Charming: The Coast Book 9

by Hart, Eve R.

  “Eventually, Charming notices that I’m there and I run away. So I go to the med room because I’m still bleeding. That’s where he— Charming— finds me.”

  I gave a shake of my head as my eyes close. I knew she was going to die laughing when I told her the rest. I couldn’t believe I was about to clue her in on such an embarrassing moment.

  “He’s acting weird and I just start spewing stuff about how I know about sex. And how I have a vibrator. And that you’ve bought me all of them. Then I started going off on how that position worked. You know, the one I saw him in with Blade and the woman. Because I was kind of curious. It just gets worse from there.”

  Her mouth opened and closed as if she was trying to ask something but the words couldn’t make it out over the laughter.

  “I asked if Blade licked his junk!!” I practically screeched. “Because his face was down there while Charming was… you know…”

  “Oh, Abigail,” she said as she forced herself to stop laughing. “I’m sorry, but that is awesome.”

  “It’s really not,” I grumbled as I crossed my arms over my chest and maybe even pouted a little. “He told me to leave. It was horrible.”

  “You were turned on, weren’t you?” she asked without a hint of judgment in her tone. From what I’d gathered, she and Lake were a little freaky. So, really, it shouldn’t have surprised me.

  “Yes,” I whispered harshly a little shocked that I was admitting it out loud. “Have you ever… you know… two men at once?”

  “No, sorry, I can’t help you out there. But before Lake, yeah, I wouldn’t have said no.”

  I felt my face getting hot thinking about it.

  I had no idea why I was. It wasn’t like that opportunity would ever present itself to someone like me.

  “I can’t even get one man, let alone two,” I said half-jokingly. “Did you know Blade has his… penis pierced?” It came out like a whisper and I hoped that there was no one else around to hear. Then again, I was sure it wasn’t a huge secret.

  “Hmm. No, I didn’t know that but I can see it. He seems like the type.” She chuckled and shook her head.

  Just thinking about it made me feel hot. I brought the cool bottle up to my face and rolled it around on my cheek.

  “Well, I’m sure all will be forgotten about by morning,” she said with a half-shrug.

  “I know I won’t forget. How am I supposed to face them? I can’t even think about it and not get heated.”

  Great. She was back to laughing at me.

  The back door slammed closed, causing me to nearly jump out of my skin. A second later, the sound of little nails clicking across the floor in our direction gave me some clue as to who’d walked in. I looked over at Bridget right as Biscuit rounded the corner into the kitchen. Her eyes were wide and dancing with humor as she pressed her lips together.

  This night just kept getting better.

  With a tiny yap, the little dog ran over to me then jumped into my lap without waiting for me to tell her to. Her nails were bright orange this week and there was a matching little bow stuck to the fur behind her ear.

  “Bridget. Abigail,” Blade greeted with a sharp nod.

  “Hey, Blade. How’s your night going?” Bridget didn’t bother to hide the laughter from her voice.

  Blade paused on his way to the fridge. He looked from Bridget to me and back again.

  If I wasn’t mistaken, it seemed like he wasn’t even aware of the awkwardness of the situation. At least not until Bridget had said anything.

  “Okay,” he said with a tiny sigh.

  Not okay like his night was going that way. It was the kind of okay that said he was going to lay something down.

  His booted feet stomped over to the table where we had settled and he plopped down into a chair across from us. His eyes were pinned on mine and it made me feel uneasy, but not in a bad way.

  “I fuck,” he stated and I couldn’t help but wince at the bluntness of his statement. He wasn’t being cruel, I knew it. I’d been around him long enough to sort of understand him by now. “You saw it. I’m not going to try and pretend it didn’t happen and neither should you. Nothing to be embarrassed or scared about. You’re a woman, Abigail. No sense in treating you like you’re not. No sense in letting this change what’s between us.”

  “What’s between us?” I asked because I was still trying to process everything he’d said.

  “We’re friends.”

