Page 23 of Her Beastly Billionaire Rock Star
He shook his head. “No, you get carsick. You can’t help an inner ear imbalance.”
“I’m claustrophobic too. I panic in crowds. I have no idea—”
He stopped her by touching his fingers to her lips again for a moment. “Stop. We can work through those. I threw up the first time Crush performed. It was right before we signed, and I was so green I could have called Kermit my dad.”
She brushed her lips across his cheek and hugged him again. “I’ll never be able to repay you. Never.”
Wrapping his arms around her, he held her tightly against him. “You already have. Everything’s going to be okay.”
For the first time since she’d returned from college, she actually believed it. Maybe there was a light at the end of the tunnel. If she hung on a little longer and put up with Octavia’s demands, maybe she’d be free and so would her dad. She just needed to keep pressing on.
Chapter 11
With his back leaned against the wall directly across from Charlotte’s room, Malakai debated with himself. She was dangerous. He could see the tiny woman wrecking him in ways he’d never experienced before. Her ability to see the good in people made him respect her, especially knowing Octavia was her stepsister. How had Charlotte been able to retain that kind of compassion?
The night before, she’d flung herself at him and hugged him around the neck. She’d hugged him again right after he’d texted Emilia. By most standards, they were small gestures, but it had revived something in him. The want and need to protect someone. To be more than Malakai Raven the rock star. He’d spent the night in restless turmoil, trying to figure out why, and it had finally dawned on him…companionship.
Until her, he hadn’t realized how thirsty he was for it. More than friendship. More than a good pal. He wanted to connect with someone so deeply that it could weather everything they faced.
All of it was terrifying, especially since he couldn’t seem to reconcile that desire with his past. All the mistakes. Did he even deserve it? The only answer he had was no.
He rubbed his face with his hands and groaned. Just as he pushed off the wall to go back to his room, her door opened, and he froze. The midday sunlight streaming through her windows lit her from behind, resulting in his own personalDate with an Angelmoment.
Her head tilted to the side, and she smiled. “Hey, is everything okay?”
Malakai could count on one hand the times in his life when he’d been rendered speechless, and he was adding this moment to the number. Charlotte, in simple jeans and t-shirt with her hair cascading over her shoulders, was perhaps the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
“Malakai?” she asked as she approached him. “Are you okay?”
Nope. He wasn’t sure he’d been okay since she’d told the lame redwood joke. Shaking his head, he pushed away his warring thoughts. “Yeah, uh, Emilia is working on a case right now, but she said it’ll be closed in the next couple of days. She’ll call when it’s done.”
Charlotte framed the sides of her face with her hands and smiled. “Oh, thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome. But that’s not the only thing. I, uh…I know you get carsick, but I was wondering if we can figure out if it’s the bike or the way it’s driven.”
Her eyes widened. “Uh…I don’t know.”
He took a step toward her, pushing her hair back over her shoulder and running his hand down her arm until his fingers found hers. “You have my solemn promise I will protect you.”
“How did you get the bike back?”
“I had someone deliver it this morning.”
“Oh,” she said and looked down at their hands. “I guess I should.”
Tipping her chin up with his finger, he said, “You can tell me no. It’s okay. I won’t be upset.”
Her eyebrows knitted together, and she chewed her bottom lip. “I’m tired of being a wimp.”
“You’re tougher than you give yourself credit for.” He smiled and dropped his hand. “I’ll go slow, no fast turns, and we won’t leave the property. Just down the driveway and back.”
“Okay.”
“You sure? I don’t want you to feel pressured. I just…” What could he say? That he wanted to feel her arms wrapped around his middle, holding on to him like he was the only person in the world she wanted? Why had he thought this was a good idea? Maybe she’d back out and let him off the hook. Then he could go back to his room and brood a few more hours because that certainly worked.
She squeezed his hand. “I want to try.”
Half of him wanted to cheer, and the other half face-palmed. Man, he was in so much trouble. Now he wasn’t just flirting with danger; he was actively dangling a steak in front of a lion. He could even picture the mangled mess he’d be in when it was all over.
