Authors: Dee Ellis
Charli:
I don’t do things because they might be easy. The best things in life are fucking hard. I told you I wanted you to own me and you do. I am yours Cage Cooper and if I ran, I’d never run so far you can’t catch me. Don’t let me run when it’s hard or when it’s too easy. I am not running now, Cage. I just know...in a week you altered my life, what I thought I wanted, the reasons I need to stay here. You are why I don’t want to run, Cage. You said it. I’m fucking crazy about you and I want to be scared with you, baby. Don’t let me fuck this up because I’d never survive you.
I fell back against the door once I took big, necessary breaths of fresh air. Fuck I thought I was going to faint. Everything had told me she was about to run. Instead she was telling me everything I needed to hear today.
Me:
Jesus fuck baby. You scared the shit out of me. Do I need to come home and remind you of how I chase you?
When our night had started to come to an end Sunday, she started to shutter herself piece by piece again. It hurt like nothing I’d ever felt but I knew where it was coming from.
Even though fucking her was like heaven and making her come, my name on her lips was like some nirvana, that’s not what this was about. Still, when I touched her, when I dropped to my knees and sucked her sweet pussy into my mouth, she let me take control again.
I fucked her in the middle of the kitchen, reminding here where we had started that weekend. It was fast and rough and I loved every second of it but it wasn’t about getting off. It was about centering her, making her focus on what we felt for each other. By then, I knew she loved me and I loved her. I was just reminding her with my cock.
Charli:
Oh, baby I didn’t mean to. I’m as fucked up over you as you say you are over me. I just don’t have the pretty words you do all the time. I miss you and I’m miserable. My body misses you. I never slept so good in my life.
Me:
You know I never slept with someone else. Not like that. I never held someone and didn’t want to let them go. Watched them sleep and wondered what they were dreaming about. I could do it every single day and not get tired of being in that bed, holding you and hearing you breathe.
This conversation was just making me miss her more, but I was too upset to head over now.
Charli:
Tonight...will you stay tonight?
I knew I couldn’t leave her if I went there tonight.
Me:
Sugar. Do you want me to stay tonight?
My next two shifts would have me coming and going whenever calls came in.
Charli:
Yes. I don’t care if it’s for a few minutes or all night. I want you in my bed.
Jesus Christ, the woman knew exactly what to say.
Me:
Abso-fucking-lutely.
We texted until the sirens went off and I promised to see her soon.
That didn’t happen. The soon part, at least. Four hours after my shift was supposed to end, I was still working. One of the guys had gotten hurt. It was his own stupid mistake and not related to the call which I stressed to Charli when I explained.
By that time, I was so pissed with watching Finn try to sneak around with my sister, not seeing my girl in two fucking days, the stupid shit that had caused Levi’s injury and the crap weather.
There was no way I could go to Charli’s so upset. It would ruin both our nights instead of just mine. When I tried to explain maybe I might just crash at the station, Charli stopped talking to me for hours. Hours.
I texted her and called her and on one trip past her place, saw the bedroom lights on. Fuck I almost jumped off the truck and stormed inside. Just long enough to sink inside her and remind her she was mine and I was hers.
It was almost two am when shift change came and I still hadn’t heard from her. Four fucking hours and not a word. To say I was pissed was putting it mildly. I was crushed. I knew what it was, why she did it but that didn’t make it sting any less. By now I figured out enough about my girl to know.
That serious talk earlier, two days without seeing each other, then my bailing on coming over. Charli thought it was me who was running. Which was fucking ridiculous. Either that or all the time had her thinking this was her out. Her chance to escape. Well, fuck that. Against my better judgment, and Finn’s argument that I was being the creepy stalker dude that never gets the girl, I left the station and headed straight for the cottage.
It was pouring and it was almost 3:30. When I got there, it was locked up tight and pitch dark. The big truck she rarely drove was parked in the drive so I knew she was there. Searching my pockets, I realized I must have left my keys here. Peering in the wide bay window beside the kitchen, I cursed out loud. Not only did I leave them inside, I could see them sitting on the counter.
