You're Still the One

by Rachel Harris

  Stacy/Sarah rolled her eyes. “Honey, we both know I didn’t come here for your heart.” Grinning wickedly, she reached for his crotch.

  “Whoa.” Batting her hand away, he jerked out of reach, and her seductive smile morphed into a sneer.

  “What the hell’s wrong with you?”

  Charlie almost laughed. What’s wrong with me? Hell, he’d been asking himself the same question for two days. Longer, if he were honest. He scrubbed a hand across his face. “Tell you what. If I figure it out, I’ll let you know.”

  A couple months ago, he would’ve been all over her offer. Shallow, detached, and purely physical hookups had been his drug of choice. Tonight, it held no appeal.

  Now, he craved more than mutual satisfaction. He wanted a connection, a conversation that led to discussing bucket lists and favorite scents. A woman asking him about his truck and how he missed his family.

  Arabella did those things, and because of her, Charlie was seeing everything differently, realizing what he’d been missing, and as a result, his former lifestyle felt empty. Ironic, since it’d been the one thing to momentarily fill the void.

  What happened now? If hookups weren’t enough, relationships too hard, and Arabella off-limits, what in the hell was left? Celibacy? Loneliness? A handful of memories and a friend he couldn’t touch?

  Charlie sighed. More fucking questions. So far, the only answer he had was that this night was over. Taking Stacy/Sarah’s hand, he nodded toward his Chevy.

  “Come on, let me take you home. We’re done here.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Howdy, neighbor.” Arabella knocked on the door and smiled at the small group in Charlie’s living room as she let herself in. “Am I interrupting?”

  Sherry’s smile was instantaneous. “Not at all, chica. Come on in.”

  Ella waved at Tyler as she closed the door, and sent Charlie a subtle nod. She’d seen the Blues arrive a while ago, and figured now would be a good time to stop by—when they had a buffer. Things between her and Charlie hadn’t exactly been comfortable the last few days, and they’d each made excuses to avoid hanging out. Their relationship had gone from friendly, to strained, to downright awkward, and Arabella didn’t like it one bit.

  She hated tension. Loathed it, in fact. Call it the people-pleaser in her, but whenever strife arose, she got to the root of it and pruned it from her life. After losing her mother, she’d decided that enough sadness and pain existed in the world without adding trouble.

  Friendship was what she and Charlie had agreed to after their kiss, and they needed to start acting friendly. Seeing him with another woman had hurt, but not nearly as much as not having him in her life at all. Arabella could live with a broken heart. What she couldn’t survive was never hearing Charlie’s laugh again or seeing his playful grin. Or knowing she’d been the one to put it there.

  “How are you liking Magnolia Springs?” Sherry asked, sliding over to make room on the couch. Tyler sat on her other side, and Charlie was in the recliner. “I stopped by to see my sister yesterday, and Evan asked about you.” She nudged her with an elbow. “He is one cute piece of man-meat.”

  Tyler grunted, and Sherry shot her a wink. “I’m happily married, but I still have functioning eyeballs. Besides,” she said, glancing at her husband, “Ella is single, and I’m thinking Evan has developed himself a crush.”

  Arabella brushed her hair behind her ear, avoiding Charlie’s gaze. “Yeah, he’s called a few times. He wants to take me out tomorrow night.”

  Sherry clapped her hands as another grunt rent the air, this time from Charlie. Arabella shifted her body toward him with a raised eyebrow. Had that been a noise of jealousy? Um, hello, kettle. You’re black. “What, you think I shouldn’t go?”

  He shrugged a shoulder and lifted a beer to his lips. She seriously didn’t understand men. Charlie didn’t want her for himself—he’d made that abundantly clear with his speech and tacky display the other night. Clearly, he’d moved on from whatever flirtation they’d had, so it would be completely hypocritical for him to not want the same for her.

  Hypocritical…and also telling.

  If Charlie didn’t want Arabella to date, then maybe he did have feelings for her. She wasn’t sure what to do with that, considering he’d hooked up with another woman before her lips were even cold, but it would mean that their shocking connection wasn’t only in her head. That he’d felt it, too.

