“Then maybe that’s the reason you should drink even more.”
She laughed at his joke but when the waitress came over and he ordered a rum and Coke for her she no longer found him funny. She corrected the order and tried to brush off her irritation as well as her budding sense of unease.
Enjoy yourself, dumb-dumb. You wanted this, remember? You refuse to be one of those dating disasters.
She tried to relax as they shared an order of calamari and talked about their lives. They had very little in common. Sean was from old money. Cherri was from no money. Their families were different, their childhoods, their experiences. She was afraid she was the dullest date in all of humanity. But Sean seemed to be having a good time. He kept touching her to prove it. His hands kept wandering to her shoulder, her elbow, her thigh, that broad smile of his never slipping from his face. She tried to chalk it up as normal date behavior but she wasn’t sure she was comfortable with it.
“I think the show is starting,” she said to him when the first notes from a piano drifted to her ears. She turned away from him and toward the stage, eager for the chance to put a few inches between them.
“I love jazz.” He inched closer to her and wrapped his arm around her middle. She tensed but ordered herself to relax. So much for space. She was on a date. This is how men acted. Wasn’t it? “This music is so sexy.”
His hand brushed the bottom side of her breast—no, it was more like his fingertips brushed her nipple.
It was an accident. Don’t be a ninny.
“Are you having a good time?” he asked in her ear.
She felt his hot, alcohol-scented breath on her skin. “Um, yeah.”
“Good, because I like you, Cherri.” His hand cupped her breast and she froze. She looked around the half-empty room as bile rose in her throat. Nobody could see them. The club was dark, and everyone’s eyes were either on the stage or the person they were with.
That was not an accident.
“Sean, please let go.”
“Nobody can see us, baby. Relax.” His groping intensified as he squeezed her nipple between his fingers. She jumped as slight pain and panic invaded her. “I can’t wait to get you back to my place. I’m going to fuck your brains out. I’ve been waiting a long time to meet a girl your size. I know your body can take what I’ve got to give. I don’t have to worry about hurting you.”
“Sean…” She tried to pull away, but his hold on her was firm.
“We could have a lot of fun together. I can’t wait to show you off to my friends. If you play your cards right you could end up with a ring on your finger.” He sucked in a breath. “Innocent in public but a slut in the sack.”
“Get off me, you slimy bastard.” She elbowed him in the gut and stormed out, not bothering to look back.
Her eyes stung with tears as she got in her truck. She had wanted this date. She had wanted to prove to herself, to the world that she wasn’t some stupid kid. But nothing had turned out the way it was supposed to.
How could I be so stupid?
Of course he didn’t like her for her personality. He wanted her body. He wanted to use her. What was it about her that made him think he could? She reached for her keys, eager to be back in the safety of her bedroom, but when she put the keys in the ignition the damn thing wouldn’t start.
“Fuck.”
* * *
Colin glanced at the clock for the fourth time. He shouldn’t keep looking at it.
Get back in the game, lad.
It was sad he had to give himself a pep talk when there was a beautiful woman kissing his neck. What the hell had happened to him? Before, all it took was a stiff breeze to make him hard, but tonight all the wind in the world wasn’t doing it for him.
He had accepted Coral’s offer when she invited him in this time. Why not? She was beautiful, smart, and willing. Bedding her shouldn’t be a hardship. And yet it was. It was like going to the dentist, unpleasant but necessary. Maybe unpleasant wasn’t the right word. She was doing all the things a woman did to a man to get him going. And she was good at it. On some level it did feel nice, but it wasn’t right. All the spark and chemistry was missing, and no matter what Coral did or said he couldn’t keep focused on the task at hand.
She unzipped his pants and slid her hand inside. “Maybe we should go to the bedroom. I think we might be more comfortable in there.”
“I—” His phone rang, saving him from having to answer her and the embarrassment of not being hard yet. He reached for it and saw Cherri’s name pop up on the screen.
A sign from God.
“Sorry, Coral. I need to take this.”