  I giggled at that. Blade didn’t exactly seem like the type to have friends, let alone admit that he would think of someone that way.

  “Yes, we are,” I assured him with a nod and a wide smile.

  “You’re not a child, I’m not going to treat you like one. We good?”

  A genuine smile lit up my face. This was why I loved Blade so much. He was no-nonsense and straight to the point. While I wasn’t exactly at ease about the situation, I did feel a little less embarrassed. His words made sense and it showed me that he respected me on a greater level. He was right and I was actually glad he wasn’t treating me like a kid. After all, that was the very thing I’d been trying to prove and had been so frustrated about for a while now.

  “We’re good,” I told him with a happy nod.

  Biscuit’s tongue licked my chin and she let out a happy squeak. I giggled as I ran my hand over her back. She was kind of ugly but in the way that you just had to love her.

  “Thank you, Blade,” I said as he pushed away from the table.

  He gave me a sharp nod before lumbering over to the fridge. After pulling out some leftovers, he walked in my direction. He scooped up his baby, then turned and made his way out of the kitchen, telling us ‘goodnight’ over his shoulder before he rounded out of sight.

  “I don’t think I’ll ever get that man,” Bridget said with a smile on her face.

  “Right?! Like he’s so scary and intimidating, but then he loves Biscuit.”

  “His baby,” she pointed out like I didn’t know. Everyone knew.

  “And he clearly cares for Laurel but yet, he always calls her Cami’s sister. He’s so weird,” I said but I didn’t mean it in a bad way.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile.”

  “I have,” I told her with a tiny bit of a boasting smile playing on my lips. “I mean, it’s hard to tell when he does, but I’ve learned that the man loves my baked goodies. His lips do this curve thing when he sees that I’ve made his favorites.”

  “Huh,” she said a little stunned. “Yeah, that kind of seems like him, actually. I think he has a hard time getting close to people and expressing his emotions. But I can tell he cares. He cares more than people know.”

  I studied her for a long moment, her eyes on the now empty doorway. Bridget was good at reading people and I had no doubts that she was able to see things that I couldn’t.

  “Well, at least you don’t have to hide from him anymore,” Bridget said after a long moment of silence. “What are you going to do about Charming?”

  With a long sigh, I let my head fall against the top of the table.

  “Avoid. Run away. You know, basically all the things I’m good at. Besides, I think that’s what he wants anyway.” I lifted my head and huffed out a frustrated breath.

  “Maybe,” she said as she dragged her eyes to meet mine. “Maybe not.”

  “What is that even supposed to mean?”

  I knew she wouldn’t tell me. Or it could have been that she hadn’t figured it all out herself yet.

  “It’s super late. We should get some sleep,” she said as she got to her feet and downed the rest of her beer quickly.

  I followed suit, a little shocked that I didn’t actually have all that much left in my bottle.

  After tossing the bottles in the bin for recycling, I swiped my shoe over the spot in the middle of the kitchen where I had made a mess. I wanted to make sure I’d cleaned it up good and that no one would slip and bust their butt like I had.

  “Goodnight,” I toss
ed out as we went our separate ways.

  As I climbed the steps to the second building, I willed myself not to glance across the way at Charming’s room. My eyes only betrayed me at the last second when I turned to close my door behind me. His blinds were open and though it was dark in his room, I swore I felt his eyes on me.

  I tried not to think about him in that room and wonder all the things I had no business wondering about. Like, was he alone in there? Did he go back and finish what I had interrupted? It didn’t hurt necessarily, but I couldn’t deny that I had tiny feelings for him. Maybe I was just sad that I wasn’t the one in that room. I wasn’t the woman between the two of them.

  I froze at the thought.

  I had fantasies, sure. Everyone did, right? It wasn’t weird or unusual. I knew what they did but until tonight, I’d never really thought about it. Not like the way I was vividly thinking about it right now.

