Chapter Thirty-Eight Charlotte
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHARLOTTE
Some seriously good exclusive sex
N EW SEMESTERS ARE SO PROMISING . A NICE, CLEAN BLANK SLATE, WHERE everything feels manageable again, the stress of the previous semester momentarily lifted. I love meeting my new professors. Getting my hands on the syllabus for a new class. It’s like this one magical, optimistic moment where the future is mine for the taking and anything seems possible.
This snowy January day, I’m in a great mood, no pressure waves in sight. My morning Rehabilitation Engineering lab was utterly fascinating, gearing up to be my favorite this semester. We’re learning about assistive devices, and today we spoke in depth about prosthetics and their impact on patient mobility and quality of life. I almost regret not choosing to design a rehabilitation device for my capstone, but it’s far too late to change direction now.
Will meets me outside the lab, looking gorgeous as always with his brown hair swept away from his forehead and his jaw clean-shaven. Boyfriend #1 is the epitome of the boy next door, and yes, I am now referring to him as my boyfriend. It’s a lot easier than continuing to call him “the guy I’m seeing” or “the hockey player I’m banging.”
Boyfriend #2 is looking more rugged these days thanks to the beard he’s growing out for hockey purposes. Briar is killing it this season, and I’ve discovered that hockey players are superstitious as hell. Beckett forgot to shave on the day the team dominated what was supposed to be a brutal matchup, so obviously, his facial hair is the reason they won. Not skill or anything. I told him he looks like an Australian mountain man now. I’m into it.
I’m into them . But to the world, Will is my main man. My only man.
Beckett doesn’t seem to mind that he’s not the public face of our arrangement, but it still activates a jolt of guilt inside me each time I’ve held hands with Will at Malone’s while Beckett is standing five feet away. Sure, he fingered me in the car on the way home the other night while Will drove, but I still feel bad. I don’t want him to think I’m ashamed of him, although I get the feeling he likes having that distance between us. Beckett doesn’t do love. He’s made that clear.
Not that I’m in love. You can’t be in love with two men. That’s just crazy.
I’m certainly in lust.
Totally in like.
But I’m not taking this any more seriously than I need to. We’re having fun, that’s all.
“Do you want to grab lunch at Carver Hall or drive into Hastings?” Will asks as I wrap a red wool scarf around my neck.
“Let’s just do the dining hall. I have that stupid Delta Pi meeting this evening, so I want to stay on campus. But I’ll come over later after the meeting.”
We’re almost to the exit when his phone rings. He glances at the screen, and his jaw tightens. “Sorry, I have to take this.”
“It’s fine. Go ahead.”
We step through the doors, and Will sighs before answering, “Hey, Dad.”
I keep walking beside him, my winter boots crunching against the snow-packed path. We finally got some snow last week, and the entire campus is now a blanket of white. Will stays quiet for several long beats, and I can tell from his stiff posture that something is up. He rarely receives calls from his father that don’t stress him out.
“Another one?” he says, his voice tense. “What, the Capitol piece wasn’t enough to boost your image?”
I catch the frustration in his expression. I hear his dad’s voice, loud and authoritative, wafting out of the phone, but I’m not close enough to make out the words.
Will clenches his jaw again, rubbing the back of his neck as he listens. “Yeah, I get it… I said I get it. I just—Fine. I’ll do it. Tell Alessia to email me the details.”
He ends the call, his shoulders slumped.
“What did he want?” I ask.
He stuffs the phone into his pocket, then slips his gloved hand through mine. “He scheduled another interview. Another puff piece about his son being a star athlete and a good role model.” The sarcasm is unmistakable. “He’s obsessed with making me look perfect in the media. It’s like he thinks I’m some kind of product he can market.”
I frown, stopping in front of him. “You don’t have to let him do this all the time. You can say no.”
Will shakes his head, offering a rueful smile. “You don’t know my father. He bulldozes you until you give in. It’s impossible to say no to him.”
The defeated cloud in his eyes breaks my heart. Will is so strong in so many ways, but his father has this power over him that makes him feel small. I hate that for him.
“You’re stronger than you think,” I say, looping my arms around his neck. My breath comes out in a white cloud. “You’re a strong, sexy, assertive man. You don’t have to let him control you.”
Will gazes down at me, his expression softening, and I can sense the internal battle he’s fighting. Like he wants to believe me, but years of his dad’s influence makes it impossible.
