The Pretend Friend Ch. 09

Charlotte landed softly on my bed, and her hair spilled out across the sheets. Completely naked and drenched, she reached down to rub herself as her eyes found mine, and I watched her quietly as I undressed.

"Jess," she murmured, her fingers working faster, and she slid two digits inside of herself.

I tossed my bra aside and quickly covered her body with mine. She leaned up to kiss me deeply, her tongue sweeping across mine with need. I reached down between our bodies to grab her hand, pulled it away from her sex, and pinned it to the bed.

She groaned.

Smiling against her lips, I whispered, "I thought you wanted to make me cum."

I felt her eyes flutter open and pulled back to look at her. Hesitance filled those eyes.

"I do," she said and bit down on her lip nervously. "Will you show me?"

Warmth fanned across my chest and spread down to my fluttering stomach.

I kissed her gently and then pulled away again to nod. "Of course."

"Okay." She let out a nervous breath, and I guided her hand back down between our bodies. Instead of touching herself this time, her fingers grazed my labia, and my hips jerked. Her eyes widened. "Sorry, are my fingers too cold?"

A laugh bubbled up past my lips, and I shook my head. "No, babe. It's perfect."

"Oh." The corner of her lips lifted. "That's good."

Chuckling, I leaned in, pressed my cheek against hers, and whispered, "Do to me what you were doing to yourself."

I felt her breath stagger against my skin, and as I gently kissed the spot beneath her ear, I felt her fingers begin to move.

"What do you like to do when you touch yourself?" I asked.

"I-I don't know."

"You do know." I dragged my mouth up to nibble on her earlobe, and she let out a soft gasp. "Think about it. What makes you feel good?"

"I..." Her finger slid across my clit, and a tingling jolt shot down to my feet. My lips paused, and I sucked in a breath to compose myself. Charlotte didn't seem to notice as she continued to rub me. "I like to rub it to make myself..."

"Wet?"

She nodded.

"And then?"

"And then I put a finger in." I heard her swallow. "Sometimes two."

"Never three?"

"No." She shook her head. "It doesn't feel good with three."

Then Charlotte began to ease a finger into me, and my fingers curled into the sheets. I felt my juices oozing out onto her hand, and when she slowly began to stroke me with her finger, I pressed my face into her shoulder and let my hips move along.

"I like to tease my clit," she whispered, and she angled her finger up to glide against my clit, sending another sharp jolt down my legs. I jerked again and pressed my face deeper into her shoulder. "I try to hold out for as long as I can before I let myself cum."

"Charlotte," I panted as another jolt shot through me with another graze against my clit.

She responded by sliding in a second digit, and circled my clit with her thumb. A moan escaped my lips.

"How long do you think you can hold out?" she asked softly.

"I don't know," I groaned.

My hips moved faster against her hand, but she kept her pace, sliding slow and deep while gently grazing my clit with each stroke.

"You're dripping all over my hand."

Fuck.

My stomach was fluttering, and my legs felt weak from all of the endless tingling. I was throbbing with the need for release, and my skin was burning for it. I pulled at the sheets as I rode her fingers, seeking, while Charlotte continued to stroke and tease.

"Charlotte," I heard myself whimper. "Please."

"It hasn't been that long, Jess."

"Please," I begged. "I want to cum."

"But we barely just started." Her lips slid down the side of my neck. "Do you think you can cum yet?"

"Yes!" I released a shuddering breath. "I'm ready to --"

She sped up her fingers, and I buried my face into her neck as the tingling sensation exploded through my sex. I rode her fingers fast and heard my wetness as her fingers rammed into me over and over again.

I might have screamed, but my brain barely registered anything when the wave of pleasure finally came and washed over my body. My thighs trapped her arm between them as I jerked and humped her hand.

Just as the pleasure was beginning to calm, Charlotte rubbed my clit again, and another wave crashed into me. I heard myself moan and cry out her name through the ringing in my ears, and as my elbow gave out on me, I collapsed on top of her.

Charlotte rolled us over, and finally removed her hand and wrapped her arm around me as I trembled. She pressed soft kisses against my shoulder, and when my body had calmed down enough for me to think clearly again, I turned my head and captured her lips with mine.

She rested her fingers, still wet with my cum, on my cheek as her tongue gently danced with mine.

"I like making you cum," Charlotte hummed against my lips.

I pulled away with a soft laugh, and she grinned happily. "I like you making me cum."

Charlotte giggled.

"Are you sure you've never done this with anyone else before?" I teased.

She faked an offended gasp. "Are you calling me a liar?"

"I just can't believe you made me cum like that when you've never cummed with anyone else before."

She shrugged. "Guys are just... I don't know. I've never really enjoyed sex before."

Charlotte laid down on her arm. I scanned her face, but she looked so nonchalant as if this feeling was normal to her. I supposed that it was since she had spent all these years having sex for men's pleasure and never receiving it in return.

"Have you ever thought that maybe..." Hesitating, I laid down beside her, and her brows furrowed as she waited for me to finish my question. I blew out a breath. "Maybe you aren't into men?"

"I'm attracted to men, though."

"Right." I chewed on my lip in thought. "But like, you've never enjoyed sex with them."

"Maybe the guys I've been with just weren't good." She shrugged. "And you obviously are. You have a lot of experience."

A pang shot through my chest, and I sat up.

Charlotte propped herself up on an elbow and frowned. "Hey, what's wrong?"

She wasn't wrong. I had slept with many women before, but the way she said it... it felt a lot like she was implying that I slept around a lot.

Which, maybe, she wasn't wrong about that either. Since she came back into my life, she already saw me having casual sexual relationships with three different women, and now she and I were having one too.

And maybe that was why she only wanted to keep it casual with me because I wasn't relationship material.

"Jess?" She gently touched my shoulder and pulled me out of my thoughts.

