Nick

I can’t believe I punched him; I’d never punched anyone before. My Mum always taught me it was better to use my words rather than my fists and I’d always followed that, until today. But the things Ben were saying about Charlie were just so horrible, and then when he called him…that, I just snapped. My hand was throbbing, serves me right really. If I could go back and redo those moments, I can’t say I wouldn’t do it again. What did Charlie see in that guy?

I think back to before Ben burst into the dining room, I’d asked him out. God, that feels like a lifetime ago now. I must have seemed like a real creep to him, who does that? Who asks out a guy who just the day before was supposed to be marrying someone else? I start rubbing the back of my neck with my good hand, a habit I’d done for years whenever I was stressed.

But then, as I was trying to escape from being so embarrassing, he’d reached out for me. The next thing I knew he was on top of me, and I wanted to kiss him soooo much. He’s such a beautiful man. I think, he might have wanted to kiss me too, but maybe that was just my imagination. It must have been my imagination. But what if it wasn’t? I’d barely known this guy for a day, and yet I wanted to know everything there is to know about him. I wanted to take him out, I wanted to stay in with him, I just wanted to be with him.

“Urgh” I groaned out loud at the ridiculousness of how much I’d already fallen for him.

“Haha, you ok there?” Charlie startled me, I hadn’t realised he’d come back, I turned and the smile on his face was infectious. He was walking back towards me and I just wanted to pull him to me and memorise his features, those beautiful blue eyes, his amazing dimples, the way the curls on the top of his head gently bounced as he moved. I wanted to feel my fingers in his hair as my lips touched his.

“Hi,” that simple word from Charlie’s mouth had butterflies floating around inside me.

“Hi,” I smiled back, he was close enough that I could smell him again. Oranges. It was intoxicating.

“Was everything ok?” I ask, hoping the phone call wasn’t more bad news and selfishly hoping it didn’t mean Charlie would have to leave so soon, when we were only just getting to know each other.

“Hmm,” he hummed distractedly.

“The phone call, was everything ok?”

“Oh, yeah. It was my sister. Ben managed to find out where I was from her. She was warning me he was coming after me,” Charlie explained, “A bit late for that I guess,” he joked.

“Haha, yeah just a bit,” I couldn’t help but smile when I looked at him.

“How’s your hand?” he asked reaching out to take a look under the bundle of ice causing me to wince as he lifted it.

“Is it always this painful after punching someone,” I tried to joke through the pain.

“I wouldn’t know,” he giggled.

“Haha, I suppose not.”

“Are you saying I’m small and weak?” he asked with a serious look on his face.

“What, no…I…” I stammered, horrified that I’d offended him until he started laughing.

“Hahaha, you’re face. Nick I’m only teasing you.”

I pulled him towards me with my good hand, so our bodies were close together again.

“So cheeky, what am I going to do with you Mr Spring,” I teased in what I hoped was my best low and sultry voice. It seemed to work, he was definitely blushing now.

“Anything you want,” he replied breathlessly, now it was my turn to blush.

“Can I…Can I kiss you?” I asked, trying to keep my groans of frustration at myself on the inside this time.

“Please,” he practically whispered.

I tentatively leaned forward, closing the distance between us. Time seemed to slow around us, there was nothing but me and Charlie. I could feel his breathe against my skin now as we got closer and closer. Finally, our lips came together, finally. It started gentle, tentative, electrifying. I pulled him up with my one good hand, so he was sitting on my lap, grateful for my years of rugby giving me great strength in my arms. Once he was settled on top of me, we both deepened the kiss, neither one of us wanting to break apart. Exploring each other’s mouths with our tongues, his hands wrapped tightly around me. With my good hand I reached up to run my fingers through his curls, they were so soft, a low moan slipped from Charlie’s mouth as I gave a gentle tug to his hair.

All too soon we both had to come up for air, both of us groaning that it wasn’t enough. Would it ever be enough, could I ever have enough of Charlie Spring.

“So,” he started still sat on my lap in the middle of the hotel kitchen, “did you still want to go on that date?”

I barked out a laugh and leaned in to kiss him again, this man was going to be the death of me.