Carolyn blinked up at him with confusion and then glanced down when she felt his hand at her breast, but he was just pulling her key card from her breast pocket. She supposed he'd either felt it while they were kissing, or had seen the outline earlier that evening and recognized it for what it was.
With one arm still around her waist, he reached around with the other to unlock and open the door. He'd carried her the last few feet to it, she realized, as he straightened and slid the key card back into her breast pocket. When he then released her, Carolyn slowly withdrew her arms from around his neck.
Christian smiled faintly and brushed one finger affectionately down her nose. "Fa-Julius is an autocratic dictator. He's the head of a large corporation and used to bossing people around. He also likes you."
"He does?" she asked uncertainly as he clasped her shoulders and turned her toward the door.
"Mmm-hmm."
His breath stirred her hair as he urged her forward into the villa. "Otherwise he wouldn't have made sure I kissed you good night."
The sound of the door closing punctuated the sentence and Carolyn spun back to stare at the wooden panel. She then shifted sideways to peer out the window as Christian jogged lightly back to the van. She watched him get in and the van head off, then turned slowly away only to pause when she saw Bethany standing at the top of the stairs in her robe.
"Who was that?" Bethany asked, eyes wide.
"I... er... Oh, it's a long story." She ran one hand wearily through her hair.
"Well, then you'd better start talking, girl. Cause you do not get yourself kissed silly by a handsome young hunk like that and think you can get away without telling me every little detail."
"There's nothing to tell," Carolyn said quietly. "He's gay."
Bethany stilled and then shook her head. "Carolyn, g*y boys do not kiss girls like that."
"They do if they're in the closet and their family is watching and they want to convince them they're straight," she assured her. "And how did you see the kiss anyway?
We were outside."
"I was at the window, watching like an anxious mother," she said wryly. "I heard the van and came to greet you, but when I saw that guy practically ravishing you on the doorstep, I was afraid you were going to bring him in, so I started to hurry out of sight, but stopped when he just pushed you through the door and left."
"Oh," Carolyn muttered.
"So, start talking. I want to know everything," Bethany said firmly.
Carolyn headed for the kitchen saying, "Fine, but I need a drink."
Bethany followed, and waited patiently as Carolyn opened a bottle of wine and poured herself a glass. The fact that the other woman passed up a glass herself told Carolyn that she still wasn't feeling well. Bethany never passed up a glass of wine. Carolyn took a long swallow of the crimson liquid and then set down her glass and explained everything.
"So you're playing beard again, this time to this kid in the band?" Bethany asked quietly.
Carolyn nodded.
"It's Brent all over again." Bethany was starting to sound angry.
"Not exactly like Brent," Carolyn muttered uncomfortably.
"Yeah, no shit, Sherlock. Brent never did more than kiss you on the forehead. He never pushed you through the door looking the way you did just now," she said grimly, and then accused her, saying, "You're falling for him, aren't you? You know he's gay, and you're just stupidly falling for him anyway."
When Carolyn winced and bowed her head without answering, mostly because she was definitely in lust with the guy, Bethany snapped, "What are you thinking?"
"Apparently I'm not," she admitted with frustration. "I didn't mean to get into this in the first place, and I don't know what the hell I'm doing. I just..."
"Tell him you can't do it," Beth said firmly.
For some reason the very idea caused panic in Carolyn, and she blurted out, "I can't. He's counting on me."
"Who cares?" Beth said with exasperation, and then stared at her hard. "You're falling for a boy who likes boys... And you're letting him stick his tongue down your throat so his family doesn't know?" She clucked with disgust. "If that kiss didn't convince them he's not gay, nothing short of his screwing you in front of them will. Cut him loose. Tell him to go stick his tongue down some younger girl's throat."
Carolyn flinched, tears glazing her eyes, and Beth sighed.