Not So Charming: A Hate to Lovers Romance (Carlisle Cellars Book 1)

by Fabiola Francisco

  “Uncle Miles, I read this one!” She holds up the book. “I needed help, but I did read it.” Her face is full of pride, and I hug her.

  “Your daddy’s gonna be so proud. You’ll have to read it to him tonight.”

  “Yes!” Charlie’s arms flail around her in what I assume is a cheer.

  I laugh and grab the book, paying for it and Chloe’s coloring book. When we walk out, I pull June to me and whisper into her hair, “You’re amazing.” Then I kiss the side of her head and walk toward our cars.

  “I’ll take them home, and you go get ready. I’m not done spending time with you.” June blushes and nods, saying goodbye to the girls.

  “Thank you for helping me,” Charlie tells her as she hugs her waist. “I can’t wait to show Daddy.”

  I give June a quick kiss, ignoring the ooohhs from the girls, and strap them into their seats before taking them home. I’ve got plans to spend time with my lady tonight, and as much as I love my nieces, my plans include one-on-one adult time.

  Chapter 25

  June

  I sit beside Miles by the riverbank as we eat lunch. We have a rare day off together, which actually means Miles decided to play hooky so we could spend the day together. I had plans to come to the river and read, so we bought lunch and made a picnic out of it. Instead of reading, I’m with my real-life book boyfriend, as he’s nicknamed himself.

  Miles's fingers trail along the strap of my tank top. My skin breaks out in goosebumps, and I smile over at him with a raised eyebrow. These last few weeks have been great. Kayla’s comment and our argument are in the past, and we’re moving forward. Each day, he gives me butterflies, and that’s what counts.

  When I saw Lucy last week, she joked about me marrying Miles, and I choked on my coffee. I don’t think we’re there yet, but I’ll admit that my feelings for him are growing. They’re becoming more intense than I ever imagined could. I can talk to Miles about anything and not feel judged.

  “Are you going to take those online classes?” Miles asks and drops a kiss on my bare shoulder.

  “I don’t know,” I sigh, leaning my back into his front. We’d talked about college recently, and the idea of online classes came up. I showed some interest, although I’m not sure if I’m ready or willing to go back to school.

  “I don’t even know what I’d want to study. I feel lost when it comes to career choices.” I was always a book nerd, studying hard and getting straight As, but the drive of a career got lost somewhere along the way.

  “What are you good at? What do you love to do?” Miles tightens his arms around my middle.

  “Uh, reading?” I lift my brows though he can’t see my face.

  “Well, there you go.”

  I turn around, kneeling before him on the blanket, and stare at him blankly. “I don’t get it.”

  “You work with that.” He smiles triumphantly, but I’m still not getting it.

  “If I could get paid to read all day, I would’ve been doing that all along,” I deadpan.

  “No,” Miles shakes his head, chuckling. “The bookstore. Buy it, build it the way you want. Sell books, make that your career.”

  “Um, in order for me to do that I’d need, one, to have the money to buy a bookstore, and two, know about business.”

  “Lucky for you, I’ve got some knowledge about business.” He winks in that carefree way that makes everyone fall at his feet.

  “You have a job and a company to help run.”

  “Take classes related to business. Learn how it works, the ins and outs of entrepreneurship. You’re already a pro when it comes to books. I’ll help you.” He speaks as if it were so easy. As if buying a bookstore and running it happens with the snap of a finger.

  “No, it doesn’t work that way.” I cross my arms over my chest. He’s insane. He thinks I can just decide to try this, and if it doesn’t work out, too bad.

  “Take out a business loan. I know you’re thinking dollar signs right now.”

  “It’s a risk, and if it doesn’t work out, I’m going to owe thousands.”

  “Don’t think about it not working out. Consider it as an option. Don’t cross off the idea because you’re scared. You were an assistant at a big company in Los Angeles. You’re bright and clever.”

  “And you’re crazy,” I point out.

  Miles doesn’t flinch. He wraps his arms around me, bringing me to him, and kisses me without a care in the world.

