10. Donny
10
Donny
When Carmen asked me to continue our charade with her family, I agreed without hesitation. What I didn’t anticipate was the crash course in Carmen’s Family 101.
As she rattles off another round of information, I find myself more interested in the way her soft, pink lips move than the words coming out of them. My heart races as I imagine how they would feel against mine, the thought making it almost impossible to focus on anything else.
Carmen finally pauses, her eyes on me, waiting for a response. "Did you get that?”
I blink, nodding in response, even though my mind drifted miles away somewhere around her second brother’s career. No way I’m admitting that, though. It would only lead to her repeating every detail, and I’m pretty sure I’d die of boredom before we finish.
There’s nothing wrong with learning some things about her family. After the mishap with the wine when my family was here, I expected it.
What I didn’t expect was to have a full page of information already, and she still has the breath to keep going. I’ve got the basics down—her parents like to travel the world and make it a point to have Christmas trips every year as a family, and her brothers each have their own special careers.
Carmen’s oldest brother, Walker, is a neurologist—apparently one of the best in the country. He’s got the perfect family too: wife Jessa, and three kids—Jaxson, Arabella, and Sadie. But even with all his success, he’s still one of the reasons Carmen struggles as our manager. His judgmental attitude bleeds into everything, and I can already tell I won’t like him.
The one I am excited to meet is the second oldest, Declan, who has a PhD in computer science. He’s the Harry Potter enthusiast, and the designated family nerd. He even has a dedicated room for it. Declan is the one Carmen is closest to, and he tries to remind Carmen that no matter what she does, she’s going to do great.
Clearly, I like him already.
He’s got a girlfriend, who Carmen is fairly certain will be his fiancée once this trip is over, and he has plans to have one or two kids. Judging by the other siblings, I’d say that Declan is the jokester out of them all.
Ryan is the youngest brother, currently living it up as a jet-setting businessman who parties just as hard as he works. Carmen’s parents are always urging him to take life more seriously, but he’s not quite there yet. He has a girlfriend he’s bringing along for the trip, though Carmen doubts it’ll last more than a few weeks—Ryan has a reputation for brief flings that fizzle out as quickly as they begin.
Then we get into the sisters—Layla and Marissa.
Layla is younger than Carmen by a couple of years, and she’s been settled down since high school. She’s married to her high school sweetheart, Calum, and they have one child with another on the way. They plan on having more kids, but in a couple more years.
Marissa is the youngest and recently graduated college with a bachelor’s in education. She doesn’t have any kids, but Carmen knows that it will happen, eventually. I learned that Marissa loves Christmas and enjoys giving gifts during the holiday. She also has a dog, who Carmen swears she’s going to steal one day for herself.
Carmen is an animal lover, check.
Out of everyone she told me about, I still don’t know as much about my own fiancée. It’s nice to have information on everyone else that surrounds her, but I need more.
I clear my throat and slide the notebook away, its pages a chaotic mess of scribbles that look like I was possessed mid-sentence. Carmen blinks at the notebook, then back at me, her brow lifting slightly. “What are you doing?”
“Taking a much-needed break, you’ve provided me with plenty of information that I highly doubt will be important for the trip.”
She rolls her eyes. "That’s what you say now, but what if they ask you something and you don’t know it?" Her voice holds a challenge, but I see the vulnerability underneath.
I smirk, pushing aside the endless details about her family. "I think I can handle it, Sunshine."
Then, more softly, "But what I really want to know is you—the woman behind all of this."
Carmen sighs, a strand of hair falling across her face. I resist the urge to tuck it behind her ear. “You already know me,” she says softly.
“I know the manager,” I counter, leaning in slightly. “I want to know Carmen.”
She regards me carefully, her eyes searching mine. Finally, she nods. “One question each. Complete honesty.”
I can’t help the smirk that spreads across my face. “Challenge accepted, Sunshine.” The nickname rolls off my tongue, feeling more like an endearment with each use.
It’s quiet for a few moments while I think of the best question to ask, then I clear my throat. “What other instruments do you know how to play?”
“Damn, I didn’t expect that to be one,” she mutters, then starts counting on her fingers with fierce concentration on her face.
“Drums, obviously, guitar, piano, violin, and saxophone.” She shrugs like it’s no big deal and adds, “I’m best at drums and guitar, weakest on the saxophone.”
“What made you get into music?”
She lifts a finger and shakes it with a frown. “Uh uh, we agreed that you get to ask one question.”
I lift my hands up in the air. “Hit me with it, then.”
Carmen grabs the drink sitting in front of her, one that she’s barely touched since we sat down a couple hours ago, and takes a sip while silently thinking about what she’s going to ask. I’m eager to know what she’s most curious about—my personal life, or something mundane?
“Are you against relationships?”
“What makes you ask that?”
She glares at me for responding with a question but doesn’t act as though I’m not allowed to do that.
“You’ve never been in one, not even when Mack was still your manager. Everything I’ve read about you has always been squeaky clean up until I came into the picture.”
I let out a sigh and shrug. "It’s not like I’m totally against relationships, but I’ve had some experiences that made me back off from looking for anything serious."
The truth is, I’ve had plenty of flings, but always on my terms. I never let anyone get close enough to hurt me—it’s just easier that way. But lately, I’ve been wondering if I’ve been missing out on something.
“Hmm, would you be willing to share any of those experiences?” she asks softly.
Her words hang in the air between us, and for a moment, I just stare at her. There’s something in the way she’s looking at me, like she’s daring me for more. A challenge I didn’t see coming, one I’m not sure I’m ready for.
My pulse quickens.
