Page 21 of Charm

I can make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with my eyes closed, and scrambled eggs with cheese sprinkled on top are a necessity when Kirby stays at my apartment in Manhattan for a rare sleepover.

That’s only happened a handful of times when Rook’s been bombarded with work, or when he’s wanted to treat his fiancée to an overnight getaway.

After Martin fixed my pool and fucked off, I jumped into my car and headed to my favorite market in the nearest town. I filled up a basket with an array of cheese, meats, and crackers. To add to the charcuterie board I was picturing in my mind, I tossed ajar of pickles into the mix, along with a few different types of nuts and four fresh figs. The final touch was a container of the olive tapenade that the market stocks from a local vendor.

Arranging it on one of the cutting boards I found tucked in the back of a cupboard took the most time. I’m not an expert when it comes to displaying anything, but judging by the look on Summer’s face, she’s mildly impressed.

“Did you buy it like this, or is this one of those build-it-yourself situations?”

I laugh. “Does it really matter?”

She gives me a playful smile. “It matters a lot.”

Rubbing the back of my neck, I study her like the puzzle she is. I can tell she’s got a playful streak and teasing someone is something she enjoys, so I play along. “Why?”

Her gaze leaves the food to land back on my face. “If you created that masterpiece on your own, I’m very impressed.”

“It’s not like I prepared the tapenade,” I admit. “But, yeah, I arranged it all.”

“Are you a food artist?”

“Hell no.” I shake my head for good measure. “I’m a guy who plopped some savory stuff on an old cutting board so he could feed the woman he wants to fuck for the next few hours.”

“No one could ever accuse you of being subtle, Joe.”

“I want to make you come again,” I say it slowly enough that there’s no room for misunderstanding. “So, start eating, Summer.”

She grabs a salty cracker, puts it between her front teeth, and clamps down. I feel that right down to my cock. She has yet to take my dick between her pretty lips. I hope that happens today and doesn’t involve any biting as aggressive as what she just did to the cracker.

“Your mind just went to a dirty place,” she accuses as she finishes the cracker with a final bite. “I see it in your eyes.”

“I feel it in my cock.”

That sends her head back in laughter. “As I said, subtly is not your strong suit.”

“You like that about me,” I say with zero doubt.

“I appreciate that about you.” She taps my shoulder. “If more people were as direct as you are, the world would be a lot less confusing.”

Something tells me that she’s talking about someone in particular. Her ex-husband, perhaps? That’s a maze I don’t want to wander into since my focus this weekend is great sex with some good food thrown in the mix to keep us fueled.

“Let me be very direct then,” I start. “After we eat, I want to fuck you.”

Her gaze takes a slow trip over my face, studying me carefully. “Are you open to a compromise?”

“It depends,” I answer succinctly since I’m curious about what she has in mind.

“I’m not going to ask what it depends on because I already know you’ll agree to my compromise,” she says like the vixen she is.

Her confidence is hot as fuck because this woman knows how desperate I am to be inside of her again.

Before I can say anything, she’s laying out her proposal, “I propose that after we eat, I suck you off before we fuck.”

I lean forward to claim her mouth in a deep kiss.

A smile blooms on her lips as she leans back to catch her breath. “I take it you’re open to my compromise, Joe?”

“Is that a real question?”