Romance Me (Boxed Set) (68 page)

Rhys stared at the closed bedroom door, once more debating whether to follow Melina. He got within two feet of it, his hand raised to knock, before he turned away. Rubbing his hands over his face, he muttered a curse. Several curses.

When he'd mentioned the end of the weekend, he'd thought he'd seen a flash of panic on Melina's face that echoed his own. But then she'd started talking about the conference, and he wasn't sure what to think. All he knew was that he didn't want to leave her. Only, how could he justify that to her or himself?

Everything he'd told Max was still true. They wanted different things in life. If he had only himself to consider, he wouldn't hesitate to make changes. But it wasn't just him. He was an integral part of the Dalton Twins’ Magic Show. Plenty of people were counting on him, including his mom and dad, who'd sacrificed their retirement funds to invest in their children's dreams. Their crew and their assistants had families they had to support, and Max… Rhys closed his eyes. Max was smart and he was talented, but he just didn't have the focus or the drive to deal with the business aspects of the act.

So ask her to come with you, he thought.

He glanced at the doorway again. She'd already shown she was far more adventurous than he'd ever believed. Hell, that little bikini he'd found had just about knocked him off his feet. He could easily picture her in it, her perky breasts high and firm, her curvy hips and ass mouthwateringly exposed.

How could he really know what she wanted unless he asked?

For the first time, he allowed himself to feel hope where Melina was concerned.

Turning back to the mantel, Rhys started sanding with vigor.

One hour, he'd told her. He'd finish up, take her out, maybe get her some wine with her lunch, and then he'd ask her what she thought about extending her little experiment.

Indefinitely.

***

After walking Shasta's small downtown with its quaint shops, including a gold rush museum, Rhys took Melina to his favorite outdoor bistro. As the waiter delivered their meals, Melina deliberately ignored the beautiful weather, as well as the vibrant bursts of azalea vines and roses that climbed the iron trellis surrounding the patio. Instead, she forced herself to remember the intense pain that had crippled her that morning. She knew that in order to avoid even more pain, she had to get away from Rhys as soon as possible.

“How about some wine?” Rhys asked.

Without glancing up from her salad, Melina shook her head. “Better not. I have a bit of a stomachache.”

“What? Why didn't you tell me?”

At the genuine concern in Rhys's voice, Melina looked up. Guilt almost made her wince. He looked so concerned, and for no reason. She'd only said she had a stomachache to prepare for her escape, but she didn't want to ruin their last moments together, either. Reaching out, she squeezed his hand. “It's not too bad, but I should probably just stick with water.”

He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. Melina closed her eyes, commanding herself not to cry. “So,” she forced out, pulling her hand back. “You've got a show coming up, right? Where will you be performing next?”

“Reno.”

Her eyebrows rose. “Reno. Not one of your more exotic locals.”

Laughing, he shook his head. “No. But it's definitely one of our most important shows.”

“Why's that?”

He leaned back in his seat. “There are going to be some important people watching on Wednesday night. In a way, we'll be auditioning for them. Seven Seas Cruises pulls out of Florida. They want the Dalton Twins' Magic Show to be part of their onboard entertainment, which means we'd have a permanent theater to work out of.”

Although she wondered why she hadn't heard anything about this before, even from Max, surprise and excitement rushed through her so intensely that she squealed. Despite his casual demeanor, she could plainly see how much the cruise ship opportunity meant to him. “Oh. My. Gosh!” She jumped up and threw her arms around him. “That's amazing. How wonderful. Your parents must be thrilled. You and Max are hitting the big time, just like you always wanted.”

“Yeah. Just like we always wanted.”

Something in his voice made her step back. Mixed in with his excitement was something akin to nerves. Even doubt. “Is something wrong?”

He laughed nervously. “Other than the fact I'm sometimes prone to motion sickness? Nah. I've been assured the Seven Seas ships have the best stabilizers in the business.”

She moved back to her chair and sat down. “So when does this contract start?”

“We have to get it first, but then it's supposed to start immediately.”

She waved her hand, indicating it was practically a done deal. “They'll recognize your talent when they see it,” she said brightly. “But what about the rest of your tour?”

“We have one more gig lined up in Vegas, and then we'd planned to take some time off. Our availability is a huge factor in our favor. Their cruises last from seven to twenty-one nights, depending on the itinerary.”

“Wow. And you'd be performing every night?”

“That's the plan.” He shrugged. “There's one sticking point. They want an act for their family show, too. I'm not sure we can give them that.”

“Why not?”

“The act's taken a turn since you last saw it. To compete with others, we've upped the adult nature of our shows.”

She'd been about to take a bite of her salad, but her fork froze in front of her face. “Adult nature?” she echoed.

“Nothing vulgar,” he said quickly. “Skimpy outfits. Sexual humor.” His voice remained steady, but a slight blush had risen on his cheeks.

“Just how skimpy are the outfits?” she asked suspiciously.

“There's one or two tricks where the assistant goes topless.”

Her fork dropped to her plate. “Seriously?” she squeaked.

“Yeah.”

“But that's…that's objectifying, don't you think?”

“There's nothing objectifying about nudity.” His lips pressed together. “It's entertainment.”

“I beg your pardon, but if the nudity is just for titillation, which is what you're talking about, then it objectifies the woman who is nude. All she becomes is a pair of tits.”

“So I take it you don't approve.”

“I-I—” Aside from her gut reaction, she couldn't say with certainty whether she did or not. She'd never given it much thought. Plus, she couldn't say for sure whether it was the topless assistants she really objected to, or if it was the idea of them prancing around in front of Rhys one night after the other. “Whether I approve or not is irrelevant. It's not my act. I guess I just thought your act was good the way it was.”

