Chapter Ten
Christian followed Carolyn off the ladder onto the platform. When she moved to peer over the rail, he followed, noting that the ground looked a long way down.
The pamphlet had said they'd be as high as 150 feet. His gaze slid over the wild beauty surrounding them and then to Carolyn's pale face and he asked with concern, "Are you sure you want to do this?
She glanced to him and managed a laugh. "Why? Do I look terrified?"
"A bit," he admitted gently.
Smiling, she shrugged. "I'm just nervous because I've never done this before. I'll be fine once I get going," she assured him and stepped up to the guide to allow him to clip her harness to the cable.
Christian listened absently as the guide told her to sit and stick her legs straight out in front of her. He then gave her instructions on keeping her right arm behind the pulley, and lightly grasping the cable with her gloved hand to help keep herself steady. Carolyn was nodding, but she still looked pale and Christian was about to ask again if she was sure she wanted to do this when the guide suddenly released her and Carolyn went zipping away.
He expected her to shriek her head off all the way across, so was amazed when a happy "weeee" sounded that lasted the entire ten seconds before she reached the next platform, and Christian relaxed and found himself grinning as he stepped forward for his turn. His woman had surprised him again. There was more to Christiana Carolyn Johnson Carver Connor than first met the eye, but then perhaps he should have expected as much from a woman who carried so many names, he thought as he was suddenly sailing through the sky toward the platform where she waited.
"Isn't it a blast?" Carolyn cried, hopping up and down beside him as the guide worked to free him from the cable. "Oh my God, we have to do this again."
Christian chuckled at her enthusiasm, as he was freed.
"We will. There are something like eight or nine more platforms."
"Yeah. But I mean another day even," she said quickly.
"Every day. We should do this every day we're here."
Christian laughed and urged her out of the way as they waited for the rest of their party, but paused when she said, "This is better than sex."
That was damned insulting, considering they'd had sex three times in their sleep last night, and he'd thought it had been damned hot. As instructed he'd ensured that the first dream moved to her stoop and he'd happily repeated what had happened in real life, but even more happily had completed it pretty much the way his mother had suggested he would, but taking a little more time and care about it.
"Well, except for dream sex."
Christian barely caught the mutter and asked quickly, "What?"
"Nothing," she said flushing, but he'd heard her and it soothed his hurt ego and returned his good mood for the rest of the zip-line adventure.
"I think I'm going to try the pistachio-crusted chicken breast."
Christian glanced up from his menu at Carolyn's words and smiled. It had been after noon when they'd returned from zip-lining and they'd decided to hire a car and head into town for lunch. Genie had sent for a car for them and they'd asked the driver about restaurants during the ride.
He'd delivered them here, to this lovely, open-air pavilion on the seaside with artwork littered about and benches heaped with pillows.
"Sounds good," Christian decided, setting his menu aside.
"You always order what I order," Carolyn said on a laugh.
Christian shrugged. "And I always like it."
"Hmm," she said with amusement. "Well, if we have room for dessert, do me a favor and order the chocolate banana cake."
He quirked an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Because I'm going to order the apple strudel, but I want to try the chocolate banana too. We can share."
"Sounds good," Christian repeated which made her laugh and shake her head as the waiter arrived. He poured them each an icy glass of water, took their order and slipped away, and Carolyn sat back against the pillow on her bench seat with a pleased little sigh. She glanced around at their picturesque surroundings, and then turned back and blurted out, "Beth wants me to have an affair while I'm here."
Christian raised an eyebrow and teased, "Here? The benches look comfortable, but I think the other restaurant guests might not appreciate it."
Carolyn blinked, flushed, and then tossed her napkin at him. "Not here, here. In St. Lucia, smarty-pants."