"That wasn't going to happen. I made a vow of celibacy," she lifts her stubborn chin.
"Yeah, your sister told me about your anthems."
"She did?" She looks horrified.
"Yes. In fact, she begged me to put an end to her torture. She said that in this day and age, no one should listen to disco music ever again.”
"I can't believe she’d betray me like that."
“She also said that she didn't want the baby to come out humming, ‘I will survive’."
"Oh my God, that's funny." Charlotte explodes in laughter.
"Seriously. Julianne was worried. She wanted me to put an end to your pain."
"I was hurting."
"I know," I smile warmly. “After my confrontation with Terry, I knew nothing I could say would convince you to listen. That's why I needed time to make the world mine again."
"You really have a thing for that song," she teases.
"It says everything I wish I could've told you for the last two and half years.” I pause. “Waking up without your warm body snuggled against mine was cruel. I had grown accustomed to it since Athens. I was determined to make things right, just so it could happen again.”
"And you have," she smiles wide.
"Not quite."
She frowns. “There's more? I thought you said it was over."
"I'm talking about us.” She blushes. “I knew when I met you that you were a girl on a mission. Even at fifteen, you had big dreams—”
“There’s not—”
“I love that about you.” She smiles. “As we started dating, I was so proud that my girl was beautiful, smart, sharp as a whip and she had ambition that could move mountains. I never wanted to prevent you from spreading your wings or stifle your insatiable drive. I just never imagined that after so many years, I'd have to win you over again.”
“So that’s what this is really about,” she jokes.
“Yeah,” I smile back.
We’re both quiet for several moments, staring into each other’s eyes.
“I don't want things to be casual between us anymore, Charlotte."
"You don't?"
"We’re well past that."
“Really?”
“I want a hell of a lot more.”
"You want us to start dating again?" she asks. A mischievous glint flashes in her eyes.
"No."
That glint is replaced by a veil of confusion.
"We’re well past that," I repeat.
“What are you saying, Barrett?” Hesitation laces each one of her words.
“Do you still want me?”
“Is that a trick question?” she laughs.
“I’m serious.”
“Octavia’s slap was harsh, but even in my pain, I couldn’t stop…” She lets her words trail.
“Say it.”
“Thinking about you. Wanting you. Needing you.”
I lean forward until our lips touch. “How do you make up to your girl—”
“Your girl, huh?”
“You know it as well as I do.” She laughs. “As I was saying, how do you turn the hands of time on two and a half years wasted?”
“I don’t know, you tell me.”
My lips sweep across hers. “You make it impossible for your girl to ever doubt that in your heart she was always yours.”
“You’re saying things that are going straight to my head, sailor.”
"You belong to me and not even the last horrendous years could suffocate my passion for you, Charlotte.” I pause. “I’ve never stopped loving you, butterfly. Not since I fell head over heels for you the first time I saw you.”
“You haven’t?” Her voice cracks on the last word.
“No, Charlotte. You've always held my heart—”
“God.”
"Every time you ran away from the drama in my life, your absence dug a void I couldn’t fill.”
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t know,” she sobs.
“Shhh, don’t cry, butterfly.” I kiss away her tears. “We’re focusing on the here and now.”
“Okay,” she whispers.
“I still desperately love you, Charlotte. Maybe it’s different for you given—”
“Because I loved you so much, I was trying to shield my heart. This ordeal made me feel like you’d chosen your father's empire over us."
"Never," I state firmly. I want to make sure I leave no room for her to ever doubt my motives again. “I was always going to have both. End of story.”
“Oh.”
"Do you still love me?"
She pulls away from me and raises an eyebrow. "Without Jason Belvedere's roaming dick—”
I explode in laughter. "Oh, now you give his cock the credit it deserves."
"I recognized that the petulant popstar played an important role in ‘the story of us’, I just wasn’t willing to admit it."
"And now?" I ask.
“Without Jason, I’d still have the luxury to lie to myself—and everyone around me—about how I really feel about you." Her breath hitches. "Those few days were so amazing. They reminded me of how things were before—"
"Dad passed away."
She nods. "I don't want to sound like I'm insensitive to what you went through. I was there. I saw how his death almost killed you, but there was such a dramatic shift in the person I loved. I thought it was more than just you grieving."
"I've already fessed up to that and I'm sorry, Charlotte."
She smiles. "The ease with which we reconnected brought down my barriers. Even though I had been with other men trying to forget you —" my jaw clenches. "One kiss in Athens and I realized how much I’d been fooling myself. I fell in love with you when I was fifteen and my heart has never stopped loving you. There was simply no room for anyone else."
"You mean that?"
"Yes." Her answer is unwavering.
"So back to me wanting more."
"What do you have up your sleeve, sailor?"
"Nothing, butterfly. I don't want anything or anyone to ever create a wedge between us."
She drops her small hands against my face. "And nothing and no one ever will."
"That's good because there's so much I want for us."
"Like what?" she asks with a huge smile tugging at her lips.
