Chapter 9

NINE

The time I finally held her in my arms

The moment my eyes set on Charlotte inside the busy Manhattan restaurant, I knew why I’d fought for so long to stay alive.

My reason for breathing was sitting at the table beside me. She was no longer the young girl I’d left behind all those years ago. Charlotte had grown into a very beautiful woman.

A beautiful woman who committed herself to another man with the plan to marry him and create a life together.

A life that was always meant to be with me.

Many things in my life made sense, and a lot defied the odds.

London was my home, and these trips to Manhattan had become a regular occurrence, much to my annoyance. This trip, in particular, was close to being canceled. BJ pushed me to meet with stakeholders, suspecting foul play and insisted my presence was needed.

I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I didn’t go on the trip. Would I have ever run into her in this lifetime? Would she have gone ahead and married him, given him children? And what would have been left of me?

The universe tested me. Our past affair saw Charlotte on the side of my marriage. She was labeled a homewrecker and other disturbing names I’d rather forget. My Charlotte deserved none of the backlash she endured.

In the end, I was the married man who broke my vows.

No one held a gun to my head. My actions were because I fell in love with my sister’s best friend, and no one in the world could stop me.

Until they did.

The resentment toward my family ran deep. My father’s actions came as no surprise. He wanted to protect our family’s reputation.

My mother, however, let me down. A woman I’d always highly respected treated Charlotte like she was nothing.

At the time of our affair, I’d never once imagined myself if the roles were reversed aside from prom when Charlotte took what’s-his-face as her date. In the end, I won the battle and owned her on her classroom desk.

But there are no winners in the game of love. Not when there’s more than one person involved.

Charlotte’s trust in me dwindled the longer we snuck around. Our fights became more frequent, and the small amount of time we were together was me trying to justify how she had no reason to think I was fucking a woman who may be my wife but was completely dead to me.

Then, the roles reversed, and I was forced to watch her with another man. My thoughts were deadly. Just how much I wanted to get rid of Baker was undeniable. I’d spent every night wondering if he was touching her, driving myself to the brink of insanity until my actions became forceful and necessary.

Was it wrong for me to touch her when she committed to another man?

I needed her

End of fucking story.

It was not enough to think love would get us through this. In ways, we were toxic for each other. Our past threatened our future. No matter how much we tried, there was no escaping the damage which was done.

After the months when both our lives turned upside down for the second time, a rainbow presented itself after the storm.

Charlotte is carrying my baby.

The chains of our past finally broke last night when Charlotte came forward with the truth. Eight years ago, Charlotte gave birth to our stillborn son and buried him without me knowing.

Hearing this revelation was hard to endure. My mistakes were even greater than I could have ever imagined. Had I known at the time, I would have left Samantha to care for Charlotte and our baby. Sure, our families would have disowned us, but it wouldn’t have mattered if we had each other.

The moon filters inside the room as I stare at Charlotte sleeping beside me. Her skin is glowing, the signs of an expectant mother. She looks peaceful and content. Despite my need to own her again, her rest is more important.

Eventually, I fall asleep until the daylight shines through the window. The sun is barely peeking behind the clouds, a typical winter’s day. Charlotte stirs beside me before turning to place her hand on my bare chest.

“Good morning,” I whisper.

Her eyes slowly flutter open. “You’re here.”

I kiss her hand. “Where else would I be?”

Charlotte’s eyes remain closed, but a smile spreads across her face before she turns herself around completely and places my arm over her, smothered by my embrace. With her ass pressed against my cock, she’s not playing fair right now.

My hands move to her tits, squeezing them with a desperate need to fuck her sweet pussy right now. I kiss the top of her shoulder, knowing I can’t wait any longer and slide myself in. Her moans are sounds of heaven. Her tight walls trap my cock inside and tease me with the need to blow straight away, but I control myself, taking it slow and savoring every moment.

Charlotte reaches back as the bedsheet falls and exposes her tits.

