4. Charlie

Chapter 4

Charlie

I’m still reeling as we enter the noisy club. That guy. Ben. He was going to kiss me, wasn’t he?

A shiver rushes down my back. I drag a finger across my lips as the phantom sensation of his breath caresses my skin. God, he was so hot. He also seemed super nice… not that I’m letting myself get fooled by something that can be so easily faked. I learned my lesson.

A part of me likes to think that maybe he would’ve been different. Genuine. I can’t explain it—it’s a gut feeling. But well, I doubt we’ll see each other again, so I guess it’s time to move on and forget all about my embarrassing accident at the haunted house and the nice guy who manhandled me like I weigh nothing.

“What are you having?” Trish shouts over the music when we reach the bar.

I take in the crowd, spotting a couple of guys I wouldn’t mind rolling in bed with. I’m still annoyed as fuck because of what Andy did, and the shitty freakout I had only made it worse. So I need a distraction, something to take my mind off things.

What better way to do that than a hookup?

“Gin and coke!”

“Going straight for the hard stuff I see,” Greg comments from the left, shaking his head when I roll my eyes at him. “Same for me, babe!”

We usually start with beers and take our time, but I’m not in the mood for it today. I want to get a buzz as quickly as I can, so the excitement Ben instilled in me can go the fuck away.

Thirty minutes later, I’ve downed my drink. Trish and Greg are slacking behind on theirs, so after letting them know I’ll be on the dance floor, I head through the sweaty, swaying bodies of the Halloween crowd. Everyone is dressed up, the costumes ranging from intricate full-body getups to skimpy lingerie that barely covers people’s private parts.

The guy I am after is somewhere in the middle. He’s big and blond and dressed as a Viking. His full beard is braided just like his long hair. Yeah, he’ll do, even if I prefer clean shaven . Like Ben with his angular jaw, green eyes and dirty blond undercut.

“Cut it out, Charlie, geez,” I mutter to myself, plastering on a sexy smile as I approach my target.

But just as I am about to chat him up, something compels me to look at the crowd again. I don’t like beards, so why should I settle for one?

Bouncing on my heels in tune with the music, I start to make my way toward the other end of the dance floor when someone grabs my arm and tugs gently. I turn around, a snappy remark at the tip of my tongue.

“Shit. It really is you!” Ben, the theme park hottie, grins, showcasing those damn sexy dimples.

My eyes go wide. Electricity rushes through me and my pulse skyrockets. Why is he here? “Ben? What are you doing here?”

He tilts his chin at two guys with familiar-looking zombie costumes. “Finished work and thought I could have some fun.” Snapping his eyes back to me, he pulls on his lip. “Shit. I didn’t think I’d run into you here!”

Neither did I. But here he is, the blond Adonis who spooked the shit out of me and tried to kiss me better afterwards.

I let my eyes roam his fit body. He has unbuttoned the black shirt he is wearing, showcasing defined pecs. His camo cargo pants suggest this is a soldier costume, though it looks kind of low effort. But I let it slide since he probably came here right after finishing his shift.

“Hey, you wanna dance?” he says, shooting me a flirtatious smile.

About time he asked. “Sure.”

We find a spot with slightly more space, so the other clubbers aren’t constantly bumping into us. It doesn’t last though and by the time a slower song starts playing, my back is pressed flush against his front. One of his hands is resting on my hip and the other one traces haphazard patterns along my flank as we move together. The heat of his body is all around me, as is his scent of candy and sweat. It’s so comfy. So safe .

I don’t know this man, not really, but his touch feels so good. It stirs fire inside me. My hips move of their own accord, rolling and swaying as I feel a telltale hardness push against the small of my back. I reach up with my arms, just barely managing to loop them around his neck. He’s just so tall.

Humming, he lets his hands trail up my body until his fingers locate my nipples. They are hard and poke through the mesh fabric of the suit.

“You are so badass and sexy,” he whispers, his rich voice so close to my ear I can feel the warm puff of his breaths. “I love the way the EVO-H armor looks on you.”

Holy shit . Did he just say EVO-H? Does he know where this is from?

I turn around so abruptly as the music pauses and the DJ starts talking about a dance off, that I almost headbutt Ben in the chin. “You know what my costume is based on?”

He smiles. It’s a slow, deliberate upturn of his lips that leaves me staring at them. They look very nice, but that’s not why. It’s the angle and the way they curl, the slight quiver on the left side. For some reason, it reminds me of one very specific mouth that I haven’t thought about in ages.

