Mythe: A Fairy Tale (25 page)

Richard twisted the cap off of a bottle of water and handed it to her. “If you fall asleep on me, I can always carry you to bed again.” Manda stuck her tongue out at him and he chuckled. “In case you do fall asleep before I get a chance to ask you later, are you free tomorrow?”

“Yes,” Manda answered. There was nothing she wanted to do more than be with Richard. She could feel his body shake with silent laughter.

“You really don’t play hard to get, do you?”

“Too eager?” Manda asked, suddenly self-conscious again.

“No, not at all,” Richard rushed to reassure her. He squeezed her hand. “You don’t play coy little games. That’s one of the things I love about you. So, you’ll spend the day with me again?”

His obvious pleasure thrilled Manda. “Definitely,” she assured him. “After all, if I’m going to be your official photographer, you’ll need to keep me around.” She looked up at him quizzically. “What was that all about?” He still hadn’t finished explaining why it was so important for her to avoid having her picture taken.

“Oh! I’d forgotten. I apologize if I seemed like I was trying to tell you what to do, Manda, but keeping you behind the camera was the easiest way to make sure you’re not in front of it. I know it’s a lost cause, but I’m going to do everything short of hiding to keep you out of the media spotlight for as long as possible. The longer we can keep pictures of you out of the press, the better, and once those people had a photograph of the two of us together there was no way we could control what they did with it.”

Manda was quiet for several minutes. She knew, in a general way, that becoming involved with Richard would mean dealing with attention she just wasn’t accustomed to. She also knew that it was well worth the price. When he’d kissed her for the first time that morning, she’d realized just how hopelessly in love with him she was. There would be no turning back for her now, but she wondered exactly what was in store.

“Will it be that bad?” she asked uncertainly.

Richard’s face clouded and he pushed his hand through his hair in a gesture that Manda had come to recognize as a sign of distress. “Yes, I think that it will be, sweetie,” he said gently. Pain and doubt haunted his eyes, and he continued as if forcing the words out. “It’s not too late to change your mind, Manda. I’ll understand.”

“I’m not going to change my mind,” she stated firmly, “whatever happens.”

“Have you read any of my press?” he asked. When she nodded he continued. “Then you know how it all reads. ‘Richard Raines, Ice King.’ ‘Richard Raines—no woman is good enough for him.’ ‘Richard Raines gives cold shoulder to America’s sweetheart.’ For heaven’s sake, Manda, I’ve supposedly given the brush-off to women I’ve never even met! When it gets out that I’m seeing you, they’ll have a field day! They’ll be following you everywhere you go. Your house. Your office. They’ll follow you in your car and dig through your trash. They’ll invade your life.” He groaned at the prospect. “I won’t lie to you. I think it will be very bad. It makes me sick just thinking about you going through that. I don’t think you realize just what you’re opening yourself up to.”

“I’ll be okay. As long as I don’t have to do any public speaking. I won’t have to do that, will I?” Manda teased, trying to lighten the mood.

Richard’s smile was fleeting. “No. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. I promise you, Manda, if you do still want to do this, I’ll do my best to make it as easy for you as I can, but you have to promise me, if it gets to be too much, if you just can’t take it anymore, tell me. I’ll understand. I promise. I don’t want to always be wondering if you’ve had enough and just don’t want to tell me, so you have to promise right now that you’ll let me know.”

“Fair enough,” Manda agreed. The car was slowing down, and pulling to the curb. “I think we’re here.”

“Good,” Richard grinned, shrugging off the solemn mood. “I’m starving too.”

Manda laughed. “In that case, I hope they have enough food. The only person I’ve ever seen who can out-eat you is Josh! How you two can eat like you do and still stay so disconcertingly fit is beyond me!”

“So, you think I’m disconcerting?” Richard fished, appearing extremely pleased by the comment. “The truth now!”

