Easy Kisses (The Boudreaux Series Book 4) (14 page)

Just before I turn to leave, she catches me staring and smiles, tossing me a wave, and then blows me a kiss.

I nod and leave, anxious to get my plan set in motion.

***

Candles lit? Check. Flowers? Check. Food on the way? Check.

I’m ready for her, and she is on her way home. For the first time since I was a boy, I’m nervous for a date with a woman.

I hear her car door slam, and a few moments later, she walks in and stops cold, staring around the room and then at me.

“Wow.”

I’ve turned the lights off, leaving the space cast in the glow from the two dozen candles scattered all over. Vases of roses in all different colors are also spread about, giving the room a rich flowery smell.

She walks over to me and hugs me around the waist, then looks up at me, leaning her chin on my chest.

I love how short she is.

“This is so beautiful.”

“Not nearly as beautiful as you are.”

She smiles, but I can see the fatigue in her eyes. She works herself to the bone. Today was almost twelve hours long, just like the two before it.

“I have another surprise,” I inform her and take her hand, leading her upstairs. We walk through her bedroom to the master bath and she gasps. “Simon, this is just…
indulgent.
”

“You deserve it.” I’ve filled her tub with hot water and lavender oil with rose petals floating on top. “I’m going to help you in, but don’t fall asleep. Dinner will be arriving soon.”

“Oh God, I’m hungry,” she groans, and then sighs in delight when her body is enveloped in the hot water. All I can think about is how fucking amazing she looks, naked, soft, in the water. I want to join her and fuck her senseless in the water, but I hold myself back. This is all about her. “Goodness, a girl could get used to this.”

That’s my hope.

“Should I come check on you in a few?”

“No, I’ll be down in a bit,” she replies and smiles softly. “Simon?”

“Yes, love.”

“Thank you. This is amazing.”

“You’re welcome.” I kiss her forehead, trying to keep my eyes off her incredible body. I haven’t seen her naked in almost two months, and fucking hell, I crave her.

And I’ll have her before long.

The food arrives, and I arrange a delicious, casual picnic in the middle of the candles and flowers.

Just as I’m about to walk up to see if Charly did, indeed, fall asleep, she comes down the stairs wearing nothing but a robe. Her cheeks are flushed from the water, her eyes are heavy.

“You’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen.”

She tilts her head to the side. “Ever?”

“Ever.”

“Wow. I’ll take baths more often.”

“Come on, sassy, let’s eat.”

“Oh God, is that Italian?”

“The Americans’ version of it, yes.”

“Perfect.” But before she sits down, she leans into me, on her tiptoes, and presses her lips to mine. “This is perfect.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

She sits at a plate and waits patiently while I dish the food, giving her more than she thinks she wants.

“How was your day?” I ask and settle in to eat. The hot bread is delicious, as are the pasta and red sauce.

“It went well. We were busy, so that’s always good.” She spoons up some spaghetti and closes her eyes with a sigh of delight. “This is just
so good.
”

“Watching you eat is like watching someone have sex,” I reply and run through baseball stats in my head.

“It is not,” she says with a laugh. “I just like food.”

“Almost as much as sex,” I agree and offer her some bread. “So work went well. How is your family?”

“Curious.” She butters her bread and licks her finger. “I’ve now heard from all of the siblings. They’re curious to know more about you, and to hear how I’m doing.”

“That sounds normal enough.” I reach over and tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear. “They love you and I’m a stranger.”

“I get it,” she says with a shrug. “And I’ve never been one to bring men around.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t think any of them have ever met anyone I’ve dated. Certainly not the boys. Actually, now that I think about it, Van and Gabby met Ryan once.”

The mention of another man’s name sets my teeth on edge, but I keep my cool as she continues talking. This is what I’ve been waiting for: Charly relaxed and telling me more about herself.

“But I just don’t date seriously. Ryan and I had a mutually satisfying arrangement for the better part of ten years, but it wasn’t serious.”

“You had a friends with benefits for ten years?” I ask, completely thrown. She’s amazing. Who would be satisfied with that?

