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Chapter Twenty-one

Author: Emily Goodwin
last update Last Updated: 2024-12-01 14:00:22

Owen

I lie back in my bed, trying to get comfortable. Something is missing, so I grab another pillow and stick it in the stack behind my head. Holding onto the thickest one, I roll over onto my side and try to get comfortable.

But no amount of pillows or blankets is going to help.

Because I know exactly what’s missing. Charlie. I haven’t slept so well, haven’t felt so peaceful and comfortable, as I did last night with her in my arms. It would have felt better if she were naked, but I’ll take what I can get for now.

It won’t be long until she’s back in my arms sans clothing. I’m sure of it.

Maybe.

At least I hope so.

Why is my confidence wavering? The better question should be why is she resisting me like it’s easy to do?

Tulip meows from the hallway, and I look up to see her limping into the bedroom. I get out of bed and scoop up the black-and-white cat, gently putting her on my bed. She starts purring and rubs her head against me.

“Are you going to help Charlie fall back in love with me?” I ask her, running my hand over her fur. Letting out a deep sigh, I roll back over and try to fall asleep. It’s going to be a late night at the bar and—shit. Charlie needs to get back into the house and I didn’t leave her a key or tell her the code to the alarm system. I’ll be at the bar when she gets off work.

I flop over again and kick the blankets down. Tulip growls and goes to jump off the bed. I catch her at the last second and help her down. I don’t want the cat to hurt herself, and I know how devastated Charlie would be if anything else happened to her cat.

After tossing and turning and pushing away the deep feelings of regret and fear that Charlie means what she says and doesn’t want to give things another go, I get up and get dressed for the gym.

Dean and Archer are finishing up their last set of weights when I walk in. This is the only gym in Eastwood and is usually busy. Every once in a while, I’ll show up at the same time as one of my brothers, and even rarer are the times when we all get here together. Logan and I used to go together almost daily, finding it almost fun to have an accountability partner.

“Hey,” Dean says, exhaling heavily as he lifts the weights up. “I heard Charlie spent the night with you last night.”

“Way to cut to the chase.” I move over by the leg press. “And how the fuck did you hear that? She only left about half an hour ago.”

“I had to drop something off at one of the construction sites and saw her car. So she did spend the night?”

“Yeah. She did,” I say and Dean and Archer exchange glances. “But it wasn’t what you’re thinking. Unfortunately.”

“But she stayed the night with you.”

“I invited her over for dinner and she stayed so she wouldn’t have to drive in the storm. In the guest room. Alone.”

“You didn’t try to make a move?” Archer looks at me skeptically. “Or did she flat our reject you?”

“No one rejects me,” I spit out and then shake my head. “No, I didn’t make a move.”

“You must really like her then.”

“We have history,” I say, and leave it at that. I start my workout, mind drifting to Charlie the whole time, of course. I stop by the law firm on my way home from the gym to give Charlie a key to get into the house.

The firm is downtown, in one of the historic buildings along the main road that goes through Eastwood. The building is three stories high, and Charlie works on the top floor. I go up the stairs, stopping on the second level when I step into the office.

“Hi, welcome to Williams and— Owen?” the secretary cuts off. She peers up at me over the top of her glasses. “That is you, isn’t it?” Her top teeth sink into her bottom lip, and it takes me a second to place her face. Mostly because I didn’t see much of it that night.

She came home with me from the bar one night and I fucked her from behind. And then we had sex again that morning. I always lead my escapades with making it clear things are no strings. I never want to lead anyone on, and I never wanted anything more from anyone anyway.

The closest I’ve come to dating since Charlie and I broke up was Meredith James and the three months we spent naked in bed together.  She’d just gotten a divorce and wanted to make her ex-husband jealous, which I was happy to assist with. Then I started feeling sorry for her and unwelcome feelings started to form. She’d been treated like shit and put up with it for five years.

She got back together with her ex after we broke things off.

“Yeah, it’s me.” I flash the secretary a smile, needing to look down at her badge to recall her name. “How have you been, Amy?”

“Oh, you know. Same old, same old.” She tugs at her shirt, moving the collar down to expose more cleavage. “What can I do for you?”

“Is Charlie here?”

“Charlotte Williams?”

“Yeah. I suppose she goes by her full name when she’s working. Is she in?”

“She is. She’s upstairs in a meeting with a client, I believe. I can buzz you in up there if you’d like. There’s a lobby right outside the elevator to wait in.”

“That would be great.”

“Are you in some sort of legal trouble?” She bats her eyes. “You have that bad boy air about you.”