“Maybe,” he says gruffly, his hands resting on my waist. “But it’s not easy.”
“I know it’s not, but I have faith in you. I think you’re fully capable of extricating yourself from his control. You just need to hold your ground,” I reply before leaning up to kiss him.
The kiss is slow, meant to comfort him more than anything, but it quickly becomes something deeper, the way it always does with Will and Beckett. He relaxes against me, his arms tightening around my waist.
Just as our tongues meet, we’re interrupted by a snide voice.
“Well, isn’t this cozy.”
I spin around to see my ex-boyfriend standing on the path, watching us. Great. Of all people.
Mitch’s arms are crossed over his chest, his eyes flicking between me and Will.
“Hey, Mitch,” I say, trying to keep my voice light.
“Hey, Charlotte,” he says, mimicking my tone. He smirks, taking a step toward us. “Are you going to introduce us?”
“Oh. Uh. Sure. Mitch, this is Will.” I don’t elaborate.
My ex notes Will’s jacket and flattens his lips. “Hockey guy, huh?”
Will stiffens, his protective instincts kicking in. “You’ve got a problem with that?”
Mitch sizes him up, then shrugs. “No problem. Just wondering how long it’ll take before Charlotte gets bored of your dick and moves on. Like she always does.”
Irritation courses through me, but before I can say anything, Will steps in front of me, blocking Mitch’s view. “Watch your mouth,” he cautions.
My ex sneers. “What are you gonna do? Hit me?”
“Maybe,” Will replies, his voice calm but with an edge that makes it clear he isn’t joking.
Mitch’s bravado falters for a second. Then he masks it with another derisive look. “Whatever, man. She’s all yours. Good luck with that.”
Mitch turns and walks away. I let out a breath as I watch him go.
“I’m sorry about that,” I say, touching Will’s arm.
He shakes his head, turning back to me. “You don’t have to apologize for him. He’s the one who should be sorry. That was fucking rude.”
“Yeah. He’s still not over our breakup. I don’t know if he’ll ever be.” I offer a small smile, trying to lighten the mood. “By the way? You’re pretty intimidating when you want to be. That’s how you need to handle your dad.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Will chuckles, taking my hand as we fall into step with each other again.
I’m still thinking about the run-in with Mitch when I get home later, and as my mind replays the tense encounter, a gnawing unease settles in my stomach. I try to shake it off as I grab my laptop for our weekly meeting.
I enter the dining room and take my seat next to Sherise, then twist in my chair to say hi and smile at Blake, who’s leaning against the wall. She smiles back, looking tanned and happy. She went to St. Barts over the break with her family and their friends. I guess someone they know has a beach house there. Faith was away too, as one of her million siblings got married over the holidays. Destination wedding to Greece. Lucky bitch.
Everyone is chattering away as they wait for Agatha to start the meeting. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end when I notice a few girls sneaking glances at me, their whispers suddenly becoming more pronounced. But I hide my frown and brush it off, focusing on Agatha. She sits at the head of the table, posture set with her usual air of superiority.
“Let’s get started,” she announces once everyone has filed in.
Much to my relief, the next hour passes quickly. And whatever had caused my sorority sisters to whisper seems to have passed—at least until Agatha stops me from leaving the room after she dismisses everyone.
“Charlotte,” she says sharply. “Don’t go yet. We need to have a little chat.”
My heart sinks, but I nod. As the others stream out of the dining room, some of them throw sympathetic looks my way. Others just seem curious.
I brace myself as Agatha approaches with her perfect hair, designer dress, and an expression that’s a mix of concern and condescension.
“What is it, Agatha?” I ask, stifling my irritation.
She folds her arms. “It’s been brought to my attention that you were seen making out with a guy on campus today.”
My jaw drops. “I’m sorry—what?”
“You heard me.”
“I don’t see how that’s any of your business,” I say in amusement. I was expecting something a lot more dire. Like maybe someone accused me of embezzling from the house account. Or someone figured out I’m regularly having sex with two guys.
But this is about me kissing Will on campus?
Big fucking deal.
“It’s my business when it reflects poorly on this house. As Delta Pi sisters, we’re expected to uphold a certain image. An image of class and dignity. Slutty behavior is unbecoming of a Delta.”
My hands clench into fists at my sides, her condescending tone igniting a spark of anger.
“Slutty behavior?” I echo, my voice rising slightly. “It was a kiss, Agatha. Chill the fuck out. It’s not like I was blowing him on the quad.”
