Chapter Six
Dalton's Magic Rule #7: Don't forget your magic wand.
As he turned Melina's car onto the freeway that would lead them north of Sacramento, Rhys had to struggle not to show his amusement. Although she was valiantly trying to act nonchalant, he'd definitely thrown her off balance. And if he was reading her correctly, and Rhys had a definite talent when it came to reading people, she was a bit disgruntled that she was fully clothed going who knows where instead of enjoying more time in his arms and in his bed.
Which was exactly the response he'd been hoping for.
He hadn't been lying when he'd told her that unpredictability was key to good magic and good sex. It was also the key to getting Melina to lower her guard and stop those gigantic wheels in her mind from trying to analyze everything to death. God knew, if he was going to participate in her ridiculous sex experiment, he was going to enjoy every second of their time together.
He wanted the same for her. He wanted her relaxed and with her guard down, enjoying their time together instead of focusing on things like technique and statistics—each orgasm used as a marker of sexual prowess.
He almost snorted.
She actually thought she sucked in bed because he hadn't allowed himself release when the truth was he'd found more sexual pleasure giving her orgasms and having her sleep in his arms than he had in a long time. He hadn't been willing to go for the fast finish or self-induced hand job, because he'd wanted more with her. More kissing. More touching. More.
And now he'd have the opportunity, but only because she'd gotten it into her head that she needed tutoring. Ridiculous, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Not this time.
She cleared her throat. “So, where are we going?” she asked, as if he hadn't already refused to answer her the four other times she'd asked.
He turned to look at her with a carefree grin. “That wouldn't exactly keep the mystery going now, would it?”
She pouted so adorably that he barely stopped himself from grabbing her chin and pulling her over for a kiss. It didn't take a genius to figure out that his Ladybug instinctively resisted anything that she couldn't control. He obviously needed to steer her mind to safer ground.
“How're your parents, by the way?”
The question wiped the pout off her mouth, and she sat back. “They're good. They're in China now, checking out the Great Wall.”
“We were there a couple of years ago. It was an amazing trip. They've been traveling for the last couple of years, right? And things are still good between them?”
“Sure, why wouldn't they be?”
He thought of all the fights his parents had gotten into while on the road, just another thing he'd had to learn to adjust to. “It's a miracle that my parents' marriage survived their touring. Sometimes I think they brought us along with them as a buffer just to keep their marriage intact.”
She shifted slightly in her seat, turning closer toward him instead of continuing to hug the door. “But your parents seem so compatible. I don't think I've ever seen them fight.”
He couldn't help his smirk. “Yes, but you only saw them at home. They're completely different on the road. You ever see that show The Amazing Race?”
“Sure. I love it actually. You're not saying…”
“All those pairs trying to navigate around foreign countries under intense pressure—that doesn't exactly bring out the best in them, right? Well, let's just say my mom shows a whole different side of herself when she's tired or hungry. And my dad seems to lose his ability to read her when he's distracted and on the road.”
“Was that hard for you? That they fought a lot?”
It had been, at one time. Until he'd realized it was just part of his parents' process. They fought on the road, and probably made up just as fiercely. Once he'd realized their love was solid enough to withstand the fighting, he'd stopped stressing about it. He, on the other hand, wasn't willing to put up with that kind of strife in his personal relationships.
“Rhys?”
Melina reached out and took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. Affection washed over him. Melina was such a doll, with a generous heart and fierce loyalty. She would make some lucky guy a wonderful wife, some child a wonderful mother. For a moment, disappointment that he wouldn't be that husband, and that it wouldn't be their child, spiked through him. He squeezed her hand back and shot her a quick smile. “Sorry. I spaced there for a second. What did you ask?”
“How are they doing now?”
“They're learning to enjoy one another again, but they're still on the road with us about half the time. Dad's our manager, you know, and Mom's mentored each of our female stage assistants. They'll always be part of the act in that way.”
“Is that a drag for you and Max, when they're with you?”
He frowned when she pulled her hand away. When he glanced at her, she was looking out the window and blushing. His eyebrows shot up. Just what was his little Ladybug referring to? “Not at all. Why?”
“I can't imagine it's conducive to—” She waved her hand in a yada-yada circle. “You have a lot of women interested in you on the road. I'm not na?ve enough to think that you don't take advantage of it.”
Internally, he winced. The last thing he wanted to discuss with Melina was his sex life, but because she was brave enough to ask, he forced himself to be honest. “It's hard not to. There are a lot of willing women. But it got old for me pretty quickly. Believe it or not, I'm often relieved when my parents are on tour with us. Gives me a great excuse to bow out of the nightlife and just hang with them.”
