"She's just a little nobody Sebastian found in the wilds of Los Altos. One of his projects. You know how much he likes to save the underprivileged."
Charlie didn't have to peek around the edge of her alcove to know that voice. Whitney Collins. Evan's wife sucked up to important people with the nicest, sweetest voice. The rest of the time, she was catty and mean.
"Now she's the toast of San Francisco because she's sleeping with him. Although what he sees in her is beyond me. I swear, she reminds me of an undomesticated animal. You can dress up the ratty cat, but we all know what's still beneath the sequins and pearls, don't we?" The women laughed. "Don't breathe a word of what I've said, of course. Evan will get his shorts all bunched up, even though I've told him in no uncertain terms that he'd better not bring home one of her creations." Her tone suggested Charlie's work was something you'd stuff in a doggie-waste bag.
Charlie slipped off her shoes and curled her feet up on the bench. Really, if she didn't care what Whitney said about her, then she really didn't care if anyone caught her massaging her toes. She recognized some of the other voices joining Whitney's, women who had fawned over Charlie earlier, told her how fabulous her art was, begged her to fit them into her schedule. Of course, Sebastian had been at her side. They were the mean-girl clique from every teenage TV movie, their glittery world filled with sycophants and backbiters.
Charlie wanted honesty and reality, and while there were absolutely some very nice people at these parties, too many in this brightly swirling society were on the opposite end of the spectrum. Which was why Charlie didn't care enough to feel hurt by the gossip. She loved the things she found in junkyards, and she'd never stop no matter what they said. Fortunately, there were enough people like Sebastian and Walter Braedon to drown out their catty negativity. As far as Charlie was concerned, all Whitney's comments did was reveal the mean-spirited woman she truly was, with beauty barely skin deep.
More than once, Charlie had wondered why--and how--Sebastian thrived in this world. But whether she understood it or not, the fact was that he did. She loved him, so of course she would fully support him in anything he wanted or needed to do.
And yet...she realized how important it was to him that she love it just as much, that she fit in and glitter as brightly as the rest of the peacocks. Yes, she'd met people she liked--the Mavericks, Walter Braedon, and many others--but there were far too many like Whitney Collins.
The very last thing in the world Charlie wanted was to hurt Sebastian in any way. But this social whirl was becoming harder and harder to live in.
No, she hadn't forgotten why she was doing this. To pay for her mother's care. And, honestly, to finally receive some validation and recognition for her art. But she'd begun to wonder if she wanted this new path of success and endless commissions as much as Sebastian wanted it for her. There were so many things she missed from her life before he'd walked into it and changed everything.
She missed her students, but she kept shoving all the letters from the college into that same drawer in the bungalow. She loved teaching, loved watching her pupils grow and stretch themselves. There were some that were all about gaining a marketable skill, getting a job, and having a career, which was great, but there were others who visualized masterpieces. She missed helping each one find the path he or she was meant to take.
She missed creating just for the sake of creating--following inspiration without a goal or a commission or even a plan.
And, oh, how she missed the quiet. Especially in the evenings, when she used to either curl up with a book or on the couch in Sebastian's arms.
Now, she was constantly on the hunt for appropriate dresses, heels, and hairstyles. She reached up to massage her face with one hand, realizing that even her jaw hurt from the constant smile pasted on her face.
Was it only a few weeks ago that Sebastian had asked her if things were better? It seemed like forever. Early on in their relationship, she'd known that having him in her life was better than any love story she could have dreamed up. But the rest of what came with loving Sebastian was still up for consideration...
"There's the congressman," Whitney's voice grated its way back into her thoughts. "I need a word with him."
Whitney passed Charlie's alcove a moment later without even noticing her. She thought fleetingly of confronting the woman, but Sebastian would probably hear of it and make a huge deal out of Whitney's insults. After his outburst about how toxic Whitney was, Charlie was sure he'd love taking the woman on. But Charlie didn't want a scene. It was just another thing to handle when all she wanted to do was get out of here, finish the chariot, then fall asleep in Sebastian's arms.
