Not So Charming: A Hate to Lovers Romance (Carlisle Cellars Book 1)

by Fabiola Francisco

  “We came early so daddy could go to work,” Charlie says, never taking her eyes off the screen.

  “Okay.” I stand and head toward the kitchen. It’s almost noon, and by the look of it, the girls came in their pajamas.

  I find my mom first, kissing her cheek. “Hey, Mom.”

  “Hi, honey, what are you doing here?” Her eyes crinkle with a smile.

  “Thought I’d go for a swim.” I hold up my trunks. “That okay?”

  “Of course. This is your house. Maybe the girls would like to swim as well. Heck, I could use some pool time, too. We can barbecue. Do you want to stay for lunch?” Her eyes brighten at the idea of making this a family affair.

  “Sure.” I don’t tell her it’s almost lunchtime, so I’d probably stay anyway.

  “Wonderful.” She claps her hands. “I’ll get the girls ready and let your dad know.”

  Then, my mom eyes me secretively. “How are things with June?” she whispers.

  I close my eyes and shake my head. “They’re good,” I nod.

  I’m not exactly sure how my mom knew, but she asked me about June the other day, and I fessed up like a guilty five-year-old caught with chocolate stains on his hands.

  “Good.” She pats my arm with a smile. Then, she’s calling for the girls, telling them we’re all going in the pool. I shake my head as the two run around dancing uncoordinatedly.

  “You goin’, too, Uncle Miles?” Chloe asks, pulling my hand.

  “Of course.” I bend and pick her up, kissing her cheek.

  “Yayyyyy!” she screams, cupping my face. Her little hands squeeze my cheeks with excitement. The love I have for these two little girls is beyond anything imaginable, and they aren’t even mine.

  Setting her down, I tell them to go get changed while I do the same. My mom helps the girls in their room, and I walk out into the patio. The sun radiates off the pristine pool water, the lounge chairs are set perfectly, and I check the fridge outside in the bar area to make sure there are some cold beers, water bottles, and juices for the girls. Then, I grab towels and get ready for a fun family day in the sun.

  Swimming with two little girls that beg you to lift them up and throw them in the pool is exhausting. I wouldn’t trade it for the world, though. I wish Brett was there to spend the day with them, but I can’t force him. He says he’s doing his best, and I leave it at that. He’s a grown man who can decide how to raise his daughters.

  My phone rings as I step out of the shower after spending the entire afternoon in the pool, and I race to get it since I’m waiting to hear from June about tonight. She said she’d let me know last we spoke through text messages, but I’m going to convince her that the best option is seeing me.

  Catching Madison’s name on the screen, I answer hastily. “Hello? Dimples?”

  “Hey, Smiles,” she sounds tired. “How are you?”

  “Madison, what the hell is going on?” I toss my head back, cutting straight to the chase.

  “Sorry, I lost my phone and finally got one today.”

  “Are you sure that’s all it is? I’ve been worried sick about you. Jesus,” I mumble under my breath, sitting on the edge of my bed, still wrapped in a towel.

  “Yeah, sorry. It’s been…crazy lately.” Her voice wavers. She doesn’t sound like herself.

  “If anything is going on, you can tell me.” I lower my voice, hoping she knows that she can trust me more than anyone. For goodness sake, we shared a womb.

  “I’m fine. Promise. It’s just been a rough month, lots of stress.”

  “It’s good to hear from you.” I’d do anything for my sister. “Why don’t you come home for a few days? Relax and rest before the tour starts. You’re overworked, and we’d all love to see you. Your nieces should see you in person instead of the posters they have in their room.”

  Madison laughs, but it’s missing her usual joy. “Maybe.”

  I know that’s her way to brush off my suggestion. She hardly comes home, always an excuse about tours, rehearsals, events, appearances. I know her life is crazy busy, I couldn’t even imagine living it, but she has to have time to visit us.

  “I’m serious, Dimples, come home for a bit, spend time with your family. We’ll stay in Mom and Dad’s so you won’t have to deal with the town.

  “I’ll think about it, okay?”

