The Mighty Quinns: Ryan (10 page)

And then, without warning, it hit her. Her body shuddered, and she cried out as the spasms took her over the edge. She’d never experienced an orgasm quite so powerful, and Serena tried to stay aware of everything that he was doing to her. But she lost herself, drowning in a whirlpool of sensation.

When she finally came back to the surface, she was still gasping for breath. Her heart was slamming against her rib cage, and her fingers and toes tingled. “I can’t move,” she said.

“I suppose I could just leave you here while I go to the market.”

She groaned as she sat up. “You are a cruel man,” Serena teased. “And I wouldn’t go out of the house with that.” She glanced down at the erection rubbing against his belly. “I could fix it for you.” She wrapped her fingers around his shaft and began to stroke. “It won’t take any time at all.”

“You are a cruel woman,” he countered. “I wager I could last longer than you.”

A sound at the front door caught their attention, and he pressed his finger to her lips. A moment later, the door squeaked, and Ryan grabbed Serena and pulled her toward the bedroom.

“Hello?” a female voice called.

He closed the bedroom door behind them and searched the room until he found the board shorts she’d taken off him earlier.

“Stay here,” he said.

“Who is that?” she whispered. “Oh God, don’t tell me you’re married. If you’re married, I will kill you.”

“It’s my sister, Dana. My entire family has keys to this place.”

“I thought you lived here alone.”

“I do. Now,” he said, pulling the board shorts on. He looked down at his lap and cursed at his erection.

“Here, use this,” Serena said, tossing him a T-shirt.

“Is anyone here?” Dana called.

Ryan opened the bedroom door and stepped out. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” Dana cried. “I saw the lights on, and I was afraid someone had broken in. You’re supposed to be in Fiji. When did you get back?”

“This morning.”

Serena searched for something to put on as she listened to their conversation. She pulled a sundress from her bag and slipped it over her head, covering her naked body.

“What happened? Did you get fired? Did you break the rule? Oh, bloody hell, Mal will pitch a fit.”

“I didn’t break any rules,” Ryan said, closing the door behind him. Their voices grew muffled and she hurried to the door.

“They just didn’t need me anymore,” Ryan explained. “The girls didn’t want an adventure. All they wanted to do was lie about and get a suntan.”

Serena pulled the bedroom door open and stepped out. “Actually, I wanted an adventure, but none of my bridesmaids did.”

Dana’s eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. “But you’re—”

Serena crossed the room, holding out her hand. “Serena. And you’re Dana. Ryan has told me so much about you. It’s a pleasure to meet you at last.” She glanced back at Ryan. “What rule did you break?”

“The—the rule to—to get the job done!” Dana said, a bright smile on her face. “It’s so nice to meet you. I love your films. Crikey, you’re so tiny. I thought you’d be taller.”

“I get that a lot. It’s probably because most of my costars have been short.”

“So, as you can see, nobody broke in, Dana,” Ryan interrupted. “Can you go now, please?”

“Oh, I also came to get the coffeemaker. The one at the office broke and we didn’t have the money for a new one and you’re never home, so I just thought I’d come by and nick yours. I’ll just get it and go.”

“And what if I want a cup of coffee?” Ryan asked.

She froze. “Oh, yes. I’m sorry. Of course. Then, I’ll leave it.” Dana glanced over at Serena. “It was a pleasure to meet you. I hope we see each other again.”

“I’m sure we will,” Serena said.

Dana hurried to the front door, and a few seconds later, it slammed behind her. Ryan released a long breath. “My sister.”

“She’s lovely,” Serena said, turning to face him. “What rule was she talking about?”

“She told you. To get the job—”

“Oh, please. That’s bollocks. She’s a dreadful liar. And so are you.”

He sighed. “My brothers and I have an unwritten rule. No shagging the clients.” She opened her mouth to reply, but he held up his hand to stop her. “You should know that Amy, Mal’s fiancée, was a client. And Claudia, Rogan’s fiancée, was also a client. So the rule has been broken by both of my brothers before I broke it.”

“Well, that excuses you, then,” she said.

He observed her silently, as if trying to gauge her mood. “You’re...angry?”

