I have wanted to kiss you
Charlotte's POV
"God knows how long I have wanted to kiss you, ever since you walked up to me," Luther said between hungry kisses, pushing me gently against the door of his penthouse.
The size of his place still amazed me. Every time I thought I had seen it all, there was more.
"Then why did you not do it earlier?" I teased, raising my arms as he tugged my top up by the sleeves.
"And have your mother figure us out?" He pressed his lips to my neck, sucking a sensitive spot that made me gasp.
"What could really go wrong?" I shrugged, parting my legs as he slipped a thigh between them. I began grinding slowly, the pressure sending waves of pleasure straight to my core.
"Everything. If Stanley has not told her, there is a reason." I stopped moving. My body went still.
"What do you mean? Does Stanley know about us?" I asked. I suddenly remembered the sly smile he gave me when I had joked about being involved with Luther.
"He figured it out. He said it was obvious from the way we look at each other. He even gave me a thumbs up during the couple's dance before we left."
I stared at him in disbelief. Stanley knew? And he had not said a word to my mother? That man was full of surprises, nothing like the cold, distant person I had expected.
"Now that I think about it," I said slowly, "I believe he planned for you to join me after asking me to drive them. It all makes sense now."
"Exactly. I told you he is not a bad person, even when you were so hard on him at first."
I lowered my head. Guilt crept in. I had judged him too quickly.
"I know, Luther... and I apologised. I just hate thinking about how rude I was to him in the beginning."
As if he sensed my shift in mood, Luther gently placed two fingers under my chin and lifted my face. I looked at his lips, still red and swollen from kissing, and felt a deep ache to kiss him again.
"The point is," he said, "Stanley knows, but he promised to keep it to himself until we are ready to tell your mother."
I gave him a faint smile and met his warm gaze.
"It does not feel right to hide it from him like this," I said quietly, turning away.
"Why not?"
"We are making him start his marriage with secrets."
"It is not really a secret," he replied. "He just chose to give us space to figure things out. Normally, I would not care if your mother found out or not, but I do not want to damage your relationship with her or her marriage to Stanley."
His words made sense. I slowly nodded.
"And we did not come here to talk about all that... did we?" he added, turning my face back to his with a smile that made everything else fade.
"Luther," I said, my voice low and breathy. My body reacted before I could think. It always did with him. It was wild, the way he could wake up every nerve in me with just a few words.
"Yes, baby. Close your eyes," he said, his hand sliding down the side of my neck before resting there. I obeyed, my breathing quick and uneven.
Then I felt it, something warm brushing over my lips. I knew it was his tongue before I even opened my eyes. He dragged it slowly across the seam of my mouth, coaxing me to part my lips. When I did, he slipped inside, and I pushed my hips forward, craving more.
"Mmh," I moaned, wrapping my arms around his neck, kissing him back like I would melt without it. He reached behind me, unclasped my bra, and tossed it aside.
"Oh, God." I pulled away slightly, throwing my head back when his hands cupped my bare breasts. At first, he just held them there, not moving, like he was memorising the feel of me. My nipples were tight, aching for more. My body was already begging. My skin buzzed with heat, my lips tingled from the kiss, and everything between my thighs pulsed with need.
"I cannot believe I waited this long to make you mine," Luther said, one arm winding around my waist while the other teased and massaged my breasts, switching from one to the other.
The doorbell rang. He did not stop.
"Aren't you going to get that?" I asked, holding in a groan, frustrated at the interruption.
"No. It is Mateo. He will leave if we do not answer."
"How do you know it is him?" I asked, my eyes half-closed as he rolled one nipple between his fingers, sending waves of sharp pleasure through my chest.
"He is the only one besides Stanley who knows this place."
Still, it felt wrong to ignore him.
"Come on, babe," I said, stepping back despite Luther's annoyed sigh. "If it were not for Mateo, we might not even be together. The least we can do is answer."
I grabbed my top and bra off the floor and quickly dressed. Luther gave me a look but walked to the door.
"Fine. But he leaves right after saying whatever he came for," he muttered, pulling the door open.
Mateo stood there, grinning.
"Bad timing? Let me guess... someone took forever getting dressed?"
Mateo never held back. He always said exactly what was on his mind.
"Say one more thing, and I will shut this door in your face," Luther warned, but still stepped aside to let him in.
"Hey, Charlotte." Mateo offered his hand and, with a playful smirk, kissed the back of mine when I placed it in his.
"Hi, Mateo," I replied with a smile, letting my expression say the words I did not. I owed him more than he knew, for helping me understand the man standing beside me.
“There must be a reason you came all the way to this part of the city instead of being home with your wife,” I said, eyeing Mateo. “I only gave you my location in case there was an emergency.”
I looked away for a second, remembering how I had wrongly judged him when we first met. I thought he was just another smooth-talking player, but he had proven to be more responsible than I expected, married, loyal, and unexpectedly kind.
“There is a reason,” he said, his tone heavier now. “And it is not good. I wanted to call, maybe even text, but this... this needed to be said face-to-face before you hear it from someone else.”
My stomach turned at his words. Something felt off. Something bad.
“What happened?” Luther asked, pulling me into his side protectively. His arm tightened around me.
Mateo took a breath. “Gavin just did a live interview on ATV’s morning show.”
The second he said Gavin, my stomach dropped. A sharp twist of dread hit me in the chest.
“What did that bastard say?” Luther snapped, his grip on my upper arm growing tighter.
“He didn’t mention you,” Mateo said quickly, trying to ease the tension. But if he had to say that, I knew it was worse than I thought.
“Let me just show you,” Mateo said, pulling out his phone. I hesitated to look until he held it in front of us and pressed play.
The screen lit up with Gavin sitting across from the show host. My breath caught in my throat. I knew that smile on his face, it meant trouble.
“So, Gavin,” the host said, “are you dating anyone right now?”
“I am,” Gavin replied smoothly. “A very beautiful young lady.”
My pulse sped up. I felt Luther stiffen beside me.
“Is it private? I mean, we are used to seeing you flaunt your relationships,” the host asked, chuckling as a slideshow of photos appeared on the big screen behind them, pictures of Gavin with various women.
Then the host added, “Or is it the blonde you were seen shopping with before checking into a hotel?”
My entire body tensed. And then... it happened. The screen showed a photo of me and Gavin. He was holding my hand beside his car, right outside the hotel where my mother’s wedding reception was held. The camera had caught the worst moment.
“That’s her,” Gavin said with a sly grin. “Charlotte Stanley. She’s the one who’s stolen my heart.”
I stared at the screen, my heart hammering. My name. My face. Broadcast to the whole country like a trophy he had claimed. My throat went dry. I wanted to scream, to cry, to undo everything.
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