Christian cursed, and shifted impatiently in his seat.
"I suppose you want me not to sleep when she might be sleeping and avoid shared dreams in future too?"
"No," Julius said at once and when Christian glanced at him in surprise, he shrugged. "That is tempting her without the added fear and worry about what she thinks is your age difference. She's not totally comfortable with the dream the two of you shared this afternoon. She suffered some guilt over it, but she doesn't know you shared it. She also enjoyed it enough to overlook her guilt and tell herself it wasn't her fault for having it. Besides, the passion in the dreams is muted. Perhaps half the passion we can experience for real. It's like an appetizer, while the real deal is the appetizer, a four-course meal, and dessert all in one."
Christian's eyebrows rose. If that was muted and just the appetizer-"
Hell," he muttered under his breath, and almost didn't believe his father. But then he recalled the kiss they'd shared on her doorstep and changed his mind. That simple kiss had carried as much punch as the entire dream and had left him just as hard and aching. And that had only been a kiss without the caressing and...
"Hell," he muttered again, his eyes widening.
Julius nodded solemnly. "If you ever want to enjoy the full meal deal I suggest you get yourself under control...
and now," he added with a grim expression. "A slow song is on. The women are returning to the table."
Christian turned sharply to see that this was the case and was immediately seized by panic. His intensity wasn't dialed down at all. If anything, everything he'd learned had just ratcheted it up several notches.
"Hell," he muttered for a third time, and this time there was an edge of panic to the word.
"Men's room," Julius ordered, catching his arm and pulling him to his feet. "Zanipolo dance with Carolyn," he ordered loud enough for the women to hear as he dragged Christian off to find the bathrooms.
Chapter Nine
Carolyn stopped walking to stare as Julius dragged Christian away, and then glanced around at a touch on her arm. She blinked at Zanipolo's solemn face and then, recalling Julius's last order, she assured him, "Oh, we don't have to dance."
"Don't be silly, it's always a pleasure to dance with a beautiful woman," Zanipolo said, tugging her toward the dance floor.
"Oh," she mumbled on a sigh.
A slow song was playing, and Carolyn wasn't used to dancing to slow music anymore. Robert had always refused to dance and it had been years since she'd accompanied Brent to business functions with dancing, so she felt awkward and stiff when Zanipolo took her into his arms.
"Relax," he chastised. "I'm a good dancer, I dance a lot... with women. Because I like women. A lot."
Carolyn stared at him blankly. "Ah. Well, that's nice.
I guess."
"It is," he assured her, and asked, "Do you like my new haircut?"
Carolyn glanced at his hair. She'd noticed that he now sported a brush cut. It actually looked good on him, though, and she nodded. "It's very nice."
"Very manly," he pointed out. "Not g*y at all."
"Ah." Carolyn bit her lip to keep from laughing as she realized he was still bothered by the fact that she'd thought him the homosexual in the band. Relaxing completely now, she patted his arm. "Don't worry, Zanipolo.
Gia was just teasing you. I never said I thought you were gay," she assured him, and then added, "I'm not even sure how she knew I thought that. I didn't say it out loud."
Zanipolo had started to relax after her first words, but looked stricken by her last ones, and Carolyn could have kicked herself as she realized what she'd said.
"I mean-Ignore that last part. I was just..." Unsure what to say to repair the matter, she cleared her throat, and asked, "Why was Julius rushing Christian away?"
Zanipolo hesitated, and then suddenly brightened and announced, "Julius caught him winking at one of the waiters. No doubt he is demanding an explanation."
"Oh dear," Carolyn breathed, glancing anxiously toward the bathrooms.
"No, this might be good," Zanipolo assured her.
"Christian will tell the truth and then he won't have to hang all over you and make you uncomfortable anymore."