God, he was right. I’d flown off the handle at another misunderstanding. Maybe Greg was a slimeball, but not every guy was Greg, and Chuck certainly had been everything Greg wasn’t. He was right.
“You’re right, Chuck. I’m sorry.”
The frustration eased from his expression and his lips curved into a smile. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “Come on, I’ll make coffee.” He kissed my cheek. “I can’t believe you came here. And brought breakfast.”
I shrugged. “I wanted to see you. Honestly, I missed you last night.”
He squeezed me a little. “I missed you too. I pulled into the garage, and I was so close to calling you, to telling you I made a mistake and I wanted to come back.”
I swallowed hard and slipped my hand into his grip. “As long as I’m here, can we not sleep apart again? I mean, I’m grateful that you didn’t leave Mindi stranded, but I would’ve rather you were just with me instead.”
Chuck let out a relieved laugh. “Deal.”
We headed inside. The first thing I noticed were the puke-stained sheets on the floor in a heap. There was no way they had a night of passion. I glared at Mindi sitting at Chuck’s counter, hair wet from using his shower, wearing his shirt. Even if nothing happened, I hadn’t even had a chance to don one of his shirts yet. “I guess I have enough to share. Mindi, do you want to have breakfast with us?”
Mindi nodded, and Chuck set to making coffee while I rummaged through his cupboards for plates and utensils.
“Can I do anything to help?” Mindi’s voice was small, so different from the woman I knew.
“I think you’ve done quite enough.” I set plates down on the island.
We ate at the island in near silence. Mindi kept her head down, playing with the mixed fruit and tiny portion of scrambled eggs she’d served herself, more than eating anything.
Chuck, on the other hand, kept touching me gently, brushing his knee against mine, nudging my shoulder as he reached for salt and pepper. Each touch sent a little flutter of want to my core, and I scooted a little closer on my barstool for easier access.
When breakfast was almost completely gone, except what was still on Mindi’s plate, I asked with a bit of bite in my tone, “How are you getting back to town?”
“Oh, um, I could call a cab, I guess.”
Chuck shook his head. “We can take you. Can’t we, Aubrey?” He looked pointedly at me.
I sighed and leaned back in the chair. “Yeah, we can do that.” Maybe he didn’t have to be such a nice guy.
Chuck’s fingers tangled with mine between our chairs and I smiled softly. After everything that had happened, the touch felt like a promise that he was still only looking out for her, nothing more.
As Chuck cleared the island and loaded up the dishwasher, Mindi asked sheepishly, “Can I talk to you a minute? In private?”
I glanced at Chuck, not really wanting to chase him out of his own space.
“Why don’t you two go in the bedroom? I’ll finish cleaning up out here, and you two can have some privacy.” He smiled at me and reached over the island. “Take all the time you need.”
I squeezed his hand and gestured at the room. “Okay. Let’s talk.”
She went ahead of me, and part of me wanted to do something awful to her, like rip Chuck’s shirt off her or shove her so she fell on her face. But I had to be better than Mindi. She already destroyed one of my relationships. I wasn’t going to let her ruin whatever I had going with Chuck, even for a vindictive moment of weakness.
As soon as I closed the door, Mindi ran over and threw her arms around me. “Oh, Aubrey, I was so worried when you didn’t show up for the ceremony. Greg was just crushed.”
I cringed against her hug and pushed her back. “Oh, I’m sure he had your shoulder to cry on.”
“He was just devastated, really. Aubrey, he came all this way. You have to take him back. You have to see what a good match he is for you.”
I shook my head. “Are you fucking kidding me? You’re trying to get me to go back to him? You, of all people, trying to get me to marry Greg?”
“Aub, he misses you so much. Driving up here from Glenwood Springs yesterday, after we saw you, he was just so upset. He was gripping the steering wheel so tight his knuckles were white.”
