Page 14 of Promise Not to Fall for the Rich & Famous

“Oh! My! Goodness!” A sharp squeal pierced through the line. “It’s true! I can’t believe it. There’s a picture of him on the front page and he’s like, as gorgeous as his father.”

That was true. An image of him shot to her mind—the smile that owned him once he finally got to his feet while catching the tail end of a wave. He’d missed out on most of the ride, as late as he got to his feet, but that hadn’t stopped the expression of triumph from spreading over his ridiculously handsome face. Carly hadn’t even known she was grinning until Christian came into view, waving wildly from the winding pebbled path leading to his bungalow.

“Hi there, Carly!”

She held the smile in place, feeling as if she’d just been caught thinking about—not to mention talking about—Christian’s friend. “Hi,” she lifted an arm to wave in return.

“Is thathim?” Jill screeched.

“No,” she mumbled through gritted teeth.

Christian veered off the path. “How was your lesson with the Cravester?”

Oh, no.

“I heard that,” Jill said. “The Cravester—you really are teaching Mark Craven’s sexy son, aren’t you?”

A combination of dread and delight clashed within her. Concern was there too; Carly knew how persistent her sister could be. “Jill, I’m sworn to secrecy, okay? Oh, and I’ve got company so I’ll have to call you back.”

“Just cough or something to tell me I’m right,” her sister persisted.

“Bye,” Carly blurted over her.

Jill started to reply but Carly tapped the screen and looked back at Christian. He’d stopped just yards from her house, dragging a shoe over the edge of the path. Her insides were likethe ocean at high tide—relentless pushing and prodding. She wasn’t sure how she felt about winding up in the press.

“What’s wrong?” Christian asked before Carly could snap herself out of her musings.

He came back into focus as she shifted her mind. “The press is already picking up on this, from what my sister said.” Carly shook her head. “I didn’t confirm it or anything, but she’s pretty sure the tabloids suspect that he’s here.”

Christian gave her a shrug and dropped his gaze to the landscape surrounding the bungalow. Then, in a few deft moves, he hopped over a shrub, landed on a decorative rock below her patio, and hoisted himself over the railing like he was navigating some sort of obstacle course. A grin pulled at one side of his lips. “Gage isn’t much of a big name yet. I mean, his father is, but tabloids like to be on the cusp of all the action. It’ll die down soon.”

Carly nodded. “I hope you’re right.” She pictured how he might react to the report. Would he agree with thebeautiful blondeassessment? Actually, she decided, the chances of him seeing the article or even caring about it were slim. A vision of his face came to mind. The look he gave her when he was asking if they could go someplace private. An untamed thrill shot through her.

“Do you think he’ll really quit acting after one gig?” she asked, shifting her gaze back to the ocean view. “Or do you think that he’ll fall in love with it and stay in the business like his father?”

When he didn’t answer right away, Carly glanced over.

Christian’s shoulders and arms had stiffened, his jaw clenched tight as he gave her a sharp look. “Do you care either way?”

She hated admitting that she did. “No. Just curious.”

As Christian weighed his response, Carly recalled the handful of times he had asked her out. This was her fifth year working summers at the resort, and not a year had passed that he didn’t test the waters, only to hear that she was in fact, still attached to some guy who might never fully commit.

Jealousy. That’s what she saw in Christian’s expression. Carly had always figured that, had she not been so tied up in Jimmy, she might be interested in Christian in return. Heck, what woman wouldn’t be? Not only was he gorgeous, Christian had dance moves that could seduce any woman with a pulse—the Royal Palm’s very own Latin Lover. Still, despite his wide popularity, he seemed very much like the type who would happily settle into family life with a wife and kids and the big dog too.

“Who knows what Gage will do?” he finally said. “That guy’s unpredictable.”

Those inner ocean waves pushed her anew. It was time for a topic change, and quick. “How are the dance lessons coming so far? Got any lovely ladies requesting you this year?”

He grinned that wide, cocky grin of his. The one she’d seen on TV talent shows over the years. “Always.” He rapped a closed fist on the railing, dropping his gaze to the action before looking back at her, a thoughtful expression on his face.

She sensed it then, the energy that surrounded the question she usually dreaded to hear. Only tonight, a part of her wasn’t dreading it. Not that she wanted to date Christian. What she did want is to prove that she was someone who could say yes, despite the strings that attached her to the fickle cowboy poet back home.

“Maybe I’ll see you at the dinner?” he said with the lift of his brow. Dinner. She’d almost forgotten about that. The resort treated staff to a gourmet dinner twice during the summer season. A welcome buffet and a farewell banquet.

It took everything in her not to ask if Gage would be there as well. Which was annoying. She didn’t like him; she didn’t care if he would be there. Besides, why would he go? Gage was a guest, not a staff member.

But hewasfriends with Christian. A very welcome friend of his as far as the resort was concerned. She pictured the dress in her closet. The sparkly silver number she’d brought with the banquets in mind. Thank heavens she’d brought the one with the slit that made her legs look long.