Charlie didn't return to the garage until the following Monday, since she had Friday classes. When she got there, Jason found her immediately. They had texted a few times over the weekend, but she had put off his efforts to meet up with her. It seemed like he was getting the message that she just wanted to be friends. Charlie was glad he was still willing to show her the ropes at work.

"Hey, Charlie," Jason greeted her. "Ready to start your week with something cool?"

She shrugged. "Sure, why not? What's up?"

Jason led her over to a car that was slightly elevated, with two shop creepers – the rolling carts that the guys laid on to slide underneath cars – laying beside it. "Want to check out the underbelly of one of these babies?"

Charlie shot him a skeptical look, but said, "Lead the way."

Jason explained to her how to get under the car slowly so she didn't bash her head on anything. Giggling, Charlie followed slightly behind him and rolled underneath the car. She looked up, interested in seeing the underside of a car up close. Jason began pointing out the various parts that they were looking at, and what he planned to do to get to work on this one. Charlie asked questions and tried to absorb as much as she could. Though she figured Jason only wanted to get her in the confined space under the car so that they could be pressed up against each other and he could have a chance to flirt, she was still grateful to him for actually bothering to take the time to teach her some things.

"Neville!" Bass' sharp voice interrupted their mini-lesson in car mechanics. "Get out of there."

Jason grumbled slightly and began to push his way out from under the car. Charlie followed quickly behind. Bass was standing over them, his face stormy with irritation.

"Need you on a house call," Bass said. Sarcastically, he added, "If you're all done playing grab ass with Charlie, maybe you could go help load the equipment."

"Sure, boss," Jason said easily, ignoring the jibe. "On it. See ya, Charlie." He headed toward the front of the garage where the work truck was parked.

Charlie turned to Bass, who had already whirled on one heel and stomped off back to his office, which was next to Miles'. Quickly, she followed him, catching up with him right as he went inside. She closed the door behind them and asked, "What was that all about?"

Bass didn't even bother to feign ignorance. Stepping close to her, he gazed down at her and half-smiled. "I'm a very possessive man, Charlie. I don't like sharing, anything. Not friends, not food, and especially not women."

Charlie raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you had any right to be possessive of me, considering we haven't even been one date yet."

"Is that your way of saying you'd like me to ask you out?"

Faltering, Charlie stammered, "I don't… that wasn't…"

Stepping closer to her still, so their bodies were only inches apart, Bass said, "Go out with me Charlie. Tonight. Please."

That, she knew how to respond to. "I can't, I have a study group til ten," Charlie said, truthfully.

Undeterred, Bass replied, "Afterward, then. Where can I pick you up?"

Giving up on the idea of playing hard to get, Charlie told Bass the address of the library where she was meeting her friends to study. Nodding, he ran a hand down her arm and pressed a thumb into her palm. "Looking forward to it," he said, then opened the door to his office, gesturing that they should go back out on the floor.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

That night, Charlie sat on a bench outside the library, playing games on her phone. She'd felt like a bit of an idiot showing up to her study group all dressed up for her date with Bass, but wearing her usual jeans/shirt combo for this night was out of the question. Her friends had given her a good-natured hard time about it, but she knew she looked amazing. She had chosen a slinkier, more sophisticated look than the sundress she'd worn for her date with Jason. Somehow, with Bass being so much older than her, and so intense, it seemed appropriate. She had on a dark gray dress that clung to her hips and thighs and flowed a bit looser on top, just showing a hint of the shape of her breasts. She had her hair down and was wearing black T-strap high heels. Most importantly, she wasn't wearing any underwear.

Charlie couldn't have said exactly what it was that possessed her to go commando for her date with Bass. On one hand, she realized that it seemed a little over-eager, maybe even desperate. But if she was honest with herself, that was how Bass made her feel. Exposed, needy, desperate for him. And if the night ended up going the way she hoped it would, the thought of his reaction when he realized her panties were missing was reason enough to do it.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of a vintage Aston Martin – in the darkness, Charlie couldn't tell if it was midnight blue or black. But it was absolutely gorgeous. She got up and strode over to the passenger side, hopping in.

