Release the Stars (7 page)

“Not about you specifically. He tells me things in general. You know how he likes to instruct people on gay culture and all that.”

“I don’t need instructing anymore.” Charlie was about to finish her second glass of champagne and detected a pang of hunger in her stomach. “But I guess you might.” The champagne made her a little bolder than she would have been sober.

“Touché.” Ava tilted her glass toward Charlie’s.

Charlie obliged and clinked the rims of their glasses together. “How about that pizza?” she asked. She needed some food if she was going to play this remotely cool at all.

Ava nodded.

There were plenty of videos on YouTube of Ava cooking. Charlie had probably seen them all. “I’ve seen you dice onions with humanly impossible speed on TV, and I’m already properly impressed.” Charlie couldn’t shake the impression that Nick might have said something to Ava after he’d sent her Charlie’s number.

“Then let me see what I can find.” Ava rose.

“Anything you serve will be a feast for me.” Charlie straightened her posture. “Can I help?”

“You can finish that bottle of Cristal and bring the wine out.” Ava’s dress was low cut and dipped seductively between her breasts.

“I’m on it,” Charlie said, although she wouldn’t touch anymore of that champagne.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Ava had heated up a scrumptious pasta sauce from her well-stocked freezer, and they sat eating spaghetti side-by-side as the sun set in front of them. On Knives Out, Ava was well known—and much liked—for how expressively she enjoyed food, throwing in a very vocal ‘mmm’ and ‘aaaah’ as she tasted the dishes the contestants prepared.

Ava seemed to be thoroughly enjoying her own food now as well, judging from the sounds coming from her side of the table.

The wine, although much posher than the dish they were eating, complemented the food beautifully, and Charlie’s champagne buzz receded. By the time the sun was a mere orange glow on the horizon, she had regained a firm grip on her behavior.

“Has Nick told you anything about me?” Charlie asked, figuring it was a fair question.

“He told me you were single,” Ava said. “And that you went through a bit of a nasty breakup prior to moving to Los Angeles.”

“All true.” Charlie decided to follow Nick’s advice from the week before and avoid the subject of her ex. She swallowed and said, “But that’s all water under the bridge now.”

“But you are still single?” Ava asked.

“Very.” Charlie took on a more relaxed pose, holding the belly of her wine glass between her fingers. “You?”

“Yep.”

“I’ve joined a lesbian softball team, though.” Charlie wanted to kick herself for saying that. Way to play it cool. It didn’t even make any sense in the context of the conversation.

“Is that a euphemism for something?” Ava asked. “If it is, I didn’t get the reference.” She didn’t chuckle as such, but Charlie could easily make out the amusement in her voice.

“There’s a girl on the team…” Charlie continued, because she needed to give some sort of explanation for what she’d just blurted out. When she took a second to actually
think
about what she’d said, however, it was the last thing she wanted to talk about.

“Do spill.” Ava pushed her chair back a bit and turned so she had a good view of Charlie’s face.

Since she was already in the conversation, it was as good a way as any to learn more about Ava’s intentions. “We haven’t really talked that much. I only just joined the team.” Charlie didn’t have anything meaningful to add without making something up. She certainly didn’t want to tell Ava about the Terrible Three and their bet. “It’s nothing really. My mind’s been too preoccupied with other matters, I guess.”

“The show?” Ava sat there all innocent, her face aglow in the light of a candle, her eyes dark and shiny.

“I guess that’s almost out of my hands now.” As passionate as Charlie was about her work, and in particular the TV show she had relocated to Hollywood for, she didn’t want to talk about it. She decided it was time to ask the only question she really wanted answered. “We’ve been dancing around this all night.” She found Ava’s eyes. “Why did you invite me here tonight? Just me, on what feels a whole lot like a date.”

“Ah.” Ava gave a slow nod as she sucked in her cheek. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Nerves flared in Charlie’s gut, and she poured them some more wine to help her regain focus.

“I enjoy spending time with you. It’s really as simple as that,” Ava brought her newly refilled glass to her lips.

As simple as that? “So… you want to befriend me?”

“Yes.” Ava nodded again. “For starters.” She looked at Charlie over the rim of her glass.

“But… I… I guess, I don’t understand.” Charlie took a few big gulps to calm herself down.

