Stars On Fire

by E. L. Todd

  I shook my head slightly. “I got it at Target—no big deal.”

  “But still…”

  “Don’t worry about it.” My gaze was several inches above hers, so I tilted my head down to examine her, to see the way she gently swiped her tongue over her bottom lip. It was an automatic response, and she had no idea how sexy it was. Our serious conversation didn’t dampen my desire for sex. Seeing her stand in those skimpy shorts and that low-cut top made me want to sleep in her bed rather than sleep alone.

  “Well, goodnight.”

  Instead of taking the hint, I lingered in the doorway. My hands ached to feel her, to slide into that smooth hair and kiss her. I wanted to carry her back to that bed and move between her legs like last time. Even with a condom separating us, her pussy felt incredible. The longer I stared at her, the less I wanted to go home to an empty house and a bottle of lotion.

  My hand moved to the front of her jeans where they were loose over her slender tummy. I clenched the fabric in my grasp and pulled it toward me, making her body slowly migrate toward mine. She allowed me to pull her, like a horse on a rein. Slowly, she came toward me until her chest was against mine.

  My fingers unbuttoned the top and pulled down the zipper. “I’d rather sleep here.” With my eyes focused on hers, I moved my fingers down her stomach and slid them underneath the fabric of her thong. Slowly, I slid farther, coming into contact with that sexy nub.

  She inhaled a deep breath when she felt me, when she felt those fingers touch her favorite place. Her chest rose with the expansion, her nipples hardening in the fabric of her top. Her eyes fluttered with arousal, and the longer I rubbed her clit, the more she started to soften. She moved closer into me, her hand grasping my arm for balance. She bit her bottom lip, swallowing the quiet moan that wanted to escape into the hallway.

  My fingers slid farther back, and I felt the moisture that pooled at her entrance. She got wet so easily, like her body was made for fucking. My thumb rubbed her clit, and my fingers pierced her slick slit.

  Her fingers dug into my arms in response, and she took another deep breath. This time, her moan was so audible that anyone could hear it in the hallway if they were to walk by.

  “Want me to sleep here?” I moved my face to hers and let our lips touch. It was a gentle kiss at first, a soft landing between two clouds. I felt her delicate mouth, tasted the beer she’d been drinking just moments ago. She’d turned that sweet, making beer into wine.

  Her lips parted, and she deepened the kiss, her nails digging into my forearms as she latched on to me. Her legs widened a little so I could have more access to her aching pussy. One hand moved to the back of my neck, and she fingered my short strands of hair. That was when things got heavy, when our pants filled the quiet space, when our mouths opened and closed at a greater speed. She moaned for me like my fingers were driving her crazy.

  My fingers were drenched in her arousal.

  She grabbed the door behind me and pushed it closed before she guided me against it. She pressed her anxious body into mine, her tits moving against me as one hand unzipped my jeans. She kept kissing me without missing a beat, like she’d never wanted me to leave in the first place.

  I pushed her jeans over her ass and let them slide to the floor.

  Mine did the same. Now, I stood in just my shirt, my dick exposed to the air.

  She pulled my shirt over my head and kept kissing me against the door.

  I yanked the tie free from behind her neck and let her shirt fall in front of her, revealing the tits I hadn’t stopped thinking about since the last time I saw them. My hand fisted her hair, and I turned her into the wall, pinning her against it so I could be the one to ravage her. My fingers were still playing her like an instrument, and I was getting her hips to buck in urgency. I liked to fuck a woman when she was soaking wet, and it didn’t take much time to get Charlotte ready.

  She was always ready to fuck me.

  I rubbed her clit hard as I pressed her into the door, fucking her with my fingers and making her writhe. She was such a good kisser that I didn’t need to get my dick wet to enjoy it. When her kisses stopped, I knew she was ready to come around my fingers.

