Roman: Book 2 (The Hunter Brothers Series) (26 page)

“Life’s just too
damn complicated sometimes, sweetheart,” he sighed as I took a deep breath. He
wasn’t kidding. I decided it was time to lighten the mood.

 
“It’s a shame she turned up, I was having fun
until then,” I whispered as his eyes searched mine.

“Were you? How
much fun?” he asked, the playful smile tickling the side of those beautiful
lips and I couldn’t help but laugh, trying to distract my mind from just how
good they’d tasted.

“It was pleasant
enough,” I said, playing it down as he narrowed his eyes.

“Just pleasant,
Chastity?” he asked seductively as my heart fluttered a little and I couldn’t
help but smile.

“Well, a little
better than pleasant, but the lime got in the way,” I grinned as he took my
hand, watching me closely.

“How about we go
fruitless?” He asked as I laughed.

“Best not. I’m
sure once you go fruitless you can never go back, Charlie, and there is a five
feet, eight inch, red headed problem who is currently standing at the bar with
her pretty green eyes boring a rather large hole into your back. If you’re not
very careful, in less than a minute your shirt will be on fire and the place
will be filled with the smell of burning flesh.” Charlie’s head flew around, a
moderately terrified look on his face as I burst out laughing. She was nowhere
to be seen.

“Jesus, Chas,
don’t do that to me.”

“What’s with you,
Charlie? You’re here kissing
my
face
off, but you’re fucking Scarlett. Do you want to be with her or not?”

“Its early days,
Chas, and I still don’t know. I know it’s unfair and I’m genuinely trying, but
I’m between a rock and a hard place. I need to give it a shot, I owe her that,
but I’m just not feeling it as much as I should. I also know that I can’t drag
it out; it will only make things worse for her. It hasn’t been long enough for
me to make that decision properly, but she acts like we’re a regular couple and
I don’t feel that way. It’s hard to explain,” he sighed as I looked him in the
eye.

“No it isn’t, Charlie.
You don’t know yet whether your feelings are genuine, or you’re just going
through the motions and acting like you think you ought to. She needs to give
you space to work that out. You’ve been through a lot and she’s trying to pull
you too quickly to a place you don’t even know if you want to be. She’s
eradicated the last six months, and you’re seeing it as a few dates. You’re in
entirely different places and you need to sort it out.”

“Yeah, you pretty
much nailed it there, Chas,” he grinned. “And by the way, that wasn’t
really
kissing. If I
really
kissed you, you’d know about it.
That was just a birthday shot,” he winked as my heart fluttered in my chest, my
mind suddenly erupting in glorious thoughts of Charlie
really
kissing me that I pushed away. Not gonna happen.

“Listen to us, we
sound about thirteen. It’s a good job you’re not trying to seduce me. I expect
a bit more than a quick grope of my tits behind the bike sheds these days, you
know,” I grinned as he shook his head.

“Yeah, you expect
a lot more, you’ve got a damn list, woman,” he laughed as I stared at him hard.
“Except when you decide it doesn’t apply,” he finished, wiping the smile firmly
from my face. Just as we’d got light hearted he’d brought up Roman again, and
it only served to ram home that I needed to rein in my feelings for Charlie. I
could care about him, love him even, but those kisses would never be fruitless.
The best I could hope for was a taste of those lips on my birthday and since
I’d have to wait another year, I decided one more wouldn’t hurt.

“Tequila?” I
grinned, flashing my eyebrows as he nodded enthusiastically and we spent the
next twenty minutes working our way through the entire tray.

It was the last
thing I remembered.

Chapter Twenty

Work was suddenly manic
this week, parties and events that seemed to spring from nowhere. As I crawled
into bed exhausted on Wednesday night, I was grateful Jess was still staying
over with Lucas and Dex, and I had long lie-ins and not the school run to
contend with. Unlike last week, I hadn’t had the chance to miss them. It was
Christmas since we’d been this busy, and for some reason the management had
seen fit to book in twice the number of events with exactly the same number of
staff.

If I didn’t know
better I’d think they were trying to prove a point to someone. All Patrick had
been told was to maximise revenue in the short term. He didn’t think the
company were struggling and was as dumbfounded with the whole thing as I was.

He’d reached his fatigue
quota too and I had never heard him bitch so much. It was what had kept my
spirits up. It was hilarious and a side of him I’d never seen before. He was
normally so placid and calm, but I guessed sheer exhaustion could do that to a
man. We were covering a minimum of two events a day, and when tonight’s proved
to be quieter than we thought he’d given me the nod to head home early. It was an
opportunity I took advantage of, crawling straight into bed.

I fell asleep
immediately, more used to being in the apartment on my own now, waking with a
start as a small crash fired me to life. I looked around nervously, my eyes
adjusting to the dark, but I wasn’t panicking like I should have been. “Roman,”
I whispered quietly then louder, pulling back the covers and climbing out of
bed, my heart rate quickening when I got no answer.