I step back and study Ben. Now that I think about it, he does resemble him a little bit. My brother’s best friend. He moved to Australia when I was sixteen, crushing my infatuated heart. His name was Benjamin. Ben. I chew on my lip. Even that matches.

But obviously he can’t be the same Ben. Stuff like this just doesn’t happen in real life. Besides, why would he work at a random theme park? I’m pretty sure his family is loaded. His dad was setting him up to take over the company’s Australian branch.

“Of course I know what it’s based on! It’s kind of obvious.”

I purse my lips. “It’s kind of not. At all. RS has been gaining traction since the video game adaptation, but it’s not even mainstream yet!”

“Okay? Then I just have amazing taste. Who cares? It still looks fucking hot on you.”

I chuckle, shuddering pleasantly as his gaze seems to devour me. The music starts again and someone bumps into me, causing me to stumble forward. Ben catches me, circling me with his big arms as I crash into his muscular chest.

Standing on tiptoes, I lean in so I can whisper-shout in his ear. “Is that why you tried to kiss me earlier?”

I feel the vibrations of his laugh. “Part of it!”

We dance until his friends find us. I shoot Trish a text as they drag us to someone’s house, where a private party is already in full swing. The techno music is loud and there is booze everywhere, but I’m not really interested in any of that, or the carved pumpkins or the rest of the tastefully decorated interior.

No. My attention is firmly on Ben and how his hand feels clasping mine as he leads me through the house to the upstairs bedrooms so we can watch the new trailer that’s just come out for the RS series.

We settle on a bed in what has to be a guestroom. It’s simple, sporting a closet, a seating area and its own bathroom. I pull out my phone and start the short video, excitement thrumming in my veins. I can’t wait for the release. They’ve been teasing it for ages.

As the action starts on the screen of my device, I chance a quick glance Ben’s way. He’s completely engrossed, his face taut in concentration. His lips are slightly parted and his eyebrows are slanted down.

“Oh, shit. This looks amazing,” he breathes out, bumping his shoulder into mine.

The contact electrifies me, but it’s not just it. I guess he’s for real. I thought maybe he’s pretending to be a fanboy because he wanted to get in my pants, but no one can fake the spark I can see flickering in his pretty green eyes.

It’s annoying. I mean, not only is he the hottest piece of meat I’ve seen in a while, but he’s also a legitimate RS fan and seems to be into me. The combination is making my heart flutter in weird ways and my stomach fill with butterflies, and I just can’t have that. I am reformed, a stronger me who needs no man to make him happy. Love is a scam. All I’m after is a good fuck, so I need Mr. Potentially Perfect to stop being that, especially if there is a possibility this could turn into a friends-with-benefits long-term arrangement.

Technically, we haven’t even fucked yet, but I’ve already decided he’ll be just what I need in bed. How? I don’t know. It’s just a feeling that I have. Every casual or accidental touch between us has been fire, and now that it’s just the two of us in this small bedroom, the air has gotten heavy and charged as if a storm is about to hit us any moment now.

I snake a hand up his arm. His firm muscles tense up for a second before going pliant under me as he sucks in a sharp breath. My skin tingles, my cock jerking to attention. His hand comes to rest on my thigh, big and possessive in the way it softly presses down as his eyes zero in on my bulge.

“What are you doing, Charlie?” he rasps in a hoarse and lust-filled voice.

I shudder in delight. “What does it look like, big guy?”

He chuckles, the dark, guttural sound flooding me with even more desire. “Like you are being a naughty little thing asking for a spanking.”

“Are you offering?” I whisper into his ear, grazing the lobe with my teeth.

“I don’t know,” he breathes out, trembling as I palm his rigid cock through his clothes. He’s big . “Am I? Do you like that kind of thing?”

“There’s only one way to find out, isn’t there?”

I don’t give him the chance to respond as I push him down. He falls back, bouncing off the mattress, and I quickly straddle his hips, trapping him under me. His eyes cut to my very prominent bulge, the gleam in them intensifying. He licks his lips and crosses his arms under his head, using them to prop himself slightly up.

“You are a bossy one, aren’t you?”

The growly quality of his voice causes more sparks to dance across my skin. I need to be naked and so does he. Rolling my hips, I lean forward and prop my chin on his chest. He groans and I do, too. He’s huge compared to me. It turns me on to no end, especially because I already know how his strong arms feel around me. He can manhandle me so easily, he’s already proven it. He could do anything he wants to me.

“Why? Can’t handle me?” I tease, humping against him.

His lips curve up. “Oh, you’ve no idea how well I can handle you, baby.”

