Chapter 10
Key West, Florida
“Hey girls, I think they’re up there,” a loud voice cut through the tranquil aftermath. “I can hear sexy music playing.”
Charli shot up from her position on Jack’s shoulder and glanced around the room, disoriented. “Wha...” she mumbled, not quite awake.
“Jack, we know you two are up there,” hollered Miriam. “Get some clothes on and come on down. We need to talk.”
Jack chuckled, his naked body shaking hers. He grasped her arm and pulled her down onto him and sank his fingers into her hair. His lips locked onto hers in a deep, sucking kiss.
Charli moaned and rubbed her body against him, loving the feel of his hard, masculine body plastered to hers.
I could totally get used to this...
“How long have we been asleep?” she mumbled into his mouth.
Jack hummed and sucked on her bottom lip before releasing it with a pop. He glanced out the balcony doors. “About a half hour if I were to guess.”
“Let’s go around the back and see if the door is unlocked,” shouted Iris. “We can wait for them in the kitchen.”
“Good lord,” Jack groaned and gave Charli one last kiss. “We better get down there before they decide to come up the stairs, too.”
Charli drew in a breath. “Do you really think they would?”
Jack snorted. “When they have a burr up their ass about something, oh yeah,” he murmured into her neck. He sighed and sat up, dropping his legs over the side of the bed. “Come on. Let’s go see what’s got them so fired up.”
As he stood, Charli scurried from the bed and yanked on her dress, then ran to the bathroom to check her appearance. She grimaced at the love bite on her neck, but figured it was as good as it was going to get.
She walked back into the bedroom just as Jack began to pull up his pants. The sight of his tight ass and lean torso was enough to make her drool and she felt like shaking herself awake from whatever dream this was.
He glanced over his shoulder and grinned. “You ready to face the horde, baby?”
Charli took the hand he offered, following him down the stairs and into the kitchen. They found the ladies clustered around the large table, casually chatting as if they hadn’t just yanked Jack and Charli out of bed.
Miriam gave them a knowing look. “Glad it didn’t take you too long, Jack. We were starting to wonder if we needed to organize an intervention.”
Jack grunted. “I don’t need any help from you, thank you.” He casually leaned a hip on the kitchen island and crossed his arms. “As lovely as it is to see all of you, I can’t imagine that you’re here for a social call.”
“We ran into Gus at The Spent Pickle. He told us what happened in the house,” Hazel chimed in, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“So? Is it true you saw Amelia?” Cornelia asked.
Jack shook his head. “No, we didn’t see anything.” He paused as if for affect. “We just heard her—a long, loud sob.”
“Scared the crap out of me,” Charli remarked before she stepped away to the pantry and pulled out two sangria bottles, placing them on the table.
“But it really spooked Gus. He was in the Widow’s Walk when it happened.
He said the temperature dropped up there and he felt something touch his back,” she added.
“Jack and I were in Aunt Dottie’s old room studying Amelia’s picture.
We didn’t experience anything like Gus did, but the sob was loud and it felt like the house moved a little.
” She shivered. “Although that part may have just been my imagination.”
The ladies were quiet as they gave each other knowing looks around the table.
“Then it’s really happening. I mean, I’ve seen the lantern before, many times in fact. And I knew Dottie wasn’t behind it. But this must mean that you’re really getting somewhere,” Sadie mused, breaking the silence in the room.
Charli huffed. “Please clarify—what exactly is happening?” she asked to the group. “Because right now, this all feels a little nuts.”
Miriam patted Charli’s hand. “That’s to be expected, honey. We suspected that once you two started working in the house, that things would start happening.”
Iris snorted. “Well, we had more than just a feeling. Dottie told us that things would begin to happen once these two got together.”
Charli bolstered herself behind the kitchen island and scanned the faces around the room. She could feel their excitement but couldn’t banish her own sense of confusion or foreboding. Her gaze met Jack’s. He gave her a lazy grin and then turned to pull glasses down from the cabinet.
Placing the glasses on the table, he added to the ladies, “Here. We’re gonna need these.” Then he walked over to Charli and draped his arm around her shoulders, giving her a light squeeze.
“Wait,” Charli murmured to the room as she leaned into Jack. “What does all this have to do with Jack and I working together?”
Cornelia shrugged. “Well, we’re not quite sure, dear. Dottie was so cryptic when it came to Amelia, but she always insisted that you and Jack were the key.” She began to pour the sangria and handed it out to her friends.
