Kissing Charlie

by Elsa Winckler

  She smiled. “I’ve got muffins—want one? Don’t worry,” she added with a sigh when she noticed his wary glance, “I didn’t make them. There is a lovely little shop not far from here where I buy most of my meals.”

  He grinned. His mom could do many things; cooking wasn’t one of them. “Then yes, please, I’m hungry.” On any normal day, he usually only had coffee in the morning, but ever since he’d arrived back home, “normal” wasn’t a word he could use to describe anything, least of all his feelings.

  The front door opened. “Mom?” his sister called, and seconds later she and Connor appeared at the kitchen door.

  As soon as the little boy saw him, he rushed forward. “Uncle Logan! You have to come and see my treehouse. Mommy made one for me!”

  While talking non-stop, the little boy moved close to him. “Will you, Uncle Logan?”

  Logan put his arm around Connor. “Of course, I will. Mmmh, Mommy made the tree house?”

  “Yes!” The little boy laughed. “It doesn’t look like a tree-house tree house, you know? But it’s my tree house.”

  He caught his sister’s eye. “So how did Mommy make the tree house?”

  “She used a hammer. And very bad words,” the little boy whispered loudly. “But I’m not supposed to tell.”

  They all laughed and Logan caught his sister’s hand. “I’m here till tomorrow. Tell me if there is anything I can help you with? I’ve never built a tree house, but I could try.”

  “Connor seems to be happy with my efforts.” Brooke patted his arm. “Besides, it would seem you’re helping quite a few people over this weekend. I sent Charlie a message this morning, asking what happened last night.”

  “So you have news? I’ve just been asking Logan about it...” his mother said before she turned to her grandson.

  “Connor, why don’t you go and play with Granny’s Lego inside?” his mom asked the little boy.

  With a dramatic sigh, Connor turned away. “That means I’m not supposed to hear what the grown-ups are saying,” he told Logan as he left the room.

  “You know way too much for a five-year-old.” Brooke laughed.

  As soon as Connor had left, his mom asked again. “What happened? Don’t tell me it’s her ex-boyfriend...?”

  Brooke pulled out a chair and sat down. “Unfortunately, it is. He’s contacted her, threatening her; Charlie said she was so upset. Thank you, again, Logan, for taking them home and that you stayed for a bit. I heard you even made tea.”

  “The poor child,” his mother muttered. “Lindsay has never told us the whole story—just said she wasn’t safe with her last boyfriend. She’s been looking well lately, but when they arrived here two years ago, she was so pale, had dark circles under her eyes. She kept looking over her shoulder. Shame, she was a shadow of the woman she is today. I can’t believe he’s been looking for her all this time.”

  Logan checked his watch and got up. “My appointment with Charlie is at ten.” He also wanted to speak to one of his friends from school who was the county sheriff. He’d feel better if he knew someone else was keeping an eye on the two sisters.

  “Mmm, Charlie again?” Brooke grinned. “Mom, wasn’t it yesterday he was still adamant she can’t help him?”

  “I may have overreacted...” he began but both women burst out laughing. Seriously?

  As he left the kitchen, he could hear their giggling all the way up the stairs. He had a quick shower before he got dressed. As he left the room, his eye caught his overnight bag. Hadn’t he planned to leave today? Yet here he was, willingly returning to see Charlie.

  Charlie arrived at the practice with half an hour to spare before Logan’s appointment. Lilly didn’t work over weekends, so she had the place to herself for a while. She needed a few quiet moments to try and restore her equilibrium.

  Because of a lack of sleep, she was irritated, grumpy, and upset. Mostly because she so worried about Lindsay’s ex who’d contacted her again, but she also didn’t know what to do about the strange feelings inside her caused by the mere thought of Logan Johnson.

  She hadn’t wanted to leave Lindsay alone at home, but fortunately Brooke had phoned to say she’d pop in to see her sister.