I shook my head and forced out a smile. "You're right. Maybe you just haven't found the right guy."

Her face relaxed into a smile again. "Yeah, exactly."

"But you enjoy sex with me," I pointed out and gauged her reaction.

Charlotte's smile remained as her gaze dipped to my lips. "You're my best friend, and you make me feel good. I feel comfortable with you, and I trust you."

My stomach tightened.

I wanted to tell her that best friends don't typically sleep together, especially if one of them was so-called straight, but I didn't want to shatter the glass she had around herself. Charlotte obviously wasn't ready to confront that part of herself, and I wasn't going to push her, considering this was all still new to her.

"Jess?"

I looked at her.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked.

Pushing out a smile, I leaned in and kissed her. Charlotte responded softly, and I felt her fingers reach back up to cradle my neck.

"I'm okay," I murmured and guided her back down as I leaned over her. "It's your turn to cum for me."

Her breath hitched, and my smile was genuine now. Despite everything, I loved how she responded to me. I slowly slid a hand down her body, traced the curve of her hips, settled it on her thighs, and my fingers curled in as I gripped it.

Charlotte's lips broke away, and she pushed her hips against mine. My lips moved down, and I sucked on her neck gently.

"Jess," she groaned as her nails dug into my hips with need.

I let go of her thigh and shifted my hand to her pulsing mound. Charlotte sucked in a breath as she waited, but I merely grazed her lips with my fingers, and her hips jerked upwards again as the breath left her.

"Please," she whispered.

My kisses trailed down to her breasts. "You sound so sexy when you beg."

Her fingers dug deeper into my skin, and I responded by sliding a finger through her wet slit. Charlotte let out a soft whimper that made my chest swell. Sucking on her nipple, I swirled my tongue around it.

"Oh my," she moaned. "Jess, fuck me."

My finger slid all the way in and pressed against her clit as it slid back out. Charlotte thrusted her hips in rhythm, small moans falling out of her mouth. Her body squeezed my finger tightly, but she was so drenched that my finger glided in and out easily. I added a second finger, and Charlotte's hands moved down to grip my ass. My teeth grazed her nipple, and she threw her head back as her body lurched.

"Fuck!" she exclaimed.

Releasing her nipple, I glanced up at her blissful face -- eyes closed and lips parted -- and chuckled.

"I didn't know you had such a dirty mouth," I said, and her eyes snapped open again. "Is it just for me, or are you always like this in bed?"

Charlotte's pupils were blown as she intensely burned her gaze into me. "It's just for you, Jess. It--" I curled my fingers inside of her, and she threw her head back. "FUCK!"

Her arms tightened around me as her breaths grew heavier, and I felt her walls flex around my fingers.

"I'm gonna cum," she gasped. "I'm gonna cum I'm gonna cum I'm gon--"

I withdrew my fingers before she could cum, and Charlotte screamed out in frustration. I covered her lips with mine, and she tried to roll me over onto my back for control as she hungrily sucked on my tongue. I pushed her back down on the bed, and she groaned against my mouth.

"How long do you think you can hold out?" I asked as I pulled my lips away, throwing her question back in her face.

Charlotte narrowed her eyes, and my lips stretched into a smirk. She opened her mouth to retort, no doubt, but I slid my fingers back into her, and a moan left it instead. She shuddered against me, and her head fell back against the bed as she clutched me again.

"Jess, I want to cum," she pleaded.

"You will," I chuckled and pressed a kiss against her chest, between her breasts. "I'll take care of you, Princess. All you have to do is hold out for as long as you can for me."

She whimpered softly and thrusted her hips faster in the hopes of finding relief, but I kept my strokes slow and deep.

Soon enough, I felt her walls pulsing faster, and as she screamed out my name, I withdrew my fingers again. Charlotte's fingers dragged down my back, scraping against the scratches from earlier tonight and creating new ones. Gritting against the pain, I buried my face into her chest.

"I need to cum!" she cried out. "Jess!"

My fingers slid back into her sopping folds, and I pumped them faster this time. Charlotte screamed as she thrusted against my hand, and her fingers dug deeper into my back.

"Fuck, Charlotte," I exhaled sharply. "You're hur--"

Her screams grew louder and drowned out my pained gasps. As the orgasm finally hit her, my back found relief when her fingers released my skin, and she wrapped her arms around my body instead. I nuzzled my face into the crook of her neck and sucked it gently as she writhed and came on my fingers.

"Oh god," she panted. "I can't -- oh, fuck."

"Way better than cumming by yourself, right?" I chuckled.

"So much better," she admitted with a huff.

My fingers were still inside her, but I began to move them again. Charlotte let out a low moan, and her eyes fluttered close again. I felt her arms slide back down to my ass, and remembering how painful she was clutching onto me earlier, I quickly sat up and pulled my fingers out.

Her eyes snapped open. "Why'd you--"

"Turn onto your stomach."

Excitement filled Charlotte's eyes, and she quickly rolled onto her stomach.

"So eager," I teased and ran my hand down the crease on her back. She thrusted her hips back against my hand. I palmed her ass, and then slid my body down against her back.

"Touch me," she demanded.

I moved my hand in between her legs and drew a finger along her slit. She jerked with a sharp gasp.

Charlotte pushed back against me. "Please, Jess."

The way she moaned my name, low and hoarse and dripping with desire, filled my chest and sent it throbbing. Obliging, I slid two fingers back inside of her, and she buried her face into the pillow with a soft groan.

"You're so sexy on your knees," I whispered in her ear, and she moaned into the pillow. "How long have you wanted this, Princess?"

Charlotte turned her head on the pillow, her face scrunched up in pleasure. "I-I don't --" A loud moan escaped her lips when I quickened my fingers. "Oh fuck, that night at the beach."

I thought back to that night. My mind immediately landed on the moment when we had almost kissed before the waves came up and interrupted.

