0 comments/ 386341 views/ 41 favorites Charlie Ch. 1 By: Tony King At the grand old age of 60 with the mortgage paid and a nice stash in the bank, Charlie took early retirement. He still kept himself fit and healthy by hiking on the moors and enjoyed a good social life with his ex navy mates at the British Legion. The only disappointment in his life was his son, David. Whereas Charlie had always been a man's man he considered David a bit of a wimp. Charlie had served in the Navy and gone on to join the Special Boat Service. David left school, went to college and finally became one of those Liberal Democrat teachers. Charlie's wife died a few years earlier so he shared the family house in Devon with David. Everything was fine until David met a local girl called Heather. She was your typical blond bimbo, big tits long legs and blue eyes. She already had a bad reputation in the small village and absolutely dominated David right from the start. For Charlie it was hate at first sight but after six months, David announced they were getting married and Heather would be moving in. Returning home from the club one night Charlie was about to climb the stairs when he overheard David and Heather talking. They were discussing him. "C'mon David, he's an old man, how much longer do you think he can manage those stairs and don't think I'm looking after him when he can't fend for himself anymore. A proper nursing home is the best place for him, besides, we'll have the house all to ourselves." "I know Dad's getting on a bit, but he's still fit and healthy, and don't forget, it is his house." Peeking through the gap in the partially open door, Charlie watched as Heather slid to her knees in front of her husband, opened his gown and started to give him a blow job. In between licking and sucking his cock she would continue the conversation. "Hmm, I know love, but just think, without him here I can do this whenever I like, I can walk round all day with nothing on and you get to fuck me anytime you like, wouldn't you like that David." David was stood with his eyes closed while his bimbo wife continued to tease. Charlie had heard enough. So, that was it was it, the fucking bitch was trying to get him out of his own house. The next morning Charlie paid a visit to his familiar solicitor and drew up plans to make sure that neither David nor Heather could ever get there hands on his property, dead or alive. He was feeling quiet pleased with himself as he entered the local pub for a quick drink. Imagine his surprise when he saw Heather in the other bar sitting with a man. Fortunately she didn't see him and when they left hand in hand, Charlie decided to follow. They walked a short distance to a small cottage and disappeared inside. Charlie waited a few minutes before creeping through the bushes to the rear of the building and looking through the window. He could clearly see Heather sitting on the sofa with the other man. They were kissing. He thought about charging in and demanding an explanation but then had second thoughts. Would David believe him? After all, he thought the sun shone out of her arse. After much agonising, he finally decided to stay hidden and just watch. Standing her up, the man slowly stripped her naked. She might be the biggest bitch on earth Charlie thought but Christ did she have a body. Charlie played with his erection as the guy stripped his daughter naked and fucked her stupid, and just as the guy was filling her with spunk so Charlie added his to the outside wall. He decided he needed proof if he was to convince David of his wife's adultery. From now on whenever Heather went out Charlie followed with his son's video camera. After a few days it paid off. Once again Charlie found himself secreted in the bushes watching the little slut being put through her paces, only this time he filmed it. It wasn't going to be easy to tell his son that his wife was a slut but having finally plucked up the courage, Charlie approached David. "Son we need to talk." David went red. "Oh, Heather's told you then," he said sheepishly, "told me?" "Yes, you know, about the appointment we made to visit the home." Charlie was gobsmacked and grabbing David by the throat he held him against the wall. "Listen to me you under the thumb little turd, if you and that fucking tart think for one minute your putting me in a home then forget it." He let David go and went to his room. If that's how they want to play it then it was fine by Charlie. The next day at breakfast very little was said. Both Charlie and Heather were in their dressing gowns while David was dressed for work. Neither could face Charlie and you could cut the atmosphere with a knife. After David left, Heather turned her back on Charlie and started to wash the dishes. Charlie crept up behind her and wrapping his arms round her from behind he grabbed both tits and squeezed real hard. Heather squealed and tried to push him off. "Get your filthy old hands off me," she screamed, pushing him away, "what the hell do you think your doing?" "Well now, from what I've seen I thought you liked that," Charlie said, sitting calmly at the kitchen table. "W-w-what do you mean?" she said defensively. Charlie placed the camera on the table, opened the small screen and hit play. "Oh my God, where did you get that?" Heather grabbed the camera and fumbled for the off switch. "Oh don't worry, I've got plenty of copies," Charlie said holding up a full size VHS cassette, "I'm sure David would love to see how good you perform with other men." She stared at him in disbelief. "You wouldn't." "Try me," he replied. She turned away from him and stared out of the kitchen window again, her mind going at warp speed. "What do you want?" She finally said, still facing away from him. Charlie again reached round her and grabbed her tits. "I want what the other guy got," he said squeezing harder than necessary. This time she didn't push him away and he noticed her nipples hardening. He pulled the gown open fully exposing her large tits to anyone walking by and cupped the naked flesh, pulling and tweaking the engorged nipples. Then he ran his hand down across her smooth flat stomach and onto her shaven pussy mound. "And this," he said, sliding a finger into the moist pussy lips. "You bastard," was all she said as he turned her round and forced her to her knees. Opening his own robe, he offered his erect cock to her lovely young mouth. "Suck it," he commanded. Heather took his cock into her mouth and started to suck. Her tongue was working its magic over the glands and all too soon Charlie felt that familiar twinge start deep within his balls. It had been three years since his wife died and in all that time Charlie had had to rely on the old five finger widow. Holding Heather's head with both hands he thrust forward and started to cum. Spurt after spurt filled her mouth and he watched intently as she gulped it down. Finally he could cum no more and reluctantly withdrew from her mouth , making her lick the remaining few drips of with her tongue. "Satisfied now?" she said acidly as Charlie sat down to regain his breath. "Not quite," he said grabbing her hand and leading her into the lounge. He took her robe away leaving her completely naked and pushed her into an armchair. "Why don't you show me how wet it can get," he said, grabbing a handful of cunt and forcing her legs apart. Heather stared defiantly at the old man as she played with her pussy. "This want you want?" Charlie said nothing. He sat in the chair opposite and watched. To start with it was obvious that Heather was simply going through the process. "You can play all day sweetheart but your not getting up until I see you cum." "Bastard," she said again. Realising her predicament, Heather started to play with her clit and finger her cunt at the same time. She closed her eyes pretending she was alone and started to pleasure herself in earnest. Charlie watched intently, his old cock getting hard again at the sight of this beautiful blond bitch playing with herself. "Ohhhh, hmmmm," she started to murmur, her body trembling and her hips lifting of the chair. Her fingers were working faster over her erect clit and three fingers of the other hand were buried in her wet hole. "Oh fuck!" Her big tits heaved and her legs twitched as the orgasm tore through her. When she eventually opened her eyes Charlie was kneeling between her open legs lining his cock up with her cunt. Without a word he slid it home until his balls were slapping her arse. "Looks like you and me are going to become good friends," Charlie said sliding 8" of thick hard meat into her. Old he may be but he could still fuck. Holding onto her tits Charlie started to ram in and out, causing her to moan in pleasure as he found the depths of her cunt. "David fuck you like this does he?" "Oh my God, no, not like this," she said as Charlie really rammed it in. "Didn't think so. Never did have much of a dick. Half the time I don't even think he's mine," Charlie said, more to himself than to Heather. Charlie continued to ram his old cock up this lovely sluts cunt, squeezing her tits and pulling her nipples at the same time. He knew he had her now and he was certainly going to make the most of it. Charlie speeded up. "Oh God, don't you dare stop you old bastard, I'm nearly there …… oh Charlie, yesssssss." He could feel her pussy muscles contract around his cock as her juice flooded out of her coating his balls and her thighs. He rammed it in as far as possible and started to shoot his own load into her. She screamed his name again as she felt his hot spunk hitting the back of her womb, filling her until it too mixed with her juices and trickled out. Pleased with his handy work, Charlie pulled out. "Next time, I want you in stockings," he said looking at the naked slut stretched out before him. Heather simply nodded. "Whatever you want Charlie, whatever you want." Charlie Ch. 10 10 Jonathan Mr. Jonathan Henry was married to his wife, Joy, for thirteen years. They met at a church event for singles. Mr. Henry was very shy as was his wife. They, over the course of a long period of time, as it takes a long period of time for two shy people to spit things out, they discovered they had much in common. They both worked as accountants. They both enjoyed hiking. They both loved art. Together, over time, they learned to come out of their shells. They attended more church events, talking to more people there, and, eventually, more social events outside the church, such as neighborhood cook outs and even salsa lessons. But not so far beneath the surface Mr. Henry remained shy and unassertive while his wife became more self-confident and active. They gave birth to James two years into their marriage. James began displaying antisocial and oppositional behaviors from kindergarten. He was also hyperactive and inattentive. His parents took him to numerous psychiatrists and put him through batteries of tests every few years at school. The teachers didn't know what to do with him. Mr. Henry's wife believed that punishing James was the best method of action and she came down on him with the force of a dictator. Mr. Henry believed in reinforcing positive behaviors; he believed that was the best course of action, and he and his wife fought over what to do with their son frequently. Frequently audibly enough for their son to hear. When their marriage ended in divorce, the courts sided with Mr. Henry and granted him full custody. When Mr. Henry was still married his wife's assertive behaviors made their way into their home. She frequently took the upper hand in how bills were to be paid, what decisions were to be made about their son, their vacations, the appearance of their home. Mr. Henry felt he had little say in almost anything. After the separation enjoyed having the peace to do things his way, raising his son his way, arranging things his way. He spent a lot of time making their home just right. And now it was just Mr. Henry and James. Mr. Henry did his best with positive reinforcements with James. He tried charts and checklists. He tried using the honor system. He tried everything, but positive reinforcement didn't seem to be enough. James still came and went from the house as he pleased, never did his chores, lashed out at his father on a daily basis, got into fights at school, and was constantly in trouble for being insubordinate. At work Mr. Henry was often asked to do a lot of things not in his job description. Make coffee. Make copies. File. He was constantly threatened about his annual review, constantly asked about where the most recent billing reports were. He was being smothered by his job but he worked it day in and out to support his son. He was most pleased to hear his son had been chosen to act in a play. He didn't know the actors were selected specifically because they were considered "at-risk" and were required to participate. He liked the sounds of this Ms. Z who was so strict with his son. He watched the change in his son over the next few months. His mannerisms changed. His school referrals declined. He even occasionally took out the trash. Mr. Henry definitely had to meet this woman. He had finally spoken with her at the play and he now knew she was gorgeous. He had to look back at her, her perfectly formed figure. Justine caught Mr. Henry looking at her rear. Justine hadn't had a man in years. It had all been women. This one seemed shy. This one seemed like he could submit. Justine wasn't the type of woman who waited on these matters. When the lights came down she crept into the seat next to Mr. Henry. She noticed he was alone. They sneaked quick conversations during curtains. "No wife with you today, Mr. Henry?" Justine asked nonchalantly. "Divorced. Three years. No girlfriend. You?" Mr. Henry whispered. "Just got out of an I-don't-know-what kind of relationship," whispered Justine, still thinking of Charlie. Act two began and they hushed themselves. Justine could tell Mr. Henry was proud of his son's performance but he was even more exceedingly grateful for Justine's work with his him. She could smell Mr. Henry's cologne. It was faint, but definitely smelled expensive. There was something so submissive about his argyle sweater and plastic framed glasses. Justine could feel herself getting turned on. She crossed and uncrossed her legs just so she could feel the sensation in her loins. They shared a brief exchange over the final applause. "Your son is going to an after show party. Do you want to have dinner?" asked Justine. "I.. um..." Mr. Henry was shy, but he wasn't the type to say no to a pretty lady, "Sure. I'll meet you out front... After," he said, pointing at the front door, nodding. "Okay," nodded Justine, smiling and walking away. They met out front twenty minutes later and went to a tiny Italian restaurant Justine knew about. It had petite little wrought iron tables with even smaller little chairs. They both ordered the special of the night and they both had wine. Between the two plates and two glasses of wine there was not an inch of space on that table. You had to be holding your silverware the entire time. They shared some laughs at James' expense. "I hate when he says, 'that's not what you said. You said...' and then he goes on to recite word for word what you said and you have to explain to him that it wasn't what you meant," laughed Mr. Henry. "No Mr. Henry, I just cut 'im right off. I just say 'one,'" said Justine. "And then what? And please, we've had three glasses of wine, call me Jonathan." "Well, Jonathan, if I count to three he has to sit out for fifteen minutes." "That's it? A time out?" "Yeah, I guess," said Justine popping a bite of tortellini into her mouth. "That really is brilliantly simple," he said and smiled. "Thank you," said Justine. "It's really about giving him choices. It's either time out or out of the play. And I know he really wants to be on stage and feel good about himself. He gets told how bad a kid he is all the time. He needs something to feel good about," said Justine, leaning forward in her seat, her breasts almost touching the table, her shoulders shrugging closer together, one of her fingers twiddling her hair. Justine leaned in, brushed a finger under Jonathan's chin, and kissed him quickly on the mouth, across the tiny table. Jonathan shied away. Justine smiled at this. "What do you say we go back to my place?" asked Justine fiddling briefly through her clutch purse and snapping it shut. "I dunno. You're my son's teacher." "You thought it all right to go out to dinner with me," said Justine. "And I'm not really his teacher, I'm a resident artist." Jonathan followed Justine home. She offered him a beer, as he looked anxious. He accepted. She sat on one foot on the couch next to him, facing him, and ran her fingers through his black hair. Justine's living and dining space were one. And although she had decorated the place with significantly better taste than the one in Middleburg it was still a bit garish. She had an overly sleek, geometrically designed couch, a glass coffee table and a super long shag rug under the table. "What's making you so nervous?" she asked. "I'm... I'm not nervous," Jonathan replied. "I know something that will really help. You just need to come this way. Come into my bedroom." Again, Mr. Henry wasn't one to say no to a pretty lady. He followed her, chugging his beer and dropping it into the recycling on the way past the kitchen. The bedroom was not what he expected. There was a wrought iron bed with four posters that had white chiffon hanging from them. It was in the corner, at an angle. He turned towards the door, but Justine was already there, closing it. "What do you like?" asked Justine. Jonathan saw restraints hanging from the ceiling and screwed into the floor. Justine walked around to the other side of Mr. Henry, directing him towards the wall next to the door. "I'll... I'll tell you what I don't like. I don't like being tied down. That's not okay," Mr. Henry warned. Justine looked back over her shoulder at the restraints. "Oh that? That's just a little light-hearted role play. You don't mind role play, do you?" Justine had been walking towards Mr. Henry until they were face to face. She continued walking and he was walking backwards into the wall. Justine bent her knee up to meet his hand. She ran her fingers through his hair and messed it terribly, causing him a great deal of discomfort. He tried to fuss with it. She pulled on his lower lip with her mouth and arched her back. Once again, he wasn't one to say no. He let her restrain him even though it was totally bizarre to him. His wife had overpowered him as a man, with control over the household, but he had never been overpowered sexually. Justine felt good pressed up against him. He could feel the give of her curvy body on his. First she only restrained his ankles. She unbuttoned his shirt and pulled down his pants. She reciprocated the undressing, revealing her leather corset with garters attached holding Cuban heeled stockings. She was wearing a black satin bra. She ran her fingertips along his bare sides, up and down his back, down to his ass. She walked around him. "I'm going to ask you to do some things and you have to do exactly as I say. This is new for you and you have to trust me that I will keep your best interests at heart. Okay?" she explained. "Okay," he responded hesitatantly. "I want you to kneel down and start with the bottom of my heel and lick upwards, up my heel, up the seam of my stockings, up my ass, up my spine, up my neck. Can you do that?" Jonathan thought to himself. Could he do that? It made him think of all the times his wife insulted him and all the times his boss didn't thank him and all the times his son had walked all over him and suddenly he didn't feel like taking the punches anymore, like turning the other cheek anymore. Suddenly, in the face of that beautiful naked body, and to the sound of that cool, low, firm voice, he felt angry for the first time in his life. And at the tip of that spike heel lay the slow, salivatory release from that anger. He lost himself to this beautiful woman who was taking care of him. Her dominance wasn't cruel, meanspirited, or spiteful. This beautiful specimen of a real woman actually liked him. For that moment there were no more negative forces in his life and he got down on his knees with gratitude. "Oh I can do that." Jonathan licked the tip of Justine's heel thoroughly and dragged his tongue up her spike, the suede of her shoe leeching his tongue. He enjoyed each fiber of her stockings, each of the hairs on her back as they stood in response to him, leaving his trail of saliva. When he got to her neck she turned around and cuffed his wrists. "I'll ask you again. What do you like?" asked Justine, voice firm, boots clicking on the hardwood floors. "What?" asked Jonathan. "Don't you mean 'Why?'" asked Justine. "What?" "Because I like to administer pleasure and pain." A clearly audible clap landed on Jonathan's rear. "No keeping dirty secrets from me. Now what do you like?" "I like it when a woman goes down on me," said Jonathan, flabbergasted. "A woman goes down on you and what?" asked Justine. "What?!" exclaimed Jonathan. Another clap on his butt cheek, this time louder, faster. "There's this spot... on the tip... around the head," said Jonathan, hanging his head down as if he'd given away a national secret. "Okay. I can work with that," Justine smiled. Justine kissed Jonathan open mouthed. He hesitated at first, but that mouth made only for sex convinced him to kiss her back. It pouted, it undulated, it gave itself to him. Soon their tongues were entangled, their lips sucking, their mouths gaping. Justine let her tongue trail down to his nipples. She nibbled on his nipples, first gently, then pulling on them as if to tear them off. Jonathan hissed and yelled. He felt a release of tension from these points of pain. Anger seeped out. Justine went down on Jonathan, she ran her tongue around the periphery of his head and found one spot, towards his belly now that he was hard that was super sensitive. There was only one way to get at this spot with her tongue. She had to unlock his wrist restraints so she could lay him down. She did so and climbed onto his face, straddling it, and began sucking his cock from that angle, running her tongue along that spot. Jonathan, happy to be partially free, happy to have pussy in his face began licking and sucking dutifully. He went straight for the thin pink inner lips of Justine's labia, separating them with his tongue and moving it from inside to out, to her clitoris and back in. After only moments of this Justine allowed herself to cum. Her convulsions caused Jonathan to cum in her mouth. Justine nearly choked and let the cum drip down all around. She massaged his cum into his cock with her hand and her mouth. "I never had such a powerful orgasm," Mr. Henry said, over-enthusiastically, out of breath. "I never felt so powerful! And so relieved." Justine laughed as they lay there on the hard wooden floor. "And how did you find that spot? No woman's ever found that spot." Justine hushed Mr. Henry and curled up in his arms for a moment. Charlie Ch. 13-16 Chapter 13 Nathan did not realize he had fallen asleep. It took a moment to register that he was still on Charlie's bed since it was almost pitch black in the room. The closed curtains were keeping out the sun. There were a few rays escaping through the bottom and sides of the curtain; however, they had dimmed since it was early evening light. He was completely stretched out on the bed, pillow under his head, and he couldn't move his left arm. As he did a slight tug, he heard a moan. Shit! It was Charlie sleeping on him. He was suddenly more awake and very aware of the position of her body in relation to his. Her head was cradled in the crook of his arm, and there was the feel of her breath on his bicep. She was facing him. He could feel her breasts resting against his rib cage. A leg of hers was covering his, and an arm was on his chest. His cock knew more about what was going on before he did. It was already straining behind his jeans. How the fuck am I going to get out of this one? As he tried to slowly extract himself from Charlie's draping, she actually growled in her sleep and moved closer. Where the hell did the growl come from? Okay, kittie cat, this can't continue. He was going to be a wreck with a very large set of blue balls if he didn't get out from under her. Leave it to his brain to tell him to crawl further underneath her. That is a no-go, Houston! The pulsing in his groin responded with a "hell yes!" Nathan tried to move once more, and Charlie stirred. "What time is it?" she asked in a gravelly voice. Nathan turned his head to the alarm clock. "It is 6 p.m." Charlie's shifting and small stretches pushed her body even closer to his. Nathan turned his head away from hers. Mental images of partially exposed breasts and rounded ass checks flooded his mind. A new surge of testosterone moved through the base of his cock. If the damn girl didn't quit moving, she was going to find out how he was really feeling at the moment. Mouthing the word "fuck" over and over again become a good mental distraction to ease some of the tension building in him. "Water?" Using his free hand, Nathan reached for the bottle of water he left on the night stand. He used the bottle to nudge her hand that was resting on his chest. As she tried to sit up, she ended up rubbing more of his body. