Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Charlie
The club that Odessa dragged us to is loud, overcrowded, and smells like sweat and alcohol.
Yet, there isn't anywhere else I'd rather be.
Well, maybe in a hotel room with Hayes. Alone…
But this is an okay second place. Hayes hasn't taken his eyes off of me since we got here.
He's been different tonight—more attentive, more flirty, more touchy.
Either the booze is flowing more freely than I thought, or he's letting his guard down.
The guys reserved a table for us, splurging on bottle service and making sure we had the nicest spot in the club.
It was great until Drew invited Heather and her hoes.
I mean, friends. They waltzed in half-naked and after spending ten minutes with them, I could feel my IQ dropping.
Dess didn’t last more than five minutes before quietly escaping to the dance floor without anyone but me noticing.
I glared at her retreating back the entire time she walked away, but knew it was probably for the better.
No reason for these women to ruin her night, not when she doesn’t have a stake in the game.
Drew and Heather excused themselves to go dance as well.
She’s been all over him since she got here, and my stupid brother hasn’t stopped smiling.
He thinks he’s sly, but she’s got him wrapped around her finger.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up marrying her and then divorced within the first three years.
The thought has me downing the last of my vodka redbull and glancing around the table.
I haven’t been paying much attention to the conversations around but the dynamic of the table shifted when they left.
Hayes, Everett, me, and four gorgeous women are left sitting at our table.
Oh, shit. Everett is across from me with two girls on either side of him, laughing at whatever he says.
The other two are sitting in middle booth, leaning as close to Hayes as they can.
It’s like watching group dates on ‘The Bachelor’ when the woman are fighting for just an ounce of attention.
The pit in my stomach only amplifies the longer I sit here.
If Hayes didn't have his arm firmly around my shoulders, I'd already be on the dance floor with Dess.
There's no way I can sit here and watch Hayes flirt with them.
Yeah, he may have been a little more flirty toward me when I was his only option.
Now? I don't stand a chance next to Double D Deb and Brazilian Butt Betty.
With every question they ask, they slowly inch closer to him and me by proxy.
I feel like the opposite end of a magnet, trying to get away.
He’s not outright flirting with them, but he’s not shutting them down either.
Occasionally he tries to bring me into the conversation, but the more they talk, the more energy I lose to fight for his attention.
No self-respecting woman should have to work this hard for a man’s attention.
They all swap stories about living in Southern California, and the lifestyle they live.
Brazilian Butt Betty is a fitness influencer like Heather is.
She’s practically started salivating when Hayes talked about his workout routine.
Things I just don’t care about anymore. Give me a mountain to hike or a trail to run on and I’m in.
Kickboxing? Did it for years. But going to the gym daily to lift weights? Never been my thing.
The mortification I feel hits an all time high when Double D Deb reaches her hand out and runs her hot pink nail down his forearm. The music is loud, but not so loud that I can’t hear her ask where he's staying and then invite herself to the suite. Nope.
I do what I do best. Bail.
Without a word, I get myself the hell out of that booth and down the stairs. No, goodbye; see ya later; I have to pee; nothing. One second I'm there and the next I'm jogging down the stairs in four inch wedges. Fuck Hayes. Fuck this night. Fuck social media influencers.
I weave my way through the dance floor, trying to get to the exit.
It’s dark, sweaty bodies are everywhere and I get shoved from side to side, but I’m not stopping.
I’m mustering up whatever little confidence I have left and putting an end to my feelings toward Hayes.
Even if that means cutting off conversation for a while. Cold turkey, or whatever.
I have a feeling everyone is going to give me shit for leaving without saying anything, but I don’t give a damn.
I'll text them when I get to the hotel and tell them I wasn’t feeling well or some other believable excuse.
All that I can think about is getting to the hotel first, locking myself in one of the rooms and sleeping with headphones on.
Or. OR. I'll splurge and book my own suite at the hotel.
The credit card bill is worth it to avoid the party that is being brought back to our room.
I slink past the bouncer at the front door, and start my fast-paced walk back to the hotel.
It isn’t far enough for a taxi, but walking alone in the middle of the night probably wasn’t a good idea.
Definitely will be getting a lecture in the morning.
I’m not even twenty feet away from the club when I feel a large hand wrap around the inside of my arm and yank me back.
Fight, flight, or freeze hits and my body always chooses fight.
I turn around, left arm poised to let my fist fly, only to pull it back at the last second. A very pissed off Hayes is shooting daggers at me through narrowed eyes.
"Where the fuck are you going, Charlotte?" Uh oh. Full name: he's pissed-pissed.
Feigning innocence seems like the most logical route right now. "Back to the hotel?"
"By yourself? What the fuck are you thinking?”
The huff that escapes me can only be described as guttural, mixed with annoyance. "I'm leaving. You're welcome to come or stay with your harlots, but I'm out."
I try to rip my arm out of his grip, but his grip only tightens. It’s not enough to hurt, but enough that I'm not able to walk away as freely as I'd like without making a scene.
“Harlots?” His laugh shakes his entire chest. “Heather’s friends? Hell no. I’d much rather go with you." He slides his hand down my arm and laces our fingers together.
