14
WAR
My chest still heaving,I wiped my sweaty face on my biceps and entered the apartment the following morning, after my jog. I found Charli in the foyer, reading something on her cell. And not in my bed where she’d finally stayed the night—the reason I was late for my run. It was damn difficult to drag myself away from the temptation of her.
My gaze lingered on the mouthwatering, black yoga pants and a skimpy tank she wore, revealing her delicious curves I had the pleasure of discovering repeatedly with my mouth, hands, and dick.
She looked up from her phone, a smile lighting her gorgeous face. “You’re back.”
“Well, since I live here, it made sense,” I drawled.
She rolled her eyes, and as I grabbed the ends of my t-shirt to remove it, she grinned and snapped a pic of me.
I snorted, wiping my sweaty face and torso with the damp tee. “That’s hardly going to bring in the likes for your IG.”
“Mmhmm…” Her fingers flew over the cell display. Then those sparkling brown eyes met mine. “With those abs and cheekbones? Ten bucks that I’ll get ten thousand likes in an hour or less.”
It made me smile when she handed out crumbs of compliments in that nonchalant manner. “You’re on.”
“What’s your stake?” she demanded. “And stop smiling,” she grumbled. “I learned from my first mistake to get it in black and white with you—”
“But what a mistake it turned out to be.” I smirked, scrunching my t-shirt into a ball.
“True.” She laughed. Her gaze did a heated perusal of me, making me want to drag her off to bed again. I prowled closer.
“Oh, no, no—you’re all sweaty!” She flashed out her hands, hastily stepping back and bumping into the sideboard.
“So?” I caged her with my hands planted on the wooden surface and brushed my mouth against hers, not daring to kiss her in the way I wanted. Or else we’d end in bed again. “Where are you off to?” I asked instead.
“Home,” she said on a massive sigh, and I stilled, wariness snagging me. “I need a formal dress for the gallery thing this evening. Oh, please, don’t tell Ila how I reacted about going.”
That she’d finally admitted such a secret—her reluctance to go to anything social—tomehad me feeling as if I conquered Everest. It was damn exhilarating. I straightened and motioned a zipper over my mouth, and she laughed.
“Anyway, I didn’t bring anything appropriate to wear for the art show. I won’t be long.” She passed me and headed for the door.
“Wait.” I grasped her arm, stopping her. “Give me a few minutes to shower and change.”
“You don’t have to always cart me around. I’ll be fine.”
Yeah, normally I wouldn’t worry, but after the last time with her mother, I wanted to be there. I didn’t like seeing Charli upset.
“Ten minutes, or I’ll come as I am,” I warned.
She sighed, gnawed her lower lip for a second, then nodded. “Okay.”
I couldn’t get a read on her, her walls back up. Did she not want me to come? Was I not good enough to step foot in their hallowed halls?
But I shrugged off the thought. No. Not Charli.
Besides, I wasn’t that boy who Justin took so much pleasure in reminding was trash and a nobody. I headed for the shower.
An hour later, I parked on the curb outside her home in the quiet street. She opened the door, and I moved quickly to get out and help her.
“You know I can get out of the truck without any help, right?” She scrunched her nose at me. “It’s the getting in part that sucks, especially with short skirts or wearing heels.”
“I know.” I grasped her waist and set her down. However, she didn’t leave. Instead, she grabbed a fistful of my t-shirt, pulling me to her level. “Thank you for bringing me. I know how busy your days are, and I didn’t want to add more to your workload—”
“I’m never too busy for you, Charli.” Relief loosened the coiled tension within me. “Whatever you need, I’m always here for you, not only for when you want my cock.”
