by Maggie Cole
“Oh, your boss,” Vivian says, and us girls all giggle. Piper’s face gets beet red before she glares at us to behave.
“Do you guys want to join us?” Quinn asks, moving over to make room.
“Don’t mind if we do.” Noah sits down as close to Piper as he can get.
Xander sits down next to Quinn and shakes her hand then Vivian’s. “Charlotte, nice to meet you.” He takes my hand, and strokes the back with his thumb.
Wait. Did that happen, or am I imagining it?
His brown eyes have a golden twinkle, and his mouth curves upward.
I smile back, and my face heats
When he lets go, Vivian asks, “So you’re moving here, Xander?”
“In a few months. I just accepted a surgeon’s position at the hospital.”
My heart beats faster. He will be living here, and he’s a doctor?
“You’re a surgeon?” I ask him.
Pride crosses his face. “Yes.”
“What kind?”
“Orthopedic.”
“That sounds exciting,” Quinn says.
Xander laughs. “It would probably gross all of you out.”
“Do you like the blood or the pus more?” I throw out there.
His head jerks toward me, and a surprised grin forms on his face. “Are you into blood and pus?”
“Okay, you two are gross.” Vivian wrinkles her nose.
“I’m a fan of the pus more than the blood. The blood is predictable. The pus isn’t.”
“You just crossed the disgusting line, Charlotte,” Quinn mutters.
Xander’s face lights up. “Are you a doctor?”
I laugh. “No, I’m an orthopedic medical device rep, and I’m in a lot of surgeries, assisting the doctors.
“Really?” he asks.
I nod.
“So, you dig surgery and all its gore?”
I laugh. “Can’t get enough of it.”
Xander licks his lips. “That’s pretty hot.”
My face heats up.
Quinn clears her throat. “Excuse me. I need to go to the ladies’ room.”
“I’ll go with you,” Vivian says.
Xander stands up but doesn’t take his eyes off me. Quinn and Vivian leave, and I realize Noah and Piper are on the dance floor. Xander sits down right next to me. The deliciously clean, raw smell of his skin makes my pulse throb.
“Before I go any further and make an ass of myself, are you single?” Xander asks.
I flush deeper. “As of last week, yes.”
His eyes don’t leave mine. “Who broke up with whom?”
“I broke up with him.”
“Why?”
“There wasn’t any heat.” It comes out of my mouth without even thinking, and my face is scorching.
Xander licks his lips again. “You want to dance?”
I smirk at him. “I don’t know. Do you know how to dance?”
He laughs and stands up, clasps my hand, and rubs his thumb on it again. “There’s only one way for you to find out.” He pulls me up, right against him. I gaze up at his face. “By the way, you’re gorgeous.”
I’m not sure how many shades of red my face can burn, but I’m pretty sure it’s full-on maroon.
He strokes my cheek. “Let’s go.” He leads me out to the crowded dance floor, and we quickly fall into a perfect rhythm based on whatever song the DJ plays.
Several songs in, a random guy tries to cut in, but Xander pulls me so close to him, I can feel his heartbeat. He leans down and brings his mouth to my ear. “I’m claiming you as mine tonight unless you have any objections?”
An excited flutter rolls through me. Nope, no objections. I will be yours, I think.
Xander presses his forehead to mine, waiting for me to answer him, staring at me intensely with his beautiful, brown eyes. I lace my fingers around the back of his head. “No objections.”
He smiles then brushes his lips against mine. His tongue parts my lips, gently at first, then with more urgency and passion, stoking a fire so hot, I’m left breathless and craving more.
No one around us exists. It’s just Xander and me, staring, smiling, and grinding against each other.
My body is humming against his. He wraps his hands and arms around me, holding me tight and claiming me.
“Drink?” he shouts in my ear, and I nod. He clasps my hand and puts his other palm on the small of my back, guiding me to the bar. “What do you want to drink, Charlotte?”
“Water,” I tell him.
He orders two bottles and leads me back to our table. Quinn and Vivian give me a knowing glance as Xander sits down and pulls me onto his lap.
He’s about to say something when his phone vibrates. He looks at his phone then at me. “Is Piper’s purse here?”
I point to her purse.
Xander types something.
“What’s going on?” Quinn asks.
“Noah and Piper left. She forgot her purse. Can one of you take it and give it to her tomorrow?”
Vivian grabs it. “I’ll take it.”
“So Piper is going to Noah’s?”
Xander nods.
“Is that where you are staying?” I say so only he can hear.
His thumb makes a circular motion on my thigh. “That was the plan, but it’s changeable.
I stare in his eyes. “Is that your way of saying you want to stay at my place?”
He grins. “If you ask, I’ll say yes. If you don’t ask, I won’t take offense.”
I’ve never had a one-night stand before, but something about Xander makes me feel like it’s okay. I lean into his ear. “I don’t invite strangers to my house, but I’m going to make an exception for you.”
He pecks me on the lips then texts something, I presume to Noah. “That’s done. Are you ready to go, or do you want to stay and dance more?”
Butterflies take off in my stomach.
He must sense my nerves. “We won’t do anything you don’t want to,” he assures me.