I tremble at the endearment and smile into his skin, kissing his exposed chest as my fingers work on the buttons of his shirt. “Promises, promises. I have to say I’m not impressed so far. You seem to be all talk and no—”

I’m not entirely sure what happens exactly. One second, I’m teasing his nipple with my tongue, and the next I’m pinned under him on my stomach, with my hands held above my head by one of his. It’s so huge it easily wraps around both of my wrists.

I yelp into the pillow, trying to wiggle free. It’s instinctual, a reflex as my body absorbs the shock of my sudden restraint.

“Is this more to your liking then?” Ben purrs into my ear, his mouth hot as it kisses its way down the side of my neck.

Oh, fuck yes.

When I don’t reply and only struggle again in an attempt to slip free, he snaps his hips and presses his massive erection into my crease, making me bite off a groan. Before I’ve had the chance for a snappy response, he pulls back a bit and his free hand comes down, smacking me on the ass with just enough force so I can feel a sting.

“ Fuck .” I arch off the bed, tingling shocks assaulting my body.

“Good?” he grumbles behind me, and I can hear the smile in his voice.

Yes, but it could be better.

I crane my neck back and capture his gaze. “So-so. You’ll have to do way better than this, big guy, if you want to make—”

He spanks me again. My breath catches, a buzz of liquid heat spreading throughout me. My cock begs for attention, trapped under me with little room for friction. I was half-joking earlier; I’ve never been spanked. But shit, I think I kind of like it.

Folding himself on top of me, Ben finds my ear. “I love how small and sassy you are. It’s driving me crazy.”

“Yeah? Wait until you have your cock in me.”

He growls like a beast. It reverberates through my whole body, firing up nerve-endings all over. In one fluid motion, he rolls me over so I’m facing him. His eyes are even darker as they stare right into mine, the green but a thin rim around his dilated pupils.

His mouth calls out to me, wet from him having run his tongue over it. I lick my lips, my stomach twisting as his gaze drops to them.

“What are you waiting for?” I taunt, reaching up and rubbing the corner of his mouth.

He opens, to say something or scold me, and I use the opportunity to shove my finger inside. His nostrils flare. My heart bangs in my chest, just as wild as the expression he shows me as his tongue envelops my digit.

Once he’s licked it thoroughly, I take it out and bring it to my mouth. He holds his breath as I pop it inside. I can taste a hint of him, but it’s so faint and subtle, it only makes me more ravenous. Luckily, he seems to be in the same boat as he grabs my wrist and yanks my hand away so he can seal our mouths together.

I moan, throwing my arms around his neck. I can pick out cotton candy and mint as his tongue pushes past my teeth. It’s hot and demanding, licking and laving every inch it can get to. I try to fight it, to take control, but Ben overpowers me, deepening the kiss and making me yield. He rolls his hips as I make another needy sound, the friction between us adding to the growing arousal within me.

“Clothes… in the way,” I mumble as we pause for air, then dive for his taste again.

His hands roam my torso, agile and greedy. He’s found the zipper along the side of the suit in no time, and before I can even comprehend how, I’m stripped naked of it. Giving my mouth another possessive lick, he pulls away and straightens up. His wild eyes take in my exposed form, lingering on the wet spot on my briefs.

“Part of me thought you’d be commando. Like they do it in the books,” he says, his rich baritone like silk against my skin.

“I considered it, but thought there was no point making myself horny in case I ended up with no company for the night.”

He pulls his shirt over his head and shuffles off the bed to get rid of his pants. I prop myself on my elbows and watch him, lazily palming myself through my underwear as he takes his sweet time. When his dick finally springs free, my mouth waters and my ass clenches with need. It’s gorgeous and in proportion to his body. But that’s not the best part. Nah, that would be too vanilla . He’s sporting a Jacob’s ladder.

“Like what you see, baby?” he chuckles, giving himself three rough strokes.

I pull on my lip and shove my hand in my underwear. Fuck, I bet it feels amazing . “You’ve no idea.”

He hums in satisfaction and tosses a packet of lube and a condom on the bed. Then he climbs on top, the mattress dipping under his weight. “Then why don’t you show me?”

Hell yes.

I swallow hard and scoot to the side so he can settle next to me. He sits on his knees and holds his cock out for me, the tip already leaking. My semi-lying position brings my head just at the right height, so I wrap my mouth around him with quick ease.

He groans, his abs tightening. I hum appreciatively around him, grabbing his left ass cheek with one hand while my other one keeps jerking me off. Starting at the tip of his dick, I lick along his slit, his musky sweet taste fucking divine. Then I move lower, exploring each metal barbel with my tongue and ripping gruff moans out of him.