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! His silent whispering mantra continued. Even though his other arm was a growing set of pins and needles, he used it the best he could to support her while she downed some of the water. "Aspirin?" Nathan's arm stretched back to the nightstand and swiped the waiting pills. He found her hand in the dark. Taking the bottle from her hand, he swapped it with the pills. He felt them get to her mouth. Then, again it was difficult to not feel anything that she was doing at the moment. She took back the bottle of water for another swig. She fumbled with the bottle and accidentally spilled some of it on his chest. She was trying to pat his shirt dry, but his cock was mistaking it as a bunch of heavy petting. "Fuck" as a manta wasn't working anymore; instead, it was the only thing he could think of doing at the moment. Charlie tried reaching across his body to put the bottle back on the night stand. More of her next to him and almost climbing on him. Nathan gritted his teeth as the little demon in the back of his head told him that she would look awesome riding him. The quick image flashed before his eyes of her legs spread across his hips, head fallen forward as she moved up and down the length of his cock. Her hands on his chest to stabilize herself with those wine red lips parted in a half smile as her breasts bounced up and down. Abort! Abort! Abort! He quickly grabbed the bottle from her hand and returned it to its rightful place. She edged back onto the bed, laying her body down to sleep. Fucking beautiful! Forget about how much he wanted to touch her. Forget about the proximity of her body. What was his undoing was the small "thank you" before she rolled away from him. How could his heart deny that? Deny her? Even though his body was wired, he could feel Charlie relax back into her state of sleep on her other side away from him. Yes, his body was free, but he couldn't will himself to move off of the bed just yet. Charlie's breathing went back to its restful state. He remained on the bed, his body an expanse of energized nerves. He so wanted to turn on his side and curl up into her body, but that wasn't the "friendly" thing to do. After a couple more moments of strained wanting, he finally convinced himself to get up off of the bed. He slowly pulled himself into a sitting position, ever movement cautious and alert to Charlie's breathing. When all was said and done, he was standing and looking down on her brilliant form. The small wisps of light let him look at the outline of her body one more time. Torture time done. There was no air for him to breathe. The room felt stuffy and confined. He slipped out of door, making it a point to not look back as he closed it. He already had too many mental pictures to arouse him. Chapter 14 The warm water of his shower felt good as it rolled down is back. He turned like a rotisserie chicken in order to coat his entire body in warmth. Looking down, his cock was still at full attention. "A model of silk and steel" was a line from one of Charlie's novels. A small voice of "you started this, buddy" came to mind. Directly after that thought, an image of Charlie flashed to the forefront of his thoughts. In his mind, she was still wearing her "club" outfit from the night before, and instead of Melanie kissing and touching her, it was him. Her plump, full lips engaged his. His left hand was snaked into her hair but still held her face by the jaw. He used it to tilt her head to and fro, controlling their kiss. Pulling her closer to deepen that kiss, and pushing her back just a bit to find room between their bodies. The fingers of his other hand were pinching her nipple. He could feel the small groan escape her lips. He probed a bit further, pinching a bit harder and her hands grabbed at his waist and hips. Pinching still harder, she broke away from the kiss to gasp. Her head fell back leaving him an exposed throat for kissing, biting. He couldn't help but pull, tug, and continue pinching the erect nipple under the lacey top. His teeth latched onto some of the soft flesh of her neck and shoulder. Each movement brought harder breathing and more gasps. Her hips swayed with the time of some unknown song. Forward, she would grind against the zipper of his pants and its bulge. Back, she would swivel and twist in wider circles. Forward, he could feel her hip pushing into his erection. Nathan grabbed a handful of shower gel and palmed his shaft. The touch made his hips jerk forward. Moving his hand from base to tip, he massaged his cock; it was already increasing in size and girth. Propping himself against the shower wall, he continued stroking and imagining. His mind wouldn't let up as his hips undulated in his hand. As is only right in fantasies, Charlie's top and bra disappeared from view. Her breasts fully exposed. Nathan spun her around. One hand continued moving from breast to breast. Gripping them, squeezing them, and pinching her nipples. Charlie pushed her hips back into his. Those hips kept swaying to a song. His other hand eased down the front of her body underneath the fabric of her jeans. Her legs tried to give out, but his arms wouldn't let her collapse. Her head lolled back onto his shoulder as she tried to maintain some balance still standing on the black heels. Her hands dug into his thighs. He took the opportunity to bite down on her shoulder again. Nathan's hand slid further into her jeans until his fingers rested just above the warmth of her crease. His mind focused on the moisture he was already feeling. An intense heat radiated onto his hand. "Is this what you want?" he whispered into her ear. She whimpered as one finger dipped lower to touch the inner folds of her labia. Nathan pinched her nipple especially hard. Charlie renewed her grip on his thighs. "Tell me." "Yes" was a gasp that shot out of her mouth. Nathan began rhythmically stroking the hardened nub. Again, her knees tried to give, but Nathan supported her with his arms. Her hips pushed and pulled against his hand. His own hips matched her movements, pushing into her ass as she pushed back. Her breathing quickened to small pants and gasps. "Will you come for me?" Charlie's head fell forward. Using both of her hands, she grabbed his stroking arm. She pushed his arm and hand deeper into her jeans, gyrating her hips wildly. Nathan took the cue and quickly slid two fingers into her. Charlie let out a small yelp. There was only a bit of room to maneuver his hand, but Nathan used every bit of it to move his fingers. Her warmth intensified, and her juices began to flow. "Close! Oh my god! Close!" Charlie whimpered. Nathan thrust his fingers as deep as they could go. He used his thumb go find her nub again. He could feel her muscles squeezing and releasing around his fingers. The velvet lining of her walls massaged his skin. An additional pinch of her nipple brought a sexual scream to Charlie's lips. Juices gushed onto his hand, and she was shaking, panting for air. "Come for me, Charlie!" Nathan's own hips surged forward. Long strands exploded from his tip. He let out a loud growl and continued stroking. The explosion wouldn't stop as he kept whispering Charlie's name and the need for her orgasm. His legs were shaking violently. He stopped stroking the shaft and instead began rubbing the head of his cock. Oh god, he was sensitive, but it felt so good as he finished his fantasy. Because in his fantasy world, Charlie was saying (more like screaming!) his name too. Chapter 15 Charlie walked into the bathroom. A quick glance at the mirror made her hiss. Hair ratted, make up smudged and smeared. Her stomach rolled, reminding her that there were more pressing needs than her appearance. She used the toilet and jumped into the shower. While it would have been nice to stand up the warm stream of water, she knew that she needed to eat something, anything, and it better be soon. Finishing up the bathroom routines, she pulled on grubby clothes she normally used for painting. They would work for a hang over too. The pants were men's pajama bottoms covered with cartoon frogs drinking coffee. The oversized white men's dress shirt gave her a chance to be covered without feeling smothered. She rolled the sleeves as she walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. A can of chicken noodle soup appeared from the cupboard, and she lit the stove. There was a small knock at the door. Nathan's head popped into the back door. She nodded, giving him nonverbal permission to enter. He pulled up a chair at the table and flipped it backwards. Easing himself into it, he took a moment to admire how incredible she looked into the most simplest of clothes. He always loved her painting clothes. Masculine in nature, but she made them look like something a queen would wear. Though they didn't show the much in the way of her curves, he definitely knew what was underneath them. Though no mystery, there was still the anticipation of her skin and sexuality there. "Hi there, sunshine," he muttered as he picked an apple from the bowl of fruit on the table. His teeth sunk into it as he watched her continue fixing her soup. "That is quite the overstatement," responded Charlie. She stood at the stove stirring the soup, her head hung low. "Planning on painting today?" he asked from a mouth full of apple. Charlie transferred the warm contents of the pan into a bowl. She grabbed a spoon from the dish drainer. She sat down on at the table next to Nathan and inhaled the scent of the soup. Granted, her stomach was still producing warnings, but she needed to eat something. Soup seemed to the mildest thing she could conjure. "Nope, just needed something to wear." Nathan nodded as he continued to eat his apple, actually her apple, but Charlie wasn't much for arguing at the moment. She lifted her head and looked towards the computers set in the other room. The day was shot, and she still had work to do. A spear of pain shot through her head as a reminder of her own liquid transgressions from the previous night. "Would you mind getting me the aspirin?" she asked as she continued to eat the soup in front of her. Nathan smiled and climbed out of the chair. She could hear his footfalls down the hallway and stairs. When he returned, he had all of the supplies originally loaded into the bowl. He put the bottle of aspirin in front of her along with the sheath of crackers. "Try something a bit more solid too." Charlie groaned and popped the top off of the bottle, digging out the heavenly little white pills found within. Then, she reached for the crackers. He moved about the kitchen returning the remainder of the hang over supplies to their correct places. He rested back against one of the counters, arms and legs crossed, watching her continue with the soup, periodically nibbling on a cracker. "What the big plans for tonight?" he chuckled as a pained look crossed her face. "Well after the trip to Milan for a fashion show, I plan on jet setting back to the apartment in New York for a meet and greet with the Nobel Peace Prize committee regarding my award for literature. What do you think, nerd?" Charlie snorted. Nathan walked over to the table and laid a hair tie next to her. Charlie looked up with an expression of amazement and complete gratitude. It was like he had placed a large chunk of gold in front of her eyes. She snatched the tie and began to wrap her hair into the familiar sloppy pony tail. Some loose hairs still hung around her face and the bangs half covered her eyes. Nathan watched as her arms raised, knowing the shirt was rubbing again her breasts. He loved that mussed up look she wore so well. Can I be her shirt in my next life? Even better, how about a pair of jeans? He kissed her forehead and said, "I'll be right back." Nathan scooted out of the back door, leaving Charlie to finish her soup. Though her stomach still wanted to stage a coup, she finished the bowl and moved back to the sink. After remembering her previous stance there, she turned on the hot water and grabbed the bleach from under the sink. The smell of the chemical made a stabbing pain pass through her temple, but she couldn't stand the idea that she had been puking there not too many hours ago. After she finished scrubbing the sink, she moved onto washing the soup dishes. Nathan returned just as she was putting the bleach back under the sink. He actually laughed and snorted at the same time. "Hell or high water, the OCD comes first." Charlie stuck out her tongue and moved to the frig. She put the orange juice back on the top shelf instead of the door. Find the right spot, Nathan! And she grabbed a bottle of vitamin water instead. As she began to chug the water, she noticed that he had his lap top under his arm. "Nathan, I don't think I can focus on your thesis right now." She started into her writing room, flipping on the screens. Her attention turned to the CD player. After she set down the vitamin water, she started flipping through the stack of CDs. "Was just going to sit with you while you work. That okay?" He had already plopped into the overstuffed chair in the corner and was plugging in his laptop. Charlie nodded, and continued her search for the music that was going to help her with seven more pages of writing. The pain in her temples let her know it couldn't be anything too loud. A throat clearing from Nathan made her turn her head. He was holding out a CD, wiggling it back and forth. Charlie shrugged and grabbed it from him. Popping it into the player, she took up her position in her writing chair, legs crossed underneath her. A few clicks, and her story's file appeared. The sounds of "A Mystic's Dream" by Loreena McKennitt floated out of the speakers. "Good choice," she hummed as she put on her reading glasses. She began scanning what she previously wrote for glaring details. No editing, just a quick cursory glance to make sure the ideas were moving along as needed. She heard the keys clicking on Nathan's computer. Everything together actually formed a relaxing moment for her worn out body. She rolled her head on her shoulders, brought it right, and began typing herself. When Charlie looked up from the screen, it was already 11 p.m. She managed to get five pages typed. She turned her head to check on Nathan. He was holding a book with one hand and typing notes using the other. He seemed entranced with his work. Charlie looked back to the screen and hit the save key. She also took at moment to do a back up on her flash drive. While waiting for the contents of her computer to transfer to the jump stick, she leaned back in the chair. "I Will Find You" by Clannad sang out of the stereo. "Last of the Mohicans?" she asked as she focused on the sound of the chanting in the song. "Yep," Nathan never missed a beat, still typing with one hand and reading the book at the same time. She stood up and stretched with both arms above her head. It was one of those stretches that could buckle your knees if you let it. It felt awesome for her. She cranked up the volume on the stereo. She wanted to hear the rest of the song while she was on the porch with a cigarette. Luckily for Nathan, Charlie did not notice his stare over the top of the book. His eyes trained on her breasts as she stretched. He watched the fabric rise to the point of showing the barest sliver of stomach skin. He had to catch himself before he inhaled a little too sharply. He continued to watch her back arch, wondering what it might be like to have her arch underneath him while they were in bed. The shirt lowered as her stretch came to an end. Damn it! She walked to the drawer next to the back door. She pulled out a cigarette and lighter, taking them to the back porch. She half sat on the railing, inhaling and exhaling her favorite vice. Nathan had moved out on the porch with her. He leaned back onto the railing next to her. "Making progress?" "Yeah. I managed to get another five pages done. My heroine just had her first hang over." "Writing from experience then?" Nathan inquired and laughed at the same time. "That should lend some authenticity to the story." Charlie smiled and continued with her cigarette. "So, tell me. How did you manage to describe the vomiting scene?" Charlie's hand reached out to smack his arm, but he quickly pulled away before she could inflict any damage. "Bastard!" Both of them sat laughing for a few moments. Chapter 16 Days passed in a slow, monotonous way they did when she was writing. Coffee, typing, cigarettes, more typing, a little bit of sleep. They were punctuated with Nathan meandering in and out of the house. Some conversations about this and that. Their normal routine had re-established itself, and things felt comfortable again. One particular morning, Charlie awoke to a tickling feeling on her cheek. Lazily, she swatted at her own face, figuring it was a stray hair, but the tickling continued. Her eyes opened to a fishing lure dangling above her. With a snort, she smiled and turned her head to the source of irritation. Nathan, standing on the side of her bed, was holding the fishing pole. "Fishing?" she asked as she stretched under the warm and cozy quilt. "Fishing," Nathan replied. She began to giggle, throwing back the covers of her blanket. Since the whole puking thing, she wasn't feeling as self-conscious about her normal sleep wear. Nathan was right; he had already seen everything. She jumped from the warm bed into the cold air of her room and scampered off to the bathroom. The door shut, and Nathan grinned as he heard the lock engage in the door handle. Charlie Ch. 13-16 He moved to stand next to the door, listening to Charlie run the water in the sink. "Hurry up, high maintenance. We gotta get moving." He busied himself with retracting the fishing line and attaching the hook to the spinner. He just really wanted to see her come out of the bathroom in her tank top and panties again. Today, it was a light blue tank top and a pair of white panties. Yum! "I'm going! I'm going!" The door swung open. Her face was slightly pink from the brisk scrubbing it just received. Her eyes already bright and alive, wanting to greet the day. He didn't know how she could wake up so quickly and in such a good mood. He always woke up with his hair disheveled and grumpy. He couldn't even think about smiling until a pot of coffee was gone and finished. Nathan watched her stretch to grab a pair of jeans from the top shelf of her closet. Oh god, there was that stretching again. She wiggled them across her legs and jumped into the air to help the rest the material make it past her hips. He turned his head to avoid seeing her innocent dressing. In his mind, there was nothing but danger in her hips moving like that. She stepped into the closet and kicked the door closed with her foot. He could only imagine the sight of her removing the tank top and restraining her breasts with a bra. It would create the cleavage he so desperately wanted to stroke and lick. When Charlie exited her closet, she had on a t-shirt that said "Paddle faster! I hear banjoes." "What the hell is that?" Nathan pointed to the laughable words spread across her chest. Charlie smiled as she grabbed a pair of socks from her dresser. "Only appropriate for our adventure in the woods." She sat on the edge of the bed and began pulling the socks onto her feet. She reached under the bed and yanked out a pair of sneakers. As she tied her laces, she said, "You got a purdy mouth!" She gazed up at Nathan and started laughing. "Come on already!" Upon entering the kitchen, Charlie noticed all of the gear they needed was already laid out on the table: tackle box, two thermos, her picnic basket, another fishing rod, and old hat. She knew the fishing hat came from Nathan's father. It had been passed down the family line for four generations. Fishing was one of his favorite hobbies, something that she complained about for years when he would drag her off to some remote hole in the earth. Yet, as time went by, she grew to love it just as much as Nathan did. She had even gone on some fishing trips with Nathan and his dad. During those times, she got to see some of his family's dynamics. Nathan and his dad shared the same laugh and smile. His dad was just the older version with streaks of gray in his hair. They spent hours fishing and hours talking by campfires. His dad would often argue politics and religion. Just like Nathan, he would make comments to see if he could get a rise out of her. Father and son would sit back and laugh as she sputtered comments and complaints, telling them to shut up or screw off when she was finally too irked to respond correctly. Charlie turned back to her coat closet and reached in. Finding a sweat shirt, she yanked it off of the hanger and tugged it over her head. It was about three sizes too big, falling below her hips. The arms of it dangled past her hands. She simply pulled the cuffs up to where her fingertips could actually show. They collected all of the equipment and made their way out to the street where Nathan's jeep was parked. Loading the equipment into the jeep, Charlie asked, "How is your dad doing?" "He's good. He has been working on the new shed for the past two months. I told him I would help him finish it when you and I come home for Thanksgiving." They climbed into the jeep. Charlie got situated with her seat belt. She tugged the shoulder belt forward as a show to remind Nathan to strap in as well. He grumped under his breath and reached over his shoulder to grab the seatbelt while he started the jeep. It fired to life; after a few moments, its engine moved back to an idle. "Tell him that I will help too." Nathan looked at Charlie out of the corner of his eye. "Oh no you don't. Do I need to remind you about your tendency to cause destruction and havoc?" Charlie's mouth dropped open. "Do not! I'm just accident prone." She turned in her seat, ready with the verbal defense regarding her lack of mechanical prowess. "Last time, you tried to help with one of my dad's projects, my little brother ended up on the emergency room." "That wasn't my fault. He should have moved his hand." Nathan held back a laugh as he remembered the look on his brother's face when Charlie nailed his hand with a hammer. She actually hit Jared hard enough that a small geyser of blood spurted from his finger. Charlie stood there dancing and running in place as she apologized over and over again. That Thanksgiving eve, the family spent sitting in the waiting area of the emergency room at the local hospital. The whole family was laughing about the situation. Nathan's sister, Shelley, had even commented that she dreamt of whacking Jared for years, but didn't have the courage. The next day during the Thanksgiving gorge fest, Jared sat with his elbow on the table; his thumb wrapped with about fifty layers of gauze. Yes, that was a holiday to remember. Charlie's new question pulled Nathan back into the present. "What does your mom want us to bring for Thanksgiving this year?" she asked as they pulled away from the curb. "She has placed an order for your sausage-stuffed mushroom caps again." Nathan stopped at the intersection, looking left and right before he pushed the jeep to continue forward. "Actually, she said you weren't allowed in the house unless there was a plate of them in your hand when you arrive." Charlie grinned. She had always gotten along with Nathan's mom. The first time she arrived with Nathan for Thanksgiving was during their sophomore year in college. Charlie was one of the students that never went home for the holidays. She normally sat in her dorm room with some kind of microwave dinner, watching re-runs of Moonlighting or L.A. Law. Everyone would say their goodbyes and disappeared for the holidays. Hugging all of their friends, she would say "have a wonderful time." The door of her room closed, marking the beginning of a long holiday season. One night during a drunken conversation, Charlie and Nathan sat on her dorm bed and talked about family. She shared some scary shit about her childhood, and personally, Nathan couldn't blame her for shutting down when it came to family. After hearing those awful childhood stories, Nathan only felt more protective of her. Nathan told his own mom about Charlie and the stories. His mom, Amanda, put down her proverbal foot, telling her son to bring the girl home for food. From then on, there was always a standing invitation to head home with him for the holidays. Unofficially, Charlie had been adopted by the Devereaux family. The first time Charlie came home with him, she looked like a deer in the headlights. She sat on a stool in a corner of the kitchen, watching as his family interacted with jokes, hugs, and help. He could tell how much she felt out of place by a pained look regularly show up on her face. Later, he found out that the look came from her lack of understanding about a normal family. Amanda, his mom, took care of that. Pretty soon, Charlie was in an apron chopping or stirring something. Amanda talk incessantly, so Charlie did not have to try and fill in any silences. She taught Charlie how to make banana bread and was constantly hugging the girl. Yes, the first Thanksgiving was awkward. The first Christmas was slightly better. Easter, Charlie began to interact a bit more easily with his family. The week she stayed with the family that summer was as natural as anything he had experienced. By the Thanksgiving of their junior year, it would have seem odd or strange for Charlie to not be there. "Okay, mushrooms it is." Charlie settled back into her seat and watched the line of trees grow thicker and thicker. Being out of the city now and heading into the woods, she took a large breath of air. Nathan had heater cranked on high. The jeep's heat balanced the chill she felt on the wind. She felt him poke her arm. When she turned her head back, she saw that he was holding an Ipod. "Find us something to listen to." "Whatcha in the mood for?" Her fingers scrolled through the different playlists crammed into the small device. "Country, techno, metal?" She continued exploring. At one point, she came across a playlist called "Girl." "What's 'Girl'?" she asked as she made the couple extra clicks to see what songs were on it. She looked over to Nathan's profile. Nothing was really registered on his face. He kept his eyes on the road. Every so often, he looked in the rear and side view mirrors. "Just messing around one day." He offered no other explanation. He knew if he kept talking, he would end up telling Charlie that she was the "girl" he created the list about her. He hadn't expected her to ever see that list. It was just something that he created for himself, songs he knew that she liked and songs that reminded him of her. He listened to it when she wasn't around or when he rested alone on his bed at night, touching himself. Charlie pressed play and set the Ipod back into its container. She settled back into the seat and continued watching the landscape fly by. Soon, "Desert Rose" by Sting came through the jeep's speakers. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Charlie smile and clap her hands. She began seat dancing and singing to the music. Nathan made a dog howling noise, and she smacked his arm. Yes, she had a terrible singing voice and couldn't carry a tune to save her life, but that never stopped her from going along with the music. That is exactly why he made it a point to put that song on the list. Charlie Ch. 17-20 Chapter 17 They reached the edge of the lake and hauled the gear down to the edge. Charlie was already digging out the PowerBait, and Nathan had finished setting up both of their lines. She handed him the container of his favorite color to use, neon green, and he handed a pole to her. She occupied herself with attached a chunk of her rainbow bait to the hook. They casted their lines and stood watching the water. After a few minutes, she laid down her pole and grabbed a thermos. She filled the lid/cup with coffee for her and handed the actual thermos to him. Time rolled by quietly. Neither of them talking, just standing with their poles and consuming liquid warmth. Finally, there was a tug on her line. She set down the thermos lid. Charlie reeled it in and dragged a rainbow trout out of the water. Without having to say anything, she swung the line over to Nathan. He propped his own pole between his legs, holding it with his knees. He snagged the swaying fish and began to unhook it. Yes, Charlie would go fishing. She would bait her own her line, PowerBait or worms, but she had a thing about touching an actual fish. She would make a gagging sound and give an icky dance if she put her hands on one. Nathan finished with the fish and tossed it back into the water. She pulled her line back and proceeded to bait it again. After a couple hours of catch and release, Charlie announced it was time to eat. She left Nathan by the water and grabbed the picnic basket. She sat down on a large rock that was only a few feet away. As she rummaged through the basket, he heard some snickering and turned to see what she was doing. A beam of light had caught her dirty blonde hair, making it look golden. Her face was lit up by the sun and her smile. Nathan blinked hard for a moment, admiring just how awesome she looked in a large sweater shirt and jeans covered with rainbow colors of fishing bait. Charlie was holding up two baggies. One with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and another with a gaggle of jelly beans. "Yes, it is strawberry jelly," Nathan said as he recasted his line. Charlie opened the baggie and snatched the sandwich from inside. She crossed her legs on the rock and began to eat. She watched Nathan carefully for a few moments and then cleared her throat. "What do you want now?" he asked playfully. Charlie picked at the crusts he left on the sandwich, depositing small bits of them in her mouth. "Why don't you have a girlfriend?" Nathan's head snapped around to look at her. Nothing in her posture or demeanor told him that she was being manipulative or crafty. She merely sat on a rock, eating a sandwich. The look on her face was more inquisitive than anything. "What did you say?" "Why don't you have a girlfriend?" "Don't need one," he replied as he slowly reeled in the line. It was a good thing that his back was to her. She couldn't see the constipated look that had come across his face. His brows were scrunched together. He wasn't really interested in having this conversation with her, but if he got defensive, then there was the possibility that he would give his feelings about her away. "Come on, Nathan. I've seen the line of women at your door. Pick one already." Nathan shook his head, "Not interested in them." "You are interested enough to screw them. At some point in time, the whole male whore thing will start to look bad when you enter your forties." Nathan snorted and replied, "Men age gracefully. I figure I can pull off the student playboy thing for at least a couple more years. By then, I will have my doctorate and will be teaching at a college. Then, I can chase the young girls around my classroom." "Helluva plan. Better than the one I have." Charlie took a full bite of her sandwich and scrambled off of the rock. She put her hand on Nathan's back and leaned down to grab the thermos of coffee. She could feel him tense up as soon as she touched him. "Jumpy much? You need to lay off the coffee, bud," she stated as she patted him on the back and then moved back to the rock. "So, what's your plan then?" Nathan continued to watch the water. Something in the back of his mind desperately hoped that his name would come out of her mouth as she explained her future. "I plan on writing a few more smut books. Then, I am going to jump into a full blown American novel. It will be the toast of the New York Times best reading list. I'll go on a book tour, have intense but brief affairs with men named Armando and Billy Bob. Then, I will retire to a villa with three cats and wear funky purple hats while I garden." Nathan turned to look at her. The serious, but comical, expression on Charlie's face was too much. He sputtered and then began laughing. She watched his shoulders shake as he tried to hold onto the pole. She too chuckled and kept eating. Once Nathan caught his breath, he responded, "Cats and gardening? What about me?" He inhaled and small breath, waiting to hear how he might fit into her