“Good question,” he said, laughing. “Could be hours. Could be days. It’s dark outside. I haven’t slept that well in... I can’t even tell you how long.”
“Speak for yourself. You had the bed. I was in this stupid chair.” She grimaced and rubbed her neck.
“I’m sorry, Charlie. I can rub it for you if you’d like?”
She tensed up. “No. I’m fine. Here, we need to get this honey on your wound.”
“Suit yourself.”
Grabbing the bowl of honey, she walked across the room. He stood while she dipped her fingers in the warm honey and spread it across his wound. She could feel his heart racing as her fingers moved across his chest. Her own heart fluttered like a butterfly, flitting against her rib cage.
“I like your dress,” he said, interrupting the awkward silence. His eyes fixated on her breasts. The thin material did little to cover the nipples, hardened into straining nubs by his appraisal.
“I washed our clothes. They are hanging out to dry.” She shifted to cover herself with her hair.
“I wondered where they were when I awoke. I found these trousers in that chest over there. I hope you don’t mind I’m wearing them. It was that or I could stand here in the buff instead.”
Charlie wouldn’t have minded that at all, but she didn’t dare say it. She looked down to see he’d chosen a pair of light linen pants.
“We keep clothes here for emergencies. We come and go from our safe houses, and you never know when you’re going to need a change of clothes, or identity.”
“We have safe houses, too. They come in handy, don’t they?”
Nodding her head, she put the last of the honey on his wound. “There. You’ll be good as new in no time.”
“Thank you, Charlie.”
“You’re welcome. I suppose I owe it to you since you took that arrow saving me.” She shrugged, remembering that awful moment.
“You’re right, you do. I can’t believe you thought I’d turned you in. I’m hurt, Charlie.” He placed his hand over his heart and scrunched up his face.
“Don’t take it personally; I don’t trust anyone.”
“You trust me,” he said, smirking as if he had her all figured out. “You said so yourself.”
“Don’t flatter yourself.”
“Come on. After all we’ve been through and you still don’t trust me? Now I’m insulted.”
“Don’t be.”
“Do you trust Viktor?” He rolled his eyes, saying the name with a sneer.
“John,” she cautioned.
“What? It’s just a question. Do you love him?”
Charlie choked on her laughter. “What? God, no!”
“So, you two haven’t... you know?”
“John!”
“What? I’m just curious. I mean, he’s an attractive fellow. All swarthy and dangerous, I’ll give him that. Obviously, not as attractive as me.” He waved his hands over his sculpted body and wiggled his eyebrows. “I’m just curious if you two... you know...”
“Whether we have, or haven’t, is none of your business.”
“So, you have!”
“And what if I have?”
“I just... do you love him?” His playful face disappeared and one of concern replaced it.
Charlie shook her head. “No, John. I’m a grown woman. He’s a grown man. We may, or may not, have had a few entertaining evenings together. That’s all I’m going to say,” she huffed.
“So, you have,” he said, returning her huffiness with a scowl of his own.
“What I have is a grumbling belly. I’m going out to hunt, while you sit here and stew.”
“I’m not stewing,” he retorted, furrowing his brow.
“Yes, you are. And it’s making me want stew. So, stay here and I’ll be back with some meat.”
“I don’t think so,” he said with a snort. “You stay here. I’ll hunt.”
“Why? Because you’re the man and I’m the woman?”
“Well, yes. Generally, the man hunts and the woman stays here in her little dress, much like the one you are wearing, and you know... cleans and stuff.”
She put her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrow. “Because everything I do is so ladylike. Is saving your life, battling guards, breaking you out of prison and impersonating a prostitute what you would consider ladylike?”
“You did do laundry today,” he pointed out with a devious smile.
“I swear to God, John, if you think I am—”
He burst into laughter. “I’m teasing you, Charlie. Again. You are too easy.”
