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“You’ve been a grouchy pain-in-the-ass for a while now,” she answered matter-of-factly. “So, no, might not miss you too much right now.”
He grinned and shook his head.
“What’s on your mind?”
While Charlie liked talking to his mom, he wasn’t about to tell her about the crazy, angry sex he and Tatum engaged in or the way she’d effectively shut him out after using up his body and draining every last bit of cum from his dick. Charlie wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to get it up again, let alone reach that mind blowing high he’d felt between Tatum’s thighs.
Unless he had another chance with her. Which was obviously out of the question.
“Gotta get back.” He finished his coffee and tossed the disposable cup in the garbage bin under the counter.
“She’s had her eyes on you since you walked in here.”
Charlie nearly swallowed his tongue when his mom spoke. She stood with her back to the room, but from the corner of his eye, he saw Tatum glance at them. She wasn’t looking because she wanted more. She was afraid he would talk. Hell, who knew? Maybe she was afraid he would send Sev knocking on her door.
No fucking way Charlie would ever allow his brothers near her.
“Have a good day, Mom.” He kissed Adele’s cheek and then walked out of the coffee house without a glance in Tatum’s direction.
18
If she thought scratching that itch with Charlie would make her feel better, she was dead wrong. Then again, it hadn’t been about that. Not at first. Tatum had thrown herself at him in a fit of rage and then passion. She hadn’t just suddenly decided to seduce him.
No matter, the whole damned thing had backfired on her. First of all, now that she’d had part of Charlie Murphy inside her, she couldn’t quit thinking about how good it was. She dreamt about him, eyes open or closed, and twice she’d woken in a pool of sweat, painfully aroused, and wishing like hell he was lying beside her to help her out.
Not only that but now he wanted nothing to do with her. Sure, he was still polite. In the way a polite stranger might hold the door for her at the grocery store. The worst of it was knowing that it was her own damned fault. Charlie wasn’t avoiding her because he’d gotten in her pants and was ready to move on. She’d used him, and he knew the score, and he was giving her what she wished for.
And she was miserable.
So miserable she ignored a call from Sutton. Which only made her feel worse. Thank God, her sister had called again within the hour. Not that she’d said anything Tatum wanted or needed to hear. In a seven-minute conversation, she’d heard a strange male voice calling to Sutton, telling her to get her tits back in his bed, Sutton had smoked a cigarette and from the sounds of it popped a pill or two, and screamed at Bryony for coming out of her room.
And asked Tatum for money.
Tatum had refused the request. Reminded Sutton that she would be more than happy to keep Bryony with her for a while if that made things easier for Sutton. Sometimes, Tatum was beyond caring what would make life easier for her sister. But she was desperate to get her niece away from her. She’d asked again where they were, and Sutton had once again blown her off. Tatum had asked if she could talk to Bryony, and Sutton said no—she was going to crash and sleep for a while, that Bryony was grounded and shouldn’t be out of her room, and that Tatum had no right to text her daughter.
When she got off the phone, Tatum had been frozen with worry.
And rage.
At her dad for the drinking. For always choosing the bottle over her and Sutton. For being falling-down drunk ninety-percent of her childhood and teen years. And at her mom for leaving her and Sutton when she walked out on their dad.
“Where did Charlie go?”
Tatum looked up when she heard Mal at the door. His voice carried across the room to the counter. Adele glanced at him over her customer’s shoulder. She finished the transaction, but Tatum saw the way she narrowed her eyes at her son.
“Why don’t you spend a little more time looking for your manners and not worry about your brother?”
Tatum glanced at her laptop screen, but she was still listening. She hadn’t seen Charlie at all today, so naturally, she was curious where he was, too.
“Sorry, Mom,” Mal mumbled. “Pete’s gettin’ stuff ready for the whiskey tasting. He wanted to ask Charlie something.”
“Tell him he can call Charlie,” Adele answered. “And if the lot of you can’t learn some respect, there will be no more whiskey tastings in my coffee house. I don’t care if it is after hours.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Charlie went to the Addison Warehouse to pick up the flooring for the addition.”
Tatum wondered where Addison Warehouse was. Somewhere in Long Grove? Or had he gone out of town? It was stupid, but it stung to think he would go out of town and not tell her.
