***Charlie***
IpulledintoTheo’s parking lot, noticing Russ’ truck already there. It was odd that Theo wasn’t already open for the day, but after the mood he’d been in the night before, I figured he was nursing a hangover. I didn’t start worrying until I saw a set of long legs climb out of Theo’s window upstairs. Recognizing the mile-long legs immediately, I swore and raced out of my truck and over to the fire escape that had to be over fifty years old. Rusted and barely standing, I was terrified I was going to watch Reagan fall to her death.
She stepped fully onto the metal death trap and wobbled unsteadily on sky-high heels. Dressed in the tiniest dress I’d ever seen on her, she was a fucking sight in the morning sun. Her eyes were pinched in worry until she finally looked down and saw me.
“Help!” She glanced down, working out how she’d get to me, and then grunted quietly. “Don’t look up right now, okay?”
I couldn’t help the smile that twisted my lips. “And why not?”
She glared for a second and then sighed before turning and starting her journey down the small ladder. “I really don’t want to be seen by anyone in the shape I’m in right now, Charlie. Least of all, you.”
I kept my eyes on her feet and watched her closely, making sure she wasn’t going to plunge to her death. “You’re always beautiful to me, Rea.”
She stopped moving, and when I finally looked up at her face, she was staring down at me with tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry. That was just really sweet.”
“Get down here already, woman. I’m guessing Russ came in and you had to sneak out. Unless you’d like for him to catch you like this, I suggest you hurry.”
She made it almost all the way down the ladder before her heel caught on the narrow step and she slipped. Her top half fell back into my arms as her legs stayed tangled on the steps. Her dress rode up her thighs, nearly giving me an eyeful before she grabbed it and held it down.
I helped her down the rest of the way, biting my tongue against the urge to lecture her for how dangerous she’d been. I motioned towards my truck. “Get in. I’ll drive you home.”
She nodded hurriedly and cast one last worried look back at Theo’s apartment before racing to climb into my truck. She stayed low and silent until I pulled away from the garage and onto the highway. “Thank you.”
I stole another glance at her and took in the whole picture. Jealousy clawed its ugly nails up my throat at the sight of her. Theo had clearly had his way with her the night before. Her hair was wild, makeup smeared, and I could see beard burn all over her neck. There was also the fact that it hadn’t just been the heels that’d made her walk funny.
I shifted in my seat as my dick hardened. Annoyance bit at me. What was wrong with me? I was getting hard at the idea of the woman I wanted getting fucked by my best friend.
“Charlie?”
I grunted in response, not trusting myself to speak. I didn’t trust myself at all when it came to Reagan. I kept my eyes on the road and gripped the steering wheel harder.
“I’m sorry.” She lightly touched my arm and then withdrew into her side of the truck. “This is weird. I… It’s not okay that you were forced into being my getaway driver from that.”
I parked on the side of the road a few houses down from hers and turned to face her. “Don’t apologize, Reagan. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
She chewed on her full bottom lip and met my eyes after a while of looking anywhere else. “I don’t really know what I’m doing. It feels like I’m doing a lot wrong. Especially when I’m looking at you right now after staying over at Theo’s.”
“Why?”
She tugged at her dress and shifted. Her cheeks reddened and she was back to looking at anything but my face. “I want things. Things that I have no business wanting.”
Yep, my dick was trying to honk the horn. “With Theo?”
She nodded. “And…”
“August?”
She nodded again and I watched her fingernails dig into her thighs. “And you.”
I reached over and grabbed the back of her neck, dragging her closer to me. Looking down at her big green eyes, I saw them flare with need. Sinking into the kiss, I held her face and stroked my thumb over her jaw, fascinated with her soft skin. When I pulled away after a beat, I kissed the tip of her nose and smiled.
“Good.”
She straightened and scrunched her nose up at me. “Good?”
“Go out with me tonight.” I brushed her hair behind her ears and wiped away a black smear under her eyes. “I’ll pick you up at nine if that’s okay. Where I want to take you, it needs to be dark first.”
Nodding instantly, she leaned forward and pressed her forehead into my shoulder. “My first date in Lunar. What will I wear?”