Charlotte
It didn’t take the three of them long to fall into an easy rhythm in the guest house. It was small, certainly. But they made it work. Charlotte couldn’t help but think maybe it was the close proximity to each other all the time that helped the bond between the three of them grow so strongly, so quickly. But even Amelia seemed to enjoy Charlotte’s presence, smiling and laughing more every day.
As far as Charlotte and Nick, once they’d made the decision to keep things light, with no expectations, it had opened up a whole new comfort level between them. They kissed easily, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. She knew Damon and Katie had noticed their increased intimacy, too. She’d seen the raised eyebrows and the smiles and shakes of their heads when they were all together, but she didn’t care. They were having fun and helping the custody case. Surely when Susan did make her visit, she’d notice the closeness, too.
There was no way not to.
In the evening, over glasses of wine, they would cuddle and kiss and fill each other in on their various personal details that a caseworker might ask if and when she ever popped in for her visit, but they still hadn’t taken their relationship to the next level. Not that Char didn’t want to. She did.
So badly that at times it was hard to focus on anything else, like the matter at hand. Amelia.
“So when do you think it will happen?” Charlotte asked Nick as she returned from the bedroom after laying Amelia down to sleep. It had been just over a week since she’d moved in and they’d started playing house together, and there’d been no sign of the caseworker popping in again.
In fact, as far as Charlotte knew, nothing had happened in the case at all. At least, nothing Nick had told her. Not that he needed to tell her anything, but Charlotte couldn’t help but be invested in the outcome. Not that she wouldn’t have been anyway, but now, after living with Nick and Amelia and seeing firsthand how amazing he was with her and how much love he had for her, she couldn’t imagine the little girl being anywhere else. She belonged with her daddy. One hundred percent.
“I have no idea.” Nick finished up putting away the plates he’d just finished washing, hung up the dishtowel, and turned around. “Honestly, I thought it would have happened by now. I don’t know why. I mean, I know these things take time, but I’m not used to waiting for things.”
And just like that, her focus on the matter at hand was broken, and desire flared through her.
“Is that right?” She crossed the room until she stood in front of him. She lowered her eyelids and bit her bottom lip when she got close. “What else aren’t you used to waiting for?” She reached up and let her fingers trace the stubble on his chin. He’d started going longer and longer between shaves. It was unexpected from him. And she liked it. It was gruff and sexy.
Char wasn’t usually so forward. In fact, in every one of her past relationships, she’d always been a little tentative, or shy even. She couldn’t pinpoint where the change in attitude was coming from, but something about Nick brought it out in her, and…maybe it was their situation, and the fact that there was no real pressure on their relationship. Because it wasn’t even a real relationship. It was make-believe, with no expectations, and that made it so much easier to put herself out there and go after what she wanted. Even if it was temporary.
Which was exactly why she was more than ready to go after something else she’d been wanting more and more of lately. And that was only natural, right? It had been so long since she’d felt anything. So long since the feel of a man’s lips on hers had sparked something deep inside. She was beyond overdue to feel sexy and desirable. She craved it.
Needed it.
For too long, Billy had used sex as a weapon. Withholding it or demanding it as the mood struck. But she was past that; she’d worked through it. Put it in her past. And now…she needed more.
She was pretty sure Nick would agree that this was exactly what they both needed.
And he wasn’t complaining either, as he put his hands on her hips and held her firmly in his grasp. “Oh, I think you know what I’m not used to waiting for.” He tugged her toward him until his lips crushed hers. One hand slipped behind her head and he held her close as his tongue twisted with hers.
Her body liquefied under his attentions the way it always seemed to, and she melted into the kiss, pushing herself closer to him until they were pressed back up against the kitchen counter. It had been a long time since she’d been intimate with a man, and even longer still since she’d enjoyed it.
Instinctively, Charlotte knew she would more than enjoy any kind of physical activity with Nick. If their kisses were anything to go by.
And oh man, they sure were something to go by.
She was more than ready to take this—whatever it was that they were doing—to the next level. Char groaned and let her mouth slip away, so she could press kisses on his neck. She inhaled the scent of him, fueling her desire as she alternatively sucked and nibbled on his neck, eliciting moans from him that were making it increasingly difficult to not tear his clothes off right there in the kitchen.
But then again, why not?
She pulled away from him.
“I didn’t say stop.” He grinned.
“Oh, I wasn’t about to stop.” Char reached for his belt buckle and his eyes widened in surprise.
What did he think was going to happen?