  “Fine.” I stand and get dressed.

  “Now, what’s going on?” I hear rustling from the other side of the phone.

  “Honestly, I was worried about you when you wouldn’t answer. I can go visit you for a few days,” I suggest.

  “It’s okay, Miles. I’m fine.” It’s not like her to brush me off so quickly.

  I sigh and toss a t-shirt on, nodding even though she can’t see me. I won’t push, or she’ll shut me out.

  “Okay. Anyway, I’ve been seeing someone.” I don’t feel like now’s the time to tell her, but I need to make sure she’s okay, and Madison has always interjected herself in my love life—who she approves of, who she doesn’t, who only wants our money or to be affiliated with our last name.

  “Really?” The surprise is evident in her question.

  “Yeah… It’s new.” I move forward carefully. I have no idea how Madison will react.

  “Is it someone I know? From town?”

  “Yup.”

  “Stop being so vague, Miles! Oh my God, don’t tell me you finally gave in to Kayla.” The horror in her voice almost makes me laugh.

  “God, no,” I shake my head.

  “Phew. If not, I was going to have to fly over there and knock some sense into you.”

  “In that case, yes, it’s Kayla.”

  “Nice try, bro,” she laughs, and my worry starts to ease.

  “Worth a shot. It’s actually June. You remember her, right?”

  “June? June Sullivan?” If she were in front of me, her green eyes would be popping out of her head right now. The shock in her voice gives her away.

  “She moved back recently. We’ve gone out a couple of times after she made me work for it.” I sit back on my bed. “I can’t explain it, Dimples. It’s weird.”

  Madison is quiet for a moment, and I check the screen to make sure I didn’t lose her. “You really like her,” she finally says. “Isn’t it complicated with Ms. Sullivan working for Mom and Dad?”

  I blow out a breath. “Well, remember how I was interviewing people?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I found someone perfect for the job, and it was June.”

  “Oh boy…” she laughs again.

  “So she works for you, is dating you, and… This is interesting. Did you hire her because you like her?”

  “No! God, Dad accused me of the same thing. Of course, I didn’t. She’s qualified and has done a great job so far. I don’t always think with my dick.” I scrub a hand down my face.

  “It’s a valid question.”

  “It is,” I agree because I’d ask the same thing if the tables were turned. “Anyway, I really like her. I don’t know how to explain it.”

  “Well, things of the heart aren’t possible to explain with words.”

  “I guess. It’s new for me, this feeling. When I see her, I want to hold her. When she’s not around, I want to see her. I love talking to her. She was hesitant at first.” I tell my sister about June’s doubts, her beliefs when it comes to our differences, and how she’s still in pain about the crap she lived through growing up.

  “Well, it makes sense that she’d still hold on to that. It’s painful to experience that type of bullying. You don’t overcome it so easily. I hadn’t realized how bad it was, though. I always heard kids talking but never paid much attention since I knew none of that was true about June.”

  “That’s the same with me. I guess she took our silence as agreement with the rest of the kids. Anyway, she finally agreed to a date, and I think she realizes I’m different than she thought.”

  “I’m glad, Smiles.”

  “Thanks.” I p
ause for a beat, and we’re both quiet. Then, I ask, “Are you happy, Dimples?”

  She hesitates for a moment before saying, “Yeah, I am.”

  The enthusiasm she used to carry is gone, and I don’t believe she’s truly happy anymore. I don’t push it further. Madison will shut down if I do, and then I won’t be able to help her at all.

  “I think you should come for a visit,” I repeat. “We all need to come home once in a while.”

  “I know. I’ll look at my schedule. Maybe a couple of days will be nice.”

  “For sure. And call me. Don’t go silent again. You know my number by memory and have ways to contact me. I was scared something happened to you.”

  “I’m okay, Miles. You don’t have to worry about me.”

  “But I will because I’m your older brother, and I love you.”

  “Older by two minutes,” she scoffs. She always hates when I bring that up.

  Smiling, I tell her, “We’ll talk tomorrow, okay? Call Mom and Dad, too. I kept their worry at bay, but they’ll be going crazy soon.”