“I’m ready to go if you are.”
He stands up and tells Quinn and Vivian it’s been nice meeting them.
They both smirk at me, and I give them a quick wave before Xander guides me through the crowded club. When we get outside, we quickly jump in a cab. I give the cabbie my address.
“Do you live alone or have roommates?” Xander asks.
“Alone.”
“Good.” He kisses my jawline.
“Good?”
“Mm-hmm,” he murmurs.
“Mm-hmm?”
“We don’t have to worry about being quiet.” His lips on the curve of my neck send little flutters through my body.
“You plan on being loud?” I tease.
“I plan on you being loud,” he whispers then gently sucks on my earlobe and strokes the inside of my thigh, as shivers run down my spine.
I inhale deeply, close my eyes, then moan softly as his lips trace my jawline again and finally meet my mouth. His delicious tongue swirls around mine, arousing waves of desire and a need I haven’t experienced before.
Xander positions me on his lap and kisses me as no man has ever done before. In his arms, against his body, I melt into him, wanting everything he can give me.
The driver stops in front of my building, and Xander throws some cash at him. He quickly leads me into the lobby and to the elevator. Before the doors shut, he picks me up and pushes me against the wall, and I wrap my legs around him before I even think about it.
“How the hell are you single,” he mutters.
I want to ask him the same thing, but that would require a conversation and me to stop kissing him, and I don’t want to take my lips away from his.
My body has never reacted to anyone’s like this before. The dress I’m wearing is scrunched up, and I’m grinding my wet heat against his hard erection.
The elevator doors open, and we’re still in the lobby. “Charlotte, what floor is your place on?” he mumbles.
I laug
h. “Fifteen.”
Xander quickly scans the panel and pushes the button then returns his lips to mine.
I circle my lower body on him, repeatedly, and his deep, throaty groan ricochets in the air.
I’m so wet, I wonder if I’m ruining his pants.
“Oh, you turn me on,” he breathes into me as I push my lower body against him harder, panting for air, desperate for him to make me soar.
The elevator opens and he grabs around my waist, steps out of it, and growls, “What’s your apartment number?”
“Fifteen twenty-eight,” I barely get out and wrap my arms tight around his shoulders before I push my lips back to his.
At my door, he sets me down so I can get out my key, but he presses his body to the back of mine. His mouth is on my neck, and his hand lightly grazes my dress, right on top of my sex.
When I finally get my key out, my hand is shaking, and he laughs softly before helping me unlock the door.
It’s dark inside, and I don’t bother to turn on the light, I just take his hand and pull him into the bedroom.
I’m hot and sticky from the club. Normally, it takes me a while dating someone before I’m comfortable enough to stand naked with them and shower, but I don’t feel the slightest bit uncomfortable with Xander.
“Do you want to shower with me?” I ask him. It’s dark besides what filters in from the streetlights, but I’ve adjusted and his bright orbs light up.
He brushes his fingers on my cheek. “Is that really a question?”
I exhale slowly and he reaches around to the back of my dress, moves my hair aside and tugs the zipper down, pushing the dress to the floor. He stands back and whistles, checking me out in my hot-pink, barely there thong and push-up bra.
My cheeks flame.
“You really have no clue, do you?”
“About?” I tilt my head in question.
“How unbelievably gorgeous you are.” His eyes drill into mine, as if he can see the depths of my soul, and a million butterflies take off in my stomach.
I step forward and remove his shirt then release his belt. I realize he’s letting me undress him, a smile curling the edges of his lips as my shaky hands liberate his cock from his pants.
His body shines in the dimness, beautiful and glowing, with pre-cum already on the tip of his erection.
My fingers graze his shaft then I palm it and circle the cap with my thumb, as my lips flutter against his chest.
Xander groans, and the intensity in his eyes turns my insides into Jell-O. He reaches around, releases my bra from my body, and slides my panties to the floor. “God, I want to taste you.”
Adrenaline spurts through my body at the thought, but I clasp his hand. “Shower. I need a shower.”
He gives me a cocky glance, lets me lead him to the shower, then reaches in and turns on the water. The water quickly heats up and we step in. He picks up my bottle of body wash, pours it in his hand and massages it into me, kneading his fingers all over and rubbing his body against mine.
As the soap rinses away, he bends down to kiss me. I wrap my arms around his shoulders and he pushes me against the wall, kneels down, and kisses my breasts then my stomach, before picking me up and throwing my legs over his shoulders.
“Oh God,” I cry out, quivering as he unleashes the divinity of his tongue upon my pussy.
Exploring me.
Entering me.
Exciting me.
He groans against my clit as I whimper. His warm hands on my hips, I buck into his face, soaring higher and higher, close to the edge of euphoria.
Steam is all around us, eliciting tiny beads of sweat.
The heat of his tongue glides in a pattern of flicks and sucks, increasing his speed and pressure.
I throb. My arms and torso fall forward, and I grip his head, holding him in place. “Xander...oh...don’t stop...oh...God!”
At a harder flick of his tongue, I erupt against his face, trembling against the wall, grasping my hands against his head hard, calling out his name.