"There you are. I've been looking everywhere."
He leaned close for a steamy kiss, and she simply melted into him. When he finally drew back, she whispered, "You have no idea how much I needed that." She laid her hand on his stomach, all his beautiful muscles flexing beneath her fingertips. This was what she craved. Sebastian's smile, Sebastian's mouth on hers, Sebastian's arms around her. "Any chance we can head back soon?"
"Of course." Relief nearly swamped her. Until he added, "Ty Calhoun and his wife Julie want to meet you first--they have an excellent commission for you. Then I promise we'll go."
She recognized their names--he was a local pro football player and she was a prominent image consultant. Two more new people to meet. She could do it. If... "Another kiss first, please."
Sebastian gave it to her, hot and sweet but way too short. "There's more where that came from on the way home. Over every inch of your body."
"In the limo?" Oh God...just thinking of the things he could do with his hands and mouth made her want to drag him off to the limo, pro football players and their commissions be damned.
"Why do you think I brought the stretch instead of the helicopter? That way I don't have to wait until we're home to put my hands all over you."
She truly did love everything about him--the way he smelled, the way he tasted, the way his mind worked. Which was why she made herself put her feet down and slip the shoes back on. "Okay, let's do it. But only because you've promised me a very sexy reward when we're done."
He raised a wicked eyebrow and whispered to her, sending a delicious shiver through her. "Oh baby, it's going to be the best damned reward you've ever had."
He was her reward. Not just his touches or his kisses, but simply being with him.
She would keep going, for him, because he wanted so many good things for her. And maybe there would come a day when they wouldn't have to hustle, when they wouldn't have to worry about hoarding every dime for her mother, when she could create for herself instead of for everyone else.
They stood and she looped her arm through his. She'd get through this last introduction. Then he was all hers. Until the next party, at least.
There was no doubt in her mind and heart that she loved him.
Loved him so much that somehow, some way, she'd figure out how to endure his glittering celebrity world.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Charlie's scent filled the truck. Sebastian would never get enough of her. "I'm glad you could carve out some time away from your work to help out today."
Glad was the world's biggest understatement as they pulled into a San Jose neighborhood at seven o'clock on Wednesday morning. The community had planned the group home for teens transitioning out of the foster care system to provide a clean, safe, temporary environment while they looked for jobs and permanent housing. Unfortunately, the bond measure to raise the building funds hadn't passed, so Daniel had stepped in. Anyone working at his Bay Area stores was encouraged to lend a hand, and he'd volunteered the Mavericks too. He'd even flown Susan and Bob out from Chicago because they wanted to be involved. Their flight had been delayed, getting in extremely late last night, so they would arrive a little later.
Sebastian had looked forward to working on the community project. But it was all a million times better knowing that he could look up to fi
nd Charlie smiling across the room, that she was just a step away, a touch away.
It meant everything to him that she kept giving him the chance to get things right. Every stumble with her killed him--yet he'd done it again when he'd sounded as if he was questioning her judgment about her mother's new nursing home. What the hell was wrong with him? He knew Charlie needed him to believe in more than just her art. She needed him to trust both her choices and her financial independence. He didn't want to take over. He simply wanted the best for Francine. But wasn't he the one who preached to thousands of people that while it was important to support someone, it was equally important to know when to let them be free and be true to themselves? Which meant he had to stop circumventing her decisions when it came to her mother.
If he didn't want to lose Charlie, he had to let her be free to be herself.
And he wanted Charlie's love more than anything in his entire life. So he'd worked extra hard the past couple of weeks to let her do things her way and hadn't stepped in to fix everything for her the way he so badly wanted to.
"I'm excited about helping out." She squeezed his hand as he parked outside the big white shell of a house. The street was packed with work trucks and panel vans. "Even better," she added with a quirk of her lips, "working here today means we won't have time for another big party tonight." She climbed out, smiling as she closed the truck door.
