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“Are you? Because wandering around in the dark in the middle of the fucking Colorado woods sounds pretty damn stupid to me.” I glare daggers at the self-righteous prick, even as the little voice in my head reminds me that he’s not wrong. When did my inner self become such a chatty bitch?
I grunt a sound of dismissal and push past him, heading back toward the house. The urge to look behind me, checking for the person who had been in the woods with me, is almost all-consuming. I force one foot in front of the next, ignoring the impulse. I try and focus on the sensations coursing through me instead. I’m surprised when I find my head completely clear, and though I’m still hyped up, I’m not freaking out. Not at all. I’m actually…disappointed?What the hell?
Footsteps sound behind me, and if it weren’t for the fact that I can clearly hear Charlies’s huffs of irritation, I’d think it was—well, whoever that was.
He grips my shoulder, forcing me to stop, and spins me around. I cross my arms over my chest and scowl up at him. He’s tall. Not quite as tall as Logan, but definitely above 6’0. Charlie is the leanest of the brothers. However, he’s buff as hell. I’d bet every single one of his muscles is chiseled to perfection from spending so much time out on job sites. Not only does he prefer manual labor more than his brothers, but from what Shiloh’s told me, he also used to play college football.
Charlie releases an exasperated breath and runs a hand through his short red hair. His freckles are less noticeable right now, but his pale skin glistens beneath the full moon. “Look, Rayvn. I’m sorry.”
“For?” I drawl, tapping my fingernails along my arm as I take in his sweet, innocent face. He really is pretty damn cute. When he’s not being a douchebag.
He grimaces and rubs the back of his neck. “Fuck. Look. I’m sorry for being such a dick. I’m—” he breaks off and steps a few feet away, putting some distance between us. “I’m a mess. I’m all over the place, and I know I’ve been acting weird. I don’t mean to, I just—” Again, he pauses, looking physically pained to be having this conversation. I have to admit, I’m a little uncomfortable myself. I have no idea where this is going. “I suck at this. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I like you, Ravyn."
My eyes widen, and my brows lift to my hairline. I suck in a sharp breath and then proceed to cough and sputter on my own saliva. What the hell? That isnotwhat I was expecting to come out of his mouth. Charlie’s cheeks turn pink, and he immediately looks like he’s ready to bolt. Shit. The poor guy just said he likes me, and I’m choking like his words make me physically ill.
I breathe deeply, gaining control of my windpipe, and step into his side. Reaching out, I grip his hand, giving it a firm squeeze. “Sorry,” I whisper. “I just wasn’t expecting that. I can’t remember the last time a guy was so open and upfront with me.” His lip tilts up with the vague hint of his usual wide smile. “I just,” I groan, dropping my gaze to my feet. It’s then that I notice they’re super fucked up from my barefoot run in the woods.Opps.
“What?” he mumbles, his voice a deep rasp as he steps closer.
Keeping my gaze locked on my polished pink toenails, I wiggle my feet nervously in the dirt. “I don’t know what to do with that information.” Why am I feeling so fucking weird right now? I barely know Charlie. We’ve only met a few times, and yeah, he’s super hot and sweet, but this is awkward as hell.
A finger tips my chin up in a surprisingly adorable gesture.Adorable, not panty-meltingly hot.I meet his bright green stare and am shocked by the heat in his eyes. “Just give me a chance,” he whispers. My brows dip in confusion.
“A cha—” I don’t get to finish my sentence before Charlie’s lips are crashing into mine. The force of the collision has me stumbling back a step and gasping. His hands lock onto my hips, tugging me forward and keeping me in my place. He uses my surprise to thrust his tongue into my mouth. It’s a desperate kiss that tastes strongly of beer and maybe even tequila. I want to pull away, but that annoying voice in my head is screamingjust go with it. What did Shiloh say? Get back out there?Shit.
My hands reach up, tangling in the material of his shirt. I yank him closer, and the move causes Charlie to groan into my mouth. Our teeth clash, and tongues duel for dominance. We make out like teenagers there in the dark, in the middle of my best friend’s lawn, and while it should be hot, or at least exciting…
I feelnothing.
In fact, it’s one of those kisses where your chemistry and pheromones are so off you notice everything you don’t like about that person. Usually, I enjoy tequila. Right now? I’m finding it repulsive. His heavy scent of pepper and bergamot is distinctly masculine, yet I feel like I’d prefer just about any other scent than his. In short, I’m turned the hell off.
A pang of sadness rushes through my body, so intently my knees wobble. Will it always be like this for me? Will no one ever turn me on again after Mark? Am I destined to be alone because my brain tells me that I need adrenaline, fear, and maybe even pain to get off?
Fuck. What the absolute hell is wrong with me? My eyes burn, and instead of being an active participant, I feel myself shutting down. It takes him a minute to catch on, but when he does, Charlie is quick to pull away. Our foreheads collide softly as we both catch our breath. His eyes squeeze shut, but his lips tip up in a soft smile.
“It’s okay,” he whispers. “Even if that’s all I ever get, it’s okay.”
God dammit. He’s so freaking nice. Why can’t I just go for the good, nice, funny guy? The one who will dote on me and love me. The one that will make me laugh and probably make me feel much younger than I do these days.
Because you’re messed up, Rayvn. You’re damaged goods. You’re abnormal.
That voice? It’s not mine. It’s not even the little annoying brat that lives in my head. It’s Mark’s, and as wrong as I know he is, right now, he’s feeling pretty fucking right.
Charlie pulls his face away and stands to his full height. Smiling down at me, he wraps his arm around my shoulder and spins me toward the driveway. “I came out here for a reason.The Huxley’ssent me to pick you up. Seems you’re spending the night at Casa De La Charlie tonight so the newlyweds can fuck like bunnies.”
“Jesus Christ,” I mutter, but some of my previous sadness dissipates with his easygoing attitude. “That actually works for me, but my stuff is still at their house, and I willnotbe going in there to retrieve it.”
“Guess you’ll just have to sleep naked,” he jokes. My arm reaches out and slaps his firm stomach. He grunts and squeezes me tighter. “Seriously. Whatever you need, I’m your guy. If you can only sleep with your perfect ass grinding into me, I’ll take one for the team.”
“Oh, fuck off,” I snap, but fall into a fit of giggles as he directs me into a golf cart. He climbs in behind the wheel next to me, and I point in the direction of his house that’s a mile down the road. “Take me to your castle, Good Sir.”
“Oh, I’ll take you somewhere, all right,” he laughs. I scoff and roll my eyes.
“That wasn’t even a good one, Charles. Do better.”
We both fall into a fit of laughter, and just like that, the rest of my shitty and confusing night disappears.
When we arrive at Charlie’s, he takes me to a guest room on the second floor. Surprisingly, after dropping off a change of clothes, he leaves me to it without another word. He really is sweet as hell.
