Charlotte (Marked Heart #2) (15 page)

"If I'm so horrible then why did you kiss me?"

Having reached his breaking point, Auggie snapped, "'Cause you're sexy as hell especially when you're not tryin' and I can't get you outta my damn head."

Taking a deep breath, she spouted, "I'm leaving."

Instantly thinking, 'Good
riddance', Auggie waited for her to walk out.

The longer he stood there waiting for her to
leave, the harder it was for him to be happy about her walking out of his door. Why wasn't she going? She was just standing there looking like there were a million things going through his mind without saying a word.

Feeling her presence and her silence pulling him closer to her, he asked, "Why did you let me kiss you?"

Her voice was soft as she replied, "You make me feel... I'm leaving."

Scowling at her he wondered 'Feel what, good?' as he said, "You haven't left yet. Answer me."

~

Something clicked and Charlotte realized he was right. She hadn't left yet. Why spend the rest of her time here miserable when she could be spending it with him. There was no big decision to make there. He'd kissed her, not proposed. How was she supposed to make the right choice for the rest of her life when she's holding out on herself.

"Kiss me."

Without hesitation, Auggie's hands slid to the sides of her face as his lips pressed against hers.

A slow sideways smile spread across Auggie's face as Charlotte opened her eyes.

Feeling a smile of her own forming, Charlotte shared, "Good. You make me feel good."

Auggie closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers for a moment before
reaching down and taking her heels away. After carefully setting them on his coffee table, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him.

"I want you to stay the night."

Charlotte's entire being instantly responded to his words.

"Not tonight."

"Tomorrow?"

Sliding her hands up Auggie's chest and around to the back of his neck, Charlotte replied, "Don't ruin this."

His eyes reflected a genuine understanding of her request as he slowly nodded before pulling her into another kiss.

19

Rules

Penny was sitting on the front porch of their mom's house when Auggie walked up. Seeing her sitting on the porch swing holding the bottom of her long auburn hair in her hand as she skimmed her finger along the ends, something she only did when she was upset, he sat down next to her.

"What's wrong Henny Penny?"

Turning away from him, Penny grumbled, "Shut up Auggie."

"Come on, now," he urged nudging her a bit.

"Just go inside and leave me alone."

Shaking his head at her
, Auggie stood up and headed into the house.

Wondering what Penny's problem was as he made his way to the kitchen, he could hear his mom banging pots and pans around.

"Hey Ma," he greeted as Sarah swung around and slammed a pot against the kitchen table.

"That girl needs to get her priorities straight."

Taking a deep breath, Auggie stepped towards his mom. This wasn't an unusual conversation. Every few months Sarah would get tired of Penny's lack of motivation and life goals.

Shaking her head at him, Sarah sat at the kitchen table placed her hand across her forehead, sharing, "Your sister has crossed the line this time. At least you have some sense."

"How am I in this?"

Sarah quickly stood up and turned toward the sink, saying, "The last thing she needs is to start running around with someone like Charlotte."

Deciding she was talking about the other night at the bar, he replied, "Ma, I..."

"And don't you worry, I told Sheryl I was sure you were avoiding a scene by going out to the car to speak with her. That girl sure has it in for you and I don't want the whole town to think your sneaking around with Charlotte Roberts."

Auggie shook his head and scowled as he agreed, "Yea."

With a heavy sigh, Sarah turned to him, assuring, "Don't get me wrong, I don't hold any ill will against her and neither should you. She just isn't for this family."

If Sarah only knew, 'Ill will' wasn't what he wanted to hold against
Charlotte, she would probably disown him.

"Let me go talk to Penny, okay."

Nodding, Sarah hugged Auggie, "Maybe she'll listen to you."

The second Sarah let go, he headed out of the kitchen unable to look at his mom.

Once again, Sheryl was causing trouble for him and for no good reason other than, she could. As he made his way out of the front door Penny was on her way in. Shaking his head at her, Auggie shooed her back outside.

"I'm not allowed inside now?"

Frowning at her, Auggie snapped, "Calm down."

"It's not fair! She acts like y'all are saints and I can't do anything right."

With a slight laugh, he assured, "We're not."

