Chapter 23: Chapter 23

Hector shook his head. He had a feeling that’s why she’d left. “They’re just friends.”

“They came here with you.”

Still trying to catch his breath, he shook his head again. “No, they walked in just as I was done my last interview, and we just so happened to walk in together.”

“I’m not like them.”

“I know,” he agreed quickly. God, did he know. She was completely different in every way.

She frowned. “I know that must sound really stupid too because I’m here with you now, but—”

“Trust me, Charlotte,” he said, gently lifting her chin with his finger. “I know you’re different.” He kissed the small crease that had formed between her eyes from her frowning then kissed her lips softly again. “So different,” he whispered then kissed her again. “So sweet.” He felt her exhale softly then smile against his lips.

Dropping her hand from his chest and then bringing it around his neck, she kissed him and gave into him completely again. Groaning, he kissed her as deeply as he had the very first time, feeling utterly crazed again. Every time they stopped for air, they were both panting now as if they’d both just had a very long drink of water—an incredibly delicious taste of water after days of going without. Coming up again, he had to laugh a little. This was insane. She laughed too, biting her lower lip.

“You’re beautiful.” The words flew out of his mouth before he could catch himself.

Her big blue eyes opened wide, confirming what he’d just said like they had when he said her eyes were beautiful earlier. She was beautiful.

“Thank you,” she said with that same apprehensive smile that had caught his attention that very first day she thanked him for knocking out the asshole beating on Walter.

“You’re welcome.”

She stared at him for a moment, then her eyes lifted a bit and she touched his brow. Even something as simple as feeling her fingers caressing his brow felt incredible. Her touch was so gentle, so sweet. “Is this a boxing scar?”

He nodded, unable to take his eyes off her lips. “I got it last year.”

“Will it ever go away?” she said, continuing to run her fingers over it gently.

“It might if I stop reopening the gash.”

Now she focused on his eyes. “But you’re so good. I don’t think I saw that guy land even one punch on your face tonight.”

“That’s what scars are for. You learn from them. I don’t let my guard down nearly as much as I used to before I got it. But it’s not that. The wound has been reopened a few times since then.” He shrugged. “I’m getting better. Eventually it’ll heal completely.”

Unable to go even another moment without tasting those lips again, he went in for another kiss. The door flew open just as his lips touched hers, and she pulled back immediately.

Miriam stared at them wide-eyed. “Oops.”

“Did you find him?” Leticia was at the door now with Miriam staring at them as well. Though she was obviously surprised, she played it off with a smirk, “I guess you did.”

Charlee moved away from the wall, understandably looking uncomfortable by the interruption. She walked around Hector and out of the compromising position they’d been found in. “I, uh . . .”

Hector touched her arm. He didn’t want her fretting or worse leaving because of this. Before he could say anything to them, the door opened further and Drew walked in. Since Charlee no longer stood against the wall, and Hector wasn’t pressed up against her anymore, she didn’t appear as stunned as Leticia and Miriam, but there was no hiding the surprise. “I was getting worried. You weren’t answering your phone.”

“Yeah, she was a little busy for that.” Leticia said with a clearly forced smirk before walking out of the room. Miriam sneered, following Leticia out.

“I’m sorry,” Charlee said. “I turned it off when we got here and forgot all about it.” She turned to Hector then back to Drew again. “He was showing me the trophies and stuff, and I forgot about the time. I have to go,” she addressed Hector now. “I told you we gotta be up early tomorrow.”

Hector nodded. The disappointment of knowing he wouldn’t be kissing her goodbye weighed heavily. If it were up to him, he’d do it regardless of who was in the room, but her he-was-showing-me-the-trophies comment was an obvious indication that she didn’t want her friend to know what they’d really been doing. He’d let that simmer for now. She was obviously a shy girl, and he wasn’t even sure where this would go, if anywhere. He still didn’t know a whole lot about her other than he couldn’t get enough of kissing her, and he hadn’t lied when he told her she was different. She was. He just couldn’t put his finger on exactly what it was, or maybe it was just everything.