“No,” Serena said. “Actually, I am quite pleased that you decided to break your rule for me. Please say that I was your first.”

“You were,” he said. “And technically, you weren’t my client because you’d fired me.”

She nodded. “All right.” Serena walked up to him and grabbed the waistband of his shorts, dragging him along to the bedroom. “I think we need to finish what we were doing when your sister arrived.”

* * *

R
YAN
OPENED
THE
front door of the cottage and stepped inside, the sack of takeaway clutched in his hand. “Serena?”

“I’m out here,” she called.

He smiled to himself. They’d arrived just that morning and already he’d grown accustomed to having her around. He enjoyed seeing her curled up on his sofa reading a book or standing at the sink getting a glass of water. He liked finding her clothes mixed in with his and smelling her perfume on his pillow. It gave him a surge of satisfaction to walk in the door and call her name and then have her answer.

Ryan set the food on the counter, then wandered through the cottage. He found Serena sitting on the back deck, her feet tucked up under her, his fleece jacket draped around her shoulders. She wore her glasses, making her look more like a schoolteacher than a movie star.

“What are you doing?”

She held up a spiral-bound sheaf of papers. “Reading a script.”

“For what?”

Serena shrugged. “It’s an independent film. I’ve been wanting to try something new but—” She stopped short, then closed the script and tossed it on the table. “I’m not even sure they’d want me anymore.”

“Of course they would. What does that mean, independent?”

“It’s not a studio film. Lower budget, a subject that might not appeal to a broad audience. Quirky, edgy, weird.”

“Why would you want to do a film like that?”

“They’re usually made quickly, and the character could be interesting or a challenge. It might allow me to stretch as an actor. If I’m going to act, I want to do it well.”

“If?”

“I’m thinking maybe I could give it up.”

“But if you don’t act, what are you going to do?” Ryan asked.

“Well, when I was a little girl, I wanted to be a princess. I have experience. I played a princess in a film. I even have my own tiara.”

He wished he’d watched some of her movies before he’d met her. “We don’t have our own royal family here in New Zealand, so I’m not sure princess would be a practical choice. What do you enjoy doing? Do you have any hobbies?”

“I like to play with my dogs. And read. I’m pretty good at cooking and baking. I pretend that I garden, though I don’t really like getting my hands dirty. So in truth, I know nothing that prepares me for a real job in the real world.” She sighed. “I’ll figure it out.”

Ryan knew he shouldn’t expect her to stay in New Zealand for the rest of her life. She had a career that she’d spent years building and a talent that defined her success. Pursuing anything other than acting would be a waste of time. Besides, where else could she make a million dollars for just a few months’ work? Certainly not in Raglan. “You’re a splendid actress. Maybe you ought to stick with that.”

“And what do you want to do when you grow up?” she asked.

“I haven’t quite sorted that out yet,” he said. “I’m really not free to pursue another career right now.”

“But if you were?”

He didn’t want to talk about the surf school. It was a dream that probably never would become a reality. He’d hoped to put away the money from the Fiji trip to start his savings. But he wouldn’t get anything from Thom Perry now.

He wondered what it felt like to have enough money to buy nearly anything a person wanted. He was always scraping to pay this bill or that one. And even if he did open a surf school, it wasn’t the kind of career that would make him a millionaire. That kind of money was made by men far more educated and driven than he was.

“I think I’d be a very fine prince, too.”

“Oh,” she said. “We could start our own royal family.”

“We can shop for proper crowns and robes tomorrow,” Ryan said. “I bought dinner. Would you prefer to eat out here or inside?”

“Here would be lovely,” she said.

Ryan fetched the dinner and set it up on the table, scooping the pasta into a shallow bowl before handing it to Serena. “I haven’t had pasta in ages,” she said. “Carbs were forbidden by my trainer and my nutritionist.”

“You have a trainer and a nutritionist?” he asked.

“I have an agent, two managers, a publicist, a trainer, a stylist, a makeup artist, a hairdresser, a driver, a housekeeper, a gardener, a pool man, a nutritionist, a manicurist, an aesthetician, an acupuncturist and a therapist. I employ a small army of people to keep me functioning.”

