Confiscating Charlie Read Free Page A

she said in a low voice, her face creased with unhappiness.
    “ What ’ s wrong? ” he asked.
    What do you think is wrong? You ’ re behaving like an ass. Why would she want to kiss him? He was worse than Sammy. All those mobs of female racing fans had clearly gone to his head.
    Charlie ’ s hands twisted together.
    “ I was joking, not making a suggestion. And handsome celebrities don ’ t go around kissing random strangers. You...you ’ re either feeling sorry for me or you ’ re making fun of me. Neither is a good reason to kiss you, ” she said softly.
    Well, that wasn ’ t exactly a rejection. And she thinks you ’ re handsome.
    “ Aw hell, that ’ s not true. Yes, I ’ m feeling chivalrous ‚ but trust me, guys only act this way when there is a pretty girl involved, ” he said, crossing the threshold of the balcony and then turning to beckon her with a wag of his finger.
    ****
    Charlie stared at Noah, uncertain what to do.
    Kiss him, you idiot!
    She gave herself a little shake. Her head was spinning slightly, and it was all due to Noah ’ s proximity. She had never been alone in her bedroom with a boy before. Not that Noah resembled a boy in any way. He was a man — an uncomfortably handsome one.
    Noah was tall with brown hair and hazel eyes. His body was tall and muscular without being too bulky. And he was famous. He had gone to her school, Dalton Academy, and people there still talked about him constantly even though he had only attended for a few years before graduating early. His picture was in the trophy case next to a huge basketball trophy and his name was on another good-sized soccer plaque. Both the students and faculty followed his racing career.
    Her stepfather Henry had said he was twenty-two now, which was crazy. Noah had finished college and gotten a masters degree in less than three years. After he finished school Fortune 500 companies had vied to recruit him, but then he ’ d given it all up to race cars — much to Henry ’ s irritation.
    Charlie had never told anyone her sister had married his father.
    “ Why are you doing this? ”
    Noah shrugged. “ Because I want to, ” he said with a charming grin as he held out his hand.
    Feeling dizzy, she took a hesitant step forward. He reached over and took her hand to lead her outside. She almost changed her mind when her bare feet made contact with the cool tiles of the balcony, but he drew her to the walled edge to watch the surf and she followed, almost instinctively.
    Noah straightened. “ We are going to do a little role-playing, ” Noah said, looking down at her with warm eyes. “ Pretend we ’ re at one of Dalton ’ s post-game parties on the beach. ”
    He must think she was popular.
    “ Err...I ’ ve never been to one of those, ” she admitted with a brief duck of her head.
    He hesitated before smiling again. “ No worries. It ’ s pretty much like you imagine. People drinking bad beer and making out farther down the beach. ”
    Charlie stiffened.
    Noah ’ s smile grew broader. “ Don ’ t worry. I ’ m not going to maul you. We ’ re going to pretend to take a little stroll away from the imaginary crowd. ” When she didn ’ t take his outstretched hand, he cocked his head at her. “ C ’ mon, what ’ s the harm in a little walk? ”
    Something told her this was a bad idea, but she ignored her misgivings and took his hand.
    Her body heated at his touch, but he didn ’ t seem to notice. Outside, the light was fading, but the balcony wasn ’ t dark. It was lit by the lights inside the house through the glass balcony doors that lined one side. Her room was next to a series of salons and offices that opened onto the terrace on the east side of the house. The master bedroom had a private balcony on the other side of the house.
    Noah held her hand firmly as they made a circuit of the balcony terrace, making polite small talk the whole way. He pretended they had just met, asking about her classes, where she had