Manda could feel the blood flooding into her cheeks and sighed. This man had a gift for making her blush. She dropped her eyes and examined the palms of her hands. “Yes. In every way that it is possible for you to be disconcerting, you are.”

“Name three,” he pressed with a charming grin. The car had pulled to a stop in front of the restaurant and Mark opened his door and got out.

“Richard!” she protested, embarrassed.

“Please!” he pleaded with eyes so wide and appealing that Manda melted.

“Cheater,” she grumbled, accusingly. “Fine. But not right now. Mark...”

The opening of the car door stilled her tongue. Grinning in anticipation, Richard escorted her into the restaurant, where the hostess quickly seated them in a secluded booth in a corner. He waited until they had ordered and were sipping iced tea before prompting her to continue.

“Well? What are three ways that I’m disconcerting?” he asked, leaning toward her across the table.

“Oh, you’re incorrigible!” Manda huffed.

Richard chuckled. “I’m going to assume that’s not one of the three.”

“Fine. If you must know, for one thing, you’re the most charming and considerate person I’ve ever met. Second, you’re tall and gorgeous, and third, you have the most incredible blue eyes.”

“And blue is your favorite color,” Richard concluded, smiling.

“Did David tell you that, too?”

“No. That was just my own observation,” he replied. “Thank you, Manda. It’s nice to know the attraction is mutual. Now, what is there to do around here? We have a whole week ahead of us. How shall we fill it?”

The rest of dinner was spent discussing the endless possibilities for filling their days. They lingered at their table long after countless other diners came and went, but neither wanted the evening to end. Richard finally declared it time to leave when he caught Manda trying to hide a yawn.

“I’ve kept you too long. I’d better get you home,” Richard said reluctantly. He called for the car and paid the check, and in less than an hour he was walking her up her front steps.

He took Manda’s key from her and unlocked the door. “I know I’ve already had more than my fair share today, since it’s really only our first date, but would a goodnight kiss be okay?” He pulled Manda  close as he spoke.

“I think that would be acceptable,” Manda breathed, tipping her face up toward his. The kiss that followed left her legs weak, and when it was over she clung to Richard, trying to gather her wits again. “Shall I come and pick you up tomorrow?”

“If you’d like. Today was amazing, Manda. I can hardly wait until tomorrow to see you again.”

“Then why don’t you have breakfast with me?” she suggested in a voice that was still husky and breathless from his kiss. The sooner she saw him again the next day, the happier she’d be.

Richard stiffened and frowned uncomfortably. “Manda, please don’t take this personally, but, as tempting as that is, I don’t...well...I’m very attracted to you, and very flattered, but...”

Manda was disappointed when she realized he was refusing her invitation, and confused and a little hurt by his reaction. His body language was disapproving, as if she’d crossed a line—as if her request had been inappropriate. What could be wrong with having breakfast together?

Manda’s eyes widened in alarm and her disappointment turned to mortification. “No! That’s not what I meant at all!” she gasped, realizing that Richard had misconstrued her invitation to breakfast as euphemism for spending the night with her. She hid her face in her hands, wishing she could disappear. “I really did just mean breakfast.”

Richard exhaled in relief and apologized profusely. “I’m sorry, Manda. I should have known better, but you caught me off guard. It’s just that I’ve been invited for ‘breakfast’ before, and they weren’t referring to food. I’m sorry if I’ve offended you. Please forgive me and forget I said that. I would love to have breakfast with you if the invitation still stands.”

“Is eight o’clock okay?” she asked, peeking at him through her fingers, still embarrassed.

“Eight o’clock will be perfect. I can’t wait. I’ll go now and let you get some rest. Sweet dreams.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead and opened the door for her.

