go. He kissed her deeper, sweeping his tongue along her lips and then into her mouth as if he would die if he couldn’t taste her. When he finally lifted his head, she swallowed, hard. She had to look up to see him, and wasn’t that something else. Holy what the fuck. Be careful what you ask for, she thought hazily. Her lips tingled. Her pussy tingled, and he hadn’t even gotten to second base.
Charlie didn’t speak. He looked at her with eyes gone dark and hot. He didn’t let go. He loomed over her like a beast, and Eva shivered and dug her fingers into his muscles. He didn’t even seem to notice. She liked him like this. She liked him in every way it was possible for a woman to like a man.
“Wow,” she whispered. Her lips felt swollen. Her tongue felt stupid. She bit her cheek so she wouldn’t beg him for more.
“Is this what you wanted?” he finally growled, aggressive and so damned male she shivered.
Eva licked her lips. “Yes.” It was her first kiss, and it was everything she’d ever wanted: a man who wasn’t afraid of her brain or her size or her strength. Charlie had no idea how rare that was. She gathered her wits. “More,” she said. “Please.”
Charlie inhaled sharply, eyes on her mouth. “God help me.” And then he lowered his head.
Eva trembled, expecting his lips on hers again, but instead, he kissed down her jaw to her throat. His mouth was hot and soft and ridiculously gentle.
“You smell like citrus,” he said, voice low and rumbly. “I want to eat you up.”
Good lord. Eva moaned, then hissed when he scraped his teeth along the sensitive skin near her ear. “Don’t stop,” she said, finally getting the courage to slide her fingers up into his hair. He still had some dried flecks of joint compound in it, and she smoothed it out of the strands as he kissed her again. For the first time, she tried to kiss him back. When her tongue met his, he groaned.
“Yeah. That’s it, honey.” Charlie bit her lip, then soothed it with his mouth.
Eva found herself writhing against him, trying to get closer. No wonder people do crazy things for love, she thought, wishing she could crawl inside him. His body pressed hard and heavy against hers, and he didn’t even budge as she wriggled. Something hot and thick pressed against her abdomen, and with sudden clarity, she realized it was his erection. Charlie was aroused. The sudden knowledge was enough to jerk her out of her sensual reverie. “Oh my God,” she said, voice breaking. “Oh my God.”
“Not God, Eva. Just a man.” Charlie kissed her again, sliding his hands up her body. One slid around her right breast, flicking the nipple. She hadn’t bothered with a bra, and clearly, he’d noticed. He cupped her and rolled his hips into her in a slow facsimile of fucking. “You’re so fucking gorgeous. Lush. Perfect.” His fingers teased her nipple into a tight, aching point. “Fuck. I want you so bad. I can’t stop touching you. Make me stop, Eva. Tell me no.”
Stop? Like hell I will, she thought, urging him on with her body. Eva’s skin prickled as pleasure shot from her breast to her clit. Her pussy throbbed, swollen and wet. She wanted more. So much more. She’d be totally okay if he wanted to go all the way with her right now. She wished he would.
“Please, Charlie,” she said, shocked when her voice came out soft and breathy. The best part about all of this was that she knew Charlie. She’d been half in love with him for years, and she could easily slip the rest of the way down that particular rabbit hole. She slid her hands down over his waist, then up under his tight shirt. His skin was silky smooth. Muscles contracted under her fingertips.
“I shouldn’t be doing this,” he muttered, even as he kissed her again. “I’m just going to hurt you.”
“No, you won’t.” Eva wound a leg around his thigh. His cock was so hot it felt like a brand against her belly. She couldn’t even imagine what it might feel like inside her. “I want you to do this, Charlie,” she said, just in case he got the ridiculous idea that he was forcing her into it. “I asked you for this, remember?”
Charlie growled again, sucking on her neck. It hurt. It felt divine. Eva sank her hands into his hair and made fists as he ravaged her neck. The harder she pulled, the wilder he became, so she gripped his hair with all her strength. When he bit down, she gasped, trying to get some friction at the juncture of her thighs. If he would just move his leg a little bit to the left…
He slid his hands down and cupped her ass, hauling her up against him. Eva ended up grinding down on his thigh. She shuddered, head falling back. She’d fingered herself to orgasm a hundred times, but it had never felt like this. Nothing in her life had prepared her for this.
