CHARLIE DROVE ME crazy. I wanted so badly to hate her, but every time she walked that sweet ass by me, I was transported back seven years ago. The memory of her wrapped in my arms as we swung in the hammock was one of my favorites. And the one I had jerked off to in the shower more times than I could count.

Little did I know she was going to freak out on me and leave me a fucking note saying to forget the entire weekend happened. Nash tried to warn me about Charlie. Everyone knew she put her father above everything. Her only goal in life was making her father happy. Screw her own happiness. She’d given up so many dreams for him. I wondered if he knew how much his daughter had given up.

I sighed and dropped my head back, then rolled it around to ease the stress. I’d never be able to forget the most incredible seventy-two hours of my life. Or the way she fell apart over and over while whispering my name. I wondered if she had remembered telling me she was in love with me. She had been drunk, but her confession nearly knocked me on my goddamn ass. Her leaving that fucking note proved she was lying about what that weekend meant, and it caused me to see blood red. I knew she was lying, and she knew it too.

The memory hit me right in the chest.

CHARLIE GIGGLED AS I carried her up the back steps. She’d had one too many drinks and was currently teasing me that she had a secret.

I laid her on my bed and pulled my T-shirt over my head. “What’s your secret, Pumpkin?”

Her eyes lit up and tears filled those beautiful blue eyes.

“I love you,” she softly said.

Every ounce of air felt like it was pulled not only from my lungs, but from the room as well.

She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I think I loved you the first moment you smiled at me. How stupid am I?”

I had planned on sleeping out on the sofa, but when the girl you’ve secretly loved for the last few years tells you she loves you … well, you have no choice but to make love to her.

“Please tell me you’re not too drunk to know what you’re saying, princess.”

Charlie chewed on her lip, her eyes turning dark. “I’m not too drunk.”

I smiled as I crawled over her body, pressed my lips to hers, and gave my heart to her. Forever.

“TUCKER? TUCKER?”

Snapping out of my memory, I smiled at Pam. One of my managers.

“Yeah, sorry. What did you need?”

She looked me over and smiled bigger. “Do you have the number to Pine Brewery? I think we’re going to want to order more of their American Amber Ale. It’s been one of our biggest sellers.”

“That’s awesome,” I replied. I knew that one was going to go over well with this crowd. Craft beer was my thing; I had a passion for it. My father still didn’t get my desire for what I did. He nearly stroked out when I told him I was opening my own bar. His only response was that at least my degree would get put to use.

“It sure is. Want me to go to your office and get it?”

“Actually, Pam, I let two of my college buddies use my office. With Charlie’s parents dying …”

Pam gasped. “Oh, your poor friend. I hope he’s going to be okay. How sad.”

With a nod, I replied, “Charlie is a girl.”

She frowned. “A girl? Her name is Charlie?” When she snarled her lip, I got defensive.

“It’s short for Charleston.”

Then she made a face. “That poor girl. What a dreadful name.”

Opening my mouth to argue with her, I quickly shut it. It wasn’t worth it, and why I felt the need to defend Charlie was beyond me. I’d always done it, though. Anytime anyone said anything bad about her, I stood up for her. Even though down to her very soul, she was a cold-hearted bitch.

That was a lie.

Charlie was far from being a bitch, even though she tried to play the part of one. She didn’t know any of us knew about how she volunteered at the battered women’s shelter once a week. Or the pet shelter on Town Lake every Saturday morning. I’d seen her at a cancer fundraiser last year, and I overheard her asking to keep her donation anonymous. It was later I found out she had donated $300,000.

Charleston Monroe didn’t have a bad bone in her body. She was perfect. Beautiful. Smart. Sexy.

Jesus, Middleton. Snap out of it.

I didn’t have time to think about Charlie.

“I’ll go grab the number while I’m thinking about it. We’ll call them first thing Monday morning.”

Pam grinned. “Back to work! It’s super crazy busy in here. I’ll make the rounds.”

I placed my hand on her arm and gave it a friendly squeeze. “Thanks, Pam.”

Her eyes lit up. “Any time, Tucker.”

Turning, I headed to my office. Hopefully everything was okay with Charlie. I hated how she was going through this alone. But then again, she wanted it that way. She’d always wanted to fly solo, so why should I be concerned?

When I opened the door to my office, I froze. Charlie sat in the chair at my desk and looked as if she was about to cry. She appeared so defeated. She opened her mouth to say something, and my entire world stopped when I saw the tears streaming down her face.

I should have gone to her. Pulled her into my arms to comfort her. But I didn’t. I stood there like an asshole as she buried her face in her hands while her sobs filled my office. The words in the letter she wrote me flashed before my eyes.

“It was a mistake. We need to forget this weekend ever happened. There could never be anything between us.”

“Charlie!” Terri blurted out as she ran around the desk.

Pulling her up, Terri wrapped her arms around Charlie. I’d never in all the years I’d known Charleston Monroe seen her cry.

Not once.

