Charlie came out into the garage wearing his S/S Speed and Strength textile jacket, and a set of yellow hydrophobic night driving glasses on top of his head. In his hands, he held an identical pair of glasses and Bryn’s black fitted leather jacket tossed over his arm. He held out the jacket for her to slip it on, turning her to zip the front. “No helmets, tonight.”
Bryn raised her eyebrows at his words, “What? Why? Is that even legal?”
“Because I think it is hurting you more than it is helping you right now. I want to see if it helps if you can hear my voice, keep your face buried in my neck, skin to skin and all that. We are only going over to the bar in Hampton. It’s only a ten minute drive. And yes, it’s legal in Wisconsin.”
A greasy burger and fries did sound good right now. The bar wasn’t that far to the west of Amulet, out near the unincorporated town of Hampton. It actually was only a few miles north of the farm, as the crow flies. The owner had been a friend of her father’s for years; obviously he didn’t feel the same about her mother, though. As soon as Daddy was gone, most of their so-called family friends stopped coming around. It made the last few years of her life very lonely.
“No problem,” Bryn said as she slipped on the glasses, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. She actually wouldn’t mind getting up close and personal with the Charlie’s sensitive ear lobes as they rode. Scratch that, she thought with a smirk. I don’t want to become road-kill just because I have a sure-fire way to break his concentration. I can make Charlie melt when I tug on his ear lobes with my teeth.
“I can tell when your thoughts turn sexual, Bryn,” Charlie said as he straddled the bike, flipping the kickstand up.
“I was not…” Bryn started to lie, but Charlie quickly cut her off, speaking over top of her. “Your breathing falters, your cheeks flush, and your pupils dilate. You are easy to read, kitten.” Using his legs, he backed the bike up and out from the garage, turning the handlebars as he inched it forward off the cement driveway. He pushed a tiny black button that hung from a carabineer next to the drive column and the garage door started to pull shut.
Bryn shook her head as she walked over to him. “I can’t get anything passed you, can I?”
“Nope, kitten. Hop on, before I decide to become a cannibal and eat you for supper,” he said with a mischievous wink.
Bryn chomped her teeth together, fake biting him as she climbed behind him on the bike. “Aren’t you tired of eating that, yet?”
“Nope, not by a long shot.”
Bryn laughed as she snuggled in closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist, pressing her nose against his neck. Charlie flipped the cover on the key panel, starting the bike with a roar. Twisting the throttle, the bike let out a growl as the engine sprung to life. The bike had a shotgun exhaust system, and the muffler had obviously been modified, louder slip-ons being used instead. Bryn was well aware that Charlie’s tricked out bike was worth more than she made in a year.
Charlie eased out onto the highway as Bryn tried to keep her breathing nice and slow. She concentrated on the feel of Charlie’s scratchy skin under his jaw line. He had just shaved, but still she could feel some stubble, which felt like very fine sand paper on her nose. Bryn could feel Charlie’s chest sharply rise and fall as he took a deep breath, reminding her to pace her breathing as well.
It was no time at all before they were turning onto the highway leading straight into Hampton. They had already been riding for four miles, and she was completely at ease. No sooner had she mentally patted herself on the back, that Charlie quickly braked the bike, faltering as the skidded to a stop. The momentum made her tightly squeeze Charlie around his abdomen, holding her body from flying forward. Once they came to a complete stop, Bryn could feel that Charlie’s chest was heaving, obviously something had made him panic. Bryn lifted her head to see what was wrong, catching the hind legs of a deer darting through the tall grass on the other side of the ditch.
“Scared of Bambi, Charlie?” she teased with a smile.
Bryn’s smile quickly faded when she heard the crack in Charlie’s voice, “No, that fucker just about took us out, Bryn. I just about smeared us both across the blacktop.”
Bryn rested her chin on his shoulder as he fought to steady his breathing. Feeling beyond safe with him, she needed to find a way to tell him she hadn’t been worried. In fact, she knew that there was no place safer than right here, riding sans helmet and all.
