Loving Charley (13 page)

As soon as our eyes meet, I
grin from ear to ear, and even though I can feel more than his eyes
on me, I know that his are the only ones that matter. I walk with
confidence, hope, desire, and angst of what the night will hold and
what the future will bring us. Cash nudges Joe, but Joe has already
noticed Piper as well. Who would have thought the two guys that I
tried to have my cake and eat it too are friends, but better yet,
we all have found happiness.

Once I’m within arms’
length of Cash, his hand extends to mine, and our fingers dance
together. I glance into his eyes, and he gives me a wink before
whispering into my ear, “You do know you’re makin’ it hard for me
to keep my promise, don’t you?”

“Maybe that’s what I’m
working toward,” I say as I whisper into his ear and give it just a
little nip. I feel every muscle in Cash’s body stiffen. Exactly the
reaction I hoped for.

“Char-coal, you better watch it if you
know what’s good for ya.”

“You sure you know what’s good for
me?”

“I’m just sayin’ with you doin’ stuff
like that, I might get pushed to my limit on what I can say no
to.”

“Well, then I hope I make
you break.”

Cash tries to change the
subject. Yup, this night is going to be one for the record books
because if he’s struggling now, I can only imagine what’s gonna
happen after a night at Hank’s.

After finishing our drinks,
laughing at some drunk soccer girls, and knowing the time is right,
we all stumble our way to the Love Machine. Cash guides me to the
van and makes sure I get in gracefully. I probably should have
stopped after glass number two, but, oh well. It’s too late
now.

Our ride to Hank’s is loud.
Everyone is talking, ya know, the kind when all intoxicated people
are trying to out talk each other. At some point, Sarah yells for
us all to shut up or we can walk. We try our best to be quiet, but
after a minute of silence, it’s impossible. Once one chuckle
escapes Hayden’s lips, we all erupt, and Sarah can’t help but laugh
as well.

As we pull into Hank’s, I
notice that nothing has changed. It is still the wooden frame club
we all love on a Saturday night. One of the streetlights is
flickering, and they have poured new gravel into the parking lot.
Sarah pulls us in on two wheels, and we exit and walk toward the
entrance.

Cash pulls open the glass
door, and this time they make sure to place an “X” on our hands for
underage.
Damn.
I
look confused when Tori makes it in without an “X.” Once we are
inside, we make our normal first stop at the restroom, and ask Tori
to explain.

“Hey, it pays to have a cousin that
could be your twin. I just got in free and can drink.”

“You do know you’re buying
mine, too?” Anna states.

“Already in the works.”

Once our makeup is checked,
we head to the dance floor. I notice that Cash and Joe are both
propped up near the pool table. Piper and I make our way over to
them and guide them to the dance floor. It’s not like it takes much
effort because we all know they both love to dance as much as we
do.

As the crowd grows, the
closer we all become, and before I know it, there is no space
between Cash and me. The DJ continues to play typical Hank’s Tavern
music where you never know if it’s going to be hip-hop or country,
but with every beat, my hips match it and Cash follows along. The
heat from the crowd coupled with the heat that’s building between
the two of us is almost enough to make us combust. As the DJ
switches up the set, I know the song as soon as I hear the first
beat. It’s “Bottoms Up” by Brantley Gilbert. This is going to be
fun. This song has a slow but evident beat. It’s like the perfect
country girl’s make-a-guy-drool-all-over-ya kinda song, and that is
exactly what happens.

Cash sings every word, and
I can’t help but dance with just a little more emphasis as I roll
my hips from left right with my bottom up in exactly the right
place. Cash then places his hands on my hips and follows them as
they move to the beat of the music. With each word and beat, Cash
and I fall more in tune with each other. I lift my hair off my neck
as “Damn” escapes his lips. He turns me to face him as he sings
directly to me. Every word brings us closer until there is nowhere
for me to go. Looking into his eyes, I can see what he wants, and
he wants me. I do what any girl in my position would do; I push him
to the point that I hope he breaks.

