Chapter 16
“Your wife is crazy,” Oliver groaned. “And if she says anything to upset Charity, I swear I’ll?—”
“Give me a fucking break!” Leo laughed. “The ten years that Natalie and I were friends, you constantly rode my ass about claiming her. And every chance you got when you were around her, you flirted just to drive me nuts. So if Natalie is going to spend some time with Charity, you’ve got to suck it up and deal with it.”
“Hey! I was always trying to get you and Natalie together. How do I know that Natalie won’t say or do something that will send Charity running?”
Leo turned his exasperated expression directly toward Oliver. “Seriously, bro? Natalie has wanted you to find someone special for as long as you’ve known her. And from everything you’ve said, Charity sounds perfect. So give your sister-in-law a chance to get to know the woman who just might become our sister-in-law.”
Oliver’s feet stumbled, and he stared at his brother with his mouth hanging open. “You do realize that she and I have only been on one date, right? I hardly think it’s the time to start talking about her becoming a sister-in-law!”
By now, they’d made it into the large common area, and Leo looked around with a smile. “You’re right. This reminds me of the boys” club we used to hang out at after school.”
Chuckling, Oliver nodded. “That’s the first thing I said to Charity when I saw this room.” He looked around as the electricians were working with Tricia, Adam, and Jeb, testing the equipment as it was installed.
It appeared that Leo and Natalie had come merely to meet Charity. And, it seemed, to give him grief.
“Do you remember Dad talking about Mom?” Leo asked. “He always said that it didn’t take long for him to know she was right for him. He used to tell us it was her beauty he first noticed, but her personality had him hanging around wanting more.”
Oliver grinned. “I remember.”
“I get that,” Leo said. “When I first met Natalie, she knocked me on my ass. She was gorgeous, funny as hell, and a badass. All we ever could be were friends since we were on the same Delta team. I knew what I felt for her was a lot deeper, and honestly, if we hadn’t had to deal with regulations against dating, I would have claimed her not long after I met her.”
“So what are you saying? After one date, I should claim Charity?” Even as the words left his mouth, he had to admit the idea was not foreign to him.
“No, that’s not what I’m saying. But you’ve heard us say it takes someone special to be with a Keeper. I’ve listened to you talk about her since you met her. I’ve read up on the work that she does here, and my wife is getting a chance to check her out.”
Oliver rolled his eyes but remained quiet.
Leo continued, “You’ve had years to chase a lot of tail.” He threw his hands up. “Hell, I did, too. I’m just saying that when we find it, go for it.”
Tricia walked over, interrupting their brotherly chat. “Sorry to interrupt, but I have some guys ready to add the equipment to Charity’s apartment. I know she and Natalie are already there.” She laughed. “I’m sure that Natalie has Charity well taken care of.” Tricia winked and walked off laughing.
“We better get up there fast!” Oliver said.
“Lead the way.”
It only took a moment to get to Charity’s apartment, but they took the time to check out the security camera installed at the bottom of the stairs leading up to her apartment. One of the electricians was also alarming the door leading to the outside, and another was working on the door leading straight into her apartment.
As he mounted the stairs with Leo right behind, he could hear the sound of female laughter, and his shoulders relaxed. He loved Natalie, and while he felt sure that she wouldn’t do anything to harm his budding relationship, she could be a loose cannon. As they got upstairs, he heard their voices coming from the kitchen.
Another man was with them as he alarmed the window. Natalie had lined up all of Charity’s coffee mugs and was howling with laughter over the sayings prominently displayed on their sides. He’d only seen a few of them and had to admit, it was a funny quirk of Charity’s.
He walked straight over, hugged her, and whispered, “You doing okay? I can send them packing if you need me to.”
She leaned back, held his gaze, and smiled. “I’m good. And I really like your sister-in-law.”
“Just so you know,” Natalie said, with a brow lifted. “I’ve given her the third degree, exposed all her skeletons, and then filled her head with stories about your Playboy days.”
“Shit,” he groaned.
Charity laughed, then looked around the room. “I should be working, not hanging up here in my apartment. But, I admit, while it feels like I’m playing hooky, it’s nice.”