But then, Charlotte said, "When I found out you and Liv were sleeping together."

A jolt of surprise shot through me, and my fingers stopped. Charlotte groaned and thrusted her hips in need. Shaking myself out of the surprise, I moved my fingers again but slower.

"Were you jealous?" I questioned.

"I didn't think this was possible," she moaned. "For us to be like this as friends until I found out about you and Liv."

My fingers stopped again. "That wasn't the question, Charlotte."

She shook her head and buried it deeper into the pillow and her hips thrusted back against my hand. I kept my fingers still inside her and pushed myself firmly down on her back to keep her still.

"Jess," she whimpered.

"Were you jealous?" I asked again and waited, my breath as still as my body.

Charlotte turned her face out of the pillow, and her eyes parted open to reveal the pure desire, along with a little bit of hesitance.

Then I heard her swallow before she quietly answered, "Yes."

I thrusted my fingers inside of her, and Charlotte cried out as her eyes fluttered closed again. Leaning down, I kissed her, and she responded eagerly. In this position, it was all lips and messy with her writhing and panting, but it might have been the best kiss of my life. I trailed my lips over to suck on her ear.

"Were you jealous when Laura and I kissed on stage?"

"Yes," she admitted breathlessly. "I hated it."

"You wanted me for yourself?" I thrusted faster. "That's why you marked me? You wanted everyone to see?"

"Uh huh," she moaned. "Jess, I'm so close."

"Before I went into the bathroom, a woman asked to get me a drink after the set," I said. Charlotte was squeezing my fingers tighter, and I knew that there were only seconds left before she came. Her moans grew louder, but still, I continued, "She was probably waiting for me at the bar while we fucked in the closet. Maybe she's still waiting now."

"Oh fuck!" Charlotte screamed out as her second orgasm rolled through her body, and my fingers felt her walls pulse and squeeze. "Oh Jess, I'm cumming!"

"Cum for me, Princess."

Her legs trembled against my arm, and her hips thrusted wildly with abandon. I kissed her shoulder gently, and slowly, her body began to relax.

Then, I eased myself off of her, planted a firm hand on her lower back, and continued to stroke my fingers in and out of her.

"Jess!" She squealed and then panted breathlessly into the pillow. I stroked faster and deeper. "What are you -- oh my god, I'm cumming again!"

Charlotte was dripping all over my hand, and when her juices flowed faster with her third orgasm, I felt it slide down my wrist. Charlotte's knees slid out beneath her, and she collapsed exhaustingly on her stomach as her body jerked.

"Jess," she sighed quietly, and my stomach fluttered. I slowly removed my fingers out of her, and she let out another trembling breath.

I laid down beside her and gently moved the hair that was matted to her face out of her way. Charlotte peeled her eyes open, and the smile she gave me was tired but genuine and relaxed.

"How was that for you?" I asked even though I already knew the answer.

Charlotte let out a breathy laugh. "So, so good."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she replied softly.

I leaned in and kissed her gently. Charlotte kissed me back just as gently, and she grabbed my arm and wrapped it around her hips. I scooted in closer and tightened my arms around her.

She broke away from the kiss to bury her face in my neck, and I pressed a kiss on top of her head.

"You're good at that," she murmured.

"What, sex?"

Charlotte didn't answer, and I realized why when a few seconds later, her breaths evened out. Smiling, I pressed another kiss to her head before I let the exhaustion take me out too.

-------------

The sun hadn't come out yet when I woke up to Charlotte sliding back into bed. She nestled back beside me, her skin still bare, and I smiled at the thought of her walking around my place with no clothes on.

"Sorry, did I wake you up?" she murmured against my chest, and the vibration shot a jolt down my stomach.

My body became too aware of her nakedness pressed against mine. I shifted on the bed.

Charlotte lifted her head off of my chest to peer up at my face with an amused smile. "Are you turned on right now?"

"No," I lied, but it came out in almost a groan that said otherwise.

She laughed softly and pressed a hand to my chest. "Let me take care of you."

My skin tingled with excitement. As Charlotte lifted the blanket off of us and started to slide down my body, I repressed the urge to let her and grasped her arm instead. She paused, and her gaze slid back up to meet mine.

I let out a small breath before asking, "Are you sure?"

Her face softened, and she nodded. "I want to." With that, I let go of her arm, and she smiled as she added, "I want to see what you taste like."

Fuck.

A shaky breath left me this time, and my head fell back against the pillow again. Charlotte resumed sliding down my body, and when I felt her breath hit my mound, I widened my legs more.

"I can see how wet you are," she marveled quietly.

"Charlotte," I couldn't help but groan.

"You're so beautiful," she said even quieter before I felt her fingers touch me.

Her warm breath grew closer, and my stomach tightened.

"I won't be as good, so just let me know if you want me to change something," she said.

My mouth opened to tell her that her experience didn't matter because it was her, and because it was Charlotte, I could cum with just the mere thought of her.

But then she placed her mouth over me, and what left my throat instead was a guttural moan. Charlotte extended her tongue, and I felt it slide in through my slit. She explored it slowly, her tongue moving up and down and sweeping across outside my folds.

I resisted the temptation to put my hand on her head and push her closer, and instead, I fisted the sheets tightly and rocked my hips slowly.

Charlotte began to build up the pace, and her tongue plunged deeper as she nodded her head up and down.

"That's --" I moaned. "Fuck, Charlotte, keep going."

She responded by sliding a finger into me while her tongue kept going. My stomach fluttered endlessly from the buildup, and when Charlotte found my clit, I gasped breathlessly. She must have noticed my reaction because her tongue swept back up and tapped my clit, and I jerked this time from the electric jolt that shot down my legs.

I couldn't resist anymore and let go of the sheets to slide my fingers through her hair.

"Faster," I urged desperately and gave her head a firm push.

Charlotte obliged to my relief. She flicked her tongue against the bulb and thrusted her fingers faster.