He eased away from her and zipped up his pants. He felt guilty and not because of how things were going with Coral but because of the girl who was on the phone. “What’s the matter, love?” He heard a choked sound, a sob, and his blood ran cold. “Charlotte. Talk to me. Where are you?”
“At the Red Note Room. Will you come and get me?”
“Don’t hang up, love. Okay? I’ll be right there.” He was out of the house before he remembered that he hadn’t spent the last few hours alone. Coral was at the door, her face twisted with disappointment. I’m sorry, he mouthed. And he was, because he knew he was probably never going to see her again.
He pulled up behind Cherri’s beat-up truck a few minutes later, leaping out of the car as soon as he threw it into park. Looking at her, a tight ball formed in his gut. Something had happened to his girl. Her light had gone out. The normally cheery Cherri had disappeared.
“Tell me what happened?” He ran his hands down her cold arms, checking to see if she was hurt. It was bitterly cold, and her car didn’t have heat. He wanted to scold her for being out without much more on than a thin dress. But there must be a reason she opted for the freezing outdoors over the warm inside.
“My car is dead.” She looked down at her shoes. “Can you take me home?”
“Of course.” He ushered her around to the passenger side and helped her in, knowing there was much more to her story.
“Cherri!” A man called her name. “Wait.” Sean Brightworth. The hard knot in Colin’s gut had turned to ice.
“Please, Colin.” She grabbed his hand. “Can we go now?”
“What did he do to you?” He turned to face the balding blowhard, his hands already clenched.
“Nothing. It was a misunderstanding. Please let’s go.”
“Cherri.” Sean moved closer. “I’m sorry. I—I thought you…” He frowned at Colin. “Do you mind if I talk to my date?”
Something snapped in Colin, and he reached out and grabbed Sean by the throat. “She isn’t your anything and if you come near her again I’ll stomp you into the fucking ground.”
“Colin, stop!” Cherri tugged on his arm. “I want to go home. Please take me home.”
He looked back at her, tears spilling from her eyes. It was the only reason he released Sean, who fell against Cherri’s truck gasping for air. “Okay, love. Let’s go.”
She didn’t say anything the entire ride home. He waited for her to talk, wanting her to tell him what happened so he could make it better. But she was silent, and he looked at her so many times he almost drove off the road.
“Thank you,” she said as he parked in her driveway. All the lights were off inside the house, giving it an eerie feeling, and she blindly groped for the door, in such a hurry to get away.
He grabbed her hand, stopping her from fleeing. Something inside told him not to let her go inside alone. “Wait.”
She did, but she didn’t look at him. “I’m fine, Colin. I’m sorry that I pulled you from your date. I forgot you had one. You can go back to her now.”
When he’d walked out of Coral’s door that night he’d known there was no going back. He was with who he needed to be with. “The date ended a long time ago, love. I’m going to walk you inside.”
“Oh.” She blinked at him, her eyes swimming with unshed tears. “You don’t have to.”
&
nbsp; “I want to.” He was out of the car before she could say any more, opening her door and following her inside the dark house.
Like a zombie she moved through the rooms, turning down the heat, locking the windows. Performing her nightly rituals as if nothing had happened, as if tears weren’t threatening. Even then he had a hard time not noticing how she looked that night. Sexy black dress. Red shoes that made her legs look miles long. Not a pretty girl but a gorgeous woman. He stayed closed to her, unable to remove himself from her presence, more worried about her than he’d like to admit. That bastard had done something to her and he wanted to kill him and kick himself for allowing her to go out with him.
Only he hadn’t known she was going out with him tonight. She’d never told him.
“Baba,” she mumbled to herself. He followed her to the back bedroom, where they found the old woman peacefully sleeping. Cherri, just like a mother, tucked the blankets a little bit tighter around her and kissed her forehead before walking out.
Say something.
She knew he was there, and yet she didn’t ask him to leave or try to reassure him she was fine. He needed to hear it from her. He needed to know that she was fine. Then maybe he could take himself away from this place.
Who was he kidding?
