by Swan, T L
I shrug. “Not really. I guess I’ll have to start thinking soon, though.” I watch him for a moment. “What are your thoughts?”
He continues stirring. “I have a few.” He sips his wine. “The Spencer Jones in me wants you to get your own kickass apartment and decorate it however you want. To have your own things and come and go as you please.”
I smile and wait for him to go on.
“He wants you to gain your independence and live life without the restraints from your family.” He thinks for a moment. “I mean you should. That’s what you should do. That’s the smart thing to do.”
It’s clear he has something else on his mind, though. “And what do you want?” I ask.
His eyes find mine.
“That’s what Spencer Jones wants me to do,” I say. “What do you want me to do?” I ask. “The selfish little boy inside of you… what does he want?”
“Well…….” He pauses, his eyes hold mine as he decides whether to share. “The selfish little boy in me can’t stand the thought of spending even one night without you, and he wants you to move in here.”
15
Charlotte
What?
“I mean…” He shrugs as if embarrassed by my shocked reaction. “That’s only if you wanted to, and I’d completely understand if you didn’t.” He’s speaking way too fast, tripping over his words as he tries to recover.
I smile and remain silent as I watch him.
He continues to stir the pot, shaking his head as he thinks. “That was…” His voice trails off. “That was a bad idea, forget I said anything.”
“Spence?”
He keeps stirring with his head down, unable to look at me.
I get off the stool and walk around in front of him, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Spence?”
His eyes meet mine.
“Why don’t we just see how we go?”
A frown creases his forehead. “What does that mean?”
“It means that we’ve been together for five minutes, and I think that maybe we should stop moving so fast.”
“You don’t like the way things are going?”
I kiss him softly. “I love the way things are going, but this isn’t a race.”
He holds me tight. “It feels like it is.”
I pull back to look at his face. “Why?”
He shrugs. “I’m waiting for the shoe to drop and everything to turn to shit.”
“Spence,” I breathe. “It’s not going to.”
“This is new for me, angel. All this.” He shrugs. “Feeling...”
I giggle. “You think this is new for you? Try being me for a moment. I’m getting used to having sex, falling in love, as well as an ex-girlfriend of yours who is slipping keys into your pocket.”
He smirks and pulls out of my arms. “Oh, I saw her today.”
My face falls. “You saw her today?”
“Yeah.” He goes back to stirring his pot of Indian food, choosing not to elaborate.
“And?” I frown.
“Long story.”
“I’ve got time.”
He dishes out our meals and places them on the counter in front of us. He refills our wineglasses, too, leaving me to just… watch him.
He sits down and begins to eat, as if he hasn’t a care in the world.
“Spencer! Are you going to tell me what happened or not?”
He blows out a deep breath. “It was the day from Hell.”
“Why are you always so dramatic?”
He chuckles. “No, seriously, today was a day from Hell.” He shovels some food into his mouth. “Like… literally.”
I take a mouthful of food for myself. “Why?”
“So, Sheridan turns up and tells me she loves me.”
My mouth falls open in surprise.
Don’t say anything, don’t say anything.
“She wants to move here and make a go of it with me.”
“I thought you said you were just having sex?”
He shrugs. “I thought we were, too. I was bowled over.”
“Well, what did you say to that?”
“I said no, that we were never like that.” He chews his food casually, as if he has this conversation every day.
“And you’ve told her you’re with me?” I ask. Damn this sneaky bitch.
“She knows I’m in love with you. I told her.”
“You told her that you love me. In those words?”
“I think it was in those words.” He shrugs. “Anyway, she knows.”
“How come you tell her you love me, but you don’t tell me you love me?” I ask.
He looks at me, deadpan. “Really? That’s all you got out of that sentence?”
I raise my eyebrows. Hmm, his snarky attitude is pissing me off tonight.
“Anyway, so I’m dealing with her crying and shit.”
“How were you dealing with her?” I frown. “Define dealing with her.”
He rolls his eyes. “I was hugging her.”
I get an image of them in a passionate embrace while he comforts her. “Did you kiss her?”
“No, I did not kiss her. Will you let me tell the fucking story?”
I shovel food into my mouth with force. Do I have to? I hate this fucking story.
“Anyway, so she’s crying and begging for two kids and a house in the countryside.”
My anger begins to rise. Is she kidding?
“She asked you for two kids?” I snap.
“Because she thinks that’s what I want with you.”
I stare at him. “Is it?”
“Is it what?”
“Is that what you want? Two kids and a house in the countryside?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know, you’ve got me thinking all types of crazy shit that I haven’t ever considered before. I did just ask you to move in with me and got shot down in flames for my trouble, didn’t I?”
“I did not shoot you down in flames.” I smile. “It more like a gentle slingshot.”
He rolls his eyes. “Whatever you call it, you didn’t say yes. So, Sheridan is in my office crying and shit, and then my receptionist buzzes through to tell me that Edward Prescott is there to see me.”
My eyes widen. “What?”
