Authors: Dee Ellis
“Look at me, Sugar,” I pleaded, not recognizing my weak voice, “don’t. Don’t shut me out.” Her velvety skin beneath my fingers woke me up all over, but I ignored what my body wanted as I watched her eyes.
“Cage. I don’t...please, don’t.” As I touched her, her eyes changed from hollow and guarded to something else. Something hot and needy.
Well that could work to my advantage. We were in a back corner of the loft area, just feet from my own quarters and I momentarily thought of taking her in there. Touching her exactly how I knew would please her, make her come apart in my hands. Fuck I wanted to. I couldn’t, so I made the most of what I had right then. Which was my touch affecting her the same way it was affecting me.
The voices of the others carried on behind us, but I didn’t hear a word. Charli watched my hands slip over her silky skin, her breath catching in her throat. My fingers dug into her skin, not rough but not exactly gentle. Working up her crossed legs, beneath her skirt.
“Look at me, Sugar.” I ordered roughly, knowing somehow she would obey.
Charli’s eyes lifted to mine and they were fiery silver and I growled softly. Her teeth came out to nip at her lower lip, bringing it into her mouth. My knee slid between her legs and she let out a sound as I shoved them apart, making her uncross them. Open them to me. Her hands dropped between us, wrapping around my wrists.
The contact burned through me, coiling heat and need like I’d never felt. I had to pause before I lost my shit completely. Jesus the simplest touch from her was enough to bring me to my knees. Her skin on mine, the light touch of her fingertips at my skin felt familiar at the same time it was more startling and overwhelming than I imagined. Still holding her gaze, I slid my hands up beneath her skirt and she gasped quietly.
“Behave,” Her voice ordered, but her back arched her closer to me, “please, Cage.” My fingers dug into her skin; that plea was not asking me to stop.
“Eyes on me, Charli. Don’t look away, Sugar.” I watched her teeth bite into her plump bottom lip and groaned again.
Charli obeyed, eyes never leaving mine as my hands moved. Slid up beneath her skirt, my fingers gentle at the smoothness of her thighs. Her breathing quickened and I dropped my gaze to her breasts, seeing her nipples harden beneath the pale beige of her top. I wanted to touch her but knew I couldn’t, not the way we both wanted.
For now, my touch, my closeness and my commands were to keep her focus on me. To chase away the fear and apprehension their stupid tales had put in her eyes. Though it sobered me and made me want to take care of her, the reality of what it meant left me feeling drunk. Charli was terrified because they were talking of danger and loss. Which sadly, Charli knew plenty about.
Charli was terrified of more loss. More specifically, the kind of loss I could bring in to her life. My job was dangerous and people got hurt, killed. It was rare and we hadn’t lost a single man in my time here. But it happened.
Charli was listening to their tall tales, most of their talk being bullshit, and considering me. Us and this thing that was
going to
happen between us. Was already happening.
The idea of more loss had her shutting down. Trying to, at least. I wasn’t about to let her get away with that. No fucking way. Though I didn’t yet know what ghost left that haunted look in her lovely eyes, I would. Soon enough. Then I would battle it for her, with her, whatever it took to keep that look out of her eyes.
“What’s your favorite holiday,” I remembered her random question on the street corner earlier when she had been nervous, “besides New Year’s.” I winked at her as I pressed closer, my hands moving higher, thumbs working slowly against her thighs.
“Fourth of July,” She bowed her head but looked at me over the rim of her sexy glasses, “back home...it’s quite a production there.” Charli’s hands loosened on my wrists, but didn’t let go; my eyes fluttered when she began caressing me lightly, her thumbs working in circles that mirrored my movements at her thighs.
“Tell me about it.” It was just the two of us for a moment; I couldn’t hear the others talking and couldn’t look away from her as she replied.
“Back home it’s an excuse for our favorites: plenty of barbecue, too much beer and dangerous amounts of explosives. Almost the entire town heads to the river. The entire day is spent cooking and boating. Being complete white trash assholes, basically. I like it at night though; people calm down, the families and couples break off and the sky lights up for hours. Hours. It’s so loud but...it was the most solitary and peaceful time I ever had back home.” The light in her eyes dimmed slowly and I hated it.
