Charmed

“I don’t want to hurt her,” I admit. No. I’ve been fucking worried about her little ass and what she might have gotten herself into if she goes around throwing paint at people.

“No, I think you want to be her Prince Charming,” Fredrik says almost dreamily. Prince Charming? The idea seems crazy, but I’ll be anything she wants. Doesn’t the prince get to lock the princess away in his castle? Now that idea is appealing. My cock jerks at that. “Follow the music.” He nods toward the long wide hallway.

I hear the sound of music. I reach into my coat pocket, pull out a card and hand it to him. “This has my cell number on it, along with my assistant’s. Call him. He’ll more than take care of your grandmother.”

Relief washes over his face as he reaches for the card. “Just because I’m taking this card doesn’t mean—”

“I promise I won’t hurt her,” I say again, trying to reassure him. “There is something about her I—”

This time he cuts me off. “Be good to her. She’s had a hard life.” I want to question him, but my drive to get to her now pushes me toward her instead. I nod. I follow the music like he said and start down the hallway. I stop in the doorway when I see a bunch of kids running around her, dancing to the beat. She’s twirling around, her sunshine hair fanning out everywhere.

She stops when she notices me, her eyes locking and her mouth falling open. She’s even more beautiful than I remember. Her hair’s a little wild, failing all around her. Her paint-spattered white shirt hangs off one shoulder. Tight black pants cover her legs, leading down to simple white sneakers that are also covered in paint. All the kids stop dancing and turn to look at me, and one little girl grabs Charlie’s hand, clutching it tightly.

Charlie drops down to her knees and whispers sometime to the little girl. The girl takes off running to the side of the gym and turns off the music.

“Okay, guys. It’s about time for me to go.” All the kids moan and pout about this.

“I’ll be back for class. Make sure you’re signed up. Limited spots.” She hugs a few of the kids before walking toward me. “Please don’t make a scene here.” She glances over her shoulder at the kids. I can tell she cares for them.

“I won’t make a scene if you come with me.” Her eyes fly back to mine. She reaches out, brushing snow off my shoulder. I didn’t even know it was there.

“It’s snowing out?”

“Yes.”

She bites her lip as if debating something. “I’m guessing you’re not taking me to the cops or you would have just called them,” she hedges.

“No, I’m hungry. How about dinner?” I’m not hungry, but I’m guessing telling her I’m taking her home with me isn’t the best idea. She didn’t like the comment I made about her working off the cost of my suit. I shouldn’t have said that. It was dickish, but I wanted her indebted to me in some way. That way I had her within my reach. “I can give you your notebook back, too. You left it behind.”

She takes a step closer to me. I steel myself because I don’t want to reach out and pull her fully into me yet. I yearn to have her body pressed against me again, but I’m afraid I’ll spook her. She’s like a skittish rabbit. I have to be careful.

“You can be charming when you want, can’t you?” She tilts her head looking up at me. Her hair brushes her bare shoulder. I want to bury my hands in all that hair. I see a spot of green paint on her neck that she must have missed when she showered. I wonder where else she might have missed on her body. I’d love to find all the spots for her.

“I’ll be anything you want if you come with me,” I tell her, throwing my cards down on the table.

“I need a place to stay. I have dinner with you and you’ll put me up in one of your fancy hotels? Alone.” She narrows her eyes at me as she says it. Oh, I’ll give her a place to stay for the night.

“I’ll give you that deal under one condition.”

“I’m not having sex with you.” Her cheeks turn pink as she says it.

“That’s not the condition.” We will be having sex, but I won’t be paying her for it. I’ll make sure she wants it as badly as I do before we go there, but we will go there. This time I do reach out for her and pull her to me. Her body is flush against mine, and a tension I didn’t know I was holding leaves my body when I have her against me again. “You’ll answer anything I ask you. Truthfully.”