“Yep.”
“What the hell?”
He holds up his hands in the air. “Fucking crying ex-girlfriend in my office. New girlfriend’s crazy ass brother in the waiting room ready to kill me.”
“I thought you said she wasn’t your girlfriend.”
“Again with the pointless shit from that sentence.” He rolls his eyes. “The part of the sentence you should only have heard to was ready to kill me.”
I smirk. “You are an idiot.”
He gives me a sexy wink as he bites the food from his fork.
“So, then what happened?”
“I got rid of Sheridan, and then I saw Edward.”
“And…?”
“Nothing really. Stupid Alexander York told him I was sniffing around you.”
“Sniffing around?” I frown. “That’s uncouth.”
“I really did want to tell him how good you tasted. You know… to infuriate him more.”
“Spencer.” I smirk. “Now you’re being uncouth. Will you stop joking around and tell me what the hell happened?”
“Nothing other than he warned me to stay away from you. I told him that it was none of his business. He told me he didn’t like me, and then I kicked him out of my office.”
I stare at him as my brain misfires.
He winks that cheeky boy wink again.
“Tell me you’re joking.”
“Nope. That’s exactly how it happened.”
“You kicked him out?” I gasp.
“He told me he didn’t like me.”
“You… you could have tried to be nice to him at least,” I stammer.
“I’m not putting up with his shit, Charlotte. Nobody comes to my office and makes demands without getting kic
ked out.”
“Sheridan does,” I retort.
He rolls his eyes. “Don’t start that shit.”
“Don’t start?” I snap. “Oh, I haven’t started yet. How did it end? What was the last thing you said to her?”
“I told her I would have dinner with her tomorrow night to talk about it.”
“What?”
He shrugs casually. “It’s the least I could do. I won’t be long. A few hours tops.”
“No.”
His eyes come to mine. “What do you mean, no?”
“I mean no. You’re not going.”
He frowns.
I point my fork at him. “If you think for one minute that I am staying home while you go out with your ex fuck buddy, you can think again.”
His eyes hold mine.
“I am inexperienced, Spencer, not a fucking idiot.”
“She’s just a friend.”
“Who wants two kids and a house in the country with you.” I get up and scrape my plate of food into the bin with force. “She will get there and want a goodbye fuck, and then the two of you will fall back into this pattern of sleeping together behind my back.”
“What?” He stands in an outrage. “I wouldn’t do that to you.”
“But she would, and I’m not giving her the fucking chance.”
“Since when do you swear every second word?”
“Since fucking sluts piss me off!” I yell.
“Don’t call her that.”
“If the shoe fits.” I storm upstairs.
“You don’t even know her,” he calls after me.
I turn and storm back down the stairs. “Oh, but you do. Very well indeed. Isn’t that right, Spencer?”
He narrows his eyes and puts his hands on his hips. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means if you want any type of relationship with me, you will cut all ties with her immediately… or else.”
“Or else what?” he fires back.
“Or else I’m out of here, and you can go back to sleeping with her whenever you want.”
“I don’t want to sleep with her. Stop being a fucking bitch about it.”
“A fucking bitch?” I yell. “You haven’t seen a fucking bitch yet.”
“I think I just have!” he yells. “They can see your bitchiness from space. NASA is picking you up on bitch cam right now.”
We glare at each other.
“I’m going to have a shower while you decide which one of us you want.” I sneer sarcastically.
He throws his head back in disgust. “And you reckon I’m fucking dramatic.” He tuts. “You’re going for a fucking Oscar here.”
“If it’s not me, Spencer, then get out,” I say. “Go stay elsewhere tonight.”
He puts his hand on his hips. “This is my house. You can’t kick me out of my own house.”
“I just did, and guess what? I am moving in.”
“Maybe I don’t want you to move in now.”
“Tough shit!” I yell as I storm up the stairs. “You have no say in it.”
“And you think I’m fucking crazy,” he calls after me. “Can you hear yourself, Charlotte? You don’t want to move in with me until someone else does.” He laughs sarcastically.
“You’re not going out with her!” I yell down to him.
I walk into his bedroom and slam the door shut. I can feel the adrenaline pumping through my body.
Calm down, calm down, calm down.
I shake my hands to try and expel some of my negative energy. I am so angry right now. I walk into the bathroom and inhale deeply. I turn the shower on hot, and the water begins to stream down heavily.
I handled that badly, but honestly, what did he expect? I look around for a towel and can’t see any. There are none on the towel rails, none folded anywhere. I go to the top of the stairs.
“Where are the towels?”
“In the linen cupboard. Where do you think?”
“You’re an idiot. And the worst host ever.”
“I thought you fucking lived here now. That makes you the host.”
“You’re lucky this is an apartment building, or I would bury you under it.” I hear him laugh out loud in surprise, and I turn and stomp back up the hall.
I’m not even joking, I probably would.
* * *
Twenty minutes later, I’m standing under the hot water, feeling my anger running down the drain along with the water.
