Quiet Longing (Quiet Love #2)

36.

Rhys

I was just finished talking to the photographer when I spotted Nuala and Charli leaving the church. They walked to the road, and Charli threw her hand out for a passing cab.

“Hey,” I called, jogging their way. “I’m driving to the reception if you two need a lift?”

It was difficult to keep my eyes off Charli. Not only had I not seen her in two whole weeks, she looked more beautiful than ever. And that was an achievement because she was always beautiful. The last six months had been the most challenging of my life. Not even when I was stationed in dangerous locations during my time with the legion had I struggled so much. Tearing myself away from Charli, giving her the space she needed to grow and learn independence, was the hardest, most selfless thing I’d ever had to do.

“Rhys, thank you. That’s very kind,” Nuala said with a smile. “We decided to take cabs today so we can both drink at the reception.”

“Well, I’m happy to be your designated driver. Come on,” I replied, motioning them to follow me.

“It was a beautiful ceremony,” Charli said softly as she fell into step next to me. Even hearing her voice soothed something inside me. I’d missed her low, feminine cadence.

“Oh, it was stunning,” Nuala agreed. “There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when that dog came trotting up the aisle with the little velvet bag in its mouth.”

I chuckled. “I doubt Maggie will be pleased to hear you think the dog stole the show.”

“Oh hush, Maggie hates attention. I’m sure she’d be happy for Daniel to take the spotlight,” Nuala disagreed.

When we reached my car, I clicked my keys to unlock the doors. Nuala immediately hopped in the back, and when Charli moved to join her, I pressed my hand to the curved hollow at the base of her spine, unable to resist inhaling her intoxicating perfume. “Sit up front with me,” I requested, and she peered at me, cheeks flushing in a way that made me suspect my touch wasn’t entirely unwelcome.

“Okay,” she whispered, and I moved around to open the passenger side door for her. My hand briefly cupped her elbow as I helped her in, and she cast me a smile in thanks.

Fuck, I really had missed her. And not just the last two weeks being down in Cork. I’d missed her for months, being around her but maintaining a friendly distance. Not to mention the impulsive decision I’d made to buy that fucking house.

I’d told everyone it was an investment, that I was going to rent it out, but the real reason, well … I wasn’t even sure of the real reason myself. All I knew was Charli had looked at that house like it would complete the part of her she was working so hard to rebuild, and I just couldn’t see it go to someone else. Likely, a vulture fund would’ve snapped it up and started letting it for an eyewatering price. No, I couldn’t have let that happen. That place was meant for Charli. In my mind, it was already hers. I just hadn’t figured out the logistics of actually giving it to her yet.

Merely gifting it had giant tax implications, so that hadn’t been an option. I’d considered offering it to her as a rental, but she’d already found an apartment, and I’d worried she’d get the wrong impression, think I was trying to keep her close or control her somehow.

So, presently, I was the proud owner of two terraced houses even though I only needed one to live in. My own place was almost paid off, so it hadn’t been difficult getting a second mortgage, and I had a healthy amount of savings, not to mention my salary at the hotel was generous. Buying the place hadn’t put me in financial strain, and I could easily sell it off again at a profit, but I didn’t want that.

I wanted Charli to have it.

My gaze went to the soft, dark green material of her dress draped over her shapely thighs. It reached her knees, and the sight of her smooth, tan legs had me thinking of things I definitely shouldn’t have been thinking. Her scarred knee was exposed, the jagged, silvery raised skin a reminder of what she’d survived, and I felt a burst of pride that she wasn’t hiding away anymore.

Charli looked good enough to eat, something I’d dreamed about often during our months apart. I woke some mornings with the phantom taste of her in my mouth, unable to chase away my need.

She’d said she wanted to talk later, and my curiosity to know what she wished to discuss was difficult to tamp down.

A few minutes later, we arrived at the reception venue in the city centre. It was being held in a large function room in a period building above a gourmet food shop. I sometimes shopped there when I needed good, quality cheese or a specific type of mushroom. Honestly, it was a little unconventional, but it felt just right for Maggie and Shay. I couldn’t see them having a big, splashy wedding like the ones we often catered to at the hotel.

No, this was perfect.

“Go inside and straight up the stairs,” I told Charli and Nuala. “I’m going around the corner to park the car.”

“Okay, see you in there,” Nuala said as she climbed out, and then I became aware of Charli’s hand landing softly on my arm. “Thanks for driving us.”

“No worries.” I stared at her hand and resisted the urge to tug her onto my lap and devour her pretty lips.

“Come on, Charli. Rhys is holding up traffic,” Nuala said, and sure enough, there was a queue of cars lined up behind me on the narrow street.

Charli exhaled, shot me a parting look that seemed laden with words she longed to say, then exited the car. By the time I made it back to the reception, I was accosted by Jonathan Oaks and brought to an outdoor balcony area where Shay and Ross were waiting.

“I’ve been saving these for a special occasion,” Jonathan said, patting what appeared to be a flat, square box inside his jacket pocket. “I suppose the day I walk my sister down the aisle is special enough.”

“You did a great job,” Ross told him. “You were very fatherly.”

