Good Enough to Share (Good Enough, Book 1 - Christmas) (7 page)

When I’d moved the
first thing I’d done was to buy the horse I’d always wanted, but he’d hated.
I’d hit on a job that was okay, and I had friends. Real friends like Sophie and
Charlie who cared about me and loved me enough to trudge round looking at flats
on Christmas Eve, enough not to complain when I invited strange men to stay
over–well that had been Sophie’s doing, but hey ho, semantics. And then of
course there was Dane. Whether we had a fling, a nothing or a bit of a
something I wanted to hang around and find out.

“Good.” She hugged
me back, and I knew exactly why Sophie meant so much to me. “Bottoms up to a
fun Christmas.” She was grinning like a naughty school girl. “Though how you
land my two favorite hunks and I get left with my sister and her brood I just
don’t know.”

“I promise
there’ll be some leftovers for Boxing Day.” She’s probably laughing at me
because I’ve blushed, but it doesn’t matter. “I wish you were coming too,
Soph.”

“So do I. Believe me, so do I. I do hope she remembers to actually
buy a turkey this year and doesn’t send me out on a rescue mission.” But it’s
not about the turkey is it? It’s about Dane and Charlie and exactly what we’re
going to be sharing this Christmas.

***

“You’re back.”
Charlie grins a welcome from where he is slouched on the sofa and flicks the TV
off. “Any luck?” I grin back and some of the tension drifts away as if by
magic. I didn’t know whether it would be good between us or things would be
awkward after what he’d come back to this morning. But that was obviously just
me being silly, I knew Charlie better than that. And now it just felt good to
be home.

“Crap.”

“Oh, bummer.” I
could have sworn he looked almost pleased as he swung his legs off the cushion.
“Come and tell Uncle Charlie all about it.”

“Only a highly
suspect uncle would look like you.” I didn’t often look at Charlie properly,
because he was a friend, and you just don’t study friends in the same way you
don’t really stop and look at your family. But I did look now, at all of him,
not just his bum like I had when he left the pub the other night. He was all
slim and sinew, sexy in a laid-back, relaxed and comfy way and exactly what I
needed after a confusing day.

I sat down next to
him and he gave me the type of bear hug I needed, but he didn’t quite let go.
He left his long arm trailing around the back of me, his fingers just about
resting on my shoulder. And it brought a lump to my throat and a sudden need to
grab hold of him and not let go. So I bit on my bottom lip instead and stared
at the floor.

He was barefooted,
and I don’t really like feet, the idea of sucking toes just puts me off, well
everything. But Charlie had long, even elegant toes. Laid-back, like the rest
of him and for one crazy moment I could imagine running my fingers down his
insole, running my tongue along the smooth skin until he groaned. I gritted my
teeth and made myself snap out of it. Hugging was bad, licking feet was a
hundred times worse.

“Hey Mrs. Moody
cheer up.” His sweatpants were warm and unthreatening as I put a hand on his
knee and he leaned across me with an arm that was strong and capable, but so
unlike Dane’s obvious muscles, and tapped the very tip of my nose. He was lean
and almost delicate, nothing to spare, his warm chest against me so that I
could hear his heart thrumming in my ear. Yet he was so comfortable, familiar
and safe.

“I’m fine.” I
don’t know why it had hit me like this now, Charlie’s had always been a stop
gap, but maybe it was just the time of year, or the fact I’d suddenly realized
how much I liked his company, or maybe it was Dane and Sophie and an evening
that had left me wanting so much more.

“I’m not sure I
want you to go.” His breath was gentle against the top of my head, then he
rubbed his chin gently backwards and forwards, the soft movement stirring
something deep inside my stomach.

“Really?”

“I’d miss you.”
His long fingers brushed the side of my face lightly, his fingers tangling with
my hair and I held my breath. I didn’t know what to say, and I didn’t want to say
anything that would stop him talking. I just wanted him to carry on talking,
carry on holding me, carry on making me feel safe and wanted.

“I’d miss you too,
Charlie.”