Desperation filled me; I had to see her, had to show her I was chasing because she sure as shit seemed to be running. Suddenly, I remembered the spare key Pop hid in the back by the garden. Quietly I headed through the gate and fumbled in the dark, cursing in the pounding rain.
Finding it at last, I headed for the back porch as I considered how pissed she was. How pissed my letting myself in at almost four in the morning would make her. Just thinking about her gray eyes fiery with anger made my dick twitch. Fuck she was sexy. Mad as shit at me or looking up at me with that needy look in her eyes, she was always sexy.
Letting myself in quietly, I was thankful for the mudroom I had added last summer. Dropping my bag and my soaked clothes, I was tense as I headed for the stairs. I hated to think I had hurt her.
Pissing her off might turn me on but the idea of hurting left a hollow burn at my chest. Something in the house felt off. It was so dark that though I knew the place by heart, I stumbled a few times.
I headed up the stairs and straight for the bedroom. I could smell her already and my already stirring dick woke all the way up. I loved that bright, sweet scent of hers. It was quiet in the house, which also struck me as off. Charli had music playing most the time I was here all weekend. Even before we went to bed.
The quiet felt thick and my chest filled with apprehension. Her door was open and I stepped inside, bare foot and in just my damp boxers. The only light in the room was from the sliver of the moon. I could see her on the bed, and suddenly I felt better. Just seeing her set me at ease at the same time it excited me.
For a moment, like the creepy stalker I kind of felt like, I just watched her sleep. On the side of the bed I had taken all weekend, clutching my pillow, she seemed peaceful. Wearing just that baseball shirt with that significant 71 on it, she was facing me, one long leg hitched up and her hair wild on the pillow. The covers were twisted around her legs, the curve of her hip and the swell of her perfect ass making my cock stir.
Ignoring him for the moment, I crossed the room to stand over her. It was cool in the house, the rain pounding against the windows and I just wanted to climb into the bed and hold her. I needed to feel her and know she was real and mine and deal with her need to run later.
Rounding the bed so I could climb in behind her, my eyes dropped to the alarm on her bedside table. Nothing. Strange. Frowning, I circled back, seeing her phone resting beside it. For a moment a flare of anger struck me at the hours she had ignored me. Knowing damn well it would wind me up. Until I picked her phone up from where it charged. Or didn’t charge at all, because it was dead, no power at all.
Well, fuck.
The power was out?
Padding to the window, I peered out into the rain and saw a few other houses as dark as hers. Come to think of it, in my hurry over here, only a few places had been lit up on her block. The bodega, which I knew had a backup generator, a gas station. The block had been rather dark in the pouring rain.
Relief sharp and intense flooded me as I put two and two together. Finn had mentioned a few power outages, but I had been so angry I hadn’t paid much attention. That had been around the time Levi got hurt, so I had to figure the power had been out all this time. Charli didn’t have a land line yet, something I had wondered about this weekend.
With no power, the pouring rain and her phone dead from hours of us talking, Charli had passed out waiting for me. Not knowing I had ever suggested not coming like I promised. No running away, no petty pouting, no games being played.
My girl knew I said I would be here, so she just waited for me to come home. Which explained her radio silence, the lack of argument on her part when I had suggested staying at the station.
Well, shit
.
Peering at her beautiful, peaceful face, I was flooded with emotions. I created something out of nothing when all the while, my girl was waiting for me. Trusting and expecting me to be there because she wanted me there. Sliding into the bed behind her, I moved close behind her. Pressing my face to the back of her neck, my arms framed her over her head and around her waist.
I breathed deep, realizing I had something good right here. Charli knew I was grumpy, knew I had been upset to miss her today at the library and a shitty day yesterday. Still, she had asked me to come see her. Because she wanted to see me. Wanted any time I could give her. Even if I was grumpy or exhausted and basically worthless. Charli just wanted me there with her.
