Chapter Twenty-One Charlotte
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHARLOTTE
Kiss me good night, Charlie
M Y HEART IS GOING TO EXPLODE OUT OF MY CHEST . O N ONE SIDE OF me, I have Will discovering an erogenous zone I never knew existed as he rubs the center of my palm in a teasing, sensual glide. On my other side, I’ve got Beckett’s warm breath against my neck, his lips tickling the shell of my ear as he offers to kiss me.
I didn’t think tonight was going to go this way.
I truly thought I’d show up and it would be the most awkward date of my life.
I anticipated stilted, porn-level dialogue. Oh, hello there, you sexy hockey players. Please, I am aching for you both. Take me here and now.
Instead, it’s been normal human conversation. Well, if you call double penetration and whether they hook up normal . But still. It felt easy. Comfortable.
Until I made the mistake of confessing that I want to kiss them.
Now, my pulse is racing faster than the go-kart I drove yesterday, and I’m practically crawling out of my own skin thanks to the waves of desire. Everything feels hot and tight.
Beckett’s seductive words hang in the air.
If you want to be kissed, Charlie, all you have to do is ask.
Before I can answer, I notice the waiter trying to catch my attention to see if we need anything else. It’s a reminder of where we are and what I should not be thinking about doing, so I blurt out, “No.”
The guys instantly straighten up. Will releases my hand. Beckett shifts away from me. It’s gratifying to see how quick they are to respect my boundaries, but they mistake my response.
“I, ah, meant not here,” I stammer. “Not in this booth.”
They’re both trying not to grin.
“This is a date, right?” I ask, shifting my gaze between them.
They nod.
“Well, I’m not one of those I-don’t-kiss-on-the-first-date girls. I’m fine with kissing. But…um…maybe when you’re walking me to my car or something.”
My heart careens at the idea.
What is wrong with me?
I really, really, really want them. God, even Beckett, who’s been annoying the hell out of me all semester. I want nothing more than to know what his lips taste like. What Will’s tongue feels like in my mouth.
They’re not wrong—I am two people. But, and it’s hard to put into words, it’s not like either part of me is fake. The straitlaced sorority girl is just a part of my personality that naturally comes out when I’m in that house, being judged and criticized by the likes of Agatha. And my overachiever side comes out around my family, because I want to…
Fit in.
I suppose that’s my biggest flaw. My Achilles’ heel. This deep-rooted desire to fit in among my peers, my family.
This part of my personality—Charlie, the girl sitting in a bar wearing a tank top with no bra—doesn’t fit in at Delta Pi. Doesn’t entirely fit in with her family. But here, in the presence of Will Larsen and Beckett Dunne, she’s never felt more comfortable.
The next time the waiter returns, the guys order another round of beers. I’ve maxed out my alcohol intake, so I ask for a soda.
“You’re thinking again,” Will accuses.
I meet his amused eyes and sigh. “I’m always thinking. My inner monologue never stops.”
“And what’s it saying right now?”
Warmth suffuses my cheeks. “That I like both of you, and I don’t think I want to choose.”
Beckett shrugs. “That’s the beauty of it. You don’t have to choose.”
“What if I decide I want just one of you?” I challenge.
“Hmm.” Will tilts his head in thought. “So you’re saying you want us to compete for your favor?”
A grin touches my lips. “If I did, how exactly would you compete?”
Beckett takes my hand, his thumb tracing slow, deliberate circles over my palm. “We could see who can make you come faster?”
I choke on a laugh. “That scenario still allows both of you to have me.”
“Oh, does it?” He blinks innocently.
Laughing too, Will brushes his fingers along my jawline while Beckett continues to stroke my palm.
My pulse quickens. The dual sensations of their hands on my skin trigger a flurry of sparks through my body. The thrill of being the center of their attention is intoxicating.
I don’t think I could choose, even if they asked me to. They’re both so different. Beckett with his buckets of charm. Will with the laid-back smile that covers the intensity simmering beneath the surface.