  I watched her claw at my chest as she came, her eyes closed and her lips wide open. Her hips bucked against my hand like her body wanted more, wanting as much pleasure as she could possibly get. She closed her eyes as she finished, and I swear, I saw the Milky Way galaxy in the look. Her expression was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen, the most erotic performance I’d ever seen a woman give—and I hadn’t even fucked her yet.

  She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes as she wound down from the high. Her chest was flushed with redness, and her nipples were hard like the tips of knives. She stuck her fingers into her hair and gave a loud moan, like she couldn’t believe this was really happening. Her hands migrated down to her hips and pushed her thong over her ass. She pushed it all the way down past her thighs, then removed her halter top altogether. Buck naked and against the door, she was ready to be fucked, her sandals kicked to the side.

  I’d already grabbed a condom out of my pocket and rolled it onto my length.

  She watched me as she bit her bottom lip. The woman just came around my fingers, but she looked at my dick like she was far from satisfied. The sight of my length was enough to give a woman multiple orgasms.

  I was very blessed downstairs.

  I gripped her thighs and lifted her against the door. She was a petite woman, so easy to hold, it seemed like no gravity was pulling her body back to earth. With her pinned against the door, I slid my swollen crown inside her and pushed deep.

  She moaned when she took all of me at once.

  My hands gripped her beautiful cheeks, and my cock twitched once it was surrounded by her slickness. She was so tight that it squeezed every inch of my length. Wet, tight, and so sexy, she was the perfect place to shove my dick after a long day. Her tits in my face, this was exactly what I wanted, to fuck a beautiful woman.

  I held her in place and fucked her against the door.

  Fucked her hard.

  “Yes…” She clawed at my back, moaning like she didn’t just come minutes ago. “God…yes.”

  8

  CHARLOTTE

  KYLE SAT across from me in the cafeteria. He ate half a roast beef sandwich with a side salad. The other half was already wrapped up so he could eat it on his second break. He was in his dark blue scrubs, the tattoos on his left arm noticeable when he didn’t wear his lab coat. With his arms crossed on the table, he watched me. “Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you sure—”

  “Yes.” I didn’t need anyone to hold my hand through this process. I would hold my head high and pretend nothing bothered me. Cameron already took so much of my heart and time. I wouldn’t let him take another second.

  Kyle kept staring at me, as if he hoped I would change my mind.

  Cameron had decided to keep the house, so he was still living in it, but some of my things were still there, like a box of keepsakes my grandmother left for me. I didn’t take it when I left because I’d been more focused on the important things—like my clothes and dog. But now I had to return to pick up the rest of my belongings. “It won’t be that bad. He knows I’m coming, so I’m sure he’ll have it right by the door. I probably won’t even have to go inside.”

  Kyle only gave a slight shrug. “Don’t overestimate him. He’s an idiot.”

  “Yeah…” Maybe it would be a huge ordeal…but I had to do it anyway. “Whatever. It’ll be fine.”

  “If I come along, I could give him a nice black eye.”

  “I can do that myself, Kyle.” It didn’t matter how angry I was; I’d never raised a hand to him. I barely raised my voice. His abandonment was so shocking there were no words I could say to make it worse or better. It was so traumatic that I shut down completely. We didn’t have an ugly flight where dishes were flying across t
he room.

  I didn’t fight.

  Kyle kept watching me, sympathy in those pretty eyes. “I’m always here for you. If you need anything, just ask.”

  “I know, Kyle.” He always had my back. He’d been good so good to me. He was the first person I told when Cameron kicked me out. Stacy was my best friend, but Kyle was the first person who popped into my head at the time. “I went out with Neil the other night. He invited me to his friend’s place for dinner.”

  Kyle was still in the same sullen mood as before. “How’d that go?”

  “It was fun. Now I know two astronauts.”

  Kyle had never been impressed by Neil even though everyone else thought he was the most interesting guy on the planet. Kyle always played it cool, unless it was just the two of us. “Still fooling around with him?”

  “I don’t know if still is the right word since we just started.”

