The feel of his warm hands on her butt penetrated through the lace of her panties down to her skin beneath as he gripped her hard, grinding her body against him. Her hands bracketed his face as she kissed him, their tongues sliding, lips sucking. He tasted like cinnamon and smelled fresh, like he’d also recently showered.
His chest was covered with short, coarse hairs, and when she recalled why—that she’d made him shave it—she could only feel amused and turned on, remembering how hot their kiss was that night. She’d spent so much time hating the thought that was all she’d ever have with him. And yet here they were, halfway to naked and no end in sight.
Dean’s fingers pressed against her back, urging her closer to his mouth as he lowered his head. The moment his lips touched her collarbone, she shivered. He continued down, to the upper swell of her breast, the outline of her bra, and then finally his mouth closed around her nipple, sucking hard. His tongue fondled the tip, the lace of her bra no match for the wetness of his mouth.
“Oh my G—” she gasped as he released her nipple only to follow lightly with a gentle scrape of his teeth. Her hands drove into his hair and she pushed her body down onto the bulge beneath his jeans, searching for friction.
His fingers went to her bra’s clasp, and when it fell away from her body, she waited in rapt anticipation. A heavy sigh escaped her lips when his mouth touched her bare skin. One breast, then the other, licking and sucking as if her body might be his last meal.
“You still have way too many clothes on,” Charlotte said, leaning back and angling her body away from him. She smiled as she watched his neck crane forward to chase her breasts with his mouth, like candy being pulled away from a child.
He took a deep breath and dropped his head back on the cushion, running his hands up and down her body. She did the same, letting her hands wander across his chest, loving the prickly feeling.
“That’s your fault,” he said, obviously aware of what she was thinking by the way she rubbed at him. “Regrowth is a bitch.”
“It was worth it for your shoot. But I have to say, I’m excited for when I can see you completely natural and hairy. The way you’re supposed to be.”
He huffed out a laugh that melted into a groan as he cupped her breast and then lightly pinched one of her nipples. It was as if their hands couldn’t help but explore the other’s body after being denied so long. “So my natural, hairy body wasn’t good enough for a book cover? Is that what you’re saying?”
“I’m not saying that at all. But I am saying that I’m glad I saved the most perfect version of you just for myself. I don’t want to share you.” She was teasing him again, as he had been her, but when their eyes met, his narrowed. He was contemplating what to say, she could tell, but without speaking he continued to stare at her as he scooted forward on the couch. Her body jerked with the motion. He did it again, his head sliding down a little more, and she knew what he was doing. Making it easier for her to remove his pants.
Charlotte didn’t hesitate, leaning back so she could reach between them and get her hands on the fly of his jeans. She shimmied back a little, trying to ignore the way his fingers traced a pattern on her inner thighs as she worked at his zipper. Her entire body was a ball of electric currents. So warm and glowy feeling, she wondered how she wasn’t putting off light.
Her hands fumbled with his pants and then finally she stood just long enough to tug at them. Dean lifted up his backside to help her pull them off. Once they were tossed aside, Charlotte was unable to help herself. She knelt on the floor between his legs and laid her fingers on the band of his boxer briefs. The outline of his hard erection through the cotton was so beautiful, she felt dizzy.
Stopping for a moment, she looked up at him. He watched her, waiting. She loved that his personality never wavered, even during sex. He was patient and observant, his reserve held just at the brink of breaking fully. She knew the way his nose flared with every breath that he was silently begging her to touch him. It was almost as if she could hear the words on his lips without him speaking them.
Their eyes held as she slid a palm up the length of him from base to tip. His jaw clenched, and when her fingers curled around the head and squeezed, he couldn’t hold back. His eyes darted down to where she held him, a muffled groan came from his closed mouth, and his pelvis arched up toward her the slightest bit.
Charlotte bit back a smile, her teeth clamping down on her lower lip as she began to pull his underwear down. This was better than Christmas, her birthday, and getting a new camera all in one.
This was Dean Troyer. The man of her fantasies. The man she loved to tease, hoping that he fantasized about her in return. How many time had she played this out in her mind?
“You know, sometimes when I’m alone…” The minute his penis was revealed, she took hold of it, the width and length just about as perfect as it could get. “I imagine a moment just like this. You here, naked, at my mercy.”
She gripped firmly, stroking up and down once. Did he shiver?
“Do you?” His eyes were dark. “And what do you do to me in those moments?”
“Everything I can imagine.”
His right hand came up and clamped down on top of hers, squeezing, causing her grip to tighten on him.
“Am I the only one of us who has thoughts like that?” she asked, coyly. She continued to stroke him, loving the way he kept his hand steadied over hers.
“You know you’re not. I’ve thought about you a thousand times.”
“Then how about you tell me what I do to you in those moments.”
“Charlotte—” He lifted his hand to touch her cheek softly.
“Tell me. Tell me what fantasy me does to you. Or maybe … show me.”
Dean swallowed. Maybe he wasn’t used to a woman being so forward. Quite honestly, Charlotte wasn’t always this way, especially during sex, but something about this man made her the most outrageous, wanton, playful version of herself. It was liberating, and it turned her on immensely.