“I like you, Charlie Cross. Is that really so hard to comprehend?”

“Well, no, but, you see…” Charlie took a deep breath. She was sick of all this stammering. “I like you, too, but probably in a very different way than you, erm, like me.”

“I agree that the word ‘like’ can have various definitions in this context, but I’m also fairly certain that the way I like you isn’t that dissimilar to how you like me.”

Charlie broke out into the biggest smile.

“Come on.” Ava put her glass on the table. “Take off your shoes.”

“For real?” There was direct, and then there was extremely forward. Not that Ava had asked her to get naked, but they had to start somewhere.

“Let’s go onto the beach.” Ava rose and took off her shoes.

“Oh. Sure.” Charlie fumbled with her laces longer than she normally would, and by the time she got up, Ava had already walked down the wooden path leading to the ocean. She waited for Charlie where the path gave way to sand.

“No point in living here if all you’re going to do is watch the waves.” She held out her hand and Charlie took it. It was by far the most romantic moment of her life.

Hand-in-hand, they walked to the shore line. Darkness had almost completely settled, but there was a half-moon ahead and a smattering of stars. She could never see stars like that in WeHo.

The sand was cool between her toes, Ava’s hand was hot in hers, and Charlie employed all her mental strength to keep her warped mind from ruining this moment. She was on a stretch of deserted beach with Ava Castaneda, the water lapping at their feet, the moon casting an idyllic glow around them.

“What do you think, Charlie?”

“About what?”

They stopped walking, and the wind blew through Ava’s hair as she faced Charlie and reached for her other hand.

“Is this the perfect setting for our first kiss or can we do better?”

“We most certainly can not.” The words came out as an urgent whisper. Charlie was not a short woman, but with her endless model legs, Ava stood much taller than her.

Ava took a step toward her and a hint of her perfume wafted into Charlie’s nose. They brought their hands up, fingers intertwined. All Charlie saw was Ava’s face, her head slanting toward her, her full lips curved into a hint of smile.

When their lips met, Charlie felt as though she were floating above the sand. As though all her dreams were coming true in the instant their mouths found each other. The kiss was close-lipped for the first few seconds, until their mouths opened in unison, and Ava’s tongue slipped inside. Charlie didn’t pay attention to the warning signs flashing in her mind, and gave herself up entirely to the sensation of kissing Ava on a moonlit beach in Malibu.

Ava released her hold on Charlie’s fingers, dropping them to her side for a moment until Charlie put them on Ava’s waist and tugged her closer. With her tongue still invading Ava’s mouth, their lips, ever so slowly, parted for a break, and Ava made the same approving noises as when she ate a delicious dish.

Ava curved her arms around Charlie’s neck and pulled her even tighter against her. Their bodies met in a soft embrace, and their lips followed.

Charlie’s knees gave way a little the second time Ava’s tongue slipped its way inside her mouth. She folded her arms around Ava’s back and pressed the length of her body against her. Charlie’s pulse quickened at the extended body contact—Ava’s breasts pushed into hers, just above her nipples. The sea roared, and soon, Charlie grew as wet as the waves at her feet. But, her mind refused to stay out of it and simply enjoy this moment as pure pleasure—as the realization of a fantasy. What was Ava experiencing? Was her blood throbbing in her veins? Did she want to rip off Charlie’s clothes as much as Charlie wanted to let that dress slide off Ava?

It seemed highly unlikely.

Still, when they broke from their second lip-lock, a huge grin spread on Charlie’s lips. When she glanced at Ava, the same kind of smile reflected back at her.

“Do you want to go inside?” Ava asked.

“Sure,” Charlie said, although she was convinced it would break the spell. Because, perhaps, wrapped in darkness on this beach, surrounded by sand and ocean, they could have been equals for the few minutes their lips met, but once inside Ava’s house, everything would change. Charlie’s mind was already doing the changing.

Ava grabbed her hand again, and this time the contact shot through Charlie a million times stronger than before. Her body wanted to pull Ava to her, to press kiss after kiss onto her mouth, her nose, those cheekbones, and then lower. But Charlie’s mind would never allow that. Ava might have kissed her, but that didn’t make her a lesbian.

