Читать книгу Anything Goes... - Debbi Rawlins, Debbi Rawlins - Страница 10

“IN CASE you’ve forgotten, this room has only one bathroom.” Disgusted, Carly pounded on the door for the third time. The lighting at the desk was too dim and she had only five minutes left to finish applying her makeup.

“Hold on.” Ginger’s impatient tone only made Carly more annoyed. “This humidity is doing a number on my hair.”

“Your frizzy hair will be the least of your worries if you don’t open this darn door.”

It opened suddenly. Ginger frowned at her. “What the hell has gotten into you?”

“We have only five minutes before we meet the guys for dinner.” Carly jabbed a finger at her watch. “You can do your hair out here. I need the bathroom light for my makeup.”

“No kidding. You look like a clown.” Ginger threw her a cool look as she pushed past, curling iron in hand.

Tempted to make a crack about her frizzy hair, Carly held her tongue. Ginger always hogged the bathroom and Carly seldom minded. But this evening she was in a strange mood. Edgy. Uncertain. Scared to death.

It was only dinner, she told herself as she set down her makeup bag, looked in the mirror and sighed. She did look like a clown. Too much blush. The unfortunate bluish eye shadow made her look eerily like her mother’s high-school graduation picture.

She loved her mom, but yuk… Carly was used to wearing a more natural shade when she bothered at all. So why was she making herself crazy? She knew in her heart that Rick wasn’t a candidate for her week of therapeutic debauchery. No, actually she knew intellectually he wasn’t the right one. Her heart foolishly wanted to jump in head-first.

“What are you scrubbing all that off for?” Ginger stared at her from the doorway. “Shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it about you looking like a clown.”

“You were right. This isn’t me.”

“It’s going to be dark. You’ll want to wear more makeup than usual.”

“Mascara and blush will be enough.”

Ginger sighed. “Yeah, I guess he’s pretty much a sure thing.”

Carly slid her a sidelong glance. “What do you mean?”

“I saw the way Rick looked at you.”

“We’re friends. That’s all.” Carly turned back to the mirror and inspected her bald face before reapplying the tinted moisturizer.

“Friends?” Ginger chuckled. “Okay, but don’t tell me you’re not ready to jump his bones.”

“I am most certainly not ready to jump his bones. I haven’t decided yet.” Carly smoothed in some foundation to blot out several obnoxious freckles. “Are you ready?”

“Pretty much.” She reached around Carly for the hairspray. “I don’t understand you. The guy is gorgeous. He obviously wants you. You’ve been doing a little drooling yourself. What’s the problem?”

“You have to ask? This whole week was supposed to be about anonymity.”

“So? Isn’t it better that you know and like him, and who knows what could develop? You said yourself you’d eventually like to get married.”

“Nothing can develop. That’s the—” Carly cut herself short. She didn’t want to get into this discussion with Ginger. Or anyone. It was too hard to explain. Her longings were a mystery even to herself.

Yes, she eventually wanted to have a husband, start a family, and she wanted to do it in Oroville. She loved her home, and she wanted her children to have the same advantages she’d had growing up in a small loving community. The problem was, the guys who lived there were conservative and boring, with not much more ambition than to own a new pickup every three years.

Not like Rick. He’d been exciting and adventurous and had brought out a reckless streak in her she hadn’t known she possessed. The discovery had been both exhilarating and scary, and the careless behavior not always easy to suppress.

Even now she could clearly recall the time he’d suggested they explore the old Colby mine. Condemned since she’d learned how to talk, the mine had been strictly off limits and all the kids in Oroville knew it. None of them would even dream about ignoring the no trespassing sign. But all he’d had had to do was dare her…

She smiled. That was one of her best afternoons ever.

Darn it. She could really like Rick. Heck, she already did. But, at this point, it wasn’t like she’d go home and pine away for him. Intimacy could change that. Then where would she be?

“Damn it. Look at the time. We’re late.” Ginger squeezed her eyes shut and aimed the hairspray at her French braid.

Spray went everywhere, and Carly grabbed her makeup bag and exited the bathroom in a fit of coughing. She applied some blush with a far lighter touch this time and decided to forgo any eye pencil.

