The Bad Boy Next Room (Charlie and Taylor)

"And our baked ham is here!" A tall man in his early fifties rushed out from the house, carrying a huge homemade ham.

"And that's my husband, Eric Dawson," Serena introduced. "Eric, Charlie."

Eric rushed to the table and set the ham down. Then, he extended his hand to Charlie, saying, "Finally, we meet the special guest who had Dad on edge."

Everyone laughed.

"What?" Charlie asked, wide-eyed.

"It's true," Samara said. "Douglas couldn't care less about other politicians visiting the farm or agricultural inspectors, but he was definitely on his toes for Charlie's visit."

"Now, now. That's an exaggeration." Douglas came out of the house, responding.

"Oh, really?" Serena responded. "Dad, you asked me to have the maids clean Charlie's room three times."

"And we don't usually have almond tart first thing in the morning," Tanya said while eating a piece of the dessert.

"That's for Charlie!" Douglas scolded, garnering another round of laughter from the entire family.

"See?" Tanya objected.

"Well - um." Charlie eyed the almond tart, rather tarts. There were two big ones! "There is more than enough to share."

Douglas tapped Charlie on the shoulder, saying, "I just wanted to make sure you had a great first experience here. This farm is important to our family; if you are going to be part of it, you have to learn to love it."

"I have only been here overnight, and I already love it," Charlie claimed. "Thank you so much for making my visit so welcoming."

"Oh, Taylor's here. Perfect timing. It's time to eat!" Savannah said, shifting her gaze to the pathway up ahead.

Taylor was driving a passenger cart. His father, Grayson, was seated at the back, carrying a basket of peaches.

"You also grow peaches?" Charlie asked.

"Only a few trees," Savannah answered. "It grows well next to almonds."

"Grandma makes the best peach crumble cake, and we'll have it for dinner later," Tanya said. You will love it, Charlie."

"I look forward to it," Charlie said, smiling brightly.

"Well, come on, everyone, let's gather up," Samara encouraged.

The rest of the family took their seats. Charlie was still standing there, not knowing where to go. Taylor, who had just gotten off the cart, walked towards her, and, by the looks of it, he was about to kiss her. "Good morning, Babe. How was your sleep?"

Charlie's eyes widened. She stepped back, putting both her hands up. When Taylor leaned over, he frowned at her resistance. He asked, "What's wrong?"

"Your entire family is here!" She whispered her objection.noveldrama

"What's wrong with my family seeing me kiss my girlfriend?" Taylor said, very loud, so loud, the birds probably heard!

"Taylor-" With that, Charlie's face reddened. She heard Taylor's family give their own amused reaction, and before she knew it, he suddenly held her waist and dipped her backward, her golden hair spilling over her shoulders.

It was just like one of those scenes from a classic romance movie, the kind where the leading lady was swept off her feet, her body arched as she was pulled into a breathtaking kiss.

Charlie barely had time to react before Taylor's lips met hers, firm yet teasing. He was completely unbothered by the fact that they had an audience!

The sound of someone clearing their throat, followed by a few chuckles and a whistle, snapped Charlie back to reality.

Mortified, she pushed against Taylor's chest, breaking the kiss as she stumbled upright. Taylor only grinned, completely unfazed, as he said, "You looked cute, all flustered like that for me."

She smacked his arm lightly, but he only chuckled, pulling her close again. He turned to everyone and said, "I see you have all met Charlie."

"With an epic kiss like that, we will never forget Charlie," Tanya remarked.

Because the Carrringtons did not make a big deal out of the kiss, Charlie quickly got over her

embarrassment. They all shared a joyous breakfast, reminiscing, talking about the farm and adittle about Charlie's family.

After the wonderful meal, Taylor said to Charlie, "So, Babe, are you ready for some nut harvesting?"

Charlie's eyes lit up. She nodded her head vigorously and said, "Very much!" Taylor got up, offering his hand, saying, "Then, it's a date."