The Charlie Method (Campus Diaries #3)

Chapter Thirty-Seven Beckett

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

BECKETT

She’s with us

A KALEIDOSCOPE OF COLOR WASHES OVER THE PACKED CROWD, LIGHTS pulsing in time with the frenetic beat, and the air is thick with sweat and the electric energy of a thousand bodies moving as one. I’ve been to raves before, but this one is different. This time, Charlie is with me. And she’s fucking glowing. The way she moves, the way she smiles… It’s like watching someone come alive for the first time. She’s let go completely, lost in the music, her body swaying and spinning in a rhythm that’s all her own.

Will and I stick close, making sure she’s safe, but we can’t help but be mesmerized by the way she dances. As she moves under the flashing lights, her dress slides and skims over her pale, firm thighs, her black hair cascading down her shoulders, I can’t tear my gaze away.

The last time I was this spellbound by a girl was in high school. With Shannon. I still remember the first time I laid eyes on Shannon. Ninth grade. First day. I walked into homeroom and spotted her sitting in the front row, her golden hair gleaming under the fluorescent lights, her full lips pinched in a line of distress as she tried to make sense of the math equation she was trying to solve. Yep, she was doing homework before it had even been assigned.

Turns out I have a hard-on for the overachieving type.

I’d always been a back-of-the-room sort of guy, but the moment I saw that willowy blond with the sweet frown and delicate fingers choking the life out of her pencil, I was a goner. I walked to the front row, sat beside her, and introduced myself. I was confident, even at fourteen.

I think she was surprised I was talking to her. It was only the first day, but I was already destined to be the popular dude at Lincoln High. Already one of the stars of the hockey team, as proven during our summer training camp. Already wearing a hockey shirt in our school’s colors.

On our first date, Shannon confessed she never thought a jock would be interested in someone like her. She claimed she’d been a huge dork in junior high, invisible to all the boys. I had no idea how someone like Shannon could ever be invisible to anyone. Her aura drew me in from the second I saw her. I never believed in love at first sight until that morning in homeroom.

It wasn’t love at first sight with Charlotte. I thought she was hot when I met her in Climate Policy, but nothing more. Hell, even now, I don’t know what it is that I’m feeling for her. Not love, obviously. I don’t do that shit anymore.

But it’s…something.

I told her about the letters I wrote to Shannon, for chrissake. That indicates something more than lust.

But it’s definitely not love.

Charlie catches our eyes and beams at us. Her cheeks are flushed red from excitement. Well, that and from the MDMA coursing through her veins. She’s high, but it’s a giddy, euphoric high. Her laughter rings out above the music as she dances her way over to us.

“You guys are just standing there!” She grabs Will and pulls him into the throng of dancers. “Dance with me!”

He chuckles, letting himself be dragged into the crowd, and I follow, unable to resist her infectious energy. I hate dancing, but this doesn’t require a lot of skill. It’s too crowded to move much. All I have to do is stand there and grind against my girl’s hot, tight body, sandwiching her between me and Will. The three of us dance together, moving in sync, laughing like the rest of the world doesn’t exist.

I bend my head toward Charlie’s ear, checking in with her as I’ve done all night. “You okay, sugar puff?”

She gazes up at me. “I’m more than okay,” she says before resting her head against my chest. “I feel alive.”

The music pounds in time with my heartbeat as we dance, lost in the crowd, bodies moving together under the strobe lights. Charlie’s smile is wide, her eyes bright as she sways between us, completely free in a way I’ve never seen before.

It’s beautiful.

We dance for hours, the frenzied atmosphere and loud, thumping bass line casting a spell over the entire club. I’m surprised by how chill everyone is, yet no sooner does the thought enter my head than I notice him—a guy, a little older, trying to cut in, his glassy eyes fixed on Charlie. He’s moving closer, way too close, and she’s too caught up in the moment to realize it.

“Hey, sexy,” the guy shouts, his lips practically touching her ear. “You look like you need some company.”

She blinks up at him, still smiling but confused, not fully processing what’s happening. The ecstasy has programmed her to feel good and to want everyone else around her to feel good too.

I battle a surge of anger, hot and immediate. Before I can react, Will steps in between them, his hand firmly on the guy’s chest, pushing him back.

“She’s not interested,” he growls. “Back off.”

The guy stumbles slightly, surprise flashing across his face. “What the hell, man? She can speak for herself.”

“Yeah, she can,” Will shoots back. His eyes stay locked on the creep’s, daring him to make another move. “And she’s with us. So take the hint.”

I come up beside Will, backing my boy.

The man squares his shoulders, trying to puff himself up like a peacock. “You think you can just—”

“Yeah, I do,” Will snaps at him. “So why don’t you make it easy on yourself and walk away.”

