“Do you have to work?” he asked, frowning.
“Not until four.”
“At the restaurant?”
“Yes, but I have laundry to do tomorrow.”
“Do it here. I showed you where the utility room is.”
“I…”
“Please?” His beseeching blue eyes pierced right through me, weakening my resolve, and the refusal I’d been preparing to give him wouldn’t come out.
“Okay.”
“Good.” He was smiling again. “And we have some things to talk about.”
Understatement of the century.
“All right. Do you mind if I shower?” I asked, my eyes darting to the en suite and back to his handsome face. “I did earlier, but…” I could somehow still feel the places where Brent had touched me, and I really wanted to wash. I was relieved when Eli merely nodded without asking questions and pointed toward the bathroom door.
“You should find everything you need in the bathroom.”
“Great.”
There were several moments of awkward silence as he continued to gaze at me, apparently reluctant to leave the room. The sexual tension that always seemed to charge the air between us pushed my heart rate upward, and I fidgeted a little.
“Well, I’ll just…”
“Wait,” I said quickly as he turned to go. Deciding to give into my own instincts at least this once, I closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms around his waist, pressing my cheek to the center of his chest. I could feel his heart thundering as rapidly as my own. “Thank you. For everything.”
Eli’s arms immediately came up around my waist and shoulders, causing his muscles to flex beneath my fingertips. They felt just as amazing as I remembered. He still smelled incredible too, though I knew his day had probably been every bit as long as mine. I inhaled as deeply and covertly as possible. Yum.
After another moment, I began to pull away, but Eli didn’t loosen his arms. Our faces were mere inches apart when I looked up at him, and as my gaze lifted to his eyes, something shifted in their stormy depths.
When he pressed his lips to mine, I thought my heart might have actually stopped. I definitely stopped breathing. But this kiss was so different from our first one. The touch of his lips was light, and he was handling me as though he feared I might fall apart in his arms. I knew his caution had more to do with Brent’s behavior than with his own feelings for me, and I was moved by his compassion. It urged me to kiss him back, to tell him without words that I was made of stronger stuff.
As I wound my arms around his neck, his snaked around my waist, and the kiss deepened. It was slow, heavy, and soul-shakingly intense. My body was tingling, and a deep ache of longing began to unfurl in my center. I was out of oxygen, gasping for air between kisses. The sound seemed to trigger something in him, and his lips began to move with more urgency. Eli clutched me tightly against his chest, like he was afraid I might disappear if he loosened his hold.
I didn’t mind. If anything, I wanted him to hold me tighter, to let his hands explore freely. I could still feel him holding back a little, and I wished he’d just let go. I think he needed it as much as I did.
After what felt like an eternity, Eli pulled back, and our eyes locked. The rapid pace of our breathing was evenly matched.
“We have a lot to talk about tomorrow,” he whispered, pressing his lips softly to my forehead. “You should get some sleep.”
I managed to nod in agreement but couldn’t summon a coherent word. He released me, leaving me feeling a bit empty as I watched the door close behind him. I stood alone in the silent room, trying like hell to pull myself together.
Wow.
Twelve
Eli
I woke with the sun the next morning, opening my eyes to see shadows playing across my bedroom ceiling in the early morning light. It was quiet, but I wasn’t likely to forget the angel sleeping in the next room. As I used the restroom and brushed my teeth, I wondered how she’d slept. More to the point, I wondered if she’d heard me grunt her name as I’d sought some much needed relief in my shower after leaving her room. That kiss had pushed me beyond the edge of decency and turned me into a horny teenager. Not my finest moment.
When I emerged from my room, I noticed the door to the guest room was open. The room was empty, and so was the rest of my apartment. Fuck. I checked the time on my phone again and noted that it was only seven.
When had she left? Why? Where the hell had she gone? Had I crossed the line by kissing her again? I’d been worried about pushing her limits after the incident with that asshole from the restaurant, but she’d definitely kissed me back. I’d felt her desire in her kiss as surely as she must’ve felt mine against her stomach.
Maybe she did hear me in the shower… Son of a bitch.
I checked the guest room again and found the bed perfectly made, as if she’d never been there. Had I dreamt the whole thing? No… Although the bathroom was spotless too, a lingering hint of shampoo and soap hung in the air. Proof that she’d showered before bed last night.
I had unlocked my phone and located Charlotte’s name in my contact list when the front door opened. She walked in carrying a larger duffle bag than the one she’d brought in last night. I felt a ridiculous surge of relief that must have shown on my face, because she smiled awkwardly and gestured to the bag.
“I just went down to get my laundry. If you’re still okay with me doing it here…”
“Of course I am,” I assured her quickly, shoving my phone back into my pocket.
I crossed the room to help her, shouldering the bag and leading her to the utility room. The bag itself was lighter than I’d have expected for a week’s worth of laundry, and I wondered how many clothes she actually owned.
“I’ll make us some breakfast while you get started. How do you like your eggs? I have bacon too, and I might have some pancake mix stowed away somewhere. Or I could do French toast?”
“Whatever you want is fine. Please, don’t go to any trouble.”
