Broken Truth (7 page)

“Thanks for smashing yet
another
frigging vase.” She rolled her eyes playfully at the smashed porcelain and water covering the floor. She had lost count how many times he had smashed the centre piece in the foyer. “I’ll let you go and buy the next ornament,” she said, pushing her hands into the inside of his suit jacket.

In his haste to devour her body, Charlie noticed that Callum hadn’t even bothered to remove his jacket and tie. Casually she worked the jacket over his broad shoulders, allowing it to carelessly fall to the floor before her fingers moved to undo his tie. Loosening the fabric from around his neck, Charlie held it in front of his eyes before dropping it next to the already crumpled jacket.

Cocking his head to the side, Callum watched on with amusement as Charlie worked her way down the buttons of his shirt; she had her tongue stuck out in concentration.

 Releasing the final button, Charlie hurried to push it from his body, eager to reveal the taut and toned muscles that lay beneath. She licked her lips hungrily as the first flashes of his abdomen were shown.

Callum laughed as he shrugged out of the sleeves of his shirt. “Easy now,” he warned.

Charlie’s eyes danced wildly with fire and excitement for the man stood before her. From head to toe he was the perfect poster guy from any young girl’s fantasy. From the way he meticulously kept his black hair with the silver grey tints styled to perfection; to his well-groomed, dark, designer stubble that lightly dusted his well defined jaw; to his tall, lean and muscular body that was lightly tanned from his time outside supervising builds. He was the epitome of what Charlie considered perfection.

“Quit staring,” Callum laughed, neatly putting his shoes and socks on the floor before pulling off his trousers and boxers.

Flicking her eyes over his gloriously naked body, Charlie paused as her breath caught and a sudden rush of heat flooded her face and spread thighs. Placing a hand on both sides of the table next to her, she let her eyes drink in Callum’s very aroused and erect state.

“Fuck me,” she demanded.

His eyes widened momentarily with surprise at her unusual boldness before the darkness slowly crept back in. “Lie back,” he commanded, roughly gripping her legs. “If fucking is want you want, then I am more than happy to oblige, Baby.”

Six

“Wake up, Baby.” Callum lightly nudged Charlie with his elbow.

Stretching her arms above her head, she lazily opened her eyes to see the fuzzy frame of Callum looming over her. “Glasses,” she mumbled, turning her head towards the bedside table.

“Here,” he smiled, putting them on for her before leaning back to sit cross legged on the bed.

 His early morning happiness had her feeling a little wary. It wasn’t like Callum to be awake first, and it certainly wasn’t like him to be this upbeat and perky.

“You’re awfully happy this morning?” She nodded curiously towards his dimpled cheeks and rather large smirk. “Should I be worried?”

“Am I not allowed to get up early and make my beautiful girlfriend a cup of tea?” he shrugged, leaning across to pick up the steaming mug from the bedside table.

Taking the mug from him, Charlie eyed Callum suspiciously. “Ummm... Thanks?”

“You’re welcome.”

Something was definitely up, Charlie could sense it. The fact that he had made her a drink in bed was evidence enough. She couldn’t remember the last time he had made her a cup of tea, let alone bring it upstairs.

Partly this was her own fault and she knew it. As a tea-o-holic, she had very particular standards when it came to her drinks. As for most Brits, tea played an important part of Charlie’s day, so she had to make sure that it was the right colour for her liking. With a weak tea tasting like a cup of wee and a strong builder’s tea tasting suicidal, it was all about the right shade for the right taste. Callum had attempted and failed on many occasions to make her tea correctly. In the end he just gave up due to her damn pickiness.

Taking a small sip, she was surprised that he had come so close. “Not bad,” she praised, taking another sip and putting it on the bedside table.

He grinned. “I made five bloody cups before I was satisfied.”

“Five?”

“Yep, the milk had gone funny. It wasn’t until cup number four that I actually realised this though.”

She laughed out loud.

“That’s fine. You sit there and laugh at my misfortune and pathetic tea making skills,” he pouted. “I was in that little Sainsbury’s down the road at seven thirty this morning buying fresh milk for you. I can’t even remember the last time I went into a supermarket like that with all the other early risers.”

She took in his tousled bed hair along with the black pyjama bottoms and plain white vest he wore to bed last night. Smiling to herself, Charlie lifted her mug and took another sip of her drink. The funniest image of Callum walking along Deansgate in his pyjamas popped into her head. Although she knew there was no way in hell that he would actually walk down the street in his pyjamas, the thought put her mind in a happy place for the time being.