“Charlie, please,” she begged, not sure what she was asking for. “I need more.”
He kissed her again, then slowly lowered her down and grasped her wrists. “Eva,” he said, whispering her name into her ear. “Shh, baby.”
“Wait, no,” she said, trying to get closer again. Why was he pulling away? She was so close.
Charlie panted, his forehead on her shoulder. “We have to stop.”
Eva shook her head. “No, we don’t. I know you, Charlie. I picked you for my first time.” She tried to pull her hands free, but he tightened his grip, and damn it all to hell, the restraint excited her even more. She loved that he was strong enough to handle her. No one else had ever even tried. “Please. I’m not a child anymore. I’m not just your best friend’s daughter, and you know it.”
Charlie sighed, sounding as frustrated as a man could be in this situation. “No. Eva, stop.” He set her away from him.
Eva stared at him, unable to believe he’d stop now. “Wait. Are you serious?” She stared at him. His mouth was swollen. She tentatively touched her lips. So was hers. Her fingertips did nothing to cool the heat, but she liked the way Charlie watched her as she touched herself. “You can’t be serious,” she said, half teasing, half begging. She bit down on her finger just to watch his breath hitch.
He grimaced, looking pained, and then he kissed her again, very gently. “I’m serious. This is wrong.” He looked regretful. “I’m so sorry, Eva. This is all on me.”
This is bullshit. Eva didn’t want gentle. She wanted big and strong and fearless. “Charlie, you don’t—”
He cut her off. “I know better than to do this.” His expression tightened. “I can’t. Eva, I’m sorry.” He thrust his hands into his hair and tugged. “God! I’m such an idiot.” He cupped her face. “I’m so sorry.”
“This was my first kiss, Charlie,” she said angrily, not in the least pleased with his sudden attack of guilt. “You realize that, right? And you’re ruining it.” She shook off his grip and stepped back. He was making this all about him, and that just pissed her off. How dare he pretend to comfort her after her truly shitty day, and then finally kiss her, and then back off like she’d caught the plague or something? “I’m a grown woman, and I wanted you to kiss me. I asked you to kiss me, remember? Remember the other day when you stomped off?”
“This has nothing to do with you, Eva, and everything to do with me being a jerk,” Charlie said in a low voice.
She snorted. Well, that’s certainly true.
“You’re a beautiful, intelligent woman, and I stepped over a line I swore I would never cross.” He ran a hand through his hair.
Eva’s anger erupted. “Get out.” She pointed down the hall. “I can’t even look at you right now, Charlie.” How dare he act like he was the only one making the decisions here? “I’m an adult. I’ve been an adult from the first moment my dad got sick, and you know it. And I know what I want,” she said, voice cracking. Her finger shook, and she let her arm drop. She wanted to slap him. “Right now, I want you gone.”
Charlie nodded, stepping back. “I’m so sorry.” He turned and walked towards the kitchen, then paused. “I’ll
be back on Sunday to do the gutters out back, if that’s okay with you?”
Eva gritted her teeth. If she could, she’d rip the damn things off the house and burn them, but she had to be sensible. She still needed his help, even if just looking at him made her want to crawl into a hole and never come out. Her face burned, and the lump in her throat wouldn’t budge, no matter how much she swallowed. She twisted her fingers together tight enough to hurt. She only had to keep from crying for another minute. Maybe two, tops.
“Eva?”
“Fine,” she said instead of hurling something at his damn head.
Charlie nodded, short and sharp. “I’m really sorry.”
Eva scowled at him. She didn’t want to hear apologies.
Charlie sighed, shoulders tight. He still had plaster in his hair. Eva suppressed the urge to go to him and fix it.
“Sunday, then,” he finally said, then turned and walked away.
Eva clung to the edge of her bedroom door. As soon as she heard the front door shut, she went into her room and flung herself facedown on her bed, tears hot on her face.
