Chapter 39 Absence Makes …
absence makes …
ROXANNE
The thumping gets louder and then finally dies down when I turn my attention back to Duke.
“Your brother is picking you up in a spaceship?”
He chuckles. “Helicopter. There’s a pad up the hill behind the house.”
“Wow,” I whisper.
“Yep. We’ll fly to his jet and then off to LA.”
I sigh and take him in. He has a tiny cut above his eye. The bridge of his nose is bruised and raw from the scuffle. His navy suit is rumpled, streaked with dirt and yet somehow, he looks even more devastating like this.
What the hell?
Listen, I’m a strong woman. I’ve been in situations where I had to defend myself.
I’ve been mugged in New York, had my phone stolen in Mexico and got caught up in a daytime brawl in a gas station in Gallup, New Mexico.
But when Duke came to my rescue, an A-bomb went off inside me.
The look on his face when he thought I was hurt …
Somehow, I feel oddly at peace with what happened with Garrett because I know how broken he is.
What has my head and heart spiraling is how Duke has saved me.
Not just tonight (though the image of him tearing through the dark like a human wrecking ball will never leave me) but in ways I can’t even name.
It’s in how he listens, in how he sees me.
In how he tries to stand between me and the hurt without hesitation.
It’s the most dangerous he’s ever been because now… now I can’t lie to myself anymore.
I feel something for him. Something bigger than a summer fling. Bigger than what I came here for, and it terrifies me.
“I have to go,” he says gently, brushing a strand of hair away from my cheek.
“I know,” I whisper.
“C’mon, I guess you better meet my brother.”
He threads his fingers through mine, leading me toward the hallway. As we reach the top of the stairs, I hear voices in the great room, Allie and Leo and someone else.
“Oh.” Duke stops, turning to me. “Jameson’s still at Topper’s, but I know he’d rather be here. Think you could look after him?”
Yes! Yes! I would love to take care of the dog while you’re out of town.
Oh my God, what is happening to me?
“Of course,” I reply, trying to seem casual. I also have to admit I’m starting to fall in love with the dog, too. That loud snoring, drool-producing, toe-licking dog, is everything I’ve ever wanted.
“Great, thanks.” Duke smiles. “He’s really low maintenance, but a warning, he might try to sleep with you while I’m away.”
“I’m completely prepared for that.”
We make our way down the grand staircase, and I walk straight into a movie poster.
There, perched on the edge of the leather sofa, is Charlie Steele.
The Charlie Steele. Wavy, golden-brown hair that looks like it was styled by ocean breezes and divination.
Chiseled jaw, and a smile that would launch a thousand ships in Shakespeare’s time.
He’s dressed down in a charcoal T-shirt and perfectly fitted jeans, but he’s still all movie star. Duke stops at the bottom of the stairs and shoves his hands in his pockets. Allie and Leo are so star-struck they don’t even notice we’re in the room.
“Oh my goodness, I loved you in Shadow Protocol!” Allie says. “Can I have your autograph?”
“Only if I can have yours!” Charlie says
“Mine?” Allie says, putting a hand to her chest.
“Absolutely, didn’t you help produce that Uncharted TV show, Love on the Rocks, about that husband and wife survivalist team?”
“That’s the one,” Leo says.
“Oh my goodness,” Allie says, clapping her hands together. “Yes!”
“John Trainer, the husband, helped coach me for my film, Whiteout Ridge.”
“Get out!” Allie barks.
“The Storm Isn’t the Only Thing Hunting Him,” Leo offers. “I love that tagline.”
“Except that I heard that Cellan Rose was difficult to work with,” Allie suggests.
“Yeah, he’s kind of a dick—”
Duke clears his throat and finally everyone acknowledges us.
Charlie turns and his face lights up. “Hey, hey!” He rushes Duke, who wobbles on his feet when his brother pummels into him. “Man, so good to see you!”
Duke stiffens but makes an attempt to hug back. “What have you done with my brother?”
Charlie pulls away. “Listen, this trip is all about forgiving and forgetting.”
“What did Mom say to you?”
