Chapter 47

"What's wrong?"

My arms had instinctively wrapped as far around his torso as they could go. He fully embraced me, smothering me against his hard pectoral muscles.

"I thought I saw that man."

My heart quavered slightly. "The one following us?"

His rumbling stilled and he took a deep breath. "I may be wrong, but I wanted to be sure."

He let me go and looked down at me. He saw the fear in my face and smiled. "Don't worry, Elena. I've got you."

We began to walk down the street again. It was a quiet side street with almost no afternoon traffic. The rain was beginning to come down a little harder and in the distance some thunder rumbled.

"This is a good place to wait for the car," Charles said, stepping into a nice residential entryway that was sheltered from the rain.

He typed some instructions to his driver on his phone, leaning back against the marble wall. The rain glistened on his eyelashes. His dark hair curled a little more in the humidity, giving him a boyish look despite his size and stature.

He looked up and saw me watching him. His slow smile made me warm to my toes and a wanting heat began to burn in in my belly.

I took a step toward him and watched his eyes dilate as he read the need in my face. He went absolutely still, waiting, like a predator watching his prey come slowly closer. I was drawn in by his scent and the intensity of his eyes.

I put out a hand and touched his hard chest. Still, he didn't move.

I leaned in closer, turning my face up to his, enjoying the intensity of his gaze that would at other times have made me cower and look away. Now, however, I was driven by my need.

I put up a hand and stroked his jawline down toward me. His face lowered and I felt a thrill at his obedience.

Surely it was just a ruse? I could never have any kind of power over him.

I inhaled his scent as he came close, the smell of him heightened by the rain.

His forehead lowered to rest on mine and I closed my eyes, letting him fill my senses. I felt his chest rise and fall under my touch, felt his muscles tense, ready.

I held his face gently, feeling the scratch of his facial hair under my fingers, stroking my thumbs along his jaw and up into his hair and around the back of his neck.

I stood on tiptoes, and craned my neck to reach him but still had to pull slightly. He lowered his head at my urging, still waiting for me to make the move.

My mouth wanted his, the nerve endings in my lips aching to touch him.

I touched my lips gently to his. They were pillowy soft and relaxed, but still motionless.

His lack of movement frustrated me, and I gripped the front of his shirt, pulling him closer. My head turned sideways so that my lips closed between his, forcing them into action.

Finally, he responded. His mouth opened to mine, letting my lips part his. My teeth closed gently around his bottom lip, and when I bit the plump flesh, he gasped slightly.

The reaction made me want more, and I thrilled knowing I'd caused that reaction. I leaned my chest into his and kissed him deeper. My tongue delicately traced the inner line of his lips.

He moaned quietly, almost imperceptibly, but his hand finally lifted and rested lightly on my lower back, as if he were afraid to apply any pressure for fear of spooking me.

There was a slamming and clattering and suddenly the front door of the building swung open. A elderly resident was leaving her apartment and stopped in surprise when she saw us.

"Don't mind me," she said, both eyebrows raising. She turned away to check her mailbox while we self-consciously arranged ourselves apart from one another.

The woman looked out at the rain, then went to open her umbrella. She glanced at Charles, then looked at him again with an up and down appraisal. Then she looked at me.

"If you can just leave him here for me dear," she said. "I'd appreciate it." She gave me a wink and went merrily down the steps into the rain.

"That was awkward," I said, smiling. Charles laughed slightly and then straightened up, staring down the block.

"Here comes the car anyway." He turned his head to look at me, his eyes soft. "Too bad."

I felt my throat burning from the blush that was starting to creep up from my chest. Where had I got the nerve to do that? And in public? Sure, it was practically a deserted street, but still.

Charles dashed down the steps through the rain and opened the door for me. I smiled at his courtesy and slipped as quickly as I could into the car.

We settled in, both smiling out our our separate windows as the car pulled away.

"What prompted that?" Charles asked suddenly into the companionable silence.

I didn't want to say I had been just wondering the same thing. Memories of Charles laughing, playing with the children, of the way he took control of the situation and martialed them into a line, his easy handshake with Todd and the way he was clearly upset to hear of the abuse, it had all filled my heart and made him irresistible.

But what had really done it was the memory of him looking at me with understanding and with empathy when he had a moment of concern in the kitchen, wondering if I had suffered the same childhood abuses as these children.

That and the way he was obviously affected by my presence. He really did need me.

"I don't know," I said. It was a lame answer, but what I was feeling was too much to express in words. "Your eyelashes looked beautiful when they were wet like that."

"My eyelashes?" he looked confused, and then held his phone's photo app up on reverse to see himself. "They look clumpy."

"We call that thick and lush in the female world."

"Oh," he said, thoughtfully, and then nodded in understanding. "Thus, the mascara."

"Yes."

"So I should wear mascara more, you're saying?"

I laughed.

"More implying you already do?"

He shrugged, teasing me. "I'm in touch with every aspect of my masculinity, even when it veers into traditional expression of femininity."

"I don't know if that makes sense."

He laughed and looked at me. "So now what?"

I knew he didn't mean lunch or work. I glanced toward the front of the car and he smiled.

"He's discreet."

"I know, but I was thinking with all of this so fresh we should probably figure out our next move."

"Our next move?" His face looked suddenly confused, and a little panicked.

"Yes. Matilda and I need to discuss what to do next and how we are going to attack this city hall meeting."

"Ah!" His face cleared and I realized he thought I meant something more official between us. His voice shifted to his work tone. "It's clear to me that something rotten is going on. Do you want to meet with Sal and Matilda?"

I nodded.

"I'd like to be there too, if you don't mind," he added.

I smiled. "It would be our pleasure."

"Then hold on," he pulled out his phone again. "I'll text them both right now."