“I’m sure you were all too happy to spread your legs to help ease his suffering, weren’t you? God, Mindi, you’ve got one hell of a nerve, coming here after what you did. How long have you been fucking him? Was it just the night before our wedding? Or has it been going on longer than that? Be honest. Because I’m really fucking sick of your lies.”
Mindi shrunk back and pulled Chuck’s shirt around herself tighter. “I should go.”
For the first time, I wondered why she’d done it. Why she’d fallen for Greg and slept with him? What was she getting out of the relationship? He wasn’t treating her well, that was obvious. Why was she doing this to herself? To me? I opened my mouth to say something, but none of it came out. It was her problem to figure out. Not mine.
Without another word, she pushed past me and ran out the door.
20
Chuck
I did not expect to see Mindi running out of my room with tears in her eyes. She made a beeline for the front door, the back of her shirt flying up enough to almost expose her ass. If she went outside, she would freeze before she even made it to the end of the block.
But I didn’t care about Mindi. I hardly knew her, and after what she tried last night, I didn’t want to.
I walked around the island and knocked on the doorframe to my room. “Hey. Are you okay?”
Aubrey looked up at me as tears welled up at the corners of her eyes, threatening to fall.
I crossed the space and pulled her into my arms, hugging her tight to my chest. I rubbed her back as she sobbed against my shoulder, clinging to me. I hated Mindi and Greg. Whatever she had said, whatever they talked about, I would do everything in my power to keep Aubrey from having to face either of them again.
I don’t know how long we stood like that, clutching each other as she cried. Eventually, she pulled back and looked up at me through watery, bloodshot eyes. “You promise nothing happened? Not before the puke, not in the shower?”
“It never even crossed my mind. All I wanted was to make sure a drunk woman didn’t get hurt. Greg ditched her at The Oak Barrel, and I couldn’t leave her. Everyone told me I should. I probably should’ve listened. I swear. Drunk Mindi tried to cop a feel in the middle of the night. She thought I was Greg. But that’s it.”
She looked up at me and cracked a smile. “For the record, I don’t know how she could’ve possibly mistaken you for Greg. You’re so much hotter than he is.”
Her compliment warmed my chest. “I really wish I would’ve stayed with you.” I kissed her cheek and wiped the tears from her eyes. “Let me get her back to town, and I promise, I will do everything I can to make this morning up to you.”
She sighed and leaned her head against my shoulder. “I’m going with you. There’s no way I’m leaving Mindi alone with the guy I like ever again.”
I hugged her again and smiled. “I like you too, Aubrey.”
She shook her head and pulled away. “How long until her laundry’s done?”
“Not soon enough.” I kissed her gently on the lips, and then tangled my fingers with hers. “You mentioned wanting to spend the day with me? What did you have in mind?”
Aubrey shrugged. “Anything, as long as it involves the two of us being together.”
I grinned and squeezed her hand. “Sounds awesome.”
Awkward silence filled the drive to Mindi’s hotel. Aubrey hardly touched me, going so far as to shy away when I tried to take her hand. Mindi, on the other hand, sat on the edge of the bench seat, stretching the seatbelt out much further than was safe, and she looked like she was ready to sprint from the car at every red light. All I wanted was to get her out of our hair.
The car wasn’t even fully stop
ped at the entrance to the hotel when Mindi threw off her seatbelt and shoved open the door. She mumbled a “thanks” as she ran, quite impressively, in her stilettos to the front doors.
Aubrey grabbed my hand and said firmly, “Take me back to your place and make me forget all about finding her there.”
She didn’t have to tell me twice. I hurried back to my cabin, only speeding a little. When I pulled up to the house, I leaned across the car and kissed Aubrey on the lips, my need evident. She reached over and tangled her fingers in my hair, and I moaned against her lips.
“We should get inside.”
“You should get inside.” Aubrey winked and pushed open her door, hopping down out of my Jeep quickly.
I caught up with her at the front door and kissed her hard against the wooden surface.
