Page 11 of Shadowing Charlotte
"Charlie, then…" she insisted, pulling her face from my shirt.
"Better," I breathed, smiling at her as she finally focused, her gaze settling on the door. She nearly tripped on the mat, fumbling as she entered the code, once, twice, finally getting it right on her third attempt.
1776. I smirked. America's birthday as her passcode. It didn't seem like something she'd use. Perhaps she was right that afternoon we'd tried to have lunch together; maybe there was a lot I had to learn about her.
Stumbling inside, Charlotte yanked her heels off, tossing them on the floor and wandering barefooted into the kitchen. She just left me standing there in the doorway. The light flicked on, and I heard the pop of a can.
"Do you want something to drink? Some weirdo left a pile of Pepsi cans in my house," she teased, peeking out of the kitchen with a grin.
Stepping inside, I closed the door and flipped the lock. "Damn, that's some coincidence. I just had a Pepsi splashed on me the other day." I crossed the living room. At my playful reply, the smile fell from her face.
"You're still an asshole, you know…"
"I know," I grinned and followed her into the kitchen. Charlotte opened the fridge, gently tossing me a can. She didn't close the door, leaning into the fridge and letting out a sigh as her skin cooled in the frigid air. I watched as goosebumps rose on her arms, the sight sending another wave of arousal through me.
Chapter eleven
Charlotte
"Still feeling sick?" Alexander asked as he popped open the soda. I shook my head, letting the fridge door fall closed. I was sure I'd thrown up my entire dinner and all of the drinks that had followed.
After standing in front of the chill of the fridge, my head was slowly clearing. I couldn't believe that I'd jumped him like that at the club and invited him inside the fucking house. I was insane; that was the only logical explanation.
"I'm fine." I still felt hot, the colors around me vibrant and melting together all at once. His blue eyes drew me in, sparkling at me like sapphires. Even as I sipped my drink, I couldn't look away.
"Is this going to become a regular occurrence? Me saving you from some fucked-up situation you've put yourself in?" He crossed his arms and leaned back against the counter.
"Probably," I shrugged and smiled at him. I'd developed a penchant for getting myself into trouble since my mother died. It was almost inevitable, like I'd lost my sense of self-control. Maybe that was why I'd never told anyone about him… "So, Alex… Can I call you Alex?"
"Lex, if you don't mind," he replied. I hopped up on the marble counter, the chilly surface soothing my warm skin.
"If I don't mind…" I repeated with a wry smirk, pulling the vape from my bag and taking a long inhale of the fruity mist. "So, you're a stalker and a gentleman?" I asked the very thing I'd been thinking since that night he had taken me home from the quarry.
He didn't reply, leaning back against the opposite counter, his blue eyes glued to my bare legs. The way he watched me was intoxicating, sending a jolt of excitement throughme. Every inch of my body tingled as his eyes remained fixed. I felt like I could do anything I wanted around him; be anything I wanted. I didn't have to force a smile or act perfect; it all just came naturally.
Slowly, I spread my legs apart, leaning back on my hands and grinning at him like a cheshire cat. I knew he had a perfect view of my lacy thong, the material barely hiding what was underneath.
"For fuck's sake, Charlotte," he groaned, his frustration evident in the way his eyes fell closed, his face contorting like it was agony for him to see me in such a position.
"Come on, Alexander…" I teased playfully, spreading my thighs wider, my clingy dress hiking up around my hips. "You've been following me for years. Don't act like you don't want me."
"Lex…" he corrected, pushing himself away from the counter, dropping the soda can on the floor as he stalked toward me like a predator approaching its next meal. "And I want you princess, so badly it fucking kills me…" His gaze darkened as he closed in, standing in front of me, only inches away.
My breath hitched in anticipation, my heart leaping into my throat. "But not like this…" His face was so close, only a breath away, those ocean eyes burning with desire. I could feel his words ghost across my lips as he continued, "When I finally fuck you, I want you of sound mind. I want you to take every inch of me, both of us completely certain that it was your choice… Not some fucking pill or drink…"
So close… so fucking close. I couldn't hold back my moan as he inched forward, his fingers trailing up my thigh, lips only centimeters from mine. It didn't simply feel like he was touching me. He was inside me, crawling beneath my skin and slithering through my veins. Then he recoiled, as if touching me had scorched his skin.
"Goodnight, Charlotte."
I barely had time to blink before he was gone, storming out of the house with the front door slamming closed behind him, leaving my heart pounding and my pulse racing.
I woke with a throbbing headache, my mouth feeling dry and ashy. Light filled the room, warm and bright, making my eyes burn. Instinctively, I reached for my phone, but it wasn't on the bedside table. With a long groan, I hauled myself up from bed, pinchingthe bridge of my nose to relieve the ache in my sinuses. As I entered the kitchen to grab a bottle of water, I stepped in something sticky.
The soda can was still on the floor where Lex had dropped it, the liquid becoming a syrupy puddle overnight. "Gross…" I muttered under my breath, opening the sink cupboard and wetting a rag. I cleaned my foot first, before tossing the can into the trash and wiping the floor. After a water bottle, two Tylenols, and thirty minutes, the throbbing behind my eyes had eased, but I still couldn't find my fucking phone.
Opening my laptop, I pulled up my phone location and sent a ping, the sound ringing through the house. It was under my bed; somehow it slipped between the mattress and the headboard. Sliding the lock open, I flicked through the tabs I'd used last night.Oh, my fucking God…
My Facebook messages were open. I'd messaged Alexander no less than fourteen times.