My first reaction is to flirt back with her. It usually gets me what I want while giving whoever is flirting with me what they want in that moment. “Bad? I’m the devil.” I smirk, wink, and walk past her desk to the elevator.

Amy lets out a deep sigh and picks up the phone, calling up to the third story to let me in. The old elevator shakes on its way up, and the doors hesitate just long enough to make me think I’m stuck before they finally open.

Charlie is sitting in the lobby, leaning back on a leather couch and looking bored.

“Owen,” she exclaims, sitting up so fast she almost slips off the couch. “What are you doing here?”

I step out of the elevator, not wanting to get in that thing again. I wouldn’t say I have a fear of elevators…just a fear of getting stuck somewhere. But if Charlie were with me, I might purposely jam the door or something.

“I forgot to give you this.” I pull the key out of my pocket. “I’ll be at Getaway by the time you’re done here.”

Her eyes go from mine to the key and back again. “Right. Tulip is at your house.” Charlie doesn’t move, but instead pulls her arms in closer to her body. “I’ll, uh, I’ll stop by on my way home and take care of her.”

“You can stay,” I offer. “I won’t be home until two or three, depending on how easy it is to clear out the bar.”

“You really don’t mind?” She’s asked me if I mind a dozen times. She knows I don’t. She’s trying to convince herself that she shouldn’t mind.

“I wouldn’t have offered if I did.”

Taking a tentative step forward, she holds out her hand. “Maybe I will.”

I put the key in her hand and close my fingers around hers. Stepping closer, our hips touch and Charlie’s eyes flutter shut. Lips parting, she tips her head up, looking right at me when she opens her eyes.

I bring my other hand up and rest it on the small of her back. My heart skips a beat in my chest, and I swear Charlie’s starts to beat faster.

“I miss waking up with you in my arms,” I whisper, bending my head down so my forehead rests against hers. She brings her free hand up and rests it against my chest, splaying her fingers.

“I’m sorry,” she says back so quietly it’s hard to hear her.

“Why are you sorry?”

“I’m sorry that it won’t happen again. It can’t, Owen.”

“Why not? We’re good together, Charlie. We always have been.” I pull her tighter against me until my cock is up against her pelvis.

She takes in a shaky breath and balls my shirt in her hand. Her eyes fall shut again and her jaw tenses.

“We haven’t always been good.” She pushes away, and not having her against me is like someone ripped my oxygen mask off and I can no longer breathe. “If we were, we wouldn’t have broken up.” She turns the key around in her fingers.

“I made a mistake,” I blurt, heart in my throat again. It won’t take much for it to come tumbling out, bloody and bruised on the floor.

Charlie’s eyes get glossy. “I know you did. And now I’m trying really hard not to as well.”

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    Charlie“I feel like such a lush,” I laugh, settling into Owen’s arms. We moved into his bed and he just brought me a glass of wine. “Sex, wine, and staying up past my bedtime.”He brushes my hair back. “I’m turning you into a rebel.”I take a sip of wine and set the glass on the nightstand. “You really are.”“I should be punished.”“Oh, you definitely should be.” I move on top of him, and tingles run down my spine. We’re both still naked, and I’m still floating high on adrenaline and sex. I don’t know why I resisted, why I waited until now to finally relent and do what I wanted to do since the moment I saw Owen again.And admit that I’m still very much in love with him.Owen’s hands land on my hips and his cock starts to get hard again. I lean over, breasts in his face, and rub myself against him, getting off before I reach down and guide him into me. My breath comes out in huffs as I ride him hard and fast. Owen presses me down onto him, then brings one hand down and gently rubs my

  • Fight Dirty   Chapter Thirty

    CharlieOwen isn’t in the kitchen anymore when I come back down the stairs. The house is dark, with the exception of a soft glow coming from the screened-in porch. A single candle is lit and sitting on the table out there, and Owen’s back is to me as he looks at the fountain in the pond behind his house. There’s a light in it, making the simple fountain look much fancier at night than it actually is.Silently, I slip into the room. The candle is one of those meant to repel mosquitos, and the smell reminds me of summer nights spent on the front porch, both with Owen and my other friends. Life was simpler then, and while I can’t get rid of my adult responsibilities, things don’t have to be complicated.Owen turns right when I get up behind him, and firelight flickers in his eyes. He takes me in his arms, and my heart skips a beat. I hook my arms around his neck and step in close. Being in his embrace feels so right.It’s like I never left.He tips his head down, lips brushing against mi

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