“That’s a lot of pressure.”
“Yeah, it is. For a long time, we kept crazy schedules, and I was always the kind of guy who didn’t want to sit still. I needed something creative to do. So I wrote music. I taught myself how to play other instruments, I learned how to work the recording equipment and produce music.”
“Wow!”
“My brain has a hard time shutting down sometimes and I love the thrill of learning something new or creating something new.”
“Now, that’s something I envy,” she said with a bit of wonder.
“What is?”
“Your creativity. I’m just not. Like I’ve told you before, I’m very analytical. A problem solver. I haven’t done anything artistic or creative since…I don’t know when.”
“It’s not all it’s cracked up to be,” he said seriously. “It’s a lot of pressure, and it opens the door for people to come in and use you and—”
Charlotte reached out and put a finger over his lips, effectively stunning him into silence. She shook her head. “No. Not tonight. We’re not going there.”
And if he hadn’t already been prepared to get on this roller coaster with her—he was seriously loving that metaphor!—he would be now. She was the first person in he didn’t know how long who wasn’t anxious to talk about his music, his career, any of it. Charlotte just wanted to talk to him—Julian. Just the man. It was a little unsettling and yet it filled him with hope.
It was something he’d thought was long gone from his vocabulary.
But here it was.
Here she was.
Reaching over, he gently clasped her wrist. “Where are we going?”
And then Charlotte did something that probably wasn’t intended to be sexy but it totally pushed him to his limit: she licked her lips.
Not even in a slow or seductive manner, just…licked her lips.
And he was done.
Tugging her to him, she spilled into his lap, and having her there was what he’d been waiting for since forever.
“Charlotte Clark, do you have any idea what you do to me?” he asked hoarsely, his eyes scanning her face.
Shaking her head, Charlotte held his gaze. “No, but I’m hoping it’s the same thing you do to me.”
“And what’s that?” he whispered, leaning in to hopefully kiss her again.
“You make me want,” she admitted softly, breathlessly.
They were so close that when he licked his own lips, he almost touched hers. “That’s good, because that’s exactly how you make me feel too.”
“What are we going to do about it?”
The things he wanted to do with her…
“Whatever you want,” he said, letting her set their pace. “If what you want is to sit here and talk until the sun comes up, then that’s what we’ll do.”
Her lips twitched with the need to smile as she asked, “Or?”
And he couldn’t help but grin. “Or you can let me take you inside and lay you down on my bed and spend the night not talking.”
She pouted slightly.
“What? What did I say to put that look on your face?”
Then she blushed. “I just… I guess…” Her eyes met his as she admitted, “I guess I envisioned us doing all those things—spending the night in bed together but talking. And not about life, but…”
It hit him what she was saying and it was like throwing gasoline on a flame. “Baby, I’ll talk to you all night long while we do all kinds of things. I want to touch every inch of you, Charlotte. And kiss every inch of you and hear you cry out my name.”
Her smile grew and it was a beautiful mixture of sweet and sexy and so completely Charlotte. “I think I’d like all of that,” she said. “Very much.”
Standing, Julian pulled her slowly to her feet and banded an arm around her waist to bring her body flush to his, and once more he was hit with how much he loved the feel of her curves pressed up against him.
And how much he couldn’t wait to explore them all.
In bed.
Together, they shut the sliding glass doors and Julian turned out the lights, leading her to the bedroom.
“Oh,” she gasped softly when she stepped into the room. She had kicked off her sandals while they’d been sitting on the sofa. When her feet went from the cool hardwoods to the plush carpeting, she obviously enjoyed the transition.
“It only gets better,” Julian promised as he led her across the room until they were beside the bed. They stood facing one another, and he was suddenly nervous and unsure. The primal part of him wanted to strip her bare and take her—to ease the ache he’d been feeling since they first met. But there was another part of him, one that he’d never known existed, that wanted to go slow and savor and—
Without warning, Charlotte reached out and wound her arms around his neck, initiating the kiss.
And Julian was one hundred percent on board.
He anchored his hands in her hair to keep himself from ripping those tiny straps of her dress in his haste to get her naked. Tongues dueled and need built as every bit of him was consumed by her. On and on it went, and he couldn’t believe what a turn-on kissing could be. It was always enjoyable, but kissing Charlotte was on a whole other level. She tasted like an exotic drink and smelled even better.
And he couldn’t wait to see and taste and smell the rest of her.
Slowly, he lowered his hands to her shoulders and began to peel down the tiny straps resting there. His hands trembled. The last time he’d felt this nervous taking a woman to bed was—well, it was probably when he was a teenager.
He hoped it all went better than it had back then.
As if sensing his wayward thoughts, Charlotte broke their kiss and looked up at him with those impossibly blue eyes. Even in the dim lighting of the room, they stood out to him. She took a step back and smiled shyly at him.
“I wanted to go slow with you,” he said. “But I think I’m failing miserably.”