“Roman,” I called
again, wondering in what twisted life I was half expecting someone to break
into my flat for midnight sex as I padded into the lounge and flicked on the
light. I screamed; my heart vibrating anxiously as I saw a brief glimpse of a
hooded youth before he turned and sprinted out of the front door. I watched
from the window, sweating and shaking before I ran to close the door behind
him, barricading myself in and praying there was no one else here. The lock was
broken. How the hell had I not heard that?

I was trembling,
pulling out my phone to call 999, reporting the burglary and looking around to
see if anything was actually missing. I’d disturbed him. There was a little
mess, but I couldn’t see that anything obvious was gone, except my feeling of
security. That had vanished with him, out into the black night as I tried to
swallow back the tears and dialled the only other person I wanted here.

“Hey, baby,” he
said, picking up after several rings as I tried for a second to regulate my
breathing.

“Chas, are you
alright?” he asked, his tone flooded with concern as I tried to find my voice.

“Charlie, can you
come over?” I uttered, breathing through sheer terror, waiting for his answer
through the long pregnant pause.

“I’m at a charity
dinner with Scarlett, sweetheart,” he said and I could hear her nattering in
the background, telling him to ‘sssshhhh’ and asking who was calling.

“Give me a
second,” he said as another long pause ensued and the background noise faded.
“What’s happened, Chas?” he asked as I tried to swallow back the sob that was
lodged in my throat.

“There was an
intruder, Charlie...I was asleep....I disturbed him,” I said, trying to calm
myself down.

“Have you called
the police?” he asked hurriedly as I managed a strangled “Yes,”

“Sit tight, baby,
I’ll be right over,” he said, ending the call as a wave of relief washed over
me. There was no one I needed more.

The police were
here quickly, taking my statement and dusting the doors for fingerprints. A
kind lady officer took my statement, but I couldn’t give her much to go on. I
had only seen him for a split second and under incredible stress. I probably
couldn’t recognise him if he walked in now. They secured the door the best they
could, advising me to change the locks tomorrow before they wished me
goodnight. It was unlikely they’d catch him, and Charlie wasn’t here yet as I
gripped my legs in my hands, rocking on the sofa in an effort to comfort
myself.

I’d tell Jess in
the morning. There was nothing she could do now, and was probably in bed
herself. Dexter definitely would be, and I didn’t want my nephew being dragged
out to this in the middle of the night. I ran to the door as the cab pulled up
outside, watching the long strides of Charlie as he bounded up the steps,
falling into his arms as I answered the door. “Oh Charlie, I was so
frightened,” I said, relishing the feel of his strong arms wrapped around me as
he guided me to the couch.

“Were you wearing
those when you caught him?” he asked as I nodded, looking down at my pink,
scruffy scrunched up socks. “Not surprised he did a runner,” he said as I laughed
through my tears, punching his arm before I settled underneath it, looking
around at the white powder that still littered my doors, table and mantelpiece
as a shudder ran through me.

“I don’t feel safe
anymore. That’s the worst thing. He didn’t take anything, but he’s robbed me of
my security in my own home. Jess spends a lot of time with Lucas now and I want
to feel safe when I’m here,” I said, looking up at him as he pulled me tight,
kissing the top of my head gently. “You look lovely, I’m sorry for interrupting
your night,” I said as he smiled down at me. I was a sucker for a tuxedo and
Charlie wore one better than anyone I knew.

“Yeah, that went
down well, Chas. It was an easy conversation and Scarlett sends her best and
hopes you’re okay,” he said as I smiled up at him.

“Really?” I asked,
raising my eyebrows.

“No, not really. I
thought she was gonna rip my fucking head off,” he laughed as I smiled softly.

“I’m sorry you got
a hard time, I mean it, but I really do appreciate you coming. You were the
first person I thought of, Charlie, and I knew I’d be okay if you came.”

 
“I’m not moving in, this sofa is way too small,”
he smiled as I rolled my eyes. “But I will send a team around tomorrow. Alarms,
window locks, a solid burglar proof door – whatever you need, baby,” he smiled.

“Thank you,” I
said as he moved to check the front door, securing it as the police had done.

 
“Come on, let’s get you back into bed,” he
said, looking me up and down in my Minnie Mouse shorts and crop top as his eyed
brightened, a small curve sitting sexily on the side of his mouth.

“I got them on
sale when I took Dex to the Disney Store,” I smiled, to justify my peculiar
outfit.

“You look cute,”
he winked as I smiled. “Apart from the socks, they’re shocking.”

“It’s part of the
grand plan to get my bills down. I have a feeling it might not be too long
before Jess announces she’s moving out, so I’m trying to save and cut back,
just to see if I can manage the place on my own. Heating has been the first to
go and I’ve finally discovered that if my feet are warm at night, I am. I
didn’t want to move, but I’m not so sure that’s still the case after tonight,”
I sighed as he looked at me curiously.

“You won’t ever
struggle for money, baby, I have plenty,” he said as I rolled my eyes.

“My names
Chastity, not Charity,” I said as he shook his head.

 
“I mean it, sweetheart, don’t struggle. I
would take great offence if you did.” I knew that he meant it and a surge of affection
flowed through me. God, he was thoughtful.

“Will you stay?” I
asked tentatively. I couldn’t bear to be left alone tonight.