Bass eyed her up and down appreciatively, leaning back in his seat. "Hey," he greeted her.

"Hey," Charlie replied somewhat breathlessly. She had very much enjoyed seeing Bass Monroe basically undressed in the garage the week before. But Bass Monroe dressed up, she decided, was good, too. He'd kept the scruff, but was pure polish from the neck down, in a white button down and gray slacks. The edge of one of his tattoos was just visible at the neckline of his shirt where the first button was undone. Charlie had a crazy urge to lean over and press her lips to it.

Shifting the car into gear, Bass asked her, "So what do you like to drink, Charlie? Are you a wine girl?"

Charlie grinned, shaking her head. "I can do whatever. But honestly, I prefer whiskey."

Bass shot a glance over to her, looking amused. "Your… uncle would say the same thing. Bet you didn't know you had that in common."

The subject of her uncle and how little she knew about him was kind of a sore one, but Charlie just said, "Must run in the family."

"Alright, then I know the perfect place to take you. But you better have meant it about the whiskey."

Eventually, they pulled up in front of what looked like an antiques store, with a giant metal wagon wheel out front and leather furniture, faded maps, and glass oddities layered inside. Charlie looked at Bass questioningly as they got out, but he just led her to the door, as if it were totally normal to be visiting an antiques store after 10 p.m. on a Monday night. There was no one behind the counter, and in fact the store was completely vacant. Charlie was starting to get a little freaked out and wondered if she'd somehow missed the fact that Bass Monroe was out of his mind.

He led her through a few narrow aisles to the back of the store, where a nondescript metal door was practically concealed behind an overflowing rack of lace tablecloths. Pulling it open, Bass gestured for her to go through.

Charlie was immediately cocooned by the sound of live jazz music and low conversation and surrounded by the pungent smell of liquor. What she'd assumed was a door to a back hallway or office was actually into a small, intimate bar. A speakeasy, she guessed it would be called. Just as they walked in and closed the door behind him, a dark-haired, thin man approached them eagerly.

"Mr. Monroe, it has been far too long!" he exclaimed, shaking Bass' hand. "What a wonderful surprise to see you tonight."

"Gould, this is Charlie," Bass immediately introduced her. "Got any space for us tonight?"

"For you, always, of course," the man said. "Your favorite table is open, please, come this way." He led them through the tiny bar – there were only about two dozen tables total – to a spot near the jazz quartet set up in the middle of the room. The table was in front of a soft red bench, where Bass and Charlie were seated side by side. Bass ordered drinks for them without asking Charlie, and Gould disappeared to retrieve them.

"Hope you don't mind," Bass said. "And I hope you don't need mixers. Or ice. This place doesn't have either, just some of the best damn liquor in the world."

Charlie laughed. "I think I can handle it."

"Good," Bass said, turning toward her, lacing his fingers through hers, sending tingles through her arm. Pulling her toward him slightly, he leaned in and pressed his lips softly to hers, then more fervently as she kissed him back. When they broke apart, Charlie raised her eyebrows at him questioningly. "I spend half my day trying to remember why it's a bad idea to kiss you in the middle of the garage," Bass said by way of explanation. "Damned if I'm going to deprive myself here."

In response, Charlie put a hand on Bass' thigh and stretched up, kissing him again. He groaned softly and traced his hand gently through her hair, cupping the side of her face, feathering a few soft kisses along her jawline and neck. Both of them were breathing somewhat raggedly as Gould reappeared with a tray of drinks. Charlie blushed and looked down, while Bass just draped an arm over her shoulder and sat back. "Thanks," he said, as Gould set down two flights of amber-colored liquid in front of them. The man grinned and winked knowingly, backing away without saying anything.

The liquor, Charlie found, was indeed amazing. They each had four relatively small pours, and Bass explained to her what each one was. It was obvious he knew a lot about whiskey, and Scotch, of which there were also samples. Charlie was impressed, and really enjoying the drinks. After awhile of drinking and listening to the music, Charlie commented, "So, seems like they know you pretty well here."

Bass nodded, "I used to come here a lot with clients."

Charlie frowned, "What, customers of the garage?" The place seemed way too nice to take someone just looking to get their brakes replaced.