Not being able to fight me
any longer, Cash takes the back of my neck and brings me in for a
kiss that is filled with want like I’ve never felt before. I meet
him with each move, and before I know it, he is guiding me away
from the dance floor and out the back door.

The winter air brushes my
glistening skin, but I’m not cold. Instead, I feel a fire burn deep
inside. Cash presses me against the outside wall of Hank’s. My arms
wrap around his neck, and he moves his mouth from my mouth down my
neck.

“Hot damn,” I say because
those are the only words I can manage. My body is starting to have
feelings that I never thought could happen, and Cash is struggling
to keep his promise as he begins to graze the hem line of my skirt,
and as he starts to venture to a place he promised not to go, we
are brought back to reality when the back door flies
open.

Cash stops what he is doing
and leaves his hand on my thigh as his forehead falls against mine.
“Damn,” he says breathlessly.

“Damn is exactly right,” I
say quietly.

Cash removes his hand,
takes mine in his, and starts to pull me back toward the door.
Knowing that’s not how I want this to end, I stop him and pull him
back toward me, leaving him breathless one more time.

Chapter 20

Sneaking back into Hank’s, we find Piper, Joe,
and the Kluft girls right where we left them, or at least, where I
think we left them. They all have that
what have y’all been up to
look on
their faces, but we ignore it and join right in with them dancing
and enjoying the remainder of the night with hope that this is just
the beginning.

I notice that Georgia is
dancing with Tucker again.
Interesting.
I didn’t think he had
called, but he could turn into Georgia’s constant dance partner at
Hank’s, and who knows, maybe even when we all go out in Charlotte.
She looks at me and smiles as she sways her hips back and forth
only partially on beat.

I turn my focus back to
Cash as we enjoy being Cash Money and Char-coal for the rest of the
night. We dance, sing, make out, and can’t keep our hands off each
other regardless of whether we are dancing with each other or with
the Kluft girls.

As last call is announced,
I know this night is going to end soon, but I don’t want it to. I
want it to last forever. Cash must sense my feelings, along with
Piper, because she steals me away from Cash for a few moments. We
laugh and dance together like we are at the McCracken’s farm. She’s
my best friend. No matter what, Piper is the girl that reads my
thoughts, feels my emotions, and knows what to do without saying a
word. I can’t be happier than I am in this moment with Piper and
Cash by my side. We share the same hometown roots, and that will
never change. We have a bond that can’t be explained, and I never
want it to break.

When Cash has had enough,
he steals me back, and just in time. “Let’s Get it On” begins to
play through the speakers, and a grin escapes Cash in a half-smile
as we sway back and forth together, and everyone around us
disappears. When the music stops, he and I stand caught in each
other’s gaze. The house lights come on, and we are all brought back
to reality from our hole in the wall escape known as Hank’s Tavern.
What a night, and it’s not over yet.

As we make our way back to
campus, Cash never lets go of me. Of course, Hayden wants a Servco
hotdog, and all I want to do is be alone with Cash. Sarah does her
best to keep Hayden in line and tells her that we are just going
back. Of course, Hayden’s not having it, and she throws out that
she owns the Love Machine, and we will take it wherever she says.
Needless to say, we go to Servco, and that early morning snack is
fabulous to say the least.

We arrive back on campus
around two-thirty. I’m exhausted, and it looks like everyone else
is the same way. My body is drained from the meet as well as an
epic night out with my friends, but mostly from an emotional roller
coaster between Cash Money and me. It has definitely been an
eventful night, but in an OMG! I want more kinda way! When Sarah
pulls parallel to the stoop, all of us pile out since this is our
side of the tracks. Cash guides me out, and Joe does the same with
Piper. The Kluft girls go on inside while we stand outside for a
few minutes.

Cash stands behind me with
his arms wrapped around me. “This is nice,” he says.

“Nice?” I question.

“Yeah, the fact that the
four of us are standing here without a care in the world, living
life like
we
want, and know that we are here for each other regardless of
what might come our way.”