  I had no idea why I bothered, it wasn’t like I’d ever get it from either one of them. Or anyone here, for that matter. I wasn’t dumb, I knew how they all saw me and I didn’t see that changing any time soon. I was just grateful that they let me stick around. They gave me a place to stay, a place to feel safe and even wanted at times. I might have been on the outskirts of this rough and tumble group, but I was thankful for it.

  “What a friggin’ night,” I said to the lonely room.

  And I could only imagine how tomorrow would be.

  Without even stripping off my clothes, I threw myself onto the bed. I shut my eyes trying hard to push the earlier events out of my mind. I think the beer had helped because before I knew it, I was out.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Abigail

  The next morning, Charming told me he wanted to look at my hand and change the bandage. I silently followed him to the med room and I could see the tension tight in his shoulders. Even his walk was a little stiff. So much for hoping it would be forgotten about by the morning.

  He inspected my hand and I could tell that he was trying his hardest not to look at me. You know, in the eyes. He wasn’t wearing gloves this time and I had no problem admitting that I liked the way his fingers felt against my skin. They were warm and a little rough. But there was something extra about his touch that I was familiar with. I felt it every time he touched me. And it was almost electric when he hugged me. Though, I imagined I wouldn’t be seeing any of those in the near future.

  “No more late night organizing without supervision, okay?” he said jokingly after he smoothed the tape down over the new dressing.

  I huffed out a tiny, nervous laugh.

  “Deal,” I told him and his eyes jerked up to look into mine.

  His hands still held mine but it was like he was frozen for some reason.

  I smiled, trying to keep the tension away from us. As it crept up my face, his lips seemed to do the same.

  Then his eyes darkened and there was that look. I’d seen it a few times, never once aimed at me though. It was what made his name so perfect.

  As quickly as it was there, it slipped away as reality came crashing back down on him.

  “Don’t do that,” I rushed to say, unaware that the words had actually come out of my mouth.

  “Abigail, this can’t… just, no.” His hands dropped away from mine and he took a huge step back.

  “Can’t what? Can’t see me as a woman,” I said with a little bite in my tone as I hopped off of the table, stumbling on the landing part. “Because I’ve got news for you, I am. I have feelings and wants and desires, Charm. I can’t hide them and you shouldn’t expect me to.”

  “You can’t!” he said harshly but then looked like he regretted it instantly. “You… we… can’t.”

  “Well… that is just stupid!” I realized my voice was carrying at this point. Oh, and that the door was open. I didn’t even stop to think that someone might be around to hear us. “Just like you. And your stupid face. You can’t just throw out all that smolder in your look carelessly. Really?! How do you expect me not to experience some sort of arousal when you look at me like that. So friggin’ stupid!”

  “You said that already.” His eyes betrayed the humor that cracked in his voice. He was hurting right now. Well, good! Because I was too.

  “Everyone here treats me like I’m a kid,” I went on. “Take a look! I’m not a kid! I have boobs and I’m almost old enough to buy beer. You guys try to keep me sheltered but what you don’t realize is that I don’t need to be. I know what goes on when everyone thinks I’m tucked away in my room. Not once did you stop to think that I might want those things too. And that if I was uncomfortable about it, then I wouldn’t be here. I’m not dumb and I get it. I accept everything about you, but you can’t do that for me.”

  I turned, smoke still coming out of my ears. Or so it felt. Biscuit barked as if she was backing me up on my little rant. It didn’t take my eyes long to find Blade in the crowd that was now gathered around the lot outside of the med room.

  My mind spun like crazy. Everyone had heard. Well, not everyone, but a good number of people. Blade had heard. How friggin’ embarrassing.

  Blade stood there, legs wide, arms crossed over his chest, and his eyes were guarded. But he gave me a tiny nod of his head and I knew he was proud of me.

  Then I went crazy. Like insane, and completely wiped out the whole ‘I’m not as young as everyone treats me’ rant. I marched toward Blade with determination in my head. I stepped right up into his space and one of his brows raised as he waited for me to make my move.

