Chapter 11 #2
“I tried,” Charlotte whispers eventually, staring at the wall.
“After the wedding, I tried so hard to make my marriage work. I thought maybe if we started a family, things would be different.” Her breath hitches.
“But when I lost the baby, all I felt was relief and then guilt for feeling relieved for having a miscarriage.”
“Fuck, Charlotte. I’m so sorry,” I say, grabbing her hand and pulling her tighter into my embrace. I sound like a broken record, but I don’t know what else to say, but I still can’t string more words together.
She continues. “Meanwhile, Eli was devastated. At that moment, I knew I had to break his heart. It wasn’t fair to either of us anymore. I left him six months later. He deserved better. I couldn’t forgive myself for pretending you weren’t the one I wanted on my wedding day.”
We sit in silence; the only sound is a droplet falling from the faucet. I press my lips to her shoulder, leaving them there for several seconds.
When Charlotte’s breath finally steadies, she turns and looks at me. “I love you. That’s what I wanted to say in the hallway the night of the rehearsal.”
Our gaze holds.
This time, I don’t apologize, finally realizing that some truths are too big for words. Instead, I tip her chin up with my finger and brush our lips together. She deepens the kiss and for a moment, our past heartbreak melts away.
Our kiss ends and Charlotte releases a deep exhale, then blinks, probably attempting to rid the daze from hours of crying. She nods toward the two mugs on the side table. “Our hot chocolates are cold.”
I huff a jagged breath. “They are. I’m ready for bed, though. I’ll make more tomorrow, if that’s okay.”
She nods, then pauses. “Kez?”
I meet her eyes.
“I’m glad you’re here,” she says, a sincere warmth in her voice.
I grab her hand and plant a kiss across her knuckles. “Me too.”
We step out of the bathtub, and she pulls the drain plug free. The gentle rush of water spiraling away reminds me to grab the softer of the two towels. I hold it up.
Charlotte attempts to lighten the mood, which I appreciate.
“I was reading a new health report by a Doctor Hazel Jones the other day.” She approaches and raises her arms for me to wrap the towel around her body.
“It said couples who cuddle naked together raise their heart health by seventy percent.”
Warmth spreads through my chest at the thought of a life where Charlotte and I end up together. I wrap my arms around her from behind, pulling her into a tight hug. “Are you sure it was from only cuddling?” A sly grin forms on my face.
She chuckles. “Oh, I’m certain that’s exactly what the article meant.”
I catch her lip biting grin through the mirror reflection, and we face each other. I plant a tender kiss on her forehead, then her nose and finally those incredibly soft lips. “Then we’d better listen to the doctor’s orders.” I certainly have no complaints about not sleeping on the floor.
Her smile widens. She grabs my hand and leads us to the bed. My bed? Her bed? I don’t know anymore. At this moment, I just want the simple things. I just want her.
I stir awake after midnight, my usual time for a late night snack.
I smile at Charlotte’s warm legs intertwined with mine.
Behind her, I press a gentle kiss against her bare shoulder, engulfing in the smell of her vanilla cashmere lotion.
I caress up and down her sides, savoring the softness of her skin and the intimacy of Charlotte being naked in my arms.
“Hey, you,” she whispers softly, tilting her head, and granting me more access to her neck.
“I didn’t mean to wake you.” I brush my lips along the curve of her neck. “Go back to sleep.”
She reaches behind her, gripping the back of my head and pulls me closer in a way that tells me we’re not going to bed anytime soon.
Her breath turns shallow as I caress circles around her right nipple, much slower than earlier in the snow. I knead her breast, gentle at first, but the pulsing in my clit makes it not last. My hand glides down the center of her body, enroute to the place I desire most.
“I need you to come for me,” I breathe, caught off by the desperation in my voice.
She pulls me even closer, my rock hard nipples pressed firmly against her hot skin. I guide my hand underneath her thigh and hike her leg up.
I stroke my flat hand over her pussy, coating my palm. A sharp hiss falls from both our mouths at how wet she is. I tease her, gliding a single finger up and down her skin between her pussy lips and her thighs.
Wetness builds between my legs when she twists slightly and fuses our lips together.
I break the kiss and peer into her hungry eyes, carefully gliding a finger inside, never breaking eye contact.
She moans my name, and I add another finger, quickly losing my resolve when her hips rock forward.
When she whimpers, I don’t hold back. I thrust deep, powerful yet controlled strokes, then double my speed.
She’s already trembling against me, and her moans are turning me on more than I thought possible.
Our mouths lock again, and I get lost in the urgency of her tongue dancing with mine.
The delightful sounds coming from her lips prompt my hand to move even faster, curling against her walls, while my other pinches her nipple, rolling the pebble between my fingers.
She pants my name, hips bucking harder, her muscles constricting around my fingers.
Her body tenses, and she cries out against my lips as a climax washes over her.
Once her breath slows, she lets out a giggle and kisses me again.
Enamored, I pressed my lips to her shoulder, tasting the slight saltiness of her skin.
I retract my fingers and trail them up the length of her body, bringing them to the edge of her lips. She opens for me and sucks her wetness off my fingers, moaning at how good she tastes, making my pussy throb.
“I missed you.” She twists in my arms until we’re facing each other.
I kiss her again, able to taste my handiwork on her lips. “Same.”
“You’re not the only one who gets to have late night snacks around here.”
Before I respond, she had already nestled between my legs, pinning them down with complete control.
My hands tangle in her hair, gripping her scalp tighter as she teases me with the tip of her tongue.
I’m so wet and ready for Charlotte to be inside me, the last thing I want right now is to be teased.
“Fuck.” A breathy moan falls from my lips when she wraps her mouth around my clit, and licks and laps feverishly at the bud. She presses two fingers at the edge of my entrance, teasing me until I tighten my grip on her scalp.
I feel her smiling against me at my neediness. My eyes roll back at the bliss of her tongue and fingers working simultaneously, fucking me the way I want. My muscles constrict as a climax brews in the pit of my stomach.
She increased her speed, her fingers thrust into me while she flicks my clit with rapid speed.
Her tongue feels so good, I know I last much longer.
With each stroke, small waves build into big ones.
My back arches and with one final thrust, I launch over the edge, crying out Charlotte’s name in the night.
My grip on her hair loosens, and she eases her fingers from between my trembling legs. She finishes by flattening her tongue, slowly tastes me, coating her tongue, and plants a kiss on my pussy.
“I can feel my heart health increasing already,” I tell her with a tired laugh.
She climbs back up and finds my lips. “Thank you for my snack.”
Back as the little spoon, she places a gentle kiss on my open palm and snuggles into me. A satisfied sigh escapes her lips and I realize this is exactly where I’m meant to be.