“So should I expect you to fall apart completely, now that you don’t have them with you?” Ryan asked.

“You’ll notice I didn’t list boy toy. I’m auditioning you for that role,” she teased, pointing at him with her fork.

Ryan smiled, but he had to wonder how she saw him. Was he just a guy who pleased her in bed? Or did she see him as the kind of man she might make a life with? He couldn’t seem to get himself past the disparity in their financial situations.

Were there men who could bury their egos so deeply that it didn’t make a difference? But if she had millions, then what could he possibly offer her? Anything he wanted to provide, she could purchase on her own. A car, a house, a holiday in some exotic location.

And yet this was the reality of who they were. If he wanted her, he’d have to accept the fact that she had more money than he could ever hope to earn. Ryan cursed inwardly. Perhaps he should stop jumping ahead. He’d never wanted to be responsible for someone’s happiness and security. He was happy on his own. What difference did her money make?

“Is boy toy a paid position?” he asked.

“Oh, now we get to it. You want to negotiate?”

“What do boy toys usually make?” Ryan asked.

“It depends what your job responsibilities are. What are you going to give me?”

What could he give her? Ryan wondered. “Complete and utter sexual satisfaction.”

“That’s all?” she asked.

“Isn’t that enough?”

She stood up and circled the table, then crawled onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Maybe it is. Actually, I’m sure it is.” She kissed him, her lips soft and tasting of tomato sauce. “Does it bother you?”

“The fact that I’m just a sexual object to you?”

“No. The money. Sometimes—actually, most of the time, men find it uncomfortable that I make more than they do. The good men, anyway. Some men can hardly wait to start spending my money. They’re the ones I have to avoid.”

“No,” he lied. “It doesn’t make a difference.”

“Good. Because you know, it’s not as if it’s real money.”

“It’s not? What is it?”

“It’s fantasy money,” she explained. “I don’t earn it. Nothing I do is worth what I earn. I’d do the exact same job for much less. My agent would kill me if he heard me say that out loud.” She paused. “I’m not explaining this very well. Do you gamble? I mean, have you ever made money on a bet?”

“I’ve played poker.”

“How much did you win?”

“A couple of hundred.”

“Did you feel like you earned that money? It was lucky money, right? And that’s what they give me. I’m lucky to be able to do what I do and get paid for it.”

In truth, he did understand what she was trying to say. Ryan wasn’t sure it made a difference, but it was something to consider. “So my pay as a boy toy is lucky money, too?”

“Yes. It’s money you’re making for getting lucky. It’s the epitome of lucky money.”

Ryan laughed, then pushed her off his lap. “Finish your pasta.” He reached across the table and grabbed a bread stick from the bag. “You’re going to need a big meal. I’m planning to get very lucky tonight.”

They finished their dinner, then walked down to the beach to wait for the sunset. They’d spent their first day together, and it had gone better than he’d ever expected.

She slipped her arm through his and rested her head against his shoulder. “So, what’s on the itinerary for tomorrow?”

“What would you like to do?”

“Maybe go into town,” she said. “Walk around and see what...where are we again?”

“Raglan,” he said.

“See what Raglan has to offer.”

“It’s not L.A.,” Ryan said.

“I don’t want L.A.,” she said.

“I should stop in at the office,” he said. “Face the music. No doubt Dana has spread the tale of what she saw earlier this morning. Don’t worry. She’s discreet. She’ll just tell my brothers and my mother.”

“Your mother?”

“She’ll be thrilled,” Ryan said.

“That you have a girlfriend?”

“Is that what you are? My girlfriend?” Ryan asked.

“Sure. I could be your girlfriend.”

“You have a boy toy and I’ve got a girlfriend. I’d say we’re making progress here.”

But progress
to what
was the real question.

6

“I’
LL
BE
FINE
,
” she said. “I have my hat and my sunglasses, and no one will recognize me,” Serena said. “I just want to pick up a few things and then I’ll walk back to your place.”