  “Crazy about you,” he says against my lips.

  I shake my head but can’t stop the smile from taking over. Miles notices, too, because he inches his head back and looks at me, this thumb brushing my cheek.

  “I mean it. You’re absolutely amazing. Being with you is liberating. You don’t have expectations of me. You simply accept me for who I am.”

  “Miles, many people do.”

  “Nah, they see me as a Carlisle, waiting for greatness. It’s exhausting.” He smiles sadly.

  “You need to get over that.” It’s my turn to tell him to let go of past limitations. “I’m not the only one holding on to falsehood. What do you want to do with your life?”

  He shrugs, so I ask, “You know what I think?”

  “What?” His hand roams down my back.

  “We both have some thinking to do.” I push him back until he’s lying on the blanket and straddle him, kissing him slowly at first, my tongue running along the seam of his lips. When he opens for me, our tongues tangle in an erotic dance, and his hands move down my body, gripping my ass.

  I press my body into his, my core pulsing in need of more until I hear splashing nearby. I freeze and look up at him. Miles's eyes are closed, and his hands are still on my butt. When he blinks up at me, he smirks dangerously.

  “I dunno why you stopped, but I disapprove.”

  “Public place…kids are near,” I point out, still feeling his hardness against me and unable to form proper sentences.

  “I’m gonna need a minute.” He rubs a hand down his face.

  “You know what helps with that?” I grin and sit up, removing my top.

  “Oh, yeah…” He groans.

  “No! Dirty mind. A swim in the cold river.” I stand quickly and apologize when he grimaces. Then, I remove my shorts and wave as I run toward the river, tensing as the freezing water hits my skin.

  I dive under, the faster, the better, and when I come up, I see Miles sauntering toward me slowly, his eyes trained in on me, his abs glistening in the sun. Excitement pours out of me as he steps in and walks right to me.

  “So cold.” He brushes his lips on my forehead and holds me.

  “You get used to it.” I run my fingers over his face. “And you’re still hard.”

  “The cold isn’t working right now.” His voice is gruff. “We should’ve had lunch at my place.” His eyebrows waggle, and I giggle.

  “Nope, I had plans to have some fun in the sun. This heat is no joke.”

  “I know. I’m only teasing you.” He releases me and swims away, diving under.

  “Hey!” I call out when I feel him pull my foot.

  When Miles comes up for air, he splashes water all around me and chuckles as he gets closer to me. My heart beats uniquely for him. This feeling is so foreign. I see him, and I can’t help but smile. I count the freckles on his shoulders and arms. They’re more pronounced under the sun.

  My hands skim up his shoulders. “Feel better?” I pinch my lips together to hide my amusement.

  “Yeah.” He nods, holding my waist. His thumbs are stroking my ribs in a secret caress underwater. “But I still think we’ll need to shower together at my place later.”

  A resounding laugh escapes me. “We’ll see what we can do about that.” I drop a kiss on his lips.

  “Good.” He nods once, staring into my eyes with an undecipherable expression. It gives me chills nonetheless.

  “It’d be a shame to not take advantage of your playin’ hooky,” I wink.

  “Damn straight.�
� He lifts me, and I yelp. Before I can figure out his motive, Miles drops me into the water. My screech echoes, causing people around us to laugh. When I resurface, I glare at him.

  “You’re in trouble.” I go after him, but moving in water is harder than it seems, and I can’t catch him. Instead, I splash water from a distance and take in his laughter.

  It’s not much longer before we’re packing up and heading to Miles’s place. I hold his hand as he drives, tracing his nails and knuckles with the pads of my fingers. My feelings have magnified for him, but it’s too soon to label them as anything I won’t be able to take back.

  When we arrive at his house, I push those thoughts and doubts aside and let him guide me to his bathroom. He strips me out of my clothes, his hands teasing and taunting me in the process. My nipples are erect when he barely brushes them. My body is burning for more than his teasing touches.

