When Charlie meets my eyes, his gaze is discernibly sharper,like he’s locked onto something. “I bet you’d do anything for your friends.”
“I’d do anything for the people who matter to me.” I think he would, too.
His voice is slow, serious. “DoImatter to you?”
“Of course.” I don’t have to think about my answer. Charlie matters to me in a way that would have seemed impossible weeks ago. But the look on his face makes me question whether that’s what he wanted to hear. “Is that a problem?”
“No,” he says quietly. “I’m a lucky man.” He sounds genuinely touched. “Earlier today, you said you didn’t understand why I wanted to do your bucket list with you.”
“I remember,” I say softly.
“When I was young, I took shifts at the restaurant almost every evening in the summer. I didn’t mind too much, because I liked the paycheck, and the place was my second home. Working in a kitchen is grueling, but there’s a rhythm and a rush that’s hard to find anywhere else. But I envied the cottagers having a barbecue on the deck or waterskiing just before the sun sets, when the lake is glass. Percy’s family used to do puzzles and watch movies together at night.” He smiles, but it’s bittersweet. He looks away for a moment before turning back to me. “This time with you and Nan is exactly what I imagined it would have been like for a regular family. You’ve given me the summer I’ve always wanted.”
My throat tightens. “Me too. You’ve given me what I wanted, too.”
“Boat rides and smutty books?”
“Fun,” I tell him. “That’s what I was missing. Until I met you.”
“That’s one thing I’m good for,” he says with a smirk.
Charlie may be able to read me, but I see him, too. I can tellthe difference between when he’s flirting because he wants to play, and when he’s trying to keep his heart tucked somewhere safe. His gaze follows me as I stand and walk around the table to him. He pushes his chair back so I can stand between his legs.
“Youarefun,” I say, setting my hands on his shoulders and giving him a gentle shake. He’s one of those flame-like people whom we all gravitate toward like moths, soaking in their warmth. “I haven’t felt this comfortable with someone in a very long time. I haven’t laughed this much since I don’t know when. I can speak my mind without being afraid you’ll judge me. It’s so freeing. So, yes, you’re fun. That’s a gift, Charlie.”
He looks up at me with something like affection. “I’ll come to your show.”
“What?”
“If you decide to do it, I’ll be there.” He holds my gaze.
I imagine a pair of clear green eyes in a sea of blurry faces. “IfI decide to do it, I’ll look at you when I give my speech. I’ll picture you naked.”
He grins. “You haven’t seen me naked.” His hands find my rib cage and run up and down my sides.
“Doesn’t mean I can’t picture it.”
He pinches my butt. I swat him on the arm, but he has the reflexes of a big cat, capturing my hand and bringing it to his mouth. He sucks on the sensitive pulse point on the inside of my wrist while his other hand sneaks under my caftan and up my thigh. Higher. His fingers pause when they reach the bottom of my bathing suit top. He gazes at me, his lips still pressed to my wrist.
“Ready for second base?”
I pull my caftan over my head. “I’m ready for a home run, bases loaded.”
Charlie chuckles, but his gaze has gone dark. “Trouble, and no.”
I give him a look of exasperation.
“You do know that I’m not going to fall in love with you if we have sex,” I say.
“You can’t guarantee that.” He flashes me a cheeky grin. “I’mverygood.”
I laugh. “You’re something.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make it worth your while. Besides, I have to keep you interested somehow.”
I wonder if there’s an ounce of truth in his words, but then his thumb brushes across the still-damp fabric of my bathing suit top, and I shiver. Lip pulled between his teeth, Charlie pinches my nipple between his fingers.
“As good as that feels,” I say, head falling back on a gasp as he rolls the tight bud between his fingers, “I’m not sure you can make it worth my while from second base.”