“It's nice,” she said wistfully, turning to face him again. “The relationship that you have with them.”
“What about your parents?” He hesitated, then asked the question he never thought he would. “Would you ever want to join them on the road?”
“They wouldn't want me to.”
He jerked in surprise. “You can't be serious. Your parents have always adored you. How can you say that?”
“Oh, I didn't mean that the way it sounded. Outwardly, they'd welcome me. But, really, I'd be a third wheel. I know they love me, but there's a bond between them. They wouldn't want me around.”
“Seriously?”
“It was only after I was grown and out of the house that my parents started traveling. Maybe that's when they truly felt they could be a couple. So I try not to intrude. Plus, I don't enjoy traveling all that much. It takes me away from work, and I like having a home base.”
More proof that he wasn't the right man for Melina. He didn't have a home base. Didn't even know what having one would feel like anymore.
He was tempted to ask her how much traveling she'd done. As far as he knew, she hadn't done much, and he'd always assumed that had been her choice. Now he wasn't so sure. Now he wondered if it was just that she hadn't wanted to travel alone. But it seemed to be a topic she didn't want to continue. And he wasn't sure he wanted to continue it either, given the melancholy look that had come across her face. “Once you were on your own, I thought your mom might start acting again.”
Melina's mother had been an up-and-coming actress right around the time she'd met Melina's father. Years ago, he'd rented one of her movies, amazed at how animated she'd been. Whenever he'd seen her as a kid, she'd been friendly but quiet. Serious. Far from the chirpy, flirty girl on the screen. Although she hadn't been as quiet or serious as a child, Melina had slowly adopted those traits as she'd grown up, and he'd felt more and more separated from her. He now wondered which of her mother's personas had been real versus an act. He already knew that Melina's quiet exterior hid something amazingly passionate, but that was a new discovery made only last night.
“No. She gave that world up a long time ago. She loved my father that much.”
Rhys wasn't sure why giving up her acting dreams was part and parcel of being with Melina's father, but he had to admit they were a good pairing. It was, in fact, hard to believe that Susan, Melina's mother, had ever been in show business. She'd adapted to academic life as if she'd been born to it. Their relationship had been completely different than Rhys's parents' because there didn't seem to be a lot of volatility to it. Melina's parents always worked together in sync, similar personalities that managed to converge into one unit. For the first time, he wondered exactly how it would feel to be the outsider in that relationship, when a daughter shouldn't ever be made to feel like an outsider. But that was clearly how Melina felt.
“So these willing women. How do they let their willingness be known?”
Something close to panic shot through him. “Um…I don't think we should really talk about that.”
“Why not? You now know intimate details about my sex life while I know nothing about yours.”
“All I know is that, up until last night, your choice in lovers was lousy.”
“Are you referring to your brother? Because I didn't exactly choose you, did I?”
He didn't miss the way she kept bringing up Max. She was using him as a shield, just as she had many times in the past. “You're here now, aren't you? And considering what we're going to be doing for the next two days, I'd say that you've definitely made a choice. Or have you changed your mind?”
She hesitated long enough for him to begin to sweat. Don't change your mind, he urged silently. Not when I've only had a taste of what I've dreamed about for so long.
“No,” she whispered. “I haven't changed my mind. Not if you haven't. But I am here for a reason. So that means you have to answer my questions.”
Frustration made him clench his teeth, but he slowly relaxed his jaw. “It's usually a note passed to us by an usher. Sometimes they'll wait around until we're leaving the theater. One time—” He cleared his throat, then forced himself to be honest. “One woman actually found out where we were staying and walked up while I was having dinner. She, uh, made it pretty clear she wasn't wearing anything under her trench coat. Then she said she had a message for me. Drawn on her body with lipstick.”
Silence filled the car for several minutes, and he struggled for something to say. Screw honesty. He should have kept that last one to himself. “So, why don't we—”
“Well, the lipstick was certainly…overt. But that's what guys like, right? Did it work? Did you end up having sex with her?”
He tightened his fingers on the steering wheel. Without taking his eyes off the road, he answered quietly. “Yes. But that was a long time ago. When I was still reeling from the attention and thinking with my dick more than my brain.”
“Did she really have something written on her body with lipstick?”
He glanced over at her. “Yes.”
Her eyes widened and she blushed. “Was it something…explicit?”
Sighing, he shrugged. “Let's just say it involved an arrow and two short words.”
