Chapter Nine #3
“I just need some time. I’m tired. What time do you have to leave?”
Donnie glanced at his watch. “I got a few hours yet.” The thought of leaving her like this was tearing him up. But he couldn’t stay.
She nodded. “I’ll text you in a bit and see you before you go?”
“OK.” It wasn’t OK. He wanted to stay with her. Hold her. Comfort her. Instead, he watched her step inside and close the door.
Donnie just got back to his room when his phone rang.
“Mackie. You got something?” Not that it really mattered now, but he still wanted to know.
“Yeah. How long they been together?”
“About a year.”
“Timeline fits, I found an old social media account that he closed a year ago. Full of the partying lifestyle you mentioned. Lots of girls, fast cars and booze. He started a new account, full of wholesome picture of him and posts about real estate, projects and other boring stuff.”
“Reinventing himself?”
“Looks like it. However, in his partying pictures, I was able to identify a few of the women. They work for a very high-end escort agency. Long story short, I might have called the agency, asked a few questions, and turns out the agency supplies girls and guys at a rate of ten thousand a night to exclusive sex parties. After the events, the girls and guys can decide to, er, take things further, should they choose, for an additional thousand an hour.”
“Simon could afford that. But is he still doing it?”
“Yeah. I ran his financials and can see the payments. Unless he’s paying for someone else to have a good time.”
“Fuck. I knew it.”
“Business all looks legit. Daddy Radwell is set to retire this year, and Simon will run the show.”
“Yeah, Charlie told me that.”
“No leads on where he gets his drugs. Could be through these parties. If he has at least one brain cell, he would be dealing in cash for that.”
“One brain cell? You’re being generous.” Donnie grabbed a bottled water from the room’s mini fridge, unscrewing the bottle.
“You really don't like this guy, huh?”
“No. Like I said he’s bad news. Thanks for this, Mackie. Appreciate it.”
“Anytime.”
Donnie guzzled down half the water. Thank fuck, Charlie had ended it.
He lay on the bed, watching the ball game. Jays and Yankees were wrapping up their series. Yankees were winning by a run, but it was only the third inning. Several innings had passed when he glanced at his phone. He had a few hours until he had to leave for the airport.
He’d gotten comfortable in a pair of gray sweats and white T-shirt and was trying to decide whether to text Charlie when there was a soft knock on his door.
He opened it and his breath hitched at the sight before him. Fucking hell. His eyes took her in. From the heels to the dress that clung in all the right places, to the deep cleavage before sweeping over her glossed lips to her eyes.
“Hi.” Charlie gave him a small smile.
“You look...wow! Did I miss a text? Are we going out?”
She shook her head. “No. We’re staying in.” She stepped forward and he moved to let her in, unashamedly gawking at her ass as she passed. He adjusted his dick in his sweatpants before it erected a tent.
“Seriously, Charlie, you look amazing. Did you get to speak to Maddie or something?” Clearly something had happened to pull her out of her funk.
“No. I just decided I don't want to waste any more time on Simon. I want to move on.”
“OK.” As much as it was good to see her smiling, this seemed a bit quick. “Would you like a drink?”
“No, thanks. I want to ask you something.”
“Anything.”
“Will you have sex with me?”
He was rarely speechless, but damn, he had not been expecting this.
His immediate reaction was hell, yes. She was an erotic vision standing right here in front of him asking for sex.
Fuck. He was a man, and he would have no trouble burying himself inside that sexy body.
His eyes roamed over her again, imagining all the ways he would make her come.
With his hands, his tongue, his dick... which had taken on a life of its own and throbbed inside his pants.
“Donnie?”
His name on her lips interrupted his vivid imagination, and he met her gaze. She bit her lip, a small crack in the otherwise confident woman before him.
“Is this déjà vu?” he asked softly.
She smiled. “I guess so. But we’re both older now. I’m no longer a virgin, you don’t need to ask Nate... Oh, and I’m newly single. Just two consenting adults.”
Jesus Christ. She was being totally fucking serious. He wanted to fuck her so bad, but his goddamn moral compass told him this was not a good idea. He hadn't taken advantage ten years ago; he wasn’t going to do it now.
He took her hands in his.
“Charlie—”
“Please don’t say no,” Her confidence had been replaced by a stark vulnerability.
Raising her hands to his mouth, he kissed them softly.
“There is nothing I would love more than to have sex with you. I wanted to ten years ago and I still do.”
