I smirk, remembering the way he divested himself of a few layers after climbing back on the yacht. And then, in his tight-in-all-the-right-ways black boxer briefs, Charlie dived back into the water beside our impromptu swimming group.
“You’re lucky you look good wet.”
Charlie grins at me, and the odd tension between us breaks. There’s a subtle sound of footsteps on hardwood just before Paige enters the kitchen. She stops, staring between the two of us. Then her brows drop.
“I think I’m missing some key pieces of information in this situation.”
Instead of answering, I bite off the last chunk of my banana and wink at her.
Paige tilts her head, much like her dog does when confused, just before a hopeful little smile curves her mouth. “Charlie is single, you know?” she offers, unprompted. “And multiple women have said he’s very good in bed.”
The banana was a mistake. Paige’s words have me sucking in a surprised breath, which means I breathe in more banana than air. I choke on the thing, trying to cough the yellow mush out of my throat.
I’m successful, only my aim is lacking because I spit the half-chewed fruit straight onto Charlie’s shirt, where it rests in the sink.
The two of us stare at the new mess as I pant.
“Shit,” I gasp out, losing my standing as the smooth one in this kitchen.
Charlie abandons his shirt and places a hand on my back. “You okay?”
I nod, then glare at Paige. “Don’t say stuff like that when I have a full mouth.”
“What? It was a simple fact.”
If my brother didn’t love her so much, I might strangle Paige. “And blue whales are the animals who have the largest penises! That’s a fact! But you don’t see me trotting it out during dinner with your parents, do you?”
“Well, they’re not very interested in animal genitalia. I don’t see why that fact would be relevant to the situation.”
A snort at my side has me redirecting my scowl. Charlie bites into his goddamn lower lip again. Still, he’s not able to hold back the laughter for long. One second, the man stands tall above me, and then the next, he’s sliding down to the kitchen floor, holdinghis stomach as he roars in laughter. Pumpkin trots over to him, tail wagging as she licks the side of his face.
I want to be mad. I want to be furious.
But the sight before me is so joyful that I fight my own smile.
“Please do!” Charlie eventually forces out. “Please tell Mr. H about whale penises. And please do it when I’m there. I will give you all my money.”
I glance at the woman who’s soon-to-be a member of my family. Paige shrugs, an affectionate smile gracing her pretty face as she watches Charlie dissolve on her kitchen floor.
“I will do no such thing,” I mutter with absolutely no heat.
“Do you need a shirt?” Paige asks. “You’re the same size as Dash.”
Charlie nods, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes. Then he grins up at me, and my stomach twists in a strange way that combines pleasure and discomfort.
“Sure you don’t want to get breakfast with us? Since you just spit out all of yours?”
Funny thing is, I do. The idea of spending more time with Charlie Keller is tempting.
But that’s a sensation I shouldn’t explore.
“Can’t. Busy.” I move to escape the kitchen and the heat of his attention. But I lose the battle against the urge to glance his way one more time.
Mistake. Watching the smile fade from Charlie’s face as his eyes focus on the floor, I wonder if this is what it’s like to walk away from an adorable puppy at the animal shelter my brother used to work at.
He’s not a puppy. He’s a man. And you don’t need one of those.
I never have and never will.