  “Go for it,” Charlie finally replied, setting his Bud Light on the coaster. “Just thought the guy was lame, is all. I mean, who irons his pants for a barbecue?” He glanced at Tyler who laughed. “Am I right?”

  “Ignore them,” Sherry said, shifting to face her on the sofa. “You’re young and beautiful, and Evan is hot. I thought he looked very nice at the party—and you know what they say about those buttoned-up types.”

  Ella’s nose scrunched. “That their dry cleaning bills are atrocious?”

  Sherry cracked up, holding her swollen belly with her palms. “Ha! Good one. But no. They say the buttoned-up ones are real beasts in the sack.”

  Fire flooded her cheeks as her mouth fell open. When Evan offered to take her out, she’d assumed that meant to a movie or to dinner. Dancing perhaps. But not to the bedroom! She wasn’t a prude, but she thought the three-date rule was pretty solid. Heck, why not go for six?

  “You’re young,” Sherry continued, shooing away Arabella’s obvious discomfort. “You should be living it up, dating, and having fun.” She leaned closer. “You know, New Orleans is the birthplace of fun. We can even make a day of it! Go out shopping and get our nails done. What do you say?”

  Arabella hesitated. Charlie’s stony silence was like a force field pushing against her right side. Even Sherry seemed to notice, flicking her gaze toward him with a curious frown before smiling again eagerly.

  What was she waiting for? Evan was a nice guy. He was handsome and attentive and made her laugh on the phone. He hadn’t pestered her about Charlie and his weird, caveman-like behavior. Her heart was still battered and bruised, and Evan didn’t make her weak in the knees, but she didn’t need that. What she needed was to move on.

  “Okay,” she said with a firm nod, and Sherry bounced in her seat. “Let’s do it.”

  …

  When the front door closed and Arabella set off for the other side of the duplex, both Tyler and Sherry pinned Charlie with a look. Tyler, the asshole, even smirked.

  “What?”

  Sherry sighed. “I can get her to cancel the date. Charlie, if you wanted her for yourself, all you had to do was say so. I don’t give a flip about Hottie McWaiter man. I just wanted to see that girl have some fun. It’s pretty obvious, though, that she’d rather have fun with you.”

  His jaw clenched. Damn straight, he wanted her to cancel. He didn’t want that guy within fifty yards of Arabella. But that was jealousy talking, and it did neither of them any good.

  “Don’t get her to cancel,” he said, kicking his foot up onto the coffee table. “Arabella can do whatever the hell she wants.”

  “God, you’re a stubborn ass.” Sherry set her hand on the back of the sofa and pushed to her feet with Tyler’s assistance. Grumbling, she set off for the kitchen. “Don’t mind me. I’ll just be in here, not choking on mulish testosterone. Also, devising devilish plans to make Arabella irresistible. Irresistible, I say!”

  “She already is,” he muttered under his breath and plopped his head against the chair.

  The morning check-in with Stone hadn’t helped Charlie’s frustration. As much as he wanted to tell Arabella the truth about the deal with her dad, he couldn’t. That was the one stipulation Stone had, and Charlie couldn’t afford to screw things up by letting his emotions take control. Not the guilt over his lie of omission, and certainly not his uncontrollable need to hold her. Or kiss her senseless again.

  “Talk to me, man.” Tyler grabbed another beer from the cooler at his feet, twisted the cap, and sent it spiraling across the room
. Charlie watched it fly and grinned, imagining Arabella’s disgusted reaction. “You into this girl or what?”

  Charlie sighed. This was why Tyler was his best friend. He wasn’t busting his balls, even now that he knew Arabella was Stone’s daughter. Charlie had manned up before she’d come over. While he hadn’t admitted that she’d been the one with him in their pool, they seemed to figure that out for themselves.

  Neither Tyler nor Sherry had judged him, or told him to stay away. Clearly, Sherry was pushing for the opposite, but then, she was addicted to romance novels. Tyler had understood, though. Or at least Charlie thought he had.

  “Look, Arabella’s a sweetheart,” he said, rolling his head against the ridge of the chair. “She’s funny, but without trying to be. Which is nuts because her old man is duller than dirt.”