  So at least she didn’t have to worry about Lindsay; she only had to face Logan Johnson again after last night’s kiss. Okay, so it wasn’t really a kiss, but their lips had met and...

  She opened the window and inhaled the fresh air. She and Lindsay hadn’t initially known how they would feel about living in a small, rural town. Back in South Africa, they had lived in Johannesburg, a big bustling city, so they thought they might eventually decide to move to Bozeman or maybe even Seattle in the nearby state of Washington.

  But both of them quickly came to love life in the small town. Brooke and Eleanor were their first clients, and through them they’d been introduced to the whole community. And now she couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.

  Initially they’d struggled to get clients, but over time they’d gained the trust of the town’s people and lately they were also getting queries from people from the nearby town of Livingston, and even from Bozeman.

  She pressed her hand to her stomach. These crazy feelings Logan had stirred deep within her were definitely a first. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t been attracted to a man before, but what happened to her when Logan Johnson was around could by no means merely be described as simple attraction.

  For goodness’ sake, if she wasn’t mistaken, she had butterflies on her stomach. Ridiculous. Who still got butterflies in their tummy at nearly thirty?

  There was a soft knock on her door and she turned around quickly. And there he was. Dressed in a cobalt blue shirt and jeans, he simply took her breath away.

  “You’re early,” she got out.

  With his eyes on her, he entered the room. “Good morning, Charlene.”

  She had to swallow a few times before she could talk. “You can call me Charlie.”

  He nodded. “Charlie.”

  His voice sent shivers down her spine. Oh, get a grip. He was just another client. She motioned toward the table. “Please lie down on your stomach; I’ll be with you shortly.”

  She waited for him to move away from the door before she briskly left the room. There was no good reason to leave now, except that she had to try and breathe.

  Inhale, exhale. He was simply another client in pain. One who needed her professional help, not her drooling over him.

  Logan was lying on his stomach, his eyes closed, when he heard the jingle of her bangles and her soft tread next to the table. Strangely enough, he was quite relaxed today.

  She didn’t talk but he felt her nearness, smelled the subtle scent of roses she seemed to carry around her. For a few moments, he sensed her hands above his body before she touched him.

  His eyes were still closed, but he could still clearly see her in his mind’s eye. Today she was wearing a soft blue, glittery top with yet another long, gauzy, blueish, layered skirt. The top had tiny buttons from top to bottom and his fingers twitched the minute he’d noticed this. On her ears were a pair of huge, golden hoops. No mini-chandeliers today.

  Exquisite. Beautiful. Sexy as hell.

  He exhaled slowly. Whether he liked it or not, he’d been waiting for this moment since he’d left the day before—to be close to her, to feel her hands on him, to inhale her uniqueness.

  “Okay, now try and relax. I’m leaving the room again to allow time for your body to integrate the effects of the set of rolling movements I’ve just preformed. The basic idea is to prompt your muscles and tissue in the body to repair and heal.” Her voice was husky and she hastened away.

  Again, she’d barely touched him, but the blood was pounding through his veins, making such a noise, he couldn’t hear anything else. He was aching to touch her, to kiss her, to make love to her...

  He swore loudly and turned his head. Damn it to hell! What was it with this woman? Yes, she was gorgeous, but it wasn’t as if he hadn’t met be
autiful woman before. But thoughts of her had taken over his brain. He never stopped working and was always either checking emails or sending emails while constantly keeping his eye on the markets. But since yesterday, he couldn’t be bothered even to open his laptop. That had never happened before.

  “You still okay?” She was back.

  He grunted, unable to respond. It had been a mistake to return this morning; he should’ve stuck to his decision to go back to Seattle. Do not get entangled with a woman who even remotely resembled his mother or sister—that had been his motto ever since he could remember.

  He loved them dearly, but they drove him nuts. Neither one of them ever did anything close to normal and both seemed to thrive on chaos.

  Order—that was what he craved in life. Not chaos. And if that made him boring, as his sister had declared, so be it. He preferred the word “steady.” In the very unpredictable financial world he worked in, clients depended on his steadiness.