He followed her to her bedroom in the cold dank basement. He hated that this was the place she rested her head. It was no place for a girl like Cherri—any girl, for that matter. She had tried to make it cheerier. The walls were painted yellow, her beautiful artwork was displayed, but it didn’t take away from the fact that the plaster was peeling or that the hum from the boiler was loud enough to keep even the deepest sleeper awake.
Kicking off her shoes, she climbed into her bed, not bothering to remove her dress. It was then she finally looked up at him. Looked into his eyes. “Colin, can you stay with me for a little while?”
He didn’t answer, just slipped off his shoes and climbed in beside her. Their bodies were like magnets sticking to each other as soon as they met. “What happened, love? What did he do to you?”
“I feel so stupid.” A tear slid from her eye. “I should have known he was just using me.”
Colin tensed. “I need to know what he did to you, love.”
She shook her head. “You’ll just get mad.”
“I’ll probably go a bit ballistic and smash the wanker’s face in. But you need to tell me so I can stop walking around feeling like I’ve got a lead ball in my belly.”
“He only likes me because I’m a fat freak. He said my body could take what he had to give. He—he said he wanted to fuck my brains out.”
It wasn’t funny but a hysterical bubble of laughter rose in his chest. She was still so innocent. Despite what she thought about the world, Colin knew what men were like. The first time he saw Cherri himself, he’d thought about how much he would like to tumble her into bed. She was beautiful no matter what she thought about herself. He knew Sean Brightworth wouldn’t be the last man to think those thoughts about her.
And maybe that’s why he liked her. She had no idea how beautiful, how naturally sexy she was. Sweet bubbly Cherri, wrapped in a long curvy package. She made him lose his mind without even trying.
“Why are you laughing at me?” Fresh tears rolled down her face.
“I’m not, love. It’s just that I’m not surprised he said that to you. You’re not a fat freak. You’re a beautiful lass and there will always be men who want to sleep with you. I did warn you, did I not?”
“Now is not the time to say I told you so. I’m just confused why he thought that I wanted to sleep with him on the first date. I thought he wanted to get to know me better.”
“Jaysus, love. You’re a sexy girl in a short dress. Of course he wants to get to know you better. It’s just not in the way you’re thinking.” He ran his hand across her lower back. Her dress had ridden up, and he couldn’t stop himself from stroking the softness of her creamy skin. “Men think with their dicks.”
She gave him a watery laugh, and his chest grew looser. “That’s not helping, you ass.” She kissed his chin. “Thank you for coming to my rescue. I think I’m more upset about the car than anything. It was my grandfather’s.”
“Mmm.” He slid his hand farther up her back as he pulled her closer. “Tell me about him.”
Her body settled nicely against his, all their parts lining up. He grew aroused just holding her. She must have felt it but she said nothing, only wrapped both her arms around him as if they had been sleeping in each other’s arms for lifetimes. “What can I say about my papa?” She grew thoughtful for a moment. “He looked like Rock Hudson and was one of those strong silent types. Baba used to go out of her way to get a rise of out him. She was the only one who could get to him. I think that’s why he loved her so much. Her real name is Yuliana and he never referred to her as your grandmother or my wife. He called her my Yuli.” She sighed. “Sometimes I would catch him staring at her like she was the most beautiful woman on the planet. And I used to think that’s what real love is. I want that. I can’t wait. But when Papa died … Baba … I don’t know how to describe it. It was like half of her was missing. Like she’s empty. I don’t know if I want to love that much. That’s why I don’t want to get rid of the car, because when she gets in it she says she can still smell him and I can’t bear the thought of getting rid of the thing that makes her feel connected to him.”
Sweet girl. Saving that rusty death trap to make her gran happy. He kissed her forehead. Cherri had no idea that she had more capacity to love than anyone he had ever known. He could imagine it even though he didn’t want to. He could imagine what it would feel like to be loved by her. The feeling would be overwhelmingly good. “It might still work. We can get it towed to a shop. I’m sure it’s fixable.”
“Last time I went they said I would need a new engine.”
