Chapter 9

The scent of coffee teased my nose. I blinked as the fog of my dreams slowly cleared and I remembered where I was. The walls were painted a sickly pink shade and there was nothing in the room except an old chest of drawers and a lamp I vaguely remembered turning off last night.

However, my entire body was covered in a patchwork quilt that looked like somebody's grandma made it which was the only clue I really needed to trigger my memory.

I was in Gran Grace's house.

Charlie'shouse.

At the thought, I jackknifed straight up in bed, intending to get up but didn't realize I was wrapped in the quilt. With a muffled groan, I rolled awkwardly off the bed and onto the floor.

"And things were going so well," I muttered.

Twisting until I could get my arms free of the quilt, I grabbed the clothes I'd left at the foot of the bed. With my luck, Charlie would come investigate the noise and find me naked as a newborn on the floor.

After I was dressed, I pulled the bedroom door open slowly. Clearly, I'd overestimated Charlie's interest in my welfare since she hadn't come to check on me. I hadn't wanted her to, of course, but couldn't help feeling grumpy about it. What if I'd actually needed help?

The battle lines were already drawn it seemed.

Still, anything was better than hearing Van's headboard banging against the wall. So I reached into the depths of my soul to summon the manners my mother claimed she'd raised me with.

"Morning."

Charlie looked up when I walked in the kitchen and waved, almost dropping the plastic spatula in her hand. Maybe she'd forgotten I was here too since she'd definitely not dressed for company. She had on a pair of pink pajama pants and a tiny top that once again had her nipples on display. Luckily, I was distracted from her full beam headlights by the monstrosity of a bun on top of her head. It was a jumble of curls with random pieces sticking out all over.

"Nice hair."

She made a face. "I was going to offer you a pancake but never mind."

I laughed as she flipped me the bird before stirring the pancake batter. There was a carton of orange juice on the counter, so I grabbed a glass from the cupboard. I was completely aware of Charlie moving behind me, humming under her breath as she moved to the sink to wash a carton of strawberries. There were several bags on the counter filled with food.

"You had time to go to the store?"

Before she could respond, I picked up a bag of salad and opened the refrigerator. There was a small compartment with space, so I stuffed it in there. Charlie shrugged so I went back to digging through the bags. After I pulled out a bundle of asparagus and then a bag of avocados, I looked around searching for the real food.

"Is that your plan, then? Starving me to death to get me to move out faster?"

She huffed. "These are healthy."

I held up a few sticks of asparagus. "These are gross."

"Bold of you to assume I'm sharing my food with you."

"You didn't seem opposed to sharing food the other day. Or is that enthusiasm just for orgasm shakes?"

"That enthusiasm is for gentlemen."

"Who says I'm not a gentleman?" I grabbed her hand and brushed a kiss across the back. "Is this good enough for her highness?"

She yanked her hand away and then stood on tiptoe as she reached above the refrigerator to stuff several boxes of crackers up there.

Why did she need so many of those?

Did she have a secret cracker fetish that I didn't know about?

When she noticed me looking, she quickly dropped back down, yanking her shirt lower at the same time. The movement pulled the thin fabric tighter across her chest and I couldn't help but notice that she'd filled out a lot since high school. Her breasts were a lot bigger and a lot rounder, facts that I probably could have politely ignored if her nipples weren't so hard and pointy and clearly visible through her shirt.

Was she walking around town like that?

"Did you think you'd see Carter while you were out? Is that why you're not wearing a bra?"

She gasped and dropped the bushel of weird lettuce she was holding on the counter. "I am wearing a bra, not that it's any of your business. It's not my fault you're a freaking perv. Stop looking at my nips!"

"I'm pretty sure they are staring at me," I mumbled.

She shook her head. "Okay, we need to establish some ground rules."

The exasperated look she sent my way should have been annoying but instead had the effect of being scolded by my favorite teacher.

My hottest teacher.

I shifted uncomfortably.

"Rules? What kind of rules? I fix stuff. You don't try to make me eat asparagus."

I dug through another bag and laughed softly when I found a package of Oreos. That was more like it. I ripped them open leaving a trail of brown crumbs along the counter.

She pointed at the mess. "I am not your maid or your mother. We are roommates. You will need to purchase groceries half the time and we can decide on a cooking schedule later."

I walked over and sat on the living room couch. It groaned under my weight while the plastic on the cushions squealed at the sudden movement. Oh hell no. There was no way I was listening to that sound every time I sat down.