“You know what I think?” Will’s eyes lock onto mine. “I think you don’t want us to fight for you. I think you want to see what happens when we work together.”
I imagine myself, my naked body, being caught between them, and an honest-to-God moan slips out.
They both smile.
Beckett’s smile is all lazy confidence as he watches me with a look that promises very bad things. Will’s is subtler, more reserved, but no less charged.
A bout of activity across the room breaks the tension, drawing my attention away. A slender Black girl in a flowy skirt and white top is stepping onto the small stage, holding an acoustic guitar. She’s joined by a guy who settles behind a set of electric drums. She doesn’t introduce herself, just adjusts the height of the microphone and begins playing a slow-tempo folk song I’ve been hearing everywhere lately.
“I love this song,” I tell the guys. A smile stretches across my face as I start to relax again. “As my dates, one of you bears the responsibility of dancing with me. So which one shall it be?”
“That would be him,” Beckett says immediately, nodding toward Will.
I snicker.
“I mean, I could take you out there,” he relents, “but it’ll just be me grinding against you the entire time—” He cuts himself off. “On second thought, I would love to dance with you.”
“Sit your ass down.” A laughing Will is already getting out of the booth and extending his hand. “I got you, babe.”
After a moment of hesitation, I take his hand.
It’s literally the tiniest of dance floors, nothing more than a little square in front of the stage. At least we’re not alone out there. Another couple is also dancing, which makes me feel less self-conscious.
I loop my hands around Will’s neck. He places his on my waist and tugs me toward him. Our bodies aren’t flush, but there isn’t much distance between them. I feel the heat radiating off him. I run my fingers over the soft hairs at the nape of his neck.
He searches my face. “Are you okay?”
“I’m good.” My lips quirk in a wry smile. “Are you ? Because you’re looking a little tense.”
“I’m trying very hard not to squeeze your ass right now.”
My smile widens. “I totally feel your hands hovering over it. They’re dying to move lower, aren’t they?”
“So badly,” he groans.
As we sway to the music, my gaze drifts toward our booth. Beckett was on his phone, but he must sense me staring because he lifts his head and winks at me.
“Do you still find him annoying?” Will asks with a knowing look.
“No.” In a grudging tone, I admit, “I like him.”
“Told you. He’s cool. Funny.”
“And I like you ,” I say softly.
Will nods. “I’m also cool.”
“But not funny?” I tease.
“Probably more sarcastic than funny.”
I’d already pegged that Will is the more serious of the two. But what I didn’t expect is for him to be so…sexy. He’s exuding some serious sex appeal tonight. A far cry from the boy-next-door vibes he gives off in the lab.
As the song comes to an end, Will bends his head so he can whisper in my ear.
“You’re so fucking gorgeous, Charlotte. You have no idea.”
Like I said, serious sex appeal.
His husky compliment gets me all warm and gooey. My rational Charlotte side thinks he’s probably just buttering me up so he can get me in bed, but when he pulls back and I glimpse the need burning in his eyes, I know he at least means what he says.
In this moment, he truly craves me.
So does Beckett, whose eyes drink me in when we return to the booth. He licks his bottom lip, and suddenly, I’m dying for a taste. Just a sampler. I don’t have to gorge on the entire hockey player feast, but maybe just a bite.
I look from one guy to the other.
“Ask for the bill.”
Will thrusts his arm up to signal the waiter before I can even close my mouth. Yeah. Someone’s eager to leave too.
I slip my sweater on and button it up, then shoulder my purse and follow the boys out the door. My heartbeat is out of control again, ready to combust the closer we get to the parking lot. I didn’t bring a coat because I’d only be walking from the car to the door, and the brisk November air chills my face and puckers my nipples. I wrap my arms around myself, shivering as we cross the nearly deserted lot to my car.
“You cold?” Beckett murmurs.
I nod.
“Come here. I’ll warm you up.”