For a moment, it looks like the guy might push back, but then he glances between me and Will. He knows he’s outnumbered and outmatched.

“Whatever, assholes,” he mutters, backing off into the crowd. “This bitch ain’t worth it.”

As soon as he’s gone, I turn back to Charlie. I expect her to be shaken, maybe even upset, but to my amusement, she’s visibly turned on.

“That was so hot.” Her voice is tinged with something that makes my dick twitch. Something sultry and captivating.

“You like it when we turn into cavemen, do you?” Will teases, wrapping an arm around her waist.

“So much.”

Charlie leans in and kisses him, a quick, fierce press of her lips that rips a groan from his throat.

I chuckle. “All right, let’s get back to dancing before you two start something that’ll get us kicked out.”

She giggles and gives herself over to the rhythm of the music again. There’s a different energy between us now, but I can’t succumb to it. We promised her we wouldn’t touch her tonight, and I’m not about to abuse that trust.

We stay until the rave ends, until the lights dim and the music fades into the early morning silence. Charlie is now leaning heavily against us, her energy finally spent. We guide her out of the warehouse. Her feet are dragging, but she’s smiling, a dreamy, satisfied smile that tells me she’s still feeling the effects of the drug.

Will booked us a room nearby, and the city is quiet as we walk the four blocks to the hotel, bundled up against the late December chill. The adrenaline from the night slowly ebbs, leaving a peaceful calm in its wake. Our breath escapes in wispy, white puffs, carried away by the night breeze. It still hasn’t snowed this winter, not in New England anyway. Charlie had complained in our group chat about the lack of a white Christmas, but to be honest, I enjoyed it. I hate the snow.

When we get to our room, Charlie collapses on the king-size bed, her limbs sprawled out on the white bedspread like she’s making a snow angel. The city lights filter through the curtains, casting soft shadows across the bed. Her eyes are half-lidded, a lazy smile playing on her lips as she looks up at Will and me, her fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns on the bedsheets.

“Best night ever,” she mumbles, her voice heavy with exhaustion but still tinged with that excited high. “I don’t want it to end. Take your clothes off. Both of you.”

I exchange a glance with Will, and he shakes his head in amusement. We were anticipating this.

“How are we dating the horniest girl in the world?” he says.

“Right?” Chuckling, I sit beside her and brush strands of hair away from her flushed face. “Tonight was fun, but you’re done for now. You’re benched.”

She props herself up on her elbows. “But I’m not tired!” she protests. “And I want you. I want Will. You guys are being so unfair.”

As tempting as it is—so goddamn tempting—we made her a promise. She isn’t in the right state of mind.

“Charlotte.” I use her full name to show her I mean business. “As hot as you look tonight, we’re not going to take advantage of you. We said no sex, and we meant it. That’s a line we’re not willing to cross.”

Her pout is fucking adorable, but neither of us is backing down.

Grumbling in disappointment, she flops backward. She looks so good in that dress, I have to wrestle my gaze off her.

I need a cold shower, stat.

Sunlight filters through the open curtains of the hotel room, shining over the mess of tangled sheets and discarded clothes. Charlie is still asleep, her face peaceful and relaxed as she lies between Will and me. I watch her for a moment, my mind replaying the events of last night. Charlie dancing with reckless abandon. Her eyes lighting up every time she looked at us. Falling asleep with her sandwiched between us.

Our girl stirs, her eyelids fluttering open as she looks up at me with a drowsy smile. “Morning.” Her voice is still thick with sleep.

“Morning,” I answer, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

She glances at Will, who’s on his side with his back to us. She reaches out to stroke the sleek sinew between his shoulder blades. He grunts in response, and her smile widens.

“I need to shower,” she says. “And then we should probably head out after that. My parents will freak if I’m not there in time for New Year’s Eve lunch. It’s a tradition.”

“No problem,” Will says, finally waking up fully. He stretches, then plants a peck on Charlie’s shoulder. “How do you feel? The high should be gone, right?”

“All gone.” She sighs. “It was good while it lasted.”

“Does that mean you’ll be doing molly every weekend?” he teases.

“God, no. This was a one-time thing. I liked it too much to do it again.”

I snort.

“I’m serious,” she insists. “Anything that good should never become a habit.”

I can’t help but relate that warning to our own situation, because I’m addicted to our sex life. Every single time is better than the last. Whether it’s Charlie and me alone or the three of us together, I can’t get enough.

I check my phone while Charlie’s in the shower, rolling my eyes at my father’s latest series of text messages. I get that he’s super bummed about turning down that job offer last week, but he’s being very melodramatic about the whole thing. He keeps sending me memes of sad puppies.