“Did you do what it said?” she whispered.
“No.”
“Why not?”
How could he explain that he simply he hadn't wanted to? That he never did unless he knew the woman well. Cared about her. Yet he'd had sex with her. It sounded so distasteful now. Made him cringe to imagine what Melina must think of him.
Before he could reply, she said, “I bet she went down on you, though, right?”
He gritted his teeth, then willed his muscles to relax. As much as he wanted to be for Melina, he'd never claimed to be perfect. If she was going to be with him, it would be all of him, flaws and all. Still, he didn't want to spend any more of their precious time together talking about something he barely even remembered now. So in his own way, that's what he set out to tell her. “Honestly, that entire night's pretty much a big blur now. One big red blur of Shanghai Crimson. Revlon, I believe.”
Holding his breath, he kept his gaze on the road. She was silent for so long, he finally turned and looked at her. Her face was blank of emotion, and he expected her to launch into a lecture about safe sex or women's rights. Instead, she burst out laughing.
Relieved, he reached out to caress her leg. She stiffened, and her gaze immediately locked onto his hand. He stroked her in a soft, soothing motion. “Like I said, that was a long time ago, Melina. I'm much more discerning about who I'm with now.”
Her expression grew serious. “Unless it's an old friend who's sneaked into your hotel room.”
“Especially when it's an old friend who's sneaked into my hotel room. Believe me, seeing you lying in my bed turned me on more than that woman ever did.”
“You don't have to—”
He squeezed her knee warningly. “I'm serious.”
She shrugged. “Sure. Whatever.”
Turning back to the window, she clearly communicated that their conversation was over. He let her shut him out for a bit, but he kept his hand on her leg, reminding her with his touch that he wasn't going anywhere.
About thirty minutes later, he caught the yawn she tried to stifle. “We're going on a bit of a drive. Why don't you go ahead and go to sleep?”
She shook her head. “I can keep you company.”
“You will be keeping me company. Besides, you're going to need your rest.”
Her eyes rounded. “What are we going to do?”
He shot her a wicked grin. “Patience, baby. I'll reveal the class outline when we get to where we're going.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you trying to be funny?”
He slid his hand just a fraction higher on her leg, and she gasped. Just as he'd hoped, she reached out and grabbed his hand with her own. Satisfied, he tightened his hold on hers, resting their linked hands on her knee. “Just rest. I promise, you'll know everything in just a couple of hours.”
For a moment, their gazes held, and he brought her hand up to his mouth to kiss it. “Now close those beautiful eyes and sleep, Ladybug.”
He almost chuckled out loud at the way her eyes widened again. Leaning her head back, she stared at him while he focused on the road. He felt her gaze on him and rubbed his thumb in slow, circular movements against the back of her hand. Within minutes, he felt her begin to relax. Within ten, she'd closed her eyes. And within twenty, her soft, steady breathing told him she'd gone to sleep.
Gently, he brought their raised hands back to his lips for another soft kiss.
* * *
When Melina awoke, she was in the passenger seat of her car, and she was alone. Jolting up, she frantically searched for Rhys and immediately saw him standing near the front of the car, talking to a bearded man in a baseball cap. Pulling down the visor, she checked herself in the mirror, wincing at the sight that looked back at her.
Her glasses were askew, her hair limp, no makeup on her face. But the men had turned toward her, and Rhys was motioning her outside and she'd feel like an absolute fool if she didn't go out and greet them. So she straightened her glasses, took a deep breath, and opened the car.
“Melina, this is my friend, Rod. He owns the Holiday Harbor store.” Rhys gestured to the weathered, two-story building behind them. Beyond it, a long dock floated over a peaceful lake surrounded by tall redwood trees. “Rod, this is Melina.”
She held out her hand. “A pleasure to meet you.”
“The pleasure's all mine.” Ignoring her proffered hand, Rod pulled her in for a deep bear hug. “It's great to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you from the Dalton family over the years.”
Flushed with pleasure, Melina smoothed back her hair. “Th-that's nice.” She peeked up at Rhys, and he tucked his hand around her waist and pulled her closer. At first, she held herself slightly apart from him as he continued to talk to Rod, but then she relaxed, allowing herself to sink into him. He looked down and smiled at her in approval.
“Rod checks in on the place when I'm not around. I was just getting the lowdown on the lake. The water's been pretty low this year, but last month's rain has got it back up to boating levels. Rod's got a patio boat he lets me use when I'm here.”
“Where is here?”