“That’s not the point,” she snaps back. “The point is that your actions are being noticed and not in a good way. We have a reputation to maintain, and you’re putting that at risk.”
I stare at her, incredulous. “Who told you about this anyway? Who’s so concerned about my personal life that they felt the need to report it?” But I know the answer before she can even open her mouth. “Mitch. It was him, right?”
Of course he would stoop this low. And I know for a fact he has Agatha’s phone number. As the VP of Delta Tau, he was part of our executive board group chat when we cohosted a dinner party last year with his frat.
“It doesn’t matter who told me. What matters is that you need to start thinking about how your actions affect all of us.”
My patience snaps. “You know what? I’m done with this. I’m done with you thinking you can control every aspect of my life because it might reflect poorly on this precious sorority. So why don’t you just mind your own business and stop acting like you’re the fucking morality police?”
Her eyes widen. She clearly wasn’t expecting me to talk back. “I’m just trying to—”
“To what? Shame me into submission? Well, I’m not going to apologize for living my life the way I want to. If that doesn’t fit into your picture of what a Delta sister should be, then maybe I don’t belong here.”
Silence falls as Agatha gawks at me, speechless for once. I turn on my heel and storm out of the room. My pulse is racing, my hands trembling with the adrenaline.
I go upstairs, taking the steps two at a time. Fuck. Had I really meant what I said about not belonging here?
I don’t know, but right now, I don’t care. I just need to get away from all of it. Away from the rules, the expectations, the suffocating pressure to be perfect.
When I hear footsteps hurrying after me, I don’t need to turn around to know it’s Faith.
She follows me into my bedroom, a mischievous grin on her face. “You realize the entire house heard that, right?”
“I don’t care.”
“That was epic,” she informs me.
“Yeah, well, I don’t think she’s going to forgive me for that one,” I mutter, running a hand through my hair.
“Who cares? She needed to hear it. I swear, if she pulled that ‘unbecoming of a Delta’ crap on me one more time, I was going to lose it too.”
“She’s so fucking full of herself. Acting like she’s some kind of queen who can control everyone’s lives.” I’m still fuming. “I can’t believe she tried to shame me over a kiss.”
“Oh, I believe it. Bitch has her nose so far up in the air, it’s a miracle she doesn’t drown when it rains.”
That makes me snicker. “Like, how is this any of her business? I’m not hurting anyone.” Now I sigh. “Ugh. I bet she’s already planning some way to get back at me.”
“Let her try. We’ll just remind her that not everyone’s interested in playing her little game of ‘Who’s the Most Perfect Delta?’”
My heart squeezes at the conviction I hear in Faith’s voice. When I joined this sorority and saw the other girls in my pledge class, I was terrified I’d never fit in with any of them. Never find an ally. A true friend. But it turned out not all of them were uptight and judgmental. Faith emerged like a glorious unicorn out of a crowd of snooty thoroughbreds and showed me, for the first time in my life, what ride or die means.
Stomping toward her, I throw my arms around her shoulders, snuggling close. “I love you, Faith Grierson.”
She snorts in my hair. “Are you coming on to me?”
“No. I just want you to know I love you. I don’t know what I’d do in this house without you.”
“Probably be stuck in the living room, listening to Agatha drone on about reputations and decorum.” She lifts a brow. “Now, can we please talk about this hot make-out session everyone in the house is whispering about? According to Jia, you had a hand down your hockey player’s pants and were jerking him off in the middle of the quad.”
“Oh my God. Yeah right. It was just a kiss.”
“In public, though?” Faith grins at me. “That’s a big deal for Charlotte Kingston. Making out on the quad is the equivalent of going Instagram official. So do we have an official boyfriend now?”
We have two.
But I keep that tidbit to myself.
“I wouldn’t say it’s official official. But yeah, Will and I are together.”
“Exclusively?”
I falter. Well, shit.
“What?” Faith says, frowning.
“It suddenly occurred to me that I never actually asked if we were exclusive. I simply assumed we were.”
She snickers. “You should probably get on that.”
“Yeah. I probably should.”
As I head for the boys’ house in Hastings, I’m both obsessing over the exclusivity issue while riding the high from standing up to Agatha. The entire drive, I replay the confrontation with her. Then I replay the night at the rave, the mind-blowing sex, every moment I’ve spent with the guys.