“Oh. Well, let’s get you enrolled in some auto repair classes then.”
She laughed. “I should have done that instead of wasting a hundred thousand dollars on an education degree.”
She was lovely when she laughed. Seeing her upset made him realize that he needed to see her happy. Even if he was the one who had to make it possible. He opened his mouth to invite her and her grandmother to dinner with him tomorrow night but he got distracted by how heavenly she looked. Her mouth was curved into a slight smile. Her hair was loose. Her eyes twinkled in the dim light.
“Mmm.” He didn’t realize he was kissing her until he heard a little moan escape her lips.
* * *
Cherri never realized how good a kiss could feel. Coherent thoughts ceased and for the first time in her life she let sensation rule. His mouth moving over hers, his hands touching her bare skin was so … sensual. This wasn’t like their Christmas Eve kisses. No. Those were softer, sweeter, exploring. She was in charge of those and now that she wasn’t, she realized she had no idea what it was really like to kiss and be kissed.
She wrapped her arms around him, unable to get close enough. His heat, his hard body, his tenderness—it was all like home to her. And she wanted to be home with no barriers between them. Reading her mind, he pulled her leg over his hip so that he could inch their bodies closer. His erection pressed between her legs, and she gasped as liquid warmth flooded her.
“I’m sorry, lass.” He pulled away. “I shouldn’t have kissed you like that.”
Disappointment filled her for a moment, but she wouldn’t let it rule her. There was need in his kiss. His body couldn’t lie. He wanted her. As much as she wanted him.
Before fear could enter her she climbed off the bed and stood before him. “Lass,” he started, but he stopped when she unzipped her dress and let it fall to her feet. If she had a camera she would have taken a picture to capture the expression on his face.
The way he looked at her … she forgot to feel self-conscious about her plump thighs or her belly that was less than flat. He looked at her like she was beautiful. It wasn’t hard to slip her bra
off her shoulders or let her panties drop to the floor. This was her one chance, her one night to have exactly what she wanted. She wanted him.
He growled deep in his throat and reached for her, but he stopped himself. “Damn it, Charlotte. What are you doing to me? I’m just a man.”
“Colin.” She knelt in front of him and placed her hands on his knees. “I’m just a woman. And I want to be with you tonight.”
That got him. Groaning, he pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly against him. She could feel his struggle and she hated that he had to grapple with it so she took away his choice and set her lips to his.
“Aw, love.” He gently lay her down on the bed, kissing her eyelids. For a horrible moment she thought he was going to walk out, but he only stepped away to pull his sweater over his head. His body was so beautiful. Lean where she was thick. Hard where she was soft. She watched as he revealed himself to her inch by inch.
“You’ve got a tattoo?”
“Yeah.” He grinned at her, took his pants off, and then slid into bed beside her. “I swore I would never be one of those assholes who got a Celtic tattoo but Mike and I got shitfaced in college and I woke up with this cross on my chest.”
She reached for his pec, tracing her fingers over the intricate cross as he pulled the blankets over them.
“It’s bloody freezing in here.”
“Hmm?” She got distracted fingering his perfect male nipple. “I’m not cold.”
He leaned down and gifted her with a soft kiss. “I am and if I weren’t as hard as a steel beam I would be mighty embarrassed.”
“You would not.” She reached between him and ran her hand down his length. “This thing is epic. Enormous. Tree trunk, really.”
He threw his head back and laughed, exposing his Adam’s apple to her. She kissed him there. His smell, combined with the rough texture of his slightly bearded skin, aroused her even more. “You feel so good, lass,” he murmured. “So damn sweet.”
He swept his hand down her side, veering off to cup her behind. And then his hands were everywhere, followed by his mouth. She had often dreamed of what it would feel like to be kissed all over. And now this beautiful man was doing so. She stretched her arms over her head, inviting him to touch her breasts. He did more than touch. He kissed, taking each one into his mouth and suckling. She wanted to smile from the sheer pleasure of it all but it felt too good. She couldn’t lift her head or speak. The only thing she could do was surrender to emotion.
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