At least he told me about Sheridan coming to him today. He didn’t try to hide it, I suppose.
Maybe I overreacted?
He walks into the bathroom a second later, flashing me a lopsided smile. I can’t help but give him one back. He takes a seat on the side of the bath and watches me.
“Sorry for screaming at you.” I sigh.
He exhales heavily. “I’m sorry for calling you a bitch.”
I smirk and pick up the soap.
“What are you doing?” He frowns.
“Washing myself. What does it look like?”
“I told you that I wanted to wash you.”
“Well, you’re not doing a very good job of it.” I widen my eyes. “Are you?”
He chuckles. “Jesus Christ, where is the shy, sweet Charlotte I first met?”
“To be honest, I don’t know. What on earth have you done to me, Spencer Jones?”
He stands and begins to unbutton his shirt.
“Don’t bother taking off your shirt until you decide what you’re doing tomorrow night.”
He frowns.
“I mean it, Spence. I don’t want you seeing her.”
“Angel.” He sighs. “I gave her my word, and I’m a man of my word. If I make a promise to someone, I keep it.”
“And you made a promise to me that we are exclusive and making a go of this. Meeting with your ex does not fit in with that, Spencer.” My eyes search his. “Please try and see this from my point of view. If I had an ex, would you want him coming into my office and me comforting him about our breakup, then making plans to see him at night?”
He walks to the edge of the shower and watches me for a moment. He runs his hand down my cheek, and then cups my breast, deep in thought. His thumb dusts over my nipple and it hardens beneath his touch. “No, I wouldn’t.”
I rise on my tippy toes and kiss him. My face is wet as it rests up against his, and his big hand drops to my naked behind.
“Keep your promise to me, Spence,” I whisper. “No matter how many times you meet with her, it isn’t going to get any easier. Just the opposite. It will get harder, and you will end up either in bed with her or having a huge fight. There is no in between with the two of you, you know that.”
He drops his eyes to the floor. “I just feel bad, you know?”
I smile softly. “I know.” I begin to unbutton his shirt. “That’s because you’re a good man.”
“I didn’t know that she felt like this.” He sighs.
I push his shirt over his shoulders, and it falls back to the floor. “Of course she would feel like this. I imagine all women you meet fall madly in love with you.”
“I can’t comment.” He gives me his best cheeky smile and shrugs. “I know you do hate a show off.”
I giggle. “Lucky I like idiots though, hey?”
“If you don’t want me to see her, I won’t.”
“I don’t.”
He exhales heavily. “Okay.”
I pull him in under the shower, and he wraps his big arms around me. His lips take mine and his tongue slides slowly through my open mouth. He towers above me and his large frame takes over the space.
He smiles as he kisses me.
“What?”
“You do know I concocted that whole story just to get you to move in here with me, right?”
“You’re a terrible liar.”
“You’re terrible at finding towels.”
I laugh out loud. “Is that the best you’ve got?”
“For now, yeah.” He g
rabs my behind and pulls my cheeks apart. His open mouth drops to my neck and I feel his large erection up against my stomach.
His open mouth ravages my neck, and he bites me hard, forcing me to wince.
And there it is.
The perfect moment where Spencer Jones loses control and he returns to his primal, natural instincts. Where his body needs to orgasm, and he’ll take it whether I want to give it to him or not. He switches from the sweet, lovable man I know, to a hungry predator who needs to fuck.
There is always a bite, a subtle hint that he’s reached his limit. Some days it comes faster than others, but it’s always there. I’m addicted to this man of mine and the way that he makes me feel.
He gets out of the shower and disappears into the bedroom, reappearing moments later as he unwraps a condom. I watch on in awe as he slowly rolls it on. It doesn’t matter how many times I watch him do this, it always fascinates me.
When his eyes rise to mine, I see the hunger in them, and my stomach dances with nerves.
Then he is on me. I’m pushed up against the wall as his open mouth takes mine. His hand holds my jaw just the way he wants me, and he grinds his hard cock up against my hipbone.
“We need to fuck, angel.”
“Yes,” I whimper against his lips. He lifts me and wraps my legs around his waist. I’m pinned between the wall by his hard body. He kisses me slow and deep as he slides his hard dick through my swollen wet lips.
“You want my cock?”
“Hmm.” I hold onto his shoulders for balance. His tongue slides through my open lips again as he takes what he needs. Does he honestly think I can string two words together when he has me like this?
With two hands, he brings me down onto him hard, and I feel the familiar stretch as his body dominates mine.
My eyes close and I release a whimper.
He smiles darkly and circles himself deep inside of me. “You like that?”
“God, yes.”
He lifts me and slams me back down again, knocking the air from my lungs.
I throw my head back against the tiles and he builds a rhythm. The room is steamy and hot. Water is streaming down over his face, yet the way he is looking at me might just set me on fire. He goes faster and deeper, lost to his own concentration. He stares straight ahead as our skin begins to slap together.
“So. Fucking. Good,” he pushes out.