“We’ll get into that on the flight. Actually, it was London who gave me an earful.” Charlie gets quiet for a moment when his cobalt blue eyes land on me. His lips part, and then his eyes bob back and forth between Duke and I. “Whoa, bro, who is this lovely lady?”
Duke rolls his eyes. “Charlie, meet Roxanne Denning. Roxanne … my brother.”
I’m suddenly caught between trying to manage the tension between Duke and Charlie and being absolutely star-struck myself. Though I’ve seen every action movie he was in, my favorite movie of his was Nine of Diamonds, his famous heist film. I even downloaded parts of the soundtrack.
Charlie is famous for many things, his long list of leading ladies he’s fallen for, his car collection, the fact he won a Golden Globe at twenty-eight for Whiteout Ridge and funded an indie film company that launched his ex-girlfriend’s career.
But! Everyone knows the thing that makes him special is that he can cry, I mean, really cry on cue.
The fact that he’s also a Faraday?
The most fascinating thing about him yet. I mean, how is he related to one of the most salt of the Earth men I’ve ever met?
“Roxanne?” Charlie asks.
Oh God, I didn’t realize I’ve been shaking his hand way too long. Duke is also staring at me with furrowed brows.
“Oh, uh, nice to meet you,” I manage to say.
“Wow, Duke, she is stunning. Seriously. Have you ever thought about modeling or acting, Roxanne?”
I hold my stomach and laugh. “Uh, no. I was an oak tree in my elementary school play and that’s as far as I got in my acting career.”
Charlie winks. “It’s never too late.”
“Can we go?” Duke says with a faint growl in his voice.
“Uh, yes, sure,” Charlie says. “Roxanne … a pleasure.”
“Can’t go before you sign something for me,” Allie says.
“Ahh yes, but let’s exchange numbers in case you’re ever in LA I could show you around.”
“I would love that,” Allie says.
“Only if I’m invited,” Leo adds.
“Obvi,” Charlie says with an exaggerated valley-girl voice.
They all crowd in the kitchen as Allie searches for something to sign. Duke reaches for my hand and leads me to the front door. He scratches his temple. “My brother’s … a lot.”
The corner of my mouth quirks up. “I can see that. You sure you’re going to be all right this week?”
“Nope. Charlie absolutely exhausts me, and LA is not my kind of place.”
My stomach lurches. I’ve been so preoccupied with my impure thoughts about Duke that I forgot how difficult he said being in the city was for him. I wrap my arms around him and pull him to me. “You call me if you have a nightmare, I don’t care what time it is. You hear me?”
“I’ll be fine—”
I cup his face in my hands. “You hear me?”
He pauses, his lips parting. “Heard.”
We touch our foreheads, and I give him a quick kiss as Charlie swoops in to whisk Duke away.
Duke grabs his leather duffel and gives a half-hearted salute to Allie and Leo who are waving to them.
I stand on the porch watching the brothers disappear into the night.
I can’t see the machine, but the thrum of the helicopter kicks up wind that spreads down the hill.
I already miss him.
The porch creaks behind me when Leo turns to me. “How you doing, my darling?”
Allie leans over. “You look like a woman who is in love with a man who got into a helicopter with his movie star brother.”
“I—I’m just tired.”
“Too tired to watch Nine of Diamonds and make some popcorn?” Leo asks.
“Not at all,” I say.
They usher me back in, and for a moment, everything feels okay again. We watch the movie like we are at a slumber party and our parents are out of town. Leo finds some beers in Duke’s fridge and then makes the best buttered popcorn ever.
Later, when the lights are out and Allie and Leo have gone to their rooms, the house settles into silence. I curl under the sheets, but sleep won’t come. Jameson’s sprawled across the foot of the bed, snoring softly like it’s his job.
I groan, toss off the blanket, and stare at the ceiling.
My chest aches as I’m trying to piece together exactly when it happened.
How did Duke work his way into my heart that was, up until now, like a kingdom with a reinforced gate and a moat too wide to cross?
If it hurts this much to think about being without him for a week, how am I ever going to make it back to New York?