Brooklyn Rockstar (Kendall Family #1) (15 page)

“Three brothers and two sisters,” she says, releasing a long sigh. “My mom was a good Catholic girl.”

I raise my eyebrows, trying to push the vision from my mind of her in a short skirted uniform like the ones I grew up fantasizing over as a boy in Catholic school. “And you’re not?”

“I wasn’t raised with religion. My mom stopped going to mass after she married my Lutheran Dad. I think it was too much of an issue between them so they decided it was easier not to choose. After my mom died, my dad and my brothers started going back to his old church, but it’s just not my thing.”

Considering my strict upbringing, surrounded by stern nuns and highly religious parents, I can’t help but be a little jealous. As she continues to talk about her family, she absentmindedly plays with her braid, twisting it and twirling the end inside her hand. My eyes have a hard time drawing away from the dark rope of hair.

You should be the one pulling it,
Danny whispers.
Stop being such a wuss and do it already!

I almost growl with the suggestion, wishing I could get his voice out of my head once and for all. If anything goes right this weekend, it will be because I want to prove to myself that I’m nothing like my brother.

W
hen we pull
into a low-lit driveway at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac, I let out a little sigh of relief. Two hours plus the time it took for Dante to stop and retrieve our tacos felt like a lifetime when my mind was on a one way track that lead straight inside Charlie’s tight jeans. Once again, his touch unraveled every part of me that’s been trying to resist him, but a rising panic began to burn in my chest. If my family gets wind of my involvement with Charlie and I’m not even with him anymore because he got what he wanted, James will become completely unhinged. I may as well pack my bags and move back home.

Dante opens my door and I slide out, avoiding eye contact with him as he probably thinks Charlie and I had sex while he was inside the gas station. The salty smell of of the ocean fills my lungs when I take a deep breath. I can even hear seagulls calling out to each other from far away among the gentle lull of waves. A massive one-story structure—easily three times the size of the farmhouse I was raised in—stretches out across the darkness at the end of the driveway.

Charlie’s right behind me to claim my hand once we’re standing on the driveway. Using his other hand, he bumps knuckles with the driver. “Thanks, Dante. I’ll let you know when we need you again.”

Dante’s eyes move between me and Charlie as he slips me a business card. “I’ll be at my buddy’s place just a few miles down the road if you need me.” With a kind smile, he dips his chin in my direction before slipping into the car and driving off into the darkness.

“Even my
bodyguard’s
taken by you,” Charlie grumbles under his breath.

Though I think he meant it jokingly, the possessive tone lying just underneath the surface sends shivers down my spine. Guys I’ve dated in the past were all passive aggressive and would’ve run with the threat of a fight. Something tells me Charlie Walker isn't the type to run away from anything.

Excitement stirs in my belly as I push Dante’s card into my back pocket. I’m finally alone with Charlie. For four whole nights.

Charlie pulls me over to a fairly modest, 2-stall garage and opens the door with a keypad. We enter another door inside the mostly empty garage where I wait for him to flip the lights before stepping all the way into the house.

If at all possible, I think I fall as hard for his vacation home as I had for Charlie. The floor plan is open and stretched as far as the eye can see. White washboard walls and hardwood floors among soft blue and green accents are just what I would expect of a beach house designed by a professional. Nothing’s over the top, just like his brownstone, except for maybe the spectacular view of the ocean as seen through a wall of sliding glass doors.

I drop Charlie’s hand and walk past to closer inspect the large living room arranged around a stone fireplace. The fat arm-chairs and couches are white like the walls and covered in sea green pillows. When I picture snuggling up next to Charlie beside a warm fire, I break out in a wide grin.
“Wow.
This place is
beautiful.”

“My mom has a knack for decorating,” he answers, heading in the other direction and disappearing through a doorway. A moment later I hear rattling of bottles. “Looks like white wine, dark or light beer,” he hollers.

“Light beer,” I call back. It would only take one glass of wine and I’d lose all inhibitions. At least with beer my head will be screwed on straight when I decide I’m ready to sleep with him. And I predict it won’t be long the way he keeps looking at me and my heart won’t stop racing.

Charlie reappears with two dark bottles in one hand and a fuzzy blanket in the other. “I’ll give you the tour later. Let’s go outside and hang out while it’s still halfway warm.”

Taking the bottle of beer he offers, I guzzle some down for courage as I trail behind him to the wall of sliding glass doors. We walk past huge white pillars onto a stone patio protected from neighbors’ view with high walls and thick greenery running along the sides. There’s another fireplace and more inviting white furniture adjacent to a long dining table with at least a dozen chairs. A pool and attached hot tub glow with a blue light in the distance.

