Page 13 of Sleigh My Name
She’s my lifeline. My happiness. My peace.
“I mean it. I want you to move into my life.”
“I've already moved into your guest house.”
“Not good enough.”
I don’t give her a chance to reply as I sweep her into my arms, kick open my bedroom door, and carry her to my king-size bed.
“You’re so fuckin’ beautiful,” I growl, my body tense with tightly strung control.
Licking my lips, I slip my hands under her sweater to touch her warm skin. I pull the fabric over her head to reveal a fitted tank top, which reveals the outline of her pebbled nipples. “I’ve been starved for the taste of you on my tongue.”
My hands wander over her body in a slow exploration that seeks to memorize every inch of her. I trace the delicate line of her collarbone and the softness of her breast before discarding the pants tangled around her ankles.
A part of me still worries—a persistent whisper of doubt that she’s a mirage, a fabrication of my imagination. The way she laughs, the scent of her hair, the feel of her skin beneath my touch. Maybe this is all a dream, a desperate desire conjured by my subconscious. Soon, I’ll wake to the harsh reality of my lonely existence. The thought terrifies me.
I shut my eyes to eliminate the vision, and I grip her tighter, as if touching her is the anchor tethering me to the moment so I don’t slip into the past. All that doesn’t matter anymore. My father is gone, and she’s here.
Like an animal, I grip the hem of her tank top and haul it to her neck. She lifts it over her head and discards it on the floor behind her. I sit back and grip her knees, spreading her legs and taking her in.
Charley is pure yet corrupt—a contrast that allows me to understand the complexities of humanity, how every decision is two sides of a coin. The meaning of life is a twisted truth embedded within her. She is my reason. My compass. My true north. My home.
The years without her were like floating in the vast blackness of time and space. I wasn’t living; I was surviving. Now she’s here in front of me, a tangible being I can touch, see, feel, smell, and taste, I know with clarity that I belong with her. Charley is mine, just as I’m hers.
The silence between us fills with unspoken lust. Acts that should come so naturally now feel riddled with unease. I’ve never been nervous around a woman before, but with Charley, all I can think about is what if I mess this up? I want this to be everything for her. For us.
My voice is a low rasp as I swallow down my longing. “I remember the last time I was between your thighs like it was yesterday.”
I still remember that night. The memory is sharp and poignant. The feel of her skin against mine, her flavor on my tongue, the sound of her breathless desire.
I trace the delicate curve of her hips as I tug at her panties before gliding the fabric down her shapely legs and tossing them on the floor.
“For years, I thought I could forget you. But that was a lie. I saw your face in everything and everyone. No matter what I did or who I was with, it was only you.” I position my hand directly above my head. “You were the invisible tattoo branded on my heart.” I cradle my head. “Your face was the portrait vividly painted in my mind.”
“Liam…” Her breath is hot and shallow, making her chest rise and fall and her nipples pucker irresistibly.
I gaze at her, needing some answers before I continue. I want everything to be perfect for her. I don’t want to do anything that crosses her boundaries and makes her uncomfortable.
“Before we continue, you said you like degradation, but what about pain? Breath play? Bondage?”
Charley turns her face away from me and stares at the wall.
Without thinking, I grip her chin and turn her face toward me. “Don’t do that. Don’t turn away from me. I told you, Charley, you can tell me anything. I never want you to think you can’t. You could have told me about my dad and what he did. We wouldhave figured it out. I want no more secrets. Love is everything, but trust is more.”
“I had a boyfriend, and I tried some stuff with him. I enjoy being choked, having my face slapped. I already told you about the degradation. I don’t like bondage, though. At all. It makes me feel a certain way. I’m a brat, but I will follow orders. My ex-boyfriend didn’t like that I talked back. I guess he was the wrong person to explore my kinks with. He made me feel dirty and… wrong because I had those desires.”
Rage. All I can see is red. My hands form into fists, and my teeth grind.
Charley moves, shielding herself from me by covering her breasts.
I sit back and stare at her. “What are you doing?”
“I’m sorry,” she whispers.
I take a deep breath to compose myself because my initial instinct is to yell. “Sorry for what, Charley? You’ve done nothing wrong. I don’t know why you’re hiding from me.”
“I-I… You must think I’m dirty.”