"I know that, stupid," she blurted before griping, "I haven't even come close to doing what y'all have done. It's not fair."

"I know Pen, but you're the baby and mom's only girl," he reminded before teasing, "Except for Ailin but he's already married off."

Holding back a smile, she warned, "Don't do that, I'm mad right now."

Placing his arm around his sister, Auggie advised, "If you moved out, you wouldn't have to answer to her."

Penny shrugged his arm off of he
r shoulders and rolled her eyes.

As Auggie stood there staring at her, he realized she was exactly who he needed to talk to.

"So you're a girl."

Penny instantly laughed, saying, "If I'm not, I know quite a few guys that are fixing to have a real identity crisis."

Scowling, he griped, "I don't want to hear that."

Pursing her lips at him, she replied, "Fine, yes Auggie I'm a girl."

Stopping a moment to think, he said, "Say I met someone..."

"Am I supposed to pretend I don't know who we're talking about?"

"I'd appreciate it."

Rolling her eyes as she shook her head, "Go on."

"How do I not ruin it?"

"What makes you think you would?"

Scowling at her, he said, "Walk with me out to my truck."

Making their way off of the porch, Auggie
mentally questioned how much he really wanted to share with his sister.

"I'm not good at this Pen," he admitted.

"In case you hadn't heard, neither am I," Penny replied as they reached his truck.

"Never mind," he mumbled, reaching for the door handle of his truck.

"Okay, wait. What does she like?"

Shrugging, he replied, "She drinks beer."

"Seriously?"

Racking his brain, he blurted, "Clothes!" before sharing, "I've never seen her wear the same thing twice."

Taking a slow deep breath, Penny said, "Oh my goodness... Auggie, as simple as you are, women are a little more complicated than that."

"What do you mean?"

"Look, since you've never had anything steady, it's probably better if you take it back to high school," as he gave her a confused stare she added, "You know how did you get a girl to go out with you then?"

"I never asked."

"How did you go on dates then?"

"I didn't. Before I started working at the bar with dad, I'd go to a party and..."

With one hand against the top of her stomach and the other stretched out facing him, Penny stopped him, "No. Just... No."

"What?"

"I can't believe you're that guy."

"That guy?"

"Yea, the drunken mistake, my boyfriend cheated on me, the guy I like doesn't like me, make myself feel better, unreliable, don't call, get dressed and go home right after, only in it for himself guy."

Never having thought about it in those terms before, he questioned, "What's wrong with that?"

Penny had a disappointed expression on her face as she scowled at him, answering, "Because if your that guy there will never be anything there to ruin."

Auggie gave her a serious look as he said, "I see."

Shrugging, "Sorry," Penny turned and headed back to her house.

Climbing into his truck
, Auggie knew Penny was right but he had no idea what that meant for him and Charlotte.

Pulling
into his driveway, Auggie planned on calling Charlotte to ask if she wanted to stop by and see him when he got home from the bar later. As he climbed out of his truck and made his way to the door, he found a pleasant surprise standing next to his front door.

"Tryin' to put your career of breaking and entering behind you?" he teased.

With a wicked little grin, Charlotte reached over, turned the doorknob showing him he caught her in the act.

Pushing the door open, Auggie motioned for her to step in first, saying, "After you, criminal."

"Takes one to know one, hostage taker," Charlotte laughed, making her way into his house.

As he closed the front door
, Auggie pulled her against him.

~

Charlotte felt his kiss throughout her entire body. Sliding her hands up his chest as his arms tightened around her waist, she was fully aware of how she made him feel. With every brush of his lips, there was a slight tug in her chest.

Breaking the kiss before the moment got the better of her, Charlotte asked, "What time do you have to go?"

Leaning his forehead to hers, Auggie assured, "We have plenty of time."

Easing him back, she replied, "Don't get ahead of yourself, Augustus. We need to have a conversation."

Slowly letting go of her, he took a step back, saying, "About what?"

"We need to set some ground rules."

Charlotte watched a disapproving scowl form on Auggie's face before she turned and sat down on his couch.

