“What doesslowmean? Because I’m fucking struggling not to touch you right now.”
I blushed. “We can touch? Slowly?”
A buzzing sound interrupted our moment, and I glanced at the clock.Dang it.“Brunch is in twenty minutes.”
Hayden stared at the ceiling before saying, “What are the chances we skip it?”
“And deal with Christian and Penny? Absolutely not. I need to change before we head down there.” I jumped up from the bed and dug into my suitcase for a chunky red sweater that had a snowman and gingerbread man hugging. It fit me well and was cheery. A double win. I also grabbed my red bra and underwear.
“I’ve been thinking about your bra and panties a whole lot, Charlotte.” Hayden neared me, his nostrils flaring as he reached out and ran his fingers over the fabric. “I want to see it on you. Is that slow?”
“You want to watch me dress?” I asked, my voice a whisper.
He nodded. “Please?”
Oof.My thighs clenched at his low voice. I had never been shy about undressing, but I wasn’t one to feel superconfident strutting around naked. Statistically, we had both seen naked people often with the amount of time we spent in locker rooms. This wasn’t a big deal.
Yet. The way he stared at me like he couldn’t breathe without me. His lips parted, like I was the sexiest thing he had ever seen. It was intoxicating to know I could do thisto him. He watched as I laid my clothes on the bed. My pulse freaking skyrocketed as nerves rooted my feet to the ground. I could do this. I wanted to do this, to push him.
I lifted the edge of my sleep shirt and tossed it onto the floor. Hayden sucked in a breath. Meeting his gaze, I took my time putting the bra on. My nipples tightened with need and from the cold, and Hayden turned to a statue. His chest heaved, and he fisted his hands at his sides. But his face. My goodness. He seemed transfixed with me, and it was the sexiest feeling I had ever had.
“Christ, Char.” His voice cracked, like he was on the edge.
I did the hook and adjusted the straps. This bra made my tits look great, and Hayden seemed to appreciate it a whole lot. “Still think slow is the right choice?” I teased.
“Fuck if I know. You’re stunning.”
He didn’t blink. Not once. I slid my pajama pants down, and my breath caught in my throat at Hayden’s growl. “Come here.”
I didn’t think about disobeying.
He slid his hands up and down my sides, his thumbs teasing my nipples as he kissed the center of my chest. “I have never wanted anyone the way I want you. I need you to know that and believe it. Tell me you understand.”
I nodded, my eyes prickling from the overwhelming emotions. He covered one breast with his mouth, sucking the fabric into his mouth as I squirmed from the pleasure. Without thinking, I ran my fingers over his hair, and he groaned.
He cupped my breasts and buried his face between thembefore he jumped back, almost like he was struck by lightning. “Fuck, I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?”
He faced the window. “I told you I was going to go slow, then watched you undress and wanted to devour you. I’m being an ass.”
I quickly put on my jeans and slid the sweater on. “You’re not being an ass, I think we’re both struggling a bit. It’s hard not acting on this attraction.”
“Yeah.” He faced me, a half smile on his face. “Maybe we just… do what feels right.”
“It felt right with you touching me.”
His tongue darted out on his bottom lip, and his eyes flared. He closed the distance between us and placed a quick, sweet kiss on me. “I need a few minutes before I can head to brunch with you, but this conversation isn’t over, okay? We’ll figure it out before we leave tomorrow.”
I nodded. I added hoop earrings while Hayden stared out the window, his stance still rigid. Living in the moment wasn’t something I did well, but I really needed to.Figuring this outbefore heading back to reality felt heavy, because what if we didn’t? What if we gave in to our attraction after years of fighting it and nothing came of it?
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
HAYDEN
It had been years since I felt like I couldn’t control my libido. Charlotte had woken up a part of me that had been dormant. Watching her dress had been the sexiest thing I had ever seen. Thinking about it had me adjusting myself under the table. It took more effort than it should to focus on the conversation at hand.
“What did you think of your late-night visitor?” Garrett asked as he downed half his mimosa. He was a loud eater, and I had no idea how his parents didn’t make him eat outside.
