When the DJ called all the single men forward for the garter toss, John was noticeably absent. Charlotte’s relief didn’t last long when Jason requested the DJ call his brother out by name.
“I’m looking for a John Reynolds. If anybody sees him, you have his brother’s permission to kindly drag his rear out onto the dance floor.”
Charlotte and Lauren gave each other a look as the room chuckled, and within moments one of the bridesmaids was doing as instructed, dragging John out so he could join the very scant group of men lined up around the edge of the floor.
When the garter was flung over Jason’s head, it headed in the exact opposite direction of where his brother stood, landing right in the hands of a tall guy in the back who seemed surprisingly proud to have caught it. A female, obviously his girlfriend, jumped into his arms and kissed his face about eight times. Charlotte stepped back to look through the images she’d just taken. Automatically her eyes went to John, off to the side of the frame. He hadn’t been looking at Jason or the garter at all.
He’d been watching her.
But Charlotte had other things on her mind. The next hour flew by, and with every moment she grew more anxious and definitely more excited. It was hard to believe Dean was serious about what he’d said. Surely he wasn’t trying to tease her for getting him into such a ridiculous situation.
No. He’d been on the fence about them, but she knew him well enough to know he wouldn’t do that. Not after what they’d been through the past few weeks. The thing that kept her mind reeling was the look in his eyes. Nothing about his expression had made her doubt his meaning until she’d walked away and tried to make sense of it all.
Because this was a crazy turn of events. Not that she was complaining. They’d been playing this game of lust and denial. Had he finally decided to throw caution to the wind? It seemed so un-Dean-like … and yet something had to give. She’d already decided that they either stop flirting or give this a shot, so he must have decided something similar. If necessary they were mature enough to enjoy each other and then remain business colleagues. People did it all the time. And if something came of it? Even better.
“Are you calling it?” Lauren asked, reading Charlotte’s body language well.
“I think so. I’m going to say good-bye to everyone. Want to meet in the break room?”
Lauren nodded and Charlotte felt the butterflies in her stomach kick back to life as she made her way through the reception, saying good-bye to Shelby, Jason, and their parents. They all thanked her again profusely for coming to their aid on such short notice. Even John and Jason’s mother, Roxanne, gave her a warm hug and told Charlotte she missed and thought of her often. She purposely avoided John, who hadn’t sought her out again since the conversation with Dean. In fact, she didn’t see him anywhere.
As she headed to the break room beside the bar, she glanced around, wondering if Dean was going to come find her. That was when she realized she’d never told him what time she was leaving. This happened to be an earlier wedding for them. Normally she and Lauren stayed till ten or eleven, but tonight’s coverage was only till nine thirty since they’d started early and the contract was only for an eight-hour day.
She could seek him out, but what would she say? I’m ready to go home with you? Besides, she and Lauren had ridden together in Charlotte’s car so she had to take them back to her place so Lauren could get home. On top of that, she hadn’t even told her best friend what Dean had said.
Opening up her phone, she sent him a text.
CHARLOTTE: We’re leaving. I hope you were serious.
“You ready?” Lauren asked, after she’d packed up the last of their gear.
Charlotte eyed her phone, waiting. “Hang on a second,” she said to Lauren.
After a moment of no response, she sighed. “Yep. I think I’m ready.”
“Everything okay?” Lauren asked.
“Yeah. Just tired.”
They picked up their bags and headed for the freight elevator. At the end of a wedding day, even one narrow flight of stairs was asking a lot. When they got to the big metal gated door, Jake was just getting off.
“You ladies already out of here?” he asked.
“We are,” Charlotte said as she pulled back. “It was good to see you.”
“You too.” His smile could light up a room. She’d decided not to say anything to him this evening about doing a shoot together. After finding out how Dean felt, she couldn’t get excited about the idea anymore.
They said their good-byes and Jake helped them shut the elevator door. Once they were downstairs Charlotte took a quick look around the first floor. Dean was nowhere to be seen. The distillery room was dark. The offices toward the far side of the room appeared to be also.
“Are you sure everything’s okay?” Lauren asked. “Are you looking for him?”
Charlotte turned and headed for the front door. The last thing she felt like was getting a lecture from her friend. “I was just going to say good-bye. No biggie. Let’s get out of here.”
Looked like despite her excitement, she’d end this night just like she did every other time. Alone.
