Skins & Needles (COMPLETE)

Between Sheets Part 1

Charlotte

"I should have kissed you sooner," Arsen told me, his voice as rough to my ears as his stubble was to my cheek. I smiled without meaning to as I was drawn back into the kiss.

It was euphoric. I'd never been kissed like that. The way his body seemed to move in sync with his lips, encompassing me completely and making my head feel light... Arsen was all around me, but I still wanted more of him. All of him. His tongue flicked under my top lip, pulling me into a deep, lingering locking of lips that had me breathless. When his hands slipped beneath my tank top, his fingers pressing hard into the skin of my back, my body arched to his touch, and I pulled back to look at him.

He stared into my hazel eyes with his molten golden ones with question and desire, and I felt for the first time that there was no invisible barrier separating our worlds.

"Arsen," I gasped, and his hands lightened in pressure.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked, and I was pleased to hear a slight breathlessness in his voice as well. His words made me back pedal though.

"No! No. I just... I like you."

He seemed to freeze at my words, and I immediately regretted them. It was true-- I did like him, way too much-- but I never meant to ruin the mood by telling him.

"You..." was all he said as his gaze roamed my face.

"I really..." I began, ready to tell him everything, but something stopped me. Everything he'd said about our separate worlds... I didn't want him to think I was trying to make this something more, even if that's what I secretly wanted. Right then, I just wanted to be close to him, and for this to never end.

"Oh fuck, never mind," I decided, and kissed him again. He held me closer then, kissing me back with the same desperate energy, and I felt his excitement pressing between us.

I hummed against his lips when he lifted his hips to grind us together, and began to trail my hands lower. I'm not sure what we meant to happen, but I found my fingers at his belt at the same time his hands gripped the back of my bra. He bit my lip and I let out a startled moan, and I felt the pressure around my ribs let up as my bra unfastened.

Then there was a crash, and then...

I blinked slowly, eyes adjusting to the space around me. The room was unfamiliar, and I inspected it from where I lay in bed. Wooden walls, bone accents, and black curtains, so I must have still been in Arsen's house, but I didn't recognize the red rug, the laundry basket in the corner, the canopy above the...

Right. I was also in a bed. A bed that smelled like Arsen.

My gaze traveled to the window left of me, where Arsen sat on a red settee. He had a glass of some golden liquid in his hand, and was watching it as he swished some ice cubes around.

"What happened?" I asked, and his gaze snapped to mine. Molten eyes watched me carefully, and I rolled over to face him. "Are you okay? I saw a mountain lion! What..."

I trailed off in bewilderment as my mind replayed the events leading up to me being a dumbass and forgetting the electric fence. The phone call, the kiss, the crash... I blushed and looked away, suddenly completely unsure how to act toward him. I was in his bed, but the way he was looking at me so damn cautiously made me nervous.

"Look at me, Charlotte," he said softly, and I glanced up in surprise. "What did you see?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, frowning at his question. "Just that mountain lion run into the room, and then I did myself a favor and knocked my own ass out. Wait, did you change clothes?"

At this last, Arsen's lips curved into a slight grin, and I swallowed hard at the memory of what those lips felt like. But his face soon fell and he sighed heavily.

"You're going to be here a few more days than planned." he told me, and my eyebrows shot up.

"What?" I demanded. "Why? Not that I don't like it here, but I have a job!"

"You..." He trailed off and scratched his jaw. That stubble... "It's hard to explain. You were too close to something. That's all I can say. It'll only be another three days, then you'll be back to your old life."

"So, four days left?" I checked, and he nodded. I flopped back on the down pillow behind me and remembered another thing. "Arsen?"

"Hm?"

"Why am I in your bed?" I carefully peeked at Arsen out of the corner of my eye, but scowled when I saw him smirking. "What?!"

"The look on your face..." he chuckled. "In all honesty, when you dropped outside, I was afraid you might have hurt your ribs, and wanted to make you comfortable." He rubbed the back of his neck then, before standing up and stepping toward the door. "I'm gonna take the couch, then."

"What?" I gasped, sitting up in bed and wincing a bit in pain. "Why?"

Arsen turned back to look at me, and I thought I saw hesitance in his gaze. Or regret.

"What happened earlier can't—"

"Not that!" I exclaimed, though I was thinking about nothing but that. I just didn't want to hear him let me down. "I mean, why can't you sleep here too? If you're— ah— worried about something happening, then why doesn't one of us sleep under the comforter, and the other sleep on top of it with the couch blanket?" Arsen didn't say anything for a moment, and I started to get out of the bed. "It's your bed, Arsen. I'm gonna go back down—"

"No," he snapped, before clearing his throat. "I mean, that's a good idea. I'll go get the couch blanket. You can get ready for bed, and just lie back down. I know your ribs are hurting."

He was right about that.

"Can you grab my backpack when you're down there?" I asked quietly. Arsen's eyes softened and he nodded before disappearing.

---

HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all who celebrate! If you struggle with the holiday season, I feel you, and hope you're finding some peace this month. Hugs to all going through it right now, whether it be from grief, seasonal depression, loneliness, unaccepting family, or whatever else. I value y'all immensely <3

Happy reading (and watch for double update today)!

-Haybails