"Can we decide on a schedule to replace the furniture? I know Gran Grace loved this couch, but this is not going to work."

Her expression turned mulish. "We are not getting rid of my grandmother's things."

"Seriously? You plan on watching Netflix on this thing? It'll scream every time you move."

She ignored me. "Also, we need a cleaning schedule since there's only one full bathroom. You might be used to living in filth, but that's not how I roll."

"Why do you assume I lived in filth? Van's place was nice."

"It was nice, but you left so … "

"Did you not hear what I said about the naked ass cheeks?"

She rolled her eyes, but I could tell she was trying not to laugh as she went back to fussing with the groceries.

"Van is really happy. I wanted to give the lovebirds some space. They can't make it work with me underfoot."

Charlie just stared at me. I shifted uncomfortably, the plastic squeaking with every twitch. I hadn't meant to say all that out loud.

She walked over to the couch and put her hand against my forehead. I was so stunned it took a few seconds before I grabbed her wrist. Her touch felt good. Too good.

"What now?"

"You thought about someone other than yourself. Just checking that it's really you, Pinocchio. For a minute there, you almost sounded like a real boy."

I ducked away from her touch and followed her back to the kitchen. She'd plated her pancakes and added some sliced strawberries on the side. While I watched, she added two slices of bacon and drizzled maple syrup over the whole thing.

I'd bite my tongue before I admitted how much I wanted a pancake, so I took a gulp of juice and then pulled the bread from the pantry. Toast would have to do. When I turned around again, Charlie was gone.

* * *

After choking down the least satisfying breakfast ever, I grabbed a change of clothes and went into the bathroom. The door stuck slightly when I tried to close it. I leaned down to get a closer look at the latch. The frame must have warped slightly. It was common in older houses. That was something I could help with. Charlie might not want me here but having a handyman around would definitely be to her benefit. Plus, I could get a discount on the materials she would need to fix this place up.

Charlie said that she'd had a plumber come by already, but I still eyed the tub warily. There was no shower stall, just a shower curtain on rings around the tub. I turned on the water and was pleasantly surprised when it heated quickly.

After undressing, I ran a tentative hand over the scruff on my jaw. I usually tended to let my beard grow in a bit before I bothered shaving, but I found myself wondering whether Charlie was into facial hair. When I realized what I was doing, fantasizing about whether she'd run her hands over my face, I scowled and got into the shower. Maybe if I dunked my head enough times I could clear her out.

I let the hot water flow over my face but as soon as my eyes were closed there was nothing stopping me from imagining Charlie on her knees in front of me. My abs tightened as I ran a hand down to grab my cock, tugging roughly as I imagined how she would look up at me, with her tongue out and fire in her eyes.

Fuck, I wanted to see exactly what that smart mouth could do.

With every stroke, my imagination escalated the scene, as I pictured her lips wrapped around my dick as she moaned at the taste. I had a suspicion that she would be just as contrary while sucking me off as she was everywhere else, using her mouth to tease me until I was half mad with it. My hand flew faster, rubbing over the sensitive head as I imagined her reaching between her legs to rub herself while she had her way with me.

I groaned, the sound mixing with the steam in the room as I shuddered violently, the image of her getting herself off finally taking me over the edge. I opened my eyes and then cursed. I wasn't supposed to be imagining that she-devil when I was fucking my hand. It was like I couldn't even escape her when I was by myself.

Furious at my loss of control, I washed quickly using Charlie's girly body wash that smelled like peaches. With a flick of my wrist, I turned the water off and carefully pulled the curtain back.

Just then the door suddenly burst open, and Charlie paused in the doorframe.

At the sight of her my dick filled again, as if I hadn't just come like a train five seconds before. I groaned. If this was what I was in for every time we crossed paths, it was going to be a very long summer.

"Oh!" she said before looking down.

With the curtain pushed back there was nothing to shield me as her eyes dropped from my face down to my chest.

Then lower.

"Oh my god!" She blinked several times before her hand clenched on the doorknob.

Having her this close when the remnants of my fantasy were so fresh in my mind was torture. I couldn't have her in here staring at my dick when I could still see dream Charlotte on her knees with her tongue out. She needed to get gone. Now.

"This is the part where you close the door."

"Right. Of course." She nodded frantically. Her big brown eyes looked a little glassy and unfocused.

When she still didn't move, I couldn't resist messing with her a little.

"Unless you plan on joining me. In which case you should lose the clothes."