"Oh no," he said when he had her full attention. "Band boy is no cat, cats don't look at women the way he looks at you, or drag them away with the barely contained emotion that was seething in him when he pulled you off the dance floor. He's in it to win it for the long haul. He wants you all... body and soul. I'd stake my life on that one," he assured her solemnly.
"But he's-"
"Too young," Jack finished dryly and then shrugged.
"Good. Then I'm still in the game. Now finish your dinner and we'll order dessert."
Carolyn grimaced at her half empty plate. She wasn't hungry, but began to eat anyway. She'd nearly fallen down the stairs of the shuttle on returning to the resort this afternoon, and would have had the driver not spotted her swaying at the top of the stairs and caught her just as she started to drop. Carolyn wasn't skipping another meal ever until she had this blood sugar thing checked out.
Oddly enough, by the time they finished eating, Carolyn and Jack were chatting as if the whole Christian subject hadn't come up. She was rather impressed with how he managed that, actually.
Afterward, they walked along the harbor, discussing places they both knew in Toronto, and places she'd been to here in St. Lucia as well as places he thought she should see. They then stopped for a drink before heading back. By the time they returned to the resort it was nearly eleven thirty. She expected him to just drop her off and go, but he walked her to one of the resort vans, announcing that he'd see her to her door.
Chapter Seventeen
"Oh." Carolyn stared after the departing van with alarm.
"I told the driver I'd walk back. It's good for me," Jack said with an easy smile. "Besides, I didn't want him sitting there watching when I try for my good-night kiss."
Carolyn flushed and turned quickly away to hurry to her door, suddenly a bundle of nerves as she tried to come up with ways to avoid that kiss. She paused halfway there though when he started to chuckle. Turning back, she peered at him uncertainly. "What's so funny?"
"You're running again," he said with amusement.
"Even though you know I like the chase."
Her eyes widened. "No, I-"
Pausing in front of her, Jack slid his arms around her waist. He peered down at her silently for a moment and then said, "You're a beautiful woman, Caro. Did Christian kiss you after he told you he wasn't gay?"
Carolyn's eyes widened and she started to duck her head, but he simply caught her chin and lifted her face back up, saying wryly, "That would be a yes."
Sighing, she nodded.
"Right. But he's too young. So," he suggested, drawing her a little closer. "How about you let me kiss you? If I'm as good or better than he is... " He grinned. "Then you don't need to worry about him or his age anymore and can start worrying about me."
Carolyn was silent for a minute, her mind racing. She liked Jack, not as much as Christian, but maybe with a little time... He was also handsome, and close to her own age. It certainly wouldn't be a bad thing if she enjoyed his kisses as much as Christian's.
Maybe it would be like that with a lot of men and she was losing her head and falling in love out of sheer lack of experience.
Carolyn blinked as that thought slid through her head.
Losing her head and falling in love? What the-Unwilling even to think about something as ridiculous as that, she forced herself to relax, reached her hand up around Jack's neck, and drew his head down for a kiss.
Carolyn was braced for fireworks. After all, she liked him, thought he was attractive, and he was apparently pretty experienced so no doubt knew what he was doing.
She really thought this would solve all her problems.
But instead of fireworks she got sparklers. Oh, a slow, lazy warmth stole through her when his lips moved over hers, and it gained heat as he urged her lips open to allow his tongue entrance. She even sighed and moved a little closer when his hands urged her to. But it wasn't rockets and fireworks like it was with Christian, and she felt a deep disappointment when he broke the kiss and raised his head to peer at her.
"Well?" he asked, his voice rough.
Carolyn smiled. "It was nice."
"Nice?" he asked with disbelief. "Sweetheart, that about knocked my socks off."
"It did?" Carolyn asked with surprise.
"Well, that's not a rocket in my pocket pressing on you," he said dryly. "And I don't generally respond so eagerly to a kiss."