plans. "You? Ohhhh, you! Well, based on the solid life strategy you developed and just shared, we will continue to live as neighbors in side-by-side villas. I will have you over for dinner in order to help you grade student papers. We'll talk on the phone when I am flying back and forth from London and Paris promoting my novel." "Will we still have Chinese comfy movie nights?" "Definitely. The only difference is that I will organize your Viagra pills while you make me a glass of Metamucil." Deal. Chapter 18 Charlie finished her sandwich and moved back to the water front. This time, she had the bag of jelly beans in tow. She resumed the proper fishing position right next to Nathan. She dug into the bag and popping the tasty candies into her mouth. Whenever she got to a black one, Nathan leaned over, and she fed it to him. He knew how much she despised the black ones. The truth was that he wasn't that fond of them either, but it meant that she was feeding him. Yes, it drove him crazy to feel her hands brush his face or lips when she put the candy to his mouth, but it was these little things that kept him going. Another fish on her line! She popped the red bean in her mouth and started to pull in her new treasure. This fish was a bit of a fighter, causing her to strain with the line. She let loose some of the line in order to keep it from breaking. Only when the fish zigged or zagged did she begin reeling. After five minutes of a pushing and pulling dance, the trout came to the surface. It was a big mother. Nathan set his pole on the ground and captured her fishing line in his hands. Drawing the fish out of the water, he was impressed. It has to be at least a five pounder. He looked back over his shoulder at the amazing grin that had spread across Charlie's face. Mission accomplished. That smile was the whole goal for this fishing trip. It took an extra minute to get the fish off of the hook. Its constant wiggling and weight made it a bit more difficult than usual. Just as he was about to throw the fish back into the water, a pain seared through his hand. Charlie had started to reel in the excess line, not knowing the hook was so close to his hand. As the hook jerked forward, it embedded itself in the flesh on the side of his palm. "Fuck!" Nathan yelled as he jerked his hand back. "Shit! Shit! Shit!" Charlie dropped her pole and rushed over to Nathan. He stood up, showing her the hook that was now buried into his flesh. Charlie bit her lip and turned his hand backwards and forwards, trying to see how deeply embedded the hook might be. "Don't you even think about it. You are not pulling that son of a bitch out," he growled under his breath. "Leave it where it is." Charlie gazed up to his face. No, he wasn't angry with her. That would be a different expression on his face. This expression was one of more frustration. "Okay, Grizzlie Adams. What do you want to do now?" she inquired as she put her hands on her hips. "Let's get to the urgent care just outside town." Charlie felt like crap. There was Nathan, hooked and bleeding. Knowing that Nathan always carried a pocket knife, she started to reach into the front pocket of his jeans. He jumped back like he had been zapped with electricity. Charlie stepped forward again for his pocket. He quickly reached into his own pocket and pulled out the knife. He handed it to her. She popped it open and cut the line away from the actual hook. Just as quickly, she popped the knife closed, and Nathan held his pocket open. She dropped into the empty space. "Okay, go get in the jeep." She scrambled around the area, gathering their supplies. Nathan made a slow walk over to the jeep and climbed into the passenger seat. Critical life and death situation, this was not, but no one could tell that by the way Charlie was moving. Charlie loaded the boxes and poles into the back of the jeep in record time. She hopped into the driver's seat, gunned the engine, grinded a gear and peeled out. The jeep slammed into a bump, jostling Nathan. "Slow down, speed demon!" Charlie focused on the back road, driving as carefully as possible even though she wanted to floor it. Once she was back on paved ground, she slammed the jeep into fifth gear and pushed it up to 85 miles per hour. "You aren't going to like the ticket you are going to get. Slow down!" She ignored his pleas for less speed only to change lanes to get around a slow driver. One hand on the steering wheel and the other on the shifter, Nathan had the distinct impression that she would use a sixth and seventh gears if they were available. As she reached the outskirts of town, she spotted the entrance to the urgent care facility. She was still going too fast when she made the left turn in to the parking lot. With a bit of a steep incline, the jeep gave a jump, and Nathan's ass actually left his seat. He grabbed on jeep's railing as she made a wider turn and screeching halt in front of the facility's front door. "I'll park. You get inside." Charlie was breathing heavily. Her eyebrows squashed together in concern. Nathan wanted to tell her that everything was going to be okay. A fishing hook in the hand was not life threatening, but based on her driving, he knew that she felt bad enough for what had happened. He climbed out of the jeep and walked through the sliding doors. Charlie cursed under breath as she jammed the shifter back into first. She whipped out of the driveway and into a parking spot near by. She laid her head on the steering wheel and took a deep breath. You can't cry yet! Chapter 19 By the time she made her way into the clinic, she noticed that Nathan was already being taken into the back exam room area. As she moved to take a seat in the one of the always uncomfortable waiting room chairs, she heard a low whistle. Looking up, Nathan was motioning for her to come along. She jumped up and followed him and the nurse through the door. She stood by as he was weighed and measured. He smiled at her as the nurse stuck the thermometer gadget into his ear. All was well so far; they progressed down the hall into one of the small exam rooms. Nathan leapt onto the exam table, resting his hand palm up on his knee. Charlie moved to the far corner and wrapped her arms around herself. She looked at the fishing hook that jutted out of his skin and cringed. "Hey kiddo," he said. Her eyes lifted and met his. By now, his look of frustration was gone. It was his regular set of smiling Nathan eyes. He patted the empty area on the exam table next to him. Charlie stepped across the room and climbed up on the table next to him. He leaned against her in a show of solidarity. She leaned back and put her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry" she whispered. Nathan put his hand on her thigh and nodded. They waited in silence for the doctor to arrive. It seemed like another hour before there was a small knock on the door, and the doctor entered. He carried a small file and was flipping through the pages as he entered. "Nathan Devereaux?" "That's me." Charlie sat up and shifted a couple inches to her left, giving the doctor more space to deal with Nathan. The doctor began his preliminary questions, and Nathan held up his hand to show him the hook. Charlie started to zone out the conversation, dropping her head to stare at her shoes. She still felt horrible for Nathan having to be where he was. "Doc, she tried to kill me. She figured a slow round of tetanus from a fishing hook would be enough to do me in." Charlie snapped back to attention. Her eyes hugely wide. Her mouth dropped open as she turned to look at Nathan. A smirk was playing on his lips as the doctor was probing the flesh around the hook. Charlie mouthed the word, "fucker." Nathan nodded and kept smiling. The doctor chuckled for a moment and told the pair he would be right back with the needed supplies. He left the room, closing the door after him. Charlie reached out and punched Nathan in the arm. "Owww! Wounded, dying man here!" He rubbed the spot where the punch has landed. Charlie jumped down off of the table and started for the door. Using his good hand, Nathan pulled her back to him. She ended up standing between his legs facing him. He held her chin. "Where are you going?" "I . . . I'm sorry," she breathed as some tears started to well up in her eyes. Before she could blink them away, a few of them escaped and ran down her cheeks. "I was only kidding, you ninny. I am going to be fine," Nathan used the pad of his thumb to blot away the fallen tears. "I feel like shit," she returned to dropping her head. Nathan kissed her on the forehead and pulled her back to the seat next to him on the exam table. Without much thought, she slid her hand into his free one. When she didn't feel well, a hug was necessary, but holding someone's hand was even better. She squeezed gently, and he squeezed back. She leaned back to him and put her head back on his shoulder. Soon enough, the doctor returned with a nurse and tray of cutting instruments. Charlie cringed, but Nathan held onto her hand, putting pressure as a way to say it was okay. "Did I ever tell you about the time I have five stitches in my cheek," Nathan watched the doctor in a sort of detached way. It was like watching a surgery episode on TLC. Some snips of the skin, blood welling up, clink of metal hitting a metal. Charlie focused on Nathan's story about a time he, Jared, and Shelley were fighting. He was on the top of a bunk bed. Shelley pushed him over the top railing. He landed face first on the floor. He didn't really think anything was wrong until Jared shouted for their mom. When their mom entered the room, she started screaming. Nathan had one of those really large metal jacks sticking through his cheek. He continued with the tale of the doctor pulling it out and stitching him up, about how badly Shelley felt for weeks after that she gave him her dessert every night at dinner. By the time Nathan was done with his story, the current doctor had already finished the couple small stitches and was wrapping a dressing around the hand. "Mr. Devereaux, I need to give you a tetanus shot too. Assume the position." Nathan nodded and slid off the exam table. He pulled his t-shirt out of his jeans and gingerly began to unzip them. Charlie looked down and blushed. For a brief moment, she caught a glimpse of his groin. Nathan goes commando! Her head jerked back up, and she looked towards the wall. That was when she felt his hand trying to hold hers again. She looked back at him as he bent over the table. The doctor was filling a syringe. She laced her fingers with his and smiled. With much warning, the doctor jabbed the needled into his butt cheek. Nathan winced and gave a bit of a jump. Charlie stopped breathing for a moment as she watched the doctor push on the plunger. Nathan laid his head on the exam table and let out a sigh. "So, you still want to help with the shed at Thanksgiving?" Chapter 20 They drove home without talking. The radio continued to belt out its songs. Considering she had just maimed Nathan, Charlie didn't really feel like talking. She had sat back in the passenger seat, climbing into some memories that she thought she had locked out of her mind. She remembered the time that she had gotten stitches. No one was there to hold her hand. The nurse and doctor simply went about their medical business. Instead, it was all very clinical and very quiet. He was seated on my dorm bed, watching football. He had been there all day long, drinking beer and eating a bag of potato chips. I tried to drown out the sound of the television as I focused on a reading assignment for a poetry class I was taking. Whenever there was a touch down, the bed would shake as he bounced up and down to root for his team. Every time there was a fumble or turn over, he yelled some obscenities and downed some more beer. When the game was over, David decided that it was time for me to take a break too. He pushed my books onto the floor and pulled me further onto the bed with him. When I tried to protest, he only gripped my wrist tighter, pulling me harder. I tried to move away from him, but he wasn't having that. Next thing I knew, I was pinned under him and his mouth was pressed to mine. I tried to turn my head away to tell him to get off of me. That was when the pain exploded in my right cheek and eye socket. My vision blurred. I remember using my hands to try and push David away, but soon there was a loud popping noise. My left arm didn't want to work. My brain could not keep up with the events that were happening or understanding the why behind them. More pain exploded across my face. I heard the sound of him unbuckling his belt. The sound of a zipper running on its tracks. I kicked my legs, and he wretched them apart. Something in my body seemed to break. Then, there was quiet. I couldn't even here the "No!" I was whispering over and over. David was pushing between my legs. A piercing pain in my thigh and an odd heavy weight in my shoulder kept me pinned to the bed. Maybe if I don't move, he will stop. Maybe if I don't move, the pain will go away. That is when I couldn't breathe, and everything went dark. When I woke up, I pulled on a pair of sweat pants and a sweat jacket. My right thigh was singing with pain. The left arm was useless; it hung limply by my side. I couldn't see out of her right eye either. Some how, I made it across the campus to the student clinic. At the clinic on campus, they must have seen their fair share of date rape injuries. I gave over all of my clothing; I even gave a name of my attacker. David. The nurse combed my hair and scraped under my finger nails. The doctor tried to be as gentle as possible during the rest of my pelvic exam. Even on a good day, there was nothing comfortable about having your legs in stirrups. I broke again, and the world went quiet for the second time. I remembered wincing at the brightness the flashing light of the camera. They focused on the finger marks on my neck. The flash recorded the swelling on my face and bruising around my wrists and arms. I winced at the bright light each time it flashed. Over and over again. The doctor told me that my arm was dislocated. Once they dealt with the leg wound, they would sedate me, so they could pop the shoulder back into place. I was then told to move my leg to the side please. The needle helped numb the area of my inner thigh. The doctor then went about adding sixteen stitches to my leg. I closed my eyes and heard the doctor ask the nurse what she thought could have done this. "Belt buckle" is all I could mutter. The nurse made a note of it in the file. Lights out. Again, it was all very clinical and very quiet. After my version of Humpty Dumpty was put back together, I put on a pair of extra clothes the clinic kept. I sat in a small room, talking to a police detective. I explained everything that happened. It was quite frustrating on a number of levels. The swelling in my face and mouth kept me from speaking correctly. I kept repeating myself, so the detective could understand what I said. Over and over again. When the interview was finished, I stood at the nurses' station and if I could use the phone. I didn't want to walk back to my dorm room alone. I didn't want to explain to anyone else what had happened. The only number I could remember was Nathan's. Charlie Ch. 17-20 "Come get me," I slurred. Charlie turned her head back towards Nathan. His wounded hand rested on the shifter; he drove with his left. That was the night that he saved her. That was the night that she found a true best friend. Nathan glanced over her and smiled. It was exactly what she needed at that moment. Charlie Ch. 2 Charlie couldn’t believe his luck; he had Heather, his son’s wife just where he wanted her. It was two days ago, Friday, when he’d confronted her with the video evidence of her adultery before fucking her brains out in the lounge. Unfortunately, much to Heather’s delight, after one blow job and a long vigorous fuck Charlie found he couldn’t get it up again. Then it was Saturday and David was home for the weekend. Still, it didn’t stop Charlie enjoying himself, whenever he got the chance he took great delight in touching Heather up, it made it even better knowing that David was sat in the next room and on one occasion was only a few feet away as Charlie slid his hand up Heathers skirt and played with her shaven pussy. He’d already removed her panties and fingered her to orgasm when he’d cornered her coming out of the bathroom earlier on. “Charlie, no, what if David hears us, what if he sees me with no panties on?” She asked him, trembling with pleasure as he rubbed her clit. “You’ll just have to tell him you were a hot little bitch so you took them off,” he replied, stuffing the lacy black material into his pocket. Now, just a few hours later and they were sitting at the dinner table, Charlie and Heather along one side with David at the head of the table reading a newspaper. Using the tablecloth as cover, Charlie forced Heathers legs apart, before running his hand up her bare thigh and onto her nicely shaven mound. She was still wet from his earlier fingering so he easily slipped a couple of fingers into her hole and started to slowly move them in and out. Heather was doing her best to look normal as she picked at the casserole in front of her. Enjoying his new found power, Charlie moved his attention to her sensitive clitty again and within seconds had her squirming in the chair. “Anything interesting?” he suddenly asked David just as Heather started her orgasm. David looked over the top of the paper to see his beloved wife a bright shade of red, trembling from head to foot. “My God, are you all right?” he said throwing the paper to one side and leaning towards the stricken Heather. Charlie quickly removed his hand and started to pat her on the back. “Must have got something stuck in her,” he said, indicating the food poised on her fork. She stared daggers at him as he passed her some water. “There you go, drink this, this’ll cool; I mean calm you down.” Charlie was just dying to fuck the slut again but the weekend seemed to last forever. Still, he used the time wisely and Friday night while the others slept he was on the internet ordering a months supply of Viagra. “This’ll shock the little bitch,” he chuckled to himself. He thought about his son David and how he would react if he ever found out, but then a little voice reminded him that this was the little shit who had schemed to put him in an old peoples home. Charlie slept soundly. Heather couldn’t afford for David to find out about her little indiscretions and had resigned herself to the fact that Charlie could do anything he liked to her provided he kept quiet. Lets face it she thought, I’ve already had most the men in the village, its just another cock. She kept reminding herself that David was all set to inherited his Dad’s wealth and that meant a real cushy life for Heather. So, she reasoned, if the old man wanted to fuck her now and again, who cared, besides, one fuck and he was all fucked out. As the thought struck her she smiled to herself, she would play him at his own game; she’d fuck him to death. Monday morning and as usual all three sat down to breakfast, David in his suit and Heather and Charlie in dressing gowns. A couple of packages arrived for Charlie just before David left for work so he retired to his room to open them in private. It wasn’t long before the front door slammed and he heard the familiar sound of David’s car leaving the drive. Surprisingly, a few minutes later and Heather entered his room. She stood in the open doorway completely naked. “I suppose you’ve been waiting for this all weekend,” she said pouting, seductively walking towards the bed with a hand rubbing her pussy. Charlie admired her slim figure and big tits, his cock stirring at the sight before him. “Well? You going to fuck me or what?” she purred. Charlie threw a package at her. “Go take a nice bath, shave your cunt and then put those on.” Heather looked in the bag. Black stockings with matching suspenders, transparent panties and a bra with only half a cup. “Oh, and put some high heels and makeup on, I want you to look really slutty.” As Heather retired to the bathroom, Charlie re-read the instructions on the Viagra bottle. ‘For maximum effect, take one 100mg tablet one hour before intercourse. DO NOT EXCEED STATED DOSE!’ Fuck! Charlie had already taken two. Oh well. He checked his watch, half hour to go. He could hear Heather splashing about as she got out of the bath and as he lay on the bed the thought of her voluptuous body and what he was going to do with her had his old cock stirring. “Fucking hell,” Charlie said aloud, it wasn’t simply stirring, his cock was growing faster than he’d seen in a long time. He could feel his heart racing and started to feel light headed, his skin became hot and clammy, but still his cock continued to swell. It was now reaching mammoth proportions and felt like a pole of steel in his hands. The circumcised head was a deep purple colour and twice it’s normal size. “Christ all fucking mighty,” Heather said as she stood in the doorway staring at Charlie’s massive erection. She looked stunning. The bra left her nipples exposed and made her tits stand out proud. The black stockings and suspenders framed her smooth sexy cunt perfectly and the high heels made her look ten feet tall. As if mesmerised she walked toward the bed, crawled up between Charlie’s open legs and took the head of his cock into her mouth. The feeling was out of this world. Her lips felt cool over his engorged glands and the feel of her tongue running round the sensitive rim had him shooting his load almost immediately. Spurt after spurt shot out of his cock filling her mouth and running back down his shaft. She sucked for all she was worth and swallowed a good deal of it but to her amazement Charlie’s cock remained rock hard. “Charlie, what on earth have you been taking?” Heather said licking the cum from round her mouth. “Never you mind, just get on your back and spread those fucking legs ………. Wide!” He couldn’t believe how hard his cock was or how much he’d just cum. It was like being 21 all over again. He licked up the insides of Heather’s stocking covered thighs, past the soft silky material and onto the fleshy bit just before her cunt. She was already wet by the time he poked his tongue into her and she shuddered when he finally removed her panties, peeled her lips open and licked her exposed clit, making her explode into orgasm. “So, you think I’m ready for the old folks home huh?” Charlie said climbing between her legs and placing the tip of his cock against her hole. “Well I’ll fucking show you missy.” Staying up on his arms so he could look down at her pretty face, he rammed forward with all his might, pinning her to the bed and forcing the air out of her as his cock buried itself deep in her womb. Her beautiful blue eyes flew wide open in surprise and her cheeks flushed a deep red. Before she could regain her breath he did it again, pulling almost completely out before slamming forward, making her big tits wobble like two giant jellies. Oh yes, he was going to show this bitch a thing or two. He continued the assault for what seemed like ages until he felt the familiar tingling build up in his balls. Heather just couldn’t understand it, his old cock was reaching places her husband never could and despite herself she was starting to enjoy it. She was panting hard trying to keep up as with one more almighty thrust he buried his cock deep inside her as it unloaded spurt after spurt of warm sticky cum. Exhausted, but extremely pleased with himself he collapsed on top of her. Amazingly, his cock remained hard. This put Charlie in a bit of a dilemma. He was too tired to fuck her again but his cock was still rock hard and buried balls deep up her cunt. Only one thing for it Charlie thought and without pulling out he rolled them over so that Heather was on top. “OK slut, your turn.” She sat up, her big tits dangling in front of his face and her lovely smooth cunt clamping down on his hard cock. “You’re joking,” she said, squeezing her cunt muscles as though to confirm the fact that he was still up her. “Just get fucking bitch, I’ll tell you when to stop.” Heather started to ride Charlie’s cock while his gnarled old hands grasped her tits and nipples. Something was wrong here, how could this 60 year old man keep going, let alone stay hard. Charlie could see the look on her face and took great delight in pulling on her nipples making her ride faster. “C’mon you little slut, surely your not going to let an old man like me tire you out are you?" "Right you old git,” Heather replied, staring down at his weather beaten old face, “if that’s your game then lets see who can last the longest.” Re-doubling her efforts she rode him like a mad thing and even made herself cum several times. Charlie just lay there smiling, his cock as hard as ever. Her nipples started to get sore with him pulling and tweaking on them and after an hour or so she was starting to dry up. But Charlie, his old cock was still there. “Better use some baby oil, don’t want you getting too dry do we,” he said sarcastically, passing her the bottle from beside the bed. Heather coated her sore cunt in the soothing liquid and continued to ride his cock, albeit more slowly now. But Charlie was getting bored. Sure his cock remained hard but by now it felt like he was fucking a tunnel, all sensation had gone. “OK, on yer knees,” he said pushing her off. Heather was relieved to be changing position but had she realised what Charlie was up to she would have run a mile. “Time to change holes,” he said squirting a generous portion of oil into and around her puckered arse hole. “No way,” she screamed trying to pull forward, but it was too late. Holding her tightly round the waist Charlie pressed forward, his large cock head finding it’s way into her virgin hole. Heather was screaming at him to stop and crying hard as inch by painful inch Charlie pressed forward. “Need a home do I?” He said ramming the last few inches up her, “I’ll fucking show you what I need you cheap little fuck slut.” Charlie had found that the combination of fucking her tight arse and calling her derogatory names was beginning to turn him on again, the feeling was coming back. There was nothing he couldn’t do to this slut and suddenly an immense feeling of power overwhelmed him. He reached under her and started to rub her clit as he slowly fucked her arse. Heather had stopped crying and was just kneeling there letting him do want ever he wanted. “Looks like you enjoy a bit of the old back door entry after all,” he said speeding up slightly while continuing to torture her clitty. “Maybe I’ll get some of the lads up here next time and we’ll all take turns on you huh, like that would you?” Heather remained silent. “I asked you a question slut, would you like to try two or three pricks at the same time. Perhaps one in your slutty little mouth while another one fucks your arse or cunt, would you like that?” As if to emphasis the point, Charlie held his prick buried right up her arse and pinched her clit real hard. “Owww, yes, yes OK, yes I’d like that.” Heather was getting the point. Charlie started to pound her arse. “Tell you what, I’ll get old donkey John and Pete the meat, you’ll like them. “What?” was all she could say. “Biggest cocks in the navy, what do’ya think, want to try them?” Charlie was ready to cum again and the thought of Heather with all three holes full of cock sent him over the edge. “Oh yes,” screamed Heather as she felt Charlie filling her arse with hot spunk Charlie’s cock was red raw but still standing proud as he pulled out of Heathers battered arse. As he wiped his cock on her panties and made a mental note to pop down the Legion to see his mates. Charlie Ch. 21-24 Chapter 21 It was about five o'clock that same afternoon, when Charlie's phone beeped. She was laying on her bed, half dozing and half reading a book. Nathan: Need movie night Charlie: I'm okay. Nathan: I need one! Charlie: Okie dokie She rolled onto her back, wondering what weird movie Nathan would play this evening. It even made her smile that he would need a movie night, and that it wasn't just about her lack of sleep. Sometimes, everyone needs a "Chinese comfy movie" night. It was a body and soul restorative. She heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and Nathan appeared at the bedroom door. He had the Chinese take out menu in his injured hand. He moved over to the bed and let his body flop face first onto it. After handing the menu to Charlie, he dug his phone out of the back pocket of his jeans. Charlie eyed the menu, trying to decide what sounded best. Nathan had already dialed and was listing the items he wanted to order. She held up the menu and pointed out the sesame glazed chicken and crab puffs. Nathan relayed the order. Just at the time he was about to give his credit card