He walked them all the way to the door, Drew taking the initiative after they’d walked a few feet in silence. She began telling them about her encounter with the talkative older man she ran into while looking for Charlee. Hector tuned her out, opting instead to sneak smiles at Charlee the whole way. He’d been in such a cloud, still thinking about everything that had happened that night. It wasn’t until he was on his way back to turn off the lights they’d left on in the trophy room that he realized he hadn’t asked for her number. Now he wouldn’t talk to her until Monday afternoon at the earliest. He didn’t even know where she lived!

“Damn it,” he muttered, shutting off the lights in the room.

Asking Walter, the only person that might have that information in the meantime, was out of the question. He was just going to have to wait until Monday. Feeling the smallest pang of guilt, he pushed it to the back of his head. Walter didn’t deserve Charlee, not with the little effort he’d put into trying to even talk to her. Sure he was trying to lose weight, and he’d cut his hair and trimmed his brows as Hector had suggested, but that was hardly enough.

Hector wasn’t sure if anything would become of this or if he even wanted it to. For now, he’d keep things on the down low and continue to help Walter get in shape.

Obviously, Hector wouldn’t be helping him with his efforts to win Charlee’s affection anymore. Even before tonight’s turn of events, Hector wasn’t sure how to help him there anyway. The guy was oblivious about how to even talk to a girl. There was only so much Hector could do or had time for. He’d help Walter get into shape because it’s what Hector did on a daily basis anyway, but he was on his own when it came to Charlee.

Unbelievably, Leticia and Miriam were in the lobby when he walked out of the hallway on his way back to the party. He thought for sure they’d left. They both smiled now. Apparently seeing him alone had changed their moods.

“Hey,” he smiled back but not in the normal flirtatious way he would’ve. He didn’t want to encourage anything. The sweet taste of Charlee’s mouth was still on his lips, and he’d like to keep it like that as long as he could.

“Didn’t mean to barge in on you like that,” Leticia said as they walked toward him.

The second she was close enough to him, Leticia reached for his hand. “Are you free for the rest of the evening, or did she stake her claim for tonight?”

Both of their eyes were telling of how much they’d had to drink tonight. Before he could begin to even think of a good enough response, Miriam slid her hand into his other one. Thankfully the doors to the banquet room opened and out walked Walter and the other guys from the chess club. The guys did their best to not gawk, but Hector knew this was not something any of them could ever imagine doing, so he saw the reserved humor in their eyes. Walter all out smiled, waving. “Thanks for having us, Hector.”

Seeing an opportunity, Hector took it to get away from Leticia and Miriam. “Hold on. I wanted to talk to you guys before you leave. I’ll be out in a minute.” Walter and the guys nodded and kept walking toward the door. He turned back to the girls, pulling his hands loose from their hold and lowered his voice. “Yeah, I’m kind of taken tonight, ladies.”

Immediately their smiles faded, and Leticia lifted her brow. “I saw her leave.”

Not wanting to be rude and remembering he did invite them there with the insinuation that they’d finish what they started last week, he took a deep breath. “I’m meeting her somewhere else. But you two are welcome to stay as long as you want.”

He made a mental note to never insinuate anything to these two again.

“Will you be coming back in after you talk to your friends?” Miriam asked then smiled wickedly. “Or do we say goodbye to you now.”

Hell no. Hector wouldn’t even be having another beer until he savored the very last lingering hint of Charlee in his mouth. “No, I’ll be back.” This would be the ideal time to wink, but he dared not. Instead, he started walking away. “You two go on back in.”

Visibly disappointed, the two girls walked back toward the banquet room. He never would’ve thought he’d be so thankful to see Walter in his life. Smothering the life out of the guilt that began to fester, he walked outside to talk to the guys for as long as possible.