Sounds of the ocean are nearly deafening. I can see its waves crashing against the shore beneath the bright moonlight less than a football field's length away from the edge of the property. I inhale deeply, taking the secluded view in with a smile. It’s breathtakingly beautiful, like something right out of a dream.

Charlie sets his beer beside an outdoor grill to open the blanket. “You wanna sit up here or down in the sand?”

When he turns into me, my heart literally skips a beat. Whether it’s the way his icy blue eyes still manage to pierce the darkness, the way his scent mixes with the ocean, or the way he stands so close that my body becomes electrified, I don’t know—and I really don't give a shit. I suddenly can’t hold back anymore. I’m vaguely aware of the sound my beer bottle makes when it crashes to the stone patio at my feet and
extremely
aware the way Charlie’s gaze darkens as he darts in.

He drops the blanket and our hands simultaneously reach for each other’s faces. Our lips crash into each other with the same ferocity of the waves in the distance. The kiss is hot, raw, and achy as we finally give into the feelings we tried to hold back in his SUV. The combined taste of tacos and beer are strong as our tongues dance together, desperate and eager. My head becomes dizzy with the scent and feel of Charlie Walker filling me to the core.

Still attached at the lips, Charlie nudges me backward, easing me down to lay on a cushioned lounger. After I tug at his T-shirt he backs away to whip it off, watching me carefully as I’m
finally
given a delightful view of his toned pecs and stomach.

I never would’ve believed guys with this type of a body exist in real life. I dated a football player right out of high school, but he wasn’t built anything
near
Charlie’s caliber. The words “
la vita è bella
” are penned in swirling cursive across his broad chest and the word “trust” rests over his heart. I forget how to breathe when finding one of his hardened nipples is pierced.

Lord have mercy, he’s a man made to perfection through and through. Strong body, enduring personality, talented voice, and the most beautiful eyes that send shivers rippling down my spine every time they’re aimed my way. Maybe fate had something to do with why I haven’t found a guy before now. The ideal one was just waiting to be discovered.

“
Holy shit
,” I manage to squeak, slowly running the pad of my thumb across the ink on his heart. I draw my eyes back up to look into his beautiful eyes and feel another earth-shattering shiver strike my core. “You’re unreal.”

Our mouths reconnect and his warm body presses to mine. With a delicious hum, he nudges my head back to deepen the kiss. I’m putty in his hands when he reaches up beneath my shirt and pushes my bra aside. His warm fingers find my nipple, rolling and pinching it until my flesh pebbles beneath his touch and a moan rips from my throat. Charlie breaks our kiss and lowers to give his lips a turn with my nipple. I wiggle underneath him, wet and desperate for relief. Suddenly there’s a hand between my legs, fondling my aching flesh over my shorts.

“Don’t stop this time,” I breathe, arching my back with the glorious sensation. “I don’t care if someone walks in on us. I need this.”

Charlie chuckles as he works on lifting my shirt over my arms. He quickly unhooks my bra, making more pleased noises when my breasts are set free. The way he looks at me like I’m something to be consumed adds to the heat between my legs.

“You’re the one that’s un-fucking real,” he tells me in a thick voice. “Do you know how perfect you are?”

Since no one has ever referred to me as perfect before, I write it off as a lust-induced moment. A groan rips from his throat as he again takes a nipple in his mouth while massaging the other. Then he yanks my shorts and underwear down my legs, making carnal noises the second I’m completely naked beneath him. His beautiful eyes are overpowered by his widening pupils as they skim up and down my body.

“
Charlie
,” I heave in a breath that’s both raw and edgy. With the anticipation of his fingers back on me, I flex my hips. “Please.
Touch me.”

A crooked smile crosses his lips. “With pleasure.”

My eyes roll back in my head with the sublime feeling of his fingers slipping inside to stroke my aching flesh at the same time his teeth nip at one of my nipples. I cup his neck in my hand, torn between letting him continue and making his mouth return to mine.

As the burn between my legs builds, nearly in sync with the crashing waves behind us, I’m ready to combust. Finally Charlie brings his lips back up to meet mine. I kiss him back like I’ve been waiting to do it all my life. Quiet noises of pleasure from his talented fingers are lost inside his mouth. My fingers lock around his hulking bicep as I near the highest peak, on the verge of coming completely undone.