"Another finger," I gasped and then groaned when she slipped in another digit.

My hips moved faster in rhythm with her thrusts, and I felt myself slide against her mouth and nose. I knew her face was probably drenched with my juices, and the thought of that sent me closer to the edge. I pushed against the feeling, not wanting to cum yet.

"Charlotte, I'm close," I panted. "You're gonna make me cum."

She licked faster, and I felt her teeth graze my clit. I jerked. Then her teeth graze me again, and I knew that it was intentional this time. Breathless moans spilled out of my mouth as the orgasm broke through and flowed down my body. My thighs trapped her head as I rode her face, and Charlotte didn't stop licking me as I trembled.

She stroked and stroked. As my mound grew sensitive, I tried to push her head away, but then another orgasm rolled through my body. I cried out her name, and her tongue left me as she lifted her head to watch me. I forced my eyes to meet her, and god, her face was glistening with my wetness.

I collapsed back into a sweaty heap of post-orgasmic bliss, and my legs fell off of her to lay limply on either side of her. Charlotte slid her fingers out, and I groaned. I slowly blinked at the ceiling before my eyes grew too heavy and fluttered close.

Charlotte moved back up, and I felt her breath fan my face before her lips touched mine. I tasted myself through the kiss and felt some of my juices on her face touch mine.

Feeling slowly returned to my body, and I rolled us over. Charlotte's eyes parted at the same time as mine, and she smiled.

"I did good?" she asked, and with the way her eyes glinted, I knew she already knew the answer.

"You were amazing," I answered anyway. "Ten out of ten, would fuck again."

She laughed, and I let myself enjoy it for a moment before I kissed her again.

-------------------

The next time I woke up again, there was daylight, but Charlotte was no longer in bed. I stared at the ceiling for a few moments as I waited for a sound or anything to indicate her presence, but there was nothing.

Disappointment filled me, but I shoved it down as I sat up. This was a friends with benefits situation, nothing more. I couldn't let myself expect anything more.

Yet, it was Saturday, which meant she didn't have work to rush to, which meant she just wanted to leave before I woke up. That thought left me with a feeling of dread.

Was she regretting it again?

I forced myself to leave the bed and grabbed my phone to check my notifications. I paused when I saw a couple of messages from Charlotte.

Charlotte: Hey, I went to go check on Liv before she left. You looked so peaceful I didn't want to wake you up.

Charlotte: I had a very good time last night, and I don't regret anything.

Charlotte: I just wanted to let you know in case you panic when you don't see me.

Charlotte: Tell Noah I said hi.

Charlotte: Should I come over later?

The grin on my face was probably astronomical. I fell back on the bed and read her messages over and over again as my stomach fluttered.

Then I began to reply to her string of messages with my own.

Jess: no worries at all. Tell Liv and Laura I said to have a safe drive.

Jess: I'm glad to know you had a good time

Jess: you should definitely come over

I forced myself to drop the phone before I obsessed over her messages again and dressed myself again in yesterday's clothes. I fully intended on leaving my phone on the bed to go brush up, but the phone rang before I left the room. Without thinking, I launched myself onto the bed and picked up the call.

"Hello?" I said breathlessly.

"Hey, you." Charlotte's teasing tone skyrocketed my heart, and I sprawled out on the bed. It sounded like she was in a car.

"Hey, you, back," I replied, trying to sound casual and not like someone who almost broke her back trying to pick up the phone call.

Charlotte laughed softly. "I just got your messages, and I just wanted to let you know..."

I rolled my eyes at the dramatic pause. "Yes?"

"Well, Jess, I wanted to let you know that I know that you were a little worried."

"I was not!"

Charlotte's laugh was louder this time. "I was only teasing, but you sound so offended that I know I was right."

"You're manipulative," I huffed, not even bothering to hide it anymore because Charlotte knew me so well anyway. The thought of that made me grin.

Charlotte's laughter faded, and her voice sobered into seriousness as she reiterated, "I really don't regret anything last night. I like what we did, and I want it to continue if you do as well."

My stomach couldn't stop fluttering. Cradling the phone in both hands, I turned onto my side in the hopes of relieving it.

"I'm on the same page as you, Princess."

"Good," Charlotte sighed in relief. "Now that we got that out of the way... what time does Noah get back?"

I glanced at the time on the phone before answering, "Later in the afternoon, around three or four."

"Cool," she said, and I heard the gear shift crank in the background. "Because that leaves us four hours to do whatever we want."

I jerked up. "You're back already?"

There was the sound of the car slamming shut, and I immediately jumped out of bed and headed towards the door.

"You haven't showered yet, have you?" Charlotte asked instead. "I was hoping we could --"

I flung the front door open just as she arrived at the door. We both stared at each other, phone pressed to our ears. She was still dressed in yesterday's clothes, which meant she hadn't stopped anywhere else after leaving my place to see Liv off. Which also meant...

"No, I haven't showered," I finally answered.

Charlotte's grin stretched wider. Lowering the phone, she stepped towards me. "You still have my lipstick all over you."

Meeting her halfway, I pulled her inside by her shirt. Our lips messily found each other's, and just like yesterday, we tore each other's clothes off and fumbled around the apartment as we made our way to the bathroom.

"Sorry," she giggled when we bumped into the hallway table.

I merely kissed her harder and tossed her bra aside. By the time we made it into the bathroom, we only had our underwear left, and when I pulled away to turn on the shower, Charlotte shimmied out of hers and kicked them aside. Testing the water temperature with my fingers, I glanced over at her and devoured her hungrily with my gaze.

Grinning, Charlotte bit down on her lip and held my gaze as she lowered herself down to her knees. She ran her hands down my body to rest it on the hem of my underwear, and I held my breath.

"I want to taste you again," she said.

My breath got stuck in my throat, and Charlotte broke her gaze to pull down my underwear and buried her face in between my legs.