“But,” she said nervously, lowering her hands.
“Yesterday you were engaged. Getting married in just a few weeks. You might have ended it, but you need time to process that. You might think you want this, but it’s too soon.
I have to leave in a couple of hours, and you don't want to have sex with me and then I’m gone. It won't make you feel better.”
She placed her hands on her hips and arched an eyebrow at him. “Are you done?”
Donnie frowned. “Done?” Her vulnerability was gone, replaced by annoyance.
“Yes. Done telling me what I’m feeling. What I need to do and how I will feel? I got news for you, Donnie. I have a therapist, and I don't need another one.”
“I wasn’t trying to–”
“I’m not finished.” she cut him off and he stopped talking.
“I’ve cried too many tears already. Over being bullied at school, over you, over Simon.
I’ve worked hard to accept myself. To not be that frightened little bullied schoolgirl.
I sat upstairs in my room and made a decision that this stops now.
I’ve spent so much time trying to please Simon and turns out he was just using me.
You don’t get to tell me what I need to do, I do.
I get to decide what pleases me. What I need right now is to get laid.
I want, no, need to feel like I felt when you kissed me ten years ago because, dammit, I haven't felt that way since.”
“I’m a big girl and aware you’re leaving in a few hours. I’m not asking for a relationship. I’m asking you to have sex. One time. That’s it. This is my choice. If you don’t want to, that’s fine. I’ll head out and find someone else. I’m sure someone will be up for it.”
Her gaze hadn’t left his and her chest was heaving and, damn, if that little speech turned him on.
This was a side of Charlie he hadn’t seen before.
Confident. Determined. It was hot as hell.
His cock pulsed, having heard it all too, and was more than ready to go.
He shook his head slowly. This was wrong, so fucking wrong.
Charlie moved to step past him. Apparently, he was taking too long to answer.
“Fair enough, Donnie. Have a safe flight.”
He reached out and grabbed her wrist before she could open the door.
“Where are you going?” His voice was low.
“To get laid.” She glanced over her shoulder.
In one move, he pinned her against the door, his hands either side of her head, caging her in as he looked down at that perfect fucking mouth.
“If you think I am going to let another man so much as hold your fucking hand, you’re mistaken.” he growled. His face inches from hers. She was breathing deeply, her face flushed, and her breasts pressed softly against his chest.
“This is wrong,” he said tightly.
“Maybe for you, but not for me.” She held his gaze. “I want this.”
Goddamn, he couldn’t let her go and find some random man in a bar.
“We’re in a good place. I don’t want to ruin that.” His voice wavered.
“It’s just sex, Donnie. No feelings. No declarations of love. It won’t ruin anything. You’re leaving anyway. It will probably be months before we see each other again.”
Fuck. She was determined.
“It’s OK,” she said. “I understand if you don’t want to.
” She went to move, and he immediately lowered his arms. She opened the door and looked back over her shoulder.
It was the look of rejection on her face that changed everything.
No fucking way was he letting her think he didn't want her.
He grasped her wrist, pulled her gently back, and closed the door.
“You better be sure, Charlie,” he said, more softly.
“I am,” she whispered.
Fuck, was he really going to do this? Yeah, he was. The thought of her thinking for one minute he didn’t want her when all he could think about was her? No way.
“If you change your mind at any point, you say so, and I’ll stop.”
She nodded.
“I mean it, Charlie.”
When she nodded again, any restraint he had evaporated.
He covered her mouth with his. Moving closer, he pushed his body against hers, reveling in every inch of contact.
Dear God, it felt good. He pushed his tongue into her mouth, and she responded eagerly.
Her sweet taste hadn't changed. Her mouth was warm and inviting.
Leaving her lips, he trailed kisses along her jaw and down her neck, and her small moans sent even more blood to his cock as he gripped her hips.
She began pulling at his T-shirt, so he stopped kissing her, tugged the shirt off over his head and dropped it on the floor.
Her gaze roamed from his face down his body and shit; her obvious approval had him wanting to pound his chest like a goddamn caveman.
Taking her hands, he placed them on his chest and let her explore, enjoying the feel of them on his skin.
Hell, how many times had he dreamed of this? He reached for the tie of her wrap dress and undid the small bow. The dress fell open to reveal those magnificent breasts encased in dark red satin. His eyes trailed down to the matching panties.
“You’re beautiful,” he murmured, voice hoarse.