“It was good, but it wasn't taking us where we wanted to go.”

“To the top,” she verified.

“Yeah.”

Melina nodded. It looked like things were lining up for the Dalton family. Although she was happy for them, she couldn't quite picture Rhys living on a cruise ship. Not for very long. But then again, what did she know? After several attempts at eating, she pushed her plate away, no longer having to pretend her stomach hurt.

“Melina, maybe this isn't the best time to ask, but I want to know if—”

“I have to go,” she said abruptly.

Rhys's mouth snapped shut. He frowned. “What?”

She raised a shaky hand to her forehead. “I guess I'm feeling worse than I thought. I'd like you to go home now.”

“You mean back to the cabin?”

“No. I mean back to Sacramento.”

“But the weekend's not over. What about—”

She shook her head. “No worries. You're a genius. I didn't need to learn about technique, I just needed to get my confidence up and be willing to try different things. You made me realize that, and I'll always, always appreciate it. But I think I can take it from here.”

He stared at her, his face darkening with something close to anger. “What if I don't want you to go home?”

Her heart began to race. “What do you mean?”

Leaning over, he took her hands in his. “I mean, I've really enjoyed our time together.”

“I have to. I suppose Max's plan worked, after all.” It had worked too well.

“Come to Reno with me.”

Melina blinked. “What?”

“I know you're supposed to work, but I was hoping you could take some time off.”

Whoa. The world seemed to be spinning out of control. He didn't want their time to end either? “Wouldn't I just get in the way?”

“I'd be busy. I have to set up for the show and do rehearsals, but you could hang out. See what it's like. You could visit with Mom and Dad. Then, whenever I could get away…”

She cocked a brow. “What?”

He wiggled his brows up and down, reminding her so much of Max when he was being naughty. “We could get off.”

She flushed, not in embarrassment but arousal.

“That certainly sounds tempting.” But she'd only be putting off their separation, wouldn't she? And it wouldn't be like it was here. She wouldn't have Rhys's undivided attention. That could be a good thing, but it could also be bad. She adored his parents. They never failed to welcome her in and make her feel a part of the family. Which would make having to leave all the harder. She just couldn't see spending more time with Rhys, knowing pain would once again be waiting for her. So while her heart was screaming, yes, yes, yes, she forced herself to say, “I appreciate the offer, but I'm going to have to say no. I need to get back home and to my lab.”

He sat back, and for a moment she thought she saw real distress in his eyes. Then he shrugged. “You're right. What was I thinking? There's way too much to do, getting ready for Seven Seas and all. I should probably put all my focus into that.”

“Sure. It's your dream come true, after all.”

“Yeah,” he whispered.

He put down his napkin, took several bills out of his wallet, and threw them on the table. “You ready to go?”

Chapter Ten

Dalton's Magic Rule #11: Use your brain and heart as much as your hands.

Back at Rhys's cabin, Melina packed up her things while Rhys put away the mantel and tidied up the house. They'd barely spoken on the drive back from the restaurant, and every time she looked at him she had to force herself not to say, “I changed my mind. Of course I'll go to Reno with you.” This was for the best, she told herself for the thousandth time. This weekend was about sexual empowerment, not emotional suicide, and she was lucky Rhys had been part of it.

“You almost ready?”

She whirled around at the sound of Rhys's voice. He stood in the doorway, one hand gripping the header and the other tucked behind his back. She arched a brow. “Is this another pop quiz?”

When he smiled—a genuine smile that showed off his adorable dimple—the relief was disorienting. She hated when things were tense between them, but if he could smile, maybe that meant everything would be okay.

“I suppose in a way it is,” he confessed. “I brought your gift with me, but in all the confusion, I don't think I ever wished you a happy birthday.”

Playing along, she pretended to think about it. “No. I don't think you did.”

“I didn't think so.” He stepped into the room. “So are you ready for the question?”

She nodded.

“What's your favorite bug?”

He had to be kidding. “Seriously? What kind of question is that? You already know—”

“Will you just play along?” he gritted out in a long-suffering voice.

“Okay, okay.” She took a deep breath. “My favorite bug…” She paused dramatically. “Is the ladybug.”

“And why is it your favorite bug?”

“Because of its polka dots,” she groaned, remembering the day she'd complained about her mother wanting her to wear a polka dot dress. “But dots on a bug are far different than on a dress. Especially when you're fourteen and fat.”

He glared at her. “You weren't fat. You were just…well-cushioned.”

She snorted, even though Rhys, unlike Brian, made it sound like a compliment.

“Anyway, maybe you'll feel different about this.”

He brought his arm around and held out a small box wrapped in simple ivory paper. “Happy birthday, Ladybug.”

She took the box with trembling fingers and tried to blink back her tears. She didn't quite succeed. One trailed down her cheek, and he swiped it away with his thumb. He didn't question her tears, and she didn't explain them.

Sitting on the bed, she carefully removed the paper and lifted the lid off the box. Her eyes widened in disbelief when she saw what was inside. A small laugh burst out of her. “It's a bikini.”

He sat down next to her, his expression watchful, as if he wasn't sure whether she liked it. “Yeah. I saw it when I was in France. The white one you have is a whole lot more daring, but this one…” He shrugged. “I don't know. It just reminded me of you.”

She lifted the two pieces out of the box. The material was black, sprinkled with red polka dots. They weren't showy and neither was the cut of the bikini. Unlike the one she'd bought, this one would cover her where she wanted to be covered, yet it was also stylish. Hip. Sexy.