“I’m going hunting,” she said, huffing in exhaustion at their never-ending banter. She grabbed her dagger and felt a sharp stab as the stinger pressed further into her finger. “Ouch.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Just a bee sting from fetching your honey today,” she said, examining her swollen fingertip.
“Let me see.” He reached for her hand.
“It’s fine.”
John ignored her and grabbed her wrist. Charlie huffed and cocked her hip while she waited for him to finish.
“There it is. I see it.”
“It will come out soon enough.” She tried to snatch her hand back.
“Just hold still. I can get it.”
Holding her breath, she watched him slip her finger into his mouth. He sucked on the end of it, the swollen tip burning from the stinger and pulsing as he sucked even harder. Her finger wasn’t the only thing throbbing as he slipped it deeper into his mouth.
He slid her finger from his lips, his eyes locking with hers when it emerged. Her stomach flipped. He broke his gaze and examined her finger again.
“There. I got it. Feel better?”
Charlie’s mouth felt like someone had stuffed a wad of cotton inside it. If his tongue could cause her that much pleasure on her finger, she only imagined what it could do elsewhere.
“Yes.” She swallowed hard and forced the words out. “Thank you.”
“It was my pleasure,” he said, winking at her obvious discomfort.
Shaking her head, she grabbed her dagger. She needed to kill something, or she was certain she was going to rip off his pants and throw him on the floor. “Let’s go.”
“I’ll give you a head start! First one back with meat, and the other has to cook it!”
Charlie narrowed her eyes and smiled. She bolted out the door and into the woods determined to win this bet. She would show him what a real woman could do.
Scouring the woods in silence, she listened for the cracking of branches or the rustling of leaves that would lead her to her prey... any prey. She circled around the cabin, her eyes scanning for any movement at all. A branch cracked, drawing her eyes in that direction. It was too dark to make anything out; she needed to get closer. She only had a dagger, so she would need to get a jump on it. Ambushing from the trees was her best bet.
Charlie held her dagger between her teeth, and, hiking her skirt up between her knees, she scaled the oak tree beside her. She moved quietly from tree to tree, her dress slowing down her usual speed while she maneuvered across the branches in almost total silence. The leaves below her rustled. She crouched down to see John creeping along under her branch, completely unaware of her presence above him. She couldn’t resist the opportunity.
She leapt from her branch and tackled John to the ground. They rolled through the leaves until he landed on his back with a thud. She hopped to her feet, straddling him with her dagger pressed to his throat. The whites of his eyes matched that of his teeth as he smiled up at her.
“Now I’m impressed,” he admitted.
“What? You weren’t before?”
“Yes, but now I’m really impressed. Is that better?”
“A bit,” she said, cocking her head. She let her guard down for just a moment when she found herself studying his features. She could still see the remnants of the boy she’d once known beneath the sculpted face of the man laying below her. John swept her legs out from
under her. She landed on her back as he jumped to his feet. Charlie was on her feet in an instant. His eyes were lit up with excitement and glowed under the light of the moon that hovered above them.
She swung at him with her dagger. He sidestepped her with ease and tapped it away with his sword. She came at him again, but he danced around her as she spun back around.
“You’re good, John! We should train together more often.” She laughed, and he tossed his sword in the air and caught it effortlessly.
“Anytime, Charlie. We’ll make a fighter out of you yet.”
“Ugh!” she shouted at his insult. She leapt forward but John stepped to the side and caught her around the waist. He bent her arm behind her back and slammed her into the tree, pressing his body up against her back. Charlie grimaced as the rough bark pressed against her face and she struggled for a moment before subsiding. She surrendered to him as he held her there in silence.
John’s breath grazed her ear and along the back of her neck. Shivers moved down her spine when his warm exhalations moved against her chilled skin. She sighed and pressed her hips back into his. She could feel his hardness press into her.
“Charlie,” he whispered. “Do you want me?”
“Yes,” she panted. She couldn’t resist anymore. She needed to feel him inside of her.
