Chapter 9
Charlie was gone when I woke up this morning. There was a note on the nightstand saying she went to grab breakfast with Liv and some of her teammates. But the line below her message is what I keep staring at.
“Here’s my number. Use it.”
I’ve always known Charlie to be strong and sure of herself, but her snarky remarks and confidence turn me the hell on.
Like some chump who’s never talked to a girl before, I type out about twenty messages before finally hitting send.
Good morning.
Yeah. It took me five minutes to come up with that one. I’m a real charmer.
Charlie
I’m sorry, who is this?
I chuckle to myself. She knows who would be texting her from a new number this early in the morning, but I decide to play her game.
It’s the sexy guy you met yesterday.
Charlie
You’re going to have to be a little more specific than that. Could be a few different people.
This banter between us is causing me to smile more the past twenty-four hours than I probably have all month.
At some point during the night I must’ve stripped out of my t-shirt and shorts because all I’m wearing are my boxer briefs. Normally, I sleep naked but unfortunately that’s not an option with Charlie in my bed.
Deciding to go all in, I snap a picture of myself, my bare chest on full display, a crooked smile on my face. I send the picture before I can talk myself out of it and type out a text quickly.
The guy whose dick you were rubbing with your ass all night.
The three dots appear and disappear a few times but no message comes through.
Shit. I went too far.
I’m typing out my apology when she finally sends her message.
Charlie
Kind of hard to escape that thing when it’s poking me in the back and you’re holding onto me for dear life.
That smart mouth.
Kind of difficult not to get hard when the pretty girl you’re holding is moaning my name in her sleep.
It’s not a lie. When I woke up in the middle of the night, Charlie still nestled against me, I attempted to roll to my side of the bed. As soon as I slid away from her, she pushed her ass back into me and hummed, “mmm, yes, Luke,” in her sleep. What’s a man to do when that happens?
My eyes stare at my screen as I wait in anticipation for her next text.
To my very pleasant surprise, a picture of Charlie comes through, her mouth open in shock.
Fuck me, that damn mouth.
Charlie
I did no such thing!
I’m too busy staring at the picture she sent to respond. My dick was already hard when I woke up, but now it aches as it begs for release.
I push my boxer briefs down, knowing by the picture that Charlie is still at breakfast with her team. Once my hand finds my cock, another text comes through.
Charlie
We’re going to explore Sweden a bit today. See you at the Opening Ceremonies, Skip.
My hand starts pumping up and down on my cock, precum already leaking, dripping down the tip. I click on the picture she sent so it’s the only thing on my screen.
Her mouth is wide open, just begging to be filled. I picture exactly that. Charlie sprawled out in front of me on this bed, her beautiful pink lips wrapped around my cock.
I imagine my hands gripping those tantalizing curls of hers, as I set the pace. She hollows out her cheeks, taking me to the back of her throat. The moment she moans around my cock, I push even deeper, shooting my release down her throat and filling her mouth.
The fantasy causes my own release to shoot up and out, my cum landing on my stomach as I continue to pump my cock, draining every last drop.
Exhausted, and yet not nearly satisfied enough, I throw my head back against the pillow and concentrate on my breathing.
Charlie has me so damn worked up, I’m going to need to do that at least three more times today if I plan on keeping my hands to myself later tonight.
Do I plan on keeping my hands to myself?
Reaching over to the ground, I grab my discarded shirt and wipe up the mess I made on my stomach while contemplating the answer to that question.
On one hand, I know Connor is a good guy. No, he’s one of the best guys, who has been through his own share of heartache. I know he wants what's best for his sister but on the other hand, I’m not too sure he’d be thrilled with the idea of me and her.
But having her in my arms last night, it was everything I never imagined for myself. Peace. Comfort. Hope.
The possibility of having that, especially with Charlie, thrills me.
I know I shouldn’t care what anyone would think, but Connor is different.
Charlie knows how important her brother and his friendship are to me.
I nearly lost myself when I lost my sister.
She was only eleven when she passed, and the day I lost her, I ran to Connor.
He held me together when I was falling apart at the seams.
My sister Koty, or Dakota as everyone else knew her, was diagnosed at the age of four with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
We nearly lost her half a dozen times between her diagnosis and the day I had to say goodbye.
Nothing about those seven years was easy, but damn it if I didn’t try to make her smile every single day. She was everything to me. My Koty.
When I wasn’t with her, trying to make her smile, I was with Connor. He was the best friend I could ever ask for through it all. He knew when to let me cry but also knew when I needed a distraction. He made me laugh when I didn’t think I’d ever laugh again.
“Fuck!” My eyes start to sting at the memories. My chest aches in a way it hasn’t since I was in high school when I lost Koty.
Hopping out of bed, I begin pacing the hotel room, trying to figure out what the hell I’m supposed to do with all the conflicting feelings coursing through my body right now.
Deciding a hot shower is exactly what I need to sort through this mess, I grab my phone and head to the bathroom.
I start the shower and open the Spotify app on my phone. As I’m trying to pick a playlist, a text comes through from you guessed it, my best friend.
Connor
Hey man. How’s Sweden? I’m hoping to fly out next week. Been dealing with some shit at home.
Knowing that if I don’t respond, he’ll just end up calling me later, I type out a quick text to avoid an awkward conversation on the phone with him.
Sweden is good so far. Excited for the Opening Ceremony tonight. Everything okay?
I don’t dare mention we’re staying in a hotel. I’m not ready to dive into the shitty residences at the Village because, knowing Connor, he’ll immediately worry about his sister.
Connor
It will be. Maybe you’ll see Charlotte tonight! If you do, tell her to call me. Been trying to get in touch with her all day.
Of course he has. Not wanting to lie to my best friend but also not knowing what the fuck to say, I try to put an end to the conversation so I can hop in the shower and try to figure this all out.
Will do, man. Chat later? I’m about to get in the shower.
Connor
You got it. I’ll be looking for ya when I watch the Opening Ceremony! Love you, man
Love you too, brother
Closing out of our text thread, I press play on my Old School Rap playlist. Hoping Weezy and Eminem will help me clear my head, I step into the scalding hot shower.
The steam envelops me and after a few deep breaths, I’m feeling a bit better already.
Connor may be my best friend but Charlie is…Charlie. She’s special in a way I can’t quite explain.
When she called me fearless last night I didn’t agree with her. But when she explained why, I began to see her beyond her physical beauty. She saw who I was as a person, back at a time when I couldn’t even see myself.
If only she knew that I let what everyone say back then affect me in a way I’m not proud of. I had just lost my sister and I hated the world. The hatred I felt for every asshole who talked shit about me because I chose curling over hockey is something I’m ashamed of.
But Charlie…she didn’t see me as broken or hateful. She saw me as brave. At a time when I was afraid of everything that might come next because all I’d known was heartbreak and loss, she saw the good in me.
Maybe it’s time I focus on the good. I need to stop worrying about the bad and everything that might happen and concentrate on what’s right in front of me, because there is so much good.
Tonight I’m going to enjoy the Opening Ceremony on my first trip to the Olympics.
And hopefully I get to share that moment with the same woman I’ll be sharing a bed with afterward.