Page 85 of Follow the Rhythm
“Yeah, yeah, that’s what everyone says,” he replied, dropping his arms. “Good to see you, kiddo. Been a while.”
Charlie nodded, still with that fixed smile. “Yeah, it has.”
Adeline started fussing around Dean, making sure he was comfortable.
“I’m going for a hike,” Charlie said in my ear, with barely concealed desperation. “Do you want to come?”
I had less than zero interest in exploring the great outdoors, but Charlie clearly needed a break. And being with him was much better than wallowing in despair. “A hike sounds lovely.”
Charlie dug up some ratty trainers for me to wear on our traipse through the woods. The only regular physical activity I got was onstage, or my wandering walks around the city, so the long, slow uphill had me quickly out of breath.
“Did you grow up out here?” I asked. He seemed perfectly at ease in the woods.
“No, we had a place in the city. My parents bought this place as a vacation home, but then when my dad’s health started declining, they moved out here permanently,” he answered. He’d picked up a fallen bough and was idly swatting at the undergrowth. “What about you?”
“I grew up in London with my mum, but we moved to the States when I was still young. She always wanted a fresh start, so we bounced around a lot.”
We’d reached a small clearing, and the view opened up across the valley. It was undeniably beautiful. “Where’s your mom now?” Charlie asked,
“Back in London. She couldn’t stand being away from home in the end. I visit at Christmas sometimes.”
“You’re not close?”
“No. I was closer to Michael’s mums. They’re a lot more maternal.” I missed them. The last time I’d seen them was at Michael’s funeral, when I could barely stand to look them in the eyes. The memory made me feel sick.
Charlie touched my hand briefly. Why had I brought Michael up again? Telling Charlie about what I’d done seemed to have opened up some kind of internal dam.
As we climbed, I heard rushing water, and we emerged into another clearing, this one dominated by a waterfall that spilled down into a rocky pool. Sunlight glinted through the trees and dappled the surface of the water. We were the only ones around.
“Nice, right?” Charlie asked.
“Very picturesque,” I agreed.
“It’s my favorite place to escape to when I come to visit. The water’s cold, but I’m going in.” His smile was mischievous, a faint blush staining his cheeks. He stripped off quickly to his underwear. I didn’t pretend not to watch, and he noticed. His tanned legs were as muscular as his chest and arms. “You coming?”
“Darling, if you wanted to see me naked, you didn’t have to bring me all the way out here. I would have been happy to do this in that nice, cozy bedroom.” I raised a brow and pulled off my shirt, which was damp with sweat. He watched me undress, and I felt his eyes on me like the touch of his hand.
There was too much space between us, but also not enough. His scent was thickening along with my own. My cock stirred the longer we stared at each other.
“Your eyes are incredible in the sunlight. Like a melted glacier,” he murmured. My stomach dropped pleasantly. As compliments went, it was wonderful and unexpected given our current state of undress.
“Sweet Charlie,” I said, smiling. “Yours are lovely and warm, just like the rest of you.”
He smiled brilliantly back. “I promise my intentions were pure in bringing you up here.”
“Sure they were,” I agreed dryly. “First, you engineered us sharing a bed, now you’ve got me nearly nude and all alone in the wilderness.”
Charlie blushed, but his grin grew wider. “I said myintentionswere pure, not my thoughts.” He finally moved to close the distance between us, a question in his eyes, and I didn’t move away. He placed his hands on my hips, his thumbs brushing the curves of my hipbones. I should have stepped away, but I didn’t. Instead, I wrapped my hands around his forearms, feeling the muscles shift beneath his skin. The moment felt suspended in amber.
He took a deep breath, then licked his lips. “I know this is terrible timing, and could make things super complicated. But I’ve recently learned that I shouldn’t wait to tell people how I feel. And, well, I’ve got a serious crush on you.”
My stomach swooped with pleasure and a twinge of dread, like stepping over the edge of a cliff.
I didn’t want to hurt him like I’d hurt everyone else in my life. But those warm eyes were practically glowing, and I wanted nothing more than to kiss him. “And here I thought I’d been friend-zoned,” I teased, but my smile dropped. “But really? Even knowing that I’m not a good person?”
Charlie’s thumbs were still brushing along my hips. “I beg to differ. You’re not perfect. No one is. But you are a good person.”
“I’m a mess, darling,” I said wearily.