“Hmmm. I’m about to …” She doesn’t finish the sentence as her entire body clenches in my grip. At the same time, I push hard, expelling my own blissful finish.

“Is this how I should expect to wake up every day?”

“I’m greedy and always get what I want,” I remind her.

“Lex Edwards greedy? I would never have thought so,” she teases before her stomach growls. “Great, baby is hungry.”

“How about I order some food so the baby doesn’t starve?”

“Sure, bring it all. The baby wants everything.”

I lean over and grab the room service menu while Charlotte uses the bathroom. Not wanting to leave anything out, I dial the number and order several dishes and coffee for myself.

She walks out, still naked, and climbs back into bed as I use the bathroom to brush my teeth and place my robe on to be able to answer the door.

“You know you can’t be naked if room service arrives,” I inform her sternly.

Charlotte throws the sheets off her, spreading her legs on the bed while moving her hand between them. Slowly, she rubs her clit as a groan rumbles inside my throat from the sight of her being naughty. This woman will be the death of me.

“They’ll be here any minute,” I warn her.

She ignores me, continuing to pleasure herself which is driving me crazy. Then, she slides her fingers inside as her back arches against the soft white pillows.

I cross my arms beneath my chest, trying to remain strong, but I’m a man with needs, and right now, I need to be between her legs.

My hands hastily untie the knot on the robe before removing it entirely. Then, I dive into the bed and lash my tongue into her pussy like it’s my last meal on Earth. Charlotte grabs my hair, begging me not to stop until she can’t control herself, and her body shudders in delight.

A knock on the door comes just after, forcing me to pull away and place my robe back on swiftly. I wait for Charlotte to get under the covers, which she does with a grin on her face.

When she’s covered entirely, I lick my lips to taste the remnants of her cum, followed by a smirk.

“Sweet.”

Charlotte laughs softly as I open the door to a young woman with bright red cheeks. Surely, she heard us and can probably put two and two together hence why she’s looking very embarrassed right now.

“Room service,” she stammers, unable to make eye contact with me.

“Thank you,” I respond, signing the bill. “How about I take it inside myself? My wife isn’t feeling well.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” she responds politely, still diverting her eyes. “If there’s anything you need, please don’t hesitate to contact the front desk.”

“I’m sure I can take care of her just the way she needs.”

I take the tray from her hands and close the door as Charlotte bursts out laughing. “The poor girl. You made it so awkward for her.”

“How did I do that?”

“For starters, you’re a very hot man, and you answer the door wearing a robe with my cum all over your face.”

I place the tray next to Charlotte. “Excuse me, I licked the cum off you, so trust me when I say there wasn’t a single drop left.”

Charlotte shuffles over as I sit beside her while she tries to hide her smile. The aroma of pancakes airs in the room after she lifts the lid and pours maple syrup all over them. I wasn’t sure how much to order, but she appears satisfied with the stack of three with sausage and eggs on the side.

“You’re such a gentleman. The perfect catch since there’s a lot of men who would not do that.”

With the coffee cup in my hand, I take a long sip before her comment sinks in. “And how do you know that?”

Charlotte’s eyes widen. “From friends.”

My lips press together. “Nice lie. Please continue to lie to me about how you remained celibate while we were apart.”

Charlotte snorts rudely, making it very clear she’s annoyed. “Did you remain celibate while we were apart?”

“I’m a man. It’s different.”

She places her fork down, narrowing her eyes with a pinched expression. “So, it’s okay for you to fuck a million women, but I was supposed to pine for you?”

“A million is being dramatic,” I drag.

Charlotte digs her fork into her pancakes in silence, but then I remember I need to be sympathetic since she’s carrying my kid. Now is not the time to be a possessive dickhead.

I place my coffee down, then turn to face her. “Whether it was one or a million, no other woman could ever replace you. If I didn’t make the mistake of leaving you, I would have lived a very happy life with you by my side.”

Her shoulders relax. “I’m sorry. It must be the hormones.”