For a long time, I held her, knowing I might have to leave if a call came in for work. I would take all the time I could get with her.
Whether it was days of laughing and watching crappy TV while she fed me. Or hours of my head between her legs as I made her come just to watch her, hear her pleasure. Even if it was just a few moments in this big bed, holding her and smelling her shampoo and sweet skin. Just enough time to be reminded I had her now.
That’s what Charli had wanted, too. Grumpy or dirty or exhausted or not, she just needed the reminder of us. I would give that to her any time she wanted it.
“Cage?” Charli murmured after I felt her stirring; moving closer into me and letting my arms tighten.
“Yeah baby. I’m here. Go back to sleep it’s early.” My lips pressed to the warm, velvety skin at the back of her neck.
“Mmm, I missed you so much. What time is it? My phone died, but you never texted back.” Charli shuddered in my arms as her ass settled back against my hardening cock and I groaned.
“Power went out. Still out. It’s after four. I did text you back, baby. For hours. I thought that you...” Hooking her arm around the one braced over her front, she dropped her head to kiss at my hands.
“Stop it. I was waiting for you. I was miserable for
days
, Cage. Nothing has me wanting to run yet, baby. Mmm, you feel good. How long can you stay?” Again she shimmied her hips, my groan muffled in her thick hair.
“Long as you want, Sugar. Just need to go if I get calls. I missed you too, baby. Fuck it feels so good to hold you again. This shit is tough, Charli.” When she made a soft sound and kissed my hand again, need clawed up my spine.
“Course it is. If it wasn’t it wouldn’t be so great. Time apart, feeling shit we don’t feel ready for, wouldn’t matter otherwise. It all matters. Means its real.” Lying there I realized at some point, things had shifted between us. Now I was scared of losing her while Charli was soothing me, convincing me this was good and we were letting it happen.
“Sugar, you are so fucking perfect. I needed to hear that. Need to feel you right now.” My arms closed tighter around her and she snuggled back, obliging.
“Mmm, right here, baby. Not going anywhere. Need you too much, need to feel this way too much to let fucking fear ruin it.” For hours I had been certain I was in for a fight to keep her; instead Charli was giving me what I needed by fighting with me. Being scared with me.
Fuck if I didn’t need her too. It had never been about just wanting her and I had never pretended as such. Feeling the panic and fear all night that just when it got good she might run, made that plain.
The glimpse of how good we had been this weekend was enough proof for me. I needed her in my life, and like she had said earlier she had altered me in just a week.
It was scary for someone else to have such control over you. Before her, I had rules and I followed them. I never let any of the women before her have any control at all. I got what I wanted and gave as little as I could. I would give Charli anything she could ever want of me; as long as that never included letting her run away.
“Cage...” Charli pressed back, my head tipping into the pillow as my lips moved at the sensitive skin of her neck.
“Yeah, baby?”
I had spent almost three days learning her body; the spot at the curve of her shoulder that if I bit just right, had her whimpering, the way her nipples peaked stiff when I palmed them, rougher the better. The way her thighs trembled when I found that sparrow and spent too much time kissing it instead of suckling at her sweet pussy.
“I need you.” Right in the chest with that one, shit. My cock felt it too.
“Mmm, you got me, Sugar. Any time you want me. Fuck I missed how you feel,” My hands were restless now, shoving her shirt out of my way to expose all her perfect creamy skin, “you’re so sexy, baby. I love your body.” Lazily my fingertips traced the soft curves that drove me crazy, as if learning them all over again.
Keeping her back to me, I tangled one hand in her thick hair, yanking her head back to cover her mouth with mine. My hands whispered over her skin; cupping her breasts, palming the pert pink nipples and growling as they hardened to my touch. Kneading and caressing the softness of those perfect tits, my cock pressed against her full ass, begging for her.