Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
TRAVIS
“Steady,” I say as I help Charlie out of the taxi. She had a couple more drinks at the club and is a little unsteady on her feet, so it’s a good job I’m here to be of assistance. We dropped Suzie off at her place first, making sure she got in safely too. I pay the taxi fare as Charlie merrily makes her way up the path to her house.
I follow behind her, taking a cheeky look at her arse in that dress. Fuck me, best arse ever.
She gets to the front door and then flops down on the stone steps, patting next to her for me to join her. With a smile, I do, because I’ll do fucking anything to spend more time with her.
“I had a great time tonight,” she says as she looks up at the stars twinkling in the sky.
“Me too.” It’s just a shame it’s ending here and not with her in my bed where I’d fuck her until she screamed.
“Thank you for being my hero,” she says wistfully.
“Hero, huh?” I say with a half-smile, turning to look at her.
Her eyes connect with mine, and she softly says, “Yeah. You’ve always been my hero, Trav, I just forgot for a little while.”
Fuck. Her eyes are holding so many emotions, and I don’t know whether it’s the alcohol or whether it’s the way we’ve fitted back together so seamlessly—might be a bit of both—but I find myself moving towards her, and then my lips are lightly brushing hers, testing the waters. I hope this doesn’t backfire because I don’t want to be without her again, ever.
My eyes are still open, and hers have widened. Shit, maybe this was a really bad idea, but then that thought is dispelled when her eyes close and her body turns, her hands going to my shoulders as she kisses me back.
My fucking heart is beating so fast, adrenaline rushing through me, my hands working before my brain does, sliding around her back and pulling her closer. And then a small, quiet moan leaves her mouth, and it’s like the fucking catalyst as I manoeuvre her until she’s straddling my lap, her dress parted and her pussy so close to my dick. If only we didn’t have these clothes on.
She kisses me fiercely, desperately, like she’s been waiting to do this for a long time, and somewhere in my brain it registers that maybe she’s been waiting for this to happen too?
Whatever the reason, I’ll take it.
Her hands slide into the hair at the nape of my neck as I wrap my arms around the back of her, so there’s not a sliver of space between our chests. She breaks away from my lips abruptly, pulling her head back so she can look at me, her eyes showing shock, elation, and every other fucking feeling in-between.
“Trav… I—” I cut her off before she can say anything else by smashing my mouth against hers, my hand moving and cradling the back of her head. I lift the both of us up and pin her to the wall, her legs wrapping around me, her moans doing nothing to calm down my excited dick. Christ, I’ve dreamed of this moment, of kissing her, holding her, having her whimper because she can’t get enough. Committing this moment to my memory, I know I’ll relive it over and over again. If that makes me fucking mushy, then so be it.
“Trav,” she whispers against my lips, and I reluctantly move from her mouth and kiss along her jaw and to her neck, just so she can say what she needs to say without me having to move my mouth from her. “What are we doing?” Her question holds a certain plea, one she should never have when it comes to us— us , fuck, waited so long to be able to say that.
Reluctantly moving my lips away from her, I look into her golden-coloured eyes and say, “Believe me when I say that we’re doing what we should have been doing all along.”
“Really?”
“Yes, Charlie, really. Fuck, I’ve been a fool by denying what I felt for you, but I didn’t want to risk losing our friendship by telling you that I’ve been in love with you since we were kids.” My mouth has lost its filter, the words spilling out without thought.
“You… you what?” she stutters, and I wish I could take back the last words I spoke and ease her in slowly, but I’m committed now, and there is no way I will back track and make her doubt what I’m telling her.
“I love you, Charlie. I always have done, and I’ll spend the rest of my life making up for the time we lost because I was too stubborn to tell you sooner… if you’ll let me.” Time stops, and I can feel her heart beating just as strongly as mine is.
Her eyes are searching mine, her body still wrapped around me, and I can practically see the cogs turning in her brain. I start to feel unsure, doubting that she feels the same about me, but then her mouth stretches into a small smile and she says, “I love you too, Trav. Always have.”
“Thank fuck,” I say and smash my mouth back on hers.
All that fucking time we wasted. All the heartache and misery, and we could have been happy together all along.
I won’t waste another second with her, I’ll take everything she has to give, and I’ll be her protector, for always.