Love on Fire (Stars Book 2) Read online

  My hands went to her ass, and I forced her up so I could guide my crown into her entrance. Slowly, I maneuvered her down so my cock slowly slid inside that perfect pussy. Inch by inch, I was reunited with the place I wanted to be most. She was all woman, all curves, all perfection. Like every other time I had her, I moaned like it’d been weeks rather than hours since we were last together.

  She moaned when she felt all of me, felt how hard I was for her. Her arms circled around my shoulders, and she rested her head against mine, her eyes closed as she treasured the way I felt between her legs. Her hips rotated slightly, feeling my cock press up against the walls of her channel.

  My hands gripped her cheeks, and I started to guide her up and down, pulling her pussy down my cock then pushing her back up again. Every time I sank inside her, I moaned because it felt so damn good. It was the best pussy I’d ever had, the best woman I’d ever had. She was so small, my fingers could span across her waist completely. She had a petite frame but a woman’s chest. She was perfect—so damn perfect.

  “Neil…” My name on her lips was even more erotic than her moans. It was so personal, so uncontrollable. She closed her eyes as she felt me enter her over and over, felt how hard I was, like I was about to explode any moment.

  “Baby, you don’t need pole dancing lessons. You can ride this one just fine.”

  15

  Neil

  I walked through the door after work and found Charlotte in my living room. She was already dressed in one of my t-shirts and sweatpants, ready for a nightcap to avoid the cold. Winter had arrived, and the holidays were around the corner. Christmas was always hard for my mom without my father, even though he’d been gone for thirty years. She never remarried…didn’t even go on a date.

  If I were ever married and something happened to me, I’d want my wife to move on. Find a good man to look after her, protect her, and make her happy. But my mother just couldn’t imagine herself with anyone but him. It was romantic—but depressing at the same time. “You look better in my clothes than I do.”

  “Well, I have tits.” She smiled as she walked toward me. She rose on her tiptoes and gave me a kiss as she welcomed me home. We’d been together for months now, making a routine that we were both used to. When she got off work early, she came to my house and got comfortable. She usually started dinner, so a hot meal was ready before I stepped inside the door. The house was cleaner too because she tidied up, did the dishes, changed the sheets on the bed, and did my laundry along with hers.

  It was nice.

  I’d never been in a relationship like this before, where we were together so often, we were practically living together. It was a real commitment, a man and wife together as one—along with her dog.

  I really liked it.

  The other women I’d been with were dull and superficial. All they cared about was not having dressing on their salads, hitting the gym religiously every morning, and keeping their fake tans intact. They didn’t take an interest in deep conversations, were never genuine in any aspect of their lives.

  Charlotte was different.

  “True. Tits make everything better.”

  After a nice kiss, she pulled away, still looking sexy even though all the clothes were too big for her. “Made pot roast stew for dinner. Is that okay?”

  “Okay? It’s fucking amazing.” I could smell it the second I walked in the door. I kicked off my shoes then stepped into the kitchen, seeing the condensation on the lid of the slow cooker. When I looked out the back window, I saw Torpedo sitting on the porch. Now he had his own chair with his own blanket. “What did you do today?”

  “Not much. Kyle and I were supposed to go to the movies after work, but then Lizzie wanted to do something with him…” She opened the lid and took a peek inside to check the tenderness of the meat. Her tone suggested her disappointment about the afternoon.

  “You don’t like Lizzie?”

  “No, it’s not that. I just don’t understand why all three of us can’t go to the movies. I feel like I see Kyle less than I used to, and I never see her. Instead of gaining a friend, I feel like I lost one…”

  It’d been a month since that dinner at the burger joint, when Vic stupidly threw Kyle under the bus. I’d assumed things would calm down, but obviously, Lizzie didn’t like Charlotte at all after finding out how Kyle felt about her. I couldn’t exactly blame her…because how could she ever compete with Charlotte? Charlotte was with me, but maybe that wasn’t enough for her. Maybe she was afraid Kyle would always have a thing for Charlotte…which was probably true. “In his defense, that’s how relationships are. Once you get serious with someone, you spend all your time with them. Look at us. You’re practically living here.”

  “But I still hang out with Kyle as much as I did before.”

  “Well…things change.” I knew it would hurt Charlotte if she knew the truth, that she may be the reason things were rough in Kyle’s relationship. It was the first time he’d had a girlfriend, and it would bum Charlotte out to know she was the cause of friction.

  “I guess. When Stacy got with Vic, things didn’t change with us.”

  “It’s different.”

  “I don’t see how.” She pulled two bowls out of the cabinet then scooped up the servings. It was a delicious stew with tender potatoes and carrots, along with generous portions of meat. It was the perfect meal for a cold day like this.

  “This looks delicious.”

  We sat at the table and looked out the window.

  Torpedo was oblivious to my presence. He was content to sit outside on the chair, even if the sun was gone and it was dark. While Charlotte’s place was nice, there was something he preferred about my place.