She knew it turned him on, too, when his thumb brushed over her cheek, then her lips, before his fingers slid into her hair, gripping the back of her head. Her heart pounded and her body hummed, because she knew full well what he wanted, and knowing they were both about to bring their fantasies to life only made her hotter. Meeting his eyes, she urged him on with her gaze, and he gently pushed her head down.
* * *
Dean’s breath caught in his throat as he watched Charlotte go down on him. She’d asked what she did to him in his fantasy, and this was it only a million times better. He was pretty certain that nothing in his life had ever been this hot. He reached out to sweep her blond hair off her face, pulling it around to one side. Her hooded eyes shifted up to him, holding contact as she licked up the length of him.
That sight alone had him gripping the pillow beside him, trying to take this like a man and not a teenager in the backseat of a car getting head for the first time. But goddamn, that’s exactly how he felt.
After a few moments of sucking, he knew he couldn’t take anymore. He lifted his hand and caressed her face, his thumb touching her cheek once more until she pulled back. “Get up here.”
She didn’t ask any questions, just stood and pulled his briefs all the way off his legs. She then slid down her own panties, revealing the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen. His mouth went dry as he took in the beauty of her soft skin, her full thighs, and the triangle of hair between them. She let him look at her for just a moment before she climbed back onto his lap.
“Condom?” she asked, once settled.
“Front pocket of my jeans.”
She leaned down, fumbled with his pants, and her smile was playful and sexy as she sat back upright with the packet between her fingers.
Dean watched, mesmerized, as she opened it, and then stroked him several times before finally rolling the condom down the length of him. Their eyes locked as she lifted and then slowly …
“Holy … damn…” Dean
hissed out a long breath, his hands going to her face, one on each cheek, as she seated herself fully. “Oh God, you feel so good.”
Too good. Too tight, warm … and then she began to move, and Dean’s eyes slid closed as Charlotte let out a breathy moan. His hands still on her face, he could feel her lean forward and then her lips sought his.
The kiss was slow and wet, mimicking the movement of their bodies. They’d waited so long, and he didn’t want to rush this, but every movement of her body sent him closer to the edge. It didn’t take long for her to pick up the pace, her body rocking and pounding against his. The lust was too intense, and within moments they were both chasing after release like their lives depended on it.
“Touch me,” she said against his lips. “Please.”
Dean dropped a hand between them and his thumb instantly found its intended destination. She gripped his head in response and tilted her pelvis forward to give him better access. Her change in position altered the friction below and his mouth dropped open, his body trembling.
“Slow down, baby, or I’m gonna come.”
“Me too…” Instead of slowing down she picked up the pace, rocking her body against his, and within seconds they were coming together.
Seventeen
Charlotte was startled awake by ABBA singing the chorus of “Does Your Mother Know.” She reached out to the bedside table and pushed the top of her phone to silence it just as they got going.
There was movement on the other side of the bed. “You have an ABBA ringtone?” a husky yet amused voice asked.
“Only for my mother,” she lied. “Sorry to wake you. Go back to sleep.”
Which was what she intended to do. Her wedding hangover was in full force this rainy Sunday morning. However, Dean must have had other plans, because he rolled over on the bed before she felt his arms slide around her. One between her and the bed, the other around her waist.
She smiled as he tugged her against his body and his lips found her neck. Maybe this was the wedding hangover cure she’d been searching for. Last night after round one on the sofa, they’d moved into the bedroom for round two before falling asleep. But Charlotte was far from finished with Dean.
As she arched her back and pressed her bottom against him, she wondered if he intended this to be a onetime night together. The fact that he hadn’t jumped out of bed and rushed off this morning was a good sign, but she still wasn’t certain.
His hand began to snake its way down her stomach and underneath her underwear just as ABBA started up again. The curious fingers stopped and the elastic of her panties snapped as he pulled his hand out.
“That is very unsettling,” he whispered.
Charlotte laughed as she reached for the phone. “It is quite appropriate for the situation.”
“Too much so.”
“I should probably get it so she doesn’t show up here to make sure I’m alive.” Charlotte pressed the ACCEPT button and lifted the phone to her ear at the same time she gave Dean the quiet signal. “Hey, Mom.”
“Good morning, sweetie. I can tell I’ve woken you but I did wait until ten to call.”
Charlotte rolled her eyes. “The day after a wedding that’s like calling at seven. But it’s fine. What do you need?”
“Well … tell me how the wedding was.”
That was what Charlotte was afraid of, and here she sat with an audience listening to every word. “It was really nice. Went well.”
“Don’t be vague. How did everyone treat you?”
“I’m not being vague.” Too much. “Everything was fine. It wasn’t like anything major would be mentioned there, Mom.”
And it wouldn’t be discussed here, either, not with Dean lying behind her, slowly rubbing his fingertips across her bare back. God, why did her mother have to interrupt this?
“I’m glad to hear it. Actually Mary Sue called me this morning. Told me she could not have been more pleased with your professionalism and organization. Shelby was also thrilled.”