“I know you have a full day of things to do, but let’s face it… you need to be here to see what’s installed and how to make it work. Just like you would anywhere else in the center.”
She lifted a brow. “What about you all?”
He stood tall, adopting a serious, official-looking expression. “I’m here in a supervisory capacity.”
Amid the shared laughter, they returned to the living room. He made himself comfortable on the sofa, his arm naturally finding its place around Charity as she nestled in beside him. Leo eased his tall, large frame onto her comfortable chair and pulled Natalie onto his lap.
Leo regaled her with hilarious and sometimes embarrassing childhood stories of the two Parker boys, making sure to focus on his brother. Oliver also managed to get in a few hair-raising stories about Leo. Natalie continued to retell brotherly escapades from when they were in the military.
It struck Oliver that he was so comfortable with Charity, it was as though they’d been together longer than just knowing each other a few weeks.
She laughed and engaged easily in conversation, her smile unrestrained. But he realized she wasn’t sharing any childhood stories of her own. He wasn’t sure why but didn’t want to pry, especially not in front of an audience. Glad that Leo and Natalie showed similar restraint, they talked and laughed until Tricia popped up into the apartment.
“Hey, guys. My men radioed and said they were finished, so I’m going do a check.”
“We need to head out anyway,” Natalie said. “This guy promised to buy me and baby Parker lunch.”
Leo and Natalie said their goodbyes and headed down the stairs. After Tricia checked the work the electricians completed, she reviewed the security codes and information with Oliver and Charity. He wanted to make sure she was comfortable with the system.
Finally, they went back into the center, and he knew he also needed to say goodbye. He was surprised when she grabbed his hand and dragged him into her office. She closed the door and then, with her hands on his shoulders, pushed until his back was against the door, and she was pressed against him.
“I know I’m at work, and you need to leave, but if it’s going to be a couple more days before I can see you again, I really want a goodbye kiss that will last.”
“Damn, girl!” He barely got the words out before her lips landed on his. He hoisted her into his arms and turned so that her back was against the door. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist,
The kiss was smoking hot, and he felt her core against his erection. He knew he’d walk out with a hard-on, but at that moment, he didn’t care. All he wanted was his lips on hers and the feel of her soft curves pressing against him.
His tongue slipped in, tangling with hers. The taste of flavored coffee flooded his senses. Their faces twisted back and forth as their noses bumped, and their teeth occasionally clicked together. The kiss was wild and crazy, with no finesse but a hell of a lot of heat.
Finally, coming up for air, they barely separated. She was panting, and with each breath, her breasts pressed firmer against his chest. She slowly unwound her legs from his, and he held her until her feet were steady on the floor. Her hair was mussed from his hands, and her lips were slick and slightly swollen, and her chin had a little beard burn.
They slowly stepped apart, and he willed his dick to relax. Finally under control, he heaved a great sigh. “I’ll be back on Friday,” he managed to say.
“Okay,” she said, her voice breathy, as she still breathed hard.
“I’ll take you to dinner.”
She slowly shook her head. “I’ll cook dinner.” He lifted a brow, but she hurriedly added, “I’d like to spend as much time alone with you as possible. Dinner out has too many people around.”
He grinned, loving her explanation, and nodded. “We can call out for food.”
“It’s okay. I like to cook, but cooking for one isn’t a lot of fun. Sometimes I’ll cook more and share it with the McGabes and the Tobiassons. But mostly, it’s just me. So I’ll love having a chance to cook for you.”
“I’ll bring wine and beer.”
She smiled. “Perfect.”
They stared at each other for a moment, and then she dragged in a ragged breath and let it out slowly, never taking her eyes off his. “If you want… plan on staying the night after dinner.”
He couldn’t believe she put it out there but loved her honesty. And with a wider grin than he knew he could even possess, he nodded. “Count on it.”
Walking out, he’d mostly managed to get his erection under control, but with the taste of her still on his lips, the memory of the kiss at the forefront of his mind, and the anticipation of the next weekend had him smiling as he climbed into his vehicle.
He thought about Leo’s words and had to admit his brother was right. Gorgeous women were a dime a dozen, but Charity was one of a kind. It didn’t matter how long you knew someone… you just had to know that what you felt was right.