“Come for me, baby,” he whispers against my mouth. “I want to see that beautiful face light up like the skies on the Fourth of July.”

All resolve breaks with the magical words, sounding like something he likely wrote for a song. I focus on the intense sensation building in my belly and break apart against his hand, whimpering loudly as my body rakes with delightful spasms. I can’t remember when I last had an orgasm of this caliber—either while being fingered by other guys or using my vibrator. It feels as if I’m truly alive for the first time in ages. The aftershocks of it alone make me wonder if I’ll be able to walk for the rest of the night.

Gentle kisses bring me back down to earth. With each soft stroke of his tongue I slowly become aroused all over again. His massive hard-on pressed against my leg possesses me with another wave of desire. As the kiss heats my body, I eagerly work on the zipper of his jeans.

“I’m ready,” I pant, grinding against him. “I want you.” The wind is let out of my sails a little when I all at once consider he could easily have an STD. Just how many groupies has he taken home? “Please tell me you have a condom,” I add.

All at once I realize Charlie has stopped moving. When I draw back to look at him, he’s scowling. “No,” he says between clenched teeth. “I’m not doing this.”

The rejection stings, erasing the euphoric high shooting down to my feet. Resisting the urge to throw up, I pull away from him. Getting turned down by a rockstar has got to be the lowest of lows. What happened to all this talk about me being perfect? Am I not good enough after all?
I bend to grab my shirt off the ground, all at once humiliated by my nakedness.

“Wait,” he pleads, grabbing my arm. “Evelyn, look at me.”

“I get it,” I mutter, still looking down at the ground. I’ll be damned if I give him the satisfaction of seeing how much he’s hurt me when my face already burns with embarrassment.

His fingers stroke my cheek before his hands settles on the side of my face. “I doubt you do. I’m not sure I understand it myself.” Meeting his gaze again, I watch as his expression softens. “You have no idea how
badly
I want to be with you. I just don’t want you to regret moving too fast.”

“Like you regret sleeping with those two girls in Cabo?” I snap, wanting to take back the bitter bite to my words the moment they’re out of my mouth. Feeling like a total bitch, I meet his somewhat wounded gaze. “Sorry, I—”

Running his hands over his short hair, Charlie shakes his head. “No, I deserved that.”

I slip my T-shirt back on and reach for my underwear, cursing myself. Why did I allow myself to fall for his charm? Sure he’s been sweet to me these past two weeks and patient about taking things further. But the guy is known for his womanizing ways and I fell right into them. I should never have agreed to this weekend. Even though it’s getting late, I’m guessing Sharlo could arrange for a car to come get me. It may take me forever to pay her back, but it’d be totally worth it.

“We both know nothing that happens between us would ever actually mean anything,” I say, unable to look away from his gorgeous face. “Coming here with you was a mistake.”

Icy blue eyes fall back on me. “No, it wasn’t. And I won’t be able to fucking stand it if you really see it that way. This thing with you…it
will
mean something. It’s going to be different. It
has
to be.”

Sitting on the edge of the lounger, I frown. “Sounds like you’re trying to convince yourself of that more than me.”

“That’s not how it was supposed to sound.” He wets his lips then sits up while resting a hand on my thigh. “My life’s fuckin’ complicated. I’m not gonna lie to you. I’ve made some shit-poor choices and done some things I’m not proud of. I don’t want to lose myself with you and make you see me as some asshole who’s only interested in you for sex. Especially now that I know you don’t have much experience. But you make me crazy with every goddamned touch. I can’t even
look
at you without wanting to strip you naked. It’s going to be ten times more difficult now that we’re alone and I know what you’re hiding underneath your clothes.” Once again, he looks away. “We have to be careful how we do this. I don’t want to fucking hurt you.”

Butterflies flutter in my chest. Okay, so he isn’t turning me down because I’m not good enough. Though it seems ridiculous to fight our feelings when we’re both unattached, I can appreciate his reluctance to jump into this so hard and fast. And a big part of me still worries he’s a player, regardless of whatever line he’s feeding me. Picturing him with two girls makes me sick to my stomach. I don’t know how I can trust a guy who has lived that carelessly.

I slip into my underwear, watching him from the corner of my eye. He’s looking away to give me privacy, arms crossed, small smile bending his lips. God, he’s hot no matter what he’s doing. Famous or not, I’ve never felt this drawn to anyone and he’s trying hard to make things right. I owe it to both of us to keep trying.

“You’re right, we should slow things down,” I concede. “Let’s spend the next few days just hanging out. It’d probably be best if we don’t touch each other.”