Page 9 of Her Beastly Billionaire Rock Star
“Now who’s making assumptions?” she teased.
He rolled his eyes. “All right. You win that one.” Tipping his head toward the stairs, he asked, “So, dinner?”
She nodded as her stomach grumbled loudly, and her cheeks heated. “Uh, that sounds good. I haven’t eaten today.”
As they walked together, Malakai glanced at her. “Sounds like it. Why didn’t you eat today?”
“Mostly because I was nervous.”
They reached the landing and began descending the stairs.
“Nervous? Because of me?” He stopped and looked at her. “I don’t bite.”
She shook her head. “Not you, just…” What could she say? That she was afraid of not only Octavia but large crowds. They made her feel claustrophobic. When she started college and pledged to her sorority, she’d had a panic attack and passed out at one of their parties.
“Just what?”
“Nothing. I just lost track of time. That’s all.”
Holding her gaze, Malakai nodded. “Okay.”
She had a feeling he wasn’t exactly convinced. To be honest, she wasn’t convinced herself. It had been a long time since she’d had a friend. The first year working for Octavia, she’d managed to maintain a few friendships from college, but after a while, those relationships had fallen apart. They were asking too many questions. The thing that made dealing with Octavia so difficult was that she was a pro at charming people. It was behind closed doors when her claws came out.
They continued down the stairs, and the longer the silence lasted, the more awkward she felt. Finally, Charlotte blurted, “So, you said you grew up on a two-hundred-acre farm?”
“In Kansas.”
“I just find that so…unexpected.”
As they reached the massive living room, he paused. “Just because I have tattoos and some piercings?”
“No, because you don’t meet many people who grew up on a huge farm in Kansas. It’s not an everyday thing, especially when your parents live in Dallas. Besides, just a few moments ago, you basically called me a stick-in-the-mud.”
Laughing, he cleared his throat. “Yeah, okay, you got me. But you’re so…neat.”
“Neat? What on earth does that mean?” The last word came out an octave higher.
“You know: polished, put together, timely. You’re tiny and seemingly perfect.” His gaze roamed from the top of her head to her toes. “Just so…neat.”
Charlotte snorted, and her eyes widened as she jerked her hands to her face, covering her nose.
“Oh, that was good.” Malakai’s eyes sparkled, and his smile widened enough she could see a small dimple. It made her wonder what she’d see if he weren’t so guarded.
She popped him on the arm. “Not funny.”
“Hysterical is more like it.” He pulled out his phone and tapped on an app with a pizza slice on it. “One Italian Guy has the best pizza in the entire city. We’ll get it delivered. What toppings would you like?”
“Delivery?”
“Do I look like I know how to cook pizza?” He grinned. “I’m good, but not that good.”
Charlotte snickered. “I’m just wondering how they’ll get through all those photographers gathered outside the gate.”
A smile stretched on Malakai’s face from ear to ear. “I have ways.” He winked. “Now, toppings.”
She shrugged. “As long as there aren’t any banana peppers or jalapeños, I’m good, but I prefer just plain cheese.”
He eyed her. “Just when I thought I could trust you.”