“Charlie, you make me feel safer than anyone else ever has. You push my buttons, irritating the hell out of me. But in the end, you have a reason for everything you do. Even Corey hasn’t been able to make me to feel this safe. Protected. I really, really like you.” Bryn closed her eyes, her heart beating wildly in her chest. Quietly, she whispered as she looked into the grass waving next to them, “I even think that I’m falling for you.”
Charlie didn’t answer her for a long time, the seconds stretching out, making Bryn’s stomach drop in embarrassment. Not wanting to wait for Charlie to utter a rejection, Bryn tried peeling herself off of the bike. Charlie’s strong hands grabbed her wrists, pulling her back into position. He lifted his feet off the ground as he twisted the throttle, quickly accelerating way over the speed limit. Bryn had never ridden this fast before, but it was a heady feeling. The wind was cold as it washed over her face and hands, making it hard to concentrate on holding tight.
It was a mere minute before they made it the last few miles to the bar in Hampton. Bryn was steadying herself for the embarrassment of being discarded by Charlie for her lack of self-control over her emotions. Charlie parked the bike on the far side of the building, away from the lights of the front door. He quickly flipped the kickstand down, sliding off the bike. Bryn kept her head down the entire time, willing her tears back as she waited for the other shoe to drop.
Charlie startled her when he wrapped his cold hands around her jaw, lifting her chin. He leaned down, lightly brushing his soft lips against hers. Bryn kept her eyes tightly clenched shut, knowing that this was a kiss good-bye. “Look at me, Bryn,” Charlie whispered softly. Bryn shook her head, trying to avert her eyes, knowing she would see pity on his face. “Kitten, please. Look. At. Me.”
His voice had dropped an octave, making her feel the need to comply. She took a deep breath as she looked at him through tear stained lashes. His face was soft with compassion, not pity. “Bryn, you make me feel more alive than anyone has in a very long time. You are not the only one making an emotional investment in this relationship. Trust me when I say that I have very strong feelings for you, too.” The pads of his fingertips softly brushed away her tears, as he gently kissed her lips. “We’ll go one step at a time. Together. Okay?”
“Mmhmm,” she said against his lips as he continued to meld their mouths together. Voices were getting closer to them from the front of the bar as Charlie pulled away.
“Damn it, woman. I really need to eat some food before I wither away. Stop distracting me.” Helping her off the bike, he emphasized his point by landing a soft whack on her rear. Bryn could only smile as he waved her in front, leading her with his hand on the small of her back inside.
Chapter Thirteen
Bryn ravenously ate her loaded burger, half-starved from the exhausting day. Charlie quirked his eyebrows when she had ordered guacamole on the side. The combination was delicious, but it wasn’t the only weird food combination she loved. She would have ordered a chocolate milk shake to dip her French fries in, but the bar was out of ice cream.
The rumble of thunder outside made Charlie stop eating mid-chew. “Shit, eat quickly. Otherwise we are going to get wet on the way home.” Bryn swallowed her last fry, chugging down half the glass of ice water to wash everything down. Quickly, Charlie threw money on the table, pulling on his coat as he dragged her out of the bar.
Lightning cut through the sky, illuminating the billowy thunderheads to the west. The wind had picked up, and the temperature had dropped. Bryn counted in her head as she waited to
hear the clap of thunder. One one thousand, two one thousand, thr… The thunder boomed overhead, signaling that the storm was less than two miles away. Bryn quickly hopped on behind Charlie, yanking her glasses out of her pocket. She barely zipped up her coat before Charlie peeled out from the lot, throwing gravel out behind them. A few rain drops slapped onto their heads before Charlie accelerated again, racing in front of the storm.
Bryn buried her face into his neck, willing herself to keep her fear under control. Charlie would not have time to stop for her; she had to keep it together. It was a lot easier to ride now that she had successfully done it a few times already this weekend. Not ready to test her new found comfort, she quietly held on to Charlie as he barreled ahead of the storm. They pulled in to his driveway right as another clap of thunder split the night air. Charlie pressed the garage door button, rolling inside as the heaven’s opened, and rain poured down like a faucet had been turned on. Bryn laid her head against Charlie’s back as she tried to calm her wildly beating heart.
“You okay, Bryn?”
“I’m good. Feel my heart. It’s thumping through my shirt.”
