Chapter 21
TROY
The moment Charlie whirls around, I see something is terribly wrong. Her eyes are bloodshot, her face tearstained. She’s clutching an almost empty bottle of tequila as if it were her lifeline.
“What’s wrong?” I breach the distance between us in three long strides.
“What do you want to talk about?” she asks in a small voice.
“It’s not important right now.” I take the bottle from her and set it on the counter. “Tell me what happened.”
She can’t hold my gaze. Her lips quiver as she lowers her eyes to my chest. “It’s…. My dog died today.” She tries to hide a sob by covering her mouth with her hand.
I pull her to me without a second thought, crushing her body to mine in an awkward hug. The sling is in the way. “I’m so sorry, Charlie.”
“I knew she was old, but it was still a shock. She wasn’t sick or anything.”
Charlie steps back, easing out of my embrace. I want to hold on to her longer but catch myself in time.
“How old was she?” I ask.
“Fourteen. I can’t imagine life without her. Bailey was the sweetest dog.” She wipes a tear away, but more keep falling.
I take her hand in mine, then kiss her fingers.
She gasps loudly, widening her eyes in surprise.
I let go of her, just so I can cup her cheek, rubbing away another tear with my thumb.
We don’t speak for a moment, but our eyes remain locked.
I’m keenly aware of how fast my heart is beating, how shallow my breathing is.
Before I can stop myself, I lean down and capture her lips with mine.
There’s no trace of tequila on them; she didn’t drink a single drop.
The kiss is soft, tentative, but when she doesn’t resist, I tease at the seam, prying her lips open with my tongue.
I can taste her tears, the saltiness on her lips, but also her effervescent passion that seems to grow at the speed of light.
I step closer, sliding my hand behind her head so she can’t escape. Her hands find my T-shirt, her fingers curling around the fabric while a moan escapes her mouth. The sound sends a shot of desire straight to my cock. With a groan, I spin her around, pressing her ass to the counter.
“Troy,” she murmurs.
“Yes, Charlie?”
“What are we doing?”
I ease off just a little so I can look into her eyes. “I don’t know. Is this not okay?”
She doesn’t answer right away, which tells me everything I need to know. I try to take a step back, but Charlie holds on to my T-shirt.
“This is more than okay.”
She invades my space this time, rising on the tips of her toes to crash her lips to mine.
There’s nothing slow or easy about this kiss.
It’s fervid, urgent, and sexy as hell. It sets my body ablaze, it melts my bones, and it vanquishes any doubt I had that this was only a matter of physical attraction.
I don’t want only her body. I want everything.
If I wasn’t injured, I’d take her in my arms and make a beeline to my room because the things I want to do to her require a bed. Cursing my recovering shoulder, I say between kisses, “Let’s head upstairs.”
“The couch is closer.” She steps back, releasing my shirt to take my hand.
I let her steer me to the living room, and then we’re on the couch, making out like two horny teenagers. There’s only so much I can do with one hand though, but I’m glad Charlie is as eager to explore as I am.
She kisses my neck, sending goose bumps down my spine. “How is your shoulder?” she whispers in my ear.
“It’s fine.”
“Is it okay if I remove the sling?”
“Yeah.”
While she’s busy helping me out of it, my hand disappears under her sweater.
Her skin is taut and warm to the touch, and I can’t wait to taste it.
Her lips return to mine when the sling is off.
I always feel a tension when I move my shoulder, but I’m too busy exploring Charlie’s body to notice.
When I brush the underside of her breast, she slides onto my lap, sitting astride me.
“Take off your top,” I tell her.
She pouts. “But I’m blue.”
“So what? I’ve always had a thing for Smurfette.”
She watches me through slits. “Was that the reason you put blue dye in my bath bomb?”
“No, that wasn’t me. Andreas is the culprit. I’m sorry I have stupid friends.” She doesn’t seem angry anymore, so I press. “I’ll take a bath in blue dye to make things even if you want.”
“Do you mean, there are more booby traps in my bathroom?” Her eyebrows arch.
“To be honest, I don’t know. To be safe, I’d get rid of all your bath supplies.”
“Would you really turn blue for me?” She bites her lower lip, driving me further insane with need.
I kiss her again, unable to resist the temptation, while I slide my hand up, cupping her breast over her bra. She doesn’t stop me, so I push the fabric aside to play with her nipple. It’s as hard as a pebble and begging for attention.
