Skins & Needles (COMPLETE)

Just Tonight Part 4

Charlotte

"Don't move," Arsen commanded, his voice husky from sleep. "Just hold still."

A moment later, I felt his lips on my skin, kissing my back and shoulders ever so lightly. His lips were soft, but his stubble scratched the back of my neck invitingly, and a shiver rocked my whole body.

"Charlotte," Arsen scolded, but tightened his hands on my hips and pulled me hard against him. My breath caught upon feeling every inch of him pressed to my ass through the thin fabric of my panties and his boxers. We were so painfully close, but Arsen's grip kept me from creating any more friction between us.

"Arsen," I breathed as his lips continued their torturous path across my back. When his mouth reached my neck, his hands slipped under the band of my panties so that they rested flat against my bare skin. His fingers dug into my pelvis as he began kissing, licking, sucking at the base of my neck, right over a sweet spot I didn't know I had, and when I felt his teeth graze the skin there, I moaned.

"God, Char," he growled, rotating his hips so I could feel just how turned on he was. "I really need to stop."

"I don't want you to stop," I pleaded. "I want you."

I imagined him freeing himself then, and moving my panties to the side so that he could slide into me from behind. The thought of his hands on me, holding me hard as he thrust into me again and again made my stomach flip and moisture pool at my core.

As if he knew, Arsen groaned and pulled me tighter to him with a hot palm on my stomach. He inhaled, face still pressed to my neck, and clenched his hand into a fist where it rested below the band of my panties.

"You smell so damn good," he said lowly in my ear. I arched back against him and he nipped at my shoulder. "What I would give to just devour you."

"You can," I told him, begged him.

"I can't," he insisted, still teasing my neck. He unballed his fist and allowed his pinky to slip down the front of my panties, dangerously close to where I wanted him.

"You can," I challenged. "You just won't."

Arsen made a frustrated sound and pressed his forehead to my back. It took me a moment to register that he was shaking, his muscles taught as he held himself back.

"If only you knew..." he was saying. "If only you knew..."

I wiggled in his hold, but he wouldn't release me.

"Then tell me!" I ground out through my struggles. "Tell me, or let me go!"

I froze when Arsen's grip slackened, and all at once, he was no longer touching me.

Golden eyes stared down at me when I rolled onto my back. Arsen sat at the edge of the bed watching me carefully while his jaw clenched with forced restraint. His breath rose and fell quicker than usual, and I was only comforted by the fact that I seemed to have a pull over him too.

"Why?" I asked when he didn't say anything. "Why this game? You say you can't, but then you do... that. I'm tired of doing this. Either tell me what the hell I'm missing, or you have to stop all this. Clearly that's what's keeping us from... from..." I wasn't sure how to finish that statement, but Arsen let out a long breath.

"I can't tell you," he said, and I wasn't even surprised this time. Just mad.

"Okay, fine," I snapped. "That's that. But I like you around. And it's harder to be around you like a normal person when I only see you once a month. So, just don't be a stranger. And maybe someday, this will get easier."

Something told me it wouldn't get easier, seeing Arsen and having stupid, impossible feelings for him, but I knew I wasn't going to get over him having encounters like this. Arsen didn't seem convinced, and wordlessly turned to face away from me.

I sat up in bed, moving across the tangled comforter so I was sitting close to him, and took his hand.

"You say you can't tell me, but that doesn't mean you can't come around. I'm friends with Ryanne!"

"It's different with Ryanne," he sighed. He wouldn't look at me, but he left his hand in mine. "With Ryanne, there's no..." He scoffed at his own internal battle and ran his free hand through his hair.

"Just think about it, okay?" I prompted. "I won't ask you again. But I... miss you. And it sucks when I don't get to see you. I..." Deep sigh. "I was starting to consider you a friend."

"I still can't tell you," he reminded me.

"I know."

"I'll think about it. It's just hard."

"It was just hard." I couldn't help myself, and instantly slapped a hand over my mouth.

"Dammit, Charlotte," Arsen groaned, and stood from his spot on the bed.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry. I'll be good from now on. Scout's honor. Cross my heart, hope to die, for realsies. No dick jokes from this girl. I'll be perfect. Pinky swear."

I held my pinky out, and Arsen stared at it for a moment before hooking his own with it. I blushed at the contact, remembering moments earlier when that pinky had been in my underwear, and cleared my throat.

"Well, there you have it," I said, shaking our combined hands once before releasing Arsen's pinky. "Now you have to come see me sometimes."

"We'll see," Arsen said seriously. He looked at war with himself, and I felt my heart sink. "There's just so much more to this than I can stress, Char. I don't know if I can handle coming around here. I wish I could make you understand."

"Then don't come here," I shrugged, and moved to stand before him. "But you could at least stop in the shop sometimes. I won't even make you get inked. You can just come and flirt—er—bug me while your fam gets tattooed."

I began scratching nervously at my arm, but Arsen stopped me with a hand on my cheek.

"This isn't going to be easy."

"No," I agreed, forcing myself not to lean into his palm.

"It might be a while."

"That's what I was hoping to avoid..."

"Char—" Arsen cut off when his phone buzzed, and he frowned as he read the text.

"What's that about?" I asked on a whim. Arsen hardly glanced up as he yanked his jeans on and headed for the door.

"I can't tell you," he muttered. I followed him to my door at a distance, but he was already unlocking the dead bolt, so I hung back. "I have to go. Goodbye, Charlotte."

The door shut behind him before I had the chance to respond, leaving me alone once more.

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Posting a bunch of chapters because I've been awful at updating and I'm trying to pressure myself into finishing this book before I start uni again this fall. Let's gooooo

Happy Reading!

-Haybails