He waited until she’d shut and locked the door before he left, and Manda watched through the window as the car disappeared from view before she climbed the stairs, cleaned up, and collapsed into bed. She was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Chapter 16

M
ikey tapped lightly on the door to the brothers’ suite and yawned. He took another sip of his too-hot coffee, trying to wake himself up. Being on tour with Josh and Richard had gotten him used to late nights and late mornings and he still hadn’t adjusted to these early hours. Josh had gotten back to the hotel a while ago though, and Mikey wanted to hear his report
before
Richard left with Manda. You could never be too careful, after all.

Josh answered the door and motioned Mikey in with a cream cheese-smeared bagel. Mikey went right to the table and sat in his usual chair. He helped himself to a piece of toast, then waited for Josh to sit back down before prompting the younger man to begin. “Anything new?”

“Naw,” Josh said dismissively. “Nothing new. Very dull.”

“Dull is good,” Mikey reminded him once more. “Just don’t let it make you complacent.” Mikey didn’t think there was any immediate chance of that. Not after the report they’d received about the killings in Manda’s neighborhood. Josh had been very casual about the situation before that, but since then he’d been very, very vigilant.

When Mikey had told him that every dog on Manda’s block had been killed by a “wild animal” of some kind, Josh had started taking the whole thing very seriously—especially after the dog that lived next door to Manda had been killed.

Foxes and coyotes weren’t uncommon in Manda’s neighborhood. A few missing lapdogs weren’t unheard of in such areas. It had gotten their attention, however, when people started finding larger dogs mutilated in their own backyards. The fact that these disappearances and mutilations were centered around Manda’s house had confirmed all of their fears, and when the report came two days ago that the mastiff belonging to Manda’s neighbors had been found dead and mangled, Josh had woken Richard immediately and the following discussion had been intense.

Josh had been right, Mikey admitted to himself. Mikey had supported Richard’s decision, but they had been wrong and Josh had been right. It was too late to avoid the situation by running away. Richard hadn’t accomplished anything by trying to keep his distance from Manda. All it had done was make everyone involved miserable.

Josh wasn’t one to say I-told-you-so, thankfully. He was a good kid. Their only possible course of action now was to meet the problem head-on, and Josh had willingly shouldered more than his share of that responsibility. He didn’t complain about it either. He just did it. Mikey respected that.

Mikey hoped things turned out better this time. It was hard on Richard when they went wrong. It was hard on everyone, but on Richard in particular. That man carried around more guilt than anyone else Mikey had ever met. It would be especially hard on Josh this time as well. He’d become friends with Manda. If things went badly, he’d be stuck in the middle. Mikey wouldn’t envy him that.

Mikey took another drink of his coffee. It had cooled enough to scald his tongue only slightly this time. “And Kastl didn’t think there was any immediate threat?” Mikey verified. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Josh’s judgment; he would just feel better if they had the “all’s well” from the one man besides Richard who most understood the risk.

“He gave a green light when I saw him. Not a trace of any trouble.” Josh wiped cream cheese off of his fingers with a white linen napkin.

Mikey nodded. “Good. Good. Is Richard up and around? What time did he say Manda would be by?”

“He’s in his room getting dressed—probably still worrying over what to wear.”

“I heard that!” Richard called through his closed bedroom door.

Josh winked at Mikey and grinned. “She should be here any time now. I don’t think Richie slept at all. He was already up and around when I got back.”

Mikey frowned slightly. He wasn’t actually sure that was good. He hid his doubts from Josh though. The young man was hoping for the best. Let him enjoy his optimism. Pessimism was Mikey’s job. There was nothing wrong with hoping for the best, he supposed. Hope for the best…prepare for the worst.

When Manda failed to show up on schedule, Mikey began to fear that his pessimism was proving justified. As the morning progressed with no word from any of their sources beyond the fact that the power was out on her entire block and there was no sign of activity in her house, Richard grew more and more agitated. She didn’t answer her phone when Richard tried repeatedly to reach her. By the time Mikey dispatched both men to her house -– Richard by car and Josh by quicker means -– his assurances that Kastl would have known if something had happened were ringing hollow even to himself.

Chapter 17