I’m just texting him back to tell him to chill the fuck out already when Charlie emerges from the bathroom with a tiny towel wrapped around her damp body. Her lower body. The towel is so small it doesn’t even cover her tits.

Jaw dropping, my phone slips out of my hand and onto the bed. “I’m pretty sure that’s the towel you’re supposed to use for your hair,” I manage to say through the lust coating my throat.

“Oh, is it?” Her eyes are innocent.

Will licks his lips, equally affected by her very blatant teasing. “I thought you had to leave ASAP.”

She glances between us, one eyebrow arched. “My family will survive if I’m an hour late.”

“Get on the bed,” I growl.

She breaks out in a smile.

A moment later, her body is stretched out on the mattress like a delicious offering. I can’t take my eyes off her. She’s so beautiful like this, wild and completely at our mercy.

To Will, I say, “Get on your knees in front of her.”

He smiles too, sinking down at the foot of the bed. “You’re in luck, babe,” he says to Charlie as he pulls her naked body closer to the edge. “Bossy Beck is making a rare appearance this morning.”

He’s right. After enduring Charlie’s body grinding against mine all damn night, I desperately need to get off, and I’m calling the shots until I fucking do.

Her eyes find mine, flickering with intrigue. Before she can say anything, Will’s mouth is on her, traveling down her stomach, and I know exactly where he’s headed.

I sit beside her, running my hand over her soft skin. She’s still flushed from the shower.

“Slow down, mate,” I warn. My fingers dance over Charlie’s taut nipple, making her gasp. “Take your time. I want to hear her beg for it.”

Will glances up at me, smirking, but he listens, taking it slow as his mouth inches lower, kissing right above where she needs him most. Charlie squirms, her back arching as she lets out a soft whine of impatience.

“Beckett, please…” she breathes, her voice shaky.

I grin. “You want him to taste you? Want his mouth on you?”

She nods frantically, clutching at the sheets. “Yes. God, yes.”

I chuckle, loving how worked up she is. “Hear that, Larsen? She wants you.”

Will doesn’t say a word. He just looks at me, waiting for my cue. He knows this is my game to play this morning. I brush a hand over Charlie’s stomach, feeling the tremble in her muscles, and I lean back a little, giving him space.

“Go ahead,” I say, my voice rough with arousal. “Make her scream.”

He doesn’t hesitate this time. His mouth moves between her legs, and the second his tongue touches her, Charlie lets out a loud moan, her entire body jolting at the sensation.

“That’s it,” I tell him. “Nice and slow. Don’t rush it. Make her feel every second of it.”

Will’s mouth works her slowly, deliberately, while her breath escapes in short gasps. I can tell she’s close already. She’s always so damn responsive, so in tune with us.

“You love that, don’t you?” I ask, reaching up to cup her tit. I squeeze gently. “Having both of us focused on you. You want to come for him, don’t you?”

She nods, her voice too broken to form words, but the way she grips my arm tells me everything I need to know.

“Tell him. Tell Will how much you need it.”

She shudders. “Will, please. I need it so bad.”

He looks up at me briefly, a wicked smile on his lips before he doubles down, his tongue flicking over her clit. Charlie jerks, a strangled moan escaping her.

“Tell her what you’re gonna do to her, Larsen,” I say, knowing it’ll drive her even crazier. “Tell her how you’re gonna ruin her.”

He groans against her pussy, and I don’t need to look over to know he’s hard as a rock. Growling, he digs his fingers into her thighs, parting her legs even wider for him.

“I’m gonna make you come so hard you won’t be able to think straight,” he promises her, his voice dripping with lust. Then he takes her clit between his lips and sucks.

I can see how much those words affect her. She’s already soaked, her need for us clear as day.

“You hear that, baby?” I whisper in her ear, my thumb teasing her nipple. “He’s gonna wreck you with that mouth. And I’m gonna watch while you fall apart for us.”

Will presses his tongue flat against her, teasing her with a long, lazy stroke, and she starts trembling uncontrollably.

He chuckles, gripping her hips to keep her still. “Yeah, you like that, don’t you? I can feel how wet you are, how fucking ready you are for this.”

He licks her again, torturing her with every flick of his tongue.

“She’s close,” I tell him, my hand tangling in her hair, pulling just enough to make her gasp. “Make her come. Don’t stop until she’s screaming for it.”

Will does exactly what I say, his tongue working her over with skilled precision. Her body starts to tense, legs quivering. She’s right there on the edge.

I lean down, my mouth hovering over hers. “Let go, baby girl.”

