Wardrobe Malfunction(35)

“Jesus, Charly.”

She shrugs her shoulders like it doesn’t hurt her, but I can tell it does. Of course it would.

“Shit happens, right? And it’s not like I remember her. Or my father. He’s still in prison. He will be for the rest of his life. After my mother died, I went to live with my grandma. She was the only living relative I had. She did her best, but she was old. I think it was hard for her, seeing me every day. I look a lot like my mother. She never hurt me. I was always well cared for, but she wasn’t exactly the loving type.”

I wrap my arms around her, hugging her, and she stiffens, but then she slowly relaxes in my arms, her arms sliding around my back, holding on to me.

I can’t even imagine what her life has been like. My family is amazing. I grew up knowing I was loved. There wasn’t a day my mom and dad didn’t tell me that I was loved with either words or actions.

My cell starts to ring in my back pocket.

I sigh. Loosening an arm from around her, I slip it out and glance at the screen. It’s Aiden.

Charly steps away from me. I frown. I don’t want her going anywhere.

“Yeah?” I answer.

“I’m outside,” Aiden says.

“Okay. I’ll be down in a few.” I hang up and slide the phone back in my pocket.

She’s standing over on the other side of the room, her butt resting against the dresser, fingers curled around the edge of it.

“Aiden’s here,” I tell her.

“Okay. We should probably leave separately.”

I don’t see the point, but I don’t argue.

“So, I’ll see you later?”

“Yeah.” She smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

I don’t like this. I don’t like her like this. Distant.

She’s only a few feet away, but right now, she looks like she’s thousands of miles from me.

I feel like a dick. And I really don’t want to leave with her feeling like this.

I shouldn’t have probed about her family. It’s not like me to be so fucking nosy, but I guess I just wanted to know her.

And, now that I do know a little, it’s made me want to know more.

Knowing how hard her life has been makes me want to take care of her.

It’s not a feeling I’ve ever known with a woman, especially not one I’ve known for such a short space of time, but it’s there.

I walk over to her. I take her face in my hands and kiss her.

Her body goes lax against me, and she opens up her mouth for me, moaning softly.

Forcing myself to break away, I press a kiss to the tip of her nose.

Crossing the room, I pick up my ball cap and pull it onto my head.

Hand on the door handle, I look back at her. “Don’t make any plans for tonight that don’t include me, Pins, because you’ll definitely be seeing me later.” I wink, and then I disappear out the door.





Charly

“Drinks tonight?”

“What?” I look up from the shirt I’m sewing, my thoughts not actually on what I’m doing but on something else.

Someone else.

Vaughn.

I can’t seem to get the man off my mind…and what he did to me last night and this morning…

“I said, drinks tonight?” Ava repeats, cutting into my sex thoughts. “You, me, and Logan. I thought we could go to that new bar on Sunset Boulevard.”

“Oh, I can’t. I already have plans.”

“Don’t make any plans for tonight that don’t include me, Pins, because you’ll definitely be seeing me later.”

I get shivers, just thinking about his departing words. And I do really want to see him. And it’s not like I can exactly bring Vaughn along for drinks. Surefire way to blow our cover.

Blow.

I want to giggle.

I’m such a pervert.

I’ll just have to make it another night for drinks with them. Tomorrow night.

“Ooh, what are you up to?” she asks before I can suggest tomorrow night.

Looking at her, I see a gleam in her eyes, and I instantly know what she’s thinking.

She thinks I have a date. And she’s not far off. I do have a date, a sex date with Vaughn. And I can’t freaking wait.

“Oh, I, er…” Think, Charly. “I said I’d call Nick. Then, I was going to wash my hair.”

That’s the best you could come up with?

I give myself a mental slap.

She laughs. “So, call Nick early. Then, wash your hair, get dressed up, and come out with us.” She rests her elbows on the table, her chin in her hands. “I’m not taking no for an answer, Charly. You need to go out and have some fun.”

From the look in her eyes, I know she means she needs to have some fun, and then it makes me wonder what that jackass Jeremy has done to upset her this time.

And I know I can’t say no. I’ll have to put Vaughn off.

My vagina cries out in protest.

Sorry, girl. Hos before bros.

“Count me in,” I say.

She smiles big.

And I feel good that I’ve made her happy…even if my vagina is in pain right now.

“You want a coffee?” she asks.

“Homemade or Starbucks?” There’s one just across the street from the studio. And Ava’s coffee is like mud.