Page 60 of Must Love Bees
Charlie, however, waved her back and slammed the door.
Astrid was still wiping the rain from her face when he got into the car.
“Here.” He unzipped the gym bag and handed her a towel.
“Thank you.” She dried her face, rung out her hair and blotted at her dress—but it was a lost cause.
Charlie drove carefully. Rebecca’s car was big and solid so there was no worry about getting blown off the road but the rain made visibility limited and, by the time they reached Astrid’s house, they were both tense. He turned off the ignition and looked at her. He didn’t look happy.
She waited, bracing herself.
“No,” he murmured softly.
She swallowed, her throat going tight. “No?” she whispered.
He cleared his throat. “What...what happens now?”
“We get soaked, again, and give Nova Scorpio and—”
“What happens next here.” He cleared his throat again, harder this time. “With...us?”
“Oh.”Us. He saidus.She was ridiculously happy as she slid across the bench seat of the old car. Her hands cupped his face as she leaned forward to give him a gentle kiss.
Charlie mumbled something unintelligible, then grabbed her to him. His hands pressed against her back until there was no room between them. His kiss wasn’t gentle. It was everything. Hungry and fierce and desperate.
Her hands slid down to rest on his chest. Under her palm, his heart beat. It was no more controlled than his kiss. It thundered away, broken and frantic. Just like hers. Hope rolled over her. Maybe, just maybe, there was a place in Charlie Driver’s heart for her.
THISWASIRRATIONAL. All of it. Knowing that didn’t stop him from kissing her. He couldn’t seem to stop kissing her. He should. Now. They were parked in front of her house—chances were her entire family were peering out the window wondering what the hell was going on. And yet, he kept right on kissing her.
It had taken him less than five minutes to put a bag of dry clothes together but he’d forced himself to take longer. Once he cleared his head, he’d be fine. But that hadn’t happened. He’d sat on the edge of his bed, fighting the need to go back to her. And, dammit, it wasneed. To see her. To be near her. To hold her and kiss her and breathe her in. It was beyond reason or explanation but true. The pull to get back to her had won out in the end. He’d hurried down the stairs to stand, desperate, for some sign that she might be feeling something similar to whatever sweet hell this was.
When she hadn’t instantly reached for him, he’d been kicking himself. He was losing it. This was all him. It wasn’t entirely his fault. He didn’t have much of a frame of reference for this. Who was he kidding, he had no frame of reference for this. He didn’t date. After a handful of bad experiences, Charlie had gotten the message loud and clear. He’d decided he’d rather be single than face continual rejections. If he and Yasmina’s long-term friendship hadn’t led to their arrangement, he’d have stayed single. As a result, he clearly had no idea what was going on.
But now it was better. She was holding on to him and he could breathe again.
Until it stopped.
“Charlie.” Astrid’s husky whisper set the hair on the back of his neck upright.
He had a new word for Astrid.Sexy.No,sexywas cliché. And trite. She was more than that.Stimulating.That fit. Everything about her stimulated everything about him. “Hmm,” he murmured, kissing her with renewed enthusiasm.
Even her laugh was husky. And shaky. “Charlie.” She braced a hand against his chest. “We’re here.”
He groaned, his forehead resting against hers. “I know.” How the hell was he supposed to do this? To let her go and go inside like his entire world hadn’t been knocked off its axis. It had. That was a fact. He hadn’t known something—someone—could feel so good. No, not someone. He wasn’t that naive. This was all because of her.
“Nova—”
“I know.” Slowly, his hold eased. He wasn’t ready to let her go, but she slid away before he could argue. Then, she was opening the door and climbing out of the car. He was gripping the steering wheel with both hands as she sprinted through the rain to the front porch of the massive old house.
It took him a minute to peel his fingers off the steering wheel. It took him another minute to grab the bag and muster enough courage to leave the car and run to the porch—where she was waiting.
“Ready?” she asked, dripping wet.
He shook his head. But she was shivering so he pushed the door open, his hand resting on her lower back and steering her inside.
“Charlie!” Nova was a running blur that slammed into him. “You’re here! You’re here!” Her arms wound tight around his knees and her face rested against his thighs.
Charlie stared down at her crooked ponytail, his heart so full it hurt. “I’m here, Nova.” He patted her back. “It’s okay.”
