Dear Monroe Militia, this is my birthday present for you, I hope you enjoy it! Thank you for your idea and for the inspiration for this story. Happy birthday!
Whiskey and Breakfast
Connor Bennett grabs his phone out of the back pocket of his black jeans when it rings. He is meeting some friends for some beers later tonight. He picks up his phone and after ten seconds he remembers her again.
'Charlie, hi.'
Charlie Matheson. They had met when she had visited her grandparents in Jasper with her father a couple of years ago.
He had met her again when she had attended his mother's funeral. Real warmth and blue eyes filled with honest empathy had been there in the middle of a lot of meaningless faces when his eyes had met hers across the church.
Somehow she has found his number. She asks him if he wants to have some dinner. He answers her with a grin on his face she can't see and the promise that he will pick her up next Thursday at seven.
'Huh..' Connor says, when they stop before a house close to the centre of Chicago. She gets out of the car and he follows her.
'What?' Charlie asks him when she walks to the house, turning her head his way with a combination of fake innocence and a big grin on her face 'I asked you if you wanted to grab some dinner. I never said where.'
He can only shake his head and grin at her while he follows her to an unknown front door with his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
One hour later and he is happy Ben Matheson takes his stockpile of alcohol seriously. He has met Charlie's dad. Her brother Danny. He has met Aaron and Priscilla Pittman, who are close friends to the family. And Connor has met her mother. Rachel Matheson. When the front door had opened Ben had been genuinely happy to see him. He wishes he could say the same about her mom.
He talks to Aaron and as he listens to him when he talks about his business and Aaron's plans to expand that business, Connor sees Charlie on the other side of the living room, the glow of the fire gently brushing her face.
Charlie watches Connor from her place on the couch. True, maybe she did not tell Connor where they would grab dinner on purpose. But she needed an ally tonight. And when she had been going through the names on the screen of her phone to look for that ally, her lips had moved into a small smile when she had seen his name.
She then watches her mother, who is talking to Priscilla and is keeping her distance from her dad. She remembers those years when her mother had still lived here, in this house she grew up in. When she had been married to Ben. When everything had been different.
She was ten years old when her father had moved a comforting arm around her shoulder when she had to watch how her mother had walked from the front door to her car, after she and Ben told her their marriage was over.
After an ugly fling and years of a marriage that could not be fixed, there had been a divorce. Rachel's fling, with another Matheson man, had never survived. Ben had found new love . Charlie had lived with him and Maggie in this house until she had left for college, after Rachel left and moved to another city for her work.
Everybody has moved on. Once a year they still have dinner together at Ben's and Maggie's place, something Ben wanted for his children so they could still keep in touch with their mother.
And now she's twenty four, and living her own life, she can see the different kind of love her dad shares with Maggie. So, Charlie makes an effort. She knows her mom does too. And yet somehow, it is always a tense struggle. She is happy there is a drink in her and a couple of deep eyes and a easy grin waiting for her across the living room.
When Aaron and Ben move into the kitchen to discuss what bottle of whiskey they will enjoy tonight, Connor joins her on the couch. He needs some answers. He moves his head a bit closer to hers, making sure she is the only one that can hear him.
'Not that I am not enjoying your family and their booze. But, you brought me here because...?'
Charlie grins at him. 'You have tattoos and you like whiskey.'
It is impossible to ignore the beautiful smile that accompanies her answer and Connor lets his eyes wander over her full lips.
When he looks at her with more questions in his eyes, she gets up from the couch. 'My mom hates tattoos and whiskey.'
She pats him on his shoulder before she gets up to refill her glass. He turns his head, following her with his eyes when she walks to the kitchen.
They make it all the way to dessert without casualties. Candles illuminate the bottles of wine and glasses on the table. Aaron has plenty of interesting stories to share with everyone. Stories Charlie enjoys.
But after one more comment from her mother meant as a subtle insult towards Connor, Charlie has enough. The sound of her fork colliding with her plate fills the room.
Aaron forgets what he has to say in the middle of one of his stories. Charlie's eyes shoot thunder and Matheson blue across the dinner table to her mother.
She knows why her mother is doing this. She knows about the engagement between Miles and Emma, Connor's mom, many years ago. They never got married. But she knows Miles cared for Emma. Loved Emma. And those things from the past always seem to screw with her mother's head.
Charlie doesn't want to meet Connor's eyes. A part of her already screams at her that this whole thing might be a bad idea. He is already living his life without his mom, the last thing he needs is for her mom to remind him of that. Charlie's feels a sharp wave of fear her mother will keep on talking about this.
But then Connor moves his arm around her chair and she feels the faint brush of his fingers going over her shoulder and she is able to take another, and deeper, breath.