  “I will,” she promises.

  “Thanks. Bye, love you, sis.”

  “Love you, too, twin brother.” Laughing, I end the call and check my messages.

  I feel better after talking to Madison, but I’m still not convinced she’s one-hundred-percent okay.

  Finding my messages app, I open June’s message when I see it, hoping she’s agreeing to see me tonight.

  June: Hey, just got off work. I’m exhausted. How about tomorrow?

  Miles: I’ll pick you up and we’ll hang out here. I’ll order pizza. I just want to see you.

  Miles: And you don’t work tomorrow, so you can sleep in while I slave away at the desk.

  I see the bubble pop up and disappear a few times. I hold my breath and cross my fingers as she writes back.

  June: LOL you exaggerate. Fine, but if I fall asleep, don’t blame me

  Miles: If you fall asleep I’ll hold you tight

  I can’t help that response and smile at the words. It’s true. If she wants to sleep, I’ll keep my arms around her, inhaling her sweet perfume and listening to the sounds she makes. I’m in deep with June.

  June: Sweet

  Miles: I’ll pick you up so you don’t have to drive. Then we’ll grab a pizza

  June: And you’ll bring me back home? Or is this a plot to keep me there?

  Miles: I mean, if you’re sending me hidden messages to stay at my place, duly noted

  June: Lol I’m rolling my eyes at you

  Miles: I wouldn’t expect anything less. Get ready, I’ll be over in ten

  June: I need to shower. Give me twenty

  Miles: Fifteen. Hurry. I miss you

  June doesn’t reply, and that’s okay. She should know that I miss her and think about her. I’m not hiding my feelings from her. She should be aware that I’m in this, not playing games like she first thought I was. I’m going to show her what I think of her, and kiss her so that she feels it down to her soul. Then, I’m going to hold her, my hands learning her body again and again until she fully trusts me to let me in.

  Chapter 20

  June

  Miles's fingers brush my arm slowly in featherlight touches. My legs are curled under me as my head rests on his shoulder, the box of half-eaten pizza sits on his coffee table, giving his house a sense of being lived-in instead of the impeccable home I first walked into. My eyes droop as we watch a show he likes that I had never heard of.

  I don’t know when we became this…couple? When we started to sit on couches, snuggling, watching TV after a long day at work as if we’ve been doing this for years. It’s ridiculous. Soon this will probably be a treasured memory for me while Miles finds someone who meets his requirements for a lifetime together. That’s when I’ll leave Willow Creek again.

  His lips kiss the top of my head, and I can’t help but scoot closer to him, soaking this up. We’re acting like two people who have been together for a long time, care deeply for one another. I don’t wish harm on Miles, not one tiny bit, but we’ve only just started to truly get to know each other. How could it feel this right?

  I have no idea what’s going on in the show when Miles presses pause and looks at his ringing phone. “Answer it,” I murmur.

  “Yeah, I need to. Sorry.” I sit up, giving him space to reach for his phone on the coffee table.

  “Hey, Mom…” Miles stands after a few beats and begins pacing.

  “Yeah, I spoke to her… Uh, huh… She had lost her phone.” I try not to intrude in his conversation, but he’s going on and on in front of me. I grab my phone to distract myself.

  “She said she was fine. Yeah… I don’t know… She said we’d talk tomorrow, so I’ll let you know.” Miles looks at me with worry in his eyes and mouths, Sorry.

  I wave him off, not bothered that he took this call. Whatever it is has him preoccupied.

  “Okay, love you, Mom.” I can’t help but smile at the sweet sentiment.

  “Sorry,” Miles sits back down, putting his arm around me.

  I look at him with furrowed brows. “Is everything okay?” I take him in and notice his mouth is set in a straight line.

  “Yeah, don’t worry.” He pulls me to him, but I fight him. He looks at me with raised eyebrows.

  “What’s going on?” I pull his arm off my shoulder and hold his hand. Miles sighs but remains silent, so I brush my thumb over the top of his hand, patiently waiting for him to speak.