number, Charlie snatched the phone from his good hand. She quickly began giving her own credit card information. Nathan had scrambled further on the bed, trying to snatch the phone back from her grasp. She kept him at bay, pushing him backwards onto the bed. Once everything was finished, she clicked the "end" button. Nathan has a perturbed look on his face. "Look here, I maimed you. I buy dinner." She handed his phone back to him and smiled one of her biggest cheesy smiles. It was sorta that "fuck off" and "gotcha" smiles all at once. Suddenly, Nathan's good hand shot out and started to tickle her. Charlie squirmed and tried to roll off of the bed, but Nathan held on as she giggled hysterically. His hand dug into her side, tickling and pulling her further down the length of the bed. She tossed and turned, trying to escape his fiendish grasp, but he wouldn't let go. "Ow, ow!" Nathan shouted when Charlie challenged the use of his injured hand. Charlie pulled back in horror. "Gotcha!" Nathan continued his tickling onslaught. Somehow, their bodies had gotten tangled. He was half on top of her; his head hanging in the crook of her neck. His arms were planted on either side of her chest. She was clutching onto both of his wrists, waiting for the next tickling assault to begin. Both of them were panting. His breath extremely hot on her neck. In fact she could feel his lips actually touching her skin. As he turned his head to get more air, those lips drew themselves across her neck muscles. Her body responded outside of her control. A shot of desire streaked directly to her core. Taken back, Charlie felt surprised that her body would react that way around Nathan. She quickly turned her head away from his lips. "Ready to give in?" he challenged her. Charlie was brought back to the task at hand. He was ready to start with the tickling again, and she was never one to back down from a good fight. "Never!" she shot back. Tensing up her body, she was ready for the new attack. Nathan rolled, and because she was holding his hands, she rolled with him. Now that his arms weren't having to support his weight, he grabbed onto her sides again. Nathan had pulled her on top of his body as he continued to tickle her madly. Charlie fought and strained until she was sitting on his hips. Charlie was shaking her head back and forth violently as she squealed and squirmed. Finally, Nathan stopped his torture and dropped his hands onto the bed. She collapsed onto his chest. Both of them were laughing while trying to take gulps of air. Once she could breathe, Charlie sat up and propped her hands on his chest. Her eyes were cheerful and sparkling. Her hair was hanging forward, framing her face in that delicious way that hid part of her eyes. Her cheeks were blushed and her chest was still rising and lifting with each puffing breath she took. "Do you give in?" she smirked. Nathan simply nodded. He fought the compulsion that told him he should pull her into a kiss. It would be so easy for him to push up his hips, unbalance her enough to bring her down to his mouth. He so wanted to taste her voluminous lips and feel her hands move on the rest of his body. He closed his eyes for a moment and took in a big swallow of air. Buzz! Saved by the doorbell. Sometimes, having a damned Chinese food delivery restaurant across the street was really crappy. "Food!" Charlie squeaked. She climbed off of the Nathan and bounded down the stairs to answer the door. Nathan stayed on the bed, trying to calm his body and mind. The whole tickling session had just given him a massive hard on. He was sure it would kill him. Instead of getting up, he had the bright idea to roll over on his stomach. Burying his head into her bed, he let out a loud moan. He could smell her on the quilt. Based on the body soap that she used, she smelled like sandalwood and nutmeg. He spent a few more moments inhaling her scent, wishing it was covering his entire body. The front door slammed, and he could hear Charlie moving around in the kitchen. The other element that brought him out of his sniffing trance was the massive pain in his right hand. He raised his hand and looked at the bandage that covered his hand. Just my luck! He couldn't masturbate with his left. Tonight, he was just shit out of luck. Chapter 22 Nathan made his way down the stairs. A few adjustments and a "down boy talk" helped his erection subside. By the time he entered the living room, Charlie already spread out the Chinese boxes. She had put Last of the Mohicans in the DVD player. She was sitting cross-legged on the couch holding out a fork for him to take. He sat down next to her and took the fork. Scooping up one of the boxes, they both began to eat. The movie started, and life returned to a moment of normal. When she was done with the crab puffs, Charlie licked some sweet and sour sauce off of her fingers and relaxed back into the couch. Feeling stuffed, she leaned over and laid her head directly on Nathan's thigh. He lifted up his arms and Chinese food box to make way for her. She turned on her side and snuggled her head to find a good resting place. So much for the "down boy" discussion. Once Nathan was finished with one box, he leaned forward to get another. This lightly squished Charlie in the process. "Hey!" she squawked. He patted her on the head, and she returned to watching the movie. Nathan had a bit of a harder time concentrating on the movie. His brain had taken the stance about the geometry that he was trying to ignore. Another 90 degree turn and Charlie's face would be in the prime position to lick, suck, and swallow him whole. He shut down the thought and focused on carefully chewing each bite of food. When the scene of the movie changed and Clannad's song started to play, he heard Charlie sigh. She shifted and stretched. Then, as if she was hit by a stroke of genius, she let out an "oooooh" sound. Nathan knew that sound, and it meant she was thinking up some kind of trouble. Charlie extracted herself from his lap and dashed into the kitchen. She was like a whirlwind of hair, tank top, men's pajama bottoms as she ran down the hallway. She returned with a triumphant look and a container of mint chocolate chip ice cream. She settled back on the couch, spooning the mixture into her mouth. Nathan definitely wanted to be the spoon she was using. He had to be careful that she didn't catch him watching. That would definitely make for an awkward moment. "Want some?" she held out a spoonful. He nodded and she held the spoon up to his mouth. He leaned forward and took what she was offering. She then went back to feeding herself. Once in awhile, she held out the spoon again for him and he took more. When she was done with the container, she got up to replace it in the frig. Returning to the couch, she curled onto her side and put her head back in Nathan's lap. The movie and his torture continued. Tonight, she actually stayed awake for the entire movie. Nathan was slightly disappointed. He liked it when she fell asleep and he carried her up the stairs. It gave him a chance to play Prince Charming, the good guy. "Cig break," she announced as the movie ended. She stood up and began to collect the Chinese food boxes. He followed suit to help her clean up the area. They walked into the kitchen. He stuffed the empties into the garbage, and she put the leftovers into the fridge. Charlie grabbed a cigarette and lighter out of the drawer and opened the back door. He followed her. She took up her sitting position on the railing. She had already brought the cigarette to her lips, but the lighter was refusing to work properly. She kept flicking the surface in the hopes of getting it to light. Nathan walked over and removed it from his hand. He removed the cigarette from her lips. Putting it to his own lips, he lit it in one fail swoop. He exhaled the contents and held it out for her. Once she had it in her hand, he stepped forward. He took her face in his hands and laid his lips on hers. God, she tasted as good as I thought she would. He focused on how luscious and full her lips were as he turned her head to get a better angle for their first kiss. Chapter 23 Nathan is kissing me! Charlie's brain was straining to understand what was happening. It was an out of body experience. She could see them on the porch, him standing between her legs, gently holding her face. Their lips were touching. Something in her disconnected body lit up, that desire that comes from having a good kiss that only begged of sexual possibilities. She could see Nathan shifting her head and taking more of her lips. The desire was adding an ache between her legs. It was one of those movie-star kisses. It was becoming more and more intense as he pulled her face closer and closer to his. He grew more insistent by the second. Then, at the moment that she would become a puddle and pure sexual lust would kick in, he pulled back. When his lips disconnected from hers, that was when Charlie re-entered her own body. He was still holding her face, searching his eyes. She let out a loud sigh, unsure of what really happened or how to react. His smiling Nathan eyes simply focused on her, looking at her lips and then back to make eye contact. Then, he let go. As Nathan walked off the porch, he said "Good night." Charlie was left dumbfounded. It took her a couple moments to register that she still had a cigarette in her hand. Her body wasn't her own, and her brain took a mental vacation. She stood there taking long drags on her cigarette. She stared at Nathan's balcony in disbelief. The interior lights turned off one by one. Soon, his house was dark. Charlie stepped back into her apartment. The kitchen light seemed too bright, too surreal. She leaned against the counter, instinctively her hand rose up to her lips. Her fingertips retraced the path and feeling of Nathan's lips on hers. She felt confused and wanted to march over to his apartment. Ask what was going on, but something in her body told her to stand still. She didn't know how long she stood there, but her legs were starting to tingle from being in one position for so long. It was like she was drunk again as she stumbled through the house and up to her room. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she looked over her shoulder at the closed curtains. Her mind began to engage with her surroundings. She looked towards the bathroom and replayed the events in the shower. Her hand ran over the quilt on her bed, reminding her of how she woke up laying on top of him after she had gotten sick in the kitchen. His hand in her hair when she fell asleep on the couch. She eased back on the bed. Now her thoughts strayed from the doctor's office and holding his hand to the tickle fight they had just had on her bed. His lips on the side of her neck. The kisses on her forehead. The kiss on the balcony. The ache that started in her core resurfaced, and she crossed her legs together. Nathan? Chapter 24 Charlie woke up the next morning, feeling as confused as she did when she fell asleep the night before. Her mind kept replaying different actions, different events with Nathan. She quickly showered and put on clothes. She planned on finding him to ask about the kiss. Once she reached his balcony, she noticed there was a note on the door. Getting closer, she grabbed a hold of it and yanked it for its taped position. Gone fishin'! LOL Actually going to Shelley's. Be back in a week. Nate Charlie sat down in the chair by his door with the note still in her hand. All of this had to be a joke. He must have been messing with her last night. There wasn't any logical reason for that kiss. Charlie continued the conversation with herself, going through all of the various possibilities in her mind. The only one that really made sense was that he was messing with her. Come on, she was just plain Charlie. Nothing special. Nathan was her friend, and typical Nathan, he was doing something to get a rise out of her. She shook her head and went back to her apartment. With the coffee pot already working its magic, she stepped into her writing room. She needed to catch up on her number of pages and answer some emails. With her coffee by her side, she began to work. On occasion, a thought about Nathan would slip through her mind. She shook it off and continued with her work. It was about an hour later, that she realized the apartment was too quiet. She could hear the breeze playing with the curtains over the kitchen sink. She turned to her CD player and pile of music. She began to flip through the CD collection to find something to inspire her. That was when she noticed a CD case propped up on the chair in the corner. A sticky note on it said, "Play Me." Charlie palmed the case and put the CD into the player. She returned to her seat at the computer; she looked inside the CD case. In bolded black letters at the top of the case was the word "Charlie." Inside, the list of songs were written. Desert Rose—Sting Will You Remember Me?—Jann Arden Last Exit to Eden—Amanda Marshall Kiss the Rain—Billie Myers White Flag—Dido Love and Memories—O.A.R. Apologize—One Republic Broken—Seether I Will Find You—Clannad Eyes of a Stranger—Payolas Breathe—Anna Nalick Waiting in Canada—Jann Arden Charlie knew some of the songs that were in the list, like the ones from Jann Arden, Amanda Marshall, and Anna Nalick; however, there were songs that didn't sound familiar to her. These were the songs she saw on Nathan's Ipod "She" list. She pulled one of her knees up to her chest and put her head on it. She sat listening to the songs, the music and words filling the room around her. When the last song had finished, she reached over and turned off the stereo. Her mind was reeling. All of the songs had something to do with love, unrequited love, missing love, missing another person. Flashes of their kiss kept coming to mind. What the hell was Nathan doing? Feeling a bit panicked, she looked around to see if there were any other notes or items left in her writing room. Nothing that that she could see. Moving back into the kitchen, she opened the refrigerator door. All of the contents from the door were on the drink shelf, and the drinks were in the door. Immediately, she huffed. Bastard! Surely, this was a sign that Nathan was just playing with her. She went to task, moving everything back to its rightful place. When that cold world was put back in order, she grabbed a vitamin water. Again, she was left standing in her kitchen, leaning on the counter, wondering what the hell was going on. Charlie found her purse and grabbed her phone. She thought about calling him, but she didn't know exactly what to say know. Okay, text message. A bit more informal and impersonal, but then again she didn't know how personal to be at the moment. She just wanted to know what the hell was going on. She started punching the keys. Charlie: Are you there? Nathan: I'm always here Charlie: What the hell is going on? Nathan: Did you listen to the CD? Charlie: Yes Nathan: Go listen to it again. Get back to work! Charlie: What the hell is going on? There was no response. She moved back into her writing room. The stereo sat there mocking her like it knew more about what was going on than she did. Charlie flipped it back on and hit play again. The songs started over, and she turned back to her story. At least that could make sense right now. She began typing like a mad woman. The clicking helped cover up some of the music. When she stopped typing for the night, it was 11:30 p.m. She had managed to finish the pages that she didn't create from the previous day as well as the pages required for today. The CD kept playing and playing and playing. With her back screaming from sitting too long, she stood up and made her way into the kitchen. Some leftover Chinese food for dinner. Microwaved and ready for consumption, she decided to watch some tv before going to bed. Taking her food and phone with her, she headed for the living room. Sitting on the couch, it suddenly dawned on her that it felt lonely. She looked at the spot that Nathan normally used. It was just empty. She actually sat staring at it for a few minutes while she ate. Finally, she put down the container and grabbed the phone. Charlie: Nathan? Nathan: Charlie! Charlie: What the hell is going on? Nathan: How was work today? Did you get your pages written? Charlie: Yes, don't change subject Nathan: What's the subject? Charlie: Why did you kiss me? Nathan: I wanted to Charlie sat staring at her phone. She couldn't quite figure out what to type next. His last message was a bit disarming. It wasn't like she could put up an argument and call him a liar. "I wanted to" was just simple and there. She started at the message so long the backlight on her phone switched off. She punched the display again, and the message was still there waiting for her. It hadn't changed. She put down the phone and stared at it. Charlie discovered a new meaning for writer's block. Charlie Ch. 25-28 Chapter 25 Day 1 gave her "I wanted to." Day 2 was simply quiet. Day 3 welcomed her with a "Good morning, sunshine" and nothing else. Day 4 pissed her off when he told her to get some sleep. Day 5 dragged because her insomnia was riding her full force, and all Nathan had to say was "LOL." Day 6 came with a "Be home tomorrow. Shelley says hi." The morning of Day 7 meant Nathan would be home soon. Sometime, that day he would be home. Charlie couldn't focus on her work. After re-opening her bedroom curtains, she sat looking at his bedroom for an hour. She wandered around her house constantly straightening, cleaning, or organizing something. Laundry was already done. Her bed was made. She had taken a shower. She kept looking for things to do. At one point in time, she sat down next to her painting easel and began alphabetizing the paints by name. When that didn't look right to her, she reordered them by color palette. Just as she was finishing with the paint organization, she heard the roar of his jeep's engine. Okay, what now? What now? She didn't want it to seem like she was waiting by the door for him to get home. If that were the case, she might as well have pushed her face up against the glass of the living room window. It had to look like she was doing something. She ran up the stairs two at a time, grabbed her reading novel off the night stand, and jumped on the bed. If it looked like she was reading, it would look like she was relaxed, not some ball of nerves that were jumping up and down like Mexican jumping beans. Wait, no! Would being on the bed be too suggestive? What did it matter if she was on the bed? Not like anything would happen on the bed? Wait if something did happen on the bed? She couldn't get her mind to quit spinning. She shoved the book away from her and climbed off of the bed. That was when she heard the footsteps coming up stairs. Unnerved, she ran into the closet. She quickly started pulling clothes off of the shelves. Yeah, she was organizing her closet. That's the ticket! She heard a throat clearing and saw Nathan standing in the door way of her closet. He leaned against the frame with his arms crossed. "Should I tell Melanie you are coming out of the closet?" he smirked. Charlie hurled a t-shirt towards him, and he swatted it away before it made contact with him. He simply stood there smiling, waiting. Charlie froze with a sweater that was in her hands. It was much easier to type in a text message rather than try to get the words out. She looked down to the floor. "Why did you kiss me?" "I already told you why. I wanted to." Charlie looked up and saw that he was still smiling, still leaning. He was still Nathan. Abruptly, the closet felt like it had no air. She pushed her way past Nathan into the open room. He moved ever so slightly to let her by; yet, she still ended up rubbing most of her body across him as she made it past. Flustered, she did not know what else to say, so she started straightening items on her dresser. Nathan moved over to the chair in the corner and sat down. He still looking relaxed, but ever mindful of her movements. He knew she was feeling out of sorts, frantic. Cleaning and straightening were her coping mechanisms. He followed her with his eyes as she scrambled around the room. He simply crossed his arms across his chest and laced his fingers together. He knew Charlie would come down off of the panic shortly enough. She just had to ride it out for a bit. When Charlie did finally stop moving things around her room, she sat down on the edge of her bed. Nathan gave her a reassuring smile. "Why did you kiss me?" she demanded. "I wanted to." "That's not an answer." "It's a perfectly acceptable answer. People put their lips together for a kiss based on many reasons. The first reason stemming from physical attraction and desire. I desired it. I wanted it." Charlie huffed at the idea of physical attraction just like Nathan knew she would. It all went back to the idea that she did not appreciate herself, but he did. No huffing or puffing on her part was going to change that. "Physical attraction? Huh? So you just wanted to get you some. Now it makes more sense." Charlie got up from the bed and began to fold the clothes she had thrown out of the closet. The smile on Nathan's face grew larger. "People also kiss as a form of affection, to show strong feelings of love." Charlie looked up from the piece of clothing that she had been memorizing. "But that's not me." Nathan caught her eyes with his. She never really paid attention to how intensely green they could be. "That first kiss was definitely physical attraction, but if you let me kiss you again, it would be love." Charlie stopped breathing. She dropped back onto the edge of her bed. When her autonomic nervous system kicked in and forced her to breathe, she gasped and inhaled a big breath. Her mind just couldn't really comprehend what he might or might not be saying. "Kiss me again?" "Yes, please." Just Nathan smiling eyes. Charlie's involuntary and nervous laugh came forward with the simple word, "please." She felt like she was in the Twilight Zone. Rod Sterling was going to walk out and begin a monologue at any moment. For your view pleasure, a woman in her late 20s, being asked by her best friend if she wants to be kissed. Note that her fear is paralyzing and crippling. Will it be yes? Will it be no? We will find out the answer as we enter the Twilight Zone. "Come here, Charlie." Those words cracked her feeling of absurdity. They were real. Nathan just said them. She dug her hands into the quilt. Sudden paralysis was a real thing. Some people could just wake up in the morning and not ever be able to move again in their entire lives. Was it like hysterical blindness? Charlie's mind would not stop racing. "Come here, Charlie." Chapter 26 Charlie remained still on the bed, watching Nathan in his relaxed posture. He made no threatening movements, nor did he try to approach her. The ball was in her court, but the only problem was she didn't feel like she knew the rules of the game. They continued to stare at one another until it felt like hours had passed. Her eyes flicked to the clock on her dresser. Okay, not hours, but definitely minutes had gone by, and her hands remained clenched around the bed quilt. She couldn't will herself to move or speak. It was almost aggravating how Nathan sat looking at her, that half cocky smile. Then, as if the whole silent conversation was finished, Nathan got up from the chair and made his way out of the room. Charlie rushed after him as they descended the stairs. "Where are you going? I . . ." she stammered as she followed a couple steps behind him. Nathan stopped so abruptly that Charlie ended running into the back of him. He threw out a hand to steady her, so she wouldn't topple over. "Get ready. We are going out," he said through that same smile. He continued through the rest of the stairs and made his way to the back door. Charlie continued her pursuit through the house. "What do you mean we are going out? Wait a second! We need to talk," she said as she grabbed his arm. Nathan swung around to face her. Charlie was suddenly aware of lack of space between them. She thought about taking a step backwards, but she couldn't convince her legs to move in that direction. "Casual clothes. I'll see you in a half an hour." There was that maddening kiss on the forehead. Charlie actually reached up to rub it off of her face; Nathan only laughed. The door closed, and Charlie stood in the kitchen feeling even more confused and irritable as before. A loud beep alerted her to a new message. She grabbed her phone from her painting area. Nathan: Get ready Charlie: Where are we going? Nathan: 28 minutes Charlie: Where are we going? There was no further response. She shoved the phone into her pocket and quickly scurried up the stairs into her room. Stepping over the piles of clothes that she had ripped out of the closet, she began to toss shirts this way and that. As she bent over, she heard the familiar beep of her phone. Nathan: Nice view! Charlie looked over her shoulder and found Nathan half sitting in the open window of his bedroom. That grin was really starting to piss her off. Charlie flipped him the finger and continued her rooting through the piles. She pulled out a white collared-shirt and a pair of jeans. Beep! Nathan: Good choice! Charlie shot him another hard stare as she moved the bathroom and shut the door. She made sure it had that completely closed and was locked. Yes, it would have been just as easy to close the curtains again, but she really didn't like the feeling of her room being that closed off. Or was the feeling of being disconnected from Nathan? Dang it! Those types of thoughts really need to stop. She finished dressing and pulled the door open to allow fresh air into the bathroom again. Nathan was playing "Sober" by Pink, one of her favorite songs. Her eyes drifted back to the window, but Nathan was no longer on his perch. Charlie began to sway her hips to the rhythm of the music as she pulled her hair into a loose bun, allowing some wisps to fall loose, so they would frame her face. Afterwards, she brushed on some mascara and painted her lips. She stood back to check her appearance, turning side to side to check her entire appearance. She had left a few extra buttons undone on the front of her blouse in order to show off the black bra underneath. A little voice in the back of her head began to ask why she was getting all done up for Nathan. Realizing how ridiculous it was, she reached for a Kleenex to wipe away the make up. Beep! Nathan: You look beautiful Charlie turned her head back to Nathan's window. He had resumed his sitting position on the window sill. She did a small curtsy and then a bow. He began clapping his hands and yelled for her to meet him downstairs. After she grabbed a pair of fantastic black heels, she made her way back down the stairs. Sitting at the kitchen table, she put on her heels. Nathan stuck his head into the back door, urging her to pick up the pace. Following him out the door and to his jeep, he unlocked the doors. "Where are we going?" Charlie asked as she climbed into the passenger seat and buckled herself in. "Out," Nathan answered cryptically. Charlie reached over and swatted his arm, letting him know her irritation. She had always hated surprises and avoided them at all costs. Nathan glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and simply smiled as he continued driving through the streets. As much as she wanted to needle him for information, she tried to relax back into the seat, watching the lights of other cars and building flash past her eyes. Chapter 27 As Nathan swung the jeep into the parking lot, he could tell that Charlie was holding her breath. The anxiety of a surprise could be seen in the blue pallor of her skin. "Breathe," he interjected as he popped the lock on her seat belt. Charlie's head swiveled towards him, and she had a tentative smile and loud exhale. "You know I hate surprises," Charlie commented as she exited the jeep, slamming its door a bit harder than she intended. "Sometimes, surprises are good things," Nathan replied as he grabbed her arm and escorted her to the front of the building. "Just like my parents surprised me with the idea of their divorce? How about the time you surprised me with a birthday dinner, and I was in the hospital with anaphylactic shock? Then, there was the time that Melanie surprised me with a stripper, and that guy threw up on me during the middle of a lap dance? Oh, wait! What about . . ." Charlie was actually counting the surprises on her fingers as she spoke. She was so enthralled with the re-telling of her surprise moments that she had not paid attention to anything around her, including entering the building. People were crowded in a small lobby area, drinks in hands while they laughing in various conversations. A few people with their cigarettes had congregated in the corner away from the others. Since it was still a small room, the smell of the smoke triggered her nicotine urge. Nathan nudged her with his elbow, and she all but sprinted over to the smoking corner. Once she had dug the cigarettes out of her purse, a woman standing next to her offered the use of a lighter. Charlie leaned in and accepted the flame. The first puff of the cigarette would go a long way to help calm her nerves. It came back to her that she was in a cramped lobby as a part of a "surprise." Not overly social, she couldn't bring herself to ask the people around her why they were there. Instead, she wrapped her free arm around her waist and continued to inhale her favorite vice. Nathan spotted Charlie in her corner position. He continually looked over his shoulder as he waited for the drinks he had ordered to be made by the bartender. It was just a habit of checking up on her that got the better of him. Then, there was the whole idea that she looked hot in the outfit she had chosen. Legs longer with heels and more cleavage showing than normal. That black bra is going to be the death of me! Some guy had tried to strike up a conversation with her as she smoked, but she got that "yeah right" smile and simply stopped chatting. The guy must have gotten the hint because he took another swig from his glass and moved onto the next lucky contestant in his evening's festivities. With drinks in hand, he squeezed through the crowd and eased up next to Charlie. She tried to move her smoking hand away from him, but the room was way too small. Instead of his normal ration of crap about her smoking, he took the cigarette from her hand and put it between his lips. He replaced the cigarette with a rum and diet soda. Taking a sip, she scrunched up her nose. Charlie then tried to get the cigarette back from Nathan, but he swatted her hand away; he determined to get a few drags off of it before she reclaimed it. Charlie eased back onto the heels of her shoes and took another drink. "What are we doing here?" she asked as she eyed the other people in the crowd. Nathan blew smoke out the side of his mouth before he answered. "You'll see." Charlie glared at him. "Should we continue to run down the number of 'surprises' that have gone wrong in my life? I think I was up to number seven in a very long list." Before she could continue down that line of thinking, Charlie picked up on the sound of instruments over the chatter of the crowd. She kept tilting her head left and right, almost like a dog with a unique sound. Nathan let his gaze follow her movements, knowing she would understand the evening's event. Soon, Charlie began to recognize some of the chords and notes. She couldn't place them right away, but they were definitely familiar, but still jumbled. Instinctively, she began to hum along with the music, but she just couldn't get her mind to focus on where she had known the music. Just as she opened her mouth to ask another question, a bouncer pulled back a curtain. The crowd pushed forward towards the opening. Nathan fell into step behind her, using his body to shield her from any pushing or shoving that might ensue. It didn't help being in such a confined space or having the front of his body pressed against her back. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her waist as a form of protection and affection, but Charlie wasn't at that point. Who knew if she would ever be at that point? Who knew if she liked him the same way he liked her? Lots of questions, and no answers. If his week away and many conversations with his sister Shelley had taught him anything, it was that answers would come in their own time. He couldn't force the situation any further than he had already. Charlie needed to make the next move. They continued moving forward with the crowd. As soon as they were past the curtain, Nathan guided Charlie to a set of high top tables in the corner. Charlie scrambled into a chair and stared at the stage. She still had a concerned look on her face. Nathan smiled to himself as he pulled up the chair next to her and took out his phone. He pulled up Shelley's number for a quick text message. Nathan: Thanks sis "Whatcha doing?" Charlie tried to peek over his hands to see what he was doing with his phone. Nathan chuckled and shoved the phone back in his jeans pocket. It was then that the lights in the room lowered. Charlie's attention went back to the stage. The lights on the stage had not come on yet. The crowd was sitting in the dark with the exception of the red exit signs and a few other security lights. Charlie caught herself actually holding her breath. What had Nathan gotten her into this time? Then, there was that music that she recognized again. This time, it was the actual beginning of a song. She knew this song. There was no mistaking it; it was the beginning of "Will You Remember Me?" The lights on the stage came up, and there was her favorite singer of all time, Jann Arden. Charlie felt her own eyes begin to bug out of her head. Her mouth dropped open. She couldn't believe she was actually looking at Jann Arden. Her head snapped to the left; Nathan wasn't watching the stage. He had been waiting for this reaction. He had the biggest grin on his face. When he mouthed the word, surprise, Charlie returned his smile with a huge hug. Nathan dropped his head into the crook of her neck and inhaled sharply. This would be enough. They pulled apart, and her attention moved back to the stage. Song after song played; each new song brought an enthusiastic round of clapping and yelling from Charlie. When Jann would tell stories, Charlie found herself holding her stomach because she laughed so hard. Nathan caught glimpses of her swaying to the music in her chair. She was also lip synching the words too. Occasionally, her eyes would close as she listened intently. It was a sight to watch; at times it was so engaging to watch her drift into the music. Beauty seemed to fall off this woman in waves. He was more than willing to drown in it if she would let him. Chapter 28 At the end of the concert, Charlie stood on her feet, clapping and screaming. Her throat and hands hurt, but this was the moment of a lifetime. Her heart was pounding from the thrill of it all. She had wanted to attend a Jann Arden concert for over ten years, but there were all of the normal excuses, like not enough money or being too far away. As Jann exited the stage, Charlie threw herself at Nathan. She wrapped her arms around him again and squeezed as hard as she could. If there were ever a surprise to beat all surprises, Nathan had just pulled it off. When Charlie finally pulled away from the hug, she was smiling so big, it looked like her face might crack. Nathan watched her eyes glisten and sparkle from the excitement of the evening. He couldn't help but laugh out loud at the awe-struck look that swept across Charlie's face. That was when she felt his hand on her cheek. The pad of his thumb was gently rubbing her skin. Slowly, it moved to draw the outline of her lips. "Surprise!" he whispered. Charlie threw her head back and laughed out loud. Nathan's hand had a chance to graze the skin along her neck. He sucked in a deep breath, going through mental Olympics to keep his self control. Once she was done laughing, she threaded her hand into his and began to pull him from the club. They tripped and stumbled along with the crowd, but Charlie could have cared less. Normally, crowds of people bothered her immensely; however, at the moment she was on cloud nine. It was a wonderful drug and a high she didn't feel like losing any time soon. In the parking lot, she started to sound like a howler monkey on crack. She gibbered and jabbered fifty miles a minute, reliving all of her favorite parts of the concert. Nathan was focused on the fact that she was still holding his hand, their arms swinging as they walked. When they got to the jeep, he unlocked the door, and she scrambled inside. He actually became annoyed when they had to break their hand hold in order for her to get into the car. However, the annoyance didn't stay too long as he listened to her chatter continue they drove home; Nathan could only smile at her enthusiasm and vibrancy as she turned this way and that in her seat. Hands gesturing, she still spoke faster and faster each time she came to a part of the concert that really caught her attention. There were a lot of "remember when" and "did you hear what" comments. Nathan simply nodded along. By the time they had reached the curb in front of the apartments, Charlie had settled down enough that she was talking at normal speed. Charlie Ch. 25-28 "I didn't even know she was going to be playing in concert!" she breathed as she jumped from the jeep. "That's why it was a surprise," he replied while they made their way through the courtyard of the apartment complex. Moving onto Nathan's balcony, she plopped into the chair next to his door. Charlie had fetched a cigarette and lighter from her purse. "That has to be the best surprise of all time! How did you know she was playing?" "A little birdie told me about a concert series called 'one night stands.' I checked it out online and picked up the tickets at the venue as soon as I got back in town this afternoon." Charlie flashed another of her brilliant grins. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" "Does this mean I am out of the dog house now?" Nathan asked as he kicked off his shoes and tossed them to basket by the door. Charlie's demeanor automatically shifted from an excited comfortability to one of tense uncertainty. "You weren't in the dog house," she responded quietly. Charlie pulled her knees up to her chest and rocked back and forth as she smoked. It has been an amazing evening. No one had ever given her that kind of surprise before. Then again, nobody had ever really cared enough to do something like that. Nobody except Nathan. Her heart began to flitter ever so slightly as she thought back to the kiss he had given her a week ago. Besides the flitter in her heart, she felt a strange pulling and warming sensation in her core. It was that moment that different thoughts started to enter her mind. She let her eyes drift over to Nathan and his half-sitting perch on the balcony's railing. She noticed Nathan in a different way. Yeah, she knew he was handsome; she had seen other girls fall over themselves at the bar to talk to him. She knew he had a great heart and was kind. He was never mean to anyone. Even when he was breaking up with a girlfriend here and there, it always amazed Charlie how the girls would often leave smiling after he had told them goodbye. He looked handsome with his mussed up hair style. His loose Henley shirt still gave the outline of his chest underneath. The rolled cuffs of the shirt showed off the muscle definition and strength in his forearms. His legs looked good in a pair of old, worn jeans. The sensation within her core began to grow; it made her slightly uncomfortable. She shook her head and kept reminding herself that this was Nathan. Yet, her eyes couldn't keep from looking back at him. "Well, kiddo. I am going to call it a night. After the drive today and your screeching throughout the concert, I am worn out." He gave a small yawn and stretch. Charlie deposited her cigarette butt in a small can that he left on his porch specifically for her. Shifting to drop her legs back on the ground, she didn't know how Nathan had moved that quickly, but he was suddenly in front of her. His hand outstretched to offer her help out of the chair. She willingly took it to pull herself up. Again, it was that moment of no personal space. Charlie was very aware of the position of her body in comparison to his. The pounding of her blood in her veins gave away her excitement. She felt very flushed. If she lifted her hands a couple inches, they could rest on his hips. If she tilted her head back, she could engage him with a kiss. Without hesitation, Nathan pulled her into a hug. His arms wrapped around her back, and he laid his chin on the top of her head. Charlie took that moment to inhale his scent, the combination of soap and laundry. The same scent she found so relaxing on so many Chinese comfy movie nights. While it had been relaxing then, it was more erotic now. A picture of her wearing one of his shirts and smelling him on her all day flashed through her mind. She wound her hands around his back as well. However, instead of the normal, friendly squeeze or patting, Charlie slid her hands under the edge of his shirt. She splayed her hands across the muscles of his back. Instantly, Nathan tensed, holding her that much more tenderly. She leaned into him, running her hands in circles smoothly across his skin. Every now and then, she curled her hands and allowed her nails to meet lightly bite into his skin. She heard him inhale sharply. "Charlie?" he asked in a huskier voice. "Yes?" she answered continuing to draw imaginary pictures on his back with her hands and nails. "Whatcha doing?" Charlie leaned back from the full hug, but she did not remove her hands from his back. Now, she was able to see his eyes. It was difficult to read his eyes like this. It was something that she had never really seen before. It only took a moment for her brain to catch up with the moment. There was definitely a look of lust in his eyes. "I'm going to kiss you now," she said as she brought her lips to his. Charlie Ch. 29-32 Chapter 29 Nathan stood in a bit of shock. Those weren't the words he was expecting to hear from Charlie. Yes, they were what he wanted to hear, but definitely not expecting them. Her hands on his back were making it difficult for him to think. The only thing that kept crossing in his mind was how close she was standing to his erection. The soft feeling of her lips brushing against his was not helping either. A voice in his head kept telling him to grab her and rush her up the stairs to his bedroom. He brought his hands up to her face, cupping it as he intensified the kiss. Charlie was breathing more heavily as she pulled him even closer. It came as another surprise as she began nudging him closer and closer to his door. Grabbing the door handle, she opened it and continued pushing him backwards through the house to the stairs that led to his bedroom. When they stumbled over a pile of books, the kiss was broken. Charlie stood there laughing, gazing at the piles of books and papers that filtered into the hallway. Nathan loved the playful look in her eyes. Before he could try to apologize for the mess, Charlie dropped her purse on the floor and ran past him towards the stairs. She hesitated for a moment at the bottom by leaning in over the rail. When Nathan turned and caught her glance, she was still smiling and laughing. He took off like a bolt, chasing her. Her giggling only got louder and louder. While on the stairs, he managed to grab a hold of her pants legs. She fell forward on the steps, catching herself and then rolled onto her back. Nathan used the moment to climb a couple more steps. Soon, he was hovering above her. They were both laughing, but it subsided when Nathan dipped his head down to kiss her neck. Charlie's arms wrapped around him again with small gasps and moans escaping her lips as his kisses travelled across her neck and upper chest. Nathan's mind was lost in the all of the fantasies he had been having about her. The bulge in the front of his pants was definitely starting to become uncomfortable. Charlie disengaged from the neck kisses. "Let's go," she whispered hoarsely. Nathan nodded, letting her take the lead. She scrambled up the remaining steps and moved into his room. When Nathan got into his bedroom, Charlie was standing in front of the bed. Nathan jumped to the spot in front of her, tipping her backwards on to the bed. She fell over and bounced on the springs. The damned giggling started again. "Give me your foot," Nathan motioned with his hand. Charlie held up her leg and Nathan removed the heel, tossing each one over his shoulder. The movements brought more giggles from Charlie. She then held up her other leg, and Nathan removed that heel as well. When he finished, Charlie sat up on the end of his bed. She placed her hands on his hips and looked up at him. Her eyes showed a certain need that Nathan had never seen before. It was the same need he had being trying to hide in his own eyes. His heart grew a size larger, hoping that she might finally be feeling some of the same feelings he had been experiencing. Nathan knelt down in front of her on the floor. He was now about the same height she was sitting on the bed. His eyes dropped for a moment to her parted lips and then returned back to her eyes. Charlie pulled him into yet another kiss. Their arms were awkward, grabbing, groping, and grasping at each other. Even in it awkwardness, there was still a beauty to her movements that Nathan wanted to appreciate over and over again. Periodically, she would pull away from the kiss in order to read his face; Nathan only tried to project all of his feelings of passion and love. Looking into her eyes this way was burning into his heart. He knew this was a line of demarcation for him. If he crossed it, he wasn't going to be happy to play best friend anymore. How could anyone just be a best friend after touching the person they really loved? After kissing the lips that were a part of every fantasy? Nathan's mind began to race with thoughts about this possibly ruining their friendship. The concern must have shown on his face because Charlie used one of her hands to smooth away his worry lines. Then, her fingers dropped to his lips, tracing their outline over and over again. Her eyes contently followed her fingers, but when she returned his stare, he couldn't spot a spark or even glimmer of doubt. He parted his lips, allowing her more access to him. That feeling of her fingertips sent a spark straight to his cock; it pulsed and throbbed in reaction to the flood of testosterone. When Nathan opened his eyes, she met his gaze. Her hand dropped away. He already missed the warmth of her fingertips as they left him. Nathan actually moaned when he felt her hands on his hips, pulling him forward and closer to her. He walked forward on his knees until he was resting between her legs. The new surge of lust urged to him kiss her deeply. Twined together, their tongues danced and played. When her hands started around to his back, Nathan broke away from the kiss. Charlie's body had taken over. She wanted to touch more of his skin. When he responded with a moan to her hands on her back, it was like a drug. She felt intoxicated, a bit drunk with an erotic power. Sure something in the back of her said "This is Nathan." But a different kind of voice, a sultry breathy one said the same thing: "This is Nathan." A wave of lust swept over her and her hands moved in between their bodies. She started pulling at Nathan's shirt, fumbling with the button on his jeans, but he stopped her movements. A small growl came up in her throat, and she looked back at his eyes. "This is about you," he said as he dropped his head to kiss her cleavage. Her lips parted with a small sigh. She closed her eyes and got lost in the feeling of his lips moving across her skin. When she felt his teeth graze her, her back arched. His teeth nipped at her neck, and she wound her hands into his hair, grabbing and pulling at him. Finally, when he did actually bite into her skin, she felt a rush of wetness between her legs. She whined loudly at the sharpness of it. His teeth disengaged from her neck and were replaced with kisses and licks. Charlie showed no protest when Nathan began to unbutton her shirt. Once that piece of clothing was gone, he stopped to gaze as the tops of her breasts that peaked beyond the edges of her bra. His hands began to draw the lines of the straps at her shoulders, coming down to the cups that contained her. When he brushed against a harden nipple, Charlie jolted forward. To prove the point, he rubbed his finger back and forth against the cloth, causing the nipple to increasingly tighten. Nathan's hands eased the straps off her shoulders, and he raised his head to bring her into another kiss while his hands slipped around her back to undo the clasps. Once those clasps were free, he inhaled sharply through their kiss. He pulled the straps down the rest of her arms, the fabric pulled free, showing him her very full and very plump breasts. His hands grabbed her sides and pulled her forward, so his mouth could lock onto a nipple. As soon as his tongue made contact, she arched and moaned. His hands held her in place as he continued to suck the nipple and areola into his mouth. He tested the skin with his teeth, and her hips began to move. When he lightly bit down, she yelped and surged against him. Charlie's hips wouldn't stop moving. She was using her arms to prop herself up. Lightening had shot from her nipple down to her core. Her body felt tight and wound up like a top each time Nathan increased the pressure of his teeth. When he finally bit down, a rush of heat ran through her body. She actually felt a gush of wetness between her legs. She was having a hard time keeping control. The attention to her chest was maddening and so overwhelming. When Nathan changed to her other nipple, her body went through another set of spasms. Okay, maybe some guys do actually pay attention to a woman's breasts! What she hadn't expected was the feeling of pressure against the seam of her jeans. Her hips had a mind of their own as she ground herself into the pressure of his hand. When she found the right spot, her hips started with small circles. He bit her nipple again, and Charlie thought her mind was going to fly apart. The circles quickened, forcing small pants from her. Charlie's head fell back and she was lost in the feeling of riding his hand and the exotic pain in her nipples. Her whole body was warm and the ache in her core built with incredible pressure. Nathan began to move his hand in the same, small faster circles. That was when she felt his other hand on his other nipple. In concert, he switched back and forth from pinching and biting. Charlie's mind and body flew apart. Chapter 30 "Oh fuck!" Charlie whispered. Nathan's libido grew two sizes larger. From the many years of leaving the windows open, he knew that was Charlie's orgasm cue. He moved his hand faster, making his bites a bit sharper. Nathan's hand kept up with the circles as Charlie's hips jerked. Her whole body was convulsing, and she was biting her lip incredibly hard. Finally, she exhaled the air that she had been holding in her lungs. He could feel a wetness spreading across the seam of her jeans. He pulled back from her nipples. She was sight to behold, legs open, rubbing against his hand as her hands were splayed behind her. Her head hanging backwards and her back arched against his hand. Even as the orgasm was finishing, he enjoyed watching the sway and movement of her breasts. This had to be one of the most erotic sites he had ever witnessed. His own cock responded with increased pressure and pulsing. Finally, when the storm of her orgasm passed, Charlie brought her head forward and opened her eyes. She saw Nathan looking at everything that was her body. A flicker of self-consciousness swept across her eyes, and he saw it. Yet, there was no look of concern or disgust on his face about her appearance. The boy actually had that Cheshire cat grin. Charlie giggled and brushed her hair behind her ear. "What's that look for?" she questioned. "I've been wanting to hear, see, and feel that for a very long time." Nathan kissed her neck gently and slowly. Charlie wrapped her body around his, holding him closer. "How long?" "Not long." "How long?" Charlie asked again. "Years," he mumbled as he continued kissing and licking her skin. Charlie pulled away and made him look at her. "Years?" Nathan nodded as he pressed a light kiss to her lips. Typical Charlie, she started to climb inside her own head. What were the signs that she had missed? Had anything really been any different between them in the past few years. "Stop it," said Nathan as he pulled back from the kiss and held her face in his hands. "What?" "Don't go all thinking on me now. I want you here with me, not in your head." He kissed her forehead. Charlie placed her head into the crook of his neck and inhaled deeply. When Nathan started to stir, she lightly kissed and licked the length of his neck. One of Nathan's hands had grabbed onto her hip and the other intertwined with the strands of her hair. Charlie could play the same game. She tested his skin with her teeth, and she found Nathan liked biting just as much as she did. She liked the sound of his panting. Charlie broke away from his neck, and whispered, "Your turn." She was tugging at his shirt. Using the same over the head move as she had seen the shower, he removed his shirt. Charlie immediately started running her hands across his arms, chest, and back. His skin was smooth, except for the small patch of hair in the middle of his chest. She drugged her nails lightly through it and returned her attention to his neck. She wanted him panting again. As she continued biting, nibbling, and licking his neck, her hands slid down the front of his chest to the top of his jeans. Unexpectedly, his hands caught her wrists. She pulled away to see a bit of a stern look in his eyes. "What?" she asked coyly. "Nope. Not happening," he replied as he hands let go and went to the button of her jeans. She leaned back in order to give him better access to the button. Once the button was undone, he grabbed the zipper and slide it down its track. As the top of her boy shorts appeared, he felt another intense throb in his cock. Playfully, he pushed her completely backwards on the bed. She flopped and bounced on the springs for a minute, giggling in the process. Nathan's hands helped ease her jeans and panties down her legs. As he caught sight of the juncture between her legs, he found himself salivating. He could smell her arousal and could begin to truly imagine what she would taste like. Once the jeans were off, Charlie scooted further up the bed until she reached the pillows. Nathan stood up, moved to his radio that was on the nightstand, and flipped it to play. Sounds began to drift throughout his room. "So, do I get your normal sex music?" Charlie asked as she turned on her side, propping up her head. Nathan's heart hurt a little bit, but he kept his voice a more neutral tone. "No, you get your own music." Sounds of the CD he made for her funneled through the speakers of his room. He turned up the volume and returned to the end of the bed, grabbing her ankles. Charlie impishly kicked at him, but he tightened her grip, and she relaxed into it. Nathan ran his hands up her legs, kneeling between her legs as he went. When he reached her hips, he spread his hands across her stomach. Charlie started to fidget, but he brought his hands back to her hips. "Prop yourself up on the pillows," Nathan urged her. Once Charlie was propped her back up on the pillows, Nathan laid the upper portion of his body on the bed. His face was only inches away from her center. Her smell was intoxicating as he enclosed her right thigh with his left arm. He left the arm and hand free to explore her folds. Charlie's chest swelled with air as she watched Nathan touch her so intimately. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to get lost in the feeling. As he touched her core, she buckled. Nathan's hold on her leg kept her in the position that he wanted. When Nathan's fingers opened her, she writhed against his hand. He could hear her breathing intensify. He looked up and was yet again awestruck by the beautiful woman before him. She was now completely naked and spread open for him. Her head tilted to the side in anticipation of what was going to happen next. He dropped his eyes back to the sight directly in front of him. Everything about her was gorgeous. She arched and bucked against his touch. Just as she got close to her orgasm, Charlie yelled out, "Fuck!" Nathan leaned he face further into her core, running his tongue across the folds and nub. Charlie's hands dug into the bed and started tugging at it. Nathan held her securely and continued stroking her. More curse words came from her mouth, and her legs began to shake and tremble. Charlie came yelling his name. For a moment, Nathan thought his heart was going to stop. It was another moment from his fantasies played out in real time. As her trembling body began to relax, he placed his head on her thigh. This is exactly where I want to be! Chapter 31 Charlie's head was thrown back into the pillows and her chest was doing a beautiful rise and fall as she breathed deeply. Nathan unhooked himself from her lower extremities, placed a gentle kiss on her core, and climbed up next to her on the bed. Charlie's head lolled to the side, and she had the largest grin he had ever seen. She started giggling insanely. It was the type of laugh that made a whole body shake. Nathan leaned back and watched the beautiful sight. She pulled her legs up and her knees were together, holding her stomach and laughing. Her laugh was so contagious that he too began to chuckle. Finally, when she could catch her breath, she let out a loud hiccup. "Years, huh?" she asked with a chuckle in her voice. "You really should have done that a long time ago." Both of them busted out laughing again. God, it was terrific to see her smile. Charlie rolled to close the gap between their bodies. She snuggled into the curve of him as he rested on his side. "What now?" she asked. Her breath was hot on his chest. Nathan was having a hard time concentrating on the actual words she had spoken. It was only after she asked the question again that Nathan was brought out of his lust-filled reverie. "I thought we could go to Milan for a fashion show. Then, you could meet with the Nobel Prize committee about your literary award," he stated in the most sophisticated tone he could muster. Charlie pushed at him, annoyed that he would use the same line she had given him in the shower, but Nathan wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in for another kiss. Charlie tilted her head up, so their lips could meet. Charlie whispered against Nathan's lips, "What can I do for you?" Her hands stroked his arms and chest. When they came to his waist and the button of his jeans again, Nathan tightened up. Before, he wanted nothing more to make her happy, please her. Now, his own need was throbbing in his jeans, and the little voice of his conscience was silent. As Charlie unbuttoned his jeans and slid the zipper down the track, Nathan closed his eyes. Her hands were sending little jolts of electricity straight to his groin. The throbbing in his cock was becoming unbearable. It was straining for her touch. When Charlie's hand did touch him, his hips jerked involuntary, pushing more of his cock's head into her hand. She deftly removed him from his jeans, palming him his shaft. "Get out of your jeans," Charlie whispered in Nathan's ear. It didn't take long for him to push the jeans down his hips and his legs. Once naked, he tried to pull Charlie back into a hug, but she resisted. Instead, she maneuvered herself under him. The feeling of her body underneath his was too much to bear. He buried his head in the crook of her neck and began kissing her skin again. The touch and taste of her was intoxicating. "Protection?" Charlie asked in a breathless voice. Nathan nodded as he shifted to grab his pants off of the floor. Charlie writhed beneath him, urging him to move faster. Nathan pulled back, kneeling between her legs. The sight of her literally took his breath away. The woman he had coveted and loved was finally in front of him, ready and waiting. The smile on his face brilliant and lovely. Nathan scrambled to get the condom on himself. Then, he lowered himself back on top of Charlie. She automatically wrapped her arms around his chest and her legs around his waist. Her hand snaked between them, grabbing his shaft and guiding him to her entrance. "Are you sure?" Nathan asked, searching her eyes for doubts. Charlie kissed him smoothly, urging him to enter by pushing her hips upwards to him. When he pushed and slipped past her opening, a loud moan escaped Charlie's lips. She threw her head back on the pillow with her eyes pressed closed. Nathan slipped further into her warmth, enjoying the feeling of her walls expanding and collapsing around his cock. Propping himself up on his elbows, he used his hands to smooth the hair away from her face. The look of ecstasy on her face was an aphrodisiac. His hips picked up a rhythm that left her panting. When she did open her eyes, they were glazed with passion. Her nails drifted along his back, and she panted loudly. "Oh fuck!" she exhaled, and Nathan felt her center squeeze the length of his shaft as he continued to penetrate her. Her nails dug into his skin, and she arched into his hips, taking more and more of him as she rode the waves of her orgasm. The slickness and heat were becoming too much for him to bear. Nathan slowed his motions, and Charlie's eyes began to clear. She actually started giggling, and he could feel the laughing motion throughout his groin. With a shift of his hips, Nathan pushed deep inside of her. Charlie's eyes opened extremely wide in the surprise of the full feeling between her legs. She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen! Charlie met Nathan's gaze. It was actually painful in Nathan's heart, to see how exquisite she was beneath him. Nathan peeled himself away from her upper body to lean on his knees between her. Looking down to see the connection between them was a sight that would be burned in his brain for the rest of time. Pushing his hips forward, he almost felt disconnected from his own strokes. He was enthralled by how easily he moved with her and how easily her core seemingly swallowed him whole. Her body was so responsive, each touch and stroke bringing a new noise from her lips. Charlie Ch. 29-32 "Please!" Charlie was grabbing onto the sheets of his bed. Her spread legs began to shake next to his hips. Nathan thrust forward, deeply, and she cried out. There was that gripping feeling yet again. Nathan smiled as Charlie threw her upper body back and forth. Expletives left her mouth over and over again as she rode her orgasmic wave. It was during that twisting and turning that Nathan felt his own need rise up. He desperately wanted to make this session last longer, but the feeling of her heat and tightness was too much for his own hormones and desire to handle. Instinctively, his hips started to jerk as he tried desperately to find a rhythm for his thrusts. Charlie recognized his motions and urged him forward. "Come for me," Charlie whispered hoarsely. She arched her body further into his hips and that was the last remnants of his control. A low growl started in the back of his throat, and turned into a loud groan as he bucked against her. His own orgasm took over, exploding from his shaft. Charlie rolled her hips against him, providing an additional stroking motion. Nathan threw back his head, panting from the increased feeling and sensitivity that she provided. His legs began to shake from the exertion of holding him upright. He eased himself out of her but placed his head between her breasts. They both were breathing hard, and he could hear her heart pounding. She wrapped her hands around his neck and shoulders. Occasionally, she would run her fingers through his hair. The intimacy of the moment was not lost on Nathan. Chapter 32 Charlie enjoyed the feeling of Nathan's weight on her body. It wasn't intrusive. Much to the contrary, it was comforting and relaxing. Her fingers wandered through his hair as she willed her body to slow down and relax. Her sex was pulsing from the orgasms she had. It was that moment that her logical side tried to intrude on the moment. Her brain wanted to analyze what and why behind what she just did with Nathan. She wanted to ask questions about Nathan, what was going on, and about they sex they just had. Instead of digging deeper into that part of her, she simply closed her eyes. This was Nathan. He started to pull away from her, and Charlie tried to hold onto him, but he moved more insistently. Why am I holding on to him? Without any words, he eased himself off of the bed and moved into the bathroom. Again, Charlie's mind tried to spin out of control. Stop it! Unsure of what to do or say next, she rolled off of the bed and began putting her clothes on. One piece at a time, she would get through this without having some kind of OCD moment. By the time Nathan returned to the room, he was wearing a towel around his waist. Charlie had already donned her panties, jeans, and bra. She could see a bit of surprise in Nathan's expression when he re-entered the room; he took up residence leaning in the doorway. Afraid of what her brain might try to say in the moment, she grabbed her shirt and walked across the room to where he was standing. She placed a gentle kiss on his lips and scooted past him. "Where do you think you are going?" Nathan had a hint of harshness in his tone. Charlie knew that tone; it was the same tone he used when Charlie challenged items in his master's thesis. He twisted around to see her walking down the hall. Charlie stopped at the top of the stairs and pulled her shirt over her head. Yanking her hair out of her shirt, she replied, "Home." She gave him a tentative smile and jogged down the stairs. She could hear his bare footsteps on the wooden floor coming after her. Keep going! Charlie got to the backdoor and took a deep breath. The coolness in the evening air brought bumps to her warmed skin. She dashed across the balcony and down his steps. Once on her balcony and through her own door, she felt the tension in her limbs give up. However, the moment that she thought was done, she thought she had escaped, opened the back door, and he was still wearing a towel. Oh my shoe-wearing dog! Charlie did not want to turn around. She would have to face him and the questions in her head. She bit her lip and headed for the refrigerator. She grabbed a bottle of vitamin water from the top shelf and opened it, her back still to Nathan. A couple moments passed as she drank the water; she could feel his eyes on the back of her. "Charlie?" Charlie took a deep breath and turned to face him. She fidgeted with the top of the bottle, clicking the rim of it with her finger nail. It was becoming increasingly difficult to meet his gaze. When she was able to raise her eyes, she could tell that he looked perturbed. "Why are you running away?" Nathan asked as he crossed his arms and leaned against her kitchen counter. Flashes of him kissing her so firmly passed through Charlie's brain. It brought a new warmth between her legs. Nope, not happening! Not while he looked so disgustingly good in a towel. She shook her head and walked out of the kitchen. He was there behind her again as she maneuvered down the hallway and up the stairs. When she got into her room, she felt his hand on her arm, swinging her around to look at him. He was impossibly close. Charlie could smell both him and the scent of sex on him. Her eyes wandered across his body, and her mind actually contemplated the idea of pulling the towel away from him. "Charlie! Stop!" his voice sounded more strained. The whole situation still felt too surreal. She could hear music drifting from his room. How appropriate that the song was "Breathe." She did just that, but the room and all of its air seemed to get caught in her lungs. She felt his hand on her chin, tilting her head up. Their eyes met. His eyes shifted back and forth with a crease of worry in his brow. He was trying to read her emotions and thoughts. Still trying to keep her own thoughts and questions at bay, she did the only other thing that came to mind. The best defense is a good offense. She leaned forward and placed a kiss on Nathan's lips. When she pulled back, the same worried look was still on his face. His hands reached up to cup her face. She tried to pull back, but he held her face firmly in his grasp. "Charlie, you need to say something." Taking a deep breath, she exhaled. "Thank you." "Thank you? What the holy hell? That is all that you have to say to me?" Nathan dropped his hands from her face. He plopped down on the edge of her bed, leaning his own head in his hands. Was the girl for real? Charlie moved to her dresser and busied herself with collecting new comfy clothes for bed. "Thank you for a great evening," she spoke in a low tone. "Are you kidding me? Are you fucking kidding me?" Charlie could hear both anger and hurt in his voice. It lit off the spark of thoughts and questions in her head. Bring it! Set it off! Welcome to ringside seats for World War III! She spun around to address him. She leaned back into the dresser for additional support. "What did you want me to say? Thank you for the concert and fucking me?" Nathan slowly raised his head; his mouth dropped open. Charlie pushed herself closer to the dresser. She was having a very difficult time meeting his eyes. She knew if she looked him in the eyes, this—whatever it was—was going to get out of control. "Nathan, what do you want from me? You kissed me a week ago and disappeared. You left some cryptic CD for me to listen to. When you do finally return to the scene of the kissing crime, you act like nothing really happened. You dragged me off to a concert and brought me home to fuck. Did you get everything you wanted? Was I at least a decent enough lay? Are you done fucking with me now? Please just let me be like one of your chippies and let me leave!" Charlie could feel desperation rising up in her chest. She wasn't looking forward to his answer. This was only a small portion of the neuroses climbing through her head and lurking under her skin. Nathan looked like he had been punched in the stomach. Charlie had a distinct feeling that she had called him out on his crap, and he didn't know how to respond. It was almost a feeling of vindication that ran through her mind. I was right, wasn't I? He is just fucking with me! Charlie returned to the task of gathering up her nighttime clothes and moved into the bathroom. Sit there and deal with your own crap. Once inside the bathroom, she made it a point to lock the door. She carefully laid her clothes on the counter. She then leaned against the wall, wondering how stupid she could have really been in the past week. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she tried to let go of what happened only a short time ago; however, the scenes in his bed kept flashing like a movie inside her eyelids. Remembering the orgasms brought a heat between her legs, and she really wanted to hate herself for that feeling. Charlie Ch. 33-37 Chapter 33 Nathan sat on Charlie's bed with his head in his hands. How could this girl not understand what just happened? Did she not feel anything about the way he touched her? What the fuck? He let go of his head and looked towards the bathroom door. For a brief moment, he smiled when the sound of the door lock engaged. With a small huff, he moved to the bathroom door and put his hand in the middle of it. Though the door stood between them, he could feel a larger chasm building. It was time. "Charlie, we need to talk," he spoke to the door. "About what? You didn't answer my questions." Nathan could hear rustling; Charlie was changing her clothes. A mental image of her naked body beneath his stirred his groin. Great! I'm about to lose her, and my dick wants to play again! "I am not fucking with you," he replied in as neutral tone as possible. He didn't know if the door being closed was a good thing. One on hand, he didn't have to worry about her reactions stopping him from what he wanted to say. On the other hand, he couldn't tell if she was really listening. Reactively, he formed a fist and pounded once on the door. "Hey buster!" Charlie yelled through her side of the door. "I love you," he said softly. Nathan leaned his head against the door jam. There, I said it. The world could end, the apocalypse could overtake the last of humanity, but I told this infuriating, stubborn, achingly beautiful woman what I feel. He couldn't quite breathe. The air was tension-thick, clogging up his lungs. "What did you say?" Charlie sounded perturbed. The faucet in the bathroom was turned on and running. The sound of clicking items came through the door. Slightly louder, Nathan spoke, "I love you." Charlie whipped open the door. She was already changed into her comfy clothes. Nathan's body reacted to the sight of her in a tank top and pair of panties. Sure, the large robe was helping cover more flesh; it was open in the front, teasing him with some of her skin and the juncture of her legs barely covered in panties. Nathan knocked his head against the wall and gritted his teeth. "Okay, mumbler. Either say whatever you said, so I can hear it or get the hell out of my room." Charlie moved past him to the bed. She produced a hair tie and started pulling her hair into a half bun, half pony tail. This time, Nathan spoke loud and clear. He made it a point to enunciate each word. There would be no confusion. No door to hide behind. No turning back. Let's get a move-on son. "I love you." Charlie spun around. The robe whipped further open, and the animal instinct in Nathan made him want to slide between her legs again. It was that male need to mark what was his. A smile played across his lips. It was now her turn to have her mouth drop open for awhile. Deal with that, Miss Righteous! "What are you talking about, Nathan?" she demanded. "I said I love you. Do you want to still argue?" He was now enjoying how she fidgeted with the seam of her robe. "You are fucking with me again!" Charlie lashed out. "Yes, I would love to taste and touch you again. I want nothing more than to be inside of you; however, that just the physical part. There's a lot more to this. Charlie, I love you." Charlie's eyes began to flash back and forth. He noticed she was trying to decide which door would lead to her escape. "Don't you even think about it," Nathan growled. She had pushed this situation with her indignation. Now, she was going to participate in the conversation like an honest-to-goodness adult. Charlie's head snapped back over to meet his gaze. If he had known any better, there would be smoke coming out of her ears next. "Charlie, I love you. Not some girl from the bar. Not some girl who spends more time dying her hair than having an actual conversation. I want you. I want the vodka-drinking painter who has insomnia. I want the girl whose OCD only allows her to keep liquids on the top shelf of the refrigerator. I want the girl who wears Mr. Bubble t-shirts and watches bad 80s movies with me. I only want you. I love you!" By the time Nathan was done with his romantic if not irritated tirade, Charlie was sniffing back her tears. This was only the second time he had ever seen her cry. Tears welled up in her eyes and broke free to stream down her cheeks. There was something tragically adorable about how she took on the look of a red raccoon and wiped her nose on the sleeve of her robe. Nathan crossed the room and gathered her in his arms. At first, he expected there to be a fight. Instead, Charlie melted into him, burying her face in his chest. After a moment, the flight response tried to take over when she stepped backwards, but Nathan held onto her, never breaking his hug. When she looked up at him, he smiled and said, "I love you." The girl looked like a miserable mess with tears running out of her eyes, and snot dripping out of her nose, but that was exactly the reason why he loved her. She was strong and ever-mindful of her emotions. However, the few times he had really seen her release her emotions to be angry or sad, those were the best moments of his life. They were the moments that he truly got to see Charlie. Chapter 34 Sunlight was streaming through the window. It lit up his covered eyes. His body felt like a lead weight that was not able to move. Muscles that never got much in the way of exercise were screaming. Nathan looked down his body and saw Charlie's head resting on his stomach. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was even if not steady. Her hair was spread out across his abdomen and legs. Nathan closed his eyes for a moment and took a very deep breath, wanting to savor the moment. When his eyes opened again, he looked over to the alarm clock. It was already 10:30 in the morning. They had been up most of the night hashing out the details of their interlude. Charlie complained she was too fat and not pretty enough. He would counter with a compliment and a memory of a time she looked amazing. The only conclusion reached was he was not allowed to use the l-word. Then, there was the first-thing-in-the-morning need to pee, but he didn't want to disturb the sleeping beauty resting on him. Unfortunately, biology won out. Nathan tried to ease Charlie off of his body easily; yet, there was no way to get her and hair unwrapped from him without some extra movements. Nathan nudged her gently. Her sleep-glazed eyes opened, taking a moment to focus on him. When the fog of sleep cleared, she smiled and stretched. Nathan took the opportunity to move out from under her body and head towards the bathroom. After relieving himself, he grabbed the tube of toothpaste and spread some of it on his finger; he also brushed some on Charlie's toothbrush. Giving her toothbrush a quick dousing of water, he opened the door. He rubbed his teeth. Charlie was already out of the bed. Her womanly body was covered with her standard clothing fare. He watched as her breasts move while she made the bed. He appreciated the curve of her ass as she bent over to pick up clothes. With a mouth full of toothpaste, he gurgled, "Nice view!" Charlie flipped him the middle finger as she continued collecting clothes off of the floor. When she did turn to him, she saw only one thing that would truly make her feel better than coffee. She scrambled across the room and grabbed the toothbrush from his hand. She pushed past him into the bathroom and shut the door. "Hey! I need back in there," he exclaimed through a mouth of paste and saliva. He stood there waiting for the door to open. Instead, there was the sound of running water in the sink and the toilet flushing. Finally, the door opened, and Charlie emerged. Nathan scrambled back into the bathroom to empty his mouth; he even stopped to rinse with some extra mouth wash that was available. After re-entering her room, he found it was empty. There were noises coming from downstairs, so he grabbed his towel from the bed and wrapped it around his waist, making his way down to the kitchen as well. The smell of brewing coffee was already filling the kitchen and hallway. His tired body perked up at the aroma. Charlie stood in front of her computer screens, holding a cereal bowl with one hand and clicking the mouse with the other. She stopped to spoon the flakes into her mouth as she read the email that was on the screen. Nathan moved in behind her and encircled her waist with his arms. His body decided it was time for another biology lesson. Being that close to her made his cock respond. "Want some?" Charlie asked as she held up the cereal bowl. Nathan kissed her neck and took the bowl from her hands. She sat down at the computer and began typing response to the email. Nathan moved into the kitchen while he ate. He stopped long enough to pull two coffee cups out of the cabinet. He made their cups of coffee, his with milk and hers with flavored creamer and sugar substitute. Charlie pretended to focus on the computer screens, but was it really not the case. Nothing really happened. I can ignore this. It was one night. He doesn't know what he is talking about. When Charlie entered the room, he could feel her presence. He handed her the cup of coffee he made. She held the cup with both hands as she leaned against the counter. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her. She seems relaxed. After taking a few gulps from his own cup, he leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. She smiled and walked back to her writing room. Cup in hand, Nathan made his way out the backdoor. He needed to get showered and dressed. This was one "walk of shame" that made him completely happy. Charlie heard the door close while she sat on her computer chair, and she drew her legs up to her chest. With her head resting on her knees, her mind re-played the movie of last night's events in her mind. All of the touches, caresses, and kisses came back to her with the same intensity that she felt as they were happening. Don't you even think for one minute that boy actually loves you. You aren't like that, and he is kidding himself. Come on, you've seen the girls he has brought home in the past. You can't even begin to compare. Even with these realistic thoughts lurking in the back of her mind, there were still so many questions running through her mind. The biggest question was about the "l" word. Yes, he said it. So? She catalogued all of the women she had seen come and go from his life over the years. Never in their conversations about relationships had she heard him say that he loved any of them. Never had Nathan expressed more than a passing interest in any of them. It then dawned on Charlie that he always made it a point to come back to her after each one of those women left. Their relationship post-mortems always included a bottle of wine and a fresh pizza. For her, it was crying and getting a hug. But with Nathan, he seemed almost happy that his relationships had failed. Of course he was happy. He got to continue playing the play boy. There should have been a ticket wheel hanging outside his bedroom door. Now serving 2,834! Charlie let go of her knees and pulled up her story file. She began typing. For the first time in a long time, she did not have the story mapped out. She was simply typing anything and everything that came to her mind. It was only fitting that the scenes that she typed strongly resembled her time in bed with Nathan the night before. When she looked up at the clock two hours had passed without any writing fuss or strain. The story was moving along much more quickly than the days before. When her hands stopped moving, the Nathan thoughts came back to haunt her. Charlie decided around page 11 of typing for the day that she was going to ignore the whole situation. She could not afford to lose him as a friend, and putting anymore energy (either emotionally or mentally) meant she was hoping for something that wasn't true or really there. It's over. It never even started. Time for more pages in someone else's love story. Chapter 35 Once out of the shower and dressed, she pulled open the bathroom door. Nathan was sprawled out on her bed with his lap top in front of him. Her purse and cigs were next to him. He had was typing and scrolling like a mad man. Again, everything was normal. No miraculous eye contact leading to mind-numbing orgasms. No morning of panic and l-words. Everything became eerily normal. Even though Charlie's intrusively obsessive thinking wanted her to ask questions about their intimacies, she chickened out. Shhh! It might be rabbit hunting season, but I can ignore the hell out of them. Remember, this is already over. "Whatcha doin'?" she asked as she moved over to the dresser. She scanned the bottles of fragrances that littered her dresser, unsure of which one to select. She picked up a few of them, popping the tops in order to smell the contents inside. "Green bottle on the right," Nathan answered. His fingers never stopped moving on the keyboard; his eyes never left the computer screen. Charlie reached for the bottle. It was more of a musky smell with a hint of spiciness to it. She squirted some of it on her wrists and once on the front of her neck. "We need to go grocery shopping today," Nathan mentioned as he clicked the mouse. "Am I out of food already?" she asked jokingly. Nathan looked over the top of his computer with a slight glare. "I'll refrain from showing you my middle finger, and no, you have plenty of food. We need to pick up the ingredients for stuffed mushrooms. Two days until Thanksgiving." A boulder of concern immediately sank into Charlie's stomach. While "it" might already be over, that didn't mean it couldn't be the elephant in the room in front of his family. Awkward, party of one! "I was thinking about staying home this year," she said quietly as she dug a pair of socks out of her dresser drawer. She moved to the bed, sitting next to him, but refusing to actually look his way. "Excuse me?" Nathan closed the laptop and sat up on the bed. He worked his way over to the edge, making it a point to sit very close to her. His body rubbing along her side. Charlie raised her foot up onto the bed and proceeded to work the sock onto her foot. "I was going to stay home this time," she focused on adjusting the sock, so the toe line would line up correctly on her foot. Next sock please! She still couldn't bring herself to really acknowledge that he was there let alone make any comment about how close he was to her. Too much! What the hell was going on? They had sex. He loves her. Going home to his family is way too much right now. "Not happening," Nathan responded. He leaned into her, his face so close to the side of her neck. He pushed her wet hair to the side and audibly inhaled the perfume she had just put on. Charlie swatted him away and tried to stand up. Nathan's arm pulled her back down next to him. Can't avoid it any longer. Charlie looked him in the eyes. "Nathan, come on! It would be awkward," Charlie tried to explain. For being a writer, the words were sure failing her now. "What would be awkward? The fact that my family adores you or how upset my mom would be if