“Yeah. Well, no. It’s complicated.”

“I have nothing but time,” I remind her.

“We met in college. The sex was always great, and I thought we were friends too. Not long ago, I discovered that he doesn’t even really like me all that much. It was
just sex
for him, and I’m done.” She shakes her head and takes another bite of food. “He’s called a few times, but not in a while now. I hope he finally believed me last time when I said
don’t call me again.
Being an adult and entering into a mutually respectful physical relationship is one thing, but when there’s no affection there
at all
, well, that’s a problem for me.”

“And other than Ryan, there haven’t been any serious relationships.”

“No.” She shakes her head again and shrugs. “I’m busy with the shop and my family.”

“So you’re saying you don’t have time for a relationship?”

“No, I’m saying that I don’t have time to go and seek one out. Dating isn’t easy. You know this; you deal with it every day.”

“I do. I get it.” I nod and can’t help but feel a bit sorry for her. She’s never been in love, or had her heart broken. She’s never had a relationship.

That’s about to change, and she doesn’t even know it yet.

“You know, I was mad at myself when I was in Montana.”

This brings me out of my reverie and catches my attention.

“How so?”

“I was just so pissed that I let Ryan use me for sex for all of those years. Granted, it was mutual, and it was exclusive. If either of us wanted to see other people, our physical relationship stopped. We were honest about that, and I believe he told me the truth.”

“Okay, that sounds reasonable.”

“But I was blind too, because I honestly believed he was my friend. And then we had the day in Montana when you drove home that we need to know our worth, and not settle for anything less than we deserve.”

“You deserve so much, Charly.”

“I know.” She nods and pushes her empty plate away. She ate every bite. “My dad reminded all of us frequently that we deserved a person who loved us the way he loved our mom.”

“You do.”

“And I just convinced myself that Ryan was
good enough
until something better came along. It wasn’t really fair to either of us.”

“And how do you feel now?”

“I’m not angry, and I’ve broken it off completely with him, so there are no more games.”

“So now that you know that you were participating in unhealthy behavior, you’ve taken steps to correct it, and you’ve purged the toxic relationship from your life.”

“God, you’re good at this,” she says with a laugh. “Yes, I would say all of that is true.”

“You did learn something from me.” I smile proudly at her and stand to gather what’s left of our meal. I stow it all away and come back to find Charly lying on the floor, half asleep.

“The candles are pretty.” Her voice is soft. “I like the way they cast shadows on the walls. And the flowers smell so good.”

“I’m glad you like them.” I gather her into my arms after I blow the candles out and carry her up the stairs.

“You’re strong.”

“You’re small.” I kiss her nose. “How about a massage?”

“My feet could use it,” she says with a yawn. “I’ve abused them this week.”

“I can arrange that.”

I place her on the bed and strip her out of the robe. Her skin is soft and still a bit dewy from the bath. She’s on her belly, and it takes everything in me to not strip down and sink inside her.

I want her.

Now.

But I’ve been patient so far, and I can wait a few more minutes. I retrieve some lotion from the bathroom and begin massaging her feet, her legs, and over her perfect arse. She arches a bit and moans when my thumbs find the small of her back.

“Mm, so good.”

“I love your skin.” I work my way up her back and shoulders, her neck, and then down again. The feel of her beneath me, the small moans, is making me lose control faster than I wanted to.

I strip quickly out of my clothes and return to her. Kissing her now, where my hands have been. She grows quiet, and just when I drag my hand up between her legs, she snores.

Snores.

My poor girl is completely knackered.

Part of me is as frustrated as it gets. My cock is throbbing for her, and I want nothing more than to wake her and fuck her, but that would just be selfish.

Not that I can’t be a selfish bastard at times, but not now.

Not with Charly.

I arrange us under the blankets and pull her into me, holding her close. She wraps her arm around my chest and settles in, sighing deeply, and soon her breathing is slow and deep in sleep.

As much as I was dying to be inside her tonight, this is excellent as well. Nothing feels as good as Charly wrapped around me. I missed this with her.