“What did you do in the dark, under the skies that lit up for hours with fireworks, Sugar?” Our caress was in sync now, my fingers sliding higher and higher beneath her short skirt.
“Nothing,” Her breath caught as my thumbs swept over her panties, “Cage... please...” Charli’s grey eyes were alert, darting past my shoulder to the others; but I could hear Finn and Levi weaving tales and knew we were safe.
“Eyes, Sugar,” I demanded, my voice unsteady too, “tell me what you did.”
“N-nothing. I... I dreamed about other skies and what they looked like. I wondered what the air felt like somewhere else. Tasted like somewhere else.”
My girl was good with words, it seemed. I could sense the others were wrapping up and that meant I was running out of time. After we finished up here, I had to get her alone. Had to sooth her fears with promises.
What could I say to ease to her fears?
Fears that she could lose me if she let herself have me.
Fuck.
I pressed closer, feeling urgent and panicked.
Right now the fear was gone from her eyes. Now, as my thumbs pressed against her panties again, I saw hunger. Again I swiped my thumbs over her lacy panties, growling when they got wetter with every touch.
I wanted to slip my fingers past the flimsy material and into her wet heat, see the flush of her skin when I made her come. My jeans grew tighter as my dick got harder with every whisper over her.
“Cage....” Sucking her bottom lip back into her mouth, her teeth piercing the pink flesh, she gave me a sound that had my cock aching.
“Sugar,” My voice was low, rough with need and for her ears only, “you keep saying my name like that with my fingers seeing how wet you are for me, and you’re going to make me break my promise to behave. Do you want me to be bad right now, Charli?” Her breath was coming fast and I watched her pulse leap at her throat, her skin flushed.
“No. No. Please.” As I watched, Charli bit back a crooked smile that made my cock twitch painfully and I smiled back.
“Fuck, didn’t I tell you not to lie to me, Sugar? You can lie to whoever you want about this,” My fingers pressed against her pussy, her whimper driving me mad, “being mine, Charli. Just not me. You got me?” Charli tipped her head back, her shoulders going straight as her eyes flashed up at me.
“I got you, Cage. Get me,” Her hands fell away from me as she sat forward, her full tits pressing to my chest, “maybe you’re right. About me, about you. About
us
. Cage,
Sugar
....I decide when, where, how. Not you.” Fuck she was perfect and I just might be in a hell of a lot more trouble than I thought.
“I get you, Sugar. Now get this,” My hand moved, smoothing her skirt back over her legs, “I will taste you today. As. Soon. As. I. Want.” This was a lie because I wanted to taste her right now, but I was giving her fair warning.
Charli smirked and slid from the chair, pressing all her softness against my hardness. My hand rose to let my index finger trace the shape of her full, perfect fucking mouth. Charli snapped her teeth. My hand shot back and then she smirked the sexiest smirk that I had ever seen. My cock appreciated it, that’s for damn sure. Then she laughed and brushed past me, heading for the others.
Before she went, she again trailed her fingers over me. Down the tattoos that I was beginning to think she fucking loved. Then, startling me, she slid her palm down the front of my chest, nails dropping to scrape gently over my zipper.
My teeth clenched as my jaw tightened. Took everything in me not to drag her to my bed just down the hall. Let her put her hands wherever the fuck she wanted.
“Charli you missed some of Finn’s stories. Man they’re heroes!” Brittany was gushing, her big brown eyes peering up at Finn as I spun to watch them.
Finn grinned at her, and then his eyes settled on Charli. As if he just realized I had hoarded her for the last half hour. Finn smiled shark like at her and cut through the crowd to head towards her. As I watched, they made small talk and Charli joked with all the guys, seeming unfazed by our exchange.
Except I knew better because I had felt her get wet. Could still smell her on my fingers. I fought the urge to swipe my tongue over my thumb for a taste. I would wait. I joined the others and did my best to adjust my own arousal in my jeans.