I feel unstoppable. Confident.
I let myself into their house and kick off my shoes. Will is on the couch, working on his laptop, but he raises an eyebrow when I flounce into the living room.
“Someone looks pleased with herself,” he teases, taking in my expression. He closes the laptop and sets it aside. “What’s got you in such a good mood?”
I grin, tossing my bag onto the armchair. “I just told Agatha where she could shove her Delta rules.”
He lets out a low chuckle. “Our sweet little Charlotte did that? Seriously? What happened?”
“She called me out after the meeting and lectured me about being ‘unbecoming’ because Mitch saw us kissing earlier,” I explain, my blood still burning with the satisfaction of the moment. “So I told her to mind her own business.”
I join him on the chaise, and he immediately pulls me onto his lap, wrapping his arms around my waist.
“That’s my girl,” he says, and the praise brings a beat of hesitation on my part, a reaction he doesn’t miss. “What’s wrong?”
“I was talking to Faith before I came here.” I bite my lip. “And I realized we’ve never actually had the talk.”
“The talk?” Amusement dances in his eyes. “Like the sex talk? The penis goes into the vagina, et cetera et cetera.”
“Yes,” I say solemnly. “We haven’t discussed the mechanics of intercourse.” I punch him jokingly in the arm. “I mean the talk about whether we’re seeing other people.”
His shoulders stiffen. “Are you seeing other people?”
“Oh my God, no. I’m not,” I assure him. “This was more of a you and Beckett question for me. You guys never really told me whether we’re exclusive—”
“We are.”
My lips quirk in a smile. “Are we?”
“Of course. I don’t want to see other people. I know Beck doesn’t either.”
“Where is he anyway?”
“He went to a party with some of the guys.”
“Pity,” I say.
“Why’s that?”
“Because he’s about to miss out on some seriously good exclusive sex.”
Will’s grip on my waist tightens as I plant kisses along his jawline. His breath hitches when I reach his lips and capture the bottom one between my teeth. I bite, and he groans out a curse.
I let my hands wander down his chest, tracing the defined ridges and lines of his muscles through his shirt. I love the way his body tenses as I tease him. I love feeling his dick harden at each heated touch, until finally, it’s a hot spike poking against my inner thigh.
His palms slide to my lower back, pulling me even closer until there’s no space between us. “You’re going to be the death of me,” he grumbles, but the hunger in his eyes says he doesn’t mind it one bit.
“Good.”
I bring my mouth to his and kiss him. He kisses me back, his hands roaming my body, greedy and skillful. I push him back onto the couch, straddling him. Will groans again. His fingers slip under my shirt and scrape along my skin, unleashing a flurry of shivers along my spine.
As I lie on top of him, my tongue in his mouth and my hands all over his ripped body, my elbow suddenly bumps his laptop. I manage to catch it before it falls off the couch.
“Sorry,” I say, hastily moving it to the coffee table.
“You’d better be. Lourdes will kill me if you destroy my laptop before I finish editing her chapter.”
I was about to kiss him again, but now I freeze, my lips hovering over his. “There’s a new chapter?”
“Uh-huh.” He’s already forgotten about it, though, his mouth latching on to my neck.
I smack his chest, forcing his gaze to mine. “And?” I demand. “Does Elizabeth agree to join forces with Alexander against the invading Chinese army?”
“Charlie,” Will reprimands. “Do you really want to talk about The Virgin and the Blade right now, or do you want me to fuck your brains out?”
When I ponder it, he barks out a laugh.
“You hesitated,” he accuses.
“Because I want to know what happens!”
Chuckling, he yanks me back down, kissing me before I can argue some more. The moment his tongue meets mine, I forget all about Elizabeth and Alexander and remember how badly I want to get this man naked.
So I do, tearing off his clothes while he tears off mine, and then we’re naked on the couch, skin to skin, mouths fused together. Will is just slipping his hand between my thighs when we hear the front door creak open.
I tense instantly, reaching for my discarded shirt, because for all I know, Beckett is coming home with ten hockey players in tow. But when Boyfriend #2 appears in the doorway, he’s blessedly alone.
Beckett’s gray eyes immediately lock on to the scene in front of him. He seems to be fighting a grin as he takes in the sight of me on top of Will. His gaze dips to Will’s hand, buried between my legs, and the smile breaks free.
“Don’t mind me,” he drawls, leaning against the doorframe.
