61. HUNTER
61
C harlotte Roux is no longer the sweet little girl she was in high school. Her entire stance has closed off, determined to make life difficult for me, but even though it pisses me off, it also fucking turns me on.
I already knew that, but the last few years I’ve not been on the receiving side of her sass, aside from our world-shattering breakup, and fuck me, it makes me want to shut her up with my lips.
“My turn.” She unbuckles her belt when I’m parked in front of her house again, turning her body toward mine while I wait in anticipation.
“What was your eighteenth birthday wish?”
I let out a loud groan, moving my head toward her as I gave her an incredulous look.
When I made that wish, I never expected it to come true. Let alone for her to remember me not wanting to tell her.
But it did come true.
Faster than I anticipated, but it left even quicker.
“You can’t do me like that, babe,” I plead, making her chuckle softly, the curiosity dripping from her face.
“Answer it, fighter boy .” She wiggles her eyebrows while her tongue darts out, daringly licking her lips. Her stance has opened up in the last half hour, as I just drove around with her like we were seventeen again. I thought about going to our spot at the creek, but after the number of glares she gave me when I showed up on her doorstep, I figured that might have been pushing it too hard.
“Pass,” I blurt.
“No!” she shouts through the car, laughter audible in her voice as she points her finger at me. “You had your passes. You’ve gotta answer this one!”
I narrow my eyes at the girl who clearly likes to torment me in any way she can, while the corner of my mouth curls in an amused smile.
“You like to make life difficult for me, don’t you?”
“Maybe.” She shrugs, making me want to kiss the devilish grin off her face, and I let out a deep growl, turning my focus back to her.
“I can’t believe you’re going to make me say it.”
“Are you kidding me? I’ve been dying to know for years, Hansen.”
I look up to the ceiling before I close my eyes, enjoying the fact that she’s joking with me. Clearly, she has no clue what the answer to that question is.
“Spending the night with you,” I blurt.
Her eyes widen, her lips parting, forming a silent ‘O’. Shock glimmers in her eyes, and I swear the hue change on her cheeks.
“Right.” She averts her gaze, not wanting to go into it any further, and I press my lips together, suppressing a smile.
“Let’s keep going,” I say, hoping to maintain the relaxed energy she’s been giving me. “Once upon a time, you told me you wanted to travel. Where to?”
She gives me a grateful look, relieved I don’t push for her reaction to my answer.
“Spain.”
“Yeah?” I smile .
“Oh yeah, I want to dance flamenco, eat tapas, and taste real Sangria. Not that shit we have in the grocery store.” She turns up her nose, and I smile, knowing exactly where I’m gonna take her when I get the chance.
“Okay, next one.” Her face lightens up a little bit more with every question, and the victorious feeling inside of me grows bigger as the game progresses.
“You have to pick: never fighting or never eating clementine vanilla ice cream.”
I give her an incredulous look.
“Are you shitting me?”
“Answer it!” Her smile splits her face, a bright look in her eyes.
“Charls,” I growl.
“Answer it!” she repeats, amused.
I rub my neck, pursing my lips, until I answer with a long sigh.
“You know I’m not giving up ice cream.”
Her shoulders shake with laughter, a smug grin spreading across her cheeks.
“Glad to see some things never change. Guess I figured out your guilty pleasure.”
“A hundred percent,” I admit. “I can’t live without ice cream.”
“Who can live without ice cream?” she says, pulling a face in that cute way she does.
“Not us, babe. Not us.”
“Right.” She smiles, then glances at her front door. “Well, I guess I should be going. Early day tomorrow.”
I know she has nowhere to go, but I don’t call her out on it, happy with the few hours she gifted me with today.
“Yeah. I guess so.”
She lets out a deep sigh, giving me a tight smile as her fingers reach for the handle of the door. It takes everything I have not to pull her back and against my chest .
“I guess I’ll see you around?” A hint of kindness is visible in her eyes, and I take a snapshot of it in my head, wanting to make sure I remember that look on her face when she’s pissed at me again.
“You bet, babe.”
She opens the door, lowering her body onto the concrete, before she gives me another stern look, the door in her hands.
“Just call me next time, okay?”
I suppress the smug grin that wants to appear when she says “next time,” so instead I give her a small nod, doing my best to show her I’m serious.
That I’m listening to her.
“Okay, Charls. I’ll call first.”
“Thank you,” she says, closing the door behind her, and I watch her walk away toward her front door. I don’t want to drive away, but I know I have to. I need to give her just enough time and space to make sure she’ll keep me around, just long enough for me to fix everything I’ve broken. And it’s a goddamn long list.
“Hey, Charls?” I bellow through the window after I lower it with the button on the center console.
She turns around with those mesmerizing eyes, instantly capturing my attention while her dark blonde waves bounce around her head, giving me a questioning look.
“Thank you for tonight.”
A smile forms on her lips. “You’re welcome, asshole. ”
She turns back around, moving into the house while I make my way out of her driveway, knowing I will sleep better tonight.
Knowing I’m making progress.
Seven more dates to go.