“They haven’t even seen the images yet, but that’s nice to hear.”
“Mary Sue also mentioned … that you’re seeing someone.”
Charlotte froze. “She what?”
She looked over her shoulder at Dean wide-eyed. He returned her expression, his brows going up in question. She rolled back to her side, facing away from him.
“Why hadn’t you told me, Charlotte? Is it serious?”
“No, Mom. It’s not serious. In fact … it’s not even true.”
There was a pause on the other end. “I don’t understand.”
“I lied, Mom. It wasn’t smart and I wished I hadn’t done it.” She definitely wasn’t going to throw Lauren under the bus, not when she’d played right into it and hadn’t regretted it. Until now. “I just fell victim to my ego under the circumstances … and I lied.”
Dean put his arm around Charlotte and pulled her back into his body, giving her a firm squeeze. Was he comforting her? It felt good to be held that way. Too good.
“I guess I understand, but you certainly got my hopes up.”
Charlotte smiled. “Sorry. You’ll be the first to know when I find Mr. Right.”
“I better be. But … tell me. Who is this man? Mary Sue seemed to be under the impression that he was there last night?”
“Well … uh. He was there. A friend of mine played along.” Charlotte felt the shaking of Dean’s laughter on her back and couldn’t help holding back her own laugh. “But he understood the situation.”
“Hmmm. Maybe he likes you if he was willing to go along with it.”
Her mother. Always an opportunist. She’d probably be a mixture of shocked and elated if she knew her daughter was in bed with said man right now. But that was something Charlotte was unwilling to discuss with her parent.
“Mom, please. We can discuss yesterday’s event more later on. I’m still tired.”
With a sigh she agreed and Charlotte disconnected. After placing the phone back on the bedside table she fell back and looked up at the ceiling.
“What happened between you?” he asked, sliding his arm underneath her back and pulling her into his side.
Charlotte readjusted so her head rested on his chest. She could have pretended she didn’t understand the question, but that would have been ridiculous. With a sigh, she answered. “We were high school sweethearts, although I hate that phrase. I feel like the words themselves imply immaturity, and while that may explain my situation, there are plenty of high school couples that last forever.”
“Fair enough. Why do you believe you broke up?”
Where to begin? Going into detail wasn’t really ideal for her, so she decided to give him the version that wouldn’t scare him away.
“I guess we grew apart. Our problem was that we weren’t on the same page when we discovered this. According to him, he realized it a few months before our wedding. I realized it an hour before our wedding … when he called it off. I already had my dress on.”
Dean just stared down at her, his brow furrowed. “I’m so sorry, Charlotte. That’s complete bullshit, though, the way he handled it.”
“Yeah, well, I’m over it.”
“If I’d known, I never would have offered the guy a job.”
She smiled. “You’d have taken my side?”
“Of course.” He ran the back of his middle finger across her jaw, and the expression on his face was so genuine and tender, she had to stare at his chest. “I still will if you want, in fact I—”
“No, please.” She pushed up off the bed and rolled toward him, resting her hand on his chest. “I don’t want to be that girl. The one who can’t handle it. Besides, you need help, and if you felt a good vibe with him, then that’s what’s important.”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure I’ll be able to get the thought of you standing there in a wedding dress out of my head.”
“Ugh, please don’t picture that. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Why not?”
>
“I don’t know. It’s humiliating. Plus, that was five years ago. Just picture me naked instead. That should do it.”
“I’ve been picturing you naked for years.”
Her mouth dropped open. “You have?”
“I have and you know it. Now that I’ve gotten lucky enough to actually see you naked, those fantasies will be even better.”
Charlotte snuggled in closer and wrapped her arms around his waist. “That sounds good. But now that I’ve lied and pulled you into my web of drama, what will we tell John?”
Dean was quiet for a moment. “I guess we could just … pretend a little longer. See what happens between us.”
Charlotte’s head jerked up to meet his eyes. Dean looked hesitant, as if he was unsure of what she’d say. “Are you sure?” she asked.
He nodded. “Yeah. I’m sure.”
“I like that idea,” she said.
His lips slid into a sexy grin.
“I’m glad.” He began to roll on top of her, his hands going to each side of her head to hold his weight off her body. “I think I have a couple more ideas you’ll like.”
Charlotte grinned up at him. “If they include your mouth on me then you’re probably right.”
He turned out to be very right.
* * *
Charlotte spent that afternoon uploading the images from the previous day’s wedding and starting to cull out the ones she didn’t plan to keep. This was always the process she liked the least. It was tedious and boring, but necessary, so she preferred to get it done and out of the way as soon as she could.
Today the task was made slightly better by the fact that she could pass the time daydreaming about the events of last night. And this morning. Not long after her mother had called, and they’d made out a little more, Dean had gotten up and headed home. He’d kissed her lightly at the door, and then reminded her that they’d see each other Tuesday for the cake tastings.
Now that he was gone, she was having a hard time deciding exactly what he might have meant by his see what happens between us comment. Did that imply they were … dating? At the time his words had been enough, but now Charlotte felt the need to hash out the details.
Maybe I Do Page 17