Ryan looked out the windscreen. They were parked on the main street of Raglan, a half-hour walk from the beach house. “But I can come with you. You know what will happen if someone recognizes you.”

Serena had been in New Zealand for only a day but she’d already grown restless hanging about the
bach
. She’d made elaborate plans to spend her day at the most important spots in Raglan—the market, the bakery and the hardware store.

News of her canceled wedding hadn’t hit the media yet, so Serena assumed Ben and Thom had talked and decided to keep the news to themselves. They were no doubt hoping to get her back to Los Angeles and down the aisle before anyone was the wiser.

“I just need a little more time to work out what I’m going to say to everyone.” She paused. “Has Thom rung you this morning?”

Ryan pulled his phone out of his pocket and rolled through the incoming calls. “Yeah. Six—no, seven—times since we left Fiji. Has he rung you?”

“I haven’t turned my phone on. I’m just going to leave it off until I’ve decided what to say. Are you going to call Thom back?”

“Not until you do,” Ryan said.

“Good. We should both be on the same page. You don’t think they assume I broke my engagement because I’m having an affair with you, do you?”

“I don’t know,” Ryan said, confused by her question.

“That would be bad. I don’t want to look like a slut. Or a cheat. But if Ben calls me a cheat, then I’ll have to reveal to everyone that he cheated on me first.” She paused. “He probably knows that’s what I’d do. No, he won’t say I cheated.” She groaned, pressing her hands to her head. “This is why I can’t think about this now.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I have to go.”

“You know how to get home? Just follow Wainui Road and it will take you all the way to the
bach
. It’s about two kilometers.”

She tugged on her hat and slipped her sunglasses on. “That’s brilliant. A proper stroll. And I have my phone and my wallet and passport if I get lost. I’ll be fine. I’ve driven in L.A. I can certainly navigate a small village like this.”

“All right.” He pulled her into a hug. “I’m just going to check into the office and then I’ll stop and grab some groceries. I won’t be gone more than a couple of hours.”

She jumped out of the Range Rover. “I’ll see you later.” Serena pushed the cap down on her head and crossed the street.

* * *

R
YAN
WATCHED
UNTIL
Serena disappeared into the local pharmacy.

He thought about waiting for her, just to make sure she didn’t have any problems. But then he realized that Serena had just discovered her independence. She wasn’t helpless and she didn’t need him hovering over her.

Ryan threw the Range Rover into gear and turned the truck toward the office. Though Dana wasn’t normally a gossip, he wanted to talk to her before she spread tales throughout the family about Ryan’s new houseguest.

When he pulled into the car park at Max Adrenaline, he recognized all three cars. Dana, Mal and Rogan were in the office. “Bloody hell,” Ryan murmured. Maybe he ought to just go home. But he’d have to face them sooner or later. And it was better to do it now before they had a chance to speculate.

He switched off the ignition and hopped out of the truck. Duffy was lying on the porch and perked up as Ryan passed, his tail thumping on the plank floor. “Hey, Duff.” He reached down and gave the dog a pat. Duffy got to his feet and followed Ryan through the screened door.

He found his three siblings in the workroom. They were going over gear for an upcoming trip, sorting through the ropes and harnesses and hardware, checking for any damage.

They watched him silently as he walked over to the brand new coffeepot and poured himself a cup. Ryan glanced around the room. “Go ahead. Have at it. I’m ready for the worst of it.”

“What the hell were you thinking?”

“Did you sleep with her?”

“Jaysus, Ryan, when you break the rules, you do it up right.”

The comments tumbled over each other until he held up his hand to silence the critics. “All right. Now that you’ve had your say, I’ll have mine. Serena is going to be staying with me until she sorts out what she wants to do. Yes, we are...involved, but nothing happened until after she broke off her engagement. I was not the cause of that. There were other factors at work. Although meeting me might have pushed her toward that decision a bit quicker, I’m sure she would have canceled the wedding anyway. And no, we won’t be making our fee on this trip. So we’ll have to make that money up elsewhere.”

Mal sat down, running his hands through his hair. “You couldn’t have convinced her to stay for the entire week? That was a lot of money to just toss away.”