“I know what you’re thinking,” he interrupted.

“Huh?”

“You’re thinking... Did he
actually
go out in public wearing his pyjamas?” He lifted a questioning eyebrow at her.

“Well,” she prompted, bringing her mug back to her lips. “Answer me the question, Mr Ellis. Did you go outside dressed like that?”

He paused and gauged her reaction before a beaming smile stretched across his beautifully sculpted lips. “Yes,” he answered as Charlie choked back the sip of tea she had just taken.

A warm glow lit her cheeks as she looked at him in surprise. To most, his gesture would appear small and insignificant, whereas for Charlie it was a step in the right direction.

After months of trying to get through to him, she finally felt like she was breaking down his walls and making progress. With such a privileged and wealthy lifestyle, Charlie was keen to ensure that Callum kept in touch with reality rather than expecting others to run around after him.

Brought up in life with a silver spoon in his mouth, Callum had never experienced life from the other side of society.

Born into a wealthy, upper-class family from London, he had received an upbringing not so similar to hers. Raised by a full-time nanny along with his two brothers, his childhood lacked the caring and love of a devoted mother. Instead of time and affection, he and his siblings were bought with lots and lots of gifts. The implications of his parent’s generosity contributed largely to his stiff and upper-class persona which she was hoping to change.

Coming from a struggling working class family in Manchester, Charlie had seen firsthand how hard it was for the average household to survive in this world. With her father working day and night to keep them afloat, she had witnessed the uphill battle her mother had faced to keep food on the table and clean clothes on their backs.

 Looking back on it now, she was extremely grateful for everything her parents had done to set her up in life. Learning from an early age that not everyone was blessed with money in this world, Charlie always made sure to give back to those who needed it when she had the opportunity. Usually after an expensive afternoon of shopping in Manchester, she could more than likely be found sifting through her vast wardrobe picking out items to be donated to their local Cancer Research shop.

Although Charlie wasn’t proud of her overly expensive taste, she knew that regardless of what life had thrown at her over the years, she would still be the same with or without Callum and the money she now had access to.   

Having initially started out as an apprentice, Charlie was expected to dress appropriately for her job. Her boss, Imogen, had been very lenient about dress codes in the beginning, understanding that as a young girl she didn’t have the money to lavish on such expensive clothing. However, this leniency soon changed as Charlie’s profile grew in a short space of time. As the wants and needs for her impeccable style rolled through the door, she found it harder and harder to get by with such a limited wardrobe.

Working her arse off during the day for her apprenticeship at the upmarket shopping boutique, I&L (Ivers and Lancer), Charlie had then landed the part-time waitressing job in the evenings and weekends so that she could pick up some extra money to pay her large credit card bills.

 “Baby, please let me pay off your cards,” Callum had begged after five or so weeks of them exclusively dating. He had made no attempt at hiding his growing concerns over the long and tiresome hours she was putting in at the restaurant. He wanted her time focused solely on her growing fashion career, rather than waiting tables for minimum wage.

Before caving in and allowing Callum to ease her financial burden, Charlie had made sure to put up a long and tiring battle. She wanted him to know that she was strong and independent, and not just looking to take the easy way out with his help.

“What are you thinking about?” Callum affectionately rubbed Charlie’s lower leg.

Stealing her attention away from her past memories, Charlie looked at Callum blankly. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

Pinching her, he shook his head. “I asked what you were thinking about. It looked as though I had lost you. I’m assuming that whatever or whoever it was they must be more interesting than me?”

“I was day dreaming.”

“Yeah, I got that,” he laughed. “What were you day dreaming about?”

“You.”

“Oh yeah?” he winked.

“Yeah, I was just thinking about everything you have done for me. You know, paying off my credit cards and stuff so that I could quit working at the restaurant.”

Callum wrinkled his nose at the mention of her previous job. “I never liked that place. They treated you like absolute shit, yet you continued to bust your balls for them. I’m so glad that Imogen finally took you on full-time. I’d of gone bat-shit crazy with you still working at that place.”

Charlie lifted her cup up to her lips. “Sorry to change the subject, but you still haven’t told me why you are up before me?” She watched as he paused briefly, perhaps calculating his answer before speaking. It didn’t take a genius to work out what he was about to say. The thought alone left a bottomless feeling in her stomach.