Ava dragged her toward the house. They quickly wiped their feet on a coarse door mat, before they tumbled into the kitchen, their bodies meeting again, as well as their lips.

Without a doubt, this date had exceeded all Charlie’s expectations. Ava had given her a loud and clear response to the question she had come here with. She wanted to take Charlie to bed. It couldn’t happen. Not without first acquiring a whole lot more knowledge about Ava’s motivations and past.

Ava traced her lips from Charlie’s mouth to her ear and whispered, “Do you want to stay?”

“God, I do.” Charlie moaned. Every cell in her body was saturated with desire. “But I can’t.”

“Why not?” Ava’s voice was a breathy groan in her ear.

“Because…” Charlie put some distance between them. “I barely know you.” Liz’s words flitted through her mind.
Either Ava is very careful or just plain old straight.
“And you’re not… into women.”

“When I do this,” Ava stepped closer again, bringing her hands to the back of Charlie’s head and letting her fingers roam through her hair, “does it really make you feel like I’m not into women?” Ava slid the tip of her tongue over the shell of Charlie’s ear. Heat crashed through Charlie. But her mind had always been much stronger than any desire.

“We have to stop now,” she said, her voice a bit louder than she wanted.

Ava pulled back with a brusque movement and didn’t say anything for a second, just regarded Charlie with those dark eyes. “I’m sorry. I got a bit carried away there.” She flashed Charlie a seductive smile. “We haven’t even had dessert yet.”

“I think I’d better go.” Charlie squared her shoulders. Her mind was winning more and more ground in the battle with her heart.

“Now? Oh, Charlie.” Ava cocked her head and raised her hand to just above her chest. “Look, I’m sorry. I came on too strong. It’s how I am sometimes. I wanted to kiss you, and I went for it without taking your feelings into consideration. You’re right. We barely know each other. But we can’t change that if you go.” She dropped her hand to her side. Sometime during their embrace, her dress had gotten wrinkled. “Stay.” It sounded more like a plea than anything else. “Let’s talk.”

“I’m sorry, Ava. I can’t. I—” What could Charlie possibly say next without sounding like the biggest fool? I’ve barely recovered from my previous relationship, and I have no idea how to cope with something as powerful as
this
going wrong? And, really, how could it not?

“Fine.” Something in Ava’s face changed. She probably wasn’t accustomed to rejection. “But you shouldn’t drive. You drank too much. I’ll call you a taxi.”

Charlie couldn’t argue with that. “Thanks,” she muttered. She wanted to apologize again, but Ava left the kitchen to find her phone.

Charlie retrieved her shoes. As she laced them up, her chest tightened. Was she really saying no to Ava Castaneda?

“Taxi will be here in ten minutes.” Ava appeared in the doorframe. “You might as well finish the wine.”

Charlie rose and walked over to Ava, but kept a safe distance. “Please believe me, this has nothing to do with you, Ava. This is all me. There are just certain… things… I—” Charlie got stuck. Her brain failed to produce any more valid words.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to explain.”

“I find you extremely attractive.” Charlie felt like a complete fool. She didn’t belong here, in this city where straight women hit on her. “I just…” But Charlie couldn’t explain the blockage in her heart, and the way her mind operated.

Ava poured them both some wine and pushed a glass in Charlie’s direction.

Charlie stared at it, unable to move. Had Jo really done such a number on her that it made her incapable of accepting Ava’s advances?

“I’ve had enough. I’ll go wait outside.” Apart from being paralyzed by the fear of having her heart broken all over again, Charlie was also mortified by how she’d allowed this evening to play out.

“There’s no need for that, Charlie.” The wattage of Ava’s smile had dimmed considerably.

“Thanks for dinner.” Charlie really needed to get away from Ava’s gaze.

“Pleasure,” Ava said and narrowed her eyes.

“I really need to go now,” Charlie took a step backward, then turned around and walked the short route through the house to the front door. After she let it fall shut behind her, she took a deep breath, adamant not to fall apart on Ava’s doorstep. She double-checked if her car was locked properly, and waited, the half-moon overhead nothing but a reminder of what had happened on the beach.

CHAPTER EIGHT

“Please come with me,” Charlie pleaded.

“You can use my car service, but I really can’t, darling,” Nick said. “Jason and I are being interviewed by
Vanity Fair
.”