It took her a long time to fall asleep that night.
Chapter Five
On Sunday afternoon, Charlie pulled his truck into Eva’s driveway behind her car, then cut the engine and sat there for at least ten minutes. Coward, he told himself, staring at her house. When he’d left the other night, he’d had to move her car first, then back his out, and then park hers again, all while knowing she was probably crying her eyes out in the bedroom right above the garage. The entire process added fifteen minutes to an entirely hideous situation, and he had no one to blame but himself for the whole thing. Right now, though, the sun was shining, and clearing the back gutters shouldn’t take long. He still couldn’t get himself to move. He’d spent all day Saturday trying not to think about how fucking perfect Eva felt in his arms.
He’d failed.
In desperation, he’d gone for a brutal ten mile run late Saturday night, and now he was paying for it. His legs hurt. His feet hurt. And worst of all, his mind continued to bombard him with images of Eva: hair down, no bra, sass and fire in her eyes. When he smothered the images, her voice echoed in his head instead, reminding him that she was as intelligent as she was beautiful. Trying to distance himself from her emotionally seemed to be a losing battle.
“And sitting here isn’t going to fix anything,” he muttered irritably. He sighed, then got out of his truck. I’ll go right to the backyard and get the gutters done, then get the hell out of here, he promised himself. No kissing. No thinking about kissing.
He unhooked the tailgate and pulled out his ladder. He could’ve used Eva’s equipment, but then he’d have to ask her to open the garage door, and the less time spent interacting with her the better. He already had an erection. He’d had an erection since he’d got in his damn truck to come over here, damn it to hell. He couldn’t get the idea that making love with Eva would be as close to heaven as he could get, and he knew he was going to hell for it. You did not mess around with your friend’s daughter. Not ever, no matter how perfect she was for you. Not even if she asked you for it. And you especially didn’t mess around with her when your friend was dead. That made everything a thousand times worse, because it was on him to keep Phil’s daughter safe. No one else was going to do it. A pang of grief hit him right in the chest. Phil had been there for him when his brother had died years ago, and now Charlie would never be able to repay him, except through Eva. Which means I’m supposed to take care of her, not fuck her, he thought darkly. I shouldn’t even be thinking about fucking her, you old pervert.
Charlie hefted the ladder over his shoulder and headed up the stone steps and around the house. The edge of it bit into his neck, but he didn’t readjust it. He deserved the pain. He walked slowly, careful not to smack the house with the awkward thing, but when he reached the corner, he frowned, stopping just out of sight of the back yard. Angry voices carried around the building.
“How many times do I have to say ‘no’ for you to understand me?” Eva was saying. Her words were hard and clear. There was no mistaking the irritation in her tone. “No. A thousand times no, Albert. You are not welcome here. Please leave.”
Albert… I know that name. Charlie leaned the ladder against the house as he racked his brain, trying to remember the identity of the man. Eva would be able to tell him, but he wanted to understand what was happening before he interrupted the conversation.
“I promised your mom I’d help you out, Eva,” the man said. “I can’t do that if you don’t let me.”
“I wouldn’t let you do anything for me if you were the last man on Earth,” Eva retorted. “If you wanted to help me, you could’ve tried not being an asshole when Mom died. You didn’t even come to her funeral! What kind of brother does that?”
Ah. Mary’s younger brother, Charlie realized, not pleased with the knowledge. Phil had hated the man, and hadn’t allowed him in the house during their marriage.
“I was away on business. You’ve got to cut me a break,” Albert said.
“I don’t have to cut you anything. You’re supposed to be my uncle, not some old creeper,” Eva said, her voice rising.
And now I know why Phil hated him. The little bastard doesn’t know how to take no for an answer, Charlie thought, annoyed for Eva’s sake. He’d never met the guy, and from what he heard now, he hadn’t been missing much. After everything she’s been through, she shouldn’t have to put up with this shit. Charlie didn’t like the whiny sound of the guy’s voice, uncle or not. And he didn’t like anyone harassing Eva.