Charlie practically leaped off the bike, the look of panic was etched on his face, “Did I scare you? Shit, Bryn. I’m so sorry. I was so focused on getting us out of the storm that I forgot to pay attention to you. Did you signal for me to stop? I didn’t even see anything but the road…”
Bryn couldn’t help but laugh as he stuttered, obviously afraid that he had emotionally scarred her. “Really, I’m fine, hottie. Please. Relax. It was a rush, that’s all. I don’t feel the same tightness in my chest anymore when I ride. In fact, that was fuc…I mean that was really awesome.”
Charlie slumped over, his hands braced on his knees as he stared at the floor of the garage. He held his position for a long time before Bryn finally dismounted on the other side, walking over to stand next to him. Gently placing her hand on his back and rubbing up and down, Bryn tried to soothe him. Not exactly sure why he was so upset, Bryn patiently stood next to him, willing him to relax under her reassuring strokes.
Finally, he cocked his head to the side to look at her. The smile on his face was deadly as he spoke, “You, my dear, are going to be the death of me. Here I thought I had done everything I vowed to help you overcome.” He stood tall as he pulled her to the other side of the garage, to the inside door that led them to the kitchen. He opened the door, ushering her inside. “I don’t have another way to get you home in the rain, but you are more than welcome to stay here with me tonight. You won’t offend me though if you want Corey to come pick you up and take you home. I know you have to work in the morning.”
Bryn could feel her insides clench at the thought of spending the entire night in bed with Charlie. “I don’t even know where Corey is. I haven’t heard much from him today, he only texted me to see if I was coming home for dinner. I think he has spent the whole week-end holed up at the shop. I’ll stay here, if that’s okay.”
“Absolutely. You can sleep in my bed and I will take the couch downstairs,” he said with a wink.
Bryn walked over to him, wrapping her arms tightly around his chest, “But I’ll get cold,” she pouted with her most pitiful voice.
Charlie placed a reverent kiss on top of her head as he swayed her from side to side. “You’re not one of those girls that sticks your freezing cold feet under my butt at all hours, are you?”
Bryn was laughing at the mental image he gave her. “Yup,” she continued without thinking, “and I expect at least eight hours of uninterrupted sleep, otherwise some unlucky dude might end up with a pencil stuck in their eye tomorrow.
Charlie released her, holding his hands up in surrender. “I promise to keep my hands to myself so that you can get some rest.”
Bryn could feel her face pulling into a dramatic pout as she tried imagining a night bereft of Charlie’s wonderful lovemaking skills. She wanted to reclaim the stupid sentence about needing sleep so that she could leave the intimacy door open. Adding to her earlier sentence, “Well, not a full eight hours. I mean I could live with six or even seven if you had something in mind.”
Charlie playfully answered without so much as a smile, “I can behave myself. It’s you that I worry about, Bryn.”
Smacking him on the arm, she added, “You’re the sex fiend, not me!”
Charlie held up his hands again in surrender, “I was just kidding, Bryn. I will do everything in my power to make sure that you are well-rested for work tomorrow.”
“Good. Now, can I use your washer to wash my clothes? I bet I can piece together an outfit from the things that I already have here. I would just need a t-shirt, could borrow one from you? I can wear my sandals to the shop, hopefully my boss won’t notice. That way I can have Corey pick me up from here in the morning and we can go straight to work. It would save me from having to get up extra early.”
“Sure, kitten. Help yourself. Laundry soap is in the cupboard above the washer downstairs.”
Charlie sat down at the kitchen table, working the knots from on his boots. Without looking up at her, he continued, “I don’t have to be to work in the morning until 11, but I have to work double shifts until Wednesday, and the late shift on Thursday. I switched shifts with another doctor so I work Friday, too. This way, I will have the week-end and early next week off.”
Bryn sat down next to him as she tried to figure out his schedule, giving up mid-week. “So will I get to see you at all this week?” Her heart had plummeted at the thought of not being able to see Charlie for five days. It had only been a few days, but she craved his presence like a drug. When he was around, her sense of urgency waned, leaving her able to relax and enjoy life instead of it just swirling around her like a vortex, drowning her in emotions.
