around later.”
“Just let me get my stupid shoes.”
“Jack, you’re so tense and I don’t understand it. You’re in paradise after all. And don’t bother getting your shoes. I’ve decided in your present mood you wouldn’t be good company anyway. I’m more than capable of entertaining myself. This might be a couples’ resort, but I’m sure some of the bartenders or other employees are single. And I’m betting one of them would be happy to do the karaoke thing with me.”
“I said I’m coming to the bar with you and I’m perfectly lovely company. Now just let me get my shoes.”
She’d done it again. She always won. He’d say no to something, and she’d agree that he shouldn’t do it. Then somehow he’d find himself doing it.
Jack shook his head and tried to puzzle it out, but he couldn’t.
Figuring out Carrington Rose Delany was going to take a smarter man than he.
Thinking of Carrie with another man did little to improve his mood.
He slammed his feet into his shoes and stomped toward the door.
“Are you ready?” he bellowed.
“I’m always ready before you are,” Carrie said. “I can’t figure out where the ugly rumor developed that women were always late. From what I can see, it’s generally the man who holds things up.”
She prattled on as they walked to the club. Jack half listened as he let himself relax and enjoy the cadence of her words. He felt good even though he’d lost another argument.
Being with Carrie was a rollercoaster ride. From annoyance to peace, then back again to annoyance. His emotions rose and fell suddenly and unexpectedly.
He’d been unsettled thinking of Carrie with someone else. But walking with her, listening to her familiar chatter, he simply felt happy that she was with him, not some other, fictional, man.
Things were changing between them. And though he hadn’t quite figured out what to do about the way their relationship was evolving, at this moment, walking next to her across a beach on a couples’ resort, Jack Templeton was simply content.
That contentment lasted exactly one hour and three beers.
“I said no,” Jack yelled.
He wasn’t yelling at her, but rather to be heard over the noise.
Of course, the fact that he was annoyed and that it felt good to be yelling was secondary.
“And,” he continued, on a roll, “I think that’s all the beer for you.”
He plucked the glass from her hand.
Carrie pouted. “I was right, you are old.”
Then she smiled the smile that meant things didn’t bode well for Jack...not at all. “I’ll switch to cola if you will”
“I said...” he started.
“Otherwise,” she yelled right over him. “Otherwise, I’m ordering a pitcher.”
“Could I win an argument just once?” he said more to himself than to her.
“Jack, we never fight, so there’s no winner.” She tugged at his arm, pulling him toward the stage.
If there was no winner, how did he manage to end up here?
Jack sighed as Carrie talked to the man running the machine. She came running back to center stage and thrust a mic in his hand.
“Come on, you know you want to.” Her grin said she believed it.
She took her own microphone in hand and nodded at the man to start the music.
“Carrie, I really don’t want to do this.”
The opening notes wafted through the speakers and Jack wanted to crawl into a hole and hide.
“You didn’t?” he asked, though he knew she did.
“We needed a song we both knew the words to—it’s too hard to just get them off the screen. And I knew you knew these from past experience.” Her hips began to sway and Jack was mesmerized by the sight.
She kicked him when it was his turn to jump in.
Jack grimaced every time they missed a note. As if on cue, Carrie’s ponytail holder fell out and her hair whipped his shoulder as she shook her head.
She shimmied and swayed, singing her heart out and by the time the song was over, Jack had forgotten they were performing for an audience.
The
“Just let me get my stupid shoes.”
“Jack, you’re so tense and I don’t understand it. You’re in paradise after all. And don’t bother getting your shoes. I’ve decided in your present mood you wouldn’t be good company anyway. I’m more than capable of entertaining myself. This might be a couples’ resort, but I’m sure some of the bartenders or other employees are single. And I’m betting one of them would be happy to do the karaoke thing with me.”
“I said I’m coming to the bar with you and I’m perfectly lovely company. Now just let me get my shoes.”
She’d done it again. She always won. He’d say no to something, and she’d agree that he shouldn’t do it. Then somehow he’d find himself doing it.
Jack shook his head and tried to puzzle it out, but he couldn’t.
Figuring out Carrington Rose Delany was going to take a smarter man than he.
Thinking of Carrie with another man did little to improve his mood.
He slammed his feet into his shoes and stomped toward the door.
“Are you ready?” he bellowed.
“I’m always ready before you are,” Carrie said. “I can’t figure out where the ugly rumor developed that women were always late. From what I can see, it’s generally the man who holds things up.”
She prattled on as they walked to the club. Jack half listened as he let himself relax and enjoy the cadence of her words. He felt good even though he’d lost another argument.
Being with Carrie was a rollercoaster ride. From annoyance to peace, then back again to annoyance. His emotions rose and fell suddenly and unexpectedly.
He’d been unsettled thinking of Carrie with someone else. But walking with her, listening to her familiar chatter, he simply felt happy that she was with him, not some other, fictional, man.
Things were changing between them. And though he hadn’t quite figured out what to do about the way their relationship was evolving, at this moment, walking next to her across a beach on a couples’ resort, Jack Templeton was simply content.
That contentment lasted exactly one hour and three beers.
“I said no,” Jack yelled.
He wasn’t yelling at her, but rather to be heard over the noise.
Of course, the fact that he was annoyed and that it felt good to be yelling was secondary.
“And,” he continued, on a roll, “I think that’s all the beer for you.”
He plucked the glass from her hand.
Carrie pouted. “I was right, you are old.”
Then she smiled the smile that meant things didn’t bode well for Jack...not at all. “I’ll switch to cola if you will”
“I said...” he started.
“Otherwise,” she yelled right over him. “Otherwise, I’m ordering a pitcher.”
“Could I win an argument just once?” he said more to himself than to her.
“Jack, we never fight, so there’s no winner.” She tugged at his arm, pulling him toward the stage.
If there was no winner, how did he manage to end up here?
Jack sighed as Carrie talked to the man running the machine. She came running back to center stage and thrust a mic in his hand.
“Come on, you know you want to.” Her grin said she believed it.
She took her own microphone in hand and nodded at the man to start the music.
“Carrie, I really don’t want to do this.”
The opening notes wafted through the speakers and Jack wanted to crawl into a hole and hide.
“You didn’t?” he asked, though he knew she did.
“We needed a song we both knew the words to—it’s too hard to just get them off the screen. And I knew you knew these from past experience.” Her hips began to sway and Jack was mesmerized by the sight.
She kicked him when it was his turn to jump in.
Jack grimaced every time they missed a note. As if on cue, Carrie’s ponytail holder fell out and her hair whipped his shoulder as she shook her head.
She shimmied and swayed, singing her heart out and by the time the song was over, Jack had forgotten they were performing for an audience.
The
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