“Huh...” Charli grunted, not convinced at all.
“It’s odd that she never said anything to me about it when I stayed with her years ago.
And other than her request to finish the renovation, she really didn’t say much about it in her final letter to me either.
” She looked to Jack who was oddly quiet. “What do you think?”
Jack pursed his lips and shrugged. “I haven’t pieced it together yet, but I think this has to do with the reason why Dottie would always tell me that the time wasn’t right.”
Miriam nodded. “That’s right. She told me that several times as well.” She gave Charli a piercing look. “Don’t think so hard about this and just do what you’re meant to do—bring back the Paradise West, and everything will happen like it’s supposed to. That’s when we’ll get our answers.”
Charli groaned and rubbed her temples. “I’m really having a tough time believing all of this.”
“Miriam’s right. Stop worrying about it,” Flora chimed in as she took a sip of sangria. “Just take her advice and do what you’re supposed to do. Everything will work out the way it’s meant to.”
Charli sighed and leaned her head on Jack’s shoulder. His hand dropped down to rub her arm, the soothing motion making her sleepy.
“Oh honey, you look like you’re about to drop,” Iris muttered. “We should probably go,” she added to the group.
Charli sighed. “It’s been a long day, and sleep is all I really want right now.”
The ladies downed their drinks and stood to leave.
“Oh, I’ll bet you’ll get more than just sleep tonight,” Cornelia sing-songed as they began to file out, the entire group snickering at the innuendo.
Miriam stopped in front of Charli and Jack. “Don’t worry so much about Amelia.” She gave Charli a wink. “We’ll be in touch if you need us.”
Charli stiffened. “Do you believe we will need you?”
Miriam considered her for a moment and gave her a firm nod. “Something tells me that you will, honey. And you can trust that we’ll be there for you.”
* * * *
“Cock-a-doodle-dooo!” George arrogantly crowed from across the street.
“Cock-a-doodle-dooooooooooo!” It was like the little bastard was stuck on repeat.
Charli groaned into Jack’s chest and stretched her body languidly against his.
“God, he’s an asshole,” Jack mumbled, his voice rough as his hand rubbed soothingly up and down her back.
Charli mumbled, “He really is. He does this every freaking morning and even sometimes in the afternoon.”
Jack laughed, shaking the bed. “It sounds like he’s on his regular perch, determined to be as loud and annoying as possible.”
He moved onto his side and put his hand on her bare stomach, enjoying the sight of his fingers splayed out on her smooth skin. His hand slid up to cup her right breast, massaging it lightly, and marveled at the way her body responded to his touch.
“He’s demanding to be fed, the brat. I don’t know why Dottie ever started taking care of his brood and didn’t let them forage for food like all the other damn chickens on this island. She just created little monsters.”
Charli grinned and turned toward him, facing Jack, a smile on her face that he felt in his gut. She threaded her fingers into his hair, making him purr at the sensation. He could lay here all day with her like this and be a happy man. If he had his way, that’s exactly what he would do.
“I think you created a monster last night. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get enough,” she murmured.
His hand slid down to cup her ass and pulled her into him, their legs tangling together. “You don’t have to worry about that.” He thrust his hips into hers, rubbing his hard cock on her belly. “Ever.”
Charli moaned as his lips covered hers, their tongues tangling leisurely. She gasped into his mouth as he squeezed her ass again and rolled her to her back, settling perfectly between her legs.
His spine tingled as he notched his cock into her slick cleft and pressed forward slowly. They groaned together as he began a firm, steady tormenting rhythm, pounding into her.
He propped up on his arms, staring down at the flush that moved from her chest to her neck.
His hips continued their onslaught, twisting to reach her g-spot.
Her slick walls tightened around him, pleasure shooting through his body, pushing him toward the edge.
The pressure swiftly built, but he didn’t—couldn’t—stop.
“Ah fuck, Charli,” he panted over her, squeezing his eyes at the sensation, and trying desperately to hold on. “God, baby, you’re killing me.”
Charli reached down and grabbed his ass, grasping firmly and pressing him even deeper.
She arched beneath him as she neared her peak and he dropped his head down to suck her tight nipple into his mouth.
Charli shrieked as she clenched around his cock, her head thrown back and eyes squeezed shut as she rode the wave.
“Fuuuuuuuuck,” Jack growled as he let go, pumping into her.