  “You don’t have to tell me. I’m intruding, sorry. You look worried, and you can talk to me if you ever need to.” I leave it at that, turning to face the TV again. Despite what tonight feels like, Miles and I aren’t life-long lovers. He doesn’t owe me anything.

  “Junebug…”

  I shake my head. “It’s okay. I didn’t mean to get involved in family matters.”

  “Look at me.” He holds my chin and turns my head. Before I can argue, he brushes his lips to mine. “Thank you for caring. I don’t want to ruin tonight with worry.”

  “But if you need to talk, if it’ll help, I won’t get mad or think you’re ruining anything.”

  “I know.” He nods, his eyes bore into mine. “I’m worried about Madison.”

  I sit taller, turning toward him again. “Why? Is she okay?”

  “I don’t know,” he shakes his head. “She says she’s fine, but she wouldn’t answer her phone for a few days, then told me she’d lost it. It wasn’t until I called her best friend and spoke to her that Madison called me with that excuse, but something in her voice was different.”

  “What do you think it is?” I have no idea what life as a celebrity must be like, but it can’t be easy. Surrendering your privacy, working around the clock, always careful about what you say or do so it won’t be misinterpreted.

  “I don’t know. I told her to come visit for a few days, disconnect. Maybe if we see her in person, we could figure out what’s going on.”

  “I’m sure it’s nothing. Maybe she’s stressed?” I squeeze his hand.

  “I hope so.” He closes his eyes, and I pull him to me, holding him tightly as my hands roam up and down his back in comfort.

  Miles lifts his head and smirks before his lips meet mine, gentle and slow. My arms slide up his body until they hook behind his neck. We get lost in the kiss, worries and fears melting away.

  He pushes me back on the couch, settling between my legs, holding his weight off me. We never break the kiss, never change the speed. It’s lazy with languid strokes of our tongues, and we take our time as if we had all of it in the world. His tongue tangles with mine, causing chills to cover my skin. My body heats and clenches, but I let him guide.

  I sneak my hands under his t-shirt and scrape my nails up and down his back, causing him to shiver.

  “Babe…” he murmurs into the kiss.

  Miles's hand skims down the side of my body, brushing against the side of my breast and down my ribs until he stops at my hip, squeezing
tightly.

  His mouth moves to my jaw and neck. “We should stop.” I tremble when I feel his words vibrating against my skin.

  We lie like that in silence for some time, his heartbeat pounding against mine, my arms holding him, and his playing with my hair. I close my eyes, allowing my other senses to memorize all that is Miles Carlisle—his manly, woodsy scent, his tight skin against my palms and his prickly scruff against my cheeks, the melodic sound of his breathing, and the taste of his kisses. If I suddenly lost my ability to see, I’d still know how to distinguish Miles from a stranger through all of these little things that make him up beyond what my eyes see.

  “I never want to let you go,” Miles mumbles against the crook of my neck.

  A smile takes over my face.

  “I’m still struggling to put into words what this is. We’ve only been together for a couple weeks, but I can see this evolving.” He keeps talking, and I simply run my hand down his back. “We fit,” he adds. “Even if you think we don’t.”

  My heart races and my words are trapped somewhere in my throat. Miles leans up on his elbow, and his other hand brushes away my wild hair. One side of his lips lifts in a smirk. Before I can gather my wits to respond, he kisses me. Emotions pour from him, and I greedily swallow them, wanting to believe this could evolve into something more.

  Miles is less gentle this time, his lips moving along mine and his tongue thrusting in search of mine, tangling together as if proving how much we fit, how perfectly we work together. When his lower body presses into mine, I moan and wrap my legs around him. He growls at my hold on him, kissing a trail down my jaw to my neck, sucking my earlobe, and grazing his teeth along my sensitive skin.

  I whimper, my breath increasing and my legs squeezing tighter around him. I need more of this, more of his kisses and his touch. My head turns to find his lips, kissing him fervently. My entire body is hot from the moment, fire streaming through my veins. Miles's kisses are the match that lights me, and I’m a firework about to explode in the sky. I don’t think I’ll come down from this, from him.