She may have been teasing him, but he also heard the thread of truth in it. Since the benefit at the Opera House, they'd been to four galas in three evenings. Things with her career were progressing beyond his expectations--so well, in fact, that he'd started to worry Charlie was pushing herself too hard. He'd told her people would wait, but it was as if she feared the projects would dry up if she didn't complete them as quickly as possible.
But Charlie was as independent a spirit as he'd ever come across, and he'd sworn not to get in her way, letting her make her own choices. He would not screw up with her again.
Still, it was getting harder to keep his mouth shut, especially this morning, when he'd noticed the dark shadows beneath her eyes after they'd made love. Fear had hit him like a knife to the rib cage, fear that she was sick, that she was hurting, that she was burning herself out. He couldn't stand the thought of anything or anyone hurting Charlie. It was why he'd been hustling up so much business for her--if she wouldn't take his money, he had to do something to ease her financial concerns. But was he going about things the wrong way?
Could he be the one hurting her?
The thought that he might be toxic to Charlie had hit him harder than the mere slice of a knife. He felt completely gutted by the possibility.
For the past hour, he'd mulled over ways to broach his concerns without freaking her out--hell, he knew he had issues, and odds were his fears were nothing more than shadows popping up in the dark--but for a guy who talked for a living, it was pathetic to realize he had no clue how to phrase his thoughts. Just as his sketches were never quite right, now he couldn't find the perfect words to make sure his behavior didn't destroy the person he'd come to love most in the world.
"Sebastian?" Her hand on his arm, she'd moved closer, her expression clearly concerned. "Are you upset with me for saying I prefer this to the big parties?"
"No." He stroked her cheek. "Of course not." He was upset with himself for not paying attention to that fact. Every party they attended should have been balanced by a junkyard visit where she could discover magical pieces to perfect her sculptures. He would try to do that in the future, but it was so hard for Charlie to give up her workshop time during the day. Except for this day. He made himself smile as he added, "I like getting my hands dirty too."
She stared at him a moment longer, as though she thought something lurked beneath the surface of what he'd actually said. Finally she smiled back. "I understand Daniel knowing his way around a tool belt. But you, with your fancy suits--" He was beyond relieved to see the teasing glint in her eyes again. "Do you actually know how to do all this stuff?"
"When we were growing up, everyone had to pitch in at the Spencer household when something needed fixing. Daniel's not the only one who can build a cabin from scratch."
"That," she said as she pressed closer, lifting her mouth to his, "just might be the sexiest thing you've ever said to me. Say it again."
Her lips were only a breath away. "One day, I'll build you a cabin from the ground up with my own two hands."
"So hot." Her tongue licked out against his lips before she gave him a sizzling kiss right there on the sidewalk.
Her taste thoroughly fried his brain. He almost couldn't remember where he'd put his tool belt.
"It's in the back," she drawled, knowing exactly what she'd done to him.
He smacked one last kiss on her beautiful mouth, then grabbed his tool belt from the bed of the truck and called out to a couple of guys in the garage, who were checking off boxed materials on clipboards, "You know where Daniel is?"
An older man, his shirt sporting the Top-Notch DIY logo, hooked a thumb over his shoulder. "Inside."
With Charlie's hand in his, they climbed the wooden crates that had been set up as temporary porch steps. Voices carried from the kitchen and they followed the noise into a room crowded with Mavericks, the contractors Daniel had brought in, and a group of teenage volunteers.
"Glad you could make it." Daniel high-fived Sebastian, then leaned down to give Charlie a hug. When surprise flickered on her face, Sebastian realized she still hadn't accepted the fact that she was now a Maverick.
Standing next to Daniel, Will had his arm around Harper, her brother Jeremy beside them.