She laughed softly, slid her arms out of the straps, and placed her hands over her breasts. “It’s the same for me. I keep thinking that slow is good, but right now all I can think of is doing this.”
Wordlessly, she shimmied out of the dress until it was pooled around her feet. Julian felt his heart kick hard in his chest.
Hot pink.
Her panties were hot-pink silk.
Reverently, he dropped to his knees and placed his hands on her hips as he leaned forward and kissed her belly. She sighed his name and raked her hands through his hair.
“I was kind of hoping that would motivate you to lose your shirt,” Charlotte said, looking down at him with a smile that was sexy and very pleased with herself.
Julian whipped the shirt off and tossed it over his shoulder. “Seeing you like this makes me want to lose more than my shirt, sweetheart.”
This time her laugh was throaty, and for a minute, Julian wasn’t sure if he should stay on his knees or jump to his feet and kiss her sassy mouth.
Her nails scraped against his scalp and she tugged on his hair to make him look up at her, and the heat Julian saw in her eyes made the decision for him.
Mouth.
Always her mouth.
One minute they were standing by the bed, the next they were on it. When Charlotte’s legs wrapped around him, he knew slow was off the table. For now. They had all night, and he promised himself they’d go slow the next time.
Bracing his hands on either side of her head, Julian stared down at her face, knowing his expression was fierce. “The next time I feel your nails on me, I want them to be on my back.”
She licked her lips and quirked one perfect brow at him. “Why do you think I wanted your shirt off so badly?”
Sexy banter. Who knew?
One of Charlotte’s hands came up and wrapped around his
nape, pulling him down close until their lips were a breath apart. “Bring it,” she whispered.
And Julian was a goner.
* * *
“Hey, beautiful girl,” Julian murmured against her ear. “C’mon. You need to get up.”
Charlotte groaned. They hadn’t slept for more than an hour—if that—and if he was seriously waking her up to ask her to leave, she was going to be pissed.
Majorly, majorly pissed.
On any given day, she was a morning person. But today all she wanted was just a little more sleep in this magnificent bed. She only had a full-size one at home, and if she had more space, she’d definitely invest in a king-size after this.
Julian was pressed snugly against her back, kissing her shoulder. Okay, so maybe he wasn’t asking her to leave, and they certainly didn’t have to get up to do more of what they’d been doing all night.
“Charlotte,” he whispered softly, now kissing her cheek. “If you don’t get up, you’re gonna miss it.”
Miss it? Okay, that piqued her curiosity.
Slowly, she turned in his arms and placed a kiss on his chest. “Any chance you can bring whatever this is that I need to see here?”
He chuckled. “Unfortunately, no. But trust me, you’re going to want to see it.”
“Julian…”
But he wasn’t listening. He kissed her one last time and then rolled away. Even with her eyes closed, she knew he was putting on his jeans.
And that was really a shame.
Rolling onto her back, she yawned and then felt something soft land next to her. Turning her head, she saw it was Julian’s shirt from last night.
“You can wear that,” he said with a grin. “Now come on. Hurry.”
Wasn’t a girl at least entitled to a few minutes to fix herself so no one saw her with bedhead and morning breath? When Julian said her name again, she huffed in frustration. “Okay, okay, sheesh.”
She slid the shirt on and it awakened her senses. It smelled of Julian, and all she wanted was to drag him back into the bed and—
“Oh no, you don’t,” he said with a laugh. He reached for her hand and tugged her from the bed. “I could tell by the look on your face what you were thinking, and in a few minutes, I promise to give you whatever you want. But right now, humor me.”
Hand in hand, he led her from the bedroom, down the hall, and to the living room. Everything was still dark—the house, the sky. For the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why he wanted her here.
As they walked past the sofa, he reached for the afghan that was draped over it, and led her out the back door onto the deck. The air was cool and Charlotte immediately gasped and shivered, but Julian didn’t stop until they were down the steps and on the sand. Then he sat and pulled her down into his lap, wrapping the blanket around them.
“Julian?” she asked in confusion.
“Shh.” With his arms and the blanket keeping her warm, she followed his motion and looked out toward the water. “I know the sunsets are better here, but…I thought you might want to watch the sun come up too.”
Everything in her melted. There were so many things she’d come to learn about Julian: On the surface, he looked like this big, tough badass. But what she was finding was another layer to him—a softer side—that made her heart race. She’d never known a man who thought about her on the level he did and she didn’t think she ever would.
Quietly, they sat and watched the sun come up. It was something she’d never done before and knew she’d never forget. Snuggling against him with her head on his shoulder, Charlotte wished the moment would never end. If she could, she’d be perfectly content to stay like this forever.
As the sky grew brighter, she began to wonder what would happen now. There was no way they could stay like this—and part of her wanted to pout about it—but she wasn’t sure if she was supposed to get dressed and go or just assume she was going to stay. If she had to base her decision on Julian’s previous behavior, she’d say it was a safe bet that she’d be leaving soon.