“It’s no trouble,” I smiled, hoping to ease her nerves. I was going to get as many meals into her as she’d allow. “Scrambled eggs okay?”
“That’s fine. Thank you.”
I nodded and got to work, and once Charlotte had started a load of wash in the machine, she perched on one of the stools at the kitchen island.
“What do you usually eat for breakfast?”
“Whatever’s available,” she shrugged. I frowned in concern, which seemed to make her blush, and she elaborated nervously. “Meals work a little differently when you can’t store a lot of food, and what can be stored has to be okay in the heat. I usually skip lunch since I’m working, then I grab a cheap dinner from somewhere on my break between shifts. I eat a little something before I go to sleep too. Usually something that was donated to the shelter, or I might get something from the gym…”
Jesus… I hope she doesn’t get offended when I start pushing food at her, I thought, considering her words. I couldn’t stand the thought of her skipping meals or eating donated scraps to survive. I would never take my refrigerator for granted again.
“The gym?” I asked, hoping to keep her talking. I wanted her story. Or at least as much as she was willing to share with me. Charlotte nodded.
“A twenty-four-hour place in West Tampa. Membership is cheap, so I go there to shower after my night shift.” Which explains her wet hair last night and the night before. “Sometimes I get something from the vending machines there. And the night manager likes me and knows a little about my situation, so he packs extra food with his dinner for me sometimes… Anyway, for breakfast, I either eat something I keep in my car, like Pop Tarts or dry cereal, or I save something from the day before.”
Charlotte avoided making eye contact through the majority of her explanation, and I had no trouble reading the embarrassment in her expression. I reached over the counter to touch her hand and spoke her name softly.
“Charlotte.” She looked up a
t me with those hypnotic brown eyes of hers. “You have nothing to be ashamed of. No one has any right to judge you. Least of all, me. Okay?”
She swallowed thickly and nodded, and I was pleased to see the tension ease slightly from her tiny frame. I let go of her hand and went back to cooking, starting the French toast and adding a little salt to the scrambled eggs. I wondered briefly when she’d last had a decent meal and regretted feeding her Chinese for dinner in my office. It was a universal comfort food, but nothing I’d ordered had been particularly healthy.
I tried to think of what else she could possibly keep in a hot car that wouldn’t spoil, and nothing appetizing came to mind. Although I’d donated both supplies and funds to multiple charities many times throughout my life, I was ashamed to say I’d never really given much thought as to how the homeless actually lived. When I reluctantly admitted as much out loud, Charlotte nodded, unsurprised.
“Most people don’t think about that. I certainly never did, not until it became my life.”
“How did…?” I faltered, wondering if that question was prying too deep for such a short acquaintance.
“How did I become homeless?”
“You don’t have to tell me if it’s too personal,” I said quickly. For a moment, she looked like she might be considering the out I’d offered, but she surprised me.
“My mom is… in very poor health. It didn’t happen all at once, but it was still pretty unexpected. And she was still fairly young when she got sick, so we weren’t financially prepared for it. She lives in a long-term care facility in our hometown. My dad disappeared when I was little, and I’m an only child, so it’s always just been the two of us.”
Of all the theories I’d been considering, I had to admit, I’d been way off the mark. My mind grappled with her problem and fell upon the most obvious solution first.
“But surely she’d qualify for state health care now that she can’t work anymore.”
“She does, but if you ever saw some of the places that accept state Medicaid, you’d understand why they’d be the last places you’d want to send someone you care about. We tried that first, but…” Charlotte trailed off with a deep frown, shaking her head dismissively. “Mom has Medicare and social security, but that still doesn’t cover everything. The home she’s in now is a good one. I know she’s safe and getting quality care there. That’s what’s important.”
“So, that’s why you work as much as you do and still can’t afford a place to live? To pay her medical bills?”
“Yes. I have two jobs,” she chuckled wryly. “It’s not that I don’t have money. It’s just that I choose to spend it on Mom’s needs before my own.”
I gazed at her in stunned admiration for so long I nearly burned our French toast. My mind was still struggling to process everything as I flipped each slice on the griddle and turned the eggs over.
“How long has it been since you had a place to live?” I asked, not sure my heart could stand to hear the answer.
“Almost six months.”
It was the middle of August now, which meant she’d been sleeping in her car since the late winter or early spring. Fuck. Even in Florida, the nights during those seasons could get chilly, and the thought of her shivering beneath a thin blanket on a cold night sent a stabbing pain right to the center of my chest. Charlotte seemed oblivious to my reaction and kept talking.
“When I first moved here, I found a roommate online. She was okay, but we never really connected. I hadn’t been there but a few weeks when we had a misunderstanding, and she kicked me out. I haven’t been able to find another affordable arrangement, since everywhere requires a deposit and usually first and last month’s rent too.”
My head was already buzzing with possible solutions as I plated our meals and came around the bar to sit next to her. I’d be willing to pay for an apartment for her and even cover her mother’s medical bills outright. But would she let me? Would she accept that kind of help from me? From anyone? Probably not… Hell, she might even find the offer insulting. But one thing was for damned sure. I absolutely could not let her spend another night in her car. I’d already decided that last night.
“You’re quiet.”
