Thank you all for your comments - I've been blown away with how much you have been enjoying this story. There's one chapter to go.
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4
Mark
Okay, I still hated butterflies. Other than that, I just had the best day of my life so far. Frustration was high after a couple of days of having no time alone with Charlie, and then yet again he surprised me and took things much further. That kiss was going to be on my mind forever. It was already the most wonderful thing we could have been doing, wandering through the woods alone and holding hands, and then he turned and instigated a kiss that set my whole world spinning. He kissed like a dream and tasted so sweet. I could have stood there all day doing that. It was only going to make seeing him at work harder, knowing that we had shared such a moment.
On top of that it made my home feel even more empty when he dropped me off. I wanted him there to snuggle up to on the sofa, not heading back to his own place and not likely to see him until tomorrow when we would both be busy. I needed to organise some more time together because I would go crazy if I had to wait until next Monday to see him properly again. I needed to keep it light still because I had a feeling that despite the kiss Charlie was not ready to jump into bed with me. I was going to have to wait for him to broach that subject, or at least do my best to wait. Too many more kisses like the first one and I may have no control left.
Over the next couple of nights I was quickly proved right. Having him that close but not being able to see or speak to him properly was not doing it for me at all. We shared glances and smiles but it was not enough. I needed time with him badly. The end of shift wasn't so bad because I was always tired, but before I went into work I felt so alone and bored I couldn't wait to get into the restaurant so I would at least have a few quick moments to warm me and make me smile. I was so desperate I couldn't leave on Wednesday without making plans. He seemed to have hung back a bit, and I hoped it was because he wanted to see me properly too.
"Can we do something tomorrow before work? Just a chat and a coffee? I just really want to spend some time with you." I asked, trying not to sound too desperate.
He smiled at me. "I was going to ask you pretty much the same. Seeing each other here isn't enough."
Fantastic, he was thinking much the same as me. "How about we meet at the coffee shop an hour or so before we have to be here. We can pass it off as a coincidence if anyone sees us."
He readily agreed, and at least when I left afterwards I had something to look forward to. A quick drink in a public place, but better than nothing. After that, it became a regular thing. Each day before we had to work we would meet and talk together for a while, just enjoying each other's company. We would flirt a little, but there was no repeat of the kiss for the rest of the week. We just spent the time getting to know each other better and it was enough for the moment to have another private thing that we shared. Not that I wasn't remembering that kiss every time we met, and there were often moments when I caught a look from Charlie that suggested he was remembering it too.
On Saturday when we met he came up and placed a quick kiss on my cheek before he sat down. I wondered what I had done to make him want to, and looked at him quizzically.
"Thanks for your message." he said, blushing. "I do too."
I squeezed his hand in reply. I knew he was replying to my note with the flowers this week, "Every time we touch I melt." Our eyes locked for a long moment afterwards, and I regretted the fact we were in public and didn't have long together. It would have been the perfect moment for a second kiss. I sighed deeply with my disappointment at not being able to have one right then. Thank goodness it wasn't that long until Monday, but it was going to feel like forever.
We decided to go to to Oxford for the day. A bit of a trek but we fancied museums and shopping and it was a pretty place to visit. It was wonderful being in his company again after the days of working together. It pleased me that he was now totally happy with me being around and the only awkward or difficult moments we had were when one or other of us was obviously thinking about kisses. In my mind it was either the one we had already shared or the anticipation of another, because I was sure that would be happening, I just didn't know when.
It turned out that Charlie knew the area a lot better than I did and he led us through some of the college gardens and out to a walk beside the river, taking us further and further away from the main paths. I couldn't help but notice that there were fewer and fewer people around as we headed away from town. As far as I was concerned he could take me anywhere. When he finally stopped we were by a small bridge, trees all around us and the water slowly running past. Another beautiful spot, for another beautiful moment?
He took my hand again and led me off the path slightly into the undergrowth. I raised an eyebrow at him in question but he just grinned at me. When he stopped again I knew for sure we were where no-one else would see us. I opened my mouth to ask a question but he just pressed his finger to my lips to stop me, and once he seemed sure I wasn't going to argue his lips replaced it. That was all the encouragement I needed and I gathered his body against mine, putting all the love and lust I'd felt over the last week into the kiss. His body against mine and in my arms just felt totally right, and his soft moans, almost inaudible but I could feel as well as hear them, had me hard as a rock. And despite it all I still knew I couldn't make a move on him. My hands ran over his back but I was careful to stay above the waist because that's all he was doing to me, and I couldn't and wouldn't push him any further than he was willing to go.
We must have stood there for nearly an hour, necking like teenagers and lust simmering. If we had to catch our breath then we replaced the intense kiss with small pecks until we could resume the passionate ones. I wanted to keep him in my arms like this forever, but eventually it had to end. When he pulled back I nearly lost my balance because my legs were trembling so much, and there seemed to be no blood in the vast majority of my body. The one place it was throbbed painfully inside my trousers, and a quick glance at Charlie revealed he had the same problem again. Not that I doubted he enjoyed the kisses, else he wouldn't have brought me here and done it. He almost looked worried about it although I couldn't work out why.
"Sorry about that. I just couldn't contain myself any longer." he said.
"Sorry? You are kidding me? How could I possibly mind you kissing me senseless?!"
He smiled. "I don't know. I just worried that you might think I was a little desperate."
"For future reference, anything you want to do, any time you want to do it, will be fine by me. I'm not pushing for anything you aren't ready for, but you only have to let me know what you want."
"You're waiting for me still." he said, slightly disappointed.