“No.” He spiraled
the lock of my hair tighter around his finger until it tugged at my scalp, at
something a bit deeper inside. “I’d really miss you.” I pulled away then and
looked at him. The baby blue eyes were as clear and wide as ever, but he looked
so damn serious I had to reach out and run my fingertips over his wide chiseled
cheekbone just to stop the feeling of unreality.

“Don’t go, Holly.”
He still had his hand in my hair and I felt like I should be running, before
this all went wrong, but I didn’t want to. Then he kissed me. He’d kissed me
before, on the cheek, on the head, even on the lips. But this was different.
His perfect lips met mine with the lightest of touches, but it was like a deep
caress, it filtered through me and there was no way I could move. The tip of
his tongue skated along my lower lip and I needed him so much it made me feel
hollow inside.

“Charlie.”

“Don’t say
anything.” He was still so close, his lips touching mine as he spoke and then
his tongue ran slowly over the tips of my teeth and every bit of me seemed to
clench with need. He smelled of coffee, and tasted of mints. Fresh and good,
and I closed my eyes and let the shivers run through me as he gently explored
my mouth. I didn’t want to move, didn’t want to kiss him back, I just wanted to
feel, to taste. To take. His hands were cradling my head, and he ran his thumbs
up the side of my face with a sensuous stroke that was better than any massage
I’d ever had, reaching out and unknotting every kink in my body.

My whole body
seemed to sigh and I let myself relax against him just a tiny bit more. His
tongue circled mine, tempting me, teasing me as he drew his lips the smallest
of distances away and I knew I couldn’t not have him. I sucked at his lower lip
and his groan made me smile inside, his hands had tightened around my face, his
breath quickening.

“Can I?” He was
staring at my top as though he was hoping he could wish it away, so I did it
for him. I stripped the jumper over my head, and it wasn’t the cold that sent a
shiver of goose bumps over my skin. His hand slipped down over my shoulder and
I was holding my breath as he stared, as his gentle touch made my sex clench
with anticipation. “You are so fucking gorgeous.” He dipped his head, but he
didn’t suck my hard nipples as I thought he would. He kissed my throat, let his
damp mouth burn a trail of delicate kisses down my chest. Ever so gently he
pulled the lace of my bra cups under my breasts as I swayed, not sure what to
do. For a moment he just stared and my breasts grew heavier and hotter with
every second.

“Please.” I
tangled my fingers in his hair, pulling him closer, I couldn’t stand another
second of waiting. I’d never been good at foreplay and this was coiling me up
to the point of jumping on him. He chuckled but let me guide him forward, and
then his tongue traced a slow lazy circle of dampness around my nipple and I
felt a rush of juices to my knickers. He lifted his head, replaced his tongue
with his thumb, then gently pinched at my nipple, pulling it to an ever harder
peak and sending a jolt of need straight through the centre of me. “Oh God,
Charlie, touch me.” His blue eyes were dark, almost black, like some angel
turned devil, and I loved a devil. Then he opened the button of my jeans as
surely as if he did it every day and his soft hand glided deep inside, knowing
fingers slipping under my skimpy knickers and straight to my pussy. I wanted
him to know how wet I was, what he was doing to me, wanted him to know that my
clit was throbbing with need. And he did. His gaze never left my face, then he
rubbed down hard on my clit and I came. I gasped and shuddered and throbbed
with surprise against his firm hand. And for a girl who normally comes best
with a hard cock inside her, that came as a bit of a shock. He slipped down to
my feet then and tugged at my jeans until they were round my ankles, and then his
elegant fingers traced small spiraling circles on my inner thighs until I was
gasping again. He blew over my slit, warm air that felt cold against my hot
skin and I reached down to pull him closer.

I don’t like being
sucked or licked, I don’t like the way I’m not in control, I don’t like the
sweet sickly smell or the kisses that come after. But I needed him to do it
now. Agonizingly slowly, he nibbled his way up my thighs, parting my legs wider
so that his thumbs could stroke my shaved pussy. One long finger traced down my
almost shaven mound and he grinned as if he’d won a prize. “Nice landing
strip.” His fingers fluttered over my throbbing flesh and I moaned, struggling
to free one foot from my jeans so that I could open wider for him.

