Redeeming Her SEAL (ASSIGNMENT Caribbean Nights #9) - Kat Cantrell Page 0,58
or don’t.
And she couldn’t give him up yet.
Over the next few days, they stole odd moments together as they could given their schedules. She had a full-time job in Freeport, and Charlie pulled double duty with shifts at the dive shop he worked at on Abaco Island while fitting in parasailing excursions. Charlie slept over a couple of times when he was able to catch a ride to Freeport with one of the guys who slung drinks at The Crow Bar, but all in all, it was less than ideal.
When Friday night rolled around, Audra was looking forward to a weekend with nothing between her and Charlie but skin. He’d already arranged for a couple of the other guys to take Saturday’s parasailing bookings, and they had plans to make good on that romantic date.
The knock on her door at six felt like deliverance from a long week that had dragged until this moment. She swung the door wide and fell into Charlie’s waiting arms for a long embrace that didn’t instantly turn carnal. Like she’d expected.
That’s what had happened the last time they’d planned a date. He couldn’t get her undressed fast enough. But tonight, this solidness to him, the weight of his caress across her back—it was an odd progression to their relationship, as if there were a thousand implications under the surface. She wanted to understand if something had changed. But didn’t dare ask.
“Hey, you,” he murmured in her ear. “I’ve been looking forward to having you in my arms.”
“Mmm.” Words couldn’t possibly convey how much she agreed, no matter what he had on the list for the evening.
Turned out he actually had one. He took her to dinner at a restaurant overlooking the ocean, a view she could never tire of, and they actually ate. He told her stories about tourists that came to Duchess Island via the cruise ships that frequented the Caribbean waters, then held her hand under the table as they shared the most decadent chocolate cake on the menu for dessert.
They did not talk about babies or marriage or Jared or Iraq or anything swirling beneath her breastbone. She couldn’t decide if she was grateful that he’d so deftly avoided the subjects or if the pressure bubbling up with each passing moment would in fact burst her chest open alien-parasite style.
How had they gotten to the point where their conversations had to be so carefully crafted to avoid that many difficult issues?
After the waiter cleared their plates, Charlie squeezed her hand. “Up for dancing at The Crow Bar? Miles is working tonight and promises me he’ll spike your drinks with enough of the good stuff that I might get lucky later. Besides, I owe him a huge tip for letting me commandeer our boat so often lately.”
She laughed. “I can’t pass that up.”
The Crow Bar was hopping by the time they walked through the door. A five-foot skull and crossbones flag hung over a raised dais in the corner where a live reggae band put a Caribbean spin on a Top 40 hit that had the crowd out of their seats and tearing up the dance floor.
Audra waved at Stella, the owner of the bar, who was engaged in a conversation with the dark-haired, well-built guy from the beach—Jace. Stella was a fun lady, a transplant from St. Louis, and Audra had instantly liked her when Jared had introduced them a while back.
“You know Stella?” Charlie asked, and Audra flinched involuntarily.
Crap, she’d waved without thinking because the easiness of being with Charlie had lulled her into a false sense of security. How was she supposed to answer that? Yeah, Jared used to bring me here all the time?
Bad topic. If she brought up Jared, it would ruin the evening for one or both of them, since it was a tossup at this point who was more upset about the billionaire’s role in her past.
“You know Stella?” she hedged as Charlie led her to a less crowded spot toward the end of the bar. “I thought she only liked locals, and you’re from another island. Practically a foreigner to those of us who live in Freeport.”
Fortunately, Charlie just laughed and took her comment at face value. “Are you kidding? She loves me. I gave her man candy to work at her bar. She says her sales have gone up something like thirty five percent since Jace started working here.”
“Hey!” The guy on the other side of the mahogany slab—Miles, most likely—playfully punched Charlie