  Even his style was minimalist. Whether it was his clothing or the décor of his home or office, he preferred clean lines and the bare necessities. After years of living with his mother’s flamboyant array of colorful cushions and throws, he’d made sure there were none in his own house.

  And if he’d needed another reason to stay away from Charlie, he just had to remember her house. He swore there were cushions of every color of the rainbow in the living room.

  “Okay, I’m leaving again. Just relax.” And with a swoosh of her skirt, she was gone.

  Cursing, he banged his head on the bed. Get a grip, Johnson, damn it!

  Chapter 5

  With her hand on the knob, Charlie pressed her forehead against the door. Another quick session and she could send the man on his way. She could do this.

  She’d been talking to herself all morning in a desperate attempt to keep her emotions in check. Each time she worked on his body, her hands barely touched him, but every single time, she was worried she’d burst into flames.

  Where was the little voice she needed to stop her from doing stupid things? Because it would seem since Logan had arrived on her doorstep, her instincts had gone completely haywire.

  Maybe it was because she hadn’t been on a date for... When was the last time she’d been on a date? Kissed someone? Had sex? Six months ago? She couldn’t even remember. Maybe that was the problem. There weren’t that many prospects in a small town like Alisson, but then maybe she was too picky and not really interested. She wasn’t looking for a husband, but maybe she should think about dating again. At least then she wouldn’t melt at the mere sight of the next attractive man.

  She opened the door. Logan was still lying on his stomach, his eyes closed. He was snoring softly. Stunned, she stared at him. Here she was, all jittery and flustered and he was snoring away.

  Quickly, she moved closer. The sooner this session ended, the better for the poor butterflies on her stomach—at this point they had to be exhausted.

  She put her hands on his back, trying not to look at his firm butt; however, like all the other times that day, her eyes kept straying in that direction. It wasn’t difficult to imagine touching...

  “Are we done yet?” he asked groggily, and she just about jumped out of her skin.

  He turned his head; blue eyes met hers. “Why so skittish?” His voice was husky and sexy, sending those stupid butterflies into a frenzy again.

  “Nearly,” she got out, and with her eyes still on his, she dropped her hands on his back. Only, they didn’t end up there but on his very firm buttocks. Inhaling, she quickly lifted her hands. “I’m...sorry,” she muttered while moving her hands to where his injury was.

  It had just been a moment but oh, my word... Firm, muscled, exactly what she’d imagined. Her breasts felt heavy. Her nipples hardened.

  Damn it, if she didn’t stop touching him now, she might just end up doing something completely inappropriate.

  She glanced at him again, only to find his eyes still on hers. Was it her imagination or had they darkened?

  Praying for her body not to respond further, she performed a quick succession of rolling movements before she dropped her hands. “There you go.” Oh my word, again the husky voice. Seriously?

  She turned away. “Thanks again for helping us last night—we really appreciate it.”

  “So you’ve said.” He was already up and right behind her.

  When she turned around, they were standing toe to toe. “I’m...” Mesmerized, she stared at his mouth. Last night’s kiss wasn’t really a kiss, just a nibble, really. But if she were honest, and this close to him she had no other option but to be honest, she’d like another taste. The thought of kissing him again had kept her awake most of the night, anyway.

  He lifted his hand and cupped her face; the room fell silent. Say something. She couldn’t kiss him again. It would be a disaster. “Logan...” was all she managed.

  His eyes dropped and the one corner of his mouth lifted.

  She looked down to see what had caught his attention. And damn...her nipples were clearly straining against her top. Help! She’d never, ever had this problem. Blushing furiously, she tried to move away, but he lifted his other hand, as well, to touch her cheek.

  “Damn, Charlie, you’re driving me crazy.” He bent his head. “I have to...” His lips were barely touching hers, waiting, asking permission.

  Nodding, she licked her dry lips and with a groan, he pulled her head closer and kissed her.

