Brooks has always owned my heart. Now he owns my body too. He’s imprinted himself on me in a way that will never be undone.
So much for taking this slow.
Chapter Thirteen
BROOKS
WHATEVER YOU WANT
“Are you okay to do this on your own?”
Charlie shakes his head, holding onto the boards with a death grip. “Please don’t leave me.”
I skate over to him, kicking snow up on him. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Why did I agree to this?” Charlie mutters.
“The better question is how have you gotten so bad at this?” I ask Charlie. “You used to be so good.”
“I can’t tell you the last time I went ice skating.” Charlie cuts a scathing glare at me.
“Then why’d you want to come?” I skate back a bit from him as he tries to push off from the wall but flails his arms the minute he lets go.
“Because you wanted to come.”
I try to hide the smile that blooms on my face. Charlie states this like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. It makes me realize just how much he does for me. There wasnever anything that made Charlie say no to me. No idea too big or too small. He is always in my corner for anything I want to do.
Some days, it makes me wish that I had realized Charlie had feelings for me sooner. Would I be divorced right now? Would Charlie and I be married instead?
I shake the thoughts away. It’s not like it would do me any good to think those things right now.
“We don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
Skating up to him, I wrap my arms around him. Light snow is falling around us. The gas lamps are twinkling in the light. The laughs of people around us perforate the air.
Charlie drapes his arms across my shoulders, squeezing tight. More to steady himself, I’m guessing, because his skates start to slide under him.
“No. Wherever you are is where I want to be.”
I kiss him. Warm and sweet. I’m learning it’s one of my new favorite things. I never knew how much I could like kissing. But with Charlie? I fucking love it. I’m addicted to it.
“I feel like I should do something you want to do when we’re done.”
“Oh yeah?” There’s a glimmer in Charlie’s eyes. “Like what?”
I shrug a shoulder and start to skate backward, taking Charlie with me.
“I don’t know. I could do with spending more time in bed with you.”
A cocky smile spreads across his face. “I think you like that just as much as I do.”
“Can’t blame a guy.”
Charlie screws up his face in thought. “We have ornament painting next week at the tavern.”
“I want to do that as much as you do.” I smile back at him. “Pick something you want to do, Charlie. Whatever you want to do.”
“Okay. I want to decorate you like a sugar cookie and lick the icing off you.”
