Declan couldn’t believe it. Charlotte Sanders was his neighbor.
The Passat in the driveway was hers. He wondered if someone was in the house with her. Certainly Charlotte was married by now. Probably to a handsome doctor, or an attorney. Someone incredibly successful, that’s the only type of man who someone like Charlotte would be compatible with. He couldn’t help but be envious of whomever that man was, couldn’t help but wonder if he made love to her like Declan had, if he knew the curves and freckles of her body the way Declan still remembered them.
Fuck. This was so messed up.
He sat down on the towel she’d just been laying on.
What was he supposed to do now?
Ten Years Ago…
The morning after Declan and Charlotte first made love, things were a tad awkward.
Declan had woken up first. She still slept next to him, her arms stuffed under her pillow, one naked tan leg resting above the sheets. He loved the shape of her body. It was like a guitar; all smooth curves. Her skin glowed in the morning light. He took in the sight of her, wanting so badly to wake her and have her again, to taste her mouth and every other part of her body.
Instead he pulled on his pants and shirt and snuck back into the main house to see if he could come up with breakfast for both of them. He quietly went in the side entrance, through the French doors that went into the kitchen.
“Good morning, son!”
Declan nearly jumped out of his skin. His father, Henry, sat at the kitchen table, a newspaper spread out in front of him, steaming mug of coffee in his hand.
“Dad,” Declan sighed. “You scared me. You’re up early.”
“I could say the same about you,” Henry said. “Or are you going to be bed incredibly late?”
Declan shook his head, “Nope, just waking up. Thought I would get some breakfast.”
“Why would you come in from outside?” Henry asked, his eyebrow raised.
“I was visiting Charlotte in the carriage house,” Declan said. “She texted me that… A palmetto bug was in her bathroom. And she’s not from here so she isn’t used to how big they are. So I went in and killed it. Which is why I’m coming in from outside.”
It was possibly the most bullshit and convoluted story Declan had ever come up with. But Henry DeGraff seemed to be bored with him already. He went back to his paper.
“When am I going to meet the girl who is living here, anyway?” Henry asked. “I mean, you didn’t even ask if she could stay here and we know nothing about her.”
Declan sighed, “You’ve never had any interest in my other friends who’ve rented here. Charlotte is fine. She’s a lot cleaner and much more dependable than any of my buddies who crashed here before. And she works a lot. But if you and Mom insist on meeting her, I’ll bring her over sometime.”
Henry shrugged, “I don’t care either way. She’ll be gone by the end of summer anyway.”
Declan’s heart sank. He was actually hoping maybe she could stay longer. He wasn’t sure if she had plans for next semester yet.
“Maybe longer,” Declan said. “She’s still looking for a place.”
Henry looked up from his paper, “Certainly not. No, she has to be out by summer. We don’t run a hotel here. I don’t mind you having friends stay in the house for the summer but you know no one stays beyond that. And really, I think it’s time we stop with the renting out the carriage house stuff. We don’t need the money. It’s a liability risk, really.” Henry went back to looking at the business section.
Declan was angry now, “Whatever. So much for helping someone out that needs it. Wouldn’t want people to think the DeGraffs are charitable or anything.”
Before Henry could respond, Declan was out the door, walking quickly back to the only person he wanted to be near right now.
********
Charlotte had woken up not long after Declan left, and was heartbroken to see the bed empty next to her. She started to panic a bit, inwardly, trying to go over the previous night’s events in her head.
But before she could convince herself it was a mistake, he was back. He slipped through the door, his face flushed. He looked upset.
“Are you okay?” Charlotte reached for him. “I was worried…”
“I’m sorry,” Declan crawled back into bed next to her, wrapping his arms around her. “I left to get us breakfast from the house, since your fridge is always empty. I ran into my dad. He just really irritates me. But you don’t need to be worried, I was coming right back.”
She nuzzled herself against his chest, the memory of holding onto him for dear life as he made her come still fresh on her mind. Her inner thighs twitched at the thought.
“I’m so glad,” she said. “I missed you. Even for just a few minutes.”
She looked up to meet his gaze and he kissed her softly, growing hard beneath the sheet and the feel of her skin against him.