She was the strongest woman I’d ever met. Even at her parents’ funeral she didn’t cry. I had snuck in at the last minute and sat off to the side where I knew she wouldn’t see me, but I could see her. I watched Charlie like a hawk, ready to rush in if she needed someone. Why in the hell I thought she would want me was beyond me. Wishful thinking, maybe? Her chin had quivered so many times it actually made my own eyes water. When it was time for them to close the caskets, she stood, walked up to her parents’ caskets and took in a slow, steady breath. She said something to her father, then turned to her mother and smiled. It was the saddest smile I’d ever seen in my entire life.

As soon as Charlie’s crying had started in my office, though, it stopped. “I’m okay. I’m fine.”

It was that quickly she pulled herself together. There was the all-business Charlie I knew. God forbid anyone see the other side of her. The side I knew she had buried deep down.

I walked into the room and headed to the file cabinet. “I’m sorry to interrupt. I needed a number.”

Our eyes met, and I fought to keep the tightness down in my chest. Charlie was hurting, and I just ignored it. Just dismissed her feelings as though she’d dismissed mine all those years ago. I was a prick, and I knew it. She wiped her tears away and shot me a dirty look. So maybe the cold-hearted act I was playing was a bit much. After all, she suffered a major loss only a week ago.

“Of course you’d walk in now, wouldn’t you? Go ahead, M-Middleton. Make a smart-ass comment about how I broke down. How karma is a bitch and so am I, because I know you want to go there with me.”

Stopping, I slowly shook my head. “It’s okay to cry, Charlie.”

Her teeth sank into her lip as her chin trembled. “No, it’s not.” Her head dropped and her fucking chin started to quiver. “It’s not ever okay.”

Her last words were barely a whisper.

God, who told her she couldn’t show emotion?

She started toward the door and tripped. Jesus, those fuck-me shoes she wore were going to be the death of her and me. I’d never in my life saw anyone stumble like she did.

Terri caught her as Charlie yelled out, “Son of a fucking bitch!”

“Do you kiss people with that mouth?” I blurted. I wasn’t sure why I was acting like a dick. I guess it was just something we did to each other.

“Fuck you, asshole.”

“Been there, done that, Charlie, remember? Oh wait, that’s right. You wanted to forget it ever happened. My bad.”

Terri stopped walking. “I’ll be right out.”

With a wave of her hand, Charlie retreated through the door and never looked back.

Terri walked up to me and threw her hands on her hips. “What in the hell is wrong with you? Her parents died, Tucker. Have you ever seen her cry before? Hell, I’ve known her since I was eighteen, and I’ve never even seen her cry during a sad movie. She didn’t even cry at her folks’ funeral.”

Turning back to the files, I found the one for Pine Brewery. Slamming the file cabinet door, I took in a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have kicked her when she was down.”

Her brows pinched together. “That’s it?”

“What do you mean?”

She shook her head. “That’s all you’re going to say for treating her like that, knowing what she has gone through? What is wrong with you two? Clearly you both still have feelings for each other and won’t admit it, so instead you attack one another.”

I threw my head back and laughed. “Yeah. Right.” I pointed the file toward the door and said, “Charlie Monroe has no heart. The only thing she cares about is her job. That’s all she’s ever cared about. That and living up to her father’s expectations. I feel terrible her parents are gone. I honestly do, but that changes nothing between us. She made her feelings for me very clear seven years ago.”

Terri threw her hands up and let out a frustrated groan. “Whatever! Believe what you want to believe, Middleton. I’m done trying with both of you.”

She headed toward my door but stopped and faced me again. “But just so you know, Charlie admitted to Lily that she loved you only weeks after that weekend y’all spent together. All those times she tried calling you, to explain.”

A knife pierced my heart … or at least it felt that way. Charlie had admitted to my sister she loved me?

“How do you know she told Lily that?” I asked.

Terri shook her head, disappointed at my reaction to her little bomb she had just dropped.

“Lily told me. She told me the real reason Charlie ran that morning. It’s a damn shame you never let her back in to tell you or answered any of those calls and texts, but then again, maybe you really didn’t care about her that much. Maybe it was your fucking ego that was wounded. Whatever it is, Tucker, she cares about you, and you just treated her like shit when she needed you the most. I hope you’re feeling good about the pissing contest you just won.”

She slammed the door behind her and I jumped.

Walking over to my desk, I dropped into my chair and rubbed my neck. I stared at my degree that sat on my desk. What was it doing there? Picking it up, I turned and hung it back on the wall. My eyes caught the security system I had.

A strange feeling came over me. Opening up my laptop, I pulled up the video footage for my office and went back a few minutes to where Charlie and Terri had walked in. Lifting my headphones to my ears, I hit the play button. As I sat there and listened to Charlie and Terri speak, my anger grew more and more. Pulling off my headphones, I leaned back in my seat and stared at the screen, infuriated. I’d paused it at the part when Charlie started crying. My heart ached for her, but after hearing the little plan she had concocted that involved me, whatever sympathy I had for her turned into full-on anger.

After pacing in my office for thirty minutes, I finally stopped. The corners of my mouth slowly moved up until I let out a roar of laughter.

“You want to play dirty, Charlie? Oh, I can play dirty. Game fucking on.”

“JIM, HOW MUCH has Charlie had to drink?” I asked as I watched her talk to some douchebag.