  “He looks happy.” Charlotte had picked up a fresh loaf of French bread, so I dipped it into the broth before popping it into my mouth.

  “Because he loves it here. If he could, he would stay here forever.”

  “I doubt that. Loves you too much.”

  “He loves you just as much.” She ate her dinner with her hair pulled over one shoulder, looking comfortable in my clean clothes. It seemed like she was my wife, waiting for me to come home so we could talk over dinner. It reminded me of the way Hyde described Jane. She was a stay-at-home mother, so she always had dinner on the table, and the kids were tired out from all the activities they did for the day. “Anything interesting happen at work?”

  I was working on the new modules for the missions, testing the software for the systems, and doing everything else to prepare for the trip to Mars. The world had no idea what NASA was about to attempt, and they wouldn’t until we were a few months away from launch. I couldn’t discuss any of it with her, and it felt weird not sharing every aspect of my life. Hyde told Jane everything, even stuff he wasn’t supposed to share, but they were married, so it was different. Despite the incredible risk his profession possessed, she was always supportive. I imagined Charlotte would be the same way, but not everyone else. I knew she kept what limited information she had a secret from Stacy because Stacy would have confronted me if she knew something. At least I knew Charlotte was trustworthy.

  When I didn’t give an answer, she spoke. “Can’t talk about it, huh?”

  I looked into my bowl and scooped out a piece of meat. “Not really.”

  “That’s too bad. I’d like to know what you’re doing while I’m at work.”

  “Just practicing various models, different training, stuff like that.”

  “Why would you need new training if you’ve already done this before?”

  Because I hadn’t. “It’s just different.”

  “So, are you working on computers most of the time? Machinery?”

  “Both.”

  “So, if something in my house busted, you could fix it?”

  I chuckled. “No, I’m not a contractor. But yeah…I could probably figure it out.”

  “Then you really are the perfect man.”

  “I don’t know about that…” I was
afraid what would happen once I left, how she would feel after we’d become so close. This relationship progressed so quickly because it felt natural. I didn’t keep my distance from her because I didn’t want to…I loved having her around. I never needed my space because I felt incomplete without her. I’d never felt that way in my life. Normally, I couldn’t wait to get rid of a woman once we were done having our fun. I didn’t like it when they slept over, but I didn’t want to be a dick and kick them out. With Charlotte, my morning always started off right when I saw her next to me. “By the way, thanks for changing the subject when Lizzie started to ask me questions a while ago.”

  “You mean last month?” she asked.

  “Yeah…I appreciate it.” I looked at my food and kept eating.

  She was quiet for a while. “I know people pester you… Does it annoy you when I ask questions?”

  It was so ridiculous, I almost rolled his eyes. “Not at all, baby.”

  “I guess that makes sense…since I’m sleeping with you.”

  “It’s not just that.”

  “Because I do other dirty things?” She waggled her eyebrows.

  “Well…it doesn’t hurt.”

  She chuckled then kept eating. “How’s Hyde? I haven’t seen him in a while.”

  “Good. We see each other at work all the time.”

  “Wasn’t that always the case?”

  “No. We’re only together now because he’s joining me on my next mission.”

  “Oh, he’s coming with you?” she asked in surprise. “That’s good news. You’ll have a friend along for the ride.”

  “Yeah. We haven’t been seeing each other outside of work because he’s been with Jane and the kids a lot.”

  “Because you’ll be gone a long time, right?”

  I nodded.

  “How long…exactly?” She stared into her bowl, and she scooped her spoon into the potatoes and carrots.

  As more time passed, the more difficult it became to keep everything a secret. I trusted Charlotte to keep their information to herself, but I knew the second I told her, our relationship would be different. “A long time… I’ll leave it at that.”

  “Like…six months? A year?”

  I knew exactly why she was asking, and I didn’t have the heart to tell her the truth. “I can’t say… I’m sorry.”

  She turned her gaze back to her pot roast and didn’t ask any more questions. She released a quiet sigh, her disappointment audible.

  I felt like a dick for not confiding in her. But I knew if I did, it would be a mistake. “How was your day?”

  16

  Charlotte

  I texted Kyle, and he didn’t text me back.

  For two days.

  When I saw him at work on Monday, he acted like nothing had happened.

  “Everything okay?” I stood on the opposite side of the counter from him, checking the labels on the vials to make sure everything was in order.

  “Yeah. Why wouldn’t it be?” His eyes were on his hands, watching his movements as he used his lab equipment. His white coat was tight on his muscular arms. He seemed to have gotten bigger in the last few months, probably because he did a lot more exercise with Lizzie. She was super-fit, with defined arms and a size zero waistline. Having a super-hot girlfriend like that probably forced him to get into the best shape of his life.

  “Because I texted you a couple of days ago and never got a response.” I knew Kyle was busy and forgetful, but he’d never neglected to acknowledge me before.

  “Oh yeah. I got sidetracked and forgot.” Not once did he look at me. He kept working like this was a casual conversation about our favorite basketball team.

