Rita's Point Of View
I gasped, my hand flying up to smack his firm chest with a resonant thud.
"You absolute pervert!" The words burst from me as heat flooded my face. I felt like an over-baked brisket, scorched and utterly mortified. My cheeks burned with an intensity I hadn't experienced in decades… not since I was a young woman caught stealing glances at him across a crowded room. "Is that seriously all you think about the second you step inside my home?"
Charles chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that vibrated through my own ribs as he effortlessly scooped me off my feet. The ease with which he lifted me as though I weighed nothing at all, sent an unexpected thrill down my spine. My breath caught in my throat.
