Page 13 of Of Course, Cutie
Matteo laughed out loud and pressed his hands together in a prayer. “God, please let that happen!”
“God has nothing to do with that, dude.”
Matteo snorted. “Don’t I know it. Just ask my parents.”
“Aw, shit, Mattie. I didn’t mean it like that.” I frowned and slid my arm around Matteo’s waist. My best friend swam through a river of Catholic guilt every damn day with his family.
“Sh. I know, beautiful.” Matteo smiled and hugged me.
Just then, my mom called up the stairs, “Charlie, honey, Bea and I are heading out to take Sophia trick-or-treating! Make sure you lock up when you go!”
“Okay,” I yelled back. “Love you!”
“Love you, too! Be safe tonight!” And then the front door closed. Thank fuck, too, because my mom and Bea would both have plenty of negative opinions about my costume.
Matteo dug around in my makeup drawer and tsked at me. “Charlotte, your makeup collection makes my soul hurt!” He held a dull and broken eyeliner pencil between his thumb and finger with a look of disgust.
I shrugged and placed the cat ears on my head. “I don’t know what to tell you. I hate makeup. I do mascara and concealer, so I don’t look like a dude, but the rest is a waste of time.”
Matteo shook his head. “Those cheekbones and lips are wasted on you.” He dropped the eyeliner back in the drawer and dusted off his hands. “Does your sister have more makeup?”
“Uh, she does, but Bea’s really into sweet, pastel tones.”
“Ew, no. We need black or dark purple lipstick. I’m guessing your mother doesn’t own anything like that?”
I laughed and shook my head. “Hell no. I think Sienna has a sexy purple lipstick, though. We could swing by my brother’s place on our way to yours.”
“Oh fuck yes.” Matteo bit his lip. “You know I’m happy to see that gorgeous brother of yours any time!”
“Gross, Mattie.” I grabbed my phone and collapsed on my bed while Matteo turned back to my mirror to continue primping. He did look like the world’s sexiest shadow man. He was rocking the whole shirtless suit jacket thing. I sent a quick text to Sienna. Random question. Any chance I can borrow your sexy purple lipstick tonight?
Sienna responded immediately. Of course! I have it in my purse right now. Can you stop by the bar to grab it? Mason will let you in.
My heart pounded. Burke would be working tonight. He already told me he didn’t get Tess for Halloween. “We have to stop by the bar to get it.”
“Love it. Is your brother there?”
“Probably. He basically lives there.”
Matteo and I drove to ’69 and could hardly find a parking spot. We walked through the door, and Mason gave us a quick nod and let us pass.
As Matteo and I wove our way through the crowded bar, he gasped and gripped my arm. “Oh my fucking god, Charlotte. I just got hard.”
I followed his gaze to Burke and laughed out loud. “Tell me about it!” I yelled over the music. “Sexy as hell, right?”
Matteo pretended to wipe the drool from his chin. “That’s him, yeah? The sexy daddy you’re crushing on?”
I shrugged. After seeing his daughter and hanging out with him, it was more than a crush. Now, it could be classified as a mild obsession. Matteo and I reached the bar, and I cleared my throat. I waved Burke over with my heart pounding.
“Hey, Burke, can I get back there real quick? I’m borrowing some lipstick from Sienna, and she told me to grab it from her bag.”
Burke raised his eyebrows at me and gave me a half-smirk. “Can I trust you unsupervised in a room packed full of alcohol?”
I rolled my eyes and drummed my fingers against the shiny black bar. “I won’t touch anything but the lipstick! Promise. You can even smell my breath and pat me down after.”
Burke’s intense moss-green eyes flicked up and down my body. He rubbed his beard and grinned. “I don’t think you could handle a pat down from me, cutie.”
Matteo gasped at my side, and I immediately pictured Burke’s big, rough hands gliding over my breasts and pressing my thighs apart to check for hidden mini bottles. Whoa! Was my underwear damp now? Were my lady parts pulsing? What the hell was happening to my body? Pull it together, Charlie. I swallowed and tilted my chin up. “I think you’d be surprised what I can handle.”