Even though I know she needs to eat, I move the tray away and climb on top without trying to squash her, mindful of my weight over her petite body.

“Our little fight has caused a problem,” I murmur, sucking on her nipples as she moans.

“Oh, what’s that?”

I lift my eyes to meet hers. “I need to own you, right now. Again.”

She runs her finger across my bottom lip.

“Fuck me!”she breathes.

Time is of the essence. I don’t allow for any words, sliding myself in while kissing her the entire time. She tastes like maple syrup, sweet and addictive. Her nails scratch down my back as I warn her I’m going to blow first. My body begins to convulse, my groans expelling until she follows in her own orgasmic finish.

“That was …” She chokes, then catches her breath. “How is it possible you’ve made me come three times in less than an hour?”

I kiss her lips before climbing off, then arrange the food back so she can eat.

“Finish your meal, and I’ll show you how we can top that record and hit four times.”

Her lips curve upward into a smile as she eats with ease but scolds me for the lack of coffee.

“I can’t believe we’re here.”

I nod with a grin. “Me neither.”

“And we’re married.”

“We sure are.”

“And having a baby…”

I take a moment to think about it all. How second chances are a rarity, and everything I’ve ever wanted is sitting on this bed beside me.

“Mrs. Edwards,” I say with a bated breath. “It’s only the beginning.”

Charlotte kisses my hand and then finishes her meal. It’s almost time to leave, and just as I’m about to bury myself in her again, the knock on the door is the biggest cockblocker known to man. I know the knock very well. I heard it every single day as a child growing up in a house with the most impatient sister.

“Adriana, fuck off,” I yell.

Charlotte pushes my chest slightly. “You know she has a key, right?”

“And?”

“I don’t want the whole world to see me naked.”

“It’s just Adriana. I’m sure she’s seen you naked before.”

“Yeah, but it was junior high, and it was more like a ‘count to three and lift your top up’ so we can compare breast sizes.”

My brows draw in. “You really did that?”

“Yes. Didn’t guys do that in high school, like in urinals?’

I shake my head at the thought. “No, to answer the question. I do not look at other guys’ dicks to compare.”

Charlotte grins. “Maybe because you’ve got no competition, baby.”

The sound of the swipe card echoes then the door opens. It’s not only Adriana but Elijah, Kate and Eric too.

Jesus fucking Christ, why is Eric looking at me all weird and stalker-like.

“Seriously, get the fuck out,” I warn them before burying my head back into Charlotte’s neck, hoping it’s too much for them and they’ll leave promptly.

“As much as I love you, big brother, you have to get your naked ass out of here. The inn booked a traveling polka group, and unless you want to have polka tunes stuck in your head all week, it’s time to leave.”

“How long do we have?” I ask in annoyance.

“Fifteen minutes, at most,” Adriana responds after a quick glance at the clock.

“Then get the hell out of here and let me enjoy my woman for five minutes,” I bark, climbing on top of Charlotte as she giggles under the sheets.

“Okay, that’s my cue to leave… see ya outside.” Adriana waves.

“Five minutes? Really, Lex, is that all it takes?” Elijah teases.

“Okay, you two peeping Toms, let’s get out of here.” Kate grabs Eric and Elijah’s arms, shutting the door behind her.

I kiss Charlotte’s lips, then pull away. “Did you hear that? Fifteen minutes. What can I do in fifteen minutes?”

“Hmm,” Charlotte murmurs with her eyes dancing. “Maybe you can lie on your back, and I can get on my knees and suck this beautiful cock of yours until you cum and decorate my chest with a beautiful pearl necklace.”

She only had to say the word suck to make me rock hard.

I shuffle so I’m on my back with my arm resting behind my head, eager to watch her suck me off. Charlotte gets on her knees, then lowers her mouth to tease me. My whole body waits in anticipation until her mouth wraps around the tip, and she takes me all in.

A deep rumbling growl escapes me while watching the woman I love giving me the best fucking head of my life.

So good, I give her the prettiest pearl necklace in return.