Part of me felt ashamed at hurting my friend when she was so clearly excited by herchoices. The other part of me wanted to warn her about all the things that could happen. All the ways things could go wrong and the pain and heartache it caused. All of me wanted to salvage this day, to give Alex back some of the joy I’d stolen with my comments.
“I’m sorry.” I couldn’t addyou’re right. Not when I wasn’t sure she was, but I could keep my mouth shut. I could trust her to know what she was doing, stay out of her way while she did it, and be there to pick up the pieces if she needed me.
“I can afford this on my own. And I want it for me. This dress—this wedding—is what I want. I have no reservations about it. I mean it, Charlotte. I know lots of marriages fail, but I can’t go into this believing mine will be one of them.”
“Okay.” I nodded, sinking back into my seat and taking a large swallow of champagne. I wasn’t going to argue. I wouldn’t change her mind and all I’d do was hurt someone I loved. But just because she couldn’t marry Erik assuming things would fall apart didn’t mean I couldn’t do my best to protect her if they did.
CHARLOTTE ROLLED OFF ME, PULLING the duvet over her while I made quick work of the condom I’d barely managed to get on. She’d been on me the moment I walked through the hotel door—a woman on a mission. Like she was trying to work something out of her system. I’d been more than happy to comply. A woman who knew what she wanted and went after it was a powerful aphrodisiac. When that woman was Charlotte and what she wanted was my cock, it was irresistible. She was irresistible. Not that I’d put any effort into trying. I’d ached for her since the last time together at her place.
I had her up against the wall, skirt hiked up and her legs wrapped around my waist before we bothered with a proper hello. Although I was willing to change that to our new standard greeting if she was game.
Rather than fuck her against the drywall, I’d gripped the back of her legs and carried her to the bed, but that was as long as I was in control. As soon as we hit the mattress, she took control again, riding me first to her climax and then to mine. It was fucking magnificent until the moment she rolled off me, turned away and buried under the covers. At least she didn’t race for the exit this time, even if the effect was remarkably similar.
It was as if she’d flipped the script on every love them and leave them hookup without even leaving the bed. If I wasn’t so sure her mood had everything to do with her and not me, I might have felt rejected. As it was, I was more concerned with whatever was running through that beautiful head of hers.
I settled in beside her, pressing my lips to the warm skin between her shoulderblades. She stiffened for a moment at the touch before relaxing back against me. I resisted the urge—for the time being—to pull her into my arms and tuck her against my chest. Charlotte was like a cat. Chasing her was more likely to end in her bolting than me catching her. I paused for a moment, listening to her breathing even out. After a few moments, she took a deep breath and exhaled as if she needed the extra oxygen to help work through whatever was going on in her head.
“I want to be clear and go on the record.” I kissed her back again, trailing my lips up to her shoulder. “I have absolutely no problem with you using me for sex. None whatsoever.”
She made a noise that might have been a muffled chuckle.
“That’s good information to have. Consent is key.” She arched her back, pressing her gorgeous ass against my hip.
I didn’t hold back this time, curling around her, pulling her into my arms, and fitting her body to mine. My cock shifted from sated tolet’s do that again. I ignored the impulse for the moment in favor of finding out what Charlotte was thinking.
Her first impulse whenever I tried to hold her seemed to be to tense up, but it only lasted for a second or two before she relaxed. I wondered if that would change as we got closer—something I was determined we’d do—as the lines between sex and the other time we spent together blurred. We’d come close last time, snuggled on the sofa at her house. I’d felt it and knew she had too. That she’d been unwilling to take the final step across the line felt more like ayetthan anif.
“Again, I’m absolutely consenting to being used for sex.” I nuzzled the sensitive skin behind her ear, breathing in her rich floral scent. “But if you want to talk, we could do that too. It felt like you might have been trying to work through something.” I nipped at her earlobe and waited, praying I hadn’t pushed too far too fast.
It was a couple of minutes before she let out what felt like afuck itsigh.
“I’ve got an AITA question.”
“I’m going to need more information.”
Charlotte squirmed around in my arms until she faced me. I kept my hand on her hip, not willing to give up holding her yet. She scraped her teeth over my pec, almost as if she couldn’t help herself. I fucking loved that idea.
“My friend is getting married.”
“And you don’t like the guy?” I asked when she didn’t say more.
“No. Actually, I do. She’s crazy about him, and he seems to adore her. He even insisted I draw up the prenup. I want to hate him but he’s making it really hard.”
“That all sounds good. I’m not seeing the problem.”
“It’s not with him. Not exactly. It’s the dress I’ve got a problem with.”
“She wants you to wear something terrible?” I’d heard horror stories about bridesmaid dresses from friends and almost every wedding movie ever made. But it didn’t seem like something Charlotte would get upset about.
“What? No. She wouldn’t do that to us.”
“You’re going to have to help me, cher.” I closed the few inches between us to press a quick kiss to the crease in her forehead.
“It’s her dress.”
She paused, and I waited for more. Apparently, I was going to have to coax the story out of her.
“You don’t likeherdress?” It was like pulling teeth.