“Damn right,” Joe
confirms.

“Awe, y’all are getting so
mushy. Stop!” Piper states sarcastically.

“I’m just glad that we have
each other. I never thought that Joe and Cash would get along, let
alone be friends, and now you and him, Piper,” I say with an
eyebrow raised. She mouths for me to shut up.

“I don’t know about y’all,
but I’m exhausted.” She tries to change the subject.

“Yeah, and I feel like I
smell like Hank’s. Yuck! I have to admit; I’m pretty whooped
tonight, too,” I say.

“You should be. Between the
meet and tonight, I don’t know how you’re still
functioning.”

“I guess when you have good
motivation to stay awake anything’s possible.” Cash squeezes me
just a little bit tighter.

After a few more minutes of pointless
conversation and breakfast planning, we go our separate
ways.

All I can think of is a
nice shower before I crawl into bed with Cash. But, then again,
what’s the point? He reeks of Hank’s, too. As soon as the door is
closed to my room, Cash embraces my neck with his rugged hand and
brings my lips to his. My body makes a thud sound as he backs me
against the door. A giggle escapes my lips, knowing the resident
assistant is next door, and that Cash is having as hard of a time
as I am with this promise.

He continues to kiss my
lips with need and then makes perfect little nibbles all the way
behind my ear. Everything in my body tells me this is it, but my
mind tells me that he hasn’t broken yet. I, on the other hand, am
broken into about a million pieces in a good way this
time.

“Cashhhh,” I say barely
audible. “Please.”

He shakes his head no, but
that doesn’t stop him from taking things as far as they can go
without us actually breaking his promise. I was almost starting to
think he wasn’t human, but after tonight, there are no doubts that
he’s human all right and keeping his promise will be a miracle.
After pushing our bodies and mind to the limit, I fall asleep on
Cash’s bare perfectly carved chest, and I’m in heaven.

As the sunlight begins to
creep through my window, I realize this isn’t a dream, and I am
lying next to the man that has been chosen for me. Even though I
hate to admit it, in this moment, I know that we are worth the
wait, but will we be able to push the limits without going
there?

Chapter 21

Snuggling toward Cash Money as much as possible,
I don’t want this moment to end. Cash begins to mumble, but I can’t
make it out. I close my eyes and doze back off for another hour
before he wakes me with little minute kisses.

“You better stop that if
you know what’s good for ya,” I mumble.

“What’s good for me, huh? I
do believe last night you knew what was good for me.”

“Cash Money, are you trying to say
that was what you wanted? Me to push you to that breaking point,
but not go there?”

“I’ll never tell,” he says
as he gives me a peck on the lips and brushes his body across mine
as he climbs out of bed.

“Where ya goin’?” I
question.

“The little boys’ room or
more like the little girls’ room.”

I laugh as Cash excuses
himself, and I text Piper. She doesn’t respond, so I’m willing to
bet they aren’t up yet, even though it’s getting close to
noon.

When Cash returns, he
crawls back into bed with me, and we lie there with each other and
savor the moment of togetherness.

“Char-coal, I love you. You
know that, right?”

“Yeah, why?”

“‘
Cause there’s one thing I
need to tell you about…” My senses begin to heighten and an uneasy
feeling sweeps over my body.

Pulling myself from his
arm, I turn to him. “What do you mean you have something to tell
me?”

“Just listen to everything
first,” he says. I know for a fact that anything that starts with
words like that isn’t going to be good. In fact, I’m scared that
Cash is about to break me. “When you went away to school, I didn’t
know what to do with myself, knowing everything that had gone on. I
had to do everything in my power to know what was really going on
with Dylan. I didn’t tell you, but Dustin and I started hanging
out.”
Well, that’s no shocker.
“But, what we didn’t tell you is that we also
started hanging out with Trent. I had to
know
how they did things. With
Dustin on my side, Trent trusted us and we know what they use, how
they get it, and how they get the girls to trust them.”