His lips touched the back of her neck. Shocks radiated over her skin. He kissed her neck and worked his way around to her bare shoulders. His tongue traced her collarbone as he pressed harder against her back. Charlie moaned with desire, tilting her hips backward as she searched for greater friction.
John released her arm and pulled it above her head. She pressed her palm into the cold bark of the tree. He reached down and grasped her other wrist, pulling it up to join its mate. He fit them both in one hand with ease and held them firmly above her head. Charlie squirmed and leaned her head back over his shoulder.
He leaned around her and kissed the creamy, white skin on her neck, his lips so soft and gentle. They left a trail of heat everywhere they landed. His free hand reached around and slipped beneath the soft fabric that covered her breasts, finding her hardened nipple. She gasped as he squeezed it between his fingers, before circling it lightly with his thumb. The contrast of his touch, firm then light, caused a whimper to escape her lips. He pressed her hands deeper into the wood while she squirmed against him.
His foot moved between her legs, coaxing them open as she stood pressed against the tree. Pulling his hand out from her bodice, John reached down and grasped at the bottom of her dress. With his free hand he worked the material, bunching it up around her waist. His hand found the bottom and slipped beneath it to the warmth between her legs.
“Do you want me to touch you?” he whispered in her ear, his fingers hovered just a breath away from the spot that ached for him.
“Please,” she begged.
His finger brushed along the tiny bundle of flesh that felt like it held every nerve in her body. Charlie moaned as he stroked with his finger in long, slow circles. Her legs quivered as he worked his hand between them, his other hand holding her wrists tightly to the tree. His finger slid inside of her. She gasped and pressed back against it, increasing the pressure.
He pressed and twisted, sliding in and out, making her whole body shudder as she rocked back and forth against his hand. His thumb flicked her sweet spot again while his fingers brought her closer and closer to the edge of sanity. Charlie screamed while her body released around him.
John slid his hand from between her legs and released her wrist. He grabbed her shoulders and spun her around, pressing her back into the tree. His lips collided with hers, and his tongue found its way into her mouth. Charlie wrapped her arms around his neck and grasped a handful of his hair. She felt her body melt into his as they tangled together.
John’s hands moved to the front of her dress. Grabbing a handful of the soft material, he yanked her bodice down, freeing her aching breasts to his waiting eyes and mouth. His lips left hers and she felt herself longing for them to return. He kissed her neck and moved down to the soft pink nipples that stood erect in the cool, crisp breeze.
His tongue traced them, licking and flicking while she writhed against his mouth. His hands pressed her breasts together, stroking one nipple while his tongue worked the other. She could feel the heat building again between her legs as he pulled her dress off her shoulders and dropped it to the ground.
She stood naked before him. He took a step back and drank in every curve with the heat of his passionate gaze. Everywhere his eyes touched, she burned with a fire unlike any other.
“You’re incredible, Charlie.”
She stepped forward and out of the dress piled at her feet. Her hands slipped along the sides of his face as she slid her tongue past his lips. Without warning, she kicked his legs out from under him. He flew backward and landed with a grunt. Charlie smiled, standing above him while he lay, laughing, on the ground.
She knelt down and straddled him while he lay supine on the soft grass. She worked the ties on his trousers while she kissed the tight skin on his stomach. He moaned beneath her. She pulled off his pants and sat back to admire the impressive manhood that was hard and waiting for her. Charlie looked into his eyes and knelt above him. She leaned down and kissed his lips while she slid down the length of him, pushing him deep inside of her.
They moaned together as she arched her back, inviting him further inside. His hands grasped her waist as she moved her hips in slow circles around him. He pulled her down, forcing himself even deeper. She gasped, relishing the exquisite fullness. Wanting more, she reached for something that lingered just outside of her grasp. Her hips moved faster as he moaned beneath her.