“For example, I want to have loads of big beautiful babies with you.”
She swats my chest. “Tate Barrett Matej Ascott, what kind of woman do you take me for? If you think I’m going to spread my legs open and start popping your babies into this world without you making an honorable woman out of me, you’re gravely mistaken.” She tries to bite off a smile, but fails.
Without answering her, I get up.
"Where are you going? "
"The kitchen, obviously," I chuckle.
"We’re having a serious conversation and suddenly you’re hungry?"
In no time, I'm standing back in front of her.
"You asked me a question."
"The answer is in the kitchen?"
“No, silly." I can't help but laugh. "I didn't expect that we’d be eating inside, so I had to improvise. I had to lighten my load."
"You lost me."
"About you having my babies—"
“Barr—"
"Let me finish, butterfly." There's a gentle warning in my voice. She rolls her eyes. "I knew you'd respond that way. My feisty little Charlotte would never accept half measures. I had a whole production ready, including beautiful red box, little bag and all sorts of sparkly paper in different colors. The woman I hired, did a top job getting everything ready, but it's about what's inside, right?"
She tilts her head up and knits her eyebrows. "You're talking in riddles—"
I drop to one knee.
Her attention cuts down to my face and her mouth drops open. “Ha! Wha-what are you doing?”
“What does it look like?”
"I don't know anymore." Her voice trembles.
"I was planning on doing this a few
months after your twenty-fifth birthday, but life had other plans for us. I'm tired of waiting to make you officially mine, butterfly."
"Oh my God.” She fans her face with both hands “Are you serious?”
“Would I be on one knee with this,” I bring the hand that was behind my back to eye level and open it to reveal the ring I was hiding, “if I wasn’t as serious as a heart attack.”
“Bloody hell!”
“Charlotte Louise Wentworth, will you marry me?”
“Is this for real?”
I nod. “I love you so fucking much.”
Her hazel eyes go wide and shimmery. “You… oh, my God. You…” she shakes her head a few times. “Barrett, I love you so fucking much too,” she laughs between her tears.
"Is that a yes? Will you be my wife?"
She jumps into my arms. "That's a hell yes!"
“Thank the fuck God,” I rasp, pulling her into a tight embrace. I find her lips and ravish her in a passionate smoldering kiss that leaves her panting. I've missed her. I've missed this. "Let me put the ring on your finger," I say, pulling away from her.
"Okay!" She's giddy.
She extends her hand and I slip the ring on her manicured finger.
"That is the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen. It's a canary diamond. And it's mine. What more can a girl ask for?” she grins. “Oh, yeah, the sexy-as-hell hunk, but I finally have him, too.” Her smile widens, and I give her a matching one.
I got my girl an eye-popping six-carat pear-shaped canary diamond surrounded with brilliant diamonds. The shanks are also decorated with diamonds.
"You like it?" I ask. "If it isn’t to your liking, I can get you anything you want."
"Hush your mouth, sailor." I reward her with a rowdy laugh. "It's perfect, Barrett. I absolutely love it. I can't believe you know me so well," she grins from ear to ear.
"I’m happy."
"You nailed it."
“I have a confession to make."
"What?" she frowns.
I drop my eyes to her dazzling engagement ring. "This is Amelia Cavendish’s handiwork."
"My best friend?"
I nod. "Without her help, I would’ve been lost. I’d never attempt to guess what your ideal ring looks like. I’m sure I’d screw it up. I needed an insider."
"But, she hasn't been in London in months."
"I flew to New York last month when she was there, and she took me shopping. Nikolaj von Henningsen—one of her contacts—and Lord Cavendish opened doors for us. It made it easy for me to buy you the ring you've always wanted."
"My best friend's father is in on this?"
"How many times have I told you that when it comes to you, I'll stop at nothing?"
"I'm at a loss for words," she whispers. "I’ve wanted this forever… I just didn't think…" she lowers her gaze.
“I’m sorry it took this long—"
"Nothing else matters. It's just about us now.”
“Forever.”
"Forever," she repeats.
"You've made me the happiest man in the world."
"Hey, you stole my line, sailor," she laughs.
“I have another gift for you," I announce.
"I've barely been able to wrap my head around this dazzler. I can't imagine more.”
"It’s related to your nickname."
“You bought me a kitten?"
I laugh. "No, your other nickname." Without giving her a chance to respond, I slip my right hand inside the pocket of my jeans and pull out another magnificent piece of jewelry.
“Ha! It's a butterfly."
I nod. "I saw this in the window of a jewelry shop on Fifth Avenue and I couldn’t walk away from it. I didn't even know they made rings in the shape of a butterfly.”
I also bought Charlotte a vintage Van Cleef and Arpels ruby and diamond butterfly ring.
"It's absolutely gorgeous," she marvels as I slip it on her right hand. "I can't believe you spoil me this much."
"I always used to spoil you when you were my girlfriend—"
"Heck, you spoil me even when we aren't together."