you didn't show up? I'm not looking forward to an ugly kind of ass kicking from the woman if you and the stuffed mushrooms don't show up." Charlie dropped her head again and fidgeted with the hem of her jeans. She didn't know quite what so say. She rested her head on her knee. Okay, it wasn't quite over. Shit! "What about last night?" "What about it?" "I just, I mean, you know!" She was exasperated. Was he really going to make her say what she was thinking? That could be some dangerous ground. Verbal land mines and emotional bullets galore. "Charlie, my family already knows how I feel about you." Charlie's head snapped up and her eyes widened. Flee Will Robinson! Danger! Danger! She bolted off of the bed and down the stairs. She swiped a pair of shoes from the bottom of the stairs and sat down on the couch to put them on. It only took a few moments for Nathan to appear at the bottom of the stairs. He sat down on the last couple steps of the stairs with his arms resting on his knees. "When I left last week, I left you the note saying I was going to see Sheila. She and I had some great talks about you. In fact, she and my mom had already formed a conspiracy to get us together." Charlie dropped her head and stared at the hardwood floor. There was no way she could face his family now. In her mind's eye, she would have the scarlet letter on her chest. "S" for slut. Here ye, here ye! Charlie Higgins had her legs opened here last night. Yeah, sitting around the table while passing the turkey would be a fun time, especially when his mom would stop to ask if they had fucked yet. His dad could ask about what positions they liked best. Then, Sheila could chime in with her ideas about lube. "Conspiracy? Are you kidding me?" she asked while jamming her feet into her shoes. "My mom has known about my feelings for you for over a year now. She talks about you all of the time when I call home. She really likes you, Charlie." Charlie groaned and toppled over on the couch. She buried her face in the cushion and let out a small scream. Charlie was having a hard time processing all of the information. It seemed like everyone in the world knew about "this" and "them" before she did. Them? What the hell am I thinking? There isn't a "them." He doesn't love me, and I'll be another one of the ones left in the dust. This didn't happen! Ignorance could really be bliss. Right? "It isn't that bad!" Nathan commented. "You are coming home with me. End of story. Now, let's go grocery shopping." Nathan stood up, moved over to the couch, and held out his hand. Charlie stared at it for a moment. She really wanted to take the role of a petulant child. It would be a great reason to throw a fit. Can't a girl have an orgasm in peace? Reluctantly, she grabbed his hand and pulled herself to a standing position. Nathan embraced her. She stood there like mannequin, ridge and unmoving. Was that that the l-word again? Charlie stomped down on Nathan's foot to fully demonstrate her irritation. How am I going to make it through the next five days without a nervous breakdown? "Can we bring a bottle of lube and box of condoms with us?" Nathan chuckled as he danced around the living room, holding his new injured foot. "Oh, shut the fuck up already!" Chapter 36 The smell of cooking sausage had drifted out of Charlie's kitchen and into the courtyard. It had wafted into Nathan's house as well. He stopped to take an inhale of the great scent as he stood next to his travel bag. Continuing to stuff the bag with his clothes, he was looking forward to getting on the road. It would be a two-hour drive to his parents' house, and the traffic could be a bit difficult this time of morning. He originally wanted to get an earlier start, but Charlie was her typical, not-so-punctual self. Beep! Charlie: R U ready? Nathan: I'm not the one who made us late this morning sleepy britches Charlie: Get over here already Nathan: and if i dont When Charlie didn't respond to his last text, he knew he had flustered her. Today was not the day to mess with her too much. She had already tried to back out of the trip once again this morning. There was no way she could worm her way out of it. Nathan's mom had called the night before to confirm what time they would arrive. She even spoke to Charlie on the phone. For a moment, he thought Charlie had suffered a mild aneurysm because she wouldn't talk for about an hour. When she did turn to him to attempt an excuse, he simply reminded her that she was going. Nathan continued stuffing his clothes and bathroom supplies into his tote bag. Looking around his room, he made sure that he had everything. Just then, he saw a condom wrapper on the night stand next to his bed. You never know? Just in case. Smiling, he skirted around the bed and opened the drawer, pulling out a number of condoms. He stuffed them into the front pocket of his bag and zipped everything closed. Slinging the bag over his shoulder, he made his way down the stairs and through his own kitchen. Snagging his phone charger off of the counter, he pushed it into the pocket of his coat. Just then, his phone began to buzz the familiar ringtone he had assigned to his mom. Charlie Ch. 33-37 "Hey mom." "Have you left yet?" "I'm just heading next door to get the nerd, and then we will be getting on the road. Did you need me to pick up anything along the way?" "No, I've got everything here. Well, everything but the stuffed mushrooms." Nathan let out a chuckled as he locked and pulled the kitchen door closed behind him. Crossing the courtyard to Charlie's door, he continued to listen to his mom talk about the cooking times for all of the dishes she had already started prepping. If Nathan and Charlie got on the road in the next 15 minutes, then they would be just in time to help pull everything out of the oven and refrigerator. Dropping his bag on Charlie's porch, he pushed his way into her kitchen. She was just finishing up by her sliding the mushrooms into a plastic container. She already had the newspaper-lined bag ready in order to keep them warm for the ride to his parents. Charlie looked up and noticed Nathan was on the phone. He made a hand gesture to denote his mom was talking and talking. Charlie smiled, knowing his mom had a penchant for gabbing. The woman could carry a full conversation with the other person only saying two words. It wasn't like his mom took over conversations; she just liked to talk. The first time Charlie met the woman, it was a bit disturbing. Nathan could tell that too much chatter was overloading the poor girl as she scrunched up her face. However, as Charlie got more and more used to the ways of his family, it ended up being a comforting sort of "mom" thing. "Mom, I've got to get Charlie out of here. I will give you a call when we pass St. Matthew's Parish." "Hold on a sec! Put Charlie on the phone." Nathan held out the phone to Charlie. A panic-stricken look passed over the poor girl's face. Obviously, flashbacks to her SwingBlade, lack of brain-function moment the night before were passing through her mind. She took a step back. Nathan shook the phone at her. Reluctantly, she snatched it from his hand. "Good morning, Amanda." "Happy Thanksgiving, sugar!" "Same to you. Did you need Nathan and me to pick up anything on the way?" "I already told Nathan that I've got everything. Are you excited about this weekend? We've got lots of other cooking and crafts to work on for Christmas." Charlie nodded and responded as she continued to pack up the mushrooms. Nathan noticed her bag was sitting in the hallway next to the writing room. He grabbed it and brought it into the kitchen. Charlie was rolling her eyes as she continually tried to end the conversation with Nathan's mom, but the stubborn woman wasn't having it. "Oh, I wanted to let you know that you might need to bring an extra blanket. Sheila's new beau is coming to stay for the weekend. He is going to actually take the guest bedroom, so I am putting you in with Nathan." Nathan noticed a blush run over Charlie's face. His mom had said something that caught her off guard. "Um, I'll grab an extra one." "I actually decided to put you and Nathan in the room downstairs, so the two of you could have some privacy." Charlie coughed for a few more moments. Nathan thought Charlie was going to pass out as he watched the color leave her face. He quickly grabbed the phone and finished the call with his mom. When he snapped the phone shut, Charlie was leaning against the counter with her eyes closed. It looked like she was doing some breathing exercises to help herself calm down. "What did she say?" "We need to bring an extra blanket." "Okay, that's no big deal. Why do you look like you are going to pass out?" "She is giving you and me the room downstairs, so we can be private." Nathan let out a laugh. While talking to his mom last night on the phone, his sister Sheila had jumped on the phone. Of course, his younger sibling was curious about how things had worked out with Charlie. Nathan couldn't out right tell her that things were on the road to wonderful, but Sheila had pretty much guessed about their relationship moving into a sexual arena. Once Nathan wouldn't answer Sheila's questions, she gave a loud squeal and handed the phone back to their mother. She must have either said something or at least hinted about their sexual intimacies after Nathan hung up last night. Hence, there was the decision to change the rooms while they were staying for the weekend. Nathan pulled Charlie into a hug. He could feel how tense she was. It was like every muscle in the girl's body was rigid with fear. He kissed her forehead. Like a stroke of magic, she eased out of her tension a little bit. Nathan hugged her a bit harder, and she stood there with her arms dangling at their sides. After a couple moments, she pulled away and gave him a weak smile. Nathan made a mental note to text his sister at St. Matthew's Parish. He needed to warn her against making any unnecessary comments. Fate knows Charlie was not in the mood to handle any real razzing this weekend. If he knew his sister, she had a whole tirade set up for the moment they walked into the door, and if she launched into it, Nathan would be chasing Charlie on foot down the interstate. Releasing Charlie from the hug, they gathered their supplies including an extra blanket and, just in case, a set of pillows. With the jeep packed, they set out for his parents' house. The ride was pretty uneventful. Nathan has already programmed his Ipod with a song list, and Charlie had retrieved her computer from the seat behind her. She plugged the power converter into the jeep's lighter and began working. Occasionally, she would hum or quietly sing along with a song. Nathan focused on the road ahead. He was actually thankful there was wasn't too much conversation. The last thing he wanted was any kind of deep conversation before showing up at his parents' house. Don't spook the girl. No sudden movements either! There were times he caught himself peering out of the corner of his eye. The girl was so incredibly attractive. The computer was propped up on her lap, and her reading glasses were perched on the edge of her nose. He could tell when she was stuck or did not have the right word; she would rest her hands on the keyboard and stare out the window for a couple moments. Then, whatever that was stuck in her mind would suddenly uncurl, and she would begin typing again. He smiled inwardly about how her habits were charming. Again, this girl doesn't even know she is beautiful. It was hard to believe she lived through such horrors. Chapter 37 Nathan's mind drifted back to the night at the student clinic. Charlie's voice sounded constricted, thick, and slurred. He thought she had a cold and went to the clinic for something to make her feel better. He threw on some clothes and caught the campus bus because she said she needed him to walk her home. When he got there, the nurse explained that Charlie has locked herself in the bathroom and wouldn't come out until he arrived. After knocking on the door and letting her know it was him, she opened it. When she stepped into the harsh light of the corridor, he stepped back in horror. The left side of her face was mangled and extremely swollen. There were bruises on her neck and wrists. She was walking with a limp and one arm was in a sling. She asked if she could stay in his room for a couple days. Nathan was more than happy to oblige. It was on their way out of the hospital that a nurse mentioned a rape victim support group to Charlie. That was how Nathan found out what happened, at least the big picture. The gory details came later. They walked very slowly back to his door room in the cold evening. What should have been a 20-minute walk took them almost a hour and a half. He tried to offer his jacket since it was so cold, but she cringed away. She said she felt warm already. Forward, Charlie kept walking, almost marching; occasionally, she would push chucks of her hair out of the way. Nathan became truly concerned when the girl developed a slight blue tinge. Finally they got to his building; her limp was more pronounced, and she was wincing with each step up the stairs. Nathan had enough of her self-inflicted torture and picked her up. At first Charlie tried to object, hissing and pushing at him. It was everything he could do not drop her. Her words were too garbled to register as exact complaints. Instead, she simply whimpered and held onto Nathan as he carried her up the two remaining flights of stairs. Once in his room, he deposited her on his futon. Doing everything to make her as comfortable as possible, Charlie fell asleep in a tight ball. A bruised, blood-clotted, broken ball. Actually, she slept on his futon for a month. He slept in a computer chair for a month. Charlie had horrible dreams every night, often waking screaming in her sleep. She didn't speak more than three words at a time and lost an incredible amount of weight. The outline of her ribs and hips were disturbing to see under her clothes. Nathan encouraged her to eat and took her to every class. The interesting times happened with bathroom. He always waited outside bathroom. Yes, he got strange looks from the other people on floor, but they just thought he was the pervert with the bathroom door propped open while he hummed in the hallway. In the meantime, Nathan got word that the rapist was caught, and that the evidence in Charlie's room had been documented. He went back to her door room to grab a few of her personal effects. The poor girl had been living in his clothes a couple days. Upon stepping into the room, he was absolutely shocked at the horror of the scene. Dried blood covered the bed, door, and wall near the closet. It distinctly reminded him of a murder scene from CSI. The bloody hand smear on the closet door was the most unsettling. He did everything he could not to break down and break everything in sight when he realized how she dressed herself and dragged her body out of the room in order to get to the clinic. He wondered how many people walked past her bruised, beaten, and bloody body that night, but turned the other way. Exactly how many people ignored her on the half-mile walk from her dorm to the student clinic? It was the end of that month that they decided to move off campus. He originally wanted to be her roommate as a way to keep her safe, but Charlie wouldn't hear of it. When they came across the two condo-style apartments next to one another, it was a close second. At least he would be close enough to keep an eye on her. Charlie never actually went back to the dorm room for her stuff. He was the one who packed and moved all of her belongings. That first week in the new condos was interesting. Charlie was still having a hard time coping by herself, but she was intent on gaining her independence. Nathan suggested they keep the windows open, so he was just a small shout away. Every night that first month, they sat on the bedroom window sills and talked across the small alley. Hours and hours on end. Progressively, Charlie came back to being herself. The windows always stayed open. At the trial, everything was pretty cut and dry. The only problem was the prick who raped her claimed innocence. They needed Charlie to testify. Nathan sat with her in the back of the court room every day. She held his hand. She had every right to cry, but he never saw her break down. When the day came for her to actually go up on the stand, Nathan made sure he was in the front row, exactly where she could see him. Listening to her recount the rape was terrifying and horrifying. She had the courage to stare the bastard in the face the whole time she testified about the gory details. She recounted the feeling of her shoulder dislocating. She explained how his belt buckle dug into and ripped the flesh of her thigh with every thrust. Charlie explained that she couldn't scream because he was choking her. Nathan learned so many details that he did not know before. He thought back to the night that it happened, how she got herself to the clinic and her resolve to make it back to his dorm room. He was completely amazed by her strength and fortitude. The defense attorney accused her of being a cold woman who showed no real emotion about what had supposedly happened. Maybe it didn't happen at all or she was making up the story. Charlie reminded the defense attorney about her injuries. Charlie even had the courage to lift the skirt up and show the jury her still aggravated, nasty scar on her inner thigh. Charlie made it point to stand in front of the defense table and show the defense attorney and her attacker. Her head was held up high the entire time. She told the judge and jury that the only time she felt cold was when she walked out of the clinic into 45 degree weather with no jacket, but it was the best feeling of her life. She was still alive. Nathan wanted to stand up and do the Rocky cheer for the girl. On the other hand, his blood boiled, and it was sheer luck that the prick who raped her was under police custody or else there would have been a murder trial instead. The trial ended, and a sentence of 15 years was handed down. Charlie walked out of the courthouse with her shoulders back. A year after the man was put into prison, Charlie got a phone call from a victims' advocacy group. They wanted to let her know that her attacker had been killed in prison during a knife fight. Nathan was sitting in Charlie's kitchen when the phone call came through. Charlie thanked the woman and hung up. That night, she got drunker than a skunk on vodka. Of course, he held her hair. Yes, he held her as she shook and cried. Cried for the first time since the whole incident had started and finished. The last thing she said before she passed out was that it was over, and she made him promise that they would never talk about it again. Yes, it was over, and it was a quiet promise I will continue to keep. Nathan stole a glance at Charlie from the corner of his eye. She was typing like a whirling dervish. Even with her tongue hanging between her teeth, she was ravishing. And to this day, she still amazed him. Charlie Ch. 38-41 Chapter 38 At St. Matthew's Parish, they pulled into the gas station to fill up the tank for the remainder of the trip. Nathan took a moment to call the house, letting his mom know they were only 30 minutes from home. After the call and while Charlie packed up her computer, he sent that quick warning message to his sister. He could only hope his hard-headed sibling would actually listen for once in her life. As they got closer and closer to his parents' house, Charlie began to fidget more and more in the car. She kept rolling the window up and down. She adjusted her seat belt on more than a dozen instances. Nathan placed his hand on her thigh in order to reassure her, but it was dismissed with a brush of her hand. She wasn't into the physical contact at the moment. Nathan just hoped she wouldn't go into full blown panic mode and not move from the jeep once they reached the house. Here's to hoping for a good weekend! Pulling into the driveway, Charlie could tell Nathan was watching her every move. Granted, her heart was beating too quickly in her chest, and she had developed a case of dry mouth, but she didn't need him watching her like a mental patient. "I'm fine." "You don't look fine. Well, actually, you look amazing. Fine? I don't think so." Charlie let out a puff of air and nodded. If she looked on the outside like anything she was feeling inside, then she was definitely a mess. When Nathan shut off the jeep, Charlie steeled herself. It's now or never. She actually contemplated the idea of living in the jeep for the next five days. Nathan could bring her a plate of food periodically. Charlie slowly opened the door and crawled out of the passenger seat. Leaning back into the jeep to begin grabbing bags, her nerves were frayed. What is his mom going to say? Is his dad going to pat him on the back for getting some? Would Sheila make some lewd comment about Nathan stuffing her like a turkey? Too many questions ran through Charlie's mind. Charlie looked up across the jeep at Nathan as he grabbed other items out of the back seat. He simply smiled at her. Was that a wink too? Oh fucking great! I'm going home to the Waltons, and they know I've screwed John Boy. Charlie tried to return the smile, but it came out strained and crooked. The front door of the house busted open, and Charlie heard a squeal behind her. It was the sound of a happy mother waiting to see her son. Amanda bounded across the yard and snatched Nathan in a hug. Since his hands were still full of bags, he simply let him mom tackle him with her embrace. Charlie noticed Sheila was quick to follow out of the front door with a wicked smile on her face. Charlie took a deep breath and made her way up the steps to the front door. Sheila watched her like a lion about to pounce. As Charlie tried to pass the girl, Sheila reached out and snatched her into a hug. "I'm glad my brother has you," she whispered. Nothing else. No lewd comments. No vulgar statements about fucking like bunnies. When they pulled out of the hug, Charlie must have had a surprised look on her face, but Sheila laugh and patted her on the arm. She then made her way down the steps to give her brother a hug too. Charlie stepped into the house. Dropping the bags in her hands by the door, she began to unravel her scarf and jacket. Before she could get out of her outer garments, she felt arms wrap around her from behind. Automatically, she tensed against the movement. Her mind thought it was Nathan. Now isn't the time for public displays of affection. Instead, Charlie realized it was Amanda hugging her with all of her might. Charlie let out a small cough and gasp, signaling the tightness of the embrace. Amanda pulled away and spun Charlie towards her. "I have so many things for us to do this weekend. Now, where's my mushrooms?" Charlie lifted up a small, brown bag from the floor and shook in front of Amanda's face. The woman actually beamed as she took the bag from Charlie's hand and made her way towards the kitchen in the back of the house. Nathan and Sheila came through the front door, chattering like two squirrels. Like normal sibling rivalry, their conversation turned to a tone of who could out do one another's stories. Charlie finished unwinding from her outer garments and then reached for her bag. She knew where the downstairs guest bedroom was. It was where she normally stayed when she came home with Nathan for the holidays. She hadn't noticed Sheila's chatter had stopped as she moved down the hallway. Instead, Charlie was still too much in her own head to realize what was going on. As she opened the door to the small room, the sight inside made her gasp. The room was filled with blown up condoms. There were also small condom packages scattered all bed, night stand, and dresser. Charlie froze and couldn't bring herself to enter the room. Nathan could tell by her sudden stop that something was wrong. When Charlie turned her head to look at him, she had tears in her eyes. "Sheila, what the hell did you do?" Nathan growled. Sheila busted out giggling, holding her stomach and snorting in her laughter. Nathan rushed to Charlie's side and looked into the room. He felt the red flush of anger spread from his hair line down. "Sheila!" he yelled. Charlie dropped her bags and ran into the kitchen. Amanda stopped in her tracks. Her hands covered in pot holders as she was moving containers around in the stove. "Charlie, are you okay?" she asked hesitantly. Charlie ran past her and out the backdoor. She busted onto the back porch, looking wildly from side to side. She ran down the porch steps towards the small patch of woods to her right. She needed air. She needed to be away from his family. She didn't know if she was going to survive this weekend. This wholesome-family vibe just wasn't her. It had never been her or anything she ever knew in her life. "S" for slut. That's my scarlet letter. Once she reached the edge of the wooded area, she started to run. It felt good to have the cold wind on her body. Small branches brushed her arms and face. She simply kept running and dodging them as she went. At one point, she thought she heard Nathan yelling her name. It only made her run faster and faster. Finally, when she was out of breath, she stopped and leaned against a tree. Panting, she tried to clear her head of the thought of condoms littering the guest bedroom. She really didn't want to go back and deal with anything or anyone in that house. The cool air sank into her skin, sending a shiver down her spine. "Charlie?" She turned to find Nathan standing a few feet from her. His hands on his hips, he was panting from having to chase her down. Great! Now, I feel like an even bigger ass. "Nathan, I can't go back in there." Charlie's legs gave out, and her body slumped against the tree. She glanced in Nathan's general direction. She couldn't really bring herself to look at him either. He would have the l-sick look on his face while she felt like crap. "Charlie." "What? I didn't do anything. I showed up like I was told to do. I even brought the stuffed mushrooms. The room I am to stay in looks like a poster for STD and pregnancy prevention. No, I don't think you have a disease. Do you have a disease? I forgot to ask the last time you were checked. My last blood work was three months ago during my well-woman exam. The only guy I've been with since then was Dwight, and we used a condom. As for the whole pregnancy, then, you know I don't want to have kids. I've even thought of having myself sterilized. Wouldn't that be a hoot? Everyone in there is laughing at me. I bet they can't wait to make sex noises outside the door when I go to sleep tonight. Should we choreograph the sex show? We can time it with the cutting of the turkey!" Charlie sputtered. Nathan had moved closer to the tree while she went through her hissy fit/breakdown. He sat on the ground in front of her. When Nathan reached for her, Charlie pulled her legs out of the way. Quickly, Nathan grabbed her foot. Charlie tried to yank that away too, but Nathan wouldn't let go. "Charlie." "What?" she gritted through her teeth. "What is really bothering you?" Nathan asked as he slipped the sneaker from her foot. He began rubbing the sole of her foot. Charlie tried to pull away yet again, and Nathan thwarted her effort. "What is really bothering me? Years, Nathan. Years, and I am oblivious to the world. I wander around like a dolt, reading your thesis and writing porn. How did I not know you felt this way? If it was years, what about all of the chippies who wandered in and out of your house? Why didn't you say something sooner? Why now? Why does your sister know that you have been fucking me? Why am I here with your family when they think I am the uber-slut of the world? Can you explain what the name of the mental defect I have suddenly developed to think this was okay?" Charlie was panting by the time she spit all of the demonic thoughts out of her mouth. They had been floating in her head like busy bees, causing constant distraction for days. Nathan kept rubbing her foot. Charlie knew exactly what the scheme was. He was diffusing her frustration and anxiety by being quiet and comforting. It was a variation of comfy Chinese movie night in the middle of the woods. Exasperated, Charlie yanked her foot from Nathan's grip. "Stop that! You can't just rub my foot and make me feel better." Nathan rested his hands in his lap. "Okay. What would make you feel better, Charlie?" "Say something! Answer my questions!" "Fair enough. Let's start at the beginning. Yes, I fell in love with you years ago. It was day we met in the hallway waiting for interviews. You aren't oblivious. At the time, it would not have been appropriate for me to announce my intentions. You were in the middle of the trial and your own healing process. I know