God, did that mean he was staying?
He chuckled and she realised he’d read her expression perfectly. ‘Don’t look so worried, Red. I’m not insulted by your attitude.’
‘That’s because you have an ego the size of the Himalayas,’ Carly griped.
‘Maybe I’m just pleased to see you.’
A sharp sensation lodged inside her chest. ‘Excuse me, I’m going to dinner.’
‘Wait,’ Dare said softly, gripping her arm. ‘I have a couple of questions I want to ask you first.’
Schooling her features into a bland mask, Carly dislodged his disconcerting touch and looked up at him. ‘Like what?’
Dare glanced along the corridor before leaning towards her to speak softly. ‘Like how serious is Benson’s condition?’
She grimaced. ‘So he told you about his illness?’
He gave her a look. ‘He told me everything.’
Dare knew she got the full import of his meaning because she blushed prettily.
‘And now you’re concerned?’
He frowned at her suspicious tone. ‘I don’t know what I am at this point. But I do want to know what his chances are.’
Carly debated what to tell him and why he wanted to know. Was he going to taunt his grandfather with the information? She really wouldn’t put it past him.
‘For God’s sake, I’m not going to sell the information to the highest bidder, if that’s what you’re worried about.’
‘I’m not worried about that.’ She hadn’t even considered that side of things. ‘What I’m concerned with is what you’re going to say to him. His blood pressure is all over the place, which isn’t good for him. He needs to rest and not to be overstressed before the operation.’
‘And you think I’m going to...what?’ He frowned and stepped closer, towering over her. ‘Make him feel worse?’
Carly shifted her weight to put some distance between them. ‘You were rude enough when you first arrived,’ she pointed out
‘Hell.’ He ran a hand through his hair absently, drawing her attention to the way the caramel tresses drifted through his fingers and offset the strong bones of his face. ‘I’m not that cruel. I’m not going to use it against him.’
He sounded genuine, she thought, and it wasn’t as if she were giving away secrets anymore.
‘Honestly I don’t know. If the tumour shrinks enough that they can get it all and his diabetes doesn’t complicate things, the prognosis is good that he’ll survive the operation. After that it’s a bit of a waiting game as to whether or not the cancer has spread. Now, if you’ll—’
Dare moved to the left as he sensed Carly about to walk past him, but unfortunately she moved in the same direction and before he knew it her body was plastered up against his. Right where he’d wanted her ever since he’d watched her sexy butt swaying in front of him.
Neither one of them moved for a heartbeat. Two. And then they both took a step back. Her hand went to her hair as if to straighten it and a loose strand caught on the gloss of her lipstick. Dare nearly reached out to fix it himself but shoved his hands into his pockets at the last minute.
Another blush rose up over her creamy cheekbones and her hand shook when she brought it back down to her side. ‘This has to stop,’ she muttered, frustration etched across her brow. ‘I can’t explain...’
She stopped abruptly and Dare picked up the thread. ‘This thing between us?’
She shook her head in denial. ‘There is no thing.’
Dare’s smile was slow in coming. ‘Oh, there’s definitely a thing.’
She let out an annoyed breath and her lips pursed. ‘I’m sure it’s entirely normal for you to feel this way about a woman but...’ as if she’d said too much, her blush deepened, ‘I don’t like it.’
Nor did he. Not one little bit. And she was wrong about him feeling this way with every woman. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d wanted a woman so much his body responded without his brain first giving the go-ahead.
His gaze dropped to her mouth, soft and pink and glossy. If he had met her under different circumstances and trusted her he might take things further. Take her to dinner. To bed. And while his body liked that idea a great deal, instinct told him that walking away was the sanest option. ‘Then let’s forget it.’