I looked up to find Charlotte watching me with guarded brown eyes over the rim of her water glass. The sight of the empty plate in front of her made me sigh in relief.
“It’s okay,” she shrugged. “I probably wouldn’t know what to say either.” I put my fork down and turned toward her so that our knees brushed against one another.
“I know what I want to say,” I murmured, taking her hand in mine as I looked into her gorgeous eyes. “To do…”
My gaze traveled involuntarily down her body as I took in her casual outfit. She looked so much like she did the night I met her. Her jet-black hair was up in the same messy bun, and her shorts fit her well, revealing those long, model-worthy legs. Her tank top straps were thicker today, but the shirt still played up her curves. Charlotte blushed slightly, and the current that always hummed between us seemed to grow stronger. Her hand gripped mine a little tighter. Warning? Encouraging?
“And what’s that?” she pressed.
“I want to help you,” I replied simply. She gave me a skeptical frown.
“How?”
“Any way you’ll let me.”
“Don’t you think you’ve already done enough? You got me a job with benefits, and—”
“You got you the job. All I did was encourage you to apply,” I corrected her firmly, not about to let this matter slide. I’d make her believe in her own worth or die trying. Charlotte looked down at her lap with pursed lips.
“You gave me the opportunity to sleep in a bed for the first time in months. You have no idea how…” Her voice grew thick with emotion, and she didn’t finish her sentence.
I reached out to cup her jaw, prompting her to look up at me. Without conscious thought, we’d begun to lean toward one another, and now our faces were mere inches apart. It would be so easy to simply lean forward and kiss those sexy lips again. Charlotte was breathing heavily, and I could see the longing in her eyes. There was vulnerability too, and it only made me more desperate to hold her, to comfort her. To claim her and never let go.
My thumb traced the seam of her mouth, and she closed her eyes as her lips parted. The last of my resolve disintegrated as I leaned forward to kiss her, unable to let another second pass without tasting her. She opened for me almost instantly, and she tasted sweet, a hint of maple syrup still lingering on her tongue.
Without lifting my mouth, I nudged her knees apart gently and moved to stand between them. The bar stool placed her an inch or so above her true height, and it was all too easy to weave my fingers into her raven hair. I felt her hands at my waist, then against my back, climbing upward until they framed my shoulders from beneath my arms. Charlotte clung to me as her tongue danced with mine, and the little whimper of longing that escaped from her throat pushed me over the edge.
I moved my hands to her ass and lifted her against me. Her legs immediately wrapped around my waist, and we didn’t stop kissing as I carried her blindly but carefully away from the kitchen. I paused at the couch but couldn’t bring myself to stop there. I wanted her in my bed. Splayed out beneath me like the goddess she was.
I lowered her to the bed, gently guiding her backward until I was hovering over her, and Charlotte pulled back suddenly. She looked momentarily surprised, as though she wasn’t sure how she’d wound up in such a position, but then her expression shifted to a mixture of lust and anxiety.
“You’re my boss,” she reminded me with wide eyes.
“Not yet. You haven’t started yet. But either way, I don’t care,” I admitted shamelessly. “I want you. I need you. And you’re the only person who can stop me.” I leaned down to kiss her neck, stroking her racing pulse with my tongue, and my hand trailed down her torso to the line of bare skin between her tank top and shorts. “Is that what you want? For me to stop?”
Charlotte took a deep breath, and I braced myself rejection. She was going to tell me to get off of her. Say I was too old for her or that my becoming her boss changed everything between us…
But she didn’t. She shook her head and tightened her grip on my hair, and two words left her lips in a whispered plea.
“Don’t stop.”
The beast within me roared in triumph as I captured her lips again and pushed my hips hard against hers. Her legs were still wrapped around me, and I could feel the heat of her center even through our multiple layers of clothing. My cock responded with a particularly strong twitch, lengthening in my pants until I began to worry for the state of my zipper.
Charlotte gave a deep groan from low in her chest, which happened to be pressed against mine, and I pulled back just enough to lift her shirt over her head and toss it aside. I kissed her again as I reached a hand beneath her, twisting the clasp of her bra to dislodge the eye hooks. In the next instant, her bra was somewhere across the room as well, and I lifted my head to gaze down at her in wonder.
Fuck, she’s beautiful. That word wasn’t strong enough.
There was an actual ache in my chest as I pulled off her shorts and panties, revealing more of her perfect body. She had the sort of figure not even a great artist could have done justice. Her skin was flawless and warm, glowing in the morning sunlight that filled the room. Her proportions were perfect too. Just the right balance of soft curves and toned muscle. I wanted to devour her inch by inch. To spend days worshipping her beauty.
Charlotte moved to pull my shirt over my head too, and I followed her lead, needing to feel her with more than just my hands and mouth. Having her bare skin against mine was like nothing I’d ever experienced. A sweet sort of torture that both satisfied me and left me craving more. Her hands moved down my body to my pants, but I caught them and pinned them over her head with one hand. She looked up at me in surprise.
“I want to take my time with you, Angel. If my pants come off so soon, I’m not sure I’ll be able to resist taking you fast. And hard.”
Fortune's Angel (Fates Aligned Book 2) Page 8