“Sorry, Bryn. You can text me, and I will try to answer whenever I can. I probably will be sleeping at the hospital most of the week. I did this for a reason, kitten.”
Charlie tossed his boots beside the door, walking over to his computer in the kitchen, bumping the mouse to bring the screen back to life. Bryn followed to look over his shoulder to see what he was looking at. On the screen was a photo of a picturesque town, with rolling hills and scenic roads. Charlie clicked on an icon taking him to the website of a resort, surrounding by scenic beauty. The next click was to a small circular cabin, nestled deep in the forest. The pictures inside the cabin showed only one bedroom, a small bathroom with a soaking tub, and a pocket kitchen. It seemed like the perfect lover’s getaway.
“I wanted to take you away next weekend. I thought we could ride, if you were up to it. I can see if Corey can add a backrest on my bike for you, to make it more comfortable. This place is down in Illinois, about 4 hours away.” Charlie moved aside, letting her look at the computer.
“This place looks really expensive, Charlie. I don’t think I could…” Bryn couldn’t finish her thought; Charlie made her squeak when he grabbed her arms, muffling her words with a passionate kiss. He didn’t let up until he felt the fight leave her arms, relaxing into his embrace. He let go of her mouth, but not her arms.
“I want to take my girl out for the weekend and spoil her. Just shut up and say yes.” He kissed her again, moving from her lips to brush lightly across her jaw, down her neck. He was gently biting her pulse point, then running his tongue up to her earlobe. Bryn could hardly contain her excitement as a moan escaped her lips.
“Is that a yes?” Charlie whispered in her ear, causing goose bumps to erupt across her flesh. Bryn had lost all control of her voice and could just barely nod her answer.
“Good, because my only other persuasion technique would not have been much fun for you,” Charlie said as he bent down, placing his shoulder against her mid-section, lifting her up. “But it would have been so much fun for me.” Bryn couldn’t help but squirm and giggle as he carried her to the bedroom. Charlie slapped her ass as he playful growled, “Be still, wench.”
“I thought you were going to behave?” Bryn pouted
as he threw her down on the bed, “I have laundry to do, remember?”
Charlie started undoing her boots, sliding the zippers down, tugging them off her feet. “I’ll throw your clothes in the wash after I make you scream my name a couple times.” He moved on to undo her jeans, hurriedly yanking the denim down over her leg. The material caught on her ankle, making her wince.
“Shit, I’m sorry, Bryn.”
He gently pulled on the cuff until the material unbunched, her legs slipping free. His voice turned accusatory when he saw her burned ankle, “Bryn your burn doesn’t have cream or a bandage on it.”
Bryn growled at his change in temperament, “I put them both on when I got dressed earlier, but the bandage must have slid off and gotten stuck in my jeans, Dr. Glynn,” she said slowly, as if irritated. “Now bring back Charlie, I like him much better. Dr. Glynn is too damn serious.”
Scoffing at her, “You’ll be sorry when you have a scar marring your beautiful skin.”
Bryn rolled her eyes as Charlie reached out to take his hands. Lifting her up, he tried pulling her tank top off her body. Bryn quickly swatted his hands away. “Uh uh, Charlie. Eye for an eye tonight. You have to lose an article of clothing for each one of mine. You have had plenty of time to study the human body; I haven’t had such a fine specimen to look at. Ever.”
Charlie dramatically rolled his eyes now, as he backed away from the bed. “Fine, kitten.” He walked over to his nightstand, turning on the lamp, as he continued, “But just so you know, my exposure to the naked female body is limited. Very limited.”
Bryn tried to contain her elation from his admission. She wanted to bask in the knowledge that he had very few lovers, but he quickly took her breath away as he reached behind his head with one hand, pulling up on his t-shirt in between his shoulder blades. The material slowly started to rise in the front, exposing his midriff. Licking her lips, Charlie smirked as he finished pulling the material forward over his head. His eyes never left hers as he balled the shirt up, throwing it in the corner. Stalking back over to her, he lifted her up again, this time pulling her shirt over her head. She lay back down on the bed, barely propping herself up on her arms as she watched him undo his belt and then his jeans. He pulled them off, dropping them right there on the floor.
Let Me Fly Page 9