  He shifted to catch Tyler’s nod of agreement before going back to staring at the ceiling. “Did you know it was her idea for the proceeds from merch sales to go to Life & Lyrics? The foundation wouldn’t be anywhere without her. She’s the one who got the volunteers together, made my ideas tangible.” He blew out a breath. “She’s incredible, man.”

  “Not too hard on the eyes, either.”

  Charlie scowled, and Tyler shrugged his shoulder. “Just saying. The woman’s beautiful. Obviously, whatever you two have going on isn’t one-sided. She was sitting here practically begging you to say not to go on that date. Why can’t you just admit that you want her?”

  So he didn’t understand. Why was Charlie the only one who saw the truth?

  “You think Stone’s gonna let me take out his daughter?” He laughed as he shoved his fingers through his hair. The man barely trusted him to keep her safe. “Not a chance. Especially not after that shit with Maddie Clark. Besides, it doesn’t even matter, because she’s leaving town in a few weeks, and we hit the road after that. What’s the point?”

  “I don’t know,” Tyler replied sarcastically, “maybe that this is the first girl I’ve seen get to you since that bitch screwed you over?” Charlie shot his friend a look that said don’t go there, but Tyler ignored it. “Or that, unlike Shaylene, Arabella knows this industry…maybe even better than we do? She was born into it, dude. She knows what it takes, how hard it can be, and she’s still willing to roll the dice. If anybody can make a relationship work in this business, it’s her.”

  “Amen!”

  Both men turned to see Sherry leaning against the doorjamb, her fist held high in the air.

  Charlie smiled, appreciating what they were trying to do. But it was pointless. Especially since once Arabella discovered the truth, she’d hate him.

  “Look, I hear what you’re saying. I do. But I’m not going there with her. You two work because Sherry comes out on the road with us, but Arabella has a job waiting for her at Belle Meade.” He plunked his feet back on the ground and grabbed his beer. “Trust me, friendship is all that’s in the cards for us.”

  Tyler raised his eyebrows as he threw his arm over the sofa. “You’re gonna be okay watching your friend leave with another man tomorrow night?”

  Charlie swallowed thickly. “I’m gonna have to be.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Okay didn’t describe Charlie the following night as he paced his side of the duplex. Twitchy, frustrated, and climbing out of his skin were more like it. Any minute that guy Evan would show up for his date with Arabella, a date Charlie had all but forced her to go on. If an award existed for world’s biggest idiot, that trophy would be his.

  The sound of a closing door hurtled Charlie toward the window. Evan was in another pair of pressed khakis, this time with a button-down. Did the guy even own jeans? Arabella was searching for excitement and adventure. Dressed the way this guy was, the only adventure she had in store involved polo matches and watching the freaking opera.

  “…Incredible.”

  The stupid walls muffled Evan’s voice, but one word rang clear. Charlie swallowed hard, steeling himself for seeing Arabella walk out her front door, dressed to impress if Sherry had anything to do with it. But he shouldn’t have bothered. All the swallowing and steeling in the world couldn’t have prepared him for when she met Evan outside.

  Arabella was in a new dress, one he hadn’t seen before, a teal-green color that seemed to shine in the moonlight. Her arms were bare, a diamond pendant glittered within the deep V of her cleavage, and the flirty skirt of her dress hit just above the knee, revealing long, tan legs. Her slender neck was exposed with her dark hair piled on her head, and Charlie’s mouth watered remembering how silky her nape felt against his lips.

  No, Arabella didn’t look incredible…she looked breathtaking.

  And she was leaving with another man.

  As he watched, Arabella slipped her arm through Evan-the-waiter’s and followed him toward the parked car, away from Charlie. Standing there like a chump, unable to stop her, was the hardest thing he’d ever done. Evan opened her door and helped her in, then jogged around the front to his side, eager to leave. Why wouldn’t he be? He had quite possibly the world’s most perfect woman seated beside him.

  Where was he taking her? Did he know what made her laugh? Did he plan to bring her back to his place for a late-night drink?

  A burning sensation rippled at Charlie’s spine, and his vision ran red.

  Yeah. That wasn’t a healthy train of thought. But the images and questions didn’t stop. For hours they came, long after the couple sped away. This was his fault, Charlie had allowed this to happen, and now, he was paying the price.

