Page 32 of Charlie
His kiss was dominant and because of his hands around my neck, I couldn’t move much. It excited me to be under his control and my brain was trying to figure out how he’d become such an assertive kisser.
Voices from people approaching gave us time to move apart just before they rounded the corner. They sounded Russian and posed on the graves for pictures.
My body was shaking from the powerful experience of what had just happened between us. There had been nothing shy about Charles just now. In fact, dominating me had seemed within his comfort zone.
Does that mean he has done it before with someone else?
Neither of us spoke as we walked side by side back toward the road.
I wished I’d truly run into him by accident because if he ever found out that I’d read a few of his diaries and been helped by a private investigator, it might make Charles question everything else that was happening between us.
No, he has to know that what just happened was real.
But if he finds out his grandfather offered to pay me to be here, he’ll be hurt and think I’m doing it for the money.
“You okay?”
I turned my head to see Charles observing me.
“You look pretty serious. Did I do something wrong?”
I kept walking and let my hand run over the wall of stones that separated two of the grass fields. “No, you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s more like the opposite.”
“You think that you did something wrong?”
“No… I don’t know… did I? I was thinking the opposite, as in you do everything right, and it has me trying to process what is happening between us.”
Charles stopped for a second with his eyebrows drawn close together. “What do you think is happening between us?”
“That’s the thing. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever tried. For me relationships have always been growing from friendships to something more. With you, things are happening so fast.”
He crossed his arms and I got scared that he misunderstood, and thought I regretted making out with him. I made my tone a bit lighter, trying to ease his tension.
“Honestly, I blame our chemistry. I’m a sane person on my own and you’re probably sane on your own, but when we’re mixed together there’s an explosion of sexual attraction that takes my breath away.” I pantomimed an explosion with my hands. “I mean, have you ever been on a date like this?” I chuckled a little and it made him visibly relax and walk on. “Well, have you?”
Charles placed an arm around my shoulder and guided me to the bus, which was filling up. “Sure, I’ve been on tons of fourteen-hour dates where I made out against ruins and kissed within the first two hours. Happened all the time back in the states.”
I narrowed my eyes and wrinkled my nose. “Liar.”
“What? Did you think you were special?”
I shoved him with my shoulder. “Be honest.”
He pushed me in front of him in the line to get back on the bus and with his hands wrapped around my waist, he whispered in my ear. “Do we have to compare it to something? Can’t this just be our thing?”
I turned my head to look at him. “At least admit that it’s special.”
Sliding his hand up to my neck, he pulled me in for a quick kiss. “You’re special, Liv, and I’m having an amazing time with you. I’ll admit to that.”
We didn’t speak until the bus was on the road again. The guide explained that it would be hours until we reached the Cliffs of Moher on the west coast and it left us time to get to the questions that my tongue had been burning to ask since I met him yesterday.
CHAPTER 8
Worth It?
Charles
I was playing with Liv’s fingers, letting the tip of my index finger run along her nails and rings. “Who gave you those?” I asked and pointed to two rings on her ring finger. “Are they old engagement rings?”
