Chasing the Dream: Dream Series, Book 3 (36 page)

“If I wasn’t serious before, I am now,” he breathed.

Then, without much warning, there was a low rolling thunder, the skies opened up and it started raining. And not just raining, but pouring.
When had the clouds grown so dark?
Before I knew it, I was already soaked, and Charlie was tugging me up to my feet. With no effort, he lifted me into his strong arms, and marched us up to the gazebo for shelter. I stared at his beautiful face as the large, warm drops splashed on his angled features. He really was breathtaking.

As soon as we stepped in, Charlie’s mouth crashed on my mine, consuming all the oxygen left in my lungs. But in Charlie’s arms, who needed to breathe?

He slowly dropped my legs, but kept me pulled tightly into him, our wet bodies sticking to each other.

“Nothing like a surprise, summer Georgia rain,” he breathed, brushing a chunk of hair that was stuck across my face.

He sunk his hands into my hair, and kissed me, tilting my head gently to deepen the kiss. The soft, bristly scruff on his jaw was firing off fantasies of feeling those softish hairs everywhere on my body. My arms wrapped around his back and my hands ran up his rippling muscles that were magnified under the wet fabric. I dragged my nails down his back over his shirt. As I reached his waist, and fished my hands under the ‘sticky’ cotton, he pressed his hips into mine, letting me know just how affected he was, and I was more than a little aware of the non-rain moisture between my legs building and readying for him.

Charlie stepped back, gasping for air. He pulled his t-shirt off and tossed it aside. The water on his body from the rain highlighted his broad, muscular shoulders and pecs. I watched a bead of water drop from Charlie’s chin and run down that impressive chest. I felt Charlie watch me as I watched that very lucky droplet of water bump down his ripped six-pack, and on to the mouthwatering V, pointing to the ultimate prize tucked in his jeans that hung low on his waist. I took note of the boxers peeking out above the waistband. Purple. Interesting.

My eyes having devoured his body, swept back up and I took in the face that I’d seen for so many years, pinned on my walls, on the big screen, and small screen. But the face that looked back, wasn’t the paparazzi face in those pullouts, movies or TV shows. It was more. Caring and tenderness and hunger… and love. And we were just us. No sick mother, or divorces, or babies, or adoptions…just us. The world and problems melted away.

With a little more than the devil glinting in his incredible eyes, he lifted my arms up over my head. He dragged his hands back down my arms, following down my sides, and even though I screamed in my head for him to stop at my breasts and give them the attention they were begging for, he did not. When he reached my hips, he gripped the hem of my shirt and worked it up over my head, and tossed it aside.

My nipples, which were already taut and trying to poke their way through the pink lace of my bra, grew deliciously and painfully hard through the damp lace. Charlie leaned forward and placed a sweet kiss on the spot where my neck met my shoulder. He opened his mouth and raked his teeth on that sensitive skin as his fingers curled on my hips and pulled mine to his. Denim-to-denim, his hot ridge of excitement, ratcheted up my growing need.

He bent down and took my breast into his mouth, bra and all. His tongue swirling around my nipple through the lace was excruciatingly delicious. I dropped my head back, absorbing the sensation of his mouth on my breast and his wet hands sliding over my practically dry back.

His attentions made me wickedly hungry, and I couldn’t decide if I wanted the fierce and frenzied passion that we’d shared in the hotel room and trailer, or the slow and intense coupling on the pier. It didn’t matter. I would take Charlie any way I could have him. And I would give myself to him in any way he wanted me. Oh, but hell, I was getting impatient.

I ran my hands over his chest and down his abs and back up. I marveled at the smooth skin, and chiseled muscles. My hands finished their exploration at his jaw. My insides clenched recalling how that stubble felt between my legs.

Feeling bold, and shielded from any prying eyes here in the gazebo, I slid my hands to his shoulders and pushed him down to his knees.

He shot a sly smile at me, his violet-blue eyes glinting as a bolt of lightening shot from the sky. “Great minds think alike,” he growled. Eagerly, he unhooked the button then pulled down the zipper on my jeans. As he gripped the waistband and started to ease my jeans down over my backside, the thunder that follows lightening rolled through us.
Yeah,
I thought.
That’s about right.
He eyed the matching lace panties, and dug his nose into the delicate fabric. He inhaled deeply and moaned. “God, you smell like…like…like nothing on earth.”

My hands rested on his shoulders, as he slipped the jeans further and lifted my leg out of one of the pant legs. Sliding the fabric of the panties aside, he licked slowly at my sex.

“You’re so wet, and honey, this ain’t rain,” he whispered, confirming what I already knew. He licked again and groaned, or maybe that was me? “And so scrumptious,” citing something I did not know. I continued to use his shoulders for support as he licked and circled my clit with his pointy tongue. He rubbed his scruff on my inner thighs. How did he know? Probably because every time he did so, I moaned uncontrollably.

He slid in a finger, then two and quickly worked me
near
orgasm. I was part annoyed and part glad that he stopped. If he hadn’t stopped, surely my legs would have given out.

He slid up my front kissing and rubbing all the way. He took my hand, while I stepped out of my jeans, and he pulled us to the bench at the back of the gazebo. “Back left pocket,” he said. I reached in and found a foil square. I shot him a grin and laughed a little at him. “A guy can hope,” he shrugged.

“But, you can’t get me pregnant now,” I said.