  Knowing that Arabella would have fun and go on dates while he was hundreds of miles away on tour was one thing; having it happen on his watch was entirely something else.

  Charlie’s skin crawled at the idea of Evan touching her. Imagining him disappear through Arabella’s door and then hearing the faint sounds of her pleasure seep through the thin walls had him going insane. Fuck that. Earplugs didn’t exist that could drown out the sound and keep Charlie from charging over, tearing the man off her.

  A few hours later, pacing had led to quiet seething. Not at her but at himself. When another car door slammed, Charlie rushed to the window, his erratic breaths steaming up the glass. Arabella’s hair remained a perfect pile on top of her head, which either meant Evan was a piss-poor lover, or they hadn’t stopped at his place. In a pinch, Charlie would accept the first, but he was betting hard on the latter. Thank Christ.

  At her door, Evan leaned in, pressing close to Arabella’s body with a small smile, telegraphing his interest in a good-night kiss. Charlie’s knuckles cracked one by one. Evan ducked his head and she tilted her chin up…and it took everything Charlie had not to fling open the door and toss his khaki ass in the dirt.

  He was a fucked-up masochist watching this shit.

  But at the last second, Arabella turned and Evan’s lips brushed across her cheek, and a roar of possession tore through him. Charlie knew firsthand she was a passionate firecracker. When it came to kissing, Arabella wasn’t shy—not when she was interested.

  The frantic need to claim her surged through him, burning away every reason he’d had to keep his distance. She was his, dammit. He was done fighting. Whatever Arabella was willing to give him for the time they had left, he was happy to take.

  Through white-knuckled patience, Charlie waited as Evan said good-bye and then drove away, looking disappointed. The second the car disappeared down the street, he was out his door and banging on Arabella’s.

  “Did you forget…?”

  Doe eyes widened as she pushed open the door, but Charlie didn’t give her a chance to speak. He just kept right on walking, leading her back inside until his hands were buried in her hair, messing up the perfect strands, and his lips were on hers. Back where they belonged.

  “Oh!” Clinging to his wrists she opened her mouth, matching his intensity kiss for kiss, moan for moan, and nibble for nibble. Charlie kicked the door closed and strode until her back hit the sofa. When it did, he bent and scooped
her up, seating her on top of the frame and wrapping her legs around his waist.

  “What…?” Arabella’s head fell back as he feasted on the skin of her throat. “What are we doing? Did you…did you change your mind?”

  He paused long enough to catch a breath. “No.” He licked his lips, tasting her on them, and squeezed her hip. “We can’t be together the way you want. The way you deserve. You’re young, baby, and you’re headed back to Nashville. I’ll be on tour, and the timing sucks.” She raked her teeth over her bottom lip, and his knees went weak. “But I can’t fight this anymore. I want you too bad. You’re all I think about anymore.”

  Arabella’s chest rose with a breath, and her hungry eyes tracked his. “Tucker, I’m not asking for a ring.”

  The words froze him in place. For a second, he thought she was pulling a Stacy/Sarah. He’d gladly give Arabella anything she wanted, for as long as they had together, but it would kill him to hear her say she only wanted him for his body or his image or his name.

  She was different from the others. She meant more.

  “All I need is you,” she told him, and relief rushed his blood. “I feel alive when I’m in your arms. I’ve never felt this way before. Even if it’s only for a night, I want to come undone under your mouth.” A smile of wonder curved her kiss-swollen lips, and something loosened deep inside him. “You have no idea how much I want you.”

  That was all he needed to hear. “Then take me, sweet girl.”

  Arabella’s eyes glowed warm with excitement and then, she attacked him.

  …

  Gloriously sated. That’s how every muscle in Arabella’s body felt as she stretched beside Charlie, naked as the day she was born. After the Fourth of July, she’d known he was an incredible kisser, but there wasn’t a word in existence to describe what that man could do between the sheets.

  Lying here, his mouth nibbling her neck as they enjoyed the afterglow, Ella felt like she was in some sort of dream, one she never wanted to wake from. Had she known that making love could be like this, she would’ve added it to her top-ten list. But then, she doubted it was always this way. This was the result of their amazing connection.