“Okay, what do you get out of it, then? What do you want?”
I brush my lips against hers in a half kiss, before I usher her off my lap and point to the bed. Removing my shirt, I answer, “All I want is for you to come.Hard.”
chapter 16
Charlie
I’ve never been more aware of my own body than I am right now.
Every nerve ending is awake. Every inch of skin feels hypersensitive, like I’ve been wrapped in electricity and told to hold still. The silk of the teddy whispers against my thighs as I crawl onto the bed, and even that small friction makes me shiver.
Behind me, I hear Taio’s footsteps. Slow. Deliberate. The sound of a man who knows exactly what he’s doing and is in no rush to do it.
I arrange myself against the pillows the way he instructed—on my back, legs slightly parted, hands resting uncertainly at my sides. I feel ridiculous. Exposed. Like I’m posing for a photograph I didn’t consent to.
“You’re thinking too hard,” Taio says from somewhere near the foot of the bed. “I can hear it from here.”
“I can’t help it. My brain doesn’t have an off switch.”
“It does. I’ll show you.” I look up to see his sly smile and my stomach swoops in anticipation.
The mattress dips as he climbs onto the bed. I resist the urge to squeeze my eyes shut like a kid waiting for a shot at the doctor’s office. Instead, I force myself to watch him—shirtless now, all that warm tan skin and defined muscle moving toward me with predatory grace.
He’s beautiful. Objectively, scientifically, undeniably beautiful. And he’s looking at me like I’m something to revere. Something worth taking his time with.
“Hey.” He settles between my legs, his hands coming to rest on my knees. The touch is gentle, grounding. “Look at me.”
I meet his eyes.
“You trust me?”
I nod.
“You want me?” he asks in a sex-drenched drawl.
I nod again.
His expression shifts—it softens, deepens. His thumbs trace small circles on my inner knees, and even that innocent touch sends heat spiraling through my core.
“Good,” he murmurs. “Now close your eyes.”
I obey. The world goes dark, and suddenly everything else amplifies—the whisper of the air-conditioning, the distant cry of seagulls outside, the sound of my own breathing, shallow and uneven.
His hands slide up my thighs. Slowly. So slowly it’s torturous. Fingertips tracing paths along my skin like he’s mapping territory, memorizing every curve and hollow. When he reaches the edge of my underwear, he pauses.
“Still good?”
“Mm-hmm.” It comes out strangled.
He unsnaps the teddy, exposing my underwear. I don’t think you’re supposed to wear this outfit with anything underneath. It was sent to me by some up-and-coming lingerie brand looking for celebrity ambassadors. But no one from my marketing teamthought it was a good idea to get in bed with something so risqué. Now, here I am, riskier than ever, putting the merchandise to good use.
He hooks his fingers into the waistband of my panties. The fabric slides down my hips, over my thighs, past my knees. The cool air hits skin that’s never been exposed to anyone like this, and I have to fight the instinct to clamp my legs together.
“Breathe,” Taio reminds me, and I exhale shakily. He’s right—I’d been holding it without realizing, my whole body locked up with anticipation. “That’s it.” His voice is low, warm, reassuring. “Just breathe. I’ve got you.”
His hands return to my thighs, easing them apart with gentle pressure. I let him guide me, let myself be opened, and try not to think about how vulnerable I feel. How seen.
For a long moment, nothing happens. He’s just…looking. I can feel the weight of his gaze between my legs, and my face flames with embarrassment.
