Her Forbidden Rockstar: A Forbidden Rockers Novel (15 page)

“It’s Gina,” Caroline interrupted.

“What?” Turner paused.

“Logan Clay is dating Gina. Gina Vile,” Caroline said softly, then promptly burst into tears. She covered her face with her hands and tried to stop the tears from continuing. Turner sat up abruptly, concern and surprise covering his face.

“Caroline! Are you okay? I am sorry, what did I say wrong?” He pulled her towards him and hugged her, she softened into his arms with her legs still tucked against her chest.

Her sobbing slowed as she tried to regain control. Turner was just hugging her, silently, since he didn’t know what was going on or what to say.  After a moment, Caroline sat up and wiped her face.

“I am sorry,” she said, standing up and heading to the bathroom to grab a towel.

She wiped her face off and dabbed her puffy eyes with a freshly wet towel. After a minute or so, she walked back into the living room attempting to improve her previously tear-stained look.

Turner didn’t say anything, but stood up and walked over to her, pulling her in for another hug. He had no idea what had just happened, but she appreciated his hug and gently kissed him to show her thanks. He pushed the hair out of her face and kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her waist.

The kiss started gentle, but quickly jumped to deeper and more passionate, as the two lost their surroundings to focus just on each other’s embrace.

Within a few minutes, Turner had pulled her shirt up over her head and the two were stumbling toward the bedroom. Caroline fell back onto the bed and Turner unbuttoned his shirt, dropping it on the floor, as he climbed on top of her. The two quickly and loudly disappeared into the blankets together.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“Dad, please don’t interrogate him. He’s really a nice guy. There is no need for any of that,” Caroline said into the phone, talking with her father.

“What does he do?” John Sanders, Caroline’s father, asked her over the phone.

“He is an accountant at a really great firm here in the city. He can tell you all about it when you meet him.”

“What family is he from? Do they have any houses here in the Hamptons?”

“No, I don’t think so. His family is from New Jersey, but they own a chain of restaurants that are very successful. They are well known throughout New Jersey. But, Dad, that really shouldn’t even matter. Just give him a chance, okay?”

“Of course I will, honey. I just want you to have the best, you never should settle.  New Jersey anything doesn’t sound very promising,” her father grunted into the phone.

“He can’t help where he grew up, Dad. We’ll head up there Saturday morning and stay the weekend, okay? See you in a few days, I need to head to work,” Caroline said goodbye to her father and hung up the phone.

It was Thursday and she was walking to work, about to head in to the Java Jolt for her morning pick up. George waved at her when she entered the shop, grabbed a cup, nodding to her that he was starting her regular drink order. She got in line and pulled out her wallet, counting out a few dollars as she reached the front of the line.

“How is the boyfriend?” George asked her, smiling and handing her a cup of coffee as she handed over her cash.

“Turner is wonderful. We are headed to the Hamptons on Saturday morning for the weekend.” Caroline smiled, excited to spend the weekend away with this man she had been dating for a while now.

“The Hamptons? Does that mean what I think it means?” George said, his eyebrows raised, grinning.

“Yep, he’s meeting the folks. We have been dating for almost five months now, you know? It seems like it’s time. At least my dad is insisting that it’s time.” Caroline laughed, rolling her eyes.

“You sound excited,” George said, sarcastically.

“I am actually! I mean, it’s not going to be a ton of fun and I guess I just want the weekend to be over with, but I do want Turner to be a bigger part of my family. Check back with me on Monday, see if I still feel that way!”

“Good luck, girl. I put an extra shot in your coffee to help you out.” George smiled at her, handing her a larger than normal cup of coffee.

“You are a saint, George!” Caroline called back to him, as she headed out of the coffee shop and continued on to work.

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“Where the heck is it?” Caroline muttered, shuffling around inside the purse on her lap.

Turner glanced over at her from the driver’s seat in the car to see what she was doing.

“Lose something?” he questioned, as he flipped on the turn signal and glided the car into the right lane. A sign up ahead said the exit for The Hamptons was only three quarters of a mile away.

“I can’t find my comb!” Caroline was exasperated as she started yanking things out of her purse and haphazardly strewing things around the car.