“Damn it, Troy. You’re really working your case.”
I chuckle. “I’m very motivated. You smell so good, Charlie.” I trace her jawline with my tongue, moving along to the side of her neck.
She grabs my arms, digging her fingers in while arching her back.
“Fine. You win,” she breathes out.
I lean back and search her eyes. There’s redness in them, which makes me feel guilty for a second. Charlie is dealing with grief, and here I am, taking advantage of her.
“As much as I want you, maybe we shouldn’t continue.”
She frowns. “Why not?”
I trace her hairline with the tips of my fingers, then tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “You’ve been through a lot today, sweetheart.”
Regret immediately takes hold of me when her eyes well with tears. Fuck . I shouldn’t have said anything.
“Is that the only reason you want to stop? Because you believe I’m not thinking straight?”
I nod, afraid if I open my mouth, I’ll say another stupid thing.
She captures my face between her hands. “I’ve never been more certain about anything, Troy. I’m tired of fighting my feelings. If anything, what happened today has made things clearer to me.”
I see nothing but determination and sincerity in her gaze.
“Then fucking kiss me like there’s no tomorrow. Don’t hold back.”
She heeds my words, covering my mouth with hers.
I tangle my fingers in her hair, pulling her even closer to me.
Risking pain, I reach for her waist with my right arm.
I want her pinned to my body until she’s molded to me.
I’m about to combust on the spot, but when Charlie begins to grind her pelvis against mine, I lose my mind completely.
“These clothes need to go,” she says before I can.
“Fuck yeah.”
Thanks to my injured shoulder, the process of getting rid of our clothes takes longer than I’d like. She helps me first, pulling my T-shirt off carefully and then lobbing it aside. She stops for a moment to take in my naked chest, staring with hunger in her eyes.
“You can touch if you want,” I tease.
“Oh, I will.” She traces her fingers over my pecs, then leans down to run her warm tongue over them, making me hiss.
I grab a handful of her hair to bring her devious mouth to mine. I don’t kiss her; I brand her with my tongue and teeth before pulling back. “You’re not playing fair. I thought you wanted our clothes gone.”
“What’s the hurry? I’m not going anywhere.”
“ What’s the hurry , she asks. Woman, I’m dying here. I need to see you. All I had to hold me over for these past weeks was a little sneak peek of your pussy.”
She gasps as if she were offended, then hits my shoulder—my injured shoulder.
“Ouch!”
“Oops. Sorry, I forgot,” she apologizes sheepishly.
“Let me see your tits and I’ll forgive you.” I smirk.
“Patience is a virtue, you know?”
“Never had any, ain’t gonna start now.”
With a shake of her head, she helps me take off my jeans but keeps my boxer shorts on. Her eyes linger on my erection straining against the fabric, and I can guess what she has in mind.
“I do want your mouth on my cock, sweetheart, but let’s level the playing field first. Clothes be gone.”
She pouts. “You’re no fun.”
My lips curl into a grin. “Oh, I’m loads of fun. You’ll see.”
She reaches for the edge of her turtleneck, but before she takes it off, she says, “If you laugh, it’s game over.”
I’d believe her if she could keep a straight face, but I indulge her. “I won’t laugh. Promise.”
She finally pulls her sweater off, sitting in front of me in her panties and bra only. Even blue, there’s nothing laughable about her appearance.
“Damn, you’re breathtaking.”
“Really? You dig the Avatar look?”
I don’t reply right away, too busy thinking of the ways I plan to worship her body.
“Troy?” she asks.
I bring my eyes to her face. “Sorry. What was the question?”
She shakes her head. “Never mind. I got my answer.”
I snake my left arm around her back, and with deft fingers, I unhook her bra.
Her glorious tits spill free from their restraint, and before the scrap of fabric drops to Charlie’s lap, my mouth and hands are on her.
I circle one of her nipples with my tongue, teasing the nub mercilessly while I knead her other breast. I don’t care about the pain in my shoulder—this is an all-hands-on-deck situation.
Charlie’s fingers thread through my hair, and then she yanks at the strands while arching her back.
I let go of her breast for a second to pull her onto my lap again.
A deep groan escapes from deep in my throat when her pussy rubs against my shaft.
She’s already soaking wet, and her heat combined with the friction of our underwear grinding together, is sending me careening to the edge faster than I want.