She slipped the leather through the buckle and yanked it free before tugging his zipper down.
Nick’s hand stilled hers and held it in place. “Char?”
She looked up at him with heavily lidded eyes. “You said you weren’t used to waiting and—”
“That’s not what I…shit.” He shook his head sharply. “No. That’s not what I…I didn’t mean that you…that we…dammit.”
“Oh.” She’d clearly read the situation wrong. Maybe part of keeping things relaxed and without any expectations was keeping things PG. Mortified, she tried to turn away, but he held her fast.
“No, Charlotte.” He cupped her cheek with his hand. “That’s not what I was trying to say. Not at all. I want this. I want you.”
She forced herself to look at him. “Then what is it?”
He squeezed his eyes shut and when he opened them again, she could see he was struggling with something internally.
“Nick? No expectations, remember?” The words tasted sour on her tongue. She hated it because no matter how many times she said that, or reminded herself that what they weren’t real, it sure felt real. Just like what she was about to do felt very, very real. Still, she knew he hadn’t promised her more, and he’d definitely not promised her real. So she swallowed down the sourness and said, “Don’t overthink it. This doesn’t have to be anything more than what it is.”
Nick
And what was it?
Way too many thoughts slammed through Nick’s consciousness all at once.
It was ridiculous, because it hadn’t even been a full year ago when he’d regularly hooked up with women for meaningless sex. He’d never thought about what it could mean. Or what it might mean. It was sex. That was it. No strings. No expectations.
Just like this.
But it wasn’t anything like this. Not even close.
Because Charlotte was…
Don’t overthink it, she’d said. Dammit. Didn’t she know that that’s exactly what he did? He overthought. All. The. Time. It was exactly why he’d become so successful in everything he’d done.
Almost.
Her touch on his skin was like fire. More than anything, Nick wanted to tangle his fingers through her hair, pull her tight to him, and kiss away any more thought until they were both naked and sweaty and—
And why not?
Why shouldn’t they take things to the next level? They’d already talked about expectations and where his priorities were. Even if it was getting harder and harder to keep it all straight, because when Char kissed him, the line he’d drawn in the sand blurred immediately. Which was why there were about a million reasons he shouldn’t go there with her. Not when he was so confused about what he felt.
But there was also one really damn good reason why he should.
Charlotte.
He’d wanted her almost from the moment he’d laid eyes on her. If circumstances had been different—fuck, he hated that saying. Circumstances weren’t different. They were right here. Right now. In the exact circumstance that they were in.
And what exactly was wrong with that?
His mind was made up before the thoughts had even fully processed.
Nick took her face in his hands and kissed her. Hard.
She groaned against his mouth, and he was completely lost.
Like a switch flipped, his hands were all over her. And hers on his. He lifted his head up long enough to look in her eyes and see nothing but desire and need. No regret. No hesitation.
Perfect.
Their kisses intensified and then there was no going back. Together, they tugged and pulled until clothes were left in a pile by their feet. It was only when Nick’s hands slid down Char’s bare, soft skin that he paused for a moment. He took a step back so he could see all of her and sucked in a sharp breath. Damn. It wasn’t even remotely suitable to describe her beauty and how perfect every part of her was.
And how badly he wanted her.
“Everything okay?”
Her voice snapped him out of the trance she’d put him in and a smile crept over his face. “So much better than okay.” He moved quickly then, scooping her up and once more taking her mouth in his. He moved toward the bedroom and stopped.
Amelia was in there. And she could sleep through anything, but somehow that felt wrong.
He turned toward the living room and the tiny couch. No.
Nick turned, Charlotte still in his arms, her legs wrapped tight around him, squeezing into him in a way that was making it very hard to think straight.
Out of options, he turned and set her on the kitchen island. Her eyes grew wide in question, but there was no going back. For either of them.
“I know this isn’t what you—”
“It’s perfect.”
She wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and pulled him in. Perfect didn’t even begin to describe what was happening. Not. Even. Close.
“You are so gorgeous, Char.”
Nick couldn’t help but feel bad for the lack of worshiping of her body he was doing. Because it was so worthy of all the worship. But having his hands on her body and his mouth on hers was making it hard to focus on anything else.
He ran his hands down her curves, cupping her breasts before bending to kiss each of them in turn. Beneath his attentions, she shuddered and moaned.
Charlotte slid her own hands down his body to find the throbbing between his legs. When she took his length in her hand and squeezed, he was done. “Oh,” he moaned, dropping his face to nuzzle in her neck. “Careful or you’ll—”
“I’ll what?” Her tone teased and played.