I’m still quivering inside and, when my high is over, he gently sets me back on the floor. Moving his way up, he rolls his tongue over my areolas. A new heat flares throughout my lower region.
And I want him in me. More than any man I’ve ever been with, I want Xander inside me. Before I know what’s coming out of my mouth, I breathlessly blurt out something I’ve never said to any man before. “I want you.”
He presses his forehead to mine, staring at me with eyes that scream adoration and desire. “Let’s get out of here.”
I nod and he turns off the water, reaches out of the shower, and picks up a towel. He dries every drop of water off of me, kissing my shoulder, neck, and lips, keeping my loins on fire for him.
Xander quickly dries himself off then leads me to my bedroom.
Reaching in my drawer, I grab a strip of condoms. I push him on the bed and crawl on top of him, straddling him, tear the condom open, and roll it over his hard shaft.
He caresses the back of my head and he pulls me into his mouth while his other hand squeezes my hip.
I whimper in his mouth and he groans into mine as his cock sinks into my wet sex, filling me, making me whole.
Rocking my hips, I take more of him in me.
Slipping around him.
Savoring every inch he will give me.
Spasming against his throbbing heat.
“Oh, you’re heaven,” he whispers in my ear then nibbles and sucks on my lobe.
Blood hums, pulsing with adrenaline, vibrating all my cells, as the warmth and touch of Xander creates a level of heat I’ve never felt before.
“Xander,” I moan into the curve of his neck.
His arms blanket me, pulling me tight, and creating a sense of safety I’m not used to.
The warmth of his tongue glides over my collarbone as our bodies sweat and slide together.
I grip him, digging into his back, clutching his hardness, ready to come unhinged in his arms.
“Oh...” I breathe out as dizziness encroaches upon me.
“You’re so good,” Xander mumbles then holds my head and creates a new feeling of euphoria in my mouth, sending jolts of energy throughout all my cells.
He pushes his forehead to mine, and I tighten my arms around him, vibrating on his cock, whimpering.
“I...I... Oh...”
He pushes my hair off my face, and his other hand pushes my hip down on him harder.
“Oh fuck,” I yell out in the most powerful orgasm I’ve ever had.
“Charlotte,” he groans, pumping hard into me, sending me further into my climax.
When we come down, his intense eyes stare into mine, and a smile plays upon his lips.
He slides me off him and pushes me down to the bed so I’m lying on his arm. His body is propped on its side next to mine. “Tell me again how you’re single?”
I laugh.
“I don’t expect a girl like you to wait for me, but if you’re still single when I move here, can I see you again?”
4
Charlotte
Present Day
As quickly as I can walk away from Xander, I do. My heart is beating harder, and I focus on the floor until I get out of the hospital, too scared to look at anyone, for fear I’m going to break down and sob hysterically.
He dreams of me.
But he is still searching for and loves Billie.
Stay away.
My brain is a mishmash of thoughts, with the most dangerous one of all springing to the surface, over and over again.
Hope.
I need to get it out of my system. There is no future with Xander. He will never let go of his feelings for this Billie woman, whoever she is.
When the doors to the hospital open and I step outside, I pick my head up. With the cold wind beating on my face, I scurry to the parking garage and locate my car. Only once I’m inside it do I break down.
Seven hours of torture. That’s what I endured. Every sec
ond wondering if he knew who I was or didn’t. But then he came into the locker room and gave me a glimmer of hope that he remembered me.
But he doesn’t.
He told me he dreams of me, but what does that mean? How can he dream of me but not remember me?
Then he touched me. He held my face in his hands and through tear-filled eyes, wanted to know how he hurt me.
I almost told him.
I almost wrapped my arms around him and cried into his chest.
Almost.
There were so many emotions in his eyes: confusion, fear, frustration. I saw it all, and it ripped my heart into tinier pieces.
As much as I wanted to tell him, it wasn’t fair, not to me, nor him. He was going through enough pain from losing his memory.
If I told him what he did, I inevitably would end up in his arms, and it would just be him trying to comfort me. I’d be wrecked further. If he knew why he hurt me, he’d feel more guilt. It wasn’t his fault he couldn’t remember or that he still loved Billie.
So I didn’t tell him because it wasn’t fair. I knew from my childhood, life wasn’t fair and how hard it was.
Growing up in an orphanage with no one to love or care for me, fair was not something that ever entered my life. I tried not to let my past turn me into a victim, not to let it harden my heart. But for once, I wish the universe would give me just a bit of fairness.
But it just wasn’t in the cards for me.
So, I spared Xander from it and took all the pain for myself. Out of all the things I’ve been through, this feels the worst, and I don’t know how that’s possible.
I only spent a few nights with him. Every day, for several months, we communicated every way possible, but logically, this pain I feel shouldn’t be this deep.
It was only a few days.
Then again, we told each other our secrets. I shared things I hadn’t shared with anyone I had dated before. And we declared our love and made promises to one other.
But I will take on more pain to shield Xander. He didn’t deserve to lose his memory. It’s my fault we were in the accident anyway. If I hadn’t flown in to surprise him, he wouldn’t have insisted on driving me to the airport. We wouldn’t have gotten into the accident, and his memory wouldn’t be gone.
