"What kind of dreams?"
"Er..," Her flush deepened, but she straightened her shoulders and admitted in a whisper, "Wet dreams, and they're really... um... steamy," she admitted turning an even brighter red and then rushed on, "And I've never had them before so it must be menopause. Right?"
"Steamy, huh?" Christian asked. They hadn't just been steamy for him. They'd been hot as hell. Widening his eyes innocently, he asked, "Who was in them?"
"Er," she said again, and then dropped her gaze and waved her hand vaguely, "Oh, just some celebrity sort."
"Like Brad Pitt?" he asked, feeling bad for making her uncomfortable and thinking to offer her an easy lie, but she recoiled in horror at the suggestion.
"Oh, good lord, no! He isn't hot. I mean I suppose he is, but he isn't as hot as-And he's a blond," she said, her voice rising as she cut herself off.
"Ah." Christian bit his lip. She thought he was hotter than Brad Pitt. Gia said every woman on the planet wanted Brad Pitt. But he was hotter to Carolyn. God, he loved her.
The thought resounded like a gong through the sudden dead silence in his head. Christ, had he really just thought that? Yes he had, Christian acknowledged, but supposed he shouldn't be surprised. She was his lifemate. It was inevitable that he'd come to love her. But up until now he'd just been thinking lustful, claim-her-and-make-her-his thoughts. He hadn't expected these other softer feelings to creep up on him so quickly.
"Anyway, aside from the dreams I think I'm having hot flashes." Carolyn's words caught his attention.
"Hot flashes?" he echoed uncertainly. She was far too young to have hot flashes, wasn't she? He didn't know. It wasn't something often discussed among his people, but it was on the news on occasion and he'd always thought it hit later.
"Yeah," Carolyn said with a sigh. "At least I think so.
I woke up last night in a terrible sweat and... er... all worked up."
Well, that explained the abrupt end to the third and final sexual dream they'd shared last night, he thought. It had stopped abruptly, stirring him from sleep and leaving him too frustrated and wound up to sleep again.
"I was shaking too and kind of panicky," Carolyn said with a frown. "It was a bit scary, actually, but it got better after I got up and had something to eat." She grimaced at the memory. "Anyway, I think it must have been a hot flash, although I don't recall reading anything about anxiety and shaking with hot flashes."
"So," Christian said and paused when his voice came out a husky growl, cleared his throat, and tried again, "So, having these dreams and... er... hot flashes has made you decide maybe you want to have an affair?"
"Well, there're your kisses too," she said with an embarrassed laugh.
"My kisses?" he asked with interest.
Expression turning solemn, she nodded. "I know you're gay, and you would be far too young for me even if you weren't, Christian.
I know better than to be attracted to you or anything."
"Er," he muttered, not sure how he was supposed to respond to that one.
"But you are a very good kisser," Carolyn assured him.
"Er," he said again, but he was grinning this time.
"And I've decided I like kissing, and want more of it," she announced.
Christian continued to grin until she rushed on, "But with a straight man my own age, of course. I mean I know you and I will probably have to kiss again while you're here, for your brother's sake, and I honestly don't mind.
It's good practice, like you said, but it makes me think I might want to find someone else to kiss me too."
"What?" Christian scowled.
"Well, not while I'm helping you, of course," she reassured him. "I mean, it's not like I'd find anyone at honeymoon hell anyway. But I'm thinking that after you guys leave, Bethany and I should move to another resort, one where there are more single men, and then I can practice kissing and other stuff."
"What other stuff?" he asked, outraged.
"Well... you know," she said, with a grimace. "Other stuff."
Christian scowled at her for the very suggestion, but she wasn't paying attention. She was peering thoughtfully upward, several expressions flitting across her face. "Although, you know, now that I think about it, maybe we don't have to wait until the end of the week."