  Oh, yeah, I made a move, alright.

  Since I knew I wouldn’t get close enough even if I lifted up on my toes, I grabbed the front of his shirt and with a determined yank, pulled him down to me.

  My lips met his a little too hard but it didn’t deter my determination. The kiss wasn’t much, seeing as neither one of us made a move after our lips were plastered together.

  I reached up and grabbed the back of his neck. With a sigh— or a huff, it was hard to tell— he tilted his head and opened his mouth.

  Then we were actually kissing. Yep, I was shocked to the point of being breathless.

  His lips moved against mine and I felt his tongue barely swipe along my bottom lip, but that was all I got. My nails subconsciously dug into the back of his neck and I may or may not have let out a tiny moan.

  There was a low growl that rumbled his chest. It startled me so much that I pulled away.

  I had no idea what kind of reaction I was going to get from him, but judging by that sound he’d made, I imagined he was pissed.

  My eyes met his and it was so hard to tell what was going on in his head. Yeah, he was mad. I instantly became mad at myself, too. It was childish and I shouldn’t have used him like that.

  As my hand slid away from his neck and my fingers released the grip they had on his shirt, I saw the flicker of his lips. I knew that look, the corners turning up ever so slightly. My Blade smile. And as he straightened to his full height once again, the curve curled up more. His tongue peeked out to swipe over his bottom lip and I had to say, the way it slowly moved along like there was something there to savor was hot as heck.

  After my eyes blinked a few stunned times, I cleared my throat. His eyes went over my head at the same time I slid mine to the side. Unsure and a little shaky, I took a step to the side.

  “Not a kid!” I yelled out as I threw my arms out. Then, yes, like a spoiled child, I stomped my way back into the clubhouse.

  I would apologize to Blade later. That was mean of me and I wasn’t that type of person.

  I might have been a little bit of a hot head and I had trouble controlling everything in those moments. Clearly.

  Dade used to be the only one that could rile me up, but it seemed that two other men had taken that spot now that my brother was no longer here. Blade liked to push my buttons a little but it was all in good fun. Charming was usually the softer of the two, choosing comfort over everything else. He hadn’t made me mad until recently. I blamed
it on the scene I walked in on last night. But really, things had kind of always been… something between us. Or maybe it was because I’d had a stupid crush on him for so long now.

  I didn’t look at anyone as I went into the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, I pulled out a pack of sliced turkey and a pack of sliced baby swiss cheese. Then, without a word, I made my way out the back of the clubhouse. I was going to hide away in my room because I knew that word about my crazy rant would get around soon enough. It was best to hide and hope it would be forgotten before I started growing gray hair, or ran out of food.

  I flopped onto my bed and started pulling off slices of turkey and cheese, rolling them up and then chomping down on them like they were made out of concrete. Did it make me feel better? No. But I couldn’t seem to stop myself.

  A soft knock came on my door and I did my best to ignore it. Thank goodness my blinds were closed.

  “Abigail,” Charming said in a soft tone. One that I was used to and might have loved. “I know you’re in there. Open the door, please.”

  The silence stretched out and I didn’t move.

  I wasn’t ready to deal with him yet.

  “Open the door. I’ll sit out here all day.”

  I wasn’t one hundred percent sure that he would do that, but there was something in his tone that told me he was that determined to talk to me.

  “For crying out loud,” I mumbled at a volume I knew he could probably hear. “Just come in, it’s unlocked.”

  The door opened, swinging slowly until I saw all of his outline in the corner of my eye. I chomped down on my meat and cheese roll and said nothing.

  He took two steps inside, his feet hesitant with each one. It was like he had to force himself to come inside. The door closed with a soft click behind him.

  “No chance we can forget about everything and move on, is there?” I asked without moving my eyes up to his.

  “I can’t, Abigail,” he said and the way my name tumbled out of his mouth nearly sent a shiver down my spine. “Fuck!” It was a curse of frustration but I wasn’t sure if it was meant for me.