  When Miles kneels before me to remove my bikini bottoms, my legs buckle. His eyes darken with desire as he runs a finger up my bare pussy. I clench and groan. When his tongue licks up the path, I throw my head back against the shower door.

  “So fucking sweet, Junebug. I can’t get enough.”

  His strong hands hold my thighs and part my legs before he’s back at driving me crazy with his mouth and hands. My entire body trembles and I cry out his name in spiraling ecstasy until it crashes down on me. I pulse, his mouth sucking and kissing until I’m exhausted.

  Miles kisses a path up my stomach and chest until his lips land on mine, making me taste myself. I hold him with one arm, the other wrapping around his length.

  “In the shower,” he gruffly says before deepening the kiss. His tongue demanding and hands possessively holding me. Miles guides me into the shower, blindly turning on the hot water and growling when I bring him to the brink with my hand.

  We’re wild with each other, hands desperate to touch and feel, mouths clashing and kissing fervently, and bodies moving. When Miles lifts one of my legs around his waist, I don’t question it. Instead, I arch to give him access, crying out his name when he pushes into me roughly.

  Nothing is enough. I need all of him. I need so much more. Miles drives into me, and I attempt to follow, careful not to slip and slide in the shower. When Miles doesn’t have enough, he grabs my other leg and lifts me, thrusting into me hard and fast. With his lips trailing down my neck and taking my nipple between his teeth, the scraping sensation is driving me mad.

  I dig my nails into his back, sure that I’m leaving marks, and clench around his length.

  “Fuck, it’s so good,” Miles bites out, drilling into me.

  “Yeah,” I moan, holding on to dear life because I’m sure if I let go, I’ll float into another world full of endless Miles-given orgasms I’ll never want to abandon.

  My core clenches, and I shiver, another orgasm taking over my sensitive body. Every kiss is felt in an overwhelming sensation. My head hits the shower wall, and my eyes close, a loud cry leaving me as I tense in his arms and around his body. Miles draws out my climax by continuing his hard strokes until he loses himself inside of me, a groan echoing and bouncing off the walls. His cock pulses, creating ripples of desire.

  “Fuck…” Miles moans. “That was…”

  “Amazing,” I finish for him.

  “More than amazing.” He stares into my eyes, kissing me softly and guiding my legs to the floor. I hold on to him until I’m sure I have my footing.

  “I’ve never had shower sex before,” I admit.

  Miles growls and cages me in with his arms on either side of me. “And I’m the only one you’ll ever have it with.” Possessiveness laces his words.

  “Shit,” he runs a hand through his wet hair, a total one-eighty in the blink of an eye.

  “What happened?”

  “We just… Shit…” He avoids my eyes.

  “Miles?”

  “We didn’t use a condom.” Wide eyes meet mine.

  “You know I’m on the pill.” I reach for his hand.

  I’ve been taking it for a long time to regulate my period. And with my mother getting pregnant at a young age, I’ve always been extra careful. I’ve never done that with anyone else, though, and that has to mean something. Miles makes me get so lost in him, in us, that I lose track of everything that isn’t the sensations he brings to me.

  “Yeah, but still. This is more than about birth control. I’m clean, I swear.” He squeezes my hand.

  “I know you, Miles. If I had any doubt in my mind, do you think I’d be with you like this?” I motion between our naked bodies. I trust him wholeheartedly.

  He shakes his head. “Hell no.” He chuckles. “Good then, because after having you bare, I don’t think I can go back to condoms. You feel amazing. Tight and perfect,” his voice drops.

  “Okay, we need to shower because you’re getting excited again, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to avoid an accident again if we try for round two in the shower.” I shove his chest and turn around. His hands roam my backside leisurely, and I tremble but stay on course.

  “We’ll have time for that later,” he whispers, reaching around me for the shampoo.

  I close my eyes and allow him to shampoo my hair, enjoying the massage on my scalp and allowing my body to react to his wandering hands. I’ll never get enough of him either.

  What I thought would be a one-date deal when Miles first asked me out has turned into so much more. The man I thought would be all wrong makes me feel so right. If there ever are two people who could come together from two different worlds, I pray it’s us.

