Bang. Bang. Bang.
“Katie, are you in there? Seriously! This isn’t funny.”
Bang. Bang. Bang.
“I swear if you left without even giving me notice, I’m going to kick your ass.”
“Someone needs to tell that woman she has the wrong room.” A deep voice sounds in my ear as warm hands curl around my waist, bringing me back into something hard.
Hard…
Charlie Bates, hard.
I stifle a soft purr and find myself snuggling further into his hold. He’s still in my room. And damn, I feel like I’ve slept for days. Maybe this was a good idea.
“Seriously, Katie, I know you’re in there. I called the front desk and you haven’t checked out! It’s already a quarter past eleven and the signing’s already started and I have a mob waiting for you. Don’t do this to me.”
A quarter past eleven? Huh?
I open my eyes, and when the bright red numbers come into view—
“Shit!” I swear, throwing my head back, accidentally head-butting Charlie in the face. “Dude! Shit! We’re late! We overslept. Get up!” I jump out of bed and realize I’m naked. “Shit!” I turn, bending forward and trying to cover myself.
“I think I saw all your secret hiding places last night. No need to hide from me now.”
“Ugh,” I grunt, realizing he’s right, and go in search of my underwear. Finding a pair under the bed, I hop on one foot to the next, trying to get them on. “Seriously, Bates, get up! Kristen is going to kill us.”
He finally hops out of bed, his fucking morning wood about to poke his own eye out, and leisurely goes in search of his own clothes.
“Katie, please!”
Shit, stop calling me Katie!
“Kristen! It’s Bailey! I’m up! So sorry! I’ll be down in ten minutes!”
Charlie comes up behind me, wrapping his hand around my lower waist and pressing his lips to the back of my neck. I stop for a second and lean into his hold, until I realize what the fuck I’m doing and push him away.
“Seriously, Bates, get dressed and out of here.”
His laughter’s getting on my nerves. “Wow, I never expected you as a love ’em and leave ’em kind of girl. I’m wounded.”
I want to turn around and punch him, but the knocking on the door interrupts that.
“Dude, let me in. I’ll help you get ready faster.” Kristen bangs again on the door.
Shit! She cannot see Charlie in my room.
“Dude, you gotta go. Seriously. Back where you came from, buddie.” I bend down, grabbing his shirt and tossing it at him. Grabbing his shoulders, I push him toward the connecting door.
“Katie, seriously, let me in!”
“Who’s Katie?”
“I have no idea, now shoo, get out—”
Charlie quickly turns, catching me off balance. Dropping his shirt, he lifts me up, pivoting and pressing my back against the wall. Slamming his mouth on mine, he kisses me like a fucking champ. His tongue dives into my mouth. I instantly moan, wrapping my fingers up and into his hair.
“KATIE!”
And then I pull really tightly.
“Shit! That hurts.”
“Good, put me down and get out!” Finally, he does what I ask. I pick his shirt up and toss it into his room. Just before I close the door, I say, “You were great, but this never happened.” And I slam it in his face.
Fuck me.
Fuck awesome sex.
My body might feel like jello after my all-night workout, but my mind is tense and in fucking knots. What the hell did I do? I mean, I know what I did, but why him? Why did I let some hot model get in my bed and in my head? I could have worked out my aggression on the damn battery-operated toy I brought. Or a normal Joe hanging out at the bar. Why him?
I shuffle the laminated postcards for the ninth time, trying to distract myself from witnessing the catastrophe happening across the room. The signing is in full swing and every time I glance his way I catch him smiling at a girl, offering her that stupid quirky smile he gives me. And every time he catches me looking, he gives me that damn wink. I’m seconds away from punching that wink off his face. I’m just mad at myself for letting him sucker me. It’s like I became just another one of those foolish fans who swoon over the sexy perfection of Charlie Bates. And fuck me, he is sexy. Everything about him is. His voice, his hair, his smile, his gorgeous cock! Ugh!!! And I fell for it. I’m sure he’s had his publicist change his room already so he doesn’t have to have any awkward run-ins with me and can move on to another sucker.
I take a break from my fans and excuse myself. I need a time-out. I head to the bathroom to splash some water on my face to relax, wishing I was pouring some vodka down my throat instead. “It’s fine. Everyone makes mistakes—”
“Who you talking to?”
I twist to my right to see Charlie walking into the women’s bathroom. “Dude, get out of here. Last I checked you don’t have a vagina.”
He doesn’t stop, though. He comes at me, pressing my back against the sink.
“I hope not, but you do, and I can’t stop thinking about it.” Both hands wrap around my face and he kisses me. He doesn’t ask for an invitation, he just takes, his mouth devouring mine.
A strange spark in my chest rattles me and I don’t like it. I push him off me, his eyes lighting up with mischief. “Seriously, Bates. That was a one-time thing. You know it and I know it. We are complete opposites.”
“And opposites attract.” He smiles, coming at me again.
I dodge his mouth and move out from his grip.
“I’m being serious. Don’t feel like you owe me anything ’cause we, uh, well, whatever we did last night.”
“You mean sex? Hot, passionate, nail biting, sweating, name screaming—”
“Oh God, I get it, yes! But we’re done. I don’t even like you.”
His smile widens, and it only pisses me off more.
“Really? Because last night I think you told me you loved me.”
I freeze, nervous I may have said something by mistake in the heat of the moment.
“You told me how much you loved my tongue, the way it swirled around your pulsing clit—”
I punch him.
I clearly need him to stop talking. So, I punch him. I mean, not hard ’cause I’m a wimp, but enough to catch him off guard. I think I stunned us both, but before either one of us can react, I take off.
Fuck these weird feelings.
Fuck Charlie Bates’ tongue.