Next, she pulls out a long black whip, then it’s a bottle of lube. Nora giggles, trying to smother it with her hand.
“It’s fine,” she tells me, but then begins to shift side to side, her expression tight.
“Are you okay?”
She pulls a hand out of the bag to wave me off. “I think I’ve got glitter on my vagina. It’s really uncomfortable.”
Dad turns, biting down on his knuckles to stop the laughter. I can’t blame him. Her honesty and expressiveness are some of the things I like about her. It makes her unique.
After knowing her for as long as I have, and knowing her quirks, I still haven’t figured out why she always has all these sex toys or objects. Yes, she explained why she has them, but she never explained why she always seems to have one in her bag.
She places down a glass jar of hot dog sausages, and Dad chuckles. I give him a warning glare but he shrugs, mouthing, “Hot dog sausages?”
“Aha, I’ve found them,” she states, dangling a set of keys from her fingers. When she turns to the room, the colour of her cheeks matches the colour of her hair.
“Charlotte,” I muse, stepping closer. “This is my dad, Silas, and my sister, Nora.”
Her eyebrows shoot up before a blinding smile stretches over her face. She rushes over to Nora, pulling her in for a hug. “It’s so good to meet you,” she greets, pulling back. “My gosh, you’re so pretty.”
“Thank you,” Nora replies, taken aback by the compliment.
Dad doesn’t bother hiding his amusement when she turns to him. “And I see where Drew gets his handsome looks.”
“Hey,” I argue lightly, pulling her to my side.
“Why do you have hot dog sausages in your bag?” Nora asks, like that’s the weirdest object Charlotte pulled out.
“And is that a muffin?” Dad asks, tiptoeing to get a better look at what’s left in her bag.
Charlotte scrunches her nose up at the sausages. “I’m not actually sure. But I’ll keep them in case I ever come across a stray cat or dog and they need feeding.” She smiles at my dad. “It is.”
“I never thought of keeping food on me,” Nora murmurs.
Dad’s horrified expression nearly has me bursting into laughter. “No. Think of the rats.”
Charlotte nods sympathetically. “Happened to me when we went camping. I left bird seed bars in my bag and rats got inside the tent. Landon was not happy.”
“I bet,” I muse.
She suddenly stops putting her things back into her bag, taking in the room. “I have got the right day, haven’t I? I mean, I’ve not interrupted family time or anything?”
I slide my hand down her back, causing her to shudder. “No; Dad and Nora just popped in to say hi before heading home.”
“You don’t have to go on my account,” she stresses. “I can come back another day.”
Nora laughs. “Your muscles hurt after each session, don’t they?”
Charlotte pouts, her shoulders sagging. “Yes. I wasn’t made for exercise.”
Chuckling, I can’t help but admire her honesty. “But you’re doing so good.”
Nora grunts. “You said that to me but then made me start extra lessons.”
Charlotte tenses, slowly turning to face me. “You said that to me too.”
“But yours is for another reason,” I tell her.
Realisation dawns on her face as she slowly nods. “Oh yeah. I kind of really do need them.”
“We will leave you in two in peace. I’m off to get this one home,” he explains. “Even suspended, she still has to do all her homework.”
“If you’d ever like some peace studying, you’re more than welcome to come to Charlotte’s Library on Main Street,” Charlotte offers.
Nora beams. “I’d love that.”
“It was lovely meeting you, Charlotte,” Dad tells her before turning to me. “Son.”
I give him a subtle nod. “Dad.”
He takes one more look at Charlotte, before turning back to me. “I see it.”
Charlotte, not understanding, starts wiping her face. “Do you see more glitter? I swear, it’s going to take me weeks to get all of it out.”
I chuckle, pulling her against me. She curls her hand into my T-shirt, beaming up at me. I love how comfortable she is around me. “I’ll see you later, Dad.”
After our goodbyes, I turn to Charlotte. “You ready to make your muscles hurt?” She straightens, placing her hands in a superhero pose. “What are you doing?”
“Preparing myself.”
I lift her easily, throwing her over my shoulder. I smack her arse, causing laughter to spill out of her. “I’m not that bad.”
“Say that to my muscles,” she cries out.
“Stop being a baby,” I lightly scold.
“No, for that, I’m not doing it,” she argues. I place her down on her feet and she looks up at me, my stern expression burning into her. She sighs. “Oh, okay. I’m ready.”
“Then let me lock up.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHARLOTTE
I blow out another breath as I fall to my knees on the mat. For the millionth time. “Come on, Charlotte. You can do this.”
No, I can’t.
Tears sting my eyes as I get to my feet. “I’m never going to be strong enough.”
“It’s not about being the strongest,” he tells me, placing his hands on my shoulders. I shiver at the touch, just like I always do with him. “Do you remember the most sensitive areas?”
“Eyes, nose, groin, ankles, ears, throat, knees, and chest. Why?”
“Okay, so which of them could you use with me behind you?”
“Not your nose, throat or eyes because I can’t reach them,” I grumble. I’m sulking, I know it, but I really want to get this. Not just for me, but I want to make him proud.
He chuckles and spins me around until my back is to his chest. As soon as his arms wrap around me, I bend forward and groan when I make another mistake.
“No, stay there,” he croaks out, his voice hoarse.
A shiver races down my spine, especially when his strong arms tighten around me.
“What do you want me to do?”
He doesn’t say anything for a moment and the feel of him, hard and pressed against me, has me biting my lip to stop the moan threatening to slip free.
“I want you to grab my ankle really hard, and I want you to yank it up as hard as you can whilst rising. Then—”
Taking him off guard, I reach for his ankle and yank up, following the steps. I hear him hit the mat hard and I turn, dropping his leg to the floor.
I squeal, bouncing up and down. There is so much joy flowing through me, I can’t keep the smile off my face. “I did it. I did it,” I squeal. “Just call me Jack.”
Drew groans, sitting up. “I guess I’m the giant in this scenario.”
Seeing him rub the back of his neck, I instantly feel guilty. “I’m really sorry. How bad did it hurt?”
He chuckles, then shakes his head before focusing on me. “This is what was meant to happen. I just didn’t have time to brace myself for the fall. You did good. Really good.”