Page 4 of Shadowing Charlotte
The heat of the bath made my skin turn red, exactly the way I liked it, as I sank deeper into the tub. Closing my eyes, I leaned back against the ledge, letting the rest of the world fall away as my thoughts began to wander.
I would start my new job in a few days as an editor's assistant at a publishing house. It was times like those that I was grateful to my father for his constant hovering. He'd been overprotective, sure, but he'd also signed me up for college classes the moment I'd started high school. I'd earned an associate degree only a year after graduating. Daddy had enough connections to get a good word put in for me at Hewart Press. Most of the places I'd looked into required a bachelor's degree, but I'd been taken on with a probationary period.
Sinking deeper into the tub, I let out a sigh. I'd always wanted to be a writer, for as long as I could remember, but my inspiration had been buried alongside my mother. So, I'd opted, instead, to help ensure beautiful stories were still gifted to the world.
When the water grew tepid, I wrapped myself in a towel and sauntered into the bedroom, pulling out a pair of my fuzzy pajamas. I'd already pulled on my panties when I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise.How had he found me so easily?
The thought should have triggered alarm bells in my head, and might have, if I were actually a sane person. Instead, all I felt was excitement.
I sank back on my bed, glancing out the window. I couldn't see anyone; the backyard was still and quiet, but I knew he was out there, somewhere. Raking my bottom lip through my teeth anxiously, I laid back on the bed and did the same thing I'd done for nearly a year. I slipped my hands between my legs as I thought about him…
Chapter four
Alexander
Turn around and go home…The thought repeated in my mind like a cadence, but I refused to listen. I wanted—needed—to see where she lived. I needed to see her.
I stood by the Jeep for a moment, staring at the little sticker she had on the back window, a sparkly silver crown.Spoiled little princess. Icouldn't help but think, a smirk spreading across my face. As I slipped down the side of the house, trying to appear nonchalant, I realized that all of her curtains were wide open. She was making this far too easy for me, almost as if she wanted me to watch her. The notion made my pulse race, heat coursing through my veins.
That morning, she had looked around as she climbed into the Jeep. For a moment, I thought she might have seen me. But then, she'd started the SUV and drove away from her father's house, unaware that I had been following only a few cars behind her.
I opened the gate—the unlocked gate—shaking my head. My spoiled little princess didn't realize how vulnerable she was, all alone in an unsecured house. I strolled through the backyard with my hands in my pockets, taking in the immaculately trimmed bushes and the pristine, glistening pool. Even the house that she'd been given to use temporarily was nicer than anything I'd ever lived in.
When I caught sight of movement in the bedroom, I took a step back, angling my body out of view and pressing myself against the wall of the house. Charlotte was wearing nothing but a towel, the image immediately making my throat dry. I watched in fascination as she sauntered around the room, pulling out fluffy night clothes, dropping the towel and slipping on a pair of lacy blue underwear.
Fuck…What the hell was I doing? Why was I watching this? Her body went rigid suddenly, her honey brown eyes glancing out the window. I shrank back, my heart pounding in the base of my throat. I waited, with bated breath, for her to react, to scream or call the police. She didn't…
Charlotte moved slowly, sinking down onto the edge of the bed. My eyes blew wide with shock as she laid back, stretching out across the soft, velvety blanket, her entire body exposed to my gaze, save for the coverage of her lace underwear. Fuck, she was perfect. She was slightly tan from spending the summer outside, freckles speckling her skin in little patches. Her tiny pink nipples were hard, begging to be toyed with. The sight made my mouth water.
Her gaze shot to the window again and I felt like the breath had been sucked from my lungs. And then she—fuck— she slid her hand into her panties and began to move her fingers in tiny circles beneath the material. Fuck, I needed to leave. I couldn't watch her do this. But I was frozen in place, my dick growing hard as her pace increased. Her back arched and her head fell against the sheets in pleasure.
Her eyes remained fixed on the window, as if she knew I was watching her; the thought making every inch of my body ache to touch her. Her whimpers turned into breathy moans that I could hear even through the closed window. I licked my lips, imagining the sweet taste of her, the way her body would arch and shiver under my touch; the blissful sounds she would make if she were mine.
Fuck, I wanted to rip the screen open, crawl into her room, and fuck her right there in her bed. My hand reached out as if it had a mind of its own, brushing the cool glass of the windowpane. The world around us ceased to exist, and all that mattered was the dance of her fingers beneath the lace and the symphony of her breath—the sweetest music I'd ever heard. When she finally came, shuddering and crying out, I nearly blew my load in my fucking pants. I could hardly fathom what I'd just witnessed.
Overflowing with conflicting emotions, I gathered my thoughts and retreated, hurrying out the gate and back to my car. The moment I was inside, concealed by the tinted windows, I unzipped my jeans, fisting my dick and pumping it in my hand, groaning as the image of her laid out across her bed replayed in my head. I came faster than I ever had before, a guttural moan wrenching itself from my lip as my head fell back against the seat.
Any chance of clarity escaped me; I didn't even feel shame for jerking off in my car like a pubescent teen. As I fixed my pants and wiped my hand on one of the rags I'd stuffed into the side door, I knew I couldn't stay away from her. I needed her. She was an addiction; one I refused to seek treatment for.
I sat in the car as the sun disappeared over the horizon and the streetlights came on. Even then, I didn't leave. I watched the house until the curtains closed, and the lights went out.
She'd been staring at the window as she touched herself.Charlotte wanted me to see her…
A sick smile spread across my face as an insane idea sprang in my mind. Pulling open my phone, I located the nearest grocery store.
Chapter five
Charlotte
Istretched beneath my satin sheets, rolling over and letting out a soft groan. I could tell it was late from the way the light filled my bedroom. Lifting my phone, I glanced at the clock. Fuck, it was nearly noon.
I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, and froze. My lips parted as I sucked in a gasp. At the foot of my bed was the darkest red rose I'd ever seen, a card attached with a ribbon. My heart jumped into the base of my throat, and my pulse raced as I glanced around the room. The window was still closed, the door to my bedroom still cracked the way I had left it.
My hands trembled as I crawled across the bed and lifted the flower, turning the card around to read it.
Thanks for the show.
I couldn't breathe, my throat tightening as if someone was squeezing the air from me. I was right; he had been watching. The realization terrified and thrilled me in equal measure. How had he managed to get into the house?