Shit . I can’t pull a quick-draw move on her.
I let go of her nipple with a soft pop, then kiss her lips again, fast and deep. “I’m going to eat your pussy now, darling,” I murmur against her lips.
“I want a taste of you too.”
I grow harder at the idea of a sixty-nine, but I stomp on it for now. There’s a real danger here that the moment Charlie’s lips touch my cock, I’ll explode in her mouth.
“In good time. Patience is a virtue, remember? Your words.” I push her off my lap. “Now lie down and let me feast on you for a bit.”
Her cheeks turn an adorable pink shade. I don’t comment on it, not when she does what I asked without a fight. She’s not as blue as before, but it’ll take several washes to get rid of the dye. It doesn’t bother me in the least. She’s beautiful no matter what.
I peel her panties off with eagerness, almost tearing them in the process.
Charlie chuckles. “Are you that hungry?”
“For you? I’m starving.” I sprawl my fingers across her hips, taking a moment to admire her pussy. My mouth waters at the sight.
“What’s wrong?” she asks, a hint of insecurity in her tone.
“Babe, there’s nothing wrong.”
Then I dive in, going straight for the kill. My tongue sweeps over her clit, eliciting a cry from Charlie. Her hips buck toward me, but I keep her in place as I eat her like candy. She tastes like peaches, velvety on my tongue, sweet in the back of my throat. I’ve never had anything better.
“Oh my God,” she moans.
I pull back to insert two fingers inside her while pressing my thumb against her bundle of nerves. I’ve barely started finger-fucking her when she cries out, and her pussy clenches around me. I increase the tempo, trying to prolong her climax and not think about the tightness in my balls.
“That’s it, babe. Come for me.”
Her tremors cease, and then she goes utterly still save for the rise and fall of her chest. “Holy fuck,” she breathes.
I laugh, then jump off the couch.
She leans on her elbows. “Where are you going?”
“I need something.” I run back to the kitchen and look for the extra box of condoms I keep there. It takes me a few seconds to find it and then run back to Charlie.
“You keep condoms in the kitchen?” She raises an eyebrow.
“I lived alone before. Any room in the house was fair game.”
I only realize my error when Charlie’s gaze darkens. “I see.”
“Fuck. That made me sound like a horndog, didn’t it? I swear that wasn’t the case.”
She sits up and takes the box from my hand. “I don’t care.” Without breaking eye contact, she retrieves a foil packet from the box. “As long as you fuck me like one now.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
My boxer shorts disappear in the blink of an eye, and the condom goes in place just as fast. Charlie then pulls the same move I did before, making me lie down and then straddling me.
“You’ve already abused your shoulder too much. Let me take over now.”
I reach for her hips, guiding her pussy to my erection. “I can’t make any promises.”
Bracing one hand on my chest and the other against the back of the couch, Charlie slowly impales herself on me. I clench my jaw, fighting my body. A desperate groan escapes my lips.
“You were saying?” she asks.
“Damn. You’re tight.”
She begins to move, slowly at first, which works for me. But instinct takes over, and then I’m moving in sync with her hips. We don’t speak, and the only sounds in the room are of our labored breathing and the slapping of flesh against flesh.
Getting closer to climax, I sit up to claim Charlie’s mouth again.
Our tongues mingle in the same rhythm as our bodies.
She’s getting tighter around me, or maybe I’m growing larger.
All train of thought shatters when the release hits me like a cannonball.
Charlie lets go of my mouth to bite my left shoulder.
The sharp pain only serves to amplify my pleasure.
Her body is shaking too, but her whimpers are muffled now that her face is hidden in the crook of my neck.
Eventually, our movements slow down. I relax against the couch, keeping my arms wrapped around Charlie. She rests her face against my chest with a content sigh.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“More than okay.”
“Good.”
We don’t speak for another minute, but I’m the one who breaks the silence again. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Is your character in LARP a vampire by any chance?”
She becomes tense in my arms, then pulls back. Her eyes dart to my shoulder, which no doubt has her teeth mark now.
“Oh my God, Troy. I’m so sorry.”
I chuckle. “Why? I can’t say I was ever bitten before, but damn, it was hot.”
Her face is bright red now. “You must think I’m a psycho.”
“Not at all. And, sweetheart, you can make a snack out of me anytime you want.”