"It means 'my sweetheart, my desire'." Charlie's fingers released her hair, sliding them down to cup her cheek. "I should add 'Mahalo nui loa', which means thank you very much."
Christine smiled. "I love the language. It's like your poems, so beautiful and ethereal. Thank you for those and for being here."
"My pleasure."
"Mmm, yes." She ran the tip of her tongue over her lips and winked. "But also delicious for me. I should have some more."
"Little vixen." Charlie yanked her to her feet, gentle but as determined as she'd been, his shuttered expression gone as need shone clear and potent. "Now it's my turn."
Christine had time to gasp and grab his hair before his lips and teeth descended on one breast then the other, branding every inch until she squirmed and moaned. His hands rocked her hips to his. She murmured his name.
"You will scream, my Gem." Charlie raised his head and pushed her toward the bed. "And scream and scream."
Playing with fire. The phrase dashed through her mind as she stretched under his hands, pushing her breasts farther into his hands. "Make me scream louder than you did when you released, all throaty and out of control. Think you can?"
"You dare challenge me?" He grinned and flexed his fingers. "Such a foolish thing to do when I show no mercy."
She faintly heard the song, You Raise Me Up. How fitting. Her own panting breaths echoed in her ears matching his soft murmurs of pleasure as his tongue drifted to her center and dove in. Christine arched, bit her lip, and retained enough control not to scream right at the beginning. Charlie's tongue flickered back and forth against her button until she couldn't think of anything but how his hands felt, stroking, caressing, and kneading her skin as he devoured her. When his teeth found her clit and bit ever so slightly, yet with demand, she screamed. As he'd promised, he showed no mercy, licking, fondling and teasing until she came again, hard and fast, a long wave of sensation from his hands and lips and tongue. Charlie. Only Charlie.
"Ku'u lei," he murmured. "Go over once more for me."
When Christine next knew her surroundings, he had cradled her against his chest, stroking her hair as his equally thudding heart pounded under her ear, their hands entwined. Taking a shaky breath, she asked, "Did I make it up to you yet?"
He kissed her, long and soft. "Almost. But I have the making up to do."
She rubbed her leg over his. "I guess we just have to keep making it up to each other then."
"Have some ideas, do you?" Charlie grinned. "Have I mentioned I love how insatiable you are even if you will eventually kill me?"
"Takes one to know one." She rolled atop him, feeling his erection between them. "You're more than up for the next challenge." Sliding her breasts over his chest and making him groan, Christine lowered until her center rested just at the tip of his shaft and held still.
His gaze twinkled even as need flared. "Tease."
"Who, me?" She grinned. "I could really show you some teasing."
He surged deep and hard inside her in one stroke then held, throbbing against her inner walls. Christine closed her eyes, so full, so joined, at one with him and loving the feeling. "Like this, you mean?"
"Not teasing." She rocked her hips slow, gaining speed as they kissed, tongues and lips melding. Losing count of the strokes, Christine sank into his gaze, into him, as everything inside her tightened with a climax of swirling colors. The flood of his hot release followed seconds later. She collapsed on him, her breath shallow and broken as his heart pounded under her ear. Charlie traced circles on her back as they rested in peaceful silence, still joined, his scent, their scent, surrounding them. She had to say it, couldn't stop herself. "I missed you."
"I missed you too."
Christine brought a hand to cup his face. He kissed the tip of her fingers as they drifted over his lips. It felt so perfect, so right, being here with him like this except for one thing. She took a deep breath and addressed the white elephant in the room. "I believe in you too. I always have and always will." She watched his face darken with something she couldn't quite comprehend. "You didn't steal the money or falsify the orders or sign my name, and it's not your fault, no matter what happens." Something struggling in his expression caused goose bumps on her skin. "Maybe we can figure it out together."
His silence seemed wrong. Guilt filled his expression and just as quickly it vanished, but she sensed his withdrawal. Christine shook her head. No. She didn't, couldn't doubt him after what they'd just done, what they were to each other. She trusted him as she'd never trusted any other person. Charlie threw an arm over his face, blocking her physically as well as emotionally. "Don't ask me about this."