The way he kept placing his hand on her leg was driving me up a fucking wall. Of course, what guy wouldn’t want to put his hand on her leg with the way she wore that little red dress. It showed off every amazing curve of her body. I might have been pissed off at Charlie more than ever, but I didn’t want to see another man hurting her when she was in such an emotional state.

Douche. What you mean is you don’t want any other guys hurting her, but you’ll gladly hurt her any chance you can get.

I ignored my inner thoughts. After fuming in my office about Charlie’s plan to seduce me, I decided to turn the tables on her. I’d seduce her, ask her to marry me, and then do what she did to me. Leave her. It would be a dick move, but revenge was the only thing on my mind right now.

Jim shrugged. “No clue. It’s girls’ night, and I was banned from the table. Terri said Charlie was on the hunt for a one-night stand. I ain’t standing in the way of any of that. According to Terri, it’s been years since Charlie was laid. Dude, do you know what years of sexual frustration can do to a woman when she’s on the prowl? That’s like being in the crosshairs of a lioness on the hunt.”

My face tightened and my pulse sped up at the thought of her fucking some guy tonight. “Don’t you think she’s a little emotionally unstable to be hooking up with someone tonight?”

Jim stared at me with a blank expression. “Since when do you care what Charlie does? Wasn’t it you who practically delivered her Sam, even when you knew he had a girlfriend? He was one of the only guys I know for sure Charlie has dated since the … incident. Which, by the way, if Terri and Lily ever found out you did that, shit would hit the fan.”

A grin moved over my face. “Karma is a bitch.”

“Dude, she never cheated on you.”

I shrugged. “Whatever. All I’m saying is she looks pretty toasted. Maybe y’all should take her home.”

Jim let out a roar of laughter. “Right. Like Charleston Monroe would go for being told what to do.”

Throwing down the dishrag, I let out a string of curse words. “Well, I’m not going to let her leave with a stranger when she got drunk in my fucking bar. I’ll take her home.”

“What? You’re leaving?” Pam asked in a panicked voice.

I turned and smiled. “I have to take a friend home who drank too much. I won’t be long. Hold the fort down for me?”

Her face beamed with pride. “Of course!”

Walking around the bar, I headed over to Charlie’s table. Stopping in front of her and the dickhead, I cleared my throat. She looked up, frowned, then focused back on him. His hand slipped a little farther up her leg, and I was happy to see she had the sense to push it back down.

“Charlie, I think you’ve had enough to drink. Why don’t you let me take you home now?”

The guy stood up. “You her boyfriend or something?”

Popping up, Charlie stumbled but grabbed the table. “No. He is most certainly not my girlfriend.”

Flashing her a confused look, Charlie covered her mouth and laughed. “Boyfriend. He’s not my boyfriend.”

Without taking my gaze off of her, I added, “I’m her friend though.”

Narrowing her eyes, she shot me a serious go to hell look. “Friend? Is that what you call ignoring me for the last seven years.”

There was no way I was getting into this with her here. “We’re friends, Charlie, and I’m worried you’ve drunk too much. With your declaration of wanting to get a strange dick tonight, I’m thinking that might be a bit dangerous.”

Her mouth dropped open and the guy next to us said, “Well, hell yeah. I knew we had something going on, baby.”

Charlie looked between the both of us. She must have done it one too many times or too fast because she started to sway.

“I’m feeling … funny.”

The guy next to me took a step back. “Dude, you can have her. I don’t do the ones who throw up.”

I watched as he took off toward the bar, stopping to talk to the blonde I had been talking to earlier.

Bastard.

When I looked back at Charlie, she was really swaying. “Come on, Pumpkin. I’ll get you home.”

She held up her hand to stop me, but quickly dropped it. “I think … I may throw up.”

Sweeping her up and into my arms, I headed down the hall to the back of the bar. One of the waitresses called out, “You leaving, boss?”

Calling back over my shoulder, I replied, “Just taking a friend home.”

“Yeah. Right. Don’t forget a condom!”

With a roll of my eyes, I pushed the back door open that led to the small parking area reserved for the managers and me.

“Hold on, Charlie.”

She covered her mouth. “Oh God. Tucker. I’m going to be sick.”

Stopping, I set her down just in time. She leaned over and puked everywhere. I’ve worked in enough bars to know how far to stand back when someone hurls. And boy was Charlie hurling. Fucking hell. She must not have eaten a damn thing today.

“Jesus. I think I’m dying,” she mumbled.

Another round and she had nothing else to throw up. She stood and looked at me. Even after throwing up, the damn woman made my knees weak.

“Hey, Tucker?”

Her voice was so soft and innocent it made my stomach jump in delight.

“Yeah, Charlie?”

“Why is everything going black?”

“Huh?”

And just like that her legs gave out, and she fell right into my arms. I stood in the parking lot behind my new bar with a passed-out woman in my arms. Glancing around, the only thing I could do was laugh. For seven years I had hoped for another chance to have Charlie in my arms, and here we were. Lifting her up, I put her over my shoulder. The short red dress she had on rode up, and her perfect tight ass was right in my face.

“Why, cruel world? Why?” I mumbled as I walked to my car.