* * *
Dean shut off the lights to the back room and made sure all the doors to the alley were locked. To kill time, he’d made sure all the giant vats of leftover stilled mash were pushed over to the loading dock door for Monday morning when their farmer friend, Fred Simmons, would drive his huge truck into town and pick them up. His pigs loved the stuff, and it kept the guys from having to dispose of it. The cool part was that Fred also supplied them with the corn for their bourbon, so it was kind of nice to see the product go full circle.
He hadn’t realized it was so late—nearly ten according to the clock on the wall—so Dean quickly made his way toward the stairs and headed up to the wedding reception. He could tell the noise wasn’t quite as boisterous, so things must have been winding down. He wished he’d have asked Charlotte what time they were finishing up for the evening, but it was usually at least ten or eleven. Plus, he’d made his intentions clear, so hopefully she’d be waiting for him.
When he entered the side door and walked into the dim room, he scanned the guests, not finding her or Lauren anywhere. He walked over to the bar, where Jen had started loading up the dishwasher with a multitude of glasses.
“Hey, have you, uh…”
“They left already,” Jen shot back without even looking up.
Dean’s heart sank. “How did you know what I was going to ask?”
Jen’s hands stopped on the rag she was using to wipe the bar. She slowly lifted her head and gave him a long-suffering you’ve-got-to-be-kidding me look. “Please, Phantom. Don’t play me for a fool.”
“Will you not call me that?”
She just shrugged and continued on with her work.
“Hey, what are you doing here? I saw you at the still earlier.” Jake walked up and leaned his forearms on the bar. “Jen, give me a water, will you?”
She scoffed. “I’m not your personal bar wench.” But Jake ignored her and she proceeded to pour the drink anyway, slamming it down in front of him.
“So what time did Lauren and Charlotte leave?” Dean asked, nonchalantly.
He didn’t miss the knowing smirk Jen and Jake shared. “Just a bit ago. Right after she begged me to do a photo shoot for her.”
Dean’s jealousy ratcheted back up, but he played it cool. He needed to accept that Charlotte might photograph Jake—or other guys he knew. In fact, he knew she would. But she was right, it was her job and she did it all the time. “Good for you, man.”
Jen pointed at Jake. “I see you as a duke or a pirate. Something with a frilly shirt.”
Jake’s head jerked back. “You’ve got to be kidding. Only if I was like … ripping that frilly shirt open or something masculine like that.” He imitated exactly how he would pose.
Jen laughed. “When do we get to see your photos?” she asked Dean.
“I’m not sure. She hasn’t shown any to me yet.”
Jen grinned. “Probably keeping the ones of you all for herself. Now it only leaves TJ.”
“No way,” Dean said at the same time Jake said, “Definitely not.”
“Why wouldn’t he? He’s pretty cute, has a good body.” Jen focused on loading more glasses into the dish machine. “I can see it.”
Dean tried to read her. Could she possibly be as interested in TJ as he was her? Maybe, but Jen was very hard to read. Not only did she not wear her emotions on her sleeve, she stuffed them into a pocket, sewed it shut, and then wore a mask to try to throw you off.
“Doesn’t matter,” he said. “I don’t think that’s something TJ would ever be open to doing.” And that was just fine with Dean, although he’d much rather Charlotte hang out with a half-naked TJ than a half-naked Jake.
“I’m sure I could get him to do it,” Jen said with a wicked grin, and there was always a possibility she was right. If she asked him, TJ might give up a necessary organ.
“Hey, I’m out of here.” Dean gave a quick wave, but before he could get too far, Jake called out to him.
“Hey, man. I was just puling your chain. She never mentioned me modeling for her so I didn’t bring it up, either.”
There was no denying Dean’s relief at those words. But then he felt a twinge of guilt. The last thing he wanted to be was controlling. “If she does bring it up, go for it.”
“You sure?” Jake asked.
Dean nodded.
After he started his car, he pulled his phone from the center console. As soon as he saw Charlotte’s text he cursed. She probably thought he’d changed his mind.
DEAN: I was absolutely serious. On my way soon.
The minute he started driving, he forced all creeping thoughts of doubt out of his mind. This was the right decision. Having his arms around her a couple of hours ago had felt so right.
At home he jumped in the shower, his mind swirling with images of her. He’d wanted this woman for a long time now. He’d had a taste of her, and he was finally realizing that there was no moving on until he’d had more. What happened after that? He couldn’t predict, but as much as he wished they could, there was no going back, and things couldn’t stay the same.