Shaking his head, Bass explained, "I was a lawyer. Before I went into business with your uncle. He stayed with the Marines his whole career, but I got out after my four and went to law school. I was at a firm for about fifteen years and left."

"Why'd you leave?" Charlie asked.

Bass sighed, taking a swig of one of his drinks. "I'm surprised," he said. Charlie shrugged, not understanding, and he added, "That you haven't Googled me. Gotten the whole story."

Charlie laughed out loud. "Wow, don't flatter yourself. I have better things to do than stalk you online," thinking to herself that she'd be doing exactly that as soon as she got home.

Bass grinned self-deprecatingly. "Fair enough. Anyway, I quit because of a case that went bad. My firm represented major companies in class action litigation, so really big, lucrative stuff. And we won, or I did. I guess I had a way with juries." He paused, then continued. "The last case I tried… we represented a weapons manufacturer that had a test go wrong. It caused a serious explosion and radiation leak near a small desert town in Nevada. A bunch of people were killed, even more got sick."

"And you lost," Charlie said quietly.

Bass shook his head. "No, I won. Those people and their families all got nothing." He took another drink. "They clearly deserved to get paid, but I convinced the jury they didn't. I did that. It was on me." He was quiet for a few moments, then said, "That was the beginning of the end of me and the law. I didn't like who I'd become, what I'd done. So I got out."

"But you were just doing your job," Charlie protested, seeing that the memory of the case still crushed Bass. "I mean, if you hadn't defended the company, someone else would have."

He nodded. "Yeah. But… I don't know. I don't think anyone but me could have won. It was an impossible case."

Charlie didn't know what to say to that. There was nothing to say, really. Bass clearly still blamed himself for the misfortune of those people. Who was she to argue with him?

"Anyway," Bass said. "When I hit rock bottom, your uncle was there for me. Let me invest in the garage and come on as a partner, gave me something to do besides beat myself up and think dark thoughts. He really saved me."

Charlie snorted, "Yeah, Miles is a real hero."

Bass looked at her quizzically, "You have a problem with Miles?"

Now it was her turn for true confessions, Charlie supposed. "I don't know. I mean, I've been in school in this city for over three years. And this past week is probably the most time we've ever spent together. And he still can't string together more than two minutes at a time to talk to me." She took a swig of liquor and added, "Maybe he has a problem with me."

"He definitely doesn't have a problem with you," Bass said quickly, then seemed to stop himself. "I don't know, maybe you should talk to him about it sometime."

"What, about why he doesn't like me?"

"About why you guys haven't ever spent time together," Bass corrected her. "Maybe it's not what you think."

Charlie shrugged dismissively. "Yeah, maybe." Finishing the last of her drink, she leaned against Bass, enjoying the feel of his body against hers. The quartet wailed away as the song crescendoed, and she closed her eyes briefly, soaking in the sensation of the music, the taste of whiskey on her tongue, and warmth of the man by her side.

Bass stroked his thumb up and down her arm and pressed his lips to her hair. "You fit so perfectly, right here," he said into her ear, squeezing her slightly.

Gould eventually brought them another round of drinks, and they sipped them while enjoying the music, unable to keep their hands off each other.

Suddenly, a brunette woman, probably about Bass' age, appeared in front of their table. "Sebastian," she greeted them. Charlie despised the woman on sight. Probably because of how beautiful she was, combined with the proprietary way she was eyeing Bass.

"Hey, Duncan," Bass said easily. "Nice to see you. This is Charlie." Charlie nodded her greeting to the woman.

"So nice to meet you," Duncan said with a patronizing grin. Looking at Bass, she asked, "Are you sure she's old enough to drink?"

Bass opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, Charlie shot back, "Oh yes, I'm twenty-two. Don't worry, just because I'm much younger than you doesn't mean I'm underage."

Duncan's mouth dropped slightly open in shock, then she laughed, a disbelieving but appreciative belly laugh. "Alright, wow." Again addressing Bass, she said, "I like this one. You two enjoy your night." She reached down to grasp his hand briefly, then sauntered off.

Charlie looked up at Bass with a small frown. "Who was that?"