"Hey, Sebastian, Will said I could have a day off to come help." Jeremy's voice was big, enthusiastic, bright, and that described him to a T. He'd been hit by a car when he was seven years old and had suffered extensive brain damage. While he would always have the mind of that seven-year-old, he was the sweetest kid. Okay, he wasn't a kid at eighteen, but he was always so damn happy and optimistic. Just as Sebastian had told Francine's story at his last workshop, he'd told Jeremy and Harper's story too. Bad things happened sometimes, but people were capable of overcoming them.
Sebastian introduced Charlie, and Jeremy was immediately bouncing on his toes with excitement. "The Zantis are awesome, Charlie."
"Thank you." She patted his arm. "What do you think about having something of your very own? Maybe a sculpture to look like your favorite car?"
His eyes went wide. "Wow. A Birdcage Maserati sculpture would be way cool."
Matt had brought his son Noah, and the boy was already down on the floor playing with a plastic toolset, aided by a pretty, twentysomething young woman.
"Who's that?" Will asked. "Your new nanny?"
"Ariana works at my San Jose store," Daniel answered for Matt. "She had to rearrange some hours at her second job so she could be here today. Everyone loves her."
"She's great with Noah," Harper noted. "He's laughing as hard as he does when Jeremy gives him an elephant ride on his back."
Noah's laughter was a balm, especially to Matt, whose only desire was to see his son happy. He'd had a rough go of things with Noah's mother. Sebastian felt his pain. All the Mavericks did.
Speaking of pain, thankfully Evan hadn't brought his wife--God forbid Whitney should break a nail. Evan's sister-in-law Paige had come instead. Sebastian had always liked her. Though she was pretty, she wasn't the bombshell her sister was--at least, not until you saw her smile--and mercifully she didn't have her sister's explosive tendencies either.
"Okay, people," Daniel called. "I'll organize everyone into teams and assign your tasks. You're my leaders, and you'll be responsible for your team members. I'm including a list of kids on each task so they can get some experience. We want them to learn, so be patient and explain what you're doing, okay? Materials are in the garage and on the concrete pad out back. John does electrical and Roger is our plumber, so check in with them if you have questions. In addition to remodeling the ki
tchen, we're painting inside and out, installing double-pane windows and new floors, and redoing all bathroom fixtures, toilets, and showers--three upstairs, two downstairs. With all of us working hard today, we should be ready for the inspectors tomorrow. Here are the assignments." He grinned at everyone. "Let the fun begin."
*
Charlie and Sebastian were given kitchen duty and assigned two fresh-faced seventeen-year-olds, a boy named Ezekial (who asked them to call him EZ) and a girl, Stacey. As Sebastian laid out the base cabinet instructions on the floor, Charlie was again glad she'd come. If it turned out that she couldn't squeeze any college classes into her fall schedule, at least she'd have logged in a little teaching time today.
"We'll need screwdrivers." Sebastian pulled one from his belt. "Here's how we put the pieces together." He was fast and efficient, as if he used to install kitchens for a living, and the kids watched with interest, taking in everything he said and did. "And we're done." The cabinet, which would contain drawers, fit perfectly next to the stove, according to Daniel's floor plan. "Now let's do the corner cabinet that'll go beside it."
Instead of letting them try themselves, Sebastian put that one together too. Charlie didn't want to take over, but since teaching was a big part of the exercise, when Sebastian started to take on a third cabinet solo, she had to butt in.
"We probably need to split up and each take a cabinet, or we'll never get them all done." She tried to make it sound like an idea rather than a comment on his training skills.
For just a moment, frustration flashed in his eyes, then it was gone. He nodded and everyone took a carton to start work.
Charlie was usually a pro at this sort of thing, but honestly, today she was having trouble focusing on the job at hand. Sebastian was so damned sexy in his tool belt. And when she started to have visions of him wearing only the tool belt and nothing else? Her hands actually trembled, she wanted to reach for him so badly.
As if she'd transmitted her thoughts straight to him, their gazes met over the kids' bent heads. The look of love brimming in his eyes wrapped around her, as though he held her heart carefully in his hand. God, she loved him, falling deeper with every day, every moment.