She pulled me toward the bedroom, while I kissed down her neck, pulling her hips to mine, grinding my hard cock against her hip. With another tug, we tumbled into the bedroom undoing buttons and zippers as we went. We fell into bed, tugging and yanking at each other’s clothes. Our lips hardly parted as we stripped, groping and touching until we were both naked enough that I could thrust into her wet heat.
Aubrey cried out and rocked her hips up against mine as I filled her deep. “Oh, God, Chuck, you’re so fucking big.”
I kissed along her jaw as I pumped in and out of her. “But you take all of me so well. You’re soaking my cock.”
She gave me a shove, and I gripped her hips as we rolled so that she was on top. Aubrey sat up and started to ride my dick, taking my length again and again.
I reached up and grabbed her tits, thrusting harder as she rode me. “You’re so fucking hot, Aubrey.”
She threw her head back, arching into my hands as she took my cock over and over. Her pussy was already pulsing around my dick, squeezing me tighter with every move of her hips over mine.
“You keep riding me like that and I’m not going to last much longer, gorgeous.”
She looked down at me. Her green eyes glinted with need and she licked her lips as she moaned out one word. “Good.”
I moved my hands to her hips and gripped them hard as I thrust up into her harder and faster, pushing her to ride me rougher. I wanted her to come with me, to lose herself all over my cock as I filled her with my cum.
Aubrey screamed out my name, and her pussy clamped down on me, shoving me over the edge.
I thrust into her as deep as I could and let go with a growl. My climax felt endless as she kept riding me, her cunt massaging me roughly as she rode out her own orgasm.
When Aubrey finally flopped over onto the mattress next to me, I reached for her hand and grinned. “Damn.”
She laughed huskily and rolled onto her side. “Let’s just do this all day. Screw going out in public, where people are. I just want to stay in your home, naked, with your hot body pressed to mine.”
I kissed her hungrily and hauled her against me. “I think that can be arranged.”
It was three in the afternoon before my stomach demanded I take a break from Aubrey’s hot body and refuel.
“I can order something in. What sounds good?”
Aubrey smiled and stretched her arms over her head. “You just want to keep me naked.”
“Well, that was the idea.” I grinned and traced the curve of her breast with my fingertips. “But we can go out if you’re bored of screaming my name already.”
She laughed and rolled over on top of me. “Mostly, I was just thinking that maybe taking a break and getting some different movement in for a while would be good. And if I stay here, naked in your bed, I’m pretty sure the only thing you’re going to be eating the rest of the night is me.”
I grabbed her ass and flipped her quickly onto her back, pressing her into the mattress as I kissed her hard and fast. “I think my stomach’s the only one who would complain about that.”
“Well, then let’s go get a real meal, sit in a restaurant for an hour or so, recharge, and when we get back here, I’ll be your dessert.”
“Deal.” I kissed her again before I climbed off her and stretched. Seeing her still so exposed in my bed made me want to forget all about food, but Aubrey was right. We needed to refuel, and there would be plenty of time for more after we ate.
Turning away from her, I gathered up my clothes and quickly dressed. I knew that until there were at least a couple of layers of fabric between us, I was going to be tempted to jump right back into bed.
Aubrey dressed just as quickly and ran her fingers through her hair. “I wish I had my hairbrush. I can only imagine what state my hair is in.”
“You look like a woman who’s been thoroughly fucked all morning and half the afternoon. Was that not what you were going for?” I grinned and took her by the hand to go into the bathroom. “You can use anything I’ve got. No brush, but I’ve got a comb.”
I quickly ran my hands through my own hair, succeeding in making it look intentionally spiky rather than erratically spiked.
Aubrey stuck her tongue out at me and shook her head. “You guys have it so easy. I’m lucky if my hair looks good after careful styling. Finger combing it doesn’t really help.”
“I don’t know, I think you look gorgeous. And I happen to like running my fingers through your hair.” To prove my point, I slid my hands over her cheeks and tangled my fingers in her hair again as I kissed her.
