Sexy Stranger(29)

Luke

Charlotte glanced from me to the inn and back again before tilting her head to the side, letting her silky hair cascade over her shoulder. "Don't feel obligated or anything. I just thought I'd ask. No big deal." Her cheeks went pink as she scrabbled for the door handle again.

"I'll come in for a sec." My groin went tight and I shrugged. "But only to help you pack," I said softly.

She blinked in confusion, her mouth half-open. "What do you mean?"

I leaned closer and traced a finger over the line of her jaw. "Your car isn't going to be fixed until Monday. It's just plain silly for you to keep staying here when I'd rather have you in my bed." I let out a low growl, leaning in to nip at her earlobe before pulling back.

She dropped the last bit of her pretzel into her lap and let out a nervous laugh. "Are you sure about that?"

I nodded. "Look, we both know the deal here. You've got to get back to your life and I've got to focus on the distillery, but for the rest of the weekend . . ." I shrugged. "I don't see what's stopping us from having a little fun. Don't you like what we've been doing?"

Her eyes gleamed, and I guessed she was thinking-like I was-of the way I'd poured maple syrup all over her body that afternoon and lapped it up with my tongue. I was careful to ensure her nipples and the delicious spot between her legs were well and truly clean before I dragged her into the shower and lathered the rest of her body with shampoo.

"It's been fun," she said, sounding a little breathless.

"So, it's settled. Let's go get your stuff."

She quirked her lips to the side before picking up her pretzel and pushing open her door. "Fine. I'll grab my bag, but you stay here. I don't want anyone seeing me leave with you and getting the wrong idea that I'm a woman of loose morals," she said with a chuckle. "But I'm warning you, if you're going to tease me like this, you'd better be ready to hurry back to your place and make good on those implied threats."



       
         
       
        

"You got it."

I grinned and watched her disappear behind the inn's front door, my mind drifting to how she'd looked beneath the bleachers and in my oversized T-shirt this morning, compared to how she looked when she first got here.

There was no use in comparing, of course, but it seemed like there was something different about her now. Back when we first met, she was in hoity-toity, high-class New York mode. But under the bleachers, and in my bed, she wasn't a duchess. She was just Charlie, laughing and pretty, and all mine.

But then, Sarah had been like that too.

And Charlotte would be going soon, just like Sarah did, but this time I had the advantage of knowing that in advance. I wasn't serious about Charlotte like I'd been with my ex, and we both knew as much. So, as long as I kept my heart out of all this and just had fun, what was the big deal?

Molly had told me I worked too hard and needed a break. Maybe this was exactly what she meant-I needed a warm, sexy body to share my bed, someone I could have some laughs and unwind with, no strings attached. No harm, no foul.

Charlotte stepped out of the inn, suitcase in hand. I climbed out to help her with the bag, but she lugged it around the truck and shoved it inside with surprising speed. As we settled back into our seats and prepared to head back to my house, I sensed an odd disturbance in the air between us, a tension that hadn't been there before.

Of course, it could have been because she was getting ready to spend the rest of the weekend with a man she'd only known for a few days, but something told me that wasn't it.

Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned Sarah earlier. Or maybe when I did, I should have turned to watch Charlotte's expression to see exactly what she thought. If, of course, she had any thoughts about my ex at all. It had been so long ago, and my life had changed so much since then.

I cleared my throat. "Okay, so you know all about my life and my past. What about you?"

She reeled around to look at me. "Like what?"

"I told you about college and Sarah. You must have some story about-I don't know-your debutante ball? The prince who asked for your hand in marriage?"

She blushed and looked out the window. "I didn't have a debutante ball."

"College then. You majored in marketing, right?"

"I did. Not much to know. I went to Sarah Lawrence. It was fine." She shrugged. "End of story, really."

"I doubt that. No guys in your life?" I raised my brows. "High school sweetheart who broke your heart?"

"I went to an all-girls school, but good try," she shot back.