  “You’ve never forgotten before.” I didn’t mean to cause conflict, but something told me he was lying. Now that he was over me and with someone else, maybe I wasn’t a priority to him, but I knew our friendship meant the world to him. He couldn’t throw me out just because he’d found a woman he wanted to be with.

  “I said, I forgot.” He looked up and met my gaze, this time a little hostile.

  This didn’t feel like the Kyle I knew. This felt like someone completely different, someone I hardly knew. He’d never gotten angry at me, not even when I shot him down. He’d always been a little short, a little quiet, but never outright annoyed like this.

  I lowered my gaze and got back to work. “Alright…”

  “He totally ignored me then acted like he hated me. It was the weirdest thing.” I sat across from Stacy at the bar. Normally, I felt too guilty to drink since she couldn’t, but I ordered a vodka cranberry anyway.

  Stacy suffered alone with her iced tea. “Don’t get mad at me…but do you think you’re just angry because you aren’t the center of his universe?”

  I gave her an ice-cold stare, offended she would even think that. “That’s so ridiculous. I’m madly in…very happy with Neil.” I didn’t even realize how deep I was into this until those words tumbled out of my mouth.

  Stacy’s eyes widened. “Char—”

  “I’m not upset that Kyle doesn’t have feelings for me anymore. I’m happy he has someone. I just thought Lizzie would be a part of our group. It seems like she’s removed him from our lives. And now he’s different… Something isn’t right.”

  Stacy’s suspicion died away, and she didn’t give me shit about what I just said. “Well…at that dinner Vic said something really stupid…”

  “What do you mean?” I almost ordered another vodka cranberry, but that would be one too many, so I focused on what Stacy was saying. “Vic always does stupid things. What did he do this time?”

  “When all six of us got together for dinner, you and Kyle went to the bathroom. And Vic stupidly mentioned Kyle’s feelings for you.”

  No way. “You’re joking…”

  “No.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me this two months ago?”

  “I assumed it would blow over, and I didn’t want to make you feel bad.”

  I slapped my palms to my face. “I really hope that isn’t the reason everything is different. It’s been two months, so would that really be a problem?”

  “If Kyle her you slept together…it might be. She might see you as the one who got away. Honestly, I can’t blame her for being threatened by you. Kyle has been into you for so long, and she knows she can’t compete.”

  “That’s stupid. Kyle wouldn’t be in a relationship with someone unless she was all he wanted. He’s just not like that.”

  She shrugged. “Maybe Lizzie feels differently.”

  “And Kyle was mean to me…because she’s turning him against me.” The idea of losing Kyle terrified me. He was my best friend. He was the guy I did everything with. When Neil left, he would be one of the few people who comforted me. We golfed together, hiked together, did everything together. I really couldn’t picture my life without him. “I don’t know what to do…”

  “I don’t think there’s anything you can do.”

  “I could always talk to him about it. I know Kyle cares about our friendship. He might have been annoyed earlier today, but he wouldn’t turn his back on me like that.”

  Stacy shrugged.

  “Ugh…why did Vic have to say that?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Because he drinks too much. That’s why.”

  “But still…how stupid are you?”

  “Kyle probably would have told her you guys slept together at some point.”

  “But he would have done it more tactfully than that. Can you imagine how she felt? If I were out with Neil and found out he slept with one of his good friends, I’d probably be weird about it too.”

  “He sleeps with everyone, so that’s probably a real possibility.”

  I didn’t see Neil that way at all because he was so good to me. We were together all the time, hardly ever sleeping apart. He was an integral part of my life, like he was my husband or something. That was how it used to be when Cameron and I were together. We were best friends and lovers und
er one roof. I saw Neil as a one-woman kind of guy.

  “Now, back to what you said a few minutes ago…”

  I should have known she wouldn’t let it go. “I didn’t say anything.”

  “Really?” she asked. “Because it sounded like you were about to say you’re in love with Neil. I sincerely hope that’s not true, because that would mean you’re an idiot who disregarded everything he told you.”

  “I don’t love him.” I forced the words out, feeling a pit in my stomach as I made the statement. “I was just making a point. I’m so involved with Neil that I don’t care about Kyle’s attention. Even if I weren’t involved with Neil, I would still feel that way.”

  Her eyebrow was arched high into the sky.

  “I’m serious.”

  “I don’t believe you, Char. And that worries me…”

  It was impossible to lie to my best friend. “Well, I don’t. I understand my relationship with Neil isn’t forever. He’s never going to be my husband. He’ll only be my boyfriend for a short time…until he’s gone.”

  Stacy didn’t take her eyes off me. “I don’t believe that…and I know you don’t either.”

  I arrived on Kyle’s doorstep and knocked on the door.

  It was so quiet it didn’t seem like he was home, but his truck was in the driveway.

  A minute later, his heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway until he halted at the door. He checked the peephole, saw it was me, and then opened it. He was in just his sweatpants without a shirt, lounging around the house like it was a hundred degrees outside when it was actually winter. With one hand barred on the doorframe, he looked at me, blocking my route to get inside.