“Your comb? What do you need a comb for?” He looked over at her again. “You’re making a mess, what is going on with you?”

“For my hair, Turner. What do you think?”

“Alright! No need to bite my head off, babe. You look great, you don’t need a comb,” Turner said, pulling off the highway onto the exit ramp.

Caroline sighed and gave up, placing her purse on the floor by her feet. She sagged back against the car seat and looked out the window with her arms folded across her chest.

“I haven’t been home in a while. I just don’t want to deal with all the crap I always get from Dad,” Caroline muttered, still irritated.

Turner reached over and squeezed her knee, then grabbed her hand, holding it tightly.

“Babe, there is nothing to worry about. Your dad will be happy, because you are doing great at work, you got that promotion to junior legal assistant, and you’re scheduled to take the bar exam in a few months. On top of all that awesomeness, you are dating an amazing, hottie that all parents adore. What could possibly go wrong?” Turner joked, trying to lighten her mood.

Caroline continued to hold onto her frustration, but smiled at his attempts at humor. She squeezed his hand back and turned to look at him.

“I know, they’re going to love you. You’re like the definition of exactly who they want me to be with.”

Turner grinned at her. “Uh oh, does the rebellious teen in you not like that?”

“I’ll figure out a way to get over it.”

At this point, the car was in a residential area and the GPS was alerting the couple that they were approaching their destination. Caroline scrambled to reassemble her purse and smooth her hair in the overhead mirror, while Turner pulled the car into an entrance and started driving up the very long and winding driveway, through a path of trees.

After a few minutes, the trees thinned out and a large house appeared in front of a circular driveway, with a few higher end cars parked to the side. The landscaping was impeccable, every tree was trimmed, and flowers were delicately arranged in beautiful patterns. The house itself was a white brick with olive green shutters, a bright red door, and a wraparound porch across the first floor.

As the couple climbed out of the car, Turner raised his eyebrows in admiration at the large, standard Hampton house in which Caroline had grown up. She grabbed her bag out of the back seat and closed the door to the car. Turner met her at the front of the car and wrapped his arm around her. He took the bag from her, so that she didn’t have to carry it and then grabbed his own bag as well.

“You grew up in this house?”

“Yeah, I know. It’s a nice house. Not really me though, my parents like to wear their money on their sleeves. I’ve always hated that they do that,” Caroline said, as the two walked up the steps to the porch.

Turner looked at her and opened his mouth to respond, but didn’t get a chance, because the front door swung open. A very tall, white haired, stocky older man stepped out. His eyes were glued on Turner and his face was stern, no hint of welcoming.

“Daddy!” Caroline greeted her father and skipped forward to wrap her arms around him.

She couldn’t help it, she would always be a Daddy’s girl. Finally, a smile broke across the intimidating man’s face, as he responded to Caroline’s hug and squeezed his daughter tight.

He leaned down to kiss her cheek. “My Carrie bear, it’s so good to see you.”

A brunette, slender older woman, dressed in a silk dress with a large, jeweled necklace, and several bracelets adorning both wrists, poked her head out from behind Caroline’s father. Her face was the exact opposite of his, beaming with excitement. She stepped around him to embrace her daughter.

“Caroline, sweetheart, you look so beautiful,” Caroline’s mother told her, hugging her again.

“Carrie, are you going to introduce us to your gentleman friend?” Caroline’s father boomed in his deep voice, while standing and staring at Turner, still no hint of friendliness.

Turner stood to the side of Caroline, clearly nervous, with a pensive smile.

“Of course. Dad, Mom, this is my boyfriend Turner Schwartz. Turner, this is my Dad, John Sanders, and my Mom, Elizabeth Sanders.” Caroline motioned to everyone during the introductions.

Turner smiled and offered his hand to Caroline’s father.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Sanders.” Turner shook his hand and Caroline’s father looked him up and down suspiciously, with only a grunt and a nod. Caroline’s mother rolled her eyes and gave her husband a little push to the side, as she took his place shaking Turner’s hand.

“I’m so glad to finally meet you, Turner! You can call me Elizabeth. Come, come, let’s go inside. It’s chilly out here,” Caroline’s mother told everyone and ushered them inside the house.

