Page 34 of Her Beastly Billionaire Rock Star
His eyebrows knitted together. “You did more than you know.” He took her chin in his fingers and touched his lips to her forehead. “Way more than you know.” Just as he went to pull her lips to his, the car stopped, and he groaned. “I guess it’s showtime, huh?”
“Yeah, I guess so,” she said.
It hit him just then that he had a few months with her. Perhaps there was a way to show her he could be someone she’d want. Instead of pretending to date, he’d make the most of the time they had together. If he could change this much in the short time she’d been in his life, there was a good chance it didn’t have to end when their time was over.
The idea bloomed in his head and reached into his heart. A shot with her was worth the risk. He just hoped that at the end, she’d want him as much as he wanted her.
Chapter 15
The way Malakai held Charlotte’s gaze gave her goosebumps. When her bedroom door had opened, she’d been gobsmacked. Malakai in a tuxedo was out-of-this-world gorgeous. And never in the world would she have thought he’d make such a drastic change to his appearance.
She liked him the way he was before, but the haircut and thinning out of the piercings made him even more gorgeous. It had less to do with his appearance and more to do with the joy she felt rolling off of him.
The limo door opened, stopping her in mid-thought. A few flashes went off, which gave her a little confidence that maybe she’d be able to work herself up to bigger events.
Malakai’s hand wrapped around her waist, and he set his lips against her ear. “Stay with me. I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.” He leaned back and held her gaze. Tangling his fingers in hers, he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. “Hold on and don’t let go, okay?”
She nodded and squeezed his hand. “Okay.”
He stepped out and turned to her, waiting as she followed behind. Flashes went off again. It seemed like there were more, but she figured it only felt like that because some had been blocked by the limo.
The red carpet stretched before her like an infinite ribbon, but they weren’t being swamped by photographers like at the club because barricades were holding them back. As soon as they were out of the limo, they were pelted with shouts of, “Is this the nurse who’s been observing you? What’s her name? Is it serious?”
By the time they reached the lobby inside the building, Charlotte could barely breathe. She hated that she still felt like that, despite the fact that it had been so long since she’d been lost in the crowd. It had only been once, but she was yanked away from her dad, swallowed by the crowd, and…she quickly shoved the thoughts down. It wouldn’t help Malakai if she passed out.
They stopped as a woman dressed like she’d stepped off a runway approached them and held a microphone out. “Malakai Raven,” she said, “I’m sure I’m not the only one thinking,What on earth happened to your hair?”
He scratched the back of his neck. “Uh, I was tired of it.”
“You’re also sporting fewer piercings.” The woman turned to Charlotte, shoving the microphone in her face. “Are you the inspiration for the changes?”
“Um…”
“Maybe part of it,” Malakai said, bringing the focus back to him. He touched his lips to the back of Charlotte’s hand. “No, she’s definitely had some influence.”
Charlotte didn’t know what to think. Did he mean what he said, or was he just being an actor? Octavia would expect him to be dodgy when asked about his date. It would feed the rumors even more. He had to act the way he was; otherwise, no one would believe they were a couple.
As if Charlotte wasn’t confused enough already. How could she pick between what was real and what was fake? He’d said she wasn’t his type, but he’d also kissed her. What she really wanted to do was find an open field and scream from all these thoughts swirling in her mind in the middle of all this chaos.
The woman with the microphone smiled. “So, does this mean the two of you are an item?”
“I think they’re waiting for us inside.” He winked.
Lowering the microphone, the woman set her free hand on her hip. “Can’t you give me something?”
With a shrug, he began walking again. It was exactly what Octavia said to do, which was good. He was sticking to the plan, which would make Octavia happy. Why did it bother Charlotte so much that he’d followed her stepsister’s instructions? Just because he’d kissed Charlotte didn’t mean anything. At the time, it sure felt like it did, but maybe it was one-sided. He’d said it was practice.
Again, her thoughts were swirling, making her light-headed. Something she didn’t need because her pulse was already making her jittery. This whole fake-relationship thing was messing with her head.
A few more reporters stopped them before they reached the banquet hall. There were rows of tables where items were laid out, several rows of easels with art displayed, and…Charlotte gasped as her gaze landed on a vehicle parked near the stage.
“Are you okay?” Malakai asked.
“That’s a 1969 Datsun Bluebird.” She pulled her hand free and briskly walked to the car, her heart hammering in her chest. This was the car her dad drove. It hadn’t been in this nice of shape, but it looked almost exactly like his.
“Charlotte?” Malakai stopped beside her. “Is everything okay?”
She grabbed his arm with both hands as she kept her attention on the car. “My dad had a car that looked exactly like this one. Right down to the silver color. I asked Octavia where it was when I returned from school, and she said she’d sold it to take care of my dad’s expenses.” Charlotte looked up at him. “He loved this car.”
