Page 44 of Of Course, Cutie

Burke laughed and squeezed my ass. Like usual, I felt his sexy, deep laugh in my chest. He kissed the top of my head and said, “Charlie, you do something to me that no one has ever done before. You have me thinking I’ve been living my life only half-awake until now.”

I propped myself up on my elbow so I could look into his gorgeous green eyes. I ran my fingers through his beard and smiled. “I’m glad. You do lots of things to me that no one has ever done before.” I smirked and leaned down to give him a soft kiss.

When I pulled back, he was smiling at me. “God, you’re so damn cute and sexy.”

“Good.” I settled back against his chest. We only had about an hour before he needed to head to work, and I wanted to soak up every second of being in his arms.

21

Charlie

Most of January was a blur of sex. We fucked everywhere in his apartment — Burke’s bed, the couch, the kitchen counter, the shower, the hallway, the closet. We fucked standing up, lying down, upside-down, and sideways. The only times we weren’t fucking were when I had class, he had work, or Tess was there. Then, on the nights Tess was there, we’d fuck as silently as possible on the floor in his bedroom so that she didn’t hear the bed squeaking.

I was passing my Anatomy class with flying colors, but I was turning into a shitty friend, daughter, and sister, and Matteo was the only one who knew why. He supported me but said, “Charlotte, I’m pissed and jealous because Jonah is moving so damn slow, but get it, girl. And then when things cool down a little, you better fucking start showing up for me again!”

Evan commented on my weird good moods on the rare occasion that I showed up at the bar. I’d been stopping by less often to avoid jumping Burke’s bones in front of Evan. My brother noticed and commented on my absence, too. “Where you been, kid? What’s that smile for?”

My mother and Bea both asked if I was seeing someone. I was never home, and they didn’t buy it that I was hanging out with Matteo that often.

One night, close to the end of January, Bea cornered me as I headed out the door. “You’re being so weird, Charlie-girl! What’s his name?”

I bit my lip and stared at the floor. Burke and I were going to tell people we were seeing each other. We didn’t want to keep it a secret. We just knew my family would disapprove, and I wasn’t ready to deal with the drama. I was also worried that my brother would be irrational and fire Burke when he found out. I needed to tell Evan before he found out some other way.

Bea put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at me. “Charlie?”

I sighed and turned my gaze to the ceiling. “Okay, Bea. Yes, I’m seeing someone.”

Bea squealed and pulled me into her arms. “I want to meet him!”

I laughed and returned her embrace. “Not yet! It’s so new. Give me a little more time, and then I’ll bring him over and introduce him to everyone.”

My sister released me with a sly smile. “Okay, Charlie girl. Mom and I are freaking dying to meet him, though. Don’t make us wait too much longer!”

“All right, Bea.” I grinned and reached for the doorknob.

“Oh, Charlie!” Bea caught my arm and gave me a serious, almost stern look. “Do we need to talk about protection and birth control and stuff?”

I groaned and rested my forehead against the wall. “No, Bea. We’re careful.”

“Are you sure? Because a lot of college guys are dumb and clueless about birth control. They think pull out and pray is a valid method, so I need to check in with you.”

College guys. Shit. Fuck. This was why I hadn’t told my family about Burke yet. Knowing I was dating someone was one thing. Knowing I was dating someone fifteen years older than me was another. “We’re using protection.”

Bea sighed. “Of course you are. You’re smart. All right, I’ll let you go.”

“Thank you!”

When I arrived at Burke’s apartment, he pulled me into his arms and gave me a long deep kiss. “Hey. I want to tell Tess that you’re my girlfriend. I uh, I have her Valentine’s Day weekend, and I thought maybe the three of us could go to dinner, and we could tell her then.” Burke’s gorgeous green eyes searched mine. “What do you think?”

I bit my lip and smiled. He wanted the most important person in his life to know that we were together. That meant he was so serious about us. I nodded and pressed another soft kiss to his lips. “I like that idea.”

Burke sighed and kissed the top of my head. “Tess is going to be the easiest one to tell, isn’t she?”

I burrowed into his chest. “Yes. My family at least knows I’m dating someone.” I glanced up at him hesitantly.

“They just don’t know it’s an asshole twice your age.”

“Not twice my age, and not an asshole.” I paused. “Okay, sometimes an asshole.” We walked over to his couch, and he pulled me onto his lap. “I want to tell them. Maybe we could set up a dinner with my family like the week after Valentine’s Day?”

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