I bury my nose in her hair and breathe her in. Her arms tighten around me, and soon I’m falling asleep myself.

Chapter Eleven

~Charly~

“Charly.”

Someone is whispering in my ear and dragging his hands down my naked body, deliciously following every curve, every dip.

“Charly, wake up darling.”

“If I wake up, will you stop doing that?” I whisper back, not opening my eyes. I arch my back as his hand covers my breast and gently grazes over my nipple, waking it up.

Waking all of me up.

“I want to see your beautiful eyes,” he replies and buries his face into my neck, biting the tender flesh there. “I want you to wake up.”

Rather than reply, my hands take a journey of their own, down his back, his chest, stomach, and finally his impressively stiff cock.

“Is this for me?” I ask, sleep still heavy in my voice.

“Mm,” he murmurs, his mouth wandering expertly over me. I blink my eyes open, and there he is, leaning above me, smiling down at me with lust-filled blue eyes. One hand trails down my stomach and between my legs and his thumb finds my nub, making me inhale sharply. “But this is for me.”

“I’m sorry I fell asleep last night.” He was incredibly sweet last night. I don’t think I’ve ever been pampered the way he pampers me.

“You can make it up to me,” he replies and kisses me, bites my lower lip, and follows his hand down my body to my core. “I think I need to finish waking you up.”

“I think you’re right.” I reach above me and grip onto the headboard, grounding myself because I know exactly what Simon does to me with that mouth of his.

And oh, how I’ve missed it.

But he teases me, nibbling on the inside of my thighs, the crease where my leg meets my center, my pubis, and even my lower stomach.

“Simon,” I moan, circling my hips.

“I’ll get there, love.” He circles my pussy with a finger, then slowly slides it inside of me and places a kiss on my nub. His tongue tickles me. “I missed this. Your taste. The noises you make. The way your body comes alive for me.”

“You should come with a warning label,” I inform him and let out a squeal when he sucks hard on my lips. “May cause random explosions.”

He chuckles and flips me onto my stomach, then slaps my ass and kisses up my spine as he guides his dick inside of me and then I can’t think anymore at all as he sets an almost punishing pace, fucking me hard. He’s so deep from this angle.

“Am I hurting you?” he groans in my ear.

“No.”

“Good.” He grips my hair in his fist and pulls. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I do want to fuck you, Charlotte.”

I bite my lip as he picks up the pace, pumping his hips harder. He reaches around me to tickle my clit, and I’m done for. The combination of sensations sends me into a tailspin.

When the world rights itself again, Simon is at the side of the bed, gathering me into his arms and carrying me into the bathroom.

He starts the water in the shower, sets me down, and leads me in.

“I’ve wanted to get you in the shower since I’ve known you.”

“You could have joined me in the bath,” I remind him, but he shakes his head.

“It’s not the same.” When we’re both soaked, he lathers up his hands and takes his time exploring my skin. “You’re beautiful.”

“I’m turned on,” I reply honestly and reach for the soap, returning the favor. “And you’re sexy.”

I cup his still-hard cock in my fist and work him over, my hand slippery from the soap. His breath catches, his eyes claim mine, and he pushes me against the wall.

“I’m not done with you.”

“I figured.” I rinse him off and bite his lower lip. “Please tell me you’re going to fuck me in this shower.”

“I’m going to fuck you in this shower.” He lifts me against the wall and lowers me onto him. The tile is cool against my back, the water and Simon hot and steamy around me, and I can’t look away from him. His arms are strong, holding me steady as he pushes into me over and over. “I don’t want this to be over yet.”

“It’s not.” I push my hand through his hair and make a fist, keeping his face close to mine. “It’s not over yet.”

“I don’t think I can hold out much longer.” His eyes close as he whispers
fuck
and he tips his forehead against mine. “You’re better than I remembered, Charly. Fucking hell, you’re going to be the end of me.”

I smile and hold on tighter, gripping him with everything I have, and watch in fascination as he comes apart spectacularly, shivering and groaning my name.

There are few things more empowering than making a man come apart at the seams.