  By the time his lips closed over hers, he was desperate. The madness that had filled his every waking moment since he’d met her was egging him on and he simply had no choice.

  He swallowed her gasp, his tongue quickly finding its way into the warm, wet depths of her mouth. The scent of roses seeped through his skin, joined the blood rushing through his veins, and within seconds he was in danger of losing control.

  Satin and silk, creamy lines and toned angles, she was all woman. Her mouth was supple and warm and he was lost. Angling his head, he deepened the kiss and pulled her closer. Soft breasts fitted perfectly against his body.

  His heart was beating so loudly no other sound penetrated the sensory bubble they were in. All that actually registered were the delicate smoothness of her skin, the sexy sound of her breath, the intoxicating taste of her lips.

  Somewhere, warning signals flashed, trying to get his attention, but he ignored it. His only objective was to try and assuage the gnawing ache deep inside him, and she was the only one who could do that.

  After long minutes, he eventually lifted his head, breathing heavily. Her mouth was wet and swollen with his kisses, her eyes liquid ink, desire still lurking in the depths.

  “Damn, you’re killing me,” he groaned. His gaze dropped to where her beautiful breasts strained against the top, the hard beads tantalizingly visible.

  “I have to...” He cupped his hand around her breast. It was an exact fit.

  She whimpered, the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard. With a groan, he kissed her again. But now that he’d had a taste of her, he wanted more. Desperately, his lips glided over her chin, exploring every curve and velvety line of her throat as he discovered new textures and scents. And still he wanted more.

  “Logan...” Her fingers were in his hair, spurring him on. He moved her top aside, his lips finding the enticing curve of her breast. Joyously he nibbled his way over her satiny softness down to those hard, little nubs waiting for his attention.

  When his mouth finally closed over her breast, the sound of a groan filled the air around them. He wasn’t sure whether it was his or hers, but hungrily, he moved the last barrier aside so that he could taste her flesh.

  This was what he’d dreamed about the whole of last night. He suckled and licked and feasted on her breasts until she shuddered beneath his mouth. But although the ache inside him had been appeased somewhat, he wanted more. Much, much more. His hand trailed down her skirt.

  The only voice she could hear was the one spurring her on to drag Logan
to the ground and have her way with him. But finally, sanity prevailed when a lonely, rational little voice managed to penetrate the lustful fog she’d been in since Logan’s lips had found hers. She started pulling away.

  Her fingers were still curled up in his hair but somehow, she had to put a stop to this. “Logan...” Her voice sounded raspy.

  “What?” he growled, his mouth still around her breast.

  “This is madness, we...you...”

  Finally, he lifted his head. Untamed passion shone from the blue depths of his eyes for a moment, before he stepped back.

  Gulping in air, she tried to fasten the buttons of her blouse, but her hands were so unsteady, the simple task was beyond her.

  Cursing, he moved closer again and brushed her hands aside. “Let me.”

  Logan’s fingers were shaking so much, he also struggled with the simple task of putting a button in a hole. As if that wasn’t bad enough, his fingers kept touching the silky curve of her breast in the process. Passion lurked just below the surface and he knew if he didn’t get out of there fast, he wouldn’t be closing buttons, but opening them.

  Both of them were still breathing heavily. When he was done, he touched her face. “You’re right, this is madness. You’re beautiful and you make me ache in places I didn’t know was possible. But you’re so not the type of woman I normally date...”

  Her eyes narrowed and she stepped back without saying a word.

  He put his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “I like my life uncomplicated and tidy. And neat. And without scatter cushions in every damn color of the rainbow.” He frowned. “Look at you—who wears glitter during the day? It’s weird.”

  Before he could complete his sentence, she’d marched to the door and was opening it. “Goodbye, Logan. I hope your back feels better soon.”

  He felt like a jerk. Damn it, he was a jerk. “I’m sorry. I’m just trying to be honest here. I’m not interested in anything permanent...”