His face grew concerned, and he took my hands. “Just until I can get tested, okay? Believe me, I want nothing more than to have this be just the two of us, but I’m not willing to risk that. I’ll get tested as soon as possible.”

I leaned in and kissed him, to let him know how wonderfully sweet I thought he was.

“Now, eager one, help me with my jeans,” he said, smirking against my lips.

Yeah, I was eager.

I couldn’t work fast enough, frantically undoing the six buttons of his button fly jeans. I shoved his jeans and purple boxers down over his hips and was rewarded when his cock sprang free, seemingly jumping for joy. He brushed off the cushion on the bench and sat, then snatched the condom pack from my hand, ripped it open, and I watched as he rolled it on himself. I marveled while watching his fingers stroke that strong flesh. Quickly, he pulled me forward and I crawled up on his lap, facing him with my knees on either side of his hips. He scooted forward on the bench and held his dick in place while I took control and slid down, all the way down, over his silken shaft.

With Charlie’s huge, throbbing cock pulsing inside of me, in broad ‘daylight,’ the wickedness of being outside for any possible passersby to see, with the rain beating on the gazebo, and an occasional breeze blowing in some rain, his eyes looking deeply into mine…I almost came right there. We laced our fingers together and I started to grind. He let me fall back slightly, and he slid deeper still. He started to rock his hips into me and it didn’t take long before we were both writhing and sweating. Coming completely undone when there was another bright flash of lightening, I started slamming down on Charlie’s cock, faster and harder, and as the thunder cracked and boomed all around us, I came hard, shuddering around him, which triggered his climax.

I continued to rock on his lap gently as we both came back to terra firma. Charlie pulled me onto his chest, and I felt his heart pound through his chest onto my cheek.

“I love you, Phoebe Fairchild,” Charlie said, sounding all the more incredible through his chest. I sat up and looked at Charlie and smiled.

“And I love you, Charlie Smith.”

Shannon went all out for dinner that night. Charlie’s favorite spread: glazed ham, potatoes au gratin, and green beans. It was a pleasant dinner, and it seemed that Shannon’s appetite was fully restored, something I hadn’t noticed, until Brock pointed it out. She seemed the happiest I’ve seen her the entire four days I’d been here. Brock talked excitedly about the crops, and that due to the weather, they’d be able to harvest earlier than later.

After dinner, Shannon and I cleaned up while Charlie and Brock went to watch the Braves game in the living room. She and I chatted about her prognosis and how treatment was going. The odds did seem to be in her favor, and she promised that she was going to heed the doctor’s words about taking things easier, and listening to the nutritionist more.

“Things seem good?” she asked me, a glint in her eye, as she leaned back to glance at Charlie and Brock who were now shouting at the TV.

“I think things will be just fine,” I said, nodding, knowing exactly what she was talking about. I still wasn’t sure how my mom would take the news. I’d been giving it thought though and my mother hadn’t ever given me any reason to believe she’d disown me or anything over something like this. It was going to be a long several months, but having Charlie to support me, I felt like it would all work out. “Charlie is pretty amazing. You should be proud of him.”

“Oh, I am. He’s the greatest gift.” Shannon took me into her arms, and I easily hugged her back. “Anything you need, we’re all here for you. It’s not going to be easy, but it won’t be forever.”

I marveled at this woman’s unwavering strength. Here she was battling cancer, fighting for her life, yet she was concerned for me, someone not even in her family. Someone who was pregnant on accident, when she’d done everything to have a baby of her own. A woman who raised another couple’s child, and was as proud of him as if he came from her own DNA.

I stifled a yawn. “Thank you. Really.”

“You head on up, get some sleep. Sounds like you have an early flight tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “Ten in the morning, which means we need to leave here around seven-thirty.”

“Sleep well, darling.”

“You, too.”

I headed into the living room and Charlie’s eyes were on me as soon as I stepped into the room. His smile warmed my heart. Hard to believe that Chase Smythe was this guy, this laid back, upstanding guy. So different than the cocky guy in the back of the limo and on set, and the party animal the tabloids and Twitter had been portraying him as.

“You come to watch the game? They’re on fire,” Charlie asked, scooting to make more room on the couch.

I gave him a kiss, and shook my head. “I’m gonna head to bed. Tired and we have an early morning.”

Charlie looked at his watch, and said, “Good point. I can catch the score in the morning.” Charlie stood. “Well, Uncle Brock, in case I don’t see ya tomorrow morning,” he said extending his hand toward the handsome and burly man.

“What are you talkin’ about? Put that hand away,” he laughed, standing and pulling Charlie into a bear hug. Charlie hugged him right back.

“Thanks for being an awesome brother to my mom. And for keeping me in the loop. She would take this all on herself.”

“Don’t I know it,” he said. “And don’t worry. I’ll call if things get dicey again.”

“Thanks,” Charlie said again, then he took my hand and we headed upstairs.

D
espite the rocky start, today had been, for the lack of a better word, perfect.

Our day of getting to know one another more deeply was unplanned, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Well, maybe a little different circumstances, but to come together, the way we had.

Sharing my deepest secret, my adoption, with Phoebe, made everything between us infinitely better. It actually felt great sharing that with her. So few people knew, which meant I didn’t really get a chance to talk about it. I hope that I made a difference in Phoebe’s head.

I
did
know that as a couple, we were so much closer.

A couple.
That thought made me smile. For as long as I thought I’d never find someone who would change my mind about love, it felt amazing to finally admit it. And feel it. And share it.