“I hope that’s not a crack at my age,” Jonathan cast him an amused glower. “I’ll have you know, I’m barely forty.”

“Those greys would beg to differ,” I put in, grinning. I wasn’t Jonathan’s biggest fan, but I could enjoy giving him a mild ribbing.

“Don’t start on me, Doyle, or I’ll ask the lovely American to join me for a dance later. I have to say, she looks positively edible in that dress and those heels,” Jonathan retorted, and it was suddenly my turn to glower though there was no amusement present.

“Stay away from Charli,” I grumbled, and Jonathan chuckled, pleased to have found a sensitive spot.

“Quit commenting on my grey hair, and I’ll consider it. Also, it isn’t grey; it’s light ash.”

Keep telling yourself that , Shay signed, and Jonathan—who had picked up some sign language in recent months—pressed his lips together. “I’ll let you away with that one since it’s your big day. Now, who’s going to join me in a little indulgence?” Jonathan slid the small box of cigars from his inside pocket, and my eyebrows shot up.

“Are those Cuban?” Ross asked in surprise.

“Like I said, I’ve been saving them for a special occasion. Who’s in?”

“I’ll take one,” I answered because, although I wasn’t a smoker, I’d enjoyed a cigar on occasion during my time in the legion. Sometimes, Leon would bring them back after he’d gone home to visit his family during yearly leave.

Ross indulged, too, while Shay declined, though he was curious to stay and watch us light up. As soon as I took my first drag, my eyes flared. This was better than any cigar I’d smoked in the past. I had to grudgingly accept Jonathan had fine taste.

We stood talking and puffing away for a few minutes when the door to the balcony opened, and Charli appeared. “Oh,” she breathed. “Sorry to interrupt. I’ll just—”

“You’re not interrupting,” Jonathan, the suave bastard, was quick to correct her. “Come join us.” He offered her the box of cigars. “Would you like one?”

“Ah, gosh, I don’t think so. I’ve never smoked a cigar before.”

“Well, let this be your first.”

“She said she doesn’t want one,” I told Jonathan, annoyed that he was being pushy, and moved to Charli’s side. “You can take a puff of mine if you want to try it. You don’t have to smoke a whole one.”

“Oh,” she breathed, coming to stand next to me. Her eyes went to the cigar at my lips before her gaze fluttered away, and she appeared to swallow. She seemed nervous. “No, that’s okay.”

Jonathan began arguing with Shay about paying for the open bar, something they’d been at loggerheads about for weeks. Jonathan, being loaded, wanted to help pay for part of the wedding, but Shay and Maggie continued to refuse his offers. Maggie didn’t feel comfortable letting him pay since they’d only discovered they were related less than a year ago.

“I was actually looking for you,” Charli said, her voice quiet as she shifted closer and lifted her hazel eyes to me. “I was wondering if we could have that talk now before the food is served and everything gets too busy.”

“Sure,” I replied, pulse pounding. My curiosity to know what she wanted to talk about threatened to overpower me. “I think I saw an empty room where we won’t be disturbed.” I stubbed out the end of the cigar then ushered Charli back inside the building. The cloakroom was empty, and there was a small sofa against the back wall. I motioned for Charli to sit before joining her. The sofa was narrow, and my thigh pressed against hers as I gave her my full attention. Again, it was clear she was very nervous.

“So,” she began, slicing her teeth over her lower lip as her eyes lifted. “Are you seeing anyone?”

I blinked, my throat thickening as my expression grew strained. How could she even ask that question? Did she not know how I’d spent the better part of a year wanting her? Wishing I could have her in my bed at night wrapped up in my arms? The very notion of being with anyone else was galling. When I managed to get over my disbelief, I finally answered gruffly, “No, Charli, I’m not seeing anyone. Why? Are you ?”

Her eyes grew big and round, and she seemed just as shocked by me throwing the same question back at her as I’d been to be asked it. “No,” she breathed, shaking her head vehemently. “I haven’t been …” She trailed off for a second before gathering herself. “I wasn’t trying to be nosy by asking you. I just want to make sure it’s okay to tell you what I’m about to tell you.”

“And me seeing someone would make it not okay to tell me?”

She nodded profusely. “Oh, yes. You seeing someone would make this particularly awkward.”

Bloody hell, was she pregnant? The thought arose fast, but I dismissed it just as quickly. If Charli were pregnant, she’d be showing, and besides, we’d always used protection.

I reached out, placing my hand gently on her thigh. “You can tell me anything. You don’t need to be nervous.”

“I can’t help my nerves.” She stared at her lap.

“Why?”

“Because I’m in love with you.”

The statement floated in the air, emblazoned itself in my ears. Charli continued staring at her lap, and I practically growled as my hand tightened on her thigh while the other went to her chin, tilting her head up so she had no choice but to look at me.

“You’re—”

“I’m in love you with, Rhys. I have been since we started sleeping together this year. To be honest, I’m pretty sure I fell for you that summer when we were teenagers, too, but I was too young to understand what I was feeling at the time. I thought that stopping what we were doing and spending less time together would allow my feelings to fade, but they haven’t. If anything, they’ve grown stronger. I’ve been seeing this new therapist, Anna-Marie, and she’s really helped me see clearly what I want. I don’t want to be alone forever, but I also don’t want to be with anyone else. I only want to be with you, Rhys.”