We both look at him, but neither of us make a move to climb off each other. If anything, Will grows even harder against my thigh. And he strokes his palm over my aching pussy, as if to show Beckett exactly what he’s missing.
My Aussie mountain man doesn’t move toward us, but he doesn’t leave either. Instead, he walks over to the armchair and sinks down, his eyes never leaving us. I’m still straddling Will, my palms on his bare chest. I can feel his heartbeat thrumming beneath my palms.
“You’re not going to join us?” I ask, turning to look at Beckett.
He shakes his head, offering a small smirk. “Not tonight. But don’t let me stop you. I’m enjoying the show.”
Grinning, Will cups my pussy again, grinding the heel of his palm over my clit. I shudder with pleasure, and it only intensifies when he slips a finger inside, then a second one. I moan at the sudden feeling of fullness, my hips taking on a life of their own as they begin rocking against his hand.
Will’s eyes flare with needy, dirty lust. “Jesus, baby. You look so goddamn hot fucking yourself on my fingers like that. You want another one?”
I’m too turned on to answer, but my inner muscles clamp tight, bringing a wicked smile to his lips.
“I felt that, Charlie. Someone needs to be filled tonight, huh?”
“ Yes .” A desperate moan escapes my throat.
He adds a third finger and curls them all inside me, hitting a spot that blurs my vision and triggers a rush of moisture. I grind harder against his hand, my breathing growing shallow.
“Oh, you like that,” he says with a dark laugh. “You feel so full, don’t you, baby? Just wait until it’s my cock inside you. All the fucking way inside you. Then you’ll really be full.”
He pushes his fingers in and out, the sounds of wet suction filling the air between us. I can scarcely breathe now. My clit is pulsing, begging to be touched. I reach down to rub it and hear Beckett curse softly. There’s something about the way he’s watching us, the molten fire in his gaze, that makes the whole situation even hotter. My breath quickens as Will fingers me faster, his hand soaked from my arousal.
“Come for him,” Beckett tells me, his voice low and commanding. “Show me how much you want him.”
Will finds that sweet spot again, his fingertips pressing into it, and I lose control, the orgasm rushing through me in hot, pulsing waves. I collapse onto his chest, trembling, gasping for air. I feel his erection against my stomach, leaving a streak of precome against my skin, and the knowledge that he’s this turned on from getting me off triggers another shuddering burst of pleasure.
Will groans, his lips seeking mine, and his hips start to move. I hear Beckett groan too, and the thrill of knowing he’s enjoying this only heightens the sensations. I feel every muscle in Will’s body coiled tight, his desire so palpable it’s almost overwhelming.
“Baby,” he whispers. “Sit on my dick before I explode.”
“Condom,” I remind him, but Beckett’s got us covered. A square package sails in our direction, which Will catches easily.
A moment later, I impale myself on him, eliciting gasps from both of us. As I seat myself completely, I stroke his torso, enjoying the heat of his skin.
“Ride me hard,” he mutters.
I give the man what he wants, riding him hard and fast, Beckett’s presence adding a whole other layer of heat to an already scorching encounter. Will trembles beneath me, eyes growing heavy-lidded, his control slipping as I push him closer to the edge.
“Don’t stop,” Beckett orders. “Make him come.”
And with that, Will lets go, coming with a low groan, arms locked tightly around me as he thrusts upward, filling me deep. We lie there tangled up for a while, requiring a long time to recover. So long that Beckett actually goes to the kitchen to make me some tea, and when he returns, I’m still draped over Will.
Eventually, I climb off the couch and search for my clothes, and the three of us settle in for the night. The guys put on a video game. I curl up next to Beckett, watching but not really paying attention to the zombie RPG on the screen. I’m so damn comfortable with these boys. Both of them. And it’s a damn good thing they don’t want me to choose between them, because I truly don’t think I can.
I spend the night in Will’s room, the way I always do. Beckett prefers to sleep alone, I’ve discovered. I suspect it’s simply another way to keep us at arm’s length, to never commit more than his body to this endeavor. Even getting him to share two sentences about his ex-girlfriend had been like pulling teeth. I’m still shocked he even admitted to writing letters to her after the breakup. He’s allergic to intimacy, and it’s starting to bother me a little, but I don’t want to push him because I know how much it sucks being pushed.
The next morning, I wake up to an SOS on my phone from my Little.
BLAKE:
Can we meet up ASAP? I just got kicked out of my dorm.