But he wasn’t playing. Not anymore. The intensity with which he needed her was all-encompassing.
“Char…I…oh God…”
Nick lifted his head and took her mouth in his, kissing her hard. She responded by shifting back on the counter, pulling him between her legs, tighter.
He needed a condom. He needed to slow it down. He needed…
“It’s okay,” she murmured. “I’m on the Pill.”
Nick swallowed hard.
And when Char spoke again, there was no more holding back. “I need you, Nick.” She tugged him forward. “Now.”
There was no way he could argue with that.
Charlotte
He took her breath away when he entered her. She was ready. More than ready, but it had been awhile and the sensation of having him inside her, filling her was beyond intense. Charlotte squeezed her eyes shut with a groan and let her head fall back as he stilled, letting her body adjust to him. But only for a moment before he started to move inside her.
Charlotte gripped his shoulders tight. No doubt her nails dug into his skin, but he didn’t seem to mind as he increased his pace.
She lifted her head up to see him, and the sight of him took her breath away again. This time it was because of the way he was looking at her. As if she were the sexiest, most desirable person in the entire world. He was completely lost in her.
A fact that was only confirmed a moment later when he said, “Fuck, Char, you feel absolutely amazing.” His words came out on a groan and it was the hottest thing she’d ever heard.
She needed him closer, to feel his body pressed to hers. She shifted up on the counter so she sat up, right on the edge. Nick wrapped his arms tight around her back, holding her against his chest, and she wrapped her legs around his back, holding him tight.
The increased skin contact only heightened every sensation that tore through her, intensifying every thrust. It didn’t take long for Char to feel the building tension deep inside her core. She wasn’t going to be able to hold back. It was taking everything she had in her not to lose the tenuous grip on her control.
“Let go, Char,” Nick murmured. “Let go for me.”
She bit down on her bottom lip and squeezed her eyes shut. She wasn’t going to be able to hold it off much longer. Her legs started to quake and tremble, and Nick increased his pace of relentless thrusting, driving into her. Just when she was about to scream out her release, he closed his mouth over hers and kissed her hard, swallowing her screams of pleasure with his kiss and giving her the space to experience her climax in full, without fear of waking the baby.
Still kissing, Nick’s own release followed moments later. He held her tight. His mouth was still on hers, as they both returned to earth. Their kisses came slower and lazier, until finally, they pulled their mouths away from each other. Nick’s lips were turned up in a satisfied smile that she knew must match her own.
He didn’t pull away or move to unwrap himself from her, and she, too, stayed wrapped tight around him, selfishly wanting to soak up as much of the moment as she possibly could.
“That was…” He started pressing kisses to her neck and collarbone.
His attentions stirred up a renewed desire, but there was no way. She was exhausted. It was too much. He’d need a rest, too.
“It was,” she agreed. “I didn’t think it was…mmm.” Her words dissolved into groans as he sucked and nibbled on the sensitive skin on her neck. “Nick, I…”
“You want me to stop?”
She shook her head and he chuckled. “Didn’t think so.”
“But, you…we just…”
“Let me worry about that.” He grinned, and it was both the sexiest and sweetest thing she’d ever seen. “But I do think…wait here.”
He unwound himself from her body, and Charlotte immediately felt the loss of him. She watched and admired exactly how incredibly sexy he was as he moved through the small guest house. He disappeared into the bedroom and returned with blankets, pillows, and quilts that he arranged on the floor in front of the couch after moving the coffee table aside.
When he was done making up what could only be described as a nest, he returned to her still on the kitchen island and kissed her, his hand on her chin, holding her to him. Char couldn’t help it: every time they kissed, it melted her a little. It was a good thing she was sitting down, because she was positive her legs were completely incapable of supporting her. She gasped a little as he once again scooped her up and this time carried her to the bed he’d made for them on the floor.
“This is sweet,” she said after Nick deposited her on the blankets.
He looked down at her and moved like a cat until he was overtop her, with a wicked grin on his face that sent a shock of desire once more between her legs.
“I assure you, sweetheart, there is nothing sweet about my intentions.” His eyes flared before lowering his mouth to hers once again.
It wasn’t until later—much later—when Nick’s arm was draped over her waist and he was pressed up tightly against her, his deep breathing telling her he’d finally exhausted himself enough to sleep, that Char let herself think that maybe, even for a moment, whatever it was that was happening between them just might be more than either of them were letting themselves believe.