Her speech had my chest tightening, heart pounding as I dragged her closer to me across the cushioned seat. I took her face in my hands as a tear fell down her cheek. “And I completely understand if you’ve moved on emotionally. It’s been over seven months. You probably don’t even think of me anymore, and I—”

At this, I pressed my forehead to hers, and she ceased talking, a small breath hitching out. “Don’t think of you?” I murmured, a rumble beneath my words. “I think of nothing else. If you cracked open my skull, all you’d find are thoughts of you, Charli. I fell for you, too, that summer. How on earth could I not? You were everything. I was consumed by you. I don’t think I ever fell out of love, not even after all this time. As soon as you walked back into my life this year, I might as well have handed my heart over to you right then and there.”

She gasped, and I kissed her lightly. It felt so right to have her close.

“So, you?”

“I love you, too. Fiercely. Passionately. I’ve been yours since we were kids, and I’ll continue being yours until we’re old and grey.”

“Rhys,” my name on her tongue sent a rumble of satisfaction through me.

“I’m going to kiss you now,” I grunted, and then my tongue was in her mouth, drinking her in. She crawled into my lap, her breaths quickening as she straddled me and ground against my erection. It was all I could do not to growl. My hands slid up the back of her dress, searching for a button or zip, anything that would allow me to touch her bare skin. Frustrated when I found no opening, my palms delved beneath the skirt, sliding over her soft, golden thighs until I found her underwear slick and damp.

“Wait,” she gasped when I started to tug her knickers to the side. A second later, she was off me, standing as she ran her hands over her dress then glanced at the door. I sat there, clenching my fists to keep from dragging her back to me. She walked to the door, and I thought she was going to leave, but then she simply turned over the lock and returned to me.

“I … I don’t want anyone to walk in on us.”

My gaze heated. “No?”

Charli shook her head, looking shy but determined as she lowered to her knees in front of me. My breathing grew shallow as she ran her hand up my leg, my thigh muscles clenching when I realised her intention.

“You’ve given me so much this year. Your time, your help, your patience,” she said in a quiet, sultry voice. “I want to give you something in return.”

“Fuck, Charli,” I swore as her delicate hands went to my fly. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her she didn’t have to. Nothing I gave her ever required repayment. But the selfish voice in the back of my head told me to shut the fuck up because every part of me wanted Charli’s mouth on my cock.

When she pulled me free, I was painfully hard. I groaned when she gave a few stroking pumps then ran her nose from the base of my cock and up along the shaft. When she reached the tip, her tongue snaked out, circling the head, and I closed my eyes in sheer pleasure, hands fisting at my sides. I wanted to touch her, but I feared I’d come in seconds if I did. These long months without her had my need for her at a fever pitch.

Charli’s mouth opened, and she took me in, her tongue still working as she lowered as far as she could go. “You’re so fucking beautiful. You’re perfect. I love you so much.” I couldn’t stop the litany of praise that seeped from me as she continued to work me with her heavenly mouth. My abs tightened, and I knew I was going to come embarrassingly fast, her hand stroking up my thigh somehow was what got me there. I came roughly, hips jutting forward as I grunted and cupped her jaw. Her eyes held mine, and the sexy, confident, possessive gleam in her gaze surprised me. She enjoyed doing that, making me lose control.

She drank down every drop, and I felt like a man possessed as I pulled her up, cradling her in my lap as my mouth crashed down on hers. I felt her squirming and knew she probably needed a release, too, so I slid my hand between her silky thighs, finding her wetter, slicker. I was this close to bending her over and shoving my cock inside her, but I’d just come less than a minute ago like a fucking schoolboy, and I needed a moment to recalibrate.

My other hand cupped her breast as I rubbed her clit in fast circles, loving how she gripped the lapels of my suit, little mewls of pleasure leaving her. Quick and hard, I shoved two fingers into her, moving my thumb to her clit as I sank my tongue deeper into her mouth. Charli cried out, her thighs clenching around my hand, and then she fell apart, shaking against me.

“Good girl,” I murmured, petting her hair.

“Rhys,” she breathed. “That was … I really needed that.”

“There’s more where that came from,” I replied huskily just as my phone vibrated in my pocket. Pulling it out, I found a missed call from Ross, followed by a text asking where I’d gotten to and that they were about to serve the food.

Groaning, I let my head fall back against the cushion. Charli studied me. “What’s wrong?”

I cast her a playful, long-suffering look. “We need to get back out there, but I don’t want to leave.”

“Well, we can’t stay here all night. Besides, you’re the best man. Your absence won’t go unnoticed. Also, I’m starving, and I heard they’re serving lobster rolls.”

My smile was indulgent as I stole another kiss. “Far be it from me to keep you from your food.”

I helped her up, and after we both put our rumpled clothing back to rights, headed back out to the wedding reception.

Only this time, we did it hand in hand.