I promised I would never mention that time in your life again, but you asked why I didn't say something. You were broken for a long time. Mentally, physically, and emotionally. The last thing you needed was me spouting my bullshit about how wonderful you are or how proud I was of you for standing up for yourself. It was bad enough that I felt so protective of you. The last thing I wanted to throw in the mix was an "I love you." It killed me to simply stand by, watch, and wait. But that was what you needed at the time. Would you have preferred I went all John Cusack on you and held up a cheesy boom box outside your front door?" He continued to monitor Charlie's reactions as he spoke. She started to open her mouth in response. Nathan held up his hand to indicate she should remain quiet. "Don't answer that last question. You, above all people, should recognize a rhetorical question when it is offered. Now onto the women you refer to as chippies. Yes, I had friends and even some simple acquaintances to occupy my time. Honestly, masturbating doesn't always cut it. As much fun as it can be and has been to think about your body while I stroke myself and say your name while I was doing it, I sought out a warm body every so often. And before you try to say anything differently, let me remind you about the men that came and went from your bedroom from time to time. It would have been very easy for me to become a jackass about the sounds coming through my window; however, you had your life. You enjoyed the functionality of it. It wasn't my place to disturb it at the time." Charlie let out a grumpy sigh and crossed her arms. "As for now, I am going to disturb the hell out of you. Get ready for the grand-po-ba of disturbances. I love you. Yes, it took a while for me to finally fess up to my feelings. I'm sorry you don't find my timing as convenient as you would like, but I refuse to play second fiddle anymore. I've stepped up and fessed up. I love you. Deal with it." Nathan continued to monitor Charlie's reactions. There was no "time to bolt" look on her face. Instead, it actually looked like she was listening to and absorbing what he had to say. Maybe, just maybe I stand a chance! "Now, onto the subject of my family. Each and every person in my family already thought the world of you before five days ago, and none of them thinks you are an uber-slut. They love you too. And it was only natural that my mom figured out my feelings before I even knew what they were. She had the chance to watch us together on many occasions. Is it really that horrible that she wants things to work out between us? No, it is not. Get over that fact. Now, Sheila is going to be murdered sometime during the course of the weekend. I will need your help with the body and my alibi. Game?" Chapter 39 Charlie wanted to walk slowly back to the house, but it was freezing outside. There was also the issue of food. Due to her temper tantrum, dinner would be late getting to the table. Inevitably, something would either be burned or taste awful. Just another way to fuck up the Walton family Thanksgiving. On their way back to the house, Nathan continued to make small talk about all of the ways to kill Sheila. Charlie caught herself chuckling periodically as Nathan mentioned new and interesting ways his sister would die for the condom prank. The subject of the l-word and feelings had been tabled for the time being. By the time they reached the house, Charlie's nerves had gone from "Oh holy hell, I'm dying!" to "This is just fucking uncomfortable." Before opening the kitchen's back door, Nathan gave Charlie a quick peck on the lips. She rubbed her lips furiously as if the kiss would leave a permanent mark that everyone could see. Nathan smiled brightly, took her hand, and led her into the kitchen. After taking her coat, he guided her into the dining room. His mom, Amanda; his father, Collin; his sister, Sheila; and her boyfriend of no current name were already seated at the table. Food stuffs had been passed and each person was enjoying particular bites of food and conversation. Upon entering the room, both Amanda and Collin nodded to Nathan and Charlie. The conversation never stopped. No one pointed a finger and screamed, "Harlot!" There were no other condom party favors hidden in conspicuous places around the table. Charlie took a deep breath and took a seat. The remainder of the dinner was casual and happy. The immediate family had embarrassing stories of one another to share. Shiela's boyfriend, now named John, and Charlie watched in amusement. Periodically, they would share glances of confusion or jump into the conversation to ask questions. This dinner still had the Devereaux mixture of humor and sarcasm. It was something Charlie truly had come to appreciate over the years she came home with Nathan. When dinner was finished, the men were sent into to clean dishes, but the females adjourned to the sanctuary of the den. They had "real" work to do. In the den was where the plan of attack for Christmas shopping on Black Friday came together. The stores were opening earlier and earlier each year. Amanda and Sheila brought out an actual copy of a map and began to track routes to the best sales based on location and time. Charlie watched in amazement as the two women planned what could be a siege any military man would admire. Charlie stayed out of their way. She rarely bought presents. First of all, when she did, it was not done elbowing the masses through aisles of 90% off Christmas merchandise. Secondly, there were very few people in Charlie's life that actually deserved an exchange of gifts. Those people were Amanda, Collin, Sheila, and Nathan Devereaux. In fact, Charlie has already purchased Christmas presents for the family five months ago. She happened along a wonderful swap meet and found several inexpensive, but extremely personal, items for Amanda, Collin, Sheila, and Nathan. They had been sitting patiently, giftwrapped in the closet at home waiting for the appearance of Christmas. She slipped out of the den and made her way towards the kitchen. Leave it to the Devereaux men to find unique and interesting ways to clean a kitchen. Charlie stood in the doorway watching Collin and John sword fight with leftover turkey legs. Nathan was playing hoops by shooting extra rolls into a plastic bag on the other side of the room. It was when Collin cornered John and began poking him incessantly with the drumstick that Charlie began to laugh. On cue, all of the men froze in place. "So much for leftovers?" Charlie chuckled. "Well, we, we just wanted . . ." stammered Collin as he hid the drumstick behind his back. John's sheepish look and Nathan's "cat ate the canary" smile gave Charlie even more reason to break out into a full laugh. "Shhh! They will hear you!" Nathan hoarsely whispered. Collin turned to John, "We don't interrupt the planning. The last time we interrupted was the Black Friday debacle of 2008. I still have a scar from it." Collin proceeded to show John a small scar on his knuckle. John gave a low whistle as to show his appreciation for physical wounds endured. He then began to show Collin small scars he had from family outings. It became one of those testosterone driven events typically only witnessed in the wild. It didn't take but a couple extra seconds for Nathan to dive into the mix in the hopes of demonstrating his manliness. Charlie shook her head and backed out of the room. After making a pit stop in the guest bedroom for her computer, Charlie found her way on the enclosed side porch off of the den. Time to put to put the porno pen to paper! Chapter 40 Charlie's eyes kept darting over to the closed door of the guest bedroom she could see front the porch. At some point, she was going to need sleep, and the couch wasn't really an option. Okay, not an option that went without its own set of questions. Okay, one of us can sleep on the floor. The other one gets the bed. That's what we will do. Her attention was pulled back the kitchen where the sound of male bonding continued. It was then that Nathan's head popped beyond the corner. "How you doing?" he inquired as he dried a mixing bowl with a kitchen towel. "Not the right environment, if you know what I mean," she replied curtly while closing the lid to the laptop. "Holding out in the Walton family sun room just isn't getting it. No porn for me this weekend." Nathan reached back into the kitchen, returning the bowl and towel to the counter. With a few short strides, he stepped behind her chair. "Open the computer," he motioned with his hand. "What? You going to write some more romantic dialogue for me?" Charlie half-chuckled. "Give it up! People don't really talk like that within romantic novels or in real life." "Just open the computer, Miss Skeptic," Nathan replied. Charlie flipped her laptop open. It took a moment for the computer to come out of its hibernating stasis. While waiting, Nathan began to rub her shoulders. She quickly swatted his hands away and then made sweeping motion to indicate his family was still in close proximity. Nathan shrugged his shoulders and went back to the massage was he was trying to administer. Charlie swatted his hands again, only to give him a deeper scowl. Nathan grabbed her hands and tried to pull them to his lips. Charlie yanked her hands away from his grip, but he was quick and caught a hold of them again. As they continued with the childish tug-pull-hit hand game, they didn't realize an audience had built behind them. Nathan's entire family, encased in their winter coats, was watching from the living room. It was when the group started clapping that Nathan and Charlie were truly caught off guard. Nathan, the comedian, decided to take his bow. Charlie noticed the weakness and punched him in the stomach. The bursts of laughter from his family gave Charlie the tension release from the situation. Charlie Ch. 38-41 "Hun, we are heading to the movies. Did you and Charlie was to go with us?" Nathan's mom inquired as she pulled a glove onto her left hand. Charlie's eyes drifted over to Nathan. He was already pulling up a chair to sit next to her. "No thanks, Mom! Charlie is going to work on her story. If I'm lucky, I will be able to get her to review some more of my thesis." "Did you ever make those author-reference changes?" asked Charlie as she turned back to her computer. "Which ones?" Nathan asked. Charlie threw up her hands. "What do you mean by 'Which ones?' I even put those notes inside your file. Get your computer. Go on! Go get it!" Nathan shrugged one more time as a good show for his family and jogged off to the guest room to retrieve his computer. His family only nodded and made their way to the front door. Upon returning to the closed-in porch, he shoved his computer onto the table. Instead of pulling the chair to sit next to Charlie, he moved it slightly behind her. "Now, time for some romantic dialogue." Charlie swiveled on the chair until she could properly face him. "You are joking, right?" "Nope! I am going to help you write some of your story." "You don't even know what is going on in the story. How are you going to know what dialogue would fit where?" Nathan laughed, "You'll find a way to work it in somewhere. Now, get the file ready." Charlie turned back to her laptop. Tension and exasperation were building in her shoulders. "Okay, you get to type the stuff I say." "But, you . . ." Nathan leaned forward until he was perched behind Charlie and slightly to her right. Sweeping the hair away from her neck, he positioned himself, so he could whisper in her ear as well as see the screen. The view from these cheap seats in regards to the girl's cleavage wasn't too bad either. Charlie swallowed hard. Nathan's close proximity was too warm and too intimate. "Okay, Shakespeare. Let's hear the romantic dialogue I should be including in my story." Charlie sat with her hands perched over the keyboard, feigning excitement and interest in the dialogue. Instead, her body was already alight with desire. Nathan turned his head towards Charlie's neck. His hot breath was caressing her skin. Every word he spoke was sending small quakes through her bones. Charlie bit her bottom lip to keep some semblance of control. "Yes, Charlie. I love you. I mean it now, and I've meant it every day when I couldn't bring myself to say it." The words he spoke, her brain just didn't believe they were about her. Charlie's heart welled up based on the honesty of his statement. Wait! This is just dialogue for the story. Yeah, keep believing that, and I have a wall in China to sell. When she tried to turn her head to see him, Nathan kissed her neck, forcing her to keep her head pointed towards the screen. His hands reached around her waist. Automatically, her posture tightened. "What if your family comes back?" she exhaled. The feeling of his lips on her neck was maddening. She tilted her head in order to give him more access to her neck. "Just keep typing what I tell you." Nathan's teeth lightly bit the fleshy earlobe, and Charlie couldn't contain the gasp that escaped from her lips. She pushed herself into Nathan's kisses. However, the feeling of his hands moving over her body was quite real. When his hand gently squeezed her breasts under the tank top, she gasped. He eased the strap off of one shoulder and his fingertips made sweeping motions over the top of her breasts. The second strap gave way, exposing more of her chest. "I love the way you look in your painting clothes. You get me hot when you lick your ice cream spoon. The way you wiggle your hips when you put on your jeans is maddening. You always smell incredible." Charlie had no idea how she was able to focus on typing the words. It must have been oddly erotic disconnect between her mind and body. The mind wanted to hear what he had to say because those words were quiet and soothing, but the language of his hands was much different. Bolder, stronger. "I like it when you have tired eyes, and when you tie your hair up in a messy pony tail. When I touch myself, I fantasize about your body. I need to hear you orgasm. I think about the different songs I want playing as I slide into you." Nathan's one hand continued to play with and also massage her breasts; the other one rubbed its way down the front of her body to her thigh. He urged her leg to open further, leaving her exposed and feeling vulnerable. The clicking of the keys continued. Just when Charlie thought he might actually touch her, he settled his hand over her cloth-covered mound. She whimpered slightly because some contact, any contact, would bring her one heartbeat closer to an orgasm. Charlie tried pushing her hips forward, a silent way of urging him to move his touch lower. When he did move his hand, Nathan massaged her through her jeans in slow circles. Charlie yelped as a wave of desire passed through her body. It was the beginning of the orgasm she wanted so badly. She focused on the words he was saying. "I want to wake up in the morning and push my cock into you. It would be a tight fit, but after you cum, it will be a wild, wet ride. I want to take you slowly and gently on your kitchen table. I want to bend you over the couch and fuck you deep and hard, forcing you to scream my name. I want to seat you on the balcony, spread your legs, and taste you." With the end of these words, Nathan stopped his ministrations. Charlie growled her displeasure with the lack of action. She was already biting her lip and a few more stroking motions would have her right on an orgasm's doorstep. "Type it, Charlie." The keys clicked. Once the words appeared on the screen, Nathan continued his attention to her body. With a quick flick of the button on the top of her jeans, Nathan gained further access to Charlie's body. It was the feather touch of his fingertips on her clit that pushed her forward. As her head fell back on Nathan's shoulder, his finger movements picked up pace. She began to move her hips in small circles to match his movements. Fuck the book! His finger pushed inside of her, and Charlie's body ground down on his hand. When he inserted a second finger, her instincts took over. Her hips gyrated this way and that, helping his fingers touch all of her inner walls. She wantonly moved to bring about her orgasm. "Oh fuck, I'm close!" Charlie's voice was deep with need. The heat in her core was spreading across her body rapidly. His fingers were constantly rubbing the small G-spot ridge close to her pelvis bone. Those movements in combination with a wonderfully vicious pinch to her nipple brought Charlie screaming. She rode the wave of it over and over again since Nathan would not stopped moving his hand. "How's that for romantic dialogue?" he said as he kissed her neck. Charlie's head flopped forward. Every nerve ending was firing, and her body wanted to be greedy. That little voice that normally pops up in the back of your head to say something pithy and indignant about the situation was awesomely quiet. Instead, there was that she-devil voice murmuring from the shadows. Asking for another one, another orgasm. This voice didn't really want to be quiet. She wanted to be much louder and a bit rougher. Nothing too delicate like fingers anymore. "Where can we go?" Desire had constricted her voice. Nathan raised his eyebrows and sat back in his on chair. She spun ever-so-slowly to look in his eyes. Hints of the orgasm were still there like clouds on the horizon. There just needed to be a bit of a disturbance to set off the full blown orgasmic storm. "The boat house?" Charlie pushed out of her chair and started towards the back door. Her sense of determination coupled with the strong desire to fuck mercilessly had taken over. She heard him say something about jacket. That thought didn't stay with her very long. She already felt warm enough, and if things happened the way they should, she would be sweating soon enough. Upon entering the small boathouse area, Charlie shed her shirt and kicked off her shoes. Finally, Nathan appeared. Unceremoniously, he dropped a hand full condoms on the work table. Charlie launched herself into Nathan's arms and pulled him into a sweltering kiss. Their arms continually fumbled to hold on to one another as well as loosen other clothing. Next, her bra disappeared, and his shirt was thrown to the side. She stopped to wiggle out of her jeans. That was when Nathan paused to watch her incredible movements. "Get a condom on! Now!" Charlie hissed at him. Nathan shook himself from the innocent stupor by unzipping his jeans. There's no real hip way to look cool when sliding into a condom, but this wasn't the moment for suave. While Nathan contended with the condom, Charlie scooted her backside on to the work table. When Nathan turned to approach Charlie, he was taken back by the incredible woman in front of me. Naked and anticipating his touch. She was biting her lip. "Hello? Remember me?" Charlie growled at him. Nathan all but pounced between her legs. Grabbing her hips and hooking an arm under her left knee, Nathan gave a forceful thrust past her lips. She was still wet from the fingering, but he wanted her gushing. Charlie yelped as the her inner walls were immediately stretched open. Small tremors had already started in her core and were radiating outward. "Again!" she whispered. Nathan pulled back to the point where only the head of his cock rested at her opening. Pulling her hips forward, he shot back into her core; he took a moment to grind his hips into hers, getting as deep as he could. Nathan moved with smoother strokes from it. Charlie's head had lost all sense of strength when it lolled backwards on her shoulders. "Fuck!" she moaned. Nathan took his cue and began his faster, deeper, and longer onslaught. Wet, sloppy sex noises reached into the boathouse as their bodies smacked together. With each stroke, her breasts bounced heavily. Charlie held onto one of his wrists and the edge of the table in order to steady herself. That was when the trembling in her body increased exponentially. "Harder!" she commanded, and Nathan obliged. Within two more furious thrusts, Charlie's orgasm broke wide open. All sight and sound was gone from her mind. The only thing was feeling, and her inner walls were squeezing and massaging Nathan's cock. Small, pleasurable pins and needles pierced their way through her body. Just when she thought the orgasm was beginning to fade, Nathan let go of her hip. He used the newly free hand to stimulate her clit. Her back broke into an arch, pushing her gloriously large breasts forward. Nathan was caught up in the sight of her body and its connection to him. "Come on, Charlie. Fuck me!" he strained through gritted teeth. Charlie's new orgasm rolled over her body like an explosion. Her hips pushed forward to meet each one of Nathan's thrusts. She could tell by his erratic rhythm he was getting closer to the brink of his own orgasm. She knew of the one thing that would drive him over the edge. Keeping the one hand steadied on the work table, she placed her palm against his cheek. Nathan lifted his gaze and met her eyes. With eyes locked, Charlie whispered, "Cum for me." Nathan's legs tightened as his movements became like hiccups. It exploded out of him, he eyes grew dark. He tried to hang his head, but Charlie forced him to meet her eyes. Each of her own internal spasms caused her eyes to flutter, but she never broke eye contact with him. They spent the next minute staring at one another, but at the end of that minute, he lowered her leg back to the table. That motion dislodged his shrinking member, and Charlie whined quietly in its absence. Nathan remained situated between Charlie's legs, wrapping his arms around her body and kissing her neck. Charlie let out a big sigh and tried to unwind herself from Nathan's embrace. This little interlude was not about feeling romantic or lovey-dovey. It was about a good hard fuck, and nothing else. The last thing she needed was this boy to put any fantastical or romantic spin on an orgasm. After disengaging from Nathan, Charlie scouted off table and began to dress. Nathan quickly rid of the used condom. Thankfully, it was blissful silence walking back to the house. When the family arrived home later, all seemed right as in the Devereaux household. Both Charlie and Nathan were properly cleaned and dressed in their pajamas. Each one was perched in front of a computer, mirrored scowls as they worked diligently through typing. The rest of the family said their 'good evenings,' and disappeared upstairs. It was only then that Charlie snuck glance over the top of the computer. It was bedtime. Only one bed. Now what? Chapter 41 When it sounded as if everyone was settled in for the night, Charlie closed the lip of her laptop. She quickly retreated from the table to guest bedroom. There really didn't need to be a conversation about the sleeping arrangements. She would take the floor, and that would be the end of it. Decision made and no argument even had to take place. She was almost done creating sleeping pallet on the floor when Nathan walked through the door with his laptop crooked under his arm. "Just what do you think you are doing?" he asked as he carefully laid the laptop on the dresser next to the door where he was standing. Charlie decided to play ignorant as she shook out the blanket that would be used to cover her and the pallet. "What?" she returned. "Why in the hell are you building a bed on the floor? There is a perfectly good mattress by three foot to your left." Charlie glanced at the bed and then back at Nathan. "That's where you get to sleep. I'll be okay here on the floor." Nathan ignored her comment and within two strides, he cleared the space of the room. He quickly began yanking pillows and blankets off the floor, tossing them onto the actual bed. "Get your ass in bed!" he hissed. "Nate, I will be fine on the floor." Bonk, wrong answer! Nathan silently began to walk Charlie backwards until the back of her legs bumped into the bed. With one small nudge, Charlie flopped backwards on the bed. Just as Charlie was about to scramble off the bed, Nathan responded with a "Stay!" When Nathan actually stepped away to move to his side of the bed, Charlie grabbed her various bed clothes as well as pillow and shot back off of the mattress. Before she could utter any form of protest, Nathan had launched himself across the bed and grabbed her. Pulling her backward onto the mattress, he turned to block her escape with his body. "Have you lost your mind?" Charlie whispered. "Your family is upstairs. Your sister already thinks we are starring in and directing our personal pornos. Just let me sleep on the floor. Please!" A slow, slightly unbalanced smile crossed Nathan's face. Charlie could feel him brushing his hands down her sides. With the initiation of touch, her body automatically responded with a rise of heat in her core. Sure, it would be awesome to spend the rest of the night, stroking, licking, penetrating, and rolling beneath one another. If his hands would . . . What! Wait a minute! Back up! You can't be indulging this. His parents' room is directly above this bed. Stop! Stop! Stop! Charlie batted away his hands and tried to turn her body away from his. "No floor!" His hands sank into the flesh above her hips. Charlie used a foot as continued leverage to push away. Nathan was not having it. With a gentle squeeze, it went from a form of capture to an outright tickle. Charlie's immediate response was to begin tickling Nathan too. Pretty soon, they sounded like two elementary kids on a playground, providing childish taunts. Neither of them realized the volume in which their play was truly being broadcasted in the house. Charlie continued to twist this way and that escape the tickling claws Nathan was using to punish her. She panted and huffed and laughed loudly. It was the sudden knock at the door that surprised both of them. It was in that moment that Charlie's twin, Grace, decided to make an appearance. She was in mid-twist when the knock happened. Instead of Nathan actually holding onto her, he ripped his hands away from her body. That let the twist continue until she had completely twisted right off the bed and on to her hip. She let out a sharp yelp and quickly curled into a ball, holding her side. With her yelp of pain, the door flew open. Both his mom and sister were just nosey enough to come check on them because of the huffing and puffing sounds drifting upstairs. When they heard someone get hurt, well, that was the cue to barge right on in. Nathan was perched on the bed with his hands in the air. Charlie was writhing around on the floor, trying to massage the pain out of her hip. "Nathan, what did you do to her?" Amanda, his mom, asked as she bent down to check on Charlie. His sister, Sheila, stuck out her tongue and gave him an ugly look. "I didn't do anything!" Nathan sputtered as he climbed off the bed. He knelt down on the the other side of Charlie. "Amanda, it's true! We were just laughing, and I fell of the bed." "Your twin, Grace, came for a visit?" she questioned. Charlie nodded her head and patted the woman's arm. Her hip was still on fire and felt like it was already swelling. Every time she tried to get up, the dang thing did not want to rotate in its socket. "Sheila, go get a bag of frozen peas," Amanda instructed. The mom was not done with the instructions; she told Charlie to roll onto her good side, exposing the bad hip to the room. Nathan moved closer, allowing Charlie to prop herself up on his lap. Amanda gingerly eased the fabric of Charlie's pajama bottoms away from the hip. "Oh my!" Amanda breathed. Charlie could feel Nathan tense up. Something must not be right. When Charlie turned her head to look at her hip, she thought she was in some weird science fiction movie. A large bruise was already forming under her skin. As all three of them watched, the bruise continued to expand and change colors. Sheila reentered the room and stopped in her tracks when she too saw the bruise. "That is wicked nasty!" Charlie continued her protests about Amanda and Sheila fussing over for her. However, they both could see that Charlie was tired and Nathan was perturbed. After a bit of squawking, Sheila pulled Amanda from the room, closing the door behind them. Neither woman was going to heal a bruise instantly, and there was no need for them to continue fawning over the poor girl. Nathan gave a big sigh. Charlie tried to climbed off the floor and get on the bed. He gingerly pushed a lock of her hair away from her face, noting Charlie still looked a little bit Green. She simply shook her head and then laid her head back down in his lap, allowing Nathan the chance to continue brushing her hair with his fingers. Pulling Charlie closer to him, occasionally he would rearrange the bag of frozen peas that rested on her hip. After few more rounds of light bickering, exasperated Nathan yelled at Charlie get in the bed. Charlie's only response was a quiet, "No."