And then, without warning, he flicks his tongue just right, and she loses it, her entire body shaking as he holds her down, drawing out every second of her release. I watch her face, her lips parted, her eyes squeezed shut, and it’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.

“Good girl,” I whisper. “That’s it. Just like that.”

As Will slows down, I feel her body relax beside me. When she finally opens her eyes, they’re glazed over, and I can’t help but grin as I kiss her, my lips lingering against hers.

“I could watch you come all day,” I tell her.

Will lifts his head, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he straightens his broad shoulders, looking as satisfied as I feel.

Charlie tries to catch her breath. She looks so damn gorgeous, laid out before us, completely undone. But I’m not finished with her. Not even close.

I pull her up gently, turning her over so she’s on all fours, her perfect ass in the air. She lets out a soft moan as I put on a condom and position myself behind her. I’m so hard I can barely think straight, but I want to take my time, relish every second of this.

Will is beside her now, leaning close, stroking her back as he says, “You ready for more?”

Charlie’s breath hitches as she looks over her shoulder at me, her eyes glazed with lust. “Yes.”

That’s all the encouragement I need.

I grip her hips, sliding into her, and the second I’m inside, a deep groan rumbles out of me. She’s so tight, so wet from everything Will’s done to her, and it feels incredible. I thrust slowly at first, savoring the way her body reacts to me, the way she clenches around me as I push deeper.

Will trails his fingers down her spine, his eyes gleaming as he watches her shudder beneath his touch.

“Look at you, baby. Your body’s fucking perfect. I love the way you take a dick, the way you’re so desperate for us. You know you drive us insane, right? With that tight little body, begging to be touched… Fuck ,” he groans.

He cups her ass, giving it a firm squeeze, while I’m still deep inside her, feeling her pulse around me.

“Can’t wait to be inside you next,” he says, his voice thick with need. “Look at how well you’re taking him.”

I can’t help but groan at the sight of her, completely at our mercy. I thrust deep again.

“Yes,” Charlie whimpers, bucking back against me as I start to move faster.

“You look so good like this. Bent over, begging for it. You’re such a good girl for us.” Will’s eyes flash with lust.

She’s moaning louder, and I know she’s getting close again. The way she’s moving against me, the way her pussy is tightening. It’s almost too much to take.

“You’re gonna come again, aren’t you?” Will teases. “Gonna come with Beckett buried deep inside you, stretching you out.”

I pull out and then thrust back in, lost in the feeling of her wrapped around me, and I can barely hold back myself.

“Give it to me, Charlie,” I say, my voice ragged. “I want to feel you.”

Will chuckles, watching both of us fall apart. “You hear that, baby? He wants to feel you come all over his cock. Are you gonna give him what he wants?”

She’s breathless, clutching the sheets as she lets out another desperate moan. “Yes…please…I’m so close…”

I smack one firm ass cheek and drive my cock deeper. “That’s my girl. Come for us. Show us how good that tight little body can take it.”

Charlie crashes over the edge, shaking with the force of her orgasm, and it’s enough to send me over too. I thrust into her one last time, pleasure flooding my body.

We both collapse onto the mattress, completely spent, while Will watches us with a satisfied grin.

“Damn,” he says. “You two look good together.” He leans closer to Charlie, his fingers brushing over her flushed skin. “You did so good, baby.”

She twists her head to kiss him, already reaching for the erection jutting out toward her.

Yeah.

She’s definitely going to be late for her family’s lunch.

After checking out at the front desk downstairs, we go to the parking lot behind the hotel and walk Charlie to her car.

She kisses each of us in turn. “Thanks for last night. And this morning. I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun.”

“Anytime,” Will answers, his voice soft. I note the way he looks at her, the way his gaze lingers as she gets into the driver’s seat and buckles her seat belt.

“See you on campus?” she asks, looking up at us.

“Of course,” I answer before closing the door for her.

Once she’s safely driving out of the lot, we climb into Will’s SUV and follow suit. The silence is different now, though. Heavier. Loaded with questions neither of us know how to voice.

“I think about her all the time,” I finally confess, and I hate how exposed that makes me feel. “Charlie. She’s always there, in the back of my mind.”

“Same,” Will admits. “She’s different. Special.”

I hesitate again before asking, “What is this, mate? With the three of us. Like, how the hell is it supposed to work?”

He considers the question. “I don’t know. But maybe we don’t need to know right now. Let’s just…let it play out.”

Biting my lip, I give a slow nod. “Yeah. I guess you’re right. No need to overthink anything.”

Will grabs his phone and pulls up a different playlist, the strains of chill, folksy rock filling the front seat. The tension dissipates, as does my confusion.

Whatever this is, with Charlie, with all three of us…

We’ll figure it out as we go.