Creature (CENTURIES series: Book #7)

18

"Stop, I can't—" I panted, heaving for my breath as Charlie looked down at me, not having broken even a single sweat yet. "I can't handle anymore. I need a break."

"You humans have such low stamina," He said and then shook his head as he helped me up off my row machine, handing me my water bottle which I quickly took and drank from. "You didn't even last twenty minutes."

After drinking about two thirds of my water bottle, I sucked in a loud breath, then exhaled exhaustedly. "Well, that's humans for you, Charlie. We can't all be as strong as you."

He gave me one of his more and more frequent grins and then sat down and took my place on the machine, changing the weight to four times the weight I'd chosen. He then grabbed the handle and begun rowing. "Maybe some day, you will."

I sighed and shook my head, then watched for almost 45 minutes as he rowed with the impossibly heavy weight resistance, until finally, he had broken a sweat as well. He then finished off with 15 minutes of running on the treadmill, whereafter he had gotten about as much sweat on his body as I had from just the one exercise.

I'd decided to join Charlie today for his usual morning marathon, since lately I might've been eating a little more as a coping technique for the sexual frustration I had been dealing with. Charlie took every opportunity he found to pin me against something and kiss the bejesus out of me, but in the end I always stopped it. I didn't know what the hell we were doing, but I for sure knew what we weren't doing. The reason for that became less and less memorable for each day that passed.

And after today, I was ready to diagnose myself with Alzheimer's after having witnessed a shirtless Charlie work his rippling body to shreds. Now, as we both walked out of my exercise room, suckling on our water bottles, I couldn't shake the heat inside my body—and it wasn't heat from the workout.

"I guess I'll see you for breakfast after a shower," I said, trying to keep my voice as steady as possible while Charlie gave me a glance. "You'll probably finish before me, so—"

Charlie had me up against his door before I could blink, pressing his body against my own and sealing his lips over mine. An embarrassing squeak left me, but then I very literally melted in his grip, moaned and dropped my water bottle as my hands found their way to his shoulders. In a single swoop, he picked me up and then carried me into his bedroom, past his bed, and then into his bathroom. My pulse spiked like a stalagmite.

"Charlie!" I gasped when he put me down on his bathroom floor, lips trailing down my neck, tongue licking at the sweat gathered there. Fuck. "Charlie, w-we can't—"

"Are you saying no?" He murmured, hands skimming down my sides, gripping my hips. They found the aching spot between my legs and cupped it, drawing a whimper from me.

"I'm saying... we can't," I hoarsely choked out as he began rubbing me through the stretchy fabric of my workout pants. Stupid, thin leggings. "We... oh God, we shouldn't..."

"So you're not saying no," Was what he got from that, now moving back to look into my eyes and cup my face. "Do you want me to stop?"

I met his eyes and forgot how to breathe as he looked at me soberly, but with so much lust. Need. "No."

And that was all he needed. He bent down and took my lips again and met my tongue with his own as my lips parted and welcomed him. I couldn't fight him anymore, didn't want to.