“Okay.” Ginger surfaced from the bathroom, and slung her purse over her shoulder. “Ready for action.” She adjusted the top of her turquoise sundress to get maximum cleavage. “I’m talking really ready.” She grinned. “Tony isn’t going to know what hit him.”

Carly laughed as she grabbed her own purse. She couldn’t help it. What a piece of work. “I don’t think you’ll have to worry about coercing Tony.”

Ginger got to the door but stopped, her eyes sparkling. “Why? Did Rick say something?”

“Oh, please. He didn’t have to.” Carly made a shooing motion, trying to get her friend out the door. “Tony is definitely hot for you.”

A pleased smile curved Ginger’s lips as she walked out into the corridor. “I’m betting he just might get lucky tonight.”

“Might?” Carly pulled the door closed. “Yeah, right.”

Ginger laughed. “Which reminds me. How are we going to work the room thing?”

Carly frowned at first, and then she got it, petty envy taking a bite out of her. “Just put out the do not disturb sign and I’ll disappear for a while.”

“If he spends the night with me, you can spend it with Rick in their room, right?”

Carly swallowed her disappointment and jealousy. “Sure,” she said, ignoring the butterflies that had turned her stomach into a circus.

“WHAT LOOKS GOOD?” Tony stared at the menu. “Anybody ever have conch chowder?”

Carly had never even heard of the dish. She glanced at Ginger who was too busy making goo-goo eyes at Tony to notice.

“It’s okay,” Rick said. “I prefer abalone myself, but it’s a local favorite. You ought to try it once while we’re here.”

“You’re right. Try everything once is my motto.” Tony grinned at Ginger. “Go back for seconds if you like it.”

She giggled and gave his arm a playful punch.

Carly started to roll her eyes but caught herself. From her peripheral vision, she saw Rick watching her. Instead of acknowledging him, she buried her nose in the menu.

“What are you having, Carly?” He touched her hand and she jerked in surprise, nearly knocking over the pina colada he’d ordered for her before she and Ginger had arrived.

She set down the menu and clasped her hands in her lap. “I’m not sure.”

“Want me to make a couple of suggestions?”

Something in his lowered voice made her look up. He winked and her silly heart fluttered. “I’ll probably have the mango chicken.”

“Oysters,” Tony suggested. “They’re good for—”

Giggling, Ginger nudged him again. “We all know what they’re good for.” With a lift of her chin, she made a teasing sound of disgust. “As if I need an aphrodisiac.”

Tony smiled and whispered something in her ear.

Carly inwardly groaned and quickly picked up the menu again. Why on earth had she agreed to come to dinner with them? Stupid question. She wasn’t ready to be alone with Rick again.

“Come on, children, save this for later.” Rick threw a wadded up cocktail napkin at Tony.

“We have far more interesting matters to discuss later,” Tony said, throwing the napkin back and giving Ginger a significant look.

Thankfully, Tony and Ginger cooled it long enough to order and eat dinner. Carly knew Rick had spoken up because he noticed she was embarrassed. Not embarrassed, really, more uncomfortable. And a little annoyed. Not with Ginger or Tony, certainly not with Rick, but with the situation in general.

She’d loved flirting with him earlier. No way could she deny the incredible chemistry that had made the entire room sizzle. She’d relived the touching and kissing the rest of the afternoon, but in the end apprehension nailed her. If she did anything with Rick, she was going to think back to it forever and ever. Think about the carefree person she was with him, and about what could have been. Sad, but true.

Which left her starting to panic over her vacation. How could she possibly enjoy herself wondering if he was watching her? She would have to think of something quickly or spend the rest of the week watching reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

She blinked at the stunning blond waitress who smiled at Rick as she served them another round of pina coladas. Maybe the week was still salvageable, after all. If Rick hooked up with someone, he’d be too busy to pay attention to what Carly was doing….

The sudden thought stirred mixed emotions. Jealousy clawed at her just thinking about him being with another woman. Ridiculous, of course, but there it was. Yet there was also relief in knowing she wouldn’t have to look over her shoulder constantly.

