She does, her body clenching around me, her nails raking down my back hard enough to leave marks.
The pain and pleasure combine, and I follow her over the edge, my body going rigid as I empty myself inside her.
Her name is a prayer on my lips, a benediction, a confession.
We stay like that for a long moment, breathing hard, our bodies still joined.
I press kisses to her forehead, her cheeks, her lips, gentle now that the desperate need has been satisfied.
She’s beautiful like this, flushed and satisfied, her hazel eyes soft with something that looks like wonder.
Finally, I pull out carefully, and she makes a small sound of loss that makes my chest tight.
I find a towel in her tiny bathroom, clean us both gently, then pull her against me on the narrow bed.
She fits perfectly in my arms, her head on my chest, her fingers tracing idle patterns on my skin.
“That was…” She trails off.
“Parfait,” I finish. “Perfect.”
She tilts her head up to look at me, and there’s vulnerability in her expression that makes me want to protect her from everything.
Eventually, I know I need to leave.
Staying all night would be too risky, too obvious.
I dress slowly, reluctantly, while Charlie watches from the bed with the sheet pulled up to cover her breasts.
The sight of her there, rumpled and satisfied, makes me want to strip down and claim her all over again.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” I lean down to kiss her one more time. “Dors bien, mon amour.”
“What does that mean?” Her lips curve into a smile.
“Sleep well, my love.”
Her smile widens, and I force myself to leave before I can’t.
The hallway is still dark and silent as I make my way back to my own quarters. My body is satisfied, my heart full, but as I reach my door, doubt creeps in like poison.
What have I done?
Adrian and Marcus have both claimed her, yes. We’ve talked briefly about sharing her, about building something unconventional but real. But tonight, I acted alone.
I went to her without consulting them, without planning, driven by desperate need rather than careful consideration.
Did I just fracture the fragile trust we’ve been building?
Did I cross a line that will make them see me as selfish rather than part of our united front?
Did I just make a huge mistake?
10
CHARLIE
I wake in darkness, my heart already racing before my eyes fully open.