  “So, you intend to keep seeing him?”

  I shrugged. “I like spending time with him, and he’s good in bed…so yes.”

  “A lot of men are good in bed.”

  “Ha,” I said sarcastically. “You obviously haven’t slept with a lot of guys.”

  “I’ve slept with myself.”

  I chuckled. “Well, that’s a pretty one-sided opinion.”

  “Not really. You’ve slept with me too.”

  It was the second time he’d brought it up, even though it was a topic we’d never discussed before Neil came around. “Yes, and it was good. But I was in a tough spot at the time…not really all there.”

  “Then maybe we should give it another try.”

  “What?” I asked, giving a slight laugh even though I wasn’t sure if he was making a joke.

  He gave me a straight look. “You heard me.”

  I held his gaze then brought my root beer to my lips. I sipped out of the straw, doing something just to avoid the tension that was rising between us. “Kyle, we fooled around a couple of times because I was going through a hard time. You’re my friend, and I wouldn’t want to go down that path again because you mean more to me than that.”

  With a stony expression, he absorbed what I said without showing any kind of reaction.

  I still wasn’t sure if he was kidding or being serious. I wasn’t sure what was happening at all right now.

  “When does Neil launch again?”

  It was such a drastic change in conversation that I had repeat what he’d said in my head. “I have no idea. I’m not even sure if he knows…he just knows he’s leaving.”

  He grabbed his bag of chips and took a couple out.

  “You don’t like him?”

  “He’s fine. I just don’t think he’s good enough for you.”

  “A world-famous astronaut isn’t good enough for me?”

  “He’s a player. He sleeps with whomever he wants without consequence.”

  “And that’s bad because…?”

  “I just don’t think that’s what you need.”

  “Kyle, I know what I need more than anyone. All I’m looking for is something easy…unlike this conversation.”

  When Kyle realized how aggressive he was being, his shoulders relaxed a bit and he uncrossed his arms from his chest. “I just don’t want you to get hurt again. You’re still fragile right now, and the last thing we need is another Cameron.”

  “I won’t get hurt again. I promise.”

  “That’s a pretty bold promise.”

  “I just know nothing serious will ever happen with Neil. I think that’s why I like him so much.”

  Kyle watched me for a long time, still wearing that coldhearted expression. “I guess if you know there’s an expiration date on this, it doesn’t matter. You might have to be with a few guys before you’re finally able to consider another real relationship.”

  I never wanted to be in another relationship again. I just wanted fling after fling, but I didn’t tell him that. Anytime I mentioned it, people always tried to argue and change my mind, even Neil.

  But I didn’t want to change my mind.

  I PARKED at the curb outside the house and stared at the white trim and the blue door. A wraparound porch surrounded all sides of the property, a special charm that I loved about the place. I used to sit outside and read while Torpedo looked out at the street. Now the place was just a memory…a bad one.

  Torpedo had his head out the window. His tongue had been hanging out just a second ago, but now he was motionless with attention, like he recognized the house and exactly what it meant.

  “Stay here, alright?”

  He turned to me and whined.

  I shut the door behind me then walked up the stone path and up the stairs. Wind chimes hung from the porch, unmoving because the summer air was still. The screen door was still broken, slightly off the hinges. I rang the doorbell then felt my heart race a million miles a minute.

  My palms were sweaty, my shorts stuck to my ass. My metabolic response had nothing to do with the scorching summer heat. It had everything to do with the pain churning in my stomach.

  Cameron opened the front door then popped the screen open.

  Torpedo immediately started growling. He could be heard all the way from the street.

  With his dark hair and green eyes, Cameron looked at me like he needed a moment to recognize my features. It’d been a while since we’d last seen each other, barely exchanging a few sentences over text. Things ended badly, and once the shit hit the fan, I didn’t stick around. Most people would want a huge fight, but I didn’t see the point. I just left. He didn’t greet me because it felt odd to say anything at all, to greet your ex-wife when you’d abandoned her.