Aaron is trying to do his best to really not look at Rachel or Charlie and Priscilla is taking a break from her chocolate cake. Her father is reaching for the bottle of wine and Maggie takes a sip from the wine that is left in her glass.
Ben tries to change the subject and to soothe the tension at the dinner table. 'Some more wine, Aaron?'
'Yeah, that would be awesome,' Aaron sighs with relieve as he welcomes the liquid in his glass. They have been friends since she joined his company but Rachel? Well, she can be Rachel.
After five very long and very tense seconds there is a soft beep coming from Danny's jacket. He grabs his phone before a wide smile appeared on his face.
'Everything all right son?' Ben asks.
'Sure dad, just some friends wanting to hang out later.'
Connor grins, he knows all about that. Ben smiles. Remembering what it was like being Danny's age, growing up in Jasper. 'Get out of here, have some fun.'
Rachel looks at her son. 'Just be careful all right, I don't...'
'Rachel...' Ben warns her, aware of the rest of their dinner guests.
'I am sure everything will be all right..' Maggie tries.
'Thank you Maggie, but I think I can handle this.' Rachel's voice is cooler now.
Connor watches Charlie. Her eyes are a sharper kind of blue, her shoulders are filled with tension when she starts talking. 'I know you are trying to protect him, mom. But he can't be that sick kid all the time.'
'And you can't keep defending me all of the time, Charlie.' Danny intervenes. The warmth in his smile calms Charlie down. Just a bit.
'So, where are you going later tonight to meet those friends of yours?' Connor asks. And when Connor and Danny discuss some bars they both really like, Charlie looks at Connor, grateful for the way he is making sure their dinner table does not turn into a war zone tonight.
Connor pushes the kitchen door open with his right boot. His hands are full with two glasses of whiskey and her jacket he has found on a chair in the kitchen. He finds her outside and alone after dinner. Staring at the Chicago skyline in the distance.
Charlie hears the sound of his boots on the porch behind her. She looks at the glass that Connor dangles before her eyes.
'Here.'
She says nothing, but raises an eyebrow while she gives him one of her best glares.
'Well you are a Matheson. Isn't this the way you guys cope?' Connor grins at her. That grin turns into a smile when he sees he can make her smile. Her fingers move around the cool glass in a grateful embrace.
She takes a first sip of her whiskey while he moves her jacket over her shoulders. She meets his eyes as she lets the cool evening air fill her lunges and the burn of the whiskey warm her from within.
Charlie is grateful Connor knows when to stop talking and just let her be. She doesn't say anything when he takes a step towards her and he leans into the banister of the porch next to her. He is tall next to her and her shoulder brushes his upper arm. They drink in silence while they watch the countless lights of the city.
She is quiet, too quiet, when he drives her home after dinner. He walks her to the front door of her apartment building.
She expects him to go. She cannot blame him. There is a reason why she hardly goes to these kind of dinners. There is a reason why she never brings anyone with her.
Her life has never been not complicated. There are only few people who get that. Growing up with a sick brother in a home filled with worry and arguments wrapped in a marriage that did not work has left its scars.
But when her keys move into the lock of her apartment he is still there. When she looks up again he is leaning into the doorway and close enough to take in the faint scent of after shave and him. She is unable to ignore his dark eyes.
Connor grins with burning warmth in his deep eyes before he steps closer to her. He slowly moves his mouth towards her. He kisses her gently but with a certainty that makes Charlie breathe out hot air against his firm lips.
He slowly stops the kiss and moves his lips to her jaw, pressing a kiss on her cheek close to her temple. 'You want me to stay?' His voice is more raspy warmth so close to her ear.
Her mouth searching his again and her fingers grabbing his jacket and pulling him closer tell him everything he needs to know.
He likes the casual way she shoves her jacket on one of her wooden kitchen chairs. He likes her apartment.
She puts on a couple of lights. And then she slowly walks to her bedroom. There is a soft smile playing with her lips. He follows her, unable to look away. She has a fucking beautiful smile. But that smile is slowly changing into something more hungry that wakes up his body.
In the darkness of her bedroom Connor presses her with her back against the wall close to a window. He kisses her hungrily.
'You sure?' His voice lower now, filled with wanting her and her soft curves so close to his stomach and thighs. He is trying to find some of his self control that is quickly disappearing when there is so much Charlie so close to him. But he doesn't want to rush her.
'Less talking would be good...' Charlie says firmly and almost out of breath when her hands roam under his shirt to find warmth and muscles and her mind needs more of him.
He can feel her grin against her mouth. He does not want to piss her of. So he keeps on kissing her.