I gripped the shower door. "Oh, fuck, Charlotte!"

She moaned something into my mound, and the vibration choked out the rest of my words. Charlotte draped one of my legs over her shoulder and reached in deeper with her tongue. Meanwhile, I held on tightly to the door as my legs felt like it was about to give out at any moment.

"Water's gonna get cold," I managed to say.

Charlotte licked me faster, and her fingers dug into my thigh as she gripped them tight. Flutters crept up in my stomach and grew.

"I'm c-cl-"

Her tongue withdrew from me, and she stood up. Before I could react, Charlotte kissed me hard and backed me into the shower. Water rained over our bodies, and I distantly heard the shower door closed. A moment later, Charlotte's fingers slid over my folds, and she rubbed it back and forth slowly before sliding two digits in.

My mouth fell away from hers, and I buried my face into her neck. She pinned me against the wall, and I rubbed myself harder against her fingers, seeking more friction. She obliged, palming me and rubbing slower but harder.

"Charlotte," I choked out and threw my head back. Water glided into my mouth, and I swallowed it all.

"I couldn't stop thinking about you," she whispered against my ear, and I clutched her desperately as the pressure in my stomach grew. "I almost didn't leave bed this morning, and even after I left, I almost turned the car around so many times."

"You should have," I found myself saying without thinking. Her fingers, her breath against my ear, her words. It was so much, and I just wasn't thinking at all as I continued, "I was scared when I didn't see you. I thought you might have regretted everything."

As soon as all of that left my mouth, dread bottomed out my stomach. My hips slowed as worry filled my mind. I had said too much, revealed too much.

But Charlotte's fingers continued to thrust into me, and she pressed a kiss under my ear. "I can never regret you, Jess."

The pleasure returned to me full-send, and it didn't take long afterwards for me to cum. With her fingers still in me, I spun us around to pin her against the wall and kissed her like my life depended on it. It very well might have with how much she made me feel.

"I knew you were worried," she teased when we pulled away.

Laughing, I gently pinched her hips. "Of course you did. You know me more than most."

Her lips stretched into a satisfied grin, and she picked up the bottle of shampoo. "Turn around. I want to wash your hair."

"Only if you promise I can wash yours."

Charlotte rolled her eyes but nodded before she nudged me around. I began to smile until I heard her let out a sharp gasp.

I half-turned. "What's wrong?"

"Did I do this?" she whispered, and a moment later, I felt her fingers tentatively skim my back. A stinging pain struck my skin, and I winced. She quickly withdrew her fingers, and I spun around and grabbed her hand before she could leave. Guilty eyes met mine.

"I'm okay." I gave her a genuine smile, but she didn't look reassured at all. Instead, she broke her gaze, and I placed a finger under her chin and tilted her head back up. "Charlotte, I promise I'm okay. In fact, I'd let you fuck up my back over and over again if I could make you cum like that every time."

She frowned, and I resisted the urge to kiss her soft lips. "But I don't want to mess up your back. I don't ever want to hurt you."

With words like that, she was making it so damn hard to tamper down my feelings. Warmth exploded through my chest, and every bit of my resistance fell as I cupped her cheeks and pulled her in. My lips found hers, and relief filled me when she responded.

"You could hurt me over and over again, and I'll still be here," I murmured against her perfect mouth. Those were dangerous words filled with dangerous feelings, but Charlotte didn't pull away.

Instead, she placed a hand on my hip and stepped even closer. Her lips grazed my bottom one, her breath shallow and hot. "I won't hurt you."

Her words sounded too much like a promise, and when she squeezed my hip, it felt like one too. My heart felt like it wanted to wretch itself out of my chest.

Recapturing my lips again, she swept her tongue across my bottom lip, and I parted my lips for her.

For Charlotte, I would give every bit of myself to her, and I had the feeling that I already had.

"Turn around," she whispered after pulling away.

I searched her gaze to make sure that everything was fine, that she was okay.

As if sensing my attempt, she stroked my cheek gently and smiled. "We're okay, Jess."

"Are you sure?" I continued to examine her face, but her smile didn't waver.

Laughing, she nodded. "I'm sure."

Reluctantly, I turned around again, and a moment later, I felt her fingers slide into my hair, lathering cool shampoo into it. Almost immediately, my body sagged against hers, and I felt her press a kiss against my shoulder. My stomach twisted in knots at the intimacy.

This arrangement with her was going to break me when it ended, but I couldn't find the will to stop. I wanted her so much, and I would have her in any way she let me. I would have her until she cut me off completely.

------------------

Hours after, I was making us some sandwiches for brunch while Charlotte sat on a stool, watching and keeping me company.

Makeup-less and dressed in one of my running shorts and oversized graphic tees, she was the picture of casual, and she looked even more beautiful if possible. Her hair, dry now, was loose around her shoulders. I ran my gaze over her hair, remembering how soft it felt when my fingers slid through them.

"You're staring," she pointed out amusedly.

"Well, when I have a beautiful woman in front of me, it's impossible not to," I threw back and grinned when her cheeks flushed pink.

Jess, one. Charlotte, zero.

Never one to lose though, Charlotte retorted, "I bet you'd say that about any woman you've slept with."

There was the familiar tinge of jealousy in her tone, and I smirked. "Only the ones with blonde hair and these gorgeous hazel eyes that look sexier when she's jealous."

A breath escaped her, and she bit down on her lip. Pausing my work on the sandwiches, I slowly walked towards her, and her eyes narrowed defiantly.

"How many women have worn your clothes?" she huffed.

Reaching her, I spun the stool around for her to face me fully and let my hands rest on her hips. "No one wears them as perfectly as you do."

Charlotte chewed harder on her lips, no doubt a way to restrain herself, but I caught her gaze dip before she quickly forced them back up.

"You didn't answer the question," she said stubbornly.