The next thing I know, he’s stepping up behind me. Two strong, muscular arms surround me. One locks around my waist, his hand resting on my upper thigh. He uses his other hand to sweep my hair away from my face, letting it fall down my back.
Then he rests his cheek against mine and whispers, “Give Larsen his good-night kiss.”
Every inch of me throbs as I stand there flush with Beckett’s body. I feel a hard bulge pressing against my ass, the heat of his heavy pecs against my shoulder blades.
Will moves in front of me. At five five, I’m taller than average, but I still have to tilt my head back to look at him. These boys are so tall. I feel miniature sandwiched between them.
Will takes another step closer. His hand lowers to my hip, while the warmth of Beckett’s palm brands my other side. Will’s other hand strokes my cheek with an almost possessive confidence.
“Kiss me good night, Charlie.”
He won’t do it without my permission, I realize. Without me initiating it. I appreciate that, but I also hate being thrust into this position, the one propelling the boat. I want to let the current take over and just be carried along with it. But I understand his need for total clarity. I already know that Will and Beckett want to kiss me. I have to show them that I want it too.
I rise on my tiptoes and close the distance between our lips. The move causes my ass to push back against Beckett’s growing erection, and I hear his groan in my ear at the same time as Will’s mouth covers mine. He tastes like beer and the mint that came with the check.
His kiss is not gentle, but it’s not rough either. It’s a kiss that says he knows exactly what he wants, and he’s used to getting it. The passion of it is almost overwhelming. I melt against him, my tongue eager to taste his, and I’m breathless when he finally pulls away.
Breathing hard himself, he squeezes my waist with both hands, slowly turning me around until I find Beckett’s silver-gray eyes dancing at me.
He drags his thumb over my bottom lip. “Kiss me good night, Charlie.”
Oh my God.
I’m nearing peak level arousal. I’m afraid that the moment our lips touch, a spontaneous orgasm might sweep through me. My clit is tight and throbbing. My nipples hurt. I’m breathing hard.
I gasp when Will slides his hands through my hair to tip my head back. I grab Beckett by the collar and tug him toward me, but unlike Will, Beckett teases me, his lips just barely grazing mine. It’s infuriating and thrilling at the same time, making me want him even more.
After what feels like an eternity of playful tension, he lets me have it. His lips move against mine in a slow, teasing rhythm, as if he’s savoring every second. Beckett’s kiss is as hungry as Will’s, as skillful. But he continues to tease, depriving me of his tongue until I’m the one chasing it into his mouth.
When our tongues finally meet, I release a satisfied moan and hear Will’s hoarse voice say, “Fuck. That’s such a sweet sound.”
I never want it to end, whimpering when Beckett ends the kiss.
“Come on, let’s get you home,” he says.
I blink. My heartbeat is still erratic. “What?”
“Unlock your car.”
I do it, my hand shaking as I click the key fob.
Beckett opens the driver’s side door for me. “Drive safe, okay? Message when you get home so we know you made it back all right.”
“That’s it?” I say in confusion. “You don’t want to…”
“What, you want us to fuck you in your car?”
My thighs clench.
“I mean, we could,” he says, “but that’s a real waste of a first time, don’t you think?”
“He’s right. A car quickie isn’t it, Charlie.” Will steps in to brush another kiss on my lips before guiding me into my driver’s seat.
He and Beckett move aside as I start the engine, but they don’t walk away.
“Are you just going to stand there and watch me go?” I ask.
“Of course,” Will answers. “We’re not leaving this parking lot until you do.”
I can still see them in the rearview mirror as I drive away.
Will, with his boyish smile that I’m starting to suspect is a cover for the kind of passion that would make a woman blush.
Beckett, all sex and smirks, the kind of guy who leaves a trail of broken hearts and doesn’t look back.
Even if they asked me to choose between them, I honestly don’t think I could. And now I’m cursing myself for taking a bite, because that sampler was the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted.
How the heck am I supposed to resist the feast?