“Sure, I’ll take
Jess’s room,” he said as my smile faded.

“I meant with me,
in my bed. Just as friends, obviously, but it’s the only way I’ll get any sleep
at all,” I said as he frowned deeply, the ringing phone in his pocket cutting
through the tense silence.

I watched him
quietly; assessing his facial reactions and still not certain anything had
changed between him and Scarlett.

“No, I’m staying
here. She’s been burgled and she’s terrified, Scarlett.” I couldn’t make out
the words on the other end of the line, but the voice was definitely raised.
“It is absolutely my concern,” he said, blowing out a deep, irritated breath.
“I have friends, Scarlett, and sometimes they have to come first. That’s
something you need to get used to. I’ll see you tomorrow,” he sighed, ending
the call and switching off his phone as I swallowed hard.

“Lead the way,” he
smiled as I smiled back, flicking on my night light and climbing into bed.
Charlie stood by the bed, removing his jacket and tie, then his shoes and
socks, his cufflinks and shirt as I gasped out loud. The man was a vision and
absolutely not like I expected. I’d seen Roman, I’d seen Tyler and I’d even
seen Lucas shirtless, but I had never seen Charlie. My eyes roamed across solid
pecs and hard abs, tracing a path over his tattoos. Charlie had tattoos. I had
no idea and it only served to make him look even hotter.

“You like what you
see?” he smirked, watching my reaction as I tried to rein it in.

“I didn’t know you
were inked,” I said as he grinned.

“Why would you?” he
asked and it was a fair point. Thick tribal patterns swirled across the right
hand side of his chest and the top of his upper arm, with an inscription
running the length of his ribs. He looked beautiful, mouth wateringly hot and
all but impossible to ignore if he was sharing my bed.

“What does it
say?” I asked as he flashed a killer smile.

“You don’t know
Latin?” he asked as I burst out laughing.

“No, boarding
school boy, I don’t know fucking Latin. Who the hell does know Latin?”

“I do.”

“Well, state
comprehensives teach French and Spanish, not a pointless language no one uses
any more, and before you ask, I didn’t learn those either. Point of fact – I
have no qualifications because I was too busy kissing boys, smoking fags and
fighting. I spent more time suspended from school than I spent in it, which is
why I’m a waitress and not an international business magnate,” I smiled as he
raised his eyebrows.

“Well I’m not
telling you. You can learn Latin and look it up,” he grinned as I shook my
head.

“I don’t need to,
I can guess what it says,” I smiled as he laughed, raising his eyebrows.

“Go on then, Chas,
dying to hear it.”

“I am a wanker?”

“No” he said,
casting me a stern gaze and raising his eyebrows as I laughed.

“I’m sexy and I
know it?” I smirked as he shook his head.

“I’m the best
friend a girl could ever hope to have?” I smiled genuinely as he seared me with
a warm gaze that stole the breath from my lungs and I swallowed hard.

“Maybe that’s what
I should have had, baby,” he smiled as I forced myself to look away. He wasn’t
mine, but more and more I wished he was.

He started to unzip
his fly as my eyes flew open in surprise and his trousers fell to the floor. A
pair of black Armani cotton boxer shorts were all that stood between me and
Charlie’s cock, and my mouth was hanging open.

“What are you
doing?” I gasped as he tipped his head, gazing at me curiously.

“What do you think
I’m doing? I’m not sleeping in my trousers. You’re in shorts, I’m in shorts,
what’s the big deal?” he laughed as I blinked rapidly. The big deal was
hovering at crotch level and right in my eye line until he settled himself
under the covers, putting his arm around my shoulders as he pulled me in tight.
I snuggled into his hard chest, listening to the sound of his soft heartbeat as
I tried to close my eyes. Was he doing this on purpose?

My fear had
dissipated. I knew the terror would reignite when I lay alone in bed at night,
but for now it was abated, back in its hole as I turned on my side and he
followed suit, spooning my body as I tried to stay still. The feel of Charlie
beside me was electrifying and it was almost impossible to hide. We fit like a
jigsaw, knees bent into one another with my backside tantalisingly close to his
cock. I heard the low groan and I shuffled around, trying to get the most
comfortable position, feeling the tenting of his shorts in response. I wasn’t
the only one affected here then?

He smelled
incredible, musky and masculine, and I knew it was bad but I couldn’t help
myself, sticking out my arse as the solid length behind me grew even harder. It
was as irresponsible as it was intoxicating, but the devil inside me couldn’t
stop. “Stop it, Chas,” he growled as I grinned silently.

“Stop what,” I
whispered as innocently as I could, his low deep chuckle arousing me even more.

“You know what,
now go to sleep,” he said firmly as I decided to follow his demands. I wasn’t
playing fair, although for someone who was spooning a friend, it hadn’t gone
unnoticed that his hands had brushed against my breasts more than once, and
every time my arse moved back, his pelvis responded by moving forward.

“I do know some
Latin,” I said, yawning. If it hadn’t been for the man beside me, I’d have been
up all night, agitated and pacing, but despite the break-in, here in Charlie’s
arms I could finally relax.