While she waited for him to sit, which seemed to take longer than necessary to do, Charlotte thought about the rules she had been laying down since she was sixteen. She would have to modify them of course, for one he had already kissed her. In addition to what was previously off limits, she had no idea what to do about the way he made her feel. Everything was different with him. Charlotte never considered what it might be like to have real feelings for someone, until now. Thinking it might be nice to have something like that, she reminded herself that her time in town was limited.

When Auggie finally made his way around the coffee
table to sit next to her, he kept his distance. Although Charlotte found his behavior irritating, she was grateful. His disposition made it easier to share her guidelines.

"Obviously, this isn't anything serious."

When his only response was an unhappy expression accompanied by a glare, she decided to continue.

"Sex. If it happens, it happens but I don't want to feel pressured into it or guilty for not putting out when you think I should. So, if we're messing around, don't push yourself farther than you can go without stopping. I'm very aware that there is a point of no return for men and I will be respectful of that. On the other hand, I expect you to be prepared. It isn't that I don't believe what you have told me, but I have never had unprotected sex and you're not going to be the exception."

Auggie gave a slight nod, saying, "That seems fair," then asked, "Anything else?"

"My shirt doesn't come off."

"Ever?"

"Most of the time I wear a camisole or tank top since I don't wear a bra. I don't mind getting down to those but that's as far as I'm willing to go. It can be a serious mood killer if, in the moment, I have to remind you."

"That it?"

Charlotte thought for a moment before replying, "If any of this is a deal breaker let me know now because nothing I've said is up for negotiation or debate."

~

Auggie sat staring at Charlotte as he pretended to mull over her rules. He was a bit disappointed about the shirt thing but from what he'd seen the first night she stayed at his house, he understood why. All in all, he was impressed with her. She knew exactly what she wanted and none of it seemed unreasonable. She wasn't going to play games.

"I have a few conditions," he shared, mainly to feel like he had some control in this.

Charlotte appeared confused as she asked, "Really?"

"Whatever we do here is between us."

Nodding, she said, "Of course."

"No more breaking into my house."

With a slight frown, she replied, "Okay."

"And I want to see you every day."

Fluttering her eyelashes as she rolled her eyes, Charlotte questioned, "That it?"

Auggie nodded, holding his hand out to her.

As Charlotte slipped her hand into his to shake on it, Auggie closed his hand around hers. Leaning closer, he kissed the top of her hand. Her skin smelled so sweet, there was no way he would be happy until he was able to kiss every inch of her. Charlotte wanted to be in control of whatever this was and he could respect that but that didn't mean he wasn't going to do everything possible to have her begging for what he couldn't stop thinking about.

A sense of s
atisfaction filled him as Charlotte inched closer. The look in her eyes showed him she was willing, but there was hesitation in her movements. That was one of his favorite things about her. Although she was forward, Charlotte let him be a man. Auggie knew she wanted, him but he wanted Charlotte to need him as badly as he did her. He'd never had the desire for the same girl twice, but he knew, if she let him, he would want her every day until she left.

Ready to take full advantage of having her on his couch, Auggie released her
hand.

"Come here," he whispered pulling her closer.

Charlotte leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his neck.
He quickly grabbed her by the waist and pulled her sideways onto his lap. Leaning her back against the arm of the couch, he glanced down at her legs stretched out, wishing they weren't covered by the cream colored pants she was wearing. There was too much he wanted to do all at once. Feeling her tug on the back of his neck, Auggie turned his focus just in time to see Charlotte pressing her lips together as she pulled them into her mouth.

He knew it was just a reflex of hers but couldn't stop himself, "Those are mine."

There was a conflicted look in her eyes as Auggie traced his finger along the edge of her lips. Slowly
releasing her lips from her mouth, Charlotte closed her eyes just before he claimed them.

~

Auggie's words echoed through Charlotte's mind as he kissed her. Her chest started to burn. The feeling was so intense, she wanted to dig her fingers into her chest to make it stop. Her hands disobeyed her as they moved to the sides for Auggie's face instead. Weaving her fingers into his beard, the burning sensation spread throughout the rest of her body until the rhythm of her heart gave away a little secret. It was beating for him.

Relaxing her hands, Charlotte let them fall
from his face. Auggie slowly pulled away causing her to open her eyes. The questioning look in his eyes made Charlotte wonder if her heart had revealed its secret to him too.