Page 16 of Reckless Chances
Chapter 6 – Emma
Away from the warmthof the fire, the night air bit at Emma’s cheeks. It didn’t matter though; she was burning from the inside. Charlie’s arm was wrapped around her shoulder and she felt at home, protected under his wing. When they left Josh and Megan’s house, Emma was certain that she was doing the right thing. She knew that she was going to invite him in to do a whole lot more than kiss, but as they walked, the reasons why she should invite the muscular brew master into her sheets started to be outnumbered by the reasons why she shouldn’t.
Even though she had only been in Chance Rapids for a short time, she saw how the rumor mill worked. When things went sour with Charlie, not only would everyone in town know about it, she would have to see him every damn day.
They turned onto Aspen Lane from Main Street and a few drops of rain started to fall from the sky. Stopping under the shelter of a huge maple tree, Charlie drew Emma into his chest, his strong forearm hooked around her neck and he kissed the top of her head. She nuzzled into his neck, inhaling his scent – a mixture of cedar and freshly baked bread. They remained in their embrace long enough for their breathing to sync, and Charlie was the one to pull away. “I think we’re getting rained on,” he said.
The shelter of the mature tree could only do so much, and somehow, while nestled into Charlie’s embrace, she hadn’t noticed that the rain had started to fall heavier, probably because Charlie’s body had been protecting her. She pulled away and immediately felt the drops from the laden maple leaves plopping heavily onto her head. “Should we make a run for it?”
Charlie grabbed her hand, and she squealed as the two of them ran, as best as they could for being tipsy, all the way to the front porch of her rental home, hitting every single puddle along the way.
“Charlie,—” Emma was interrupted by the scratch of Charlie’s beard as his lips pressed against hers. She melted against the red wooden door and arched against Charlie’s body as he pressed his into hers. She slipped her hands behind his neck, his dark hair silky on the back of her hands.
“Yeah,” he pulled back an inch, his beard tickling her face with his words.
“I want you to come in, I do,” she whispered and pressed her forehead to his chin. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea, you know, being neighbors and everything.” She met his blue eyes.
She felt the sigh of his breath as he kissed her forehead, “Or it could be perfect.”
Emma had expected him to agree with her, to acknowledge that this was going to be a one-night roll in the hay that would lead to a series of uncomfortable encounters on the sidewalk in front of their stores – and sideways looks from everyone in town. She searched his eyes and felt like he was looking deep into her soul. She wanted to open the door and pull him inside her house. She wanted to rip off his three-button Henley and run her fingers up and down his abs. She wanted to feel his weight on top of her, pressing the breath from her lungs as she writhed beneath him.
“Emma,” he whispered and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I like you. I get where you’re coming from, but tonight, when I saw you, I knew that there was something different about you. Something special.”
Coming from anyone else, Emma would’ve laughed, but she agreed with Charlie. Her skin had prickled with excitement, wondering if he was going to show up at the barbecue, and when he did, a rush had passed through her body, leaving chills, the good kind, up and down her arms. She kissed his jawbone while conflicting thoughts raced through her mind.
The dampness finally set in and Emma shivered. Charlie rubbed her arms vigorously in response. “If you’re here to stay in Chance Rapids,” he clarified, “We can take it slow. I don’t have to come in, but Emma, you’re incredible.”
“I am here to stay,” she whispered. A drop of rain fell from Charlie’s eyelash and landed on her face. Then another. “Well, you are soaking wet. I can’t send you home like this.” She swiped her thumb across his forehead, stopping the next drops from falling down his face. “Slow?” she said. She held both of his hands.
“As molasses in January.” He smiled and as if to provide an example he kissed her on the cheek. “I’m not going anywhere.”
She grabbed the wet collar of his flannel shirt with her right hand and opened the door with her left, pulling Charlie into the mudroom of the bungalow. “Let’s get you out of this.” She pulled the shirt over his broad shoulders and he raised his eyebrows at her. “To put in the dryer.” She squeezed the shirt out over the peonies that were about to bloom and then shut the door behind them. She grabbed Charlie by the hand, his callouses a welcome change from the manicured soft hands of her ex and led him inside. “The bathroom is down the hallway, there are towels inside the closet. Hand me your clothes and I’ll put them in the dryer with mine.
“Roger that, Flower Girl,” Charlie smiled and disappeared into the bathroom.
Emma slipped into her bedroom and peeled the wet clothes from her body. She listened for any sound of Charlie approaching while she pondered over the options in her panty drawer. She held up her sexiest pair, lacy boy shorts, the cheeky kind that made her ass look great.“Slow, Emma.”she reminded herself and grabbed a pair of plain white cotton bikinis in the other hand. Neither seemed right. She settled on a cute pair of cheeky boy shorts with palm trees. She decided at that moment, IF she happened to get undressed with Charlie, the undies were going to stay on. But they might as well look cute. She dressed in blue striped cotton pajama pants and a white tank top. She was about to head down the hallway to get a towel for her hair, but when she caught a glimpse of her nipples hard and straining at the cotton tank, she pulled on a silk robe and tied the drawstring around her waist.
“Charlie?” she rapped on the door with her knuckle. “Can you pass me a towel?”
The door opened a crack and Charlie’s hand stuck out holding a towel.
“Thanks.” Emma unfolded the towel. “Charlie,” she said quickly before he could shut the door again. “This is a hand towel, could you pass me a bigger one?”
“There are bigger ones?”
Charlie opened the door and Emma had to gulp down the water in her mouth, otherwise she would’ve spat it all over the floor. Charlie was standing naked, in her bathroom, with two hand towels tied together around his waist, barely covering him and his manhood. Emma snapped her gaze back to Charlie’s face and laughed. “They’re in the closet. Charlie turned and Emma let her eyes wander to the very indecent towel skirt wrapped around Charlie’s hips.
“I can try to find you some sweatpants to wear until your clothes are dry.”
“What, you don’t like my terry cloth mini?” He wagged his ass as he pulled a brightly colored beach towel from the cupboard.
“You would get charged with indecent exposure, if you moved too fast.”
“Yeah, bending over is definitely out of the question,” Charlie laughed. “It’s a good thing these big towels aren’t on the bottom shelf.”
“Yeah,” Emma said. But if she were being truthful, she was hoping for one of Charlie’s knots to spontaneously release and give her the whole show. If his thick fingers were any indication, he was packing a girthy and long secret under that toga skirt.
She didn’t get her wish. He wrapped the beach towel around his waist before undoing the ties on his makeshift coverup and then handed her a towel.