Without answering right away, I shift forward in my chair, my hands resting on my knees as I study her. Carmen’s soft gaze doesn’t waver, and that pulls me in even stronger. She's asking me to let her in, something I never do.
But as I look at her, I realize I’m too far away for this conversation, both physically and emotionally. I rise slowly, my eyes never leaving hers.
I take my time, moving deliberately around the table, my steps measured, as if I’m giving her a chance to stop me.
She doesn’t.
Carmen watches me, her chest rising and falling a little faster now, and I can tell her breath has caught. When I reach her, she stands, the movement slow and hesitant, as if she’s waiting for what comes next.
I lean down, close enough that my lips almost graze her ear, the scent of her shampoo washing over me, making my head spin. The warmth of her body, so close to mine, sends a shiver through me, and I can barely keep myself in check.
“I’d tell you anything,” I murmur, my voice low and steady, “but only if you’re willing to share too."
I feel her shiver beneath the words, the tremor running through her like a spark jumping between us. It takes every ounce of willpower not to close the gap. The tension crackles between us, drawing me closer, impossible to resist her.
She sucks in a sharp breath, and whether it’s my words or the heat between us, I can’t tell. I force myself to step back, to give her space—a futile effort because the moment I retreat, she steps forward, closing the distance again. Her eyes lock onto mine with an intensity that knocks the breath out of my lungs.
Her gaze is piercing, searching. My chest tightens as her hand moves toward me, trembling slightly as she presses her palm to my cheek. The softness of her touch catches me off guard, and a breath hitches in my throat.
Her fingers drift down the rough stubble of my jaw, a slow, deliberate exploration that sets every nerve in my body on fire. Each soft graze, each delicate touch, feels like a countdown to something I’ve wanted for longer than I care to admit. She traces the hard lines of my chest, and I can barely breathe. I’m afraid to move, afraid that one small shift will break whatever fragile spell we’ve fallen under.
My breath comes out in shallow, ragged waves, but she doesn’t stop. Her hand skims lower until it rests on my stomach, the muscles clenching under her fingertips as if her touch commands my every response.
“What’s happening here, Sunshine?” I ask, my voice rough with need, eyes darkening with the desire I’m barely holding back.
Carmen doesn’t respond. Instead, she lets her hand drop away. The absence of her touch almost painful, and my entire body aches with the loss. We’re close, too close, inches away from something dangerous. My pulse pounds in my ears, matching the frantic rhythm of my breath. Then she lifts her eyes to mine, and that’s it—I’m done waiting.
Before either of us can second-guess, I close the space between us. My mouth meets hers in a kiss that’s soft yet urgent, like a match striking flame. The instant our lips connect, everything else falls away—the room, the noise, the tension. It’s just her. And me. I feel her hesitation melt into the kiss, and the world tilts as I lose myself in the warmth of her mouth, in the way she responds like she’s been waiting for this moment just as much as I have. It’s raw, unfiltered, like we’ve been starved for this and only now have permission to devour each other.
She taunts me with the way she presses back, silently urging me to take more. And I do. My hands grip her waist, pulling her closer, erasing the space between us. Her body fits against mine like it belongs there, and I can feel every breath she takes.
Fire and softness intertwine in her touch, her scent wrapping around me, making it impossible to think straight. Her hands move over my chest, hesitant but searching, as if she’s testing how much control she’s willing to give up.
I deepen the kiss, and her soft gasp shoots through me, stirring something primal. My hand tangles in her hair, angling her head as I take more. This isn’t just a kiss—it’s an unraveling.
When I pull back for a breath, her fingers tighten on the back of my neck, dragging me back to her. The kiss grows hungrier, more desperate, and I’m lost in it—the feel of her lips, the way her body molds against mine.
My heart pounds hard enough that I know she can feel it. She’s the reason it’s racing.
When we finally pull apart, I’m breathless, my forehead resting against hers. That kiss was more than I expected—intense, raw, and everything I didn’t know I needed. I want her, more than I’ve ever wanted anyone.
Her eyes flutter open, her chest rising and falling with ragged breaths, and the look she gives me is one I’ll never forget. A mix of awe, confusion, and deep, unmistakable desire.
She presses trembling fingers to her lips as if she can’t believe what just happened. I swallow hard, trying to regain some control over the pounding in my chest, but I know—we’re both caught in this moment, tangled up in something we can’t ignore.
The silence between us crackles with unspoken words. There’s so much we need to say, but neither of us can find the right words. Not now. Not after that.
“I…” Carmen starts, her voice barely a whisper, but I gently press a finger to her lips, shaking my head. We both need a minute to process what just happened.
She stares at me, her breathing still uneven, and I can feel the weight of everything we just unleashed hanging between us.
“Later,” I murmur, my voice hoarse. “We’ll talk later.”
For now, I just want to hold on to this feeling. The way her lips felt on mine, the way her body fit against me so perfectly. I know this moment has changed everything between us, but I don’t want to analyze it yet. All I want is more.
Reluctantly, I take a step back, shoving my hands in my pockets to keep from reaching for her again. “I should probably go,” I say, my voice rougher than I intended.
She nods, but doesn’t say anything and she doesn’t move to see me out the front door. Which is good, because I’m more than ready to prove to her that there’s nothing to regret about that kiss. Thankfully, life is working in my favor and we’ll be stuck together for a few days with her family.
That kiss made me feel more in under a minute than I’ve felt for a long while.I’ve kissed plenty of women before, but this was different. With Carmen, I feel a connection I’ve never experienced. If anything, this makes me want to fight harder for her.
One thing I know for certain. I’m not letting Carmen slip away. When I set my sights on something—whether in music or life—I pursue it with unwavering focus.
And right now, all I want is her.