in his arms. As she returned to earth and realised that the explosion of his mouth on hers had ended, she looked up at him.
'Thank you,' she whispered.
Jake raised an eyebrow, questioningly. 'For being there, for not judging and for not demanding anything from me.'
'Cold showers have a wonderful effect,' Jake said as he smiled, lightening the mood.
He lowered his voice and murmured in her ear 'I have a lot of humble pie to eat where you're concerned. Please, for now, accept my apology for my crass behaviour at times.'
Jake tucked a wayward curl behind Carrie's ear. He placed his index finger under her chin and tilted her head up to look at him again. He gave her a final, delicate kiss on her lips, a promise for the future.
'When this is over, we will explore this attraction between us. I promise you that.'
Carrie felt a shudder of excitement jolt her and wasn't sure whether she welcomed that news or not.
*
Carrie sat round the table with the project team and Jake. She'd been surprised when she'd found out that Jake was also visiting the project. Whether that was a pleasant surprise or not only time would tell.
They heard a lot about the successes and challenges faced by the project. The team were very open to sharing what had worked and what had gone wrong. Some of the teenagers being helped by the project were there as well and provided an invaluable insight into how to reach out to the youngsters.
They made a move to go outside and walk to some of the external activities that the teenagers had been working on for the last few months. This put Alan, who had been sitting at the edge of the room, on alert.
When he'd rejoined Carrie and Jake at breakfast he'd had to inform her that a threat had been received at the hotel the previous evening. This confirmed the harasser knew her movements and the threat was being taken very seriously indeed. It warned that something would happen to Carrie today.
Whilst she'd been shocked and scared, she'd refused to change her plans and be a prisoner to the lunatic. Alan had predicted that response and in addition to the bodyguard had set up additional support from Scotland Yard.
Jake had agreed to walk on the outside of Carrie, whilst Alan would walk in front with two other guys just behind. The project team hadn't batted an eyelid when they'd been told there would be bodyguards.
The project leader walked on the inside of Carrie and they set off to view the good work being physically undertaken.
Carrie listened intently to what she was being told, trying hard to concentrate and not consider what might happen. She had to trust that Alan had done his job.
Jake, however, was struggling to focus on what he was hearing. He was on full alert for anything that might happen.
Carrie's firm stand this morning had earned his respect, but a part of him wished she'd agreed not to do this walk about. He was concerned for her safety. At least Alan had succeeded in securing the press embargo on her ex-husband. Hopefully she'd be back in the security of the Estate before that hit the headlines.
Jake had made arrangements for a private jet to fly them back to Scotland this afternoon and a chauffeured car to pick them up from here in just under an hour. They were nearly through this.
Before anyone had time to blink Carrie was powerfully pushed out of the way by a figure on skates who'd blasted towards them. He'd come from nowhere. Although she'd half expected something, it still came as a shock and she screamed as her body smashed violently into a lamppost. She bounced off it, swung round and lost her balance crashing into the wall opposite. Pandemonium broke out as the bodyguard and policemen went after the perpetrator, leaving Jake to see to Carrie.
'Carrie!' He managed to catch her before she fell to the ground. Her face was white and she was shaking badly. Jake lifted her into his arms and took her as quickly as he could back to the safety of the project building. He put her down gently in a chair and kneeled
'Thank you,' she whispered.
Jake raised an eyebrow, questioningly. 'For being there, for not judging and for not demanding anything from me.'
'Cold showers have a wonderful effect,' Jake said as he smiled, lightening the mood.
He lowered his voice and murmured in her ear 'I have a lot of humble pie to eat where you're concerned. Please, for now, accept my apology for my crass behaviour at times.'
Jake tucked a wayward curl behind Carrie's ear. He placed his index finger under her chin and tilted her head up to look at him again. He gave her a final, delicate kiss on her lips, a promise for the future.
'When this is over, we will explore this attraction between us. I promise you that.'
Carrie felt a shudder of excitement jolt her and wasn't sure whether she welcomed that news or not.
*
Carrie sat round the table with the project team and Jake. She'd been surprised when she'd found out that Jake was also visiting the project. Whether that was a pleasant surprise or not only time would tell.
They heard a lot about the successes and challenges faced by the project. The team were very open to sharing what had worked and what had gone wrong. Some of the teenagers being helped by the project were there as well and provided an invaluable insight into how to reach out to the youngsters.
They made a move to go outside and walk to some of the external activities that the teenagers had been working on for the last few months. This put Alan, who had been sitting at the edge of the room, on alert.
When he'd rejoined Carrie and Jake at breakfast he'd had to inform her that a threat had been received at the hotel the previous evening. This confirmed the harasser knew her movements and the threat was being taken very seriously indeed. It warned that something would happen to Carrie today.
Whilst she'd been shocked and scared, she'd refused to change her plans and be a prisoner to the lunatic. Alan had predicted that response and in addition to the bodyguard had set up additional support from Scotland Yard.
Jake had agreed to walk on the outside of Carrie, whilst Alan would walk in front with two other guys just behind. The project team hadn't batted an eyelid when they'd been told there would be bodyguards.
The project leader walked on the inside of Carrie and they set off to view the good work being physically undertaken.
Carrie listened intently to what she was being told, trying hard to concentrate and not consider what might happen. She had to trust that Alan had done his job.
Jake, however, was struggling to focus on what he was hearing. He was on full alert for anything that might happen.
Carrie's firm stand this morning had earned his respect, but a part of him wished she'd agreed not to do this walk about. He was concerned for her safety. At least Alan had succeeded in securing the press embargo on her ex-husband. Hopefully she'd be back in the security of the Estate before that hit the headlines.
Jake had made arrangements for a private jet to fly them back to Scotland this afternoon and a chauffeured car to pick them up from here in just under an hour. They were nearly through this.
Before anyone had time to blink Carrie was powerfully pushed out of the way by a figure on skates who'd blasted towards them. He'd come from nowhere. Although she'd half expected something, it still came as a shock and she screamed as her body smashed violently into a lamppost. She bounced off it, swung round and lost her balance crashing into the wall opposite. Pandemonium broke out as the bodyguard and policemen went after the perpetrator, leaving Jake to see to Carrie.
'Carrie!' He managed to catch her before she fell to the ground. Her face was white and she was shaking badly. Jake lifted her into his arms and took her as quickly as he could back to the safety of the project building. He put her down gently in a chair and kneeled
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