He walked around the corner, then stopped. Eva stood with her hands fisted by her sides. She looked like she’d been reading on her small patio, because a discarded paperback rested on the chaise lounge and a tall glass of iced tea sat on the small glass table next to the seat. She wore cut-off shorts, a pretty orange halter-top, and a wide brimmed straw hat. She looked young and pretty and pissed.
No, not pretty. Pretty is too ordinary a word. She looks fucking phenomenal, Charlie thought, staring at all the delicious skin on display. She looked like she belonged in a photo shoot. She also looked irate. Before he could say anything, the man standing in front of her grabbed her arm and forced her closer.
Fuck, Charlie thought, as anger welled up. How dare the little weasel put hands on Eva? Charlie started forward just as he caught sight of another man standing just behind Albert. The dumbass was grinning like a fucking donkey. Neither man saw him, but Eva did, and her expression told Charlie just how upset she really was.
“I’m just trying to take care of you,” Albert said, oblivious to the world of hurt about to descend on his head. He was shorter than Eva, and fat, and ugly. His friend was only slightly taller, and he’d positioned himself so that Eva couldn’t easily back up.
“By hitting on me? Do you know how gross that is, Albert? You’re my uncle, for God’s sake. Have some self-respect,” Eva retorted angrily. She swung her arm around, breaking his grip. When she stepped back, she landed in the other guy’s arms. “What the—” She struggled as the other man grabbed her upper arms. “Let me go!”
He jerked her closer to him. “We just want a little compensation for coming to visit you.”
“You’re crazy! Get your filthy hands off me!” Eva wrestled with him, then broke free, and then she used her momentum to punch the man in the head. “You wouldn’t deserve compensation even if you had done something useful. Get out of my yard!” She raised her fist again.
He staggered back, hand on his ear, then hissed. “You fat bitch! You should be grateful we’re actually paying attention to you! No one else will, with hips like that. And you’re too fucking tall.” He reached out as if to hit her, and Charlie saw red.
“Get the fuck away from her.” Charlie strode forward, pissed. Eva looked at him, and the combination of anger and frustration in her eyes nearly broke his heart. “Are you okay? Eva?”
She nodded jerkily, emotion flashing
across her face. “I’m fine.” She turned to her uncle. The other guy had circled around to stand near him. He looked younger than her uncle, but just as smarmy. His belly rolled out over his pants, and Charlie could tell he liked to hit the beer a little too heavily.
“Who the fuck are you?” the guy asked belligerently.
Charlie ignored him. I wouldn’t be surprised if these jokers aren’t half drunk right now, He thought, looking at their glassy eyes. “Did they hurt you before I got here?” he asked Eva quietly. He touched her arm and was gratified when she moved closer to him.
“No,” she said, and then she sighed. “Depends on your definition of hurt.”
Charlie scowled.
“They’ve been here for a half hour, uninvited. They interrupted my day so they could get their rocks off harassing a woman,” Eva continued. “But I’m fine. They were just leaving.” She turned to glare at them.
“Is that so?” Charlie asked, looking at the two men. “Why don’t I see you walking away?” He didn’t really expect them to answer. He crossed his arms over his chest.
“Because they’re dumb as a stack of bricks,” Eva said scornfully. Her voice trembled just a tiny bit, sending Charlie’s protective instincts into overdrive.
“They’re leaving now,” he said, stepping forward. He was angry, and he was sure it showed, because neither Eva’s uncle nor his friend would meet his gaze.
The two men backed up a few steps. “I don’t know who the hell you are, but you’re butting in on family business,” Albert said angrily. He tried to act as if Charlie’s size wasn’t at all intimidating, but Charlie noticed the man didn’t exactly get up close to him.
Charlie smiled, baring his teeth. “Leave. Now. While you can still walk.”
“Just go, Albert. And take your friend with you,” Eva said, stepping in front of Charlie. “I don’t want you here.”
Charlie could tell she didn’t want him to resort to violence, but he could see the small tremors she struggled to hide. If I have to drag these two out of here by their feet, so be it, he thought as he put a hand on her shoulder. Eva moved closer to him again, glaring at the two men. The one she’d called her uncle glared right back, and the idiot even took a step forward.