She moves her arms around his wide shoulders. His warm hands disappear under her blue shirt. She moans at the way his fingers make a slow hot trail over her back. Her heart beats faster with anticipation when they find her bra. He wants her, she can feel it against her belly.
His chest fills with pride when she moans softly against his neck while his fingers open her sexy as fuck bra. Her bra, shirt and jeans join his black jeans on the wooden floor around the bed.
She pushes him on her bed and his fingers plays with her breasts when she straddles his wide thighs. With one soft moan Charlie claims him as he slowly moves his thighs to feel all of her around him.
Charlie closes her eyes when he is stroking her back and she finds a rhythm she likes. His wide thighs behind her are supporting her. She feels his arms wrapped around her when he is taking all the time in the world. For her. He is all lean muscles and deep eyes and dark curls with just enough ego in his kiss to make her breath go even faster. Her hair brushes his dark curls and cheeks when she leans into to press a hot kiss on her mouth.
He wakes up before her. He looks at her. Sunrise slowly fills the room. She is fucking beautiful and he feels more desire to be with her, to taste her and fill her.
They fell asleep a couple of hours before sunrise, shoulder to shoulder, in her bed. She had mumbled something in her sleep after he had made her come in his arms. He had slowly pulled the blanket over her, her deep blonde hair spread out over her pillow and warm against his shoulder.
When she finally wakes up, her eyes are relaxed. She stretches and tilts her head. Meeting his eyes.
Charlie wakes up, wrapped in warm sheets and with the feeling of his wide shoulder next to hers, skin against skin.
'Hi,' There is a soft smile appearing around her mouth.
'Hi,' There is a low rasp in his voice.
His morning scruff matches his dark curls and she watches him. She feels the lazy sensation of last night in her muscles. But then she remembers last night a shadow falls over her face.
'Hey...what's wrong?' Connor asks, worry in his eyes.
'I've got news for you buddy...my family? A lot of trouble.' She sighs and grins at the same time. But Connor can see right through her grin. He can sense sadness from many years wrapped there in her eyes. He has to swallow. But he cannot look away from her.
'I know everything about what a mess family can be.' He can see the struggle happening in her eyes.
He does. He know his mom was engaged to Miles years ago. He knows about the affair she had with his dad that broke that engagement and almost broke a strong friendship between his dad and Miles.
He knows how her parents, his grandparents, had wanted another life for his mom and how they had never wanted his dad to find out that he was a Monroe. Emma had refused to listen and had told him anyway. And Connor's glad she did. He cannot imagine his life without his dad. His mom, Miles and his dad had found a way to be friends until Emma had passed away a couple of years ago. Connor is grateful for those years he had with her.
And now, it is him and his dad. It is not always easy but he knows one thing for sure. His dad is a fighter. And he fights for his family. He will always fight for him.
Charlie watches something happening in his realizes she is not the only one carrying hurt with her.
He suddenly pulls her close, slowly stroking her arm with patient fingers. She surprises herself when she lets him.
He doesn't pressure her into talking about things she does not want to talk about. He just understands. And just like that, she finds someone who could understand. Her. Everything. Life.
Neither of them talks. They just share a bed and she feels the warmth of his chest against her temple.
'So...' Connor breaks the comfortable silence in her bedroom while his fingers move from her shoulder to her hair.
'So what?' Charlie tilts her head as she looks at him.
He gently kisses her neck.
'Hungry?'
She does not answer and for a moment he is not sure what she will say. He is not sure if she will kick him out before breakfast and before he gets a change to spend more time with her. But then there is small but very real smile that starts in her eyes and slowly moves to her mouth that makes him want to kiss her again. He does.
She gives in but then pushes him away from her as she gets out of her bed with a slow grin on her face. Her hair flows over her shoulders and back. She grabs his shirt from her bedroom floor and puts it on. Connor cannot take his eyes away from her when she walks to her kitchen in his shirt.
'What?' She looks from his shirt that is flowing over her thighs to him, 'You don't like it?'
Connor grabs his jeans and follows her into the kitchen, the first morning light filling the kitchen, landing on her lush golden hair and swollen lips when she looks at him and he looks at her, wearing only his jeans.
'Oh, I like it.' His grin meets her smile.
In about two seconds Connor decides breakfast can wait. He needs her first. And when he presses her against the kitchen counter and her hand moves into his dark curls, he tells her with another kiss how much he likes seeing her in his shirt. He tells her how much he likes her.
The End
Author's Note Dear Monroe Militia, I had a lot of fun writing this story and I hope you enjoyed it. Happy birthday! I wish you happiness, health and love. Thank you to all of you for reading, I hope you all have a great day, Love from Love