  Chapter 26

  Miles

  My fingers twist with June’s as we lie in bed. I lift our connected hands before kissing her knuckles and dropping them on my chest. June is quiet, her naked body tangled in the sheets. It was hard to do, but I was able to convince her to stay the night after we spent the afternoon at the river. Each time I’m with her, it’s becoming harder to let her go.

  June turns and places her hand on my chest, resting her chin on top. Her hair’s a wild mess from air drying, and I love it more than when she straightens it. I push some of the waves away so I can see her face without any obstruction and smile.

  “Mornin’,” my voice is still raspy from sleep. We’ve been quiet, light touches and soft content sighs the only movements for the past who knows how long. I should probably already be showered and having coffee before heading into work, but I can’t seem to interrupt this moment.

  “Hi.” June’s voice is soft, and her eyes crinkle. “Don’t you need to go to work?” I don’t think she realizes the small pout forming on her lips.

  I chuckle and nod. “Yeah…in a bit.”

  “I don’t want you to be late because of me.” She sits a little more, and my hands instinctively move to her tits on full display for me.

  “Miles…” she moans.

  “Yeah, babe?” I slide my thumb over her hardening peak, smiling at the way her body reacts to my touch.

  “Behave.” She shivers.

  “No can do.” I dip my head, flicking my tongue over her nipple. June moans again, her body arching. I smile against her tan skin, trailing my lips all over her chest and neck. “Too sweet…can’t get enough,” I say between kisses.

  Her hands move from my shoulders to the back of my head, nails scraping my scalp. I’ve died and gone to heaven. I shift us so that I’m on top, my teeth nipping her collarbone, and settle between her legs.

  “I could get used to this,” I murmur before swirling my tongue around her nipple and sucking it into my mouth. My hand gives fair treatment to the other one, tweaking and palming it.

  “Miles…” June’s hoarse voice makes me smile wider. I love when she’s like this. No barriers, no worries, no judgment.

  I respond with my body, touching every inch, worshipping her with my lips, and gazing into her eyes. June holds my face and tugs me toward her, her lips desperately seeking mine. Our tongues tangle as her hands move through my hair. She’s gre
edy, and I fucking love it. I love when she shows that she needs me as much as I need her, that my feelings are reciprocated.

  Her hand snakes between us, wrapping around my dick, stroking me with lazy movements as if we had all the time in the world. If it were up to me, we would.

  June jolts when the tip of my cock brushes her pussy, and I smile down at her.

  “So sensitive,” I kiss her hard.

  My fingers move over her, tantalizing her body, playing her like a fine-tuned instrument. I bring her to the brink and back down, rubbing her clit and thrusting my fingers inside of her, hitting all the perfect spots but stopping as soon as I feel her body clenching.

  “Miles,” she draws out in frustration.

  “What?” I look at her with innocence.

  “You’re a tease.” I freeze when I feel her slickness along my length.

  “Who’s the tease now?” I grit out.

  June giggles. “You need a dose of your own medicine.”

  I don’t respond. Instead, I grab her hands over her head and thrust into her, giving us both what we truly want. June arches into me on a drawn-out moan, and I still inside of her. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to her tight pussy. She was made for me.

  We get lost in each other, ignoring the world around us and taking advantage of this time we have together.

  I grab the coffee mug June offers when I head into the kitchen after a shower. She jumped in before me and started the coffeemaker since she vetoed showering together, blaming work.

  “Thanks.” I take a sip of my black coffee, watching June over the rim of the mug. Her hair is piled high in a messy bun, her face is relaxed after the orgasm I gave her, and she looks damn good in a pair of my basketball shorts and an oversized t-shirt.

  Fucking domestic, but I don’t tell her that. Instead, I grip her ass and pull her to me. I swallow her yelp with a kiss. She looks up at me with drunken eyes and a satisfied smile, and my heart speeds up.

  “Finish your coffee. You’re already late to work.” She smiles up at me and steps back, grabbing her mug off the counter.