"I don't want to talk about other women when I'm with you."

Her eyes flashed. "So you'll talk about them when I'm not around then?"

God, she was relentless and so incredibly sexy.

"Charlotte, please shut up." My breath was nearly gone from how much I wanted to kiss her. Her eyes lit with fire, but before she could scold me for telling her to shut up, I leaned in and kissed her.

She grabbed my shirt, and her fingers twisted into it as she pulled me closer. I stumbled forward in between her legs, and her other hand reached under my shirt to run her fingers across my skin.

"No one kisses me like you do," I admitted.

She pulled her lips away, only to place them against my neck and suck my skin between her teeth. I knew it would bruise, and I let her.

"I thought you weren't going to talk about other women around me," she murmured.

Pausing, I pulled back, and her eyes slid up to meet mine. Amusement danced in them, and I breathed out a sigh of relief.

Jess, one. Charlotte, one.

"So much clothes in the way," she groaned as her lips fell against my neck again. She tugged at my shirt, and I laughed.

"I bet I could make you cum with your clothes on," I mused.

Her lips paused against my skin. "Is that a challenge?"

Motivated to move the scoreboard in my favor again, I let my hand drift down in between her legs and gripped her thigh.

"You can't touch me there, though," she whispered, her lips gliding across my collarbone. "That's cheating."

"Where?" I teased and slid my hand further up.

"You know where."

"You're gonna have to be more specific. Use your adult words, babe."

Her breathing was growing heavier, and her lips faltered against my skin. I heard her swallow, and she shifted in the seat. I knew she wanted to close her legs and trap my hand there. I knew she wanted my hand higher.

"I like it when you call me that," she panted softly, her voice almost at a whimper.

"What, babe?"

Charlotte nodded in response. I drew my fingers down her thigh, and she shifted again.

"Do you want to cum for me, babe?" I enunciated the endearment in her ear, making sure she felt every breath of the word coming from my mouth.

Charlotte grabbed my hand and guided it higher until it rested over her crotch. Even with two layers, I could feel her drenching.

"Touch me, please," she pleaded softly. "Touch my pussy, cunt, whatever you want me to call it. I want to cum for you, Jess."

Smiling, I began to do just that, rubbing her slowly over her shorts, giving her the friction she so desperately needed. She moaned quietly, her hand twisting my shirt even more.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"Fuck," I cursed softly, gentling my fingers to a stop. "It's Noah."

Charlotte let out a disappointed groan but released my shirt and tilted her head up to glare at me.

"We'll continue this later." I gave her an apologetic peck on the lips, but before I could rush off towards the door, she slid off the stool and pulled me back for a firmer kiss.

"Go," she murmured after pulling away, her lips stretching into a soft smile. "I'll finish making the sandwiches, and I'll make Noah one too."

Pausing, I half-turned. "Oh, he doesn't like --"

"Mayo," Charlotte finished with a wink. "Mustard, right?"

"Right." Heart pounding, I was tempted to kiss her again, but she was already walking over to the fridge to get the mustard. She tossed a smile over her shoulder, and I stepped towards her.

But then the doorbell rang again.

"Coming!" I shouted, shooting Charlotte another apologetic grimace. Laughing, she shoo'ed me off, and I finally left for the door.

As soon as I opened it, Noah lunged forward, and already expecting it, I bent down and scooped him up.

"Oh god, you're so heavy now!" I laughed.

"Mom, I'm too old to be picked up!" he whined but wrapped his arms firmly around me.

"Honey, you're never too old." I set him back down, and he rolled his eyes.

"You say that now until I'm taller with muscles."

I lifted a brow. "Muscles? Honey, you don't even like going on walks with me."

He scowled, his face adorable as it scrunched up. "That's because you walk too fast, Mom."

I burst out laughing again just as Robert and Dylan came up the steps. Robert was carrying what looked like to be a brown mixed lab, who despite his three legs and malnourished body, was panting happily. My heart melted immediately.

"Hi, Jess!" Dylan greeted happily.

"Hey, Dylan. Did you have fun on your trip?" I asked as I led them inside.

"Oh yeah! We rescued Nox, which was pretty cool."

"That is pretty cool," I said, and he beamed proudly.

"Hey, Jess." Robert smiled sheepishly as he gently set Nox down on the living room floor. "Thanks for taking him in. I wish I could, but my tenant --"

"It's okay, Rob. Honestly, I'm happy to take him in," I reassured him with a pat on his shoulder, and he sighed in relief. My eyes fell on Nox, who remained still in one spot, sniffing around the air. His eyes landed on me, and his mouth opened in a happy pant again. "He's adorable."

"I told you, you would love him," Noah gloated.

"You know, I don't remember asking for your opinion, mister."

Smiling innocently, he reached out to pet Nox, and I carefully scooted forward and did the same. Nox turned his head to sniff my hand, and I let him. Then he gave it a lick, and I laughed.

Footsteps entered the living room, and Charlotte's voice rang out, "He's more adorable than he is in the photos."

Noah jumped to his feet, and Nox jerked. "Charlotte, you're here!"

Smiling, Charlotte threw her arms out. "I'm here."

Noah rushed forward to hug her, and I grinned. Beside me, Robert stood up and nudged for Dylan to do the same.

"Hey, I'm Robert. This is my son, Dylan" He stretched his hand out, and Charlotte shook it politely, her eyes flickering to me for a brief moment.

"I'm Charlotte," was all she said to him, and I glanced between them warily. Then Charlotte looked over at Dylan, who shyly stepped closer to his dad. "You're Noah's best friend, right? He told me you rescued him from some bullies a while back."

"They were being mean, and I don't like mean people," Dylan answered quietly.

Robert's face softened as he looked at his son, and my chest tightened at the memory of his messy divorce and how his wife had treated him throughout their entire relationship.

As if sensing the tension, Nox licked my hand again, and I rubbed him gently.