Ryan shrugged. “It was my money. My choice. And there’s nothing I can do about it now.”

“Rogan told me you considered this a freelance job,” Mal said.

“There is something you can do,” Dana said. “Thom Perry called this morning. He wants you to call him.”

“I’m not going to do that.”

“He said that if you deliver Serena Hightower to Los Angeles by the end of the week, he’ll double your fee. And he’ll triple it if you convince her to go through with the wedding.”

“Did you tell him we were here in Raglan?”

“No,” Dana said. “But I promised that I’d relay his message if you called in.”

He smiled at his sister. “Thank you,” he murmured. His siblings observed him silently. “What? You can’t believe I’d take his offer. I’d be selling her back to the people she wanted to get away from. I won’t do that.”

Mal shook his head. “How long do you think it will take her to get bored with life in Raglan? You’ve got an expedition booked right after the New Year. You’re going to leave, and what is she going to do here all alone? Send her home to Hollywood. Collect your fee. She doesn’t belong here, Ryan.”

“I’m not going to do it. End of discussion.”

Rogan took a step toward him. “Do you fancy yourself in love with her?”

“No,” Ryan said. “I’m well aware we’d never make a go of it. Hell, she’s a damn movie star. I can’t offer her anything that she can’t buy for herself.” He paused. “Well, there are a few things that—”

“Let her go,” Mal said. “You know you’ll have to sooner or later. Just make a clean break now and send her back to her fiancé.”

“I’m not going to listen to this,” Ryan said. “She needs to make her own decisions. If she wants to go back, I’ll take her. But I’m not going to try to convince her that marrying Ben Thayer is the right thing to do. He’s cheated on her twice since they’ve been engaged.”

“Really?” Dana said. “With who?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Ryan said.

“Someone is going to recognize her.” Rogan warned.

“If they do, I’ll take her down to the South Island and we’ll stay there. She needs some time, and I intend to give it to her.”

“Maybe you should send
her
the bill,” Mal said.

“Right,” Ryan said. “I’ll do that.” He tossed his coffee cup into the rubbish bin and started for the door.

“Don’t go,” Mal said. “Now that we’re all here, I want to talk about the Everest trip.”

“I already told you I wasn’t going to do it,” Ryan said.

“Just sit,” Mal said, pointing to a chair on the opposite side of the table. “Give me ten minutes and then you can leave.”

Reluctantly, Ryan pulled out the chair and straddled it. He rested his forearms across the back and waited, confident that nothing Mal could say would change his mind. “Amy’s father has agreed to fund the entire expedition. Everything. He’s bought us enough climbing permits to fund a full complement of support crew and Sherpas. But he’s made it clear that his funding is contingent on all four siblings going along.”

Ryan frowned. “Dana, too?”

“Yeah, Dana, too. She’s going to work as the media liaison for Amy and
High Adventure
magazine.”

Amy’s father, Richard Engalls, was the publisher of
High Adventure
magazine and a climber himself. The multimillionaire saw a profit in their story and was willing to invest in the climb. But Ryan had a strong aversion to turning his family’s tragedy into a moneymaking adventure.

“Engalls won’t be satisfied with three out of the four Quinns?”

“No. But I do have a deal to offer you. This stays between the four of us.”

“Oh, lovely. Another family secret,” Ryan muttered.

Rogan shot him a dark look. “Tell him the plan, Mal.”

“You come to base camp with us. You act as if you’re going to do the climb, but at the last minute, you’ll acquire an injury. A sprained ankle or a twisted knee. All you have to do is have a fall, and you can stay behind with the support staff. Engalls won’t be able to pull the funding once we’re on the mountain.”

Ryan considered the plan. He wouldn’t be forced to make the climb, forced to look at his father’s body. He’d still be supporting a venture that he found a bit mercenary, but without his participation, his siblings wouldn’t be able to go, and it meant a lot to them. “I’ll think about it.”

“I need your answer by the end of the week. If this trip falls through, we might as well close the doors and sell what we own.”

Ryan groaned inwardly. After losing the Perry paycheck, he had to do something to make it up to his family. The Everest trip could draw enough publicity to finally put the business on solid footing. And then perhaps Ryan could finally strike out on his own. “All right, I’ll go. There you have it. But I’m not going to make the climb.”