  When words weren’t forthcoming, I took the lead. “How are you?” I used to love this man with all my heart, but now I saw him as a disloyal coward. No amount of time would erase the pain he caused me, but I refuse to drown in those memories.

  He was clearly caught off guard by my calmness. “Good. You?”

  “Just trying to beat the heat, you know?” He was still blocking the doorway, so I couldn’t walk inside. “Are you going to hand me my stuff? Or do you want me to walk in and go get it?”

  “Uh, no. I got it.” He turned back into the house, the door opening for just a second.

  The quick glimpse was enough to show the new furniture, the white couches, the colorful art on the walls. Feminine touches were everywhere—because he lived with someone. We’d been divorced for six months, and he’d already replaced me.

  Wow, this guy was an asshole.

  He picked up the box and stepped onto the porch. “I’ll carry it for you.”

  My emotions exploded like a volcano, and I wanted to throw a fit. I wanted to punch him in the face then kick him in the balls. This was the house we came to after our wedding. We couldn’t afford a honeymoon, so we stayed here alone, making love and getting pizza delivered. The house was tainted by those memories…but he quickly replaced them with new ones. The second I couldn’t get pregnant, all his love for me evaporated. I was no longer useful. When he found this woman, did he make her take a fertility test first?

  Somehow, I swallowed all that rage and kept my cool. The only revenge I could possibly get was walking out of there like he meant nothing to me. If I broke down and got upset, that could only mean he still had a hold over me. “I should probably carry it. Torpedo is a little worked up today…”

  Torpedo was still growling, his teeth bared as he looked at Cameron on the porch.

  I took the box from his hands. “Thanks. I have a few places I want to put my grandma’s old things.”

  He released the box and kept looking at Torpedo. “Doesn’t like me anymore, does he?”

  No one did. “He’s just hungry. I’ll see you later, Cameron.” I carried the box down the stairs.

  “Char.”

  I stopped at the use of the nickname, hating it from his lips. My friends called me that, and he was definitely no friend of mine. I turned around and imagined he would apologize
to me, that he would say he’d made a huge mistake. He was living with someone, so he obviously had moved on, but I fantasized about it anyway. I didn’t want him back, but I wanted closure. I hadn’t really gotten that yet.

  “I’m sorry to ask, but I was wondering if I could have my ring back…”

  My heart dropped into my stomach, and the box almost slid from my hands. My wedding ring was still sitting in my nightstand where I kept it. I didn’t have the heart to throw it away, but I didn’t give it back to him either because I’d worn it for years. It wasn’t a broken-off engagement. We were married. It was mine. All I could do was stare at him because I couldn’t believe he had the audacity to ask. “We were married for five years, Cameron.”

  “I know. I just thought—”

  “A man can ask for his ring back if a marriage never takes place. That’s fair. But a man can’t ask his wife of five years for his ring back. We can’t erase the past like it never happened. But if our marriage meant so little to you…then I guess I should give it back.” I turned back to the truck, keeping my dignity as much as possible while he could still see me. When I turned the corner, I would burst into tears then.

  “Charlotte, that’s not what I meant.” He came after me. “I just thought…”

  Torpedo jumped out of the truck and ran right up to Cameron, putting his body in between me and Cameron. He ducked his head low and turned into a wolf, protecting me like he could sense my heartbreak.

  Cameron stepped back and raised his arms. “Whoa, boy.”

  Torpedo barked loudly, taking steps forward and pushing him back.

  “Torpedo, it’s okay.” I grabbed him by his collar and dragged him back to the truck. I opened the door and forced him to jump inside. Then I put the box in the center seat. I rolled up the window and shut the door so he couldn’t jump out again.

  Cameron stood there, looking a little uncomfortable and ashamed.

  “I’ll get the ring to you.” I didn’t want to look at him any longer. I wanted to round the corner so I could let myself cry my heart out. I moved to the other side of the truck.