“Lake Shasta. About thirty minutes north of Redding.”
“I-I didn't realize you had a place here.”
“It's something I bought a few years back.”
“Oh.” Her implication was clear from her tone. They hadn't talked enough in the last few years for her to know much of anything about him. But she was surprised Max hadn't said anything about it.
“Do you own it with Max?”
Rhys tensed for a moment. “Nope. This is something that I did completely on my own. Max has come up a few times, but he gets a little antsy when he's here. He's not much for roughing it.”
“Somehow I can't see you roughing it much either.”
Rod chuckled. “She's got your number, Rhys. But he does surprisingly well while he's here. He's got some good survival skills, not that you'll be needing them much. Rhys's house is great. It just took him awhile to get it in habitable shape.”
Rhys remodeled a house? He obviously had more skill with his hands than she'd thought. Flushing at her thoughts, she blurted, “Is there a restroom here I can use?”
“Use the one in the restaurant. It's nicer than the open restroom by the lake.”
She nodded. “Thank you.” She rushed into the building, acutely aware of the men's gazes on her. She walked through a little store on the way to the restaurant bathroom, noting the souvenirs and water products for sale. When she was done, she retraced her steps, stopping when a rack of bathing suits caught her eye. Biting her lip, she stared at a white halter-top bikini that was prominently displayed.
If they were going to be staying here a few days and Rhys wanted to go swimming, she'd need something, wouldn't she? She could just see him trying to persuade her to go skinny-dipping, and she wasn't sure she could actually go through with that. Still…
She flipped through the suits on the rack. There were several one-pieces that looked just like the one she had at home. Modest. Flattering. But her eyes kept straying to the white two-piece. She'd never had the guts to wear a bikini before, but hadn't Rhys said being unpredictable was sexy? Maybe this was her chance to prove what a good student she was. Before she could change her mind, she picked it up.
“Would you like to keep the hanger?” the cheerful teenager behind the register asked.
“Um. No, thanks.” She handed the girl two twenty-dollar bills.
“I love this suit. I wore it in black just the other day.”
Melina briefly closed her eyes. Of course the girl would wear a bikini. She was tall, slim, and had the curves to fill out the swimsuit the way it was meant to be. Melina tried to picture herself wearing the bikini while standing next to this girl's similarly dressed form. Her stomach clenched in horror.
Her hand whipped out to grab the bikini back just as the girl held it out. “Here you go. Have a great day.”
Melina stared at the skimpy swatches of fabric, no longer sure the bottom half would cover all that needed to be covered. “You know, I didn't know you had this in black. I think I should wait until you get that in.”
The girl frowned. “Oh. I'm sorry, but the bathing suits aren't returnable.”
“Sure. But I just bought it,” Melina explained with a bright smile. “It's not like I went out and wore it.”
“Well—”
“How about I just exchange it then?” She grabbed a black one-piece from the rack. “This'll do for now. And, look, it's on sale, right?”
“Well, yeah, but—”
“Then I'll take it. You can even keep the difference.”
The girl looked nervously at the door that led outside. “I don't know. I guess I could talk to Rod. Explain you changed your mind. Why don't I go out and—”
“No!” Melina yelled in a panic, causing the girl to jerk. “I mean, I don't want to be a bother. I guess I'll take the white bikini after all.” She stuffed the thing in her purse and headed for the door. “Thanks,” she called. Before she could change her mind, she rushed back to where Rhys and Rod were still talking.
What had she been thinking? She'd never worn a bikini in her life, let alone a white one. She couldn't even wear white pants without it looking like her hips had expanded by several inches. The one-piece would have been safer. But, she reminded herself, that would also have been so predictable of her. Give yourself some props for bravery, she urged herself.
“Your store and restaurant are very nice,” she said a bit breathlessly to Rod. “We'll definitely have to come back sometime.”
“I'd like that.” Rod beamed at them. Inside, Melina was aghast. Had she just implied that she and Rhys would be back sometime in the future? Together? As in a regular couple? She opened her mouth to correct her mistake, but Rhys put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. Once more, his expression radiated approval, which confused her even as it made her heart fill with joy.
“It was a pleasure meeting you, Melina. You take care of your man here, you hear?”
Her gaze still on Rhys, she saw the flush stain his cheeks. The thought that he might be a little thrown by what was happening between them calmed her nerves. Take care of Rhys? That was exactly what she was here to do, wasn't it?
So what if she'd never worn a white bikini? Who cared if she never wore the one she'd just bought? She could pretend she was the type of woman who would wear it, right? Doing just that, she lowered her lids and tried to put her breathlessness to work. “Oh, I definitely will take care of him,” she murmured.