“Would you like anything else?” the blond waitress asked them, although her attention was mostly directed at Rick.

“I’m fine,” he said. “What about the rest of you? Want some dessert?”

Tony and Ginger promptly shook their heads. No big surprise. They were clearly anxious to be off on their own.

“Okay, I guess that’s it.” Rick reached into his pocket. “How many beads do I owe you?”

“I’d like some dessert,” Carly said.

Tony and Ginger had already gotten up from the table, but they hesitated.

“Go ahead.” She waved them off. “Rick will keep me company, won’t you?”

“Of course.”

“Okay, we’ll see you guys later.” Tony exchanged a knowing look with Rick, and then steered Ginger toward the door.

“Would you like to see the menu again?” the waitress asked, perky and braless beneath her pink T-shirt.

Rick had given her a couple of glances, but nothing more than Carly herself had done. The woman’s brief white shorts showed an extraordinary amount of well-defined leg as she leaned across the table to remove dishes, but, again, Rick didn’t seem overly interested.

Carly shook her head. “I know what I want. A hot fudge sundae with extra whipped cream.”

Rick chuckled, one eyebrow lifting in surprise. “Better make that two,” he said to the waitress, his gaze staying on Carly.

“Coming right up.” The blonde picked up a couple of more plates and then drifted to the next table.

Still, Rick’s interest remained solely on Carly. She felt a stupid thrill that she could hold his rapt attention. Which was crazy. She was supposed to be trying to get rid of him.

“I need help trying to figure something out here.” Rick pursed his lips, looking suspiciously as if he were trying not to laugh.

“Yes?” She forced herself to hold his gaze.

“Why you’re stalling.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Either you’re thinking of a way to get rid of me, or figuring out how to get me in the sack. Which of course would be a no-brainer.”

“Why does this have to be about you?” Carly bristled and didn’t care that it showed. “I simply would like a hot fudge sundae, okay?”

He laughed. “Okay.”

Anxious to busy herself, she started digging in her purse for her beads. And then she realized that, like a good girl, she’d put them around her neck, just as they’d instructed her to do at check-in. “How much do I owe you for dinner?”

“Forget it.”

She removed a string from around her neck. “No, we all were given a certain allotment of beads, and it wouldn’t be fair for you to run out.”

“You can pay the tab next time.”

“What if there isn’t a next time?”

He narrowed his gaze and studied her face.

The silence grew uncomfortable, and she stared down at the cocktail napkin she’d been shredding. “You know, you might hook up with someone else and I won’t see much of you.”

“Carly,” he said, as if scolding a child, and then he took the string of beads out of her other hand, “I thought we’d already settled that.”

She slid a glance at the beads, wondering what he had planned for them. He leaned close and then slipped them over her head and kissed her briefly on the lips. He pulled back slightly to smile at her.

“Here you go.” The waitress appeared with their sundaes. “I put extra whipped cream on both,” she said as she set a huge glass bowl in front of each of them.

“Thanks,” Carly said.

The server smiled. “Anything else?”

Rick raised a questioning brow at Carly. She shook her head and picked up her spoon, no longer interested in dessert. What she wanted was for Rick to kiss her again.

She also wanted him to go away and leave her alone.

What a mess.

The waitress gave Rick the total, and he dropped the appropriate number of beads in her hand. Although she remained pleasant, she didn’t seem nearly as interested in Rick as before, and Carly realized the kiss must have warned her off.

Foolish pleasure warmed her, and when Rick dipped his spoon into his sundae and brought the offering to her lips, she didn’t hesitate. He smiled and brushed some stray whipped cream off her top lip. She had the nearly irresistible urge to draw his thumb into her mouth. She stopped herself, but when she met his gaze she knew she was busted.

He knew how turned on she was. It was there in the golden flecks in his eyes, like liquid flames of desire, matching her own wants and needs.

God, she wanted him. Wanted to go back to her room and strip him naked. Explore every nuance of his body. What would be so terrible about being with Rick? She couldn’t possibly get too attached in just one week, could she? And then she’d never see him again. Equally important, he had no reason to go to Oroville.