Page 45 of The Rebel Billionaire

"Good morning," she said, sounding only half-awake, her voice huskyandlow.

"Morning."

"What time is it?" sheasked.

"Probably a little after seven," I answered. I hadn't looked at my phone or my watch, but I didn't need to. I could tell by the light outside the window. "What time is the security teamgettinghere?"

"Shit, seven thirty or eight," she said, starting to pull away from me. I didn't want to let her go, but we both needed togetup.

"Stay there.Don'tmove."

I rolled out of the bed and walked naked to the bathroom. Taking a washcloth from the pile on the back of the sink, I wet it with warm water and brought it to her, saying, "I'm gonna jump in the shower, won't take me aminute."

It would've been more gentlemanly to let her have the bathroom first, but I knew from experience that I'd take less than five minutes in the shower and she would undoubtedly take a lot longer. This way, I could get dressed and start making coffee while she took her time gettingready.

With her bruises, she'd need a long, hot shower far more thanIdid.

Charlie stood outside the bathroom door when I opened it. I started to apologize for making her wait when she reached up to place a palm on either side of my face and pulled my mouth downtohers.

The kiss was long, slow, and sweet. Her fingers slid into my hair, tugging me closer, her lips feeding from mine in delicate sips, tasting my lower lip, then the top before fitting her mouth to mine and driving her tongue deep. It was all I could do to let her take the lead when every instinct drove me to wrap her in my arms anddevourher.

She pulled back, grinned up at me, and said, "Thanks for the wake-up fuck. Will you make coffee while I'm in theshower?"

"I'm on it," I said, a little thrown by her grin and thetenderkiss.

She's not your girlfriend, I reminded myself.I know. I know she's not mygirlfriend.

But that was not a fuckbuddieskiss.

That wassomethingelse.

I put the kiss out of my mind. I had other things to focus on than kissing Charlie. My cock didn't agree, but that fucker was going to have to wait his turn. He'd gotten first dibs today, and now his needs were at the bottom ofthelist.

Aware that the security team was going to be all over the house, I pulled the sheet up on the futon and straightened the pillows, hiding the box of condoms behind one leg of theframe.

I wasn't ashamed of fucking Charlie, and I didn't think she was embarrassed about me, but I didn't want her exposed to gossip. I got dressed in the shorts and T-shirt I'd put on the night before and went to makecoffee.

Evers Sinclair was early. I should have expected it. Charlie Winters was as good asfamily.

I opened the door when he knocked, fighting amusement as he eyed me up and down, scowled, and said, "Lucas fucking Jackson. What the hell are you doing in Charlie'shouse?"

"I live next-door, asshole," I said, stepping back to let him in. And because I knew it would irritate him, "Coffee?"

"Yeah. Where's Charlie?" he demanded, following me down the hall into the kitchen, his eyes sweeping every inch of the foyer and what was visible of the dining room and living room. "What the hell is up with this house? Is it going to fall down onherhead?"

"Hey, Evers," Charlie said, coming down the hall and walking into the kitchen. "You'reearly."

"What the fuck happened to your face?" The bruise beneath the red scrape on Charlie's cheek had bloomed into an ugly blue-purple overnight and a bright white bandage covered the raw spot on her temple where the asshole had pulled outherhair.

Evers whirled to face me. "What the fuck did you dotoher?"

His arm flew back, ready to strike. Before he could swing, Charlie jumped between us. I slung an arm around her waist and shoved her behind me, catching Evers's arm inonehand.

"He didn't do this, Evers," Charlie said from behind me. "Backoff."

Evers wrenched his arm from my hand and dropped it to his side, eyeing me like he was still thinking abouthittingme.

"Step out from behind Jackson and look me in the eye while you tell me he had nothing to dowiththis."