Both Rod and Rhys looked poleaxed, and an enticing ripple of power thrummed through her. Suppressing a smile, she turned and walked back to the car, putting a little extra swing into her hips. When she glanced back, Rhys's eyes were planted firmly on her behind.
Rhys had failed to tell her one thing about thumbing one's nose at the tried-and-true. It was as much a turn-on to the seducer as it was to the person being seduced.
She climbed into the car and patted her large purse. She'd almost panicked back there, but buying the stupid bikini had changed her. It was like a sexy little secret that only she knew about. Even if all she did was act like the type of woman who could wear the thing, no one would be the wiser. And it would be worth it to see that look on Rhys's face again, a combination of surprise and approval, mixed in with a whole lot of desire.
When Rhys got back behind the wheel, he smiled. “Ready to go?”
She placed her hand high on his thigh and squeezed.
He gasped, stared at her hand, and then looked up at her. She kept her eyes wide and innocent. “I'm ready for anything. The question is, are you?”
With a deep breath and a slightly dazed expression, he started the car and pulled back onto the road. Melina leaned back in her seat and smiled. No one could ever accuse her of being anything other than a fast learner.
* * *
Rhys was so aroused by the gentle pressure of Melina's hand on his thigh that he was afraid he was going to pass out. As he pulled up to the property, however, his nerves somehow managed to overshadow his lust.
He tried telling himself he was being ridiculous. He'd never brought a woman here, true, but it wasn't like he was trying to impress Melina with the house. There was nothing grand about it. It wasn't even on the lake, although the water was just a few short minutes’ drive away. The house was pre-manufactured, but it had been in such sorry shape that Rhys had had to rebuild about a third of it. Given his touring schedule, he didn't have all that much time to devote to it, but when he did, he worked with utter devotion. He loved puttering around this place. It was as much of a home base as he'd had since he was a kid. He just didn't get here nearly often enough. And while he sometimes called on Max or Rod to help him out with a job or two, for the most part he enjoyed being by himself.
Today, however, he'd felt compelled to show it to Melina. Like it or not, he was nervous to see what her reaction would be.
He needn't have worried.
“Oh, Rhys,” she breathed when she caught sight of the little house on an elevated lot at the end of a dirt driveway. “It's wonderful.” She got out of the car and turned slowly in a circle, taking in the view of redwood trees and hills. “What a beautiful setting.”
He could tell she loved it. The wonder on her face was genuine and closely mirrored the way he'd felt when he'd first seen the land. “Thanks. I like it.”
“How did you find it?”
“Rod and I have been friends for a while, ever since Max and I rented a houseboat on the lake years ago. I mentioned that I wouldn't mind having some vacation property up here, and he gave me a call when this lot became available.”
She smiled, a broad, carefree smile that made his breath catch. “Will you show me around?”
He laughed. “There's not much to see, but sure, I'll give you the grand tour.”
About thirty minutes later, he rubbed his palms together. “So let's go for a picnic by the lake. Take a swim.”
She frowned. “But what will I do for a swimsuit?”
A grin split his face. He'd liked the underwear she'd worn last night. He was hoping she had on another set just like it. “I think we can come up with something.”
She hesitated, then lifted her chin. “Okay. That would be nice.” She moved toward the guest bedroom, stopping when Rhys called out.
“We'll be sharing the bed in the master bedroom, Melina.”
She blinked and blushed. Her eyes darted nervously to the open doorway, where his big bed was clearly visible. “Oh. Sure.” Changing course, she stepped into the master bedroom and shut the door.
When the bedroom door opened, Melina came out wearing baggy sweat shorts and an oversized tee. Although the clothes did nothing for her figure, Rhys didn't sweat it. Even if he couldn't talk her out of her clothes, water did wondrous things to a white tee.
“I'm ready,” she said softly, sounding far less sure of herself than she had when she'd placed her hand on his thigh. Once he'd gotten over the shock, he'd recognized the satisfaction his response had given her. Melina definitely liked a challenge, and he was about to give her the biggest one so far.
“Great. I’ll be right back.” He went into the bedroom and swiftly changed into shorts and an open button-down shirt.
When he walked out of the bedroom, Melina smiled and turned toward the front door. “Wait,” he called. “There's something I need to do first.”
“What's that?”
He gently clasped her arms and she tilted her head back, her eyes wide, her lips parting slightly. “I need to give you your first pop quiz.”