Page 77 of Never Kiss and Tell

With my coffee cup in hand, I pad around the back to Charlie’s door. It’s unlocked and I step inside cautiously. The house is dark, save for a light over the kitchen stove. I step lightly on the hardwood floor, my footsteps echoing throughout the quiet house.

I sense him before I round the corner, finding him standing in the kitchen, his back to me. His hands grip the counter and a bottle of some dark liquor sits in front of him.

I stop behind him, staying a few feet away, as regret floods through me. I shouldn’t have come. I also shouldn’t have called the cops.

“This game ends tonight, Bailey,” he murmurs, his voice dark and cold.

If this has been a game, it’s the shittiest one I’ve ever played. I sit my mug on the counter and cross my arms over my chest.

“An eye for an eye. You ruined my date, so I ruined yours.” It sounds childish, coming out of my mouth, but it’s all I’ve got right now.

I’ll admit, it was incredibly irresponsible of me to call the cops — and . . . maybe he hadn’t ruined my date. Peter is just an ass. I lost my head when I heard him with another girl — against our shared wall, none the less. Guilt washes through me. Those cops probably have more important matters to attend to.

But I won’t apologize.

Charlie finally turns to face me, watching me with dark, hazy eyes. They coast down my body, almost unwillingly, taking in the pajama shorts and tank top I’m wearing. My heart thrums in my ears when he takes a step closer, his footsteps bouncing off the walls like a deep crescendo.

He reaches for me, his hand wrapping around my throat and he backs me up until my ass hits the wall behind me. “I warned you to stay away from me.”

“I’m not afraid of you,” I breathe, though my body is shaking.

He steps forward until his front presses against mine and his erection digs into my stomach. Stormy, dark grey pools bore into mine as if he’s trying to read me.

“You should be,” he mutters, his lips brushing over mine. Myheart flutters in my chest as I fight the urge to surge forward. My body hums as he rolls his hips, pressing my legs further apart. After a breath where our lips hover over each other, he groans quietly. “Go home, Bailey. If I fuck you right now, I’ll hurt you.”

He steps back, releasing me and leaving me cold in the wake of his body and returns to the bottle of amber liquor. He opens it and skips the glass, downing a quarter of the bottle in one gulp.

I shake my head, defiance stirring in my chest.

“No,” I snap. “You always do that.”

Charlie turns around, his jaw so clenched I worry he might break his teeth.

“You always tell me to leave with some excuse as to why you can’t fuck me.”

“Bailey,” he warns, sitting the bottle of liquor down a little too hard. “Get. Out.” I can see he’s barely keeping his anger in check, yet I keep pushing because, dammit, I’m angry, too.

“You and I both know it’s just going to keep dragging this thing out the longer we play games with each other, so let’s just get it over with so we can move on.”

Like a hurricane rolling in fast on the horizon, his eyes go so dark, they almost look black. A shiver ghosts my spine, but I force myself to stay there, force myself to hold his gaze.

“Is that what you think we’re doing? Playing games?” he asks quietly. The whole room seems to stand still around us, like we’re stuck in the center of a vortex and at any moment it would come crashing down on us.

“You heard me. I want this over with.” A small voice in theback of my head tells me I should run while I have the chance, but my feet refuse to move when Charlie stalks toward me. I’ve gone this far. Might as well see it through.

“This?” he asks, cocking an eyebrow at me. He stops just a foot away from me and I can feel the heat rolling off his body.

“You and I,” I say, my voice cracking just a hair. “This cat and mouse game we’re playing. I’m sick of it.”

His voice comes out in a dry rasp. “You don’t know what you’re asking for, princess.”

I know exactly what I’m asking for. Holding his gaze, I reach down, grasping the bottom of my tank top. In an act of defiance, I lift the fabric over my head and let it drop to the floor. Charlie goes still and the only sound in the house is the drip of the bathroom faucet. Steeling myself, I move to my shorts, pushing them down my legs until they puddle on the ground by my feet. Letting Charlie see me completely naked is better than any high I’ve ever experienced.

“I know exactly what I’m asking for,” I breathe, my heart hammering in my ears. Charlie’s gaze is caustic, melting my skin until heat burns up my spine. He moves, stalking around me like a predator, circling his prey. When he reaches the back, my breath catches in my throat when he runs his fingertips up my spine.

“I’ll make you hate me,” he whispers and the vulnerability in his voice makes me falter.

I could never hate him. “I already do.”

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