He’s thick. On the longer side, too. I bet my small body will feel him for a while. I can’t wait.

I worship Ben’s cock for a few minutes, but the position gets uncomfortable at some point. He seems to sense that as he pulls away and settles onto his back. Not breaking eye-contact, he watches me as I rid myself of my last piece of clothing and finally let my dick out.

“God, you are so pretty,” he huffs in awe, his dark eyes hungry as they roam my willowy frame. He pulls me on top of him so I’m straddling his chest and clasps my waist with both hands. “You’ve no idea how long it’s been since…”

His dreamy expression and the way he trails off send a thrill down my spine. Shit, surely he can’t mean…

“Since?” I prompt, my throat thick as anticipation twists my insides.

He smiles knowingly, humming in thought as his fingers close around my hard nipples. He twists and rubs, alternating between gentle and rough pulls. My eyes flutter closed, my muscles tensing.

“Since what, Ben?” I insist, squeezing my thighs with urgency and shooting him an expectant look.

His eyes bore into mine, mesmerizing and raw with his confession before it’s even left his sinful lips. “Since I’ve been with anyone.”

His words rock my world, turning it on his axis. My dick throbs. I’m going to explode and he hasn’t even fucked me yet. This big, hot, infuriatingly perfect jock, who instead of making fun of my obsession with an obscure book, turned out to be a fan, too.

“How long?” I press, reaching back and grasping his massive cock.

He groans, fucking into my hand, and flushes ever so slightly. “More than a year.”

More than a year. My heart skips a beat as I glance at the condom, my insides knotting. “I got tested after I broke up with my ex. I haven’t been with anyone since.”

He inhales sharply. “Me neither.”

I pick up the wrapper and toss it to the nightstand. “We won’t be needing this then. Now, suck my cock, big guy. I’m dying to feel you inside me.”

“Back to being bossy?” He slaps my ass, giving my tip a quick lick. “Do I need to spank you again?” he counters, but swallows me to the root.

I keen, the sudden heat catching me off-guard. He sucks and licks with addictive enthusiasm, kneading my ass and teasing my hole at the same time. My balls are squished against his chest, tingling with pleasure.

In no time, I’m thrusting into his mouth. But it’s not enough. I need more. I need him to make me feel so good I see stars, to fuck me so thoroughly I feel sore for days.

“Ben…” I start, my voice whiny and low.

His hands slide up my body and he sits up, propping his back against the pillows along the headboard. I’m suddenly in his lap, his erection straining against my crease. It’s mind-blowing how he can just tell what I want without me even voicing it. How he’s tuned to the needs of my body as if my pleasure is his number one priority.

No one has ever treated me this way. It’s too much, in the best way possible.

I hear him rip the lube packet and a heartbeat later he rubs the chilly liquid around my hole. Two slicked fingers press against it, pushing inside gently but firmly.

“Relax and open for me, Charlie. I need to stretch you so you can take me. I’m gonna make you feel amazing, baby.”

I whimper, letting some of the tension leave me as my stomach suffers another butterfly invasion. Fuck, this is so hot. I’m burning up. I need him, and yet he’s taking his time being thorough. It’s both flattering and annoying.

“This is torture,” I protest, biting off a groan as he breaches me. “Just give me your dick before I lose my mind.”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he says, pushing in and out with his digits.

I can feel the stretch, the slight burn as they reach deeper and deeper. I wiggle my ass, impaling myself on them. But it’s not enough. It can be better, so much better.

“I can take it.”

He hooks a finger under my chin and pulls me closer. “I know you can.” His lips meet mine in a barely-there kiss. “But let me do this, okay? Let me take care of you, baby.”

“You talk too much,” I shoot back and dive for him.

He growls and plunges his tongue inside my mouth, devouring me like he’s a starving man and I am his five-star dinner. His sweet-sharp taste is intoxicating, hijacking all my senses until all I can do is moan and shake and let him dictate the pace.

“That’s it, fuck yourself on my fingers, baby. Show me how much you want my cock,” he praises, breathless and reverent.

“Please, Ben. I can’t take this. I need more.”

He hums, nipping along my neck as I bury my hands in his messy curls. Pulling on his hair, I force his mouth back to mine. He grumbles but gives in, his fingers slipping out of me. I whine in annoyance, biting his bottom lip.

“So naughty,” he chuckles, lining up his cock.

“Shut up and—”

He snaps his hips, thrusting into me with no mercy. I see fucking stars, howling as my body tenses around him.

“Fuuuuck.”