Bass was grinning down at her toothily, chuckling a bit. "That woman you just told off is the owner of this place, Duncan Page." He bent down and kissed Charlie hard. "And it was really hot seeing you put her in her place."

Charlie rolled her eyes. "I didn't like how she was looking at you," she explained.

"Apparently I'm not the only one who gets possessive," Bass replied, referencing their conversation in the shop earlier. "Are you ready to get going?"

"Yes, please," Charlie said, and they headed out into the cool night.

Once they were in the car, Bass asked her, "Why don't you come over?"

Her heart caught at the thought of seeing Bass' place, at what would happen once they were there, and Charlie agreed. "Okay."

She became somewhat confused as they drove up to the garage. "I thought we were going to your place," she said.

"Oh, yeah. I live above the garage," Bass explained somewhat sheepishly. "Part of the whole purging-the-old-me thing was selling my condo and moving in here. I figured you knew when you caught me here in the middle of the night a few days ago."

Charlie nodded and let Bass lead her through a back hallway to a door she had always assumed was just another office or break room. Instead, it led to another door that looked more like a traditional front door, and up a staircase into an apartment.

As soon as the door to the apartment was closed behind her, Bass backed her up against it and ran his hands over her waist. Charlie threw her arms around his shoulders and pulled him in for an unrestrained kiss. Both of them were moaning in pleasure and touching each other everywhere, finally alone. Bass' hands trailed down Charlie's back and reached down to cup her ass, kneading the firm flesh there. "Fuck," he whispered as he touched her.

Bass slid his hands down and slipped them under the hem of her short dress, pulling it up over her thighs and hips. When he saw that she was completely naked underneath, Charlie heard him make a choking noise in his throat, then he said again, more emphatically, "Fuck."

Taking her by the hand, Bass pulled Charlie into the living room and guided, really pushed, her down into an armchair. Shoving the ottoman out of the way, he kneeled down in front of her, running his hands up her calves and over her knees, up her thighs, parting them. Charlie was too far gone with lust to be self-conscious as he pulled her toward him, giving him access to her bared pussy. Bass glanced up at her face, checking to make sure she was okay. Charlie licked her lips and spread her legs in encouragement.

Bass needed nothing further, bending forward and licking a bold stripe over her slit with the flat of his tongue. Charlie cried out at the sensation on her aroused flesh, unconsciously moving one hand to lightly rest on Bass' head, silently telling him not to stop. Bass worked his tongue over her expertly, driving her insane with pleasure that she didn't even know was possible. No man had ever done this for her before. Yes, some had tried going down, but none like this, never this good. Bass was playing her to perfection, reading her every moan and gasp and twist and giving her almost everything she wanted, but not quite enough.

"Bass, please," she said after a few minutes, when she felt like she would explode but couldn't quite get over the edge. "Fuck… please… it feels so good."

"What is it," Bass asked her thickly, looking half out of his mind with arousal himself. "You need to come? You want me to let you come?"

"Yesssss," Charlie groaned, letting her knees fall completely to the side, exposing herself to Bass. "Make me come, Bass, please." She hadn't realized until that moment that he was purposely holding out on her.

"Tell me again," he commanded, bringing his hand up to brush his fingers against her folds. "Makes me so fucking hard to hear you say it."

"I want you to make me come," she said. "Please, Bass. I need…" she cried out as he slipped one finger, just one, inside her. "Fuck, Bass, please," she said, trying to grind down where he was filling her opening, but too shallow, not enough yet.

Charlie wailed as Bass added another finger, pumping in and out of her drenched pussy more firmly. "You beg so pretty, baby," he growled, curling his fingers inside her, hitting her bundle of nerves. "I love the way that sounds." With that, he lowered his mouth to her again, bathing her clit with his tongue, roughly pounding his fingers in and out of her channel. Charlie felt her orgasm crashing over her, finally, God finally, and screamed in ecstasy. Bass gently pulled away as she came down from her high.

Gasping for breath, Charlie sat up then quickly stood. Stepping around Bass, she walked over to the open bedroom door, peeling her dress up over her head as she went, discarding her bra, too. Now naked except for her high heels, she threw herself onto Bass' bed on her back, waiting for him.