But the way his hand was slowly creeping under her shirt, she’d wait and reserve judgment on that.
Lifting her head, she sighed.
“What’d you think?” he asked quietly, his lips warm against her throat.
Right now, she could hardly remember her own name, let alone think. She tilted her head to give him better access and purred with pleasure. His hands were doing some pretty wicked things to her.
“Think?” she asked breathlessly.
“Uh-huh,” he murmured between kisses. “About the sunrise.”
She moaned when his touch grew bolder, more intimate. “Amazing.”
He chuckled softly. “What do you say we take this back inside and see what other kinds of amazing things we can see?”
Charlotte was ready to say “yes, please” when Julian simply stood with her in his arms and carried her back up the stairs and into the house. There were so many questions racing through her mind that it took an act of iron will to keep quiet and not ruin the moment. For now, she was learning to let Julian lead when he wanted something.
And she knew—at least in this instance—she was going to benefit from it.
Soon they were back in the bedroom and Julian was placing her gently on the bed, throwing the afghan over his shoulder.
No doubt she looked like a hot mess—hair tangled from sleep and the wind on the beach, a wrinkled T-shirt that was twisted and barely covered her—and she was sprawled across the mattress.
But the way Julian was looking at her told her that wasn’t how he saw her. No. The heat in his eyes and the way his gaze held hers as he took off his jeans told her he liked what he saw.
It was both empowering and a little terrifying.
No man had ever looked at her like that or wanted her like that.
When Julian crawled over her and stretched out on top of her, she welcomed his weight, his warmth. Wrapping her arms around him, Charlotte hugged him close.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
He didn’t ask what she was referring to—he knew. “After our conversation last night, I thought you might enjoy it.”
Slowly she slid her legs along his until they wrapped around him. “I’m enjoying this too.”
He smiled, and man, did she wish he’d do that more. His entire face transformed. It was amazing how relaxed he could look when he wasn’t brooding about something.
“I know I should suggest that we get some sleep, but…”
Charlotte grinned knowingly at him. “But?”
“But you’re all soft and sexy right now and so damn beautiful.” He paused and reached up to caress her face. “You completely take my breath away.”
And then her heart just stopped and squeezed hard. This man—this normally gruff and closed-off man—was making it very hard not to fall head over heels for him.
“I don’t even know what to say to that,” she admitted.
Julian shook his head. “I don’t want you to say anything. I just want you to stay right where you are and let me look at you.” He kissed her cheek. “And let me touch you.” He kissed her throat. He lifted up slightly and helped her slip the T-shirt over her head. His hands skimmed along her rib cage and cupped her breast right before he lowered his head and kissed her there.
Sighing his name, Charlotte gripped his hair and held him to her.
Then he lifted his head and gave her a sexy grin. “And let me have you.”
“I’m yours.”
* * *
“So, what did you do?”
“What do you think? I grabbed an apron and a notepad and started taking orders!”
They were sitting on the sofa, eating pizza and laughing. It was midafternoon and honestly, Julian thought he’d be feeling restless and ready for Charlotte to leave, but…he wasn’
t. If anything, he was enjoying her stories about growing up in Malibu and some of her crazier cases helping people find jobs. Apparently, it had started out as a hobby but had ended up taking her to places she hadn’t expected.
And not always by choice.
“Did your friend ever show up?” he asked.
She shook her head as she took a bite of her slice of pepperoni pizza. “I thought I was doing a good thing by offering to work her shift, but after I dropped three trays of food, the manager asked me to leave.”
“Asked?” he said with a grin.
“Okay, maybe he told me while shoving me out the door,” she replied. “Oh gosh. I had chocolate milk shake down my shirt, fries in my hair, and coleslaw in my shoe! I didn’t even want to get in my car!” She laughed. “When I got home, my dad was out front washing his car. He took one look at me and just hosed me off right there in the driveway!”
“No!” By this point, Julian could picture exactly how she must have looked and was laughing hard. “Did you tell him to stop?”
She shook her head again and almost couldn’t speak. “I yelled out for my mom to grab me some shampoo!”
And it hit him—again—as she sat there laughing at herself, just how different she was from any other woman he’d ever known.
Especially Dena.
How many hours in a day had Dena talked about herself and exaggerated how good she was at everything? And heaven forbid she would ever admit to doing anything wrong! In their years together, he never remembered her owning up to anything. Even when he’d caught her in a lie or cheating, she’d somehow managed to turn it around so it wasn’t her fault and he’d end up apologizing!
And before her, the women he’d dated—even casually—never wanted to be seen in an unflattering way. He couldn’t remember a time when he’d sat with a woman who looked as tousled as Charlotte, who didn’t have on any makeup, and wasn’t freaking out about it. Yet here she was—with a little sauce on her chin and some cheese on her shirt—and she was just laughing it off.
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