Lost to the deep blue of Lake Sapphire, each would be memorialized and remembered by their family, who finally knew where their loved one rested.
Except for Charles Randolph, of course.
He remained a mystery, forever a ghost in the minds of those who’d comfortably blamed him for something he didn’t do.
“Have the stairs grown since we were last here? I think they have,” Charlie groaned as we made our way up.
“There are at least two more flights than I remember,” I wheezed, pausing to take a breath on the second landing.
I had my backpack on for the trip up, but otherwise Charlie and the pilot did all the heavy lifting. Thankfully, other than groceries, there wasn’t much to unload since all my things were still there.
By the time we waved goodbye to the pilot from the deck, I was a sweaty mess and needed a lie down. “Two weeks away, and every bit of stamina I built up on these goddamn stairs went out the window. How’s that fair?”
Charlie strode into the lookout ahead of me. “I miss being able to disappear and reappear at the bottom. This whole being alive business is not what it’s cracked up to be.”
Chuckling, I closed the door behind us and turned to find he’d thrown himself onto the bed like a star-fish, face pressed into the pillows.
My sketchpad full of him lay open on the desk, ready for a lifetime more. His stove sat in the corner, with a chair placed in front and a blanket thrown over the back. No longer would it wait for his return.
No longer would I wait for his return.
I swallowed thickly. In that moment, more than any other in the past two weeks, it hit me. “You’re not going to disappear again.”
“Unfortunately,” he grumbled, rolling to look at me before he stilled, eyes soft. “Come over here,” he quietly beckoned.
I crawled onto the bed and draped myself over him, face buried in the crook of his shoulder.
Sun-warmed cotton andCharlie.
“No, Reece. I’m not going to disappear,” he whispered, throwing his arms around my neck. “I’m going to stay right here with you. I’d follow you anywhere, remember?”
“Remind me?” I begged, overwhelmed with emotion.
Like an oxygen-starved fire igniting in a howling wind, all the pent-up tension between us boiled over. His fingers dug into my back, one leg hooking around my hip to pull us flush. Our mouths met in a clash of hot need and teeth, and contrary to his words, Charlie led.
My breath stuttered when he rolled us until he straddled my hips and pushed my shirt up. The caress of his calloused hands across my belly made me shiver. Sliding down my body, he dropped hot, wet kisses everywhere he went, fingers scratching through the hair on my chest like he couldn’t get enough.
“Have I told you lately how gorgeous you are?” he asked, lightly biting at the meat of my pec before sucking a nipple between his teeth.
I tried to answer. “Um…”but then he switched to the other, flicking it with his tongue while he tweaked the overly-sensitive one between his fingers. “Oh, God,” I moaned.
“Because you are,” he continued, trailing kisses down to my navel. He exhaled a hot breath over my soft stomach, nuzzling his cheek into the coarse hair. “And I can’t believe I get to keep you.”
Nimble fingers fumbled with my belt buckle and zipper. He pulled my cock out, heavy and thick and already leaking, begging for his attention.
“I get to keep you,” he said again, almost to himself. Then, he wrapped his lips around the head and sucked, tongue cradling me while he bobbed up and down.
My eyes rolled back, and I dug my fingers into his hair to hold him steady. “Charlie,” I huffed. The beginnings of an orgasm bloomed low in my stomach.
In my defense, it’d been two whole weeks of waking up next to him, hard, only to dart into the bathroom for a cold shower before I embarrassed everyone. “I’m gonna come in about two seconds if you keep doing that.”
With a low hum, he pulled off, watery eyes peering up at me. “I love all of this,” he said, planting his hands firmly on my stomach. “All of you,” he breathed, dropping kisses on every bit of exposed skin he could reach before dragging his tongue up the underside of my dick.
Eyes locked on mine, tears clinging to his long lashes, he swallowed me down again once he reached the tip.
“You’re so pretty,” I cooed, desperate to return the compliments. I cupped his face between my hands, cradling him while he pleasured me. “Too good at sucking my cock. Too good,” I said, tone pleading.
For what, I had no idea.