He sat up and grasped behind her head, capturing her lips in a sensual kiss. She wrapped her legs around his waist and rocked with him while his tongue worked inside of her mouth. He grasped under her ass and stood up, sliding her even deeper down his shaft.
Charlie whimpered as he carried her to the tree, sliding her up and down on his manhood. He pressed her back into the wood while she grasped the branch above her head for leverage, gasping when the bark scraped against her soft skin. He moved faster, and the tension built inside her again. She squirmed against him, desperately clutching the branch as she slid faster and faster up and down the length of him.
“Charlotte,” he moaned, releasing himself in her. Charlie screamed as her body spasmed around him.
He stood there, holding her tight while she felt her body let go. She felt everything let go. Her fears. Her pain. All of it released in a tornado of whirling emotion as she tossed her arms around his neck. He slid her to the ground and leaned her back into the tree, leaning down to kiss her. This time, the kiss dripped of sweetness, the kind you felt when your first crush placed that first, butterfly-soft kiss against your waiting lips. She felt like it was the kiss she had craved when they had been just children. The kind you wanted before you knew what other incredible things two bodies could do to each other.
He slid her hand into his and tugged her forward. “Come.”
She didn’t resist and followed him to the clearing just ahead. He lay down in the grass and pulled on her arm. “Come down here,” he repeated.
Charlie lay down beside him and he pulled her into the nook of his arm. They looked up at the stars. He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead, pulling her in closer.
“You’re amazing,” he whispered.
“You’re not so bad yourself,” she said, with a girlish giggle born of the most passionate lovemaking of her life. But this was John. Her John. She should have known it would be so.
“We watched the stars together so many times when we were kids. It was one of my favorite things to do. I had no idea how much better it could be when you do it naked.”
Charlie burst into laughter and rolled tighter into his arms. She couldn’t believe she had fought this. This was right. Everything with him felt so right. She smiled and lay her head against h
is chest and took a deep breath.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
JOHN WATCHED CHARLIE as she tossed her whittled makeshift spear into the water.
“Got one!” she shouted, lifting the spear and displaying the wriggling fish at the other end.
“Nice work, darling!” he shouted back.
“I told you I could do it,” she boasted, and waddled back through the water.
“I never doubted you.”
“Good. You shouldn’t. Ever.”
“I don’t.” He smiled as he pulled her down into his lap. He reached up and brushed a hair from her face and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. It still hadn’t sunk in that he could do that, touch and kiss her at will. He didn’t think it would ever sink in and he would never take it for granted.
“You look beautiful,” he said, before kissing her lips. “You smell terrible, but you look beautiful.”
Charlie laughed and shook her fish in his face. “It will smell better when you cook it in butter.”
“I’m cooking it?”
“Of course. Didn’t I tell you I don’t cook?”
He laughed. “Why am I not surprised? Lucky for you, I can. Emilie, our cook, used to give me lessons in the kitchen when my father was away.”
“I knew you would be good for something.” She kissed his nose, handed him the spear with the fish still impaled, and hopped off his lap. “Don’t burn it.”
John shook his head as he watched her bound off toward the horses. She seemed lighter now. Ever since they had made love three nights ago, it seemed as if a weight had lifted and all the cares of the world had fluttered away. She was his Charlotte again.
That night, they had reclined under the stars until the early morning dew had started to coat them in a fine sheen of moisture. They’d talked about their lives, their missions and what they wanted in the future. He’d learned they’d both wanted lives of adventure, helping people, and most importantly, passion and love. That knowledge filled him with a joy like he’d never known. For the first time in his life, he had a clear picture of where he was headed, and who would be by his side.
John went back to the cabin and cleaned the fish. He tossed it in the pan with some butter and slid it above the roaring fire. His stomach growled at the sound of it sizzling. They had been too busy making love over the past few days to hunt or fish. A diet of sex, tea and some dried nuts and berries they’d found in the cupboard couldn’t sustain them forever.
In The Assassin's Arms (Daggers 0f Desire Book 1) Page 13