We both start walking, letting the chill of the desert air fill our lungs and clear our heads.
Despite the late hour, there's still people milling around, walking from hotel to hotel. The tension I felt earlier dissipates with each step we take away from the club, until I’m left feeling embarrassed for leaving how I did.
"Wanna tell me why you ran out of there like the place was on fire?"
I shake my head and grit my teeth. We both know that he knows exactly why. My pride can't handle any more dings with him, though, so I don’t say anything at all.
"No? Anything to do with the 'harlots' trying to invite themselves to our suite?
" I can tell he’s trying to lighten the mood by teasing me but all it does is annoy me further.
He's been hot and cold our entire adult lives, bringing me in and then pushing me away. It’s my fault for holding onto a dream that someday we would be together.
Him having his arm around me, while chatting up other girls was the push I needed.
"Nope. I know it's your birthday but if you could keep it down when they get there, I'd appreciate it."
I hear the undeniable sound of his teeth clenching together and then my arm is yanked backward. He spins me toward him so swiftly that I don’t even stumble. The glow from the street lights behind him make him look both menacing and sexy.
"Sunshine. I'm going to say this once and only once.
I don't give a damn about those women. Heather included for that matter.
Every time they got closer to me, I leaned into you.
I barely gave them half-ass answers to whatever bullshit question they asked me.
If you weren't so busy ignoring me, you would've noticed. "
My shoulders relax a touch with each word. "What do you want, Hayes? Because I've always only wanted you. If that's not what you want, let me go."
His head rears back like I slapped him. “Let you go? You’ve had me captivated for years.
I can’t remember the last time you weren’t the first person on my mind in the morning, or the last when I went to bed.
You’re everything I've ever wanted and more. But, you’re too damn good for me, Charlie.
I'm terrified of fucking this up. Pushing you away somehow, losing you.
" He runs a hand through his hair and frowns.
"You shouldn't be the wife sitting at home, waiting to see if her husband makes it back. "
It feels like my eyebrows hit my hairline. I had no idea he had put half this much thought into us. But of course he had; Hayes has always been an over thinker.
"You mean like our moms? Who loved those husbands more than life itself? Loved the family they created together? You may have seen them as wives waiting at home, but I saw them as strong, resilient women who held everything together while their husbands were out there risking their lives."
The crease between his eyebrows grows as he looks down at me but he doesn't respond.
I reach out, cupping his face in my hand. "For you? I'd choose that worry, that dedication, and that love any day. I'd choose you above everything else."
His eyes soften as he finally meets mine, understanding the depth of my words. "I love you. I am in love with you."
Shock ripples through my body as I stare at him. "You are?"
"I am. Everett called me out before dinner in front of Drew. I thought he was going to be pissed, but instead he gave me his blessing. Felt like I won Gold at the Olympics. I was working up the nerve to kiss you all night."
"If I told you that I love you too, would that give you the final push?"
His eyes widen a fraction before he pulls me into him and kisses me. Searing his mouth to mine, my lips naturally part and I almost get dizzy. He tastes exactly as I thought he always would like peppermint and desire.
He pulls away too soon and leaves us both panting. “You love me, huh?” The wink he delivers at the end has me continually swooning. He’s the definition of sexy and he doesn’t even have to try.
Chuckling, I shove at his chest. "I do."
“Thank god.” He grabs my hand again, pulling me the rest of the way to our hotel.
We both send out our quick, obligatory "we left" texts, as soon as we get into the suite. He lets go of my hand and jogs into the room that Odessa and I were staying in. I stand perfectly still where he left me, and within twenty seconds, he's marching out with my bag and taking it into his room.
I giggle and follow behind, standing in the doorframe. "How'd you know that was my bag?"
"Fifty/fifty shot. And my girl always travels light. Dess's bag looked like it could fit a small elephant," he says with a chuckle. My girl? Swoon.
He sets my bag down on the chaise and then turns so he's facing me. His dark eyebrow arches, clearly waiting for me to make the first move.
I step into the room, closing and locking the door behind me.
It's been a while since the last time I hooked up with anyone.
More than a while, actually. My love life has been drier than the Sahara.
The way Hayes is looking at me, though, I have no doubt that's about to change.
My only regret is not packing dirtier lingerie to tease him with.
When I turn back around, he's still standing where he was, but his entire demeanor has changed.
Long gone is the playful Hayes. In his place is a predator who looks like he wants to devour me.
Instead of making me nervous, though, it lights a fire of confidence inside of me.
I slowly unzip the side of my dress and let it fall unceremoniously to the ground.
His breath hitches while he stands there staring at me in only my pair of heels, a strapless bra, and a thong.
Those dark brown eyes slide down my body and then back up again. He runs his hand down his face while shaking his head and letting out a dry chuckle. "I'm so fucked. You're a goddamn vision, Sunshine."
In two large steps, he's standing in front of me, gripping my waist. He shakes his head, and a slow, devilish smirk spreads across his face. "We can go as fast or slow as you want tonight. Don't feel pressured—"
"Hayes, shut up and kiss me." And that's precisely what he does.