in the middle of the table, and its flickering flame threw light and shadows across Chelsea’s face as she gazed at him. “I’ve gotten quite a bit done.” She looked out across the patio, toward the beach and the moonlit water. “It’s a beautiful evening, isn’t it?”
Johnny felt a flash of frustration. Small talk. They could go on like this all night. But he didn’t want to talk about the weather. He had bigger fish to fry. He leaned forward. “I don’t understand what the problem is, Chelsea,” he told her. “Isigned the agreements you wanted me to sign, and I promised to keep sex out of the picture. I gave you my word, but you won’t trust me. And I’m finding that hard to deal with.”
He more than expected her to slip into Ice Princess mode and regard him with haughty disdain. But she didn’t. Instead, she sighed, and gazed out at the moonlight, unable to meet his eyes. Up close like this, she looked a little anxious and a little tired, as if she weren’t sleeping well at all. “I guess you don’t want to talk about the weather.”
“The weather here is perfect. There’s nothing to say about it.”
Chelsea took a sip from her water glass, trying to pretend that her hand wasn’t shaking as she glanced up at him. “So what
do
you want to talk about? My deeply rooted problem with trust? It probably goes back to my childhood—we could be here for quite some time.”
“I’ve got time.”
Chelsea let herself really look at the man sitting across the table from her. He was quite possibly the man they had in mind when they coined the phrase
tall, dark, and handsome
. He usually seemed to be on the verge of smiling—except fornow. Right now he was uncharacteristically solemn, his dark eyes sober yet no less intense as he watched her.
“Maybe we could start by talking about something easier,” Chelsea said.
“You’re afraid of me, because I’m legally your husband,” he guessed with unerring perception.
She drew in a deep breath. “Or we could start with something even harder.”
“Or maybe you’re afraid that you’re going to like being married to me too much.”
Chelsea forced a laugh. “Don’t be ridiculous—”
“Why don’t you tell me what the problem is, then?” He spoke softly, urgently. He really wanted to know. “We were doing fine on the flight from Vegas, then all of a sudden, we’re at the hotel and you’re telling me that you don’t even want to be my
friend?
What the hell is that about? What did I do? Did I offend you in some way? Chelsea, did I say or do something that makes you think you can’t trust me?”
She briefly closed her eyes, then told him the truth. It was the least she could do. “I do trust you,” she said, gazing at him in the candlelight. “It’s my own self I don’t have any faith in.”
Johnny struggled to understand. He couldn’t believe what he had just heard. “You don’t trust
yourself …
?”
“To stay away from you,” she finished softly, glancing up at him almost shyly, her eyes filled with chagrin.
He was stunned. Of all the things he’d expected her to say, that was last on the list.
“Every time I’m near you, I want … things I shouldn’t want,” she admitted quietly. “I can’t stop thinking about the way you kissed me. …”
She looked away from him, as if embarrassed, and Johnny reached for her hand, moving out of his own chair and into the seat next to hers, wanting to reassure her she was not alone. “Is that really so awful?” he asked.
“Yes.” She spoke vehemently, her blue eyes sparking as she looked up at him, but still, she didn’t pull her hand away.
He tried to make a joke. “Last time I checked, no one went to hell for kissing.”
“It’s not the kissing—it’s where those kisses would lead that has me worried.”
Where those kisses would lead … They wouldn’t lead anywhere—at least not if he kissed her here,in the resort’s restaurant. And not if he kissed her
Johnny felt a flash of frustration. Small talk. They could go on like this all night. But he didn’t want to talk about the weather. He had bigger fish to fry. He leaned forward. “I don’t understand what the problem is, Chelsea,” he told her. “Isigned the agreements you wanted me to sign, and I promised to keep sex out of the picture. I gave you my word, but you won’t trust me. And I’m finding that hard to deal with.”
He more than expected her to slip into Ice Princess mode and regard him with haughty disdain. But she didn’t. Instead, she sighed, and gazed out at the moonlight, unable to meet his eyes. Up close like this, she looked a little anxious and a little tired, as if she weren’t sleeping well at all. “I guess you don’t want to talk about the weather.”
“The weather here is perfect. There’s nothing to say about it.”
Chelsea took a sip from her water glass, trying to pretend that her hand wasn’t shaking as she glanced up at him. “So what
do
you want to talk about? My deeply rooted problem with trust? It probably goes back to my childhood—we could be here for quite some time.”
“I’ve got time.”
Chelsea let herself really look at the man sitting across the table from her. He was quite possibly the man they had in mind when they coined the phrase
tall, dark, and handsome
. He usually seemed to be on the verge of smiling—except fornow. Right now he was uncharacteristically solemn, his dark eyes sober yet no less intense as he watched her.
“Maybe we could start by talking about something easier,” Chelsea said.
“You’re afraid of me, because I’m legally your husband,” he guessed with unerring perception.
She drew in a deep breath. “Or we could start with something even harder.”
“Or maybe you’re afraid that you’re going to like being married to me too much.”
Chelsea forced a laugh. “Don’t be ridiculous—”
“Why don’t you tell me what the problem is, then?” He spoke softly, urgently. He really wanted to know. “We were doing fine on the flight from Vegas, then all of a sudden, we’re at the hotel and you’re telling me that you don’t even want to be my
friend?
What the hell is that about? What did I do? Did I offend you in some way? Chelsea, did I say or do something that makes you think you can’t trust me?”
She briefly closed her eyes, then told him the truth. It was the least she could do. “I do trust you,” she said, gazing at him in the candlelight. “It’s my own self I don’t have any faith in.”
Johnny struggled to understand. He couldn’t believe what he had just heard. “You don’t trust
yourself …
?”
“To stay away from you,” she finished softly, glancing up at him almost shyly, her eyes filled with chagrin.
He was stunned. Of all the things he’d expected her to say, that was last on the list.
“Every time I’m near you, I want … things I shouldn’t want,” she admitted quietly. “I can’t stop thinking about the way you kissed me. …”
She looked away from him, as if embarrassed, and Johnny reached for her hand, moving out of his own chair and into the seat next to hers, wanting to reassure her she was not alone. “Is that really so awful?” he asked.
“Yes.” She spoke vehemently, her blue eyes sparking as she looked up at him, but still, she didn’t pull her hand away.
He tried to make a joke. “Last time I checked, no one went to hell for kissing.”
“It’s not the kissing—it’s where those kisses would lead that has me worried.”
Where those kisses would lead … They wouldn’t lead anywhere—at least not if he kissed her here,in the resort’s restaurant. And not if he kissed her
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