Page 49 of The Rest is History
‘Thanks.’ I stand there like an idiot. ‘Morning, guys,’ I say, like I practised in the mirror at home. Like I haven’t spent every waking second (and most of my sleeping ones) replaying what happened in that innocuous upstairs room at the palace.
The ignition of our argument into something neither of us could resist.
Charlie Vaughan’s tongue devouring me.
His long fingers inside me.
My body spiralling heavenward as his thumb traced circles on my flesh.
Going up in flames around him.
‘Good morning,’ Charlie says. His voice is expressionless, but his face is quite the opposite. Whew. The heat in his eyes hasme wanting to reach simultaneously for a fan and a fresh pair of knickers.
I cross the room unsteadily and put my bag on the floor. I’ve been dreading and dying for this moment all weekend.
‘So. New top?’ Zara insists.
‘Yeah. I bought it yesterday.’
I am, in fact, wearing a sleeveless, silky pussy-bow blouse that I bought in a panic yesterday on the high street along with a sleeveless polo-neck. I won’t be showing my neck in public for a few days, and considering the warmth of the weather, that’s a difficult feat to pull off.
‘It’s cute,’ she says.
‘Thanks.’
I hazard a glance at Charlie. He’s facing his screen, but he’s immobile. An urge to stir up mischief hits me hard.
‘Actually,’ I continue, ‘I got bitten so badly on my neck this weekend that I had to wear something to hide it.’
At his laptop, Charlie freezes so completely that it’s comedic.
Zara sucks in a sympathetic breath through her teeth. ‘Oh no! Brutal. I hate when that happens. Midges, do you think?’
‘Dunno,’ I say airily. ‘But I got absolutely eaten alive. Totally devoured.’
‘Ugh. Is it itchy? I’m sure our resident first-aider’s got some antihistamine cream in the kit—right, Charlie?’
He mutters something strangled without turning around, and I swear, this moment is priceless.
‘Not itchy,’ I concede. ‘Just… a bit unsightly.’
‘Oh well.’ She jumps out of her chair and pats me on the shoulder. ‘Bad luck, babes. I’m gonna grab a granola pot from downstairs. Want one?’
‘Sure.’ I hand her my security pass so she can use it for payment, but she swats my hand away.
‘My treat. You can buy next time.’
‘Okay. Thanks.’
She heads out and I slide into my chair, every nerve ending in my body conscious that I’m alone with Charlie. I’ve wondered all weekend how he’d react when he saw me. He was so weird last week after our kiss, but this waswaymore than a kiss. I came on his fingers, for Chrissakes. I let him undo me enough to have anorgasmin front of the man I have zero working relationship with. And he looked so turned on at the end that I thought he might pass out.
I don’t have to wait very long, because he’s out of his chair in a flash and I feel the weight of his hand on my seat back.
I look up at him.
He stares down at me.
I swallow.
