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The two of them talked for a second, and Marco poured more wines. “You take those,” he said to me, “Perry will bring the others. On the house, of course.”
“Thanks,” I said.
“Let’s catch up sometime.” Marco pulled out a scrap of paper from under the bar. “Your hands are full but here. Give me a call.”
Slipping the paper under my finger at the base of the wine glass, I assured Marco I would call him and then made my way to the deck where Perry said the ladies were sitting.
Natalie spotted me first. She said something to Charlee, who turned in her seat. This was exactly how it’d always been between us. Chemistry, off the charts. How I’d thought to come back to town and simply ignore her, I had no idea. Part of me wished she was attached. A boyfriend. Fiancé. Husband.
On the other hand, I’d want to rip the guy’s throat out if she had any of the above.
She sat up as I approached the ladies sitting in a circle around a fire. “You said two o’clock.”
“I don’t like to be predictable.” I handed her the wine. Just as I did, the attendant came up to us with the other wines, putting them on the table.
“Thanks, Lucas,” Natalie said. “You already met Zoe. She moved to Kitchi Falls a few months ago.”
“Nice to see you again,” I said as Zoe thanked me for the drink. Then, to Charlee, I added, “Walk with me?”
Charlee gave me a look that clearly told me what she thought of my forwardness. Coming here early. Pulling her away from her friends. But I didn’t give a shit about pretense. I took what I wanted, typically, and right now I wanted to walk with her.
Actually, I wanted to do more than walk.
Since the very second my hand had touched her thigh, my thumb rubbing her pussy, even if it was over a pair of leggings, I’d wanted to do a hell of a lot more than walk with Charlee. If I were being honest, I wanted that well before I gave her a ride home yesterday.
Me thinking “no sex” would preserve any ounce of restraint that was left after getting a taste of her?
Ridiculous.
When she stood, I took in the tight jeans, UGG boots, and sweater that fell off one shoulder, revealing a tank top below. One I’d dearly love to remove.
Redo.
One I’d dearly love to tear from her body.
“Sure.”
When she stood and grabbed her wine, Charlee’s friends gave her looks that said be careful.
Too late for that.
“I’m surprised to see you here,” she began as we walked off the deck down to the lower level. There were too many people here for what I had planned.
If I were going to have Charlee in my life, even temporarily, you could be damned sure I was going to taste her. In more ways than one.
The sex thing was purely self-preservation. I couldn’t imagine being inside a woman I’d thought about for so many years and still let her go. And there was no doubt here, that’s what would eventually happen. One whiff of us and Daddy Donovan would zero percent let it stand. For the darling of Kitchi Falls? A guy like me? No way.
But in the meantime. . .
“Change your mind yet?” I asked, certain once her friends got ahold of her they would put the kibosh on this insane plan of mine.
“Not quite,” she said as we walked toward the lake. Still too crowded for my tastes.
“I’m surprised.” I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her. Charlee Donovan had always been the forbidden fruit, and then I’d gotten to know her. As a teen, she’d been one of the most empathetic people I knew. I always admired qualities in others I didn’t possess, at least not in spades like Charlee.
Added to that, Charlee loved to have fun. Was passionate in everything she did, even if impatient at times. She was one of the most positive people I’d met at that point in my life and since. So far, there was little evidence she’d changed much.
“You thought I’d think it over and get scared?” she asked.
