Terms of Agreement

39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Aiden

M y face was just inches from hers, her head already tipped up and her lips practically begging to be kissed.

‘Do you want a drink?’

The words pushed out of my mouth, startling us both as they broke the bottleneck at my lips. Fuck. I watched as she took a step back, lowering her gaze. Why was I so nervous? This wasn’t a date. There weren’t supposed to be jitters . And until I’d opened the door, there hadn’t been. Sure, I’d changed a couple of times while deciding on an outfit. But that was the bare minimum when meeting up with anyone. Showering, shaving, and not showing up in sweatpants? Basic manners. Not a big deal. But here, in the entryway, it felt like my heart was on the final miles of a marathon run I hadn’t trained for.

While I waited for her reply, I allowed my gaze to travel down her body. She’d worn a cream cropped jumper that hung loosely over her frame and paired it with a pale purple skirt that hugged her curves in a mouth-watering kind of way. My gaze lingered on the skirt’s slit up one side, and I couldn’t help but wonder if she’d worn those sexy stockings again.

‘I think a drink would be a good idea,’ Charlotte’s soft voice cut through the air, bringing me out of my thoughts that had taken a turn down a caveman-like path at the sight of her stockinged feet.

‘Wine?’ I asked over my shoulder as I made my way into the kitchen.

‘Wine is good,’ I heard from behind me. From sounds of it, she’d followed me into the kitchen.

‘I’m not sure how any of this is supposed to go,’ I confessed to the cupboard, my back to the room.

‘Me neither,’ Charlotte admitted. ‘Wine seems like a good place to start, though.’

I smiled to myself and set to pouring us each a healthy measure. ‘Living room?’ I asked, turning to face her and tilting my head back towards the rest of the apartment.

‘Sounds good.’

I grimaced as I made my way out of the kitchen. This was so fucking awkward. Whoever thought this kind of thing was a good idea was an idiot. Maybe this only worked when you were young? Before your brain had fully developed.

‘Where’s Louise?’ Charlotte asked, her eyes glancing around the room.

I gestured for her to sit, biting back a grateful sigh. I could talk about Louise.

‘Out,’ I said, waiting for her to lower herself to the sofa beside me before passing her a glass. ‘We have a cousin in Angel. They were going to meet up and do something.’

Charlotte nodded, taking a small sip from her glass. My eyes tracked her movements, lingering on the soft pink stain her lipstick left on the rim of the glass.

‘So, do we talk?’ Charlotte asked. ‘I feel like we should talk.’

‘Talking makes sense,’ I nodded.

‘Do we talk about our days?’ She twisted in her seat to look at me, her eyes widened in an earnest expression.

‘We could.’ I took a slow, long pull of wine from my glass. She mirrored my actions, and when she lowered the glass from her lips, I watched as her tongue darted out to catch a bead of wine that had got caught on her plump lower lip.

‘Charlotte,’ I said lowly, moving to set my glass on the table, my gaze locked on her lips.

‘Mmm?’

‘I’m going to kiss you now.’

‘Oh,’ she breathed, as I lowered my lips to hers. I groaned against her lips, coaxing them open and slipping my tongue inside. She tasted like wine and apricots and sunshine.