She moaned, and then shoved me away. “Not helping. If you’re just going to get handsy again, you might as well go down and start warming up the car.”
I grinned and kissed her cheek. “Okay, okay. I’ll keep my hands to myself. Mostly.”
Aubrey shook her head at me again and went back to trying to detangle the mess we’d made of her blonde locks.
When she deemed herself presentable for public again, we headed into town to one of my favorite restaurants, Element 47. It was hip and trendy, but the food was good, and the service was top-notch. And to top it off, they had plenty of quiet booths where a couple could be left alone.
When we were seated, I slipped my arm around Aubrey’s shoulders and pulled her in close, kissing along her neck. She stiffened a little and I pulled back.
“You okay?”
“I know this is going to sound strange after what I pulled at the hot springs, but I just feel a little odd being so…public.”
I chuckled. “You’re right, that does sound a bit strange. Does it really bother you?”
She glanced around the restaurant. No one was paying attention to us. And if they were, they were just getting a hot show. “Sometimes my mother or Greg’s voices are a little too loud in my head. They’re so worried about what everyone in high society thinks of them.”
I kissed her cheek. “High society hasn’t done much for you. I think you can tell high society to shove it.”
She leaned her head on my shoulder and picked up the menu. “What’s good here? Or should I just see if they can whip up some bull’s testicles?”
There she was. The woman who wanted to be herself, to have a voice. I laughed and pointed out a few of my favorites before deciding on what I wanted to eat. Truthfully, I would’ve been just as happy ordering a pizza and eating it while we sat naked on my back porch. But I hardly felt like it was a waste to be out in public with her. I felt like the luckiest son of a bitch in the world to have Aubrey Jones on my arm.
The meal passed in a blur of conversation and flirtation. Aubrey grew a little bolder as time passed, worrying less about someone being offended. We kissed and touched, and she murmured dirty things she was thinking about doing with me once we got back to the cabin, which just made my cock hard and eager to sink back into her wet heat.
“Well, don’t you two just look so cozy?” Vanessa’s voice shattered the fantasy I’d been having.
I slowly turned to face her with a scowl. “What are you doing here? Are you following me now?”
“Don’t kid yourself, Chuck. We both know it’s just a matter of time before you come c
rawling to my bed.”
What the hell was it with her? I’d never given her any inclination I wanted to be with her. I could barely stand the woman, and I certainly didn’t want to touch her.
Aubrey pulled away, shifting along the booth bench away from me.
“Why don’t you find someone else to be obsessed with? Nothing is ever going to happen between us, so whatever this twisted fantasy you have going is, let it go.” I wrapped my arm tighter around Aubrey’s shoulder and scooted in close to her again. “And, not that it’s any of your damn business, but yes, we are very cozy.”
Aubrey’s cheeks grew red and she lifted her napkin up to her face. I was sure to an outsider like Vanessa, she probably looked like she was making sure none of her meal lingered, but I could tell she was embarrassed. I just wasn’t sure why.
As Vanessa opened her mouth to say something else, I turned to Aubrey. “Why don’t we get dessert to go, gorgeous?” I leaned in, so only she could hear. “That way I can eat it off you.”
Her blush deepened and she gripped my thigh under the table as she nodded. “That sounds great. The atmosphere in here suddenly got too bitchy for my taste.”
Vanessa finally turned on her heel and stormed off.
21
Aubrey
Once we had our dessert boxed up and the tab was paid, Chuck slipped his hand in mine, suggesting we take a walk for a while, and enjoy the late afternoon before the evening crowds moved in.
The streets were lined with twinkling lights that reminded me of Christmas, even though it was two months after the holiday, and everything about the city held a quaint charm I just couldn’t find in New York.
Chuck pointed out things as we walked, much like he had in Glenwood Springs. Only this time, the landmarks were more personal.
Seducing the Runaway Bride (The Wrights Book 1) Page 13