"Well, if you ever need anything, you let us know, and we'll take care of it," Charlotte said, her voice serious and threatening. "Any friend of Jess and Noah is a friend of mine."

I stifled a laughter, and her gaze trailed over to me.

"Um, thanks," Robert answered awkwardly.

"Would you guys like to come over later for dinner?" I asked, changing the subject entirely. "I know you both need to unpack, and you're going to be too tired to cook. I'm making lasagna tonight."

Robert's smile returned as he nodded. "Sure. That'd be great, Jess. Thanks." Then he slung an arm over Dylan's shoulders. "We should head back and unpack. I'll text you."

Nodding, we said our goodbyes, and they headed out. Noah wanted to play with Nox, but I managed to convince him to go upstairs to shower instead.

"And then I can play with him after?" he asked.

"I even brought him some new toys," I answered.

He practically ran upstairs afterwards, and as I laughed, Charlotte wrapped her arms around me from behind. A second later, her breath warmed my ear as she whispered, "Lasagna, huh?"

Smiling, I tilted my head back, and she gently nibbled on my ear. "Yeah, is that a problem?"

She hummed, sending a ticklish vibration through my ear, and I jerked. Her arms tightened around me.

"I don't remember being invited for lasagna," she murmured.

"I didn't think you required an invitation."

"Why not?" Her lips trailed down to rest against the side of my neck, and she kissed it so softly it was teasing. "Is Robert more special than me?"

"No one is more special than you. Well, except Noah and Nox," I breathed out with a laugh. She rewarded my response with a firmer kiss against my neck. "But you're always welcome here. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, late night snack. I always want you here, Charlotte."

She pulled away just slightly to turn me around. My breath got caught in my throat when I saw the dark sultry look in her eyes, which dipped down to my lips.

"Good," Charlotte whispered before she grabbed my shirt and pulled me down to kiss her.

There was a possessiveness in the way she kissed me, similar to when we were in the bar's bathroom. Charlotte backed me until my legs hit the couch, and we fell on top of it.

"Nox is watching," I said but moaned when she traced my lips with her tongue.

Like a woman possessed, I flipped her around until she was on her back, and Charlotte's face was smug as she smirked up at me. She ran her finger along my collarbone, her eyes never leaving mine.

"What happened to Nox watching?" she teased.

Lifting up her shirt just a little, I drew patterns on her stomach, and her eyes flashed with want before fluttering shut. She arched her hips up for more. My eyes dipped to her throat, and I watched, transfixed, as it moved when she swallowed.

My hand moved lower, dipping just slightly past the hem of her shorts. My shorts. On her body.

My sex ached at the thought.

"Jess," she moaned lowly and grabbed my hand to push it lower. "I need --"

"Mom, I can't find my Camp Hannock shirt!"

We both froze, and Charlotte's panting guttered to a stop. Her eyes slowly parted with so much apprehension that I couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny?" she whispered as she glanced behind me towards the stairs, and her face flushed red.

My lips stretched wide into a grin, and I pulled away from Charlotte to sit up. Without looking away from her, I shouted a reply to Noah. "I'll come up in a few to help look!"

He shouted a muffled, "Okay!"

Charlotte covered her face with her hands and groaned into them. "Oh my god. I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Nothing's wrong with you."

"I can't keep my hands off you. I feel like I'm going insane, Jess."

"All it took was some orgasms to turn you into a sex bunny," I chuckled.

She dropped her hands to shoot me a glare. "You broke me."

My next laughter was loud, and her glare hardened as she pushed herself up and pulled her knees towards her chest.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," I apologized but couldn't stop grinning. Charlotte's glare continued to burn into me, and I tried to bite down on as much of my grin as possible and scooted closer to her. "Charlotte, I can't keep my hands off you either."

"Now, you're just mocking me," she muttered, breaking her gaze.

"I'm not!" Scooting closer, I rested a hand on her knee, and she reluctantly turned to me again. "You drive me crazy. I can't stop thinking about kissing you, touching you." I let my hand slide down her thigh and parted her legs. She sucked in a breath, but her eyes didn't break from mine. "I'm glad it isn't just me."

"Yeah?"

Smiling, I nodded. "Yeah."

She gnawed on her bottom lip for a few seconds before releasing them and said, "I want to stay for lasagna."

"I was under the impression that you were."

"Well, you never asked."

"Was my answer earlier not enough?"

She tilted her head away, feigning indignation, and I smirked.

Letting my hand drift lower between her legs, I leaned in and whispered, "Charlotte, will you please, please, please stay for dinner?"

A coy smile stretched across her face. "I thought you'd never ask."

Laughing, I kissed her softly and felt her smile widened against my lips.

"Mom, are you coming!"

Breaking away, Charlotte laughed as I groaned.

"Coming!" I shouted back.

"Duty calls," she teased and nudged me away before I was tempted again, and I was very much still tempted.

"Fine," I huffed and slid off of the couch. "But you are staying after dinner, so I can make up for all of these distractions?"

Her smile was too soft as she nodded. "I'll stay."

Heart racing, I turned towards the stairs and was halfway there when an entertaining thought crossed my mind. I turned back to Charlotte, who lifted a questioning brow.

"You really suck at talking to kids, don't you?"

Her eyes lit with real indignation this time. "What? I talk to Noah just fine!"

Smiling, I shrugged. "Noah's Noah. He's more mature than most, but you treated that whole conversation with Dylan like it was a business meeting."

"I did not!"

"I honestly thought you were going to pull out your business card."

"Really?" Her cheeks flushed red again, and she groaned. "That's so embarrassing."

"I wouldn't have you any other way, Charlotte."

"I don't want to stay for dinner anymore."

"Oh, you're staying." I shot her a playful glare. "You're going to enjoy my lasagna, make business talk with Dylan, and then spend the entire night in my bed."

