She nods. “Yes.”
When we get back to the condo, I let us in and follow her into the living room. She’s making a beeline for her bedroom, not bothering to turn on any lights. Strangely, I’m not quite ready for the night to end.
“Charlotte?”
She stops and turns to look at me. I walk toward her, seeing a flash of surprise in her eyes as I enter her space, but I don’t touch her.
“I know this is weird, so I want to let you know that I appreciate it. I hope it’s not too much of a chore for you, considering how you feel about my profession.” My statement is meant to be light, almost joking.
The slight smile tells me she’s taking it exactly as I meant.
“Well, everyone has to have one flaw, don’t they?” she says.
“I think I might have two or three.”
She laughs, making her look so enchanting as we stand in the dark, the only light coming from the moon through the window. She looks ethereal, maybe like an angel.
I shake my head, wondering where these thoughts are coming from. While I know how to woo a woman, I’m not prone to romantic thoughts. And of course, Charlotte and I are just friends, so I shouldn’t be thinking like this.
“Only two or three?” she asks.
I shrug and give her my boyish smile. “Some of them are what make me so charming.”
“I suspect that charm is what has got you in trouble.”
Immediately, all the warm feelings I’m having begin to wane as she reminds me why I’m in this situation in the first place.
Her brows furrow together, and she looks down. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought that up.”
I shake my head. “No, it was a good reminder. I need to stay on my best behavior.”
She cocks her head to the side. “Your best behavior?”
Without thinking, I reach out and tug on one of her curls. “Our agreement is that we will be friends with no benefits.”
Her lips part slightly with her quick intake of breath, and again I wonder whether that’s because my gesture excites her or makes her nervous. But, of course, not knowing might be the only reason I don’t lean forward and press my lips to hers again, which is what I really want to do.
My brain is telling me to back off and disengage. But something else, something beyond just my libido, is urging me to take a chance. I move my hand from the side of her head, running my thumb over her lips.
I’m about to ask her to reconsider the “without benefits” part of our arrangement when my phone beeps in my pocket. Both of us startle, and she steps away from me, effectively breaking the mood.
Because it’s clear that she wants to maintain the “without benefits” part, I reach into my pocket and pull out the phone. Looking at the notification, everything inside me goes cold.
I look at Charlotte. “I should probably respond to this. But thank you again for tonight, Charlotte. I do appreciate it.”
She gives a slight nod, and I can’t tell if her expression is disappointment that I’m not going to push harder or relief that she has escaped this attraction between us.
“Goodnight, Oliver.”
“Goodnight, Charlotte.”
As she goes to her room, I go to the bar and pour myself two fingers of scotch this time. I’m going to need it as I open the text message.
“How’sthe job hunt? You can’t escape this, Oliver.”
Attached is a screenshot from a video where I’m buck naked, fucking my former boss’s daughter.