“Just leave your bags by the door, kids,” Elizabeth instructed. “Rosie will take it to your rooms.”

“Rooms?” Caroline asked. “Mom, I think I am old enough to share a room with my boyfriend.”

“Not under my roof,” Caroline’s father huffed as he turned and headed into a side room, which she knew to be the study.

A plump, middle aged woman wearing a maid’s uniform entered from the opposite side of the foyer, and picked up their luggage.

“Nice to see you again, Ms. Caroline. It’s been quiet ‘round here without you,” Rosie greeted her.

Caroline smiled and rushed over to hug her.

“Rosie, I missed you! How are you doing?” Caroline asked, hugging her.

“I’m late on finishing dinner is how I’m doing, Ms. Caroline. I need to rush.” Rosie gave her a wink, then headed up the stairs with the luggage.

Caroline turned back to face her mom. Turner wrapped his arm around her waist in an attempt to ground himself, since he was still nervous.

“Let’s go in the sitting room until dinner is ready, Rosie is making your favorite! Roast beef and potatoes,” Elizabeth explained, as the couple followed her down a hallway into a very bright room with several couches.

The décor could have been right out of a magazine, or an upscale catalog. Caroline and Turner settled themselves onto a floral patterned couch, sitting next to one another. Elizabeth picked a seat diagonally across from them and continued to talk.

“So, tell me about yourself, Turner! We are dying to get to know the man who has stolen our Carrie’s heart! She’s never brought a boyfriend home before, you know,” Caroline’s mother gushed as Caroline turned bright red.

“We liked it that way, too,” Caroline’s father chimed in, entering the room, after having gotten himself a glass of scotch.

He took a swig and sat in a large chair near the fireplace, staring at Turner, who cleared his throat to ease his nerves.

“Well, I’m an accountant. I am Jewish, as you can probably tell from the last name, and I’m crazy about your daughter!” Turner grinned, looking affectionately at Caroline. Elizabeth cooed in response to his sweet comment, but John stayed straight faced. Turner cleared his throat again and continued.

“My parents own a chain of four star restaurants throughout Northern New Jersey. I worked at several when I was growing up, but I love math and numbers, so I went to Princeton for college and became an accountant a few-“ Turner was saying, when John interrupted him.

“You’re a Princeton grad?” Caroline’s father sat up straight in his chair, questioning Turner, with one eyebrow raised suspiciously.

“Yes, sir! Class of 2006, summa cum laude.” Turner nodded in pride, eager to have found something that interested Caroline’s father.

“My boy! Come on, let me show you my collection.” John stood up and finished his drink in a quick gulp, then motioned for Turner to follow him out of the room.

“I am a Princeton man myself, class of 1980. Let me ask you a question, is Professor Stein still over there in the…” The men’s voices trailed off as they left the sitting room, excitedly chatting about their alma mater.

Elizabeth stood up and joined Caroline on her couch, grabbing her hands.

“My Carrie, how have you been? Tell me everything, now that the men have abandoned us.” Elizabeth chuckled, squeezing her daughter’s hands.

“Everything is great, Mom. Nothing’s really changed, still working at the firm and doing well there. Turner and I are doing well. Everything is great. Oh, Jackie and Aralia send their love.”

“Oh, those sweet girls. I miss them, tell them to come visit soon! I haven’t seen them in at least a year,” Elizabeth crooned.

“I will.” Caroline nodded. Elizabeth leaned back on the couch and sighed, a serious look coming over her face.

“So, have you heard from Logan or has Turner completely eclipsed that old romance?” Her mother asked her out of the blue.

Caroline startled in surprise at the mention of Logan’s name, just hearing it felt like a knife to her heart. Caroline forgot that she had told her mother about Logan shortly after their separation.

She had been so depressed for weeks after Logan went on tour that she had turned to her mother for a few phone calls of comfort. Her mother had kept her confidence and not mentioned anything to her father, which was great since a rock star was definitely not who her father had ever pictured her with. She didn’t need to hear that lecture, too. Caroline shook her head in response to her mother.