"The entire night, huh?"

"All the way into the morning."

Before Charlotte could reply, Noah called for me again, but I caught a glimpse of her pleased smile before I finally left.

-------------------

Charlotte had helped me with some of the cooking before she left to help Noah teach Nox some commands. Curious, I popped my head out of the kitchen to check on them a few times, and the sight of them laughing and playing together sent my heart reeling each time.

It terrified me how natural Charlotte fit into the picture and how good it felt to have her around. What happened when she decided that she wanted to go back to just being friends? Could I go back to that? Could I pretend like I didn't know how her lips fitted against mine and how she liked to be cuddled when she slept?

When Robert and Dylan returned, I pushed all of those thoughts to the back of my head and locked them. There was no use trying to imagine a future that was impossible.

Dinner had gone surprisingly well. The boys spent most of it telling us about their trip. Even though the storm ruined most of their plans, finding Nox seemed to have made up for it. Dylan seemed just as close to Nox as Noah was, and I promised him that he could come see him as often as he wanted, which prompted Robert to shoot me a grateful smile from across the table.

Charlotte was still stiff as she attempted to talk to Dylan, but when they both found out that they were both sci-fi nerds, the conversation came naturally. She was still talking to them about the alien film series she had watched with Noah weeks ago as Robert and I cleared the table.

"I'm beginning to think the boys want to replace us with her," Robert joked as he helped me wash the dishes.

Laughing, I bumped my shoulder with his. "You should see her when she talks about Captain Janus."

His jaw fell open. "You're kidding."

"Nope. She read the comics and everything."

"Are you sure she's not an AI sent here to replace us?"

I let my voice drop to feign worry. "You know, I don't think I've ever seen her sleep. I think she spends all that time gathering information on science fiction and kids comics."

A laugh rumbled out of his chest, and I leaned back, grinning.

"How did you two meet anyway?" he asked.

I glanced over at him, but he seemed nonchalant as he rinsed the dish I handed over.

"We knew each other from high school, but I lost touch with her after I moved here."

From the corner of my eyes, I saw his hand paused, and he turned to look at me. Rather than meet his gaze, I continued to keep my eyes on the dishes.

"You've never talked about your life before you moved here," he said.

I shrugged offhandedly. "There's nothing worth talking about."

My chest squeezed tightly at the lie, and I hoped that he would drop the conversation.

Thankfully, Robert seemed to have understood, and he quickly changed the topic. "I met someone."

Dropping the bowl I was washing, I spun to look at him, and he smiled amusedly.

"When? Where?"

"It was at my support group. She joined a few weeks ago, and we've gotten coffee together a few times." His cheeks pinked, and he cleared his throat. "I'm getting dinner with her tomorrow night."

I grinned happily. "What's she like?"

His eyes lit up. "She's really quiet until you talk to her, and then she's like, the funniest person ever. She's really nice too, and not just in a polite way. She's always jumping in to help around our group without expecting anything in return. I've never met anyone like her, Jess."

"It seems like you really like her."

"I really do." His expression was soft as he smiled down at the sink.

"I'm really glad you met someone." I bumped my shoulder against his again, and he chuckled.

"What about Charlotte?"

I paused. "What about her?"

Robert's brows furrowed. "Aren't you two..."

Heat flooded my cheeks, and I turned away from his questioning gaze. "No, um, we're not really together."

"Oh, I'm sorry," he stammered. "It's just you two seemed close, so I thought... you know what, forget I said anything."

"It's alright," I muttered.

I could sense that he wanted to say something, but before he could, I quickly stepped away from the sink and wiped my hands on the towel.

"I'm gonna go check on the boys if you don't mind finishing up here?"

Robert smiled tentatively but nodded. "I got it."

"Thanks." I spun on my heels and strode out of the kitchen, only to find Charlotte standing in the hallway, getting off of a phone call.

Her eyes widened for just a second before her expression relaxed, and a coolness settled over it.

"Everything okay?" I asked.

She gave a single nod, and the smile she gave me was too tight and didn't light up her eyes at all.

"I have to head back to Atlanta for an emergency board meeting," she stated.

"When?"

"I'm leaving tomorrow morning."

"How long will you be away?"

"I don't know."

I frowned. There was something off with her tone. She sounded too indifferent.

"Charlotte, is everything really okay?" I asked, taking a step towards her, but she shook her head and backed away. Something was definitely wrong. I swallowed tightly as my stomach tightened uncomfortably. "Please talk to me."

For a moment, it seemed like she was about to do just that. Her lips parted, and her face softened for just a second. And then her expression hardened again, and she took another step back.

"I have to go home and pack," she said instead.

"You said you were going to stay the night," I reminded, not caring how desperate I sounded.

"That was before I got the phone call," she said too coldly. "I have other responsibilities too and a life outside of you."

Her words shot a sharp pang through my chest, and I flinched. The pain deepened, twisting and burrowing deeper inside, and I broke my gaze away from her cold ones.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I didn't think," I said quietly. My eyes stung with oncoming tears, but I blinked rapidly, trying to force them back. "I... thanks for coming to dinner and talking to the boys."

Then I brushed past her and quickly made my way to my room. As soon as I closed the door, I pressed myself against it and slid down to the floor. The tears came all at once, and I pressed a hand to my mouth silence the cries.

I was stupid to think there was anything more. The way she touched me and tightened her hold on me like I was hers only... I had hoped even though I told myself not to. Reality had broke in to set me straight, to remind me that I had reached too high for something that would never be.

There was a gentle knock on the door, and I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself not to cry any harder.

Then Charlotte's voice came from the other side. "Jess, I have to go."

I didn't trust myself to respond. I didn't think I could even form a coherent word.

"I'll text you," she said after a while, and a moment later, her footsteps faded away from the door.

As my tears came out faster, a single thought kept pounding over and over again inside my head.

Charlotte left.