My eyes roll back. He’s so thick. It’s incomparable to his fingers, the stretch and burn so so good. And the piercings. Holy fuck, I can feel them, the smooth metal bumps adding even more pleasure.

“God, you are so tight. I’m gonna lose my mind.”

I’ve already lost mine. Shit. I’ve never felt so full, so completely and utterly owned. The way he moves inside me, the way he’s pushing deeper and deeper and then pulling back out only to repeat it again is too perfect. Everything narrows down to him. To his body, to his heat, to the way he’s making mine mold to him. It’s like he’s made for me, and I am made for him, even though we are practically two strangers.

“Ben… More,” I urge, crying out in pleasure as he tags my prostate. “Yes. Oh fuck.”

He clasps my waist and holds me in place as he thrusts even faster. Every time he pulls out, his piercings catch on the rim of my hole, heightening the sensation as he fucks into me. I’m at his mercy and I love it, each glide of his massive cock meant to remind me. I moan and scream, not caring that someone might hear us.

“That’s it, Charlie. Let go for me. I’m gonna make you feel so good.”

I can’t think anymore. I’m reduced to pleasure and heat and desire, ravenous for anything he will give me. Tension builds across me with each strike against the bundle of nerves deep within me, pulsating and spreading like a tidal wave I cannot stop.

“Ben…” I whimper, finding it hard to form words.

The need to come is blinding, controlling each cell of my body.

“I’ve got you,” he says, coiling calloused fingers around my shaft.

Fuuuck. They feel amazing. The added roughness only makes his strokes more potent as he jerks me off, as he squeezes the base and teases the slit.

“I’m close, Charlie. Come for me and milk me dry with your ass,” he whispers, his voice strained as he licks my earlobe.

It’s too much, I’m dying. And he seems to be in the same boat, groaning and panting and blabbering nonsense as his hold relaxes so I can bounce on top of him and meet his chaotic thrusts. The bed creaks as we fuck, and there are voices outside the room. I bet the people on the other side can hear us. I bet they know exactly what we are doing.

I’m getting my guts rearranged by the hottest man at this party and the whole house knows it.

The thought completely derails me. A surge of heat starts from my spine, advancing through me until it crashes into my core. I come with a shout, shaking and spilling all over Ben’s stomach.

“Fuuuck,” he groans, pounding into me with renewed vigor as he too quakes uncontrollably. “Milk me, Charlie. Every last drop. That’s it.”

I feel every spurt as his cock throbs and pulses. He captures my mouth, his tongue owning me with head-spinning greed as he fills me up with his cum. His hands are rubbing my ass, spreading it open as his fingers trace the place where we connect.

Keeping our tongues tangled, we kiss through the last of our tremors. I’m boneless against him, and if not for his powerful arms holding me, I’d have collapsed on the bed already. But he keeps me close to him in an embrace that feels both comfortable and lulling. His cock is still in my ass, the fullness so pleasant even though it’s started to soften.

“Do you want me to pull out?” he asks, kissing my head as he maneuvers us into a more comfortable position lying on the bed.

I sigh and hold his blissed-out gaze. “Not yet. I wanna feel it for a bit more.”

He slaps my ass, then pinches it. “Fuck, this is hot. In like a filthy way, considering I pumped you full of my cum.”

I purr, my chest warm and tight. I pretend I don’t notice. “You fucked me so good, I’m gonna feel it for days.”

We lie for a bit, my back pressed against his front. His lips drag all over my body, claiming any part they can get to. I’m feeling so comfy, I’m starting to fall asleep. But that won’t do. Something like this is way too domestic to do with a hookup.

Groaning as he slips out of me, I sit up and start dressing. I need a shower, but it will have to wait until I’m home. Which means… I bite on my lip, feeling his leaking cum. I think I might need to wait a while before I head back.

“You can go first,” I say, throwing him a smile.

He frowns, but sits up. I raise my eyebrows expectantly. Sighing, he gathers his clothes and puts them on.

“Listen.” He pauses at the door, raking a hand through his hair as he turns to look at me. “Give me your number? I had a great time, and I’d love a repeat. If you are up for it, of course.”

I consider that. “I’m only interested in sex.”

He shrugs. “I wasn’t proposing, sweetheart.”

Snorting, I purse my lips. “Give me yours. If I feel like it, I’ll give you a call.”

Shaking his head in what seems like both amusement and exasperation, he tells me his number. Once I’ve saved it, he opens the door. “See you around, Charlie. And stay away from haunted houses if I’m not around to save you.”

I laugh and wave him off, sinking to the bed once I’m alone in the room so I can pretend that the butterflies in my stomach aren’t there.