Everything about her appealed to him, not only on a visceral level, but on a cerebral one as well. She made him think, made him laugh. She challenged him with her witty comments and snarky innuendo. The way she looked at him, talked to him, made him feel like she wanted him physically, and she was honest, without pretense. For a younger woman, that seemed … surprising. Then again it was Charlotte, and she never failed to surprise him.
Tonight when she’d blurted out that they were seeing each other, his heart had nearly pounded out of his chest, but playing along had felt like the most natural thing in the world. After hearing another man have possible regrets over this woman, it made him realize he didn’t want the same.
When he’d found her upstairs, it had felt wonderful to finally kiss and touch her like she was his.
Within ten minutes he’d toweled off, gotten ready, and was out his front door and back in his vehicle. Just as he started up the engine, his phone vibrated. Pulling it out of his pocket, he grinned when he saw her text.
CHARLOTTE: Waiting …
DEAN: Good things come to those who wait.
CHARLOTTE: Yeah well I’ve been waiting a loooonnng time so I’m expecting really good things.
He headed to her house with a grin on his face because finally, this was going to happen. Taking a deep breath, he pulled into her little driveway and parked behind her car. There was a low light on in the living room.
He stood there a minute, hesitating, but before he could knock, the door flew open. Stepping back instinctively, he met her eyes through the screen door. He swallowed as his gaze ran down the length of her body, from her damp hair down to her tiny little pajama shorts.
Christ.
“I was starting to worry you’d been teasing me again,” she said quietly.
He smiled. “Not this time.”
She opened the door and he stepped in slowly, catching the fresh scent of her shampoo as he passed. When he’d been here for the photoshoot he hadn’t come in, but he was unsurprised to find that the space was completely her. Neat and cozy, a little eccentric, with unmatched furniture and a mix of various pillows. A blanket was disturbed on the sofa, a book tossed onto the coffee table as if she’d been lying there reading. Probably how she’d heard him pull up.
Several large, framed photographs hung on the walls, mainly of wildflowers and sunsets. “Did you take these?” he asked as he stepped in and she shut the front door behind him.
“I did. Sometimes when I’m location scouting I like to shoot the landscape. It’s relaxing. And I love looking at them.”
“I can see why. They’re beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
He turned back to her, realizing he was stalling. For a man in his forties who had been with his fair share of women, he was suddenly unsure what the hell to do next.
She smiled up at him, her hands clasped in front of her. Was she also nervous? She didn’t really appear to be, more just … waiting. Could she sense his awkwardness?
“It’s hard to believe I might finally get my wish,” she whispered.
Dean stepped toward her slowly. “What’s your wish, Charlotte?”
“You.”
And then just like that she was in his arms, her lips on his. He groaned the minute their bodies met, couldn’t help himself, and he instinctively hauled her up against him, his hands grasping her butt as her arms locked around his neck in a kind of wild, possessive stranglehold.
Their first kiss had been sexy, slow, and surprising. But this, this was a frenzy. He wasn’t sure he’d ever been kissed like this. Charlotte came at him with a maddening intensity he’d never, ever experienced from a woman, her lips and tongue touching every bit of him as her hands explored his shoulders, back, and biceps. Instantly he was rock-hard and grinding her body into him.
“I want to touch you everywhere,” she said as she pressed kisses to his jaw.
Dean’s eyes rolled back as he tilted his head to give her access. How the hell would he explain the marks she was no doubt leaving on him? When her tongue stroked his earlobe he nearly came right there.
They continued to kiss for a few moments, each enjoying the other’s mouth. After a bit Charlotte slid down his body, her arms still locked around his neck.
“Holy shit.” He looked down, and the lust in her eyes set his body on fire. She was so hot like this, so uninhibited. “You’re so beautiful.”
The smile she gave him in response was so happy and pure it took his breath away. She was like a dream come true. Which was absolutely terrifying. Here he thought he could have her and get it out of his system, but as good as he knew this was going to be, it was hard to believe that would ever be a possibility. How could a man experience his ultimate fantasy and not want to come back for more?
“I’ve wanted you for so long,” he said quietly, stroking down the side of her face.
“Why’d you keep me guessing?”
“You were right. Fear.”
“And you’re not afraid anymore?” she asked.
“My desire for you is stronger than any fear.”
She smiled at that, and Dean inhaled through his nose, loving the scent of her this close. Right now, tonight, she was all his. He would forget the decade between them, the fact that they worked together, and all the reasons they shouldn’t be together, and just revel in the mind-blowing reality that this absolutely gorgeous and seductive woman wanted him as much as he wanted her.
“Take your clothes off, Charlotte.”