Bass stalked in behind her, a predatory look on his face. He was still fully dressed. Charlie lay on the bed in what she hoped was an inviting manner, wanting Bass inside her like she wanted oxygen. "Do I need to keep begging?" she asked, fully prepared to do it if he said yes.

Bass smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "No, sweetheart, you did that just fine. Why don't you touch yourself while I get out of these clothes?" He raised his hands to the first button on his shirt, and Charlie lifted her hand hesitantly. Bass paused with his fingertips on his button, watching her intently, waiting for her to do as he'd asked. Charlie dipped her fingers into her soaked pussy, letting out a small gasp as she did. She'd gotten off enough times thinking about Bass over the last week; touching herself with him there in the flesh was surprisingly easy. Charlie traced her fingers over her clit in a familiar pattern, never taking her eyes off Bass.

He made quick work of his shirt, flicking the buttons open and shrugging it off. He kicked off his shoes next, then undid his belt. Charlie bit her lip in anticipation as he opened the button, then the zipper. Finally, all at once, he lowered his pants and boxer briefs, pulling them out and over his rock hard cock. Bass stepped out of the rest of his clothes and was naked before her, palming his cock lightly.

Charlie thought she could come just from looking at him. She'd seen him nearly naked in the garage the night she came to see him, but that was nothing compared to how he looked completely nude. The tattoos on his skin made him look almost scary, and the imposing size of his cock did nothing to diminish that. Not to mention the ravenous look he was giving her.

"I want to watch you come one more time before I fuck you," he said. "Can you do that for me?"

It was probably an outrageous request, but it didn't feel that way to Charlie, who had been rubbing herself the entire time she was watching him and was now feeling the telltale quivering in her cunt that let her know she was close to orgasm. Charlie nodded, darting her tongue over her lips, moving her hand faster over her drenched folds. One hand reached up to twist her right nipple as the other kept working on her aroused clit.

Charlie saw Bass grab a condom out of the dresser behind him and smoothly roll it on, then he slowly climbed onto the bed on top of her. She stilled, and he admonished her, "Don't stop." Lowering his head, he took her left nipple into his mouth, licking and suckling, and at the same time batted her hand away from the other one, taking over pinching and rolling the tender flesh between his fingertips. The stimulation to her breasts, combined with the smell of Bass and the feeling of his body so close to hers, worked Charlie up into a frenzy. "I'm coming," she whispered. "Oh God, Bass, I'm coming."

She felt her climax crest over her, and just as her pussy began to clench and pulse, she felt Bass thrust his cock deep inside her in one smooth stroke, sending her over the edge again as she bucked against him. He was huge, but she was so ready for him, all she could feel was the deep satisfaction of desire finally fulfilled. Charlie vocalized incoherently as she wrapped her legs around him, pulling him deeper, writhing against him, willing him to move.

But he stayed still, buried inside her to the hilt, mouth next to her ear as she calmed down slightly. "That," he said, "Was the most beautiful fucking thing I have ever seen." And then he began to move, thrusting in and out of her firmly, his body pressed into hers. Charlie moaned with pleasure as he worked his cock inside her, amazed at how good it felt.

After a while, Bass' thrusts grew more insistent, harder, faster, til his cock was bottoming out inside her on every stroke, filling her completely. Charlie felt his rhythm stutter and grow more erratic as he chased his pleasure, pounding her into the mattress beneath him, all of his muscles tensing and straining. At last, he bellowed deeply, and Charlie felt him shuddering against her, bucking his hips as he came.

Bass stayed inside her for a few seconds, then rolled off to the side, cleaned up quickly, and pulled her into his chest. Charlie could hear his heart pounding, its frantic pace matching that of her own. Slowly, it slowed, as did his breathing. Charlie thought he'd fallen asleep, but then he said, "That was incredible. You are incredible."

Not sure what to say, Charlie lifted her chin to look into his eyes. "Does that mean I can stay the night?" she asked.

Bass pressed his lips into her hair, squeezing her into him. "Yeah," he said in a half-whisper. "Stay with me." Charlie told herself it was just her own wishful thinking that made it sound to her ears like he was talking about more than just one night.