Mal smiled. “Fine. Great.” He turned to Rogan and gave him a high five. “Dana, you’re going to Everest.”

Dana’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “I’m going to Everest.”

“Roger Innis has a permit to climb, too,” Rogan said. “He’s going to want to get up there before us. What are we going to do if he arrives first?”

“We don’t have to worry about that,” Mal said.

“Why not?” Ryan asked.

Mal shrugged. “We just don’t. Innis won’t be able to find the spot.”

Rogan sat down next to Mal. “What do you know?”

“Innis doesn’t have the GPS coordinates. The party who found our father didn’t feel it was right to publish that information until they’d talked to the family. They gave the coordinates to Mom and promised her that they wouldn’t disclose them to anyone else.”

“And you didn’t think that was important to tell us?” Dana asked.

“Not until you all decided to go,” Mal said. “Plus, Amy’s father is going to leak the wrong coordinates. We won’t have a problem with Roger.”

Ryan pushed to his feet. “All right. I have to go. I’m counting on all of you to keep this thing with Serena quiet.”

“Wait. One more thing. Since you’re home, you can make it to the meeting with a new client at the end of the week. Ian Stephens is coming in to talk about an expedition he wants to fund.”

“Who is Ian Stephens?” Ryan asked. “I’ve never heard of him.”

“No idea,” Mal replied. “He told Dana that he’s the financial guy and that he wanted to meet with all of us. He’ll be here on Friday morning.”

Ryan nodded. “Okay, I’m in.” Duffy followed him to the front door and walked out onto the porch with him. “Hey, I’m going to take Duffy home with me,” he shouted.

“Sounds good,” Dana replied. “Don’t let him mooch. I’ve finally gotten him off human food. Don’t mess it up.”

“No human food?” Ryan said. “We’re going to have to fix that. Come on, Duff, let’s go.”

He opened the passenger door of the Range Rover, and the dog hopped inside. “I’ve got a lady I want to introduce you to,” Ryan said. “She loves dogs. You’re going to like her. I like her a lot.”

As he drove to the market, Ryan thought about his decision to go on the Everest expedition. Maybe it was time he finally faced his father’s death full-on. With Serena here, Ryan sensed a subtle shift in his life, as if there were big changes just around the corner. And before he could turn that corner, he needed to leave his past behind.

* * *

S
ERENA
STARED
AT
herself in the bathroom mirror. It wasn’t horrible. It wasn’t great, either. But it was a change, and at least she could say she didn’t look like Serena Hightower anymore.

She picked up the box of hair color and held it up to her head, trying to match the color on the box with the color she’d gotten. “Ronaldo, I’m sorry.”

Ronaldo Mercon had been her stylist for years. He’d been behind every major style change she’d made and had done her hair for all the awards shows. He’d made her look beautiful, and now she looked...ordinary.

She fought back a wave of emotion. It was like saying goodbye to her old life. She had no idea if she’d ever go back, but this change would help her go forward.

“Serena?”

“I’m in here,” she called. “Wait out there.”

“What?”

“Just wait and close your eyes.”

She ruffled her damp hair and tried to make the uneven cut appear intentional. It wasn’t perfect. But it wasn’t that bad.

She found Ryan standing in the kitchen, his hand over his eyes. “Can I peek? Are you going to be naked?”

“No,” she said.

“Should I get naked?”

“No. Just hang on.” Her stomach fluttered and her self-confidence wavered. What if Ryan hated the new Serena? She’d never really considered what he’d think about her appearance. He’d fallen for a woman with long, honey-blond hair, and now her hair was a deep shade of mahogany with a blunt asymmetrical cut.

Fearing the worst, she raced back into the bathroom and slammed shut the door. It was awful. She hadn’t been able to see the hair at the back of her head, so she’d just hacked it off. But even the bangs were crooked and the sides uneven. A professional could easily fix it, but how could she get her hair cut without risking recognition?

“Serena?” Ryan rapped softly on the door. “Are you coming out?”