Finn shot me a look then nodded at Charli, making his eyes go big. I shot a warning glare back before cutting the visit short. I had enough of sharing her with everyone.
“Thanks for entertaining us,” I scowled at both Levi and Finn, “and taking some time with the kids. Think I’ll finish the tour and call it a day.” I glanced quickly at my watch and figured that sounded reasonable enough.
“Oh great, I can join you on the rest of the tour. Get to know our new librarian.” Finn insisted, holding his arm out and bowing at the waist.
Finn was pushing his luck and he knew it. He was a good looking guy, I suppose; his blond wavy hair he always kept too long and he always had a week’s worth of a scruff on his face. Said it made him look manlier.
Forget the fact that he was almost seven-foot-tall and weighed at least three hundred pounds of solid muscle. He was basically a giant.
Finn was also charming and I had seen him work his magic plenty times on the badge bunnies. Hell, on any chick with a pulse, really. I wasn’t about to let him lay on the charm with my girl. ‘
Maybe you’re right. About me, about you. About us
.’ Charli’s words were full of a challenge but we both knew she was merely postponing the inevitable.
With a glance over her shoulder at me, and a hike of one corner of her mouth, she looped her arm through his. Finn wiggled his brows at me and straightened, heading through the living quarters to finish the tour. Bastard.
It did something painful to my chest to realize they kind of looked good together. Charli was tall and all those curves and her honey brown hair seemed a perfect match to Finn. I hated it.
I caught up to them, trailing close behind and making polite conversation with the kids. We explained the living quarters and the shifts we worked that made them necessary.
Mostly we were on rotating shifts; two twenty-four hour then three forty-eight hour shifts a week, then off for the same. Sometimes I was here more than I was at my place, which was why Gigi made herself so comfortable there.
“Cage,” Devon spoke quietly from beside me and I fell back to listen, “is there any way I can talk to you after? Like, I mean...without them all around?” Devon seemed anxious, but in a good way and I was glad to see it.
“Absolutely. When we get done here, just let me finish up with everyone and we’ll chat. Whatever you need, man.” Devon smiled a wide smile and I felt good, felt like maybe if I could help him the entire program was worth it.
“Oh yeah, it’s kind of our nightly routine. O’Malley’s, then....” My head shot up as I heard Finn explaining our pub crawl spots to Charli.
“Finn. I think our tour is done, don’t you guys?” I cut him off as I caught up to them, glaring at him before Charli glanced my way.
“Yeah,” Marcus piped up, bless his soul, “the place was pretty awesome but our class ended about fifteen minutes ago. I’m an important dude; I got places to go, folks.” He broke into a bright, toothy grin when the others gave him a hard time.
“Marcus,” Charli shot him a look and he straightened right up and bowed his head, “rein it in, playboy. We do have to go though. My time with you kids has in fact, run out. Thank you, all of you guys, for taking the time with us today. We appreciate it. Finn, I expect I will see you again.” Charli stepped away from him and he took her hand, once again pressing a kiss there.
“For sure, for sure, Charli Doll. Later bro-tato-chip.” Finn smirked at me as he headed back to the commons, knowing he pissed me off.
We thanked Byrne and the others again as we headed out and they all welcomed the kids back. Devon took a moment with Hunter and Charli and I exchanged a smile. Then her smile changed and her eyes dropped away, her teeth coming out at her bottom lip again. The darkness from earlier had stayed away and I was thankful for that.
I already had one ghost to contend with I knew. I couldn’t battle a ghost of a loss she feared
could
happen. I wanted to understand her pain and her loss. I didn’t want her to drown in it anymore. I didn’t want her to always want to run, which I had a good feeling was her go-to when shit got heavy. I would only let her run far enough that it didn’t risk this. We both needed this; I saw it in her eyes when she let down her shutters.
Once we were outside, Charli talked with the kids and I realized they were actually done for the day. They started to break up and head out, calling goodbyes. All of them seemed excited for the volunteer training they would experience tomorrow.