“Please.”

“Later.” So if he
wasn’t going to bury his face between my needy thighs what was he going to do?
He stroked more firmly, hard enough to part my lips slightly, hard enough for
the cool touch of his fingers to set me trembling. My thighs were shaking under
his hands and I was panting, waiting. “I want to fuck you, Holly.” He was
staring right at me, his voice low and steady, on the edge of a growl and I
suddenly understood what it was to need. “I want to bury my hard cock deep
inside you until I can feel you tight around me.” Christ, just the way he was
talking was going to tip me over the edge any minute now, Charlie was sweet,
Charlie was kind, but right now Charlie was like some graceful feline about to
pounce. And I liked it. I liked it too much to wait. “I’ve always wanted you.”

For Christ sakes,
take me, yeah I very nearly screamed it at him, but I didn’t. I bit my tongue
and rocked my hips in silent supplication.

“If I do this—”

“Do it, please.” I
was whispering, but he heard me.

“We might—”

“Please.”

And he stood up,
his face tense with concentration, tugged his pants down and his perfect long,
slim cock jumped out.

“Please.” I really
had to stop saying please like some mindless moron. I reached out and ran a
finger down the length of him and he shuddered.

“Don’t, or I’ll
lose it.” His voice was rough-edged and I knew he was as close as I was. I
don’t know where he grabbed the condom from, but he was rolling it on with
shaking fingers and I knew he was afraid. We were friends, not lovers. We did
hugging, not kissing. But we needed this, both of us did, it just felt as
natural as the moon shifting from new to full. Something had altered the status
quo, tipped the balance and I didn’t know or care what.

He nudged against
me and I shifted, eager for more, he held my hips tight so that I couldn’t take
control and ever so slowly sank inside me. It was perfect and it was purgatory.
So slow, so beautiful … so damn frustrating. He pulled me closer to the edge of
the sofa and then slowly withdrew until he was almost out, then with maddening
control he pushed back inside. I wrapped my legs around his lean hips locked my
ankles, held him firm and felt the gentle pulsing between us. He leaned
forward, brushed my hair back, kissed my neck and I could feel him shaking. I
pulled at him hard so that our pelvises grated and it was then he lost it. His
mouth came down on mine, crushing my lips, far different to before and it
sparked a hunger. I moaned into his mouth, sucked at his tongue and he started
to pound at me, thrusting with hard powerful strokes that took him so deep
inside me it made me shake. He licked my nipple, sucked until it bordered on
pain and sent a tingle straight to my clit, and I was laughing and crying and I
didn’t know why. I reached down, pressed my hand to my swollen bud, curled my
fingers against him and the shaking that had been inside spread out.

I could feel him
grow that extra bit inside me, feel him expand, throb and as he came his mouth
came down on mine again and I could taste him, and swallow the roar.

He was panting
when he straightened up. “I’m not sure that was supposed to happen.” Ever the
gent, he looked a bit sheepish and a lot pleased with himself.

“Yeah, right.” I
grinned and pulled him back down so that I could plant a quick kiss on his full
lips, he tasted just right. He ran a finger down my stomach until it got to the
point where our two bodies met and I shuddered in response. “You better stop
that before you set me off again.”

The full throaty
laugh hit me in the gut. Charlie was good, uncomplicated fun, he’d never be
without a girl, I just hadn’t thought I was on the list. I hadn’t thought I
wanted to be. “You’ll have to give me a minute to recover.”

I laughed with
him, and everything contracted and squeezed his semi-hard cock right out of its
hidey hole. He glanced down. “Maybe more than a minute?”

I’m just nestled
nice and cosy against him when he levers himself up on one elbow and runs a
gentle finger down the side of my face. “Holl, I don’t want to interfere or
anything, but —” I hate ‘buts’ “—I don’t want you to get hurt and Dane —”

“I know.”

“He’s a great guy,
but —”

“I know, really.”

“You don’t, not
even Dane knows.” He kisses the tip of my nose and I suddenly wonder if all
this sharing stuff is getting out of hand.