"Touché! Now that you're about to become my wife, the stakes are much higher," I grin.
She nods a few times, pondering on my words, and says, "I think I can live with that."
"Good." I return her smile. "It's time for us to move on to the serious part of this evening."
"Because an engagement ring and a marriage proposal aren't serious enough for you, mate?"
"That was the fun part. Now I have an important question to ask."
"Shoot. I can handle anything."
"Is it too early to confess that I'm dying to fuck my fiancée?" I clear my throat. "I mean make sweet love to my bride-to-be?"
A mischievous smile forms on her lips. "We’re not even married yet and you're already promoting vanilla sex. Should I be worried, Mr. Ascott? Because I certainly didn't sign up for that," she says with feigned indignation.
I pull her against my body, snaking one arm around her waist as my other hand cradles her face. My lips press against her lips before I speak. "So, you want it hard, Mrs. Ascott-to-be?"
"Oh God, I love the sound of that."
"Not nearly as much as I do."
“To answer your question, other than the first few times, we don't do, soft and gentle. Why change a good thing?"
"That's my girl. It's the third floor?”
"Huh?"
"The guest room is on the third floor?" I rephrase.
"For some reason, I think you already know the answer to that." A playful smile stretches her lips.
"You're right."
Without warning I lift her in my arms, throw her over my shoulder and stretch my body until I’m standing up.
"Holy Jesus," she yells. "Could you be a little more impatient?"
"Four months without you, kitten. What did you expect?” I say heading towards the stairs.
She laughs and play-fights all the way up. When we get to the guest room, I drop her on the bed. She reaches out and places her hand against my chest.
“Your heart is beating so hard. You aren't as fit or as in shape as you used to be. You're getting old, mate,” she jokes.
"I'm about to show you how fit I am—"
"You can't kill your wife-to-be. You know that?"
"I don't want to kill her, I just want to show her how much I’ve missed her."
"Copy that, sailor."
"All kidding aside, my heart isn't beating from exertion, my heart is beating out of love for you."
"My God, you keep robbing me of my words tonight." She pulls her lower lip between her teeth. She looks so vulnerable when she does that.
"You never answered my question."
"Which one is that?"
"You want it hard?"
Her eyes sparkle. "I do."
"You want me dirty?"
"Yes."
We’re back to our usual naughty play.
"Very dirty?"
"Oh, yes."
"Filthy?"
"Yes, yes, yes," she chants.
"How filthy?"
“Filthy enough to make up for the last four months,” she says without a trace of humor.
“Fuck yeah.”
I grab her hand and press it against my crotch. “Do you know how much my cock is aching for you? Just when it got used to daily dosages of your sweet pussy, you ran away.”
“I’m here now,” she says provocatively.
“I see that, kitten.”
“And I’m never running away ever again. Living without you… and your cock… isn’t an option anymore,” she jokes.
“Good. I'm glad we're on the same page."
“We definitely see eye to eye,” she hisses. She presses my cock hard and I growl with pleasure. “So, how much longer do I have to wait until you fuck me?” Her veiled eyes meet mine.
“Who’s impatient now?”
"Did you not hear when I said I took a vow of chastity? That means
no cock.”
"As usual, you were waiting for me."
"Please don’t torture me."
“I love it when you beg,” I respond with a sly smile.
"I’m willing to do just about anything to ride you."
I cock an eyebrow. "Anything?"
She explodes in laughter. "I hate to admit it, but I'm so desperate for your cock that, yes, anything."
“That's the kind of talk that might cause me not to survive this night. That said, I'm willing to take the chance. Your pussy is well worth it," I grin wide. "Let’s get you undressed first. Up. Strip. Including the shoes.”
I watch mesmerized as she pulls her dress over her head and tosses it across the room. We both laugh when it lands on a plush dark gray chair sitting near the window.
"Do I remove the lingerie, or will you rip them to shreds?"
I shake my head. “No. I bought these for you in Italy a few months ago. I still need time to savor them before I rip them apart. You’re safe for tonight. You can remove them."
“Phew,” she says.
I chuckle.
In a slow sensual movement, she unhooks the lace bra in the same vibrant orange shade as her dress and flings it at me. “Bad kitten." I grab it and throw it, so it lands on her dress.
She then slides her panties down her legs and kicks them to the side before removing her heels.
My God, she’s gorgeous.
"Even after you've given me loads of big beautiful babies, I'll still worship your body."
"You say that now, but that might change," she laughs.
"Nothing will ever change the way I feel about your body… or you," I tell her.
"You say that with so much conviction."
"You forget that I’ve watched your body transform from that of a young woman to a smoking hot siren. I’m ready for the next stage."
"So am I."
For a few long seconds, neither of us says a word.
To my surprise, Charlotte drops to her knees between my parted legs and reaches for my belt. I fist her hair, forcing her to halt her movements.
“Don’t rush it, kitten.” I swat her hand away. “We have all night —"
You're All I Think About_Second Chance Romance Page 38
