Ryan nodded. “You do seem to bring out a different side of her.” Even though Ryan chuckled as he spoke, Rhys could hear the questioning note in his voice.
Instead of dredging up his grudge with the man’s sister, Rhys said, “Dane is here. I didn’t even see him when I came in, but then again, he’s always been good at blending into the background.”
“I imagine it’s a survival mechanism for him.”
“Hmm,” Rhys said noncommittally since he didn’t understand how going unnoticed helped Dane. “Well, I guess since Kerry appears fine now, I’ll let you get on with your day.”
Ryan started away then hesitated before stopping Rhys. “I never got the chance to thank you for what you did for Max. I realize it wasn’t your intention to help us by outing him with Drew, but honestly, it lifted a huge weight off his shoulders, so thank you.”
Without waiting for a response, he strode away. Rhys watched him go, feeling a little better about himself. When Max’s father had passed away, Rhys had gone to the funeral services with Max’s brother Drew. Afterward, he’d inadvertently witnessed a private moment between Ryan and Max. When their secret affair stood in the way of him leaving the gathering, he’d simply stated the pair were in love. He never meant to hurt anyone. He’d known Drew would embrace their relationship. Ryan was right in thinking it also had not been his intention to help them, but in a way, he’d hoped it would. Not everyone was as lucky as Ryan and Max, which reminded Rhys of why he was there. Apparently, he was going to stand behind his brother while he said his vows to the woman Rhys loved. Yep. Not everyone got lucky. With a sigh, he went to share the good news with Knox.
* * * * *
With his bag in hand and his heart on his sleeve, Rhys rapped his knuckles on the wood door. He’d waffled for close to three hours before ending up here. Of course, now he almost wished he had made a different choice. The light colored stone walls and massive windows, which allowed for a clear view all the way through the house to the pool out back, didn’t give away a hint as to whether or not the owner was at home. Part of him hoped she wasn’t. However, Mandy’s smile changed his mind as soon as she opened the door. He couldn’t remember the last time she’d been happy to see him.
“Rhys!” The excited squeal of his name was the only warning she gave before throwing herself at him. As her body slammed against his and her arms encircled his neck, he shifted his hips away expecting his stupid dick to go hard at the first brush of her skin. She’d always had that effect on him. Her sweet smell engulfed him. Nothing. Huh. He squeezed her tighter. “Missed you.” His confession came out sounding hoarse, but even as she stepped away, her grin remained in place.
“I’ve missed you too. Have you decided to stay with us, after all?” she asked, motioning toward his bag. Up until the words left her mouth, he had not been sure Knox’s offer had been a genuine one, but he’d obviously talked it over with Mandy at some point. He wasn’t even sure why he was there. What did he hope to gain besides torturing himself?
“Um. Yeah. I don’t know how long I’ll be in town. I thought it might be a good idea to spend as much time with you as I can before I head out again.”
Her face fell at the mention of him leaving. She dropped her gaze in an obvious attempt to hide her reaction as she moved aside. “I didn’t mean to leave you standing in the doorway. Come in. All the upstairs bedrooms are still empty so you can have your pick. Knox is asleep, but I know he’ll be thrilled when he learns you’ve decided to stay here.”
Rhys’ steps faltered. “Knox is asleep? As in taking a nap, asleep?”
A giggle escaped Mandy. “Go put your stuff away and get back here. I want to hear all about what you’ve been doing.”
Upon her order, he rushed up the staircase. Choosing the first open doorway at the top, he tossed his bag on the queen-sized bed. Knox’s house had always been nice. Now, everywhere Rhys looked, he could see how Mandy had turned the place into a home. Rhys understood completely what Knox got in Mandy as he eyed the deep maroon bedspread and gleaming wooden furniture. This place felt like a safe haven where children could be raised in peace while surrounded by love. Damned if Rhys’ nose didn’t sting at the thought. Knox and Mandy deserved this life. They were both good. Leaving his envy behind, Rhys made his way back down the stairs.
Taking his time, he paused to look at a few of the photos hanging on the walls along the way. Mandy’s job as a professional photographer for a sports magazine gave her an outlet for her passion. Her love for it showed in the images. One in particular, right inside the den, drew his eye. He moved to inspect it closer. With the camera held at arm’s length, Mandy had snapped a picture of Knox and her together. Knox’s hand splayed across her cheek, as if he’d forced her face to turn his way. They stared into each other’s eyes. The contrasts between his scarred knuckles and her delicate features were vast. A black titanium wedding band encircled Knox’s ring finger. Rhys hadn’t noticed it at Grid Iron, but at the time, fingerless weightlifting gloves covered Knox’s hands. There was something about the image. He couldn’t look away.
“It’s hardly studio quality, but it’s one of my favorites.”
At the sound of Mandy’s voice, he glanced behind him to find her sitting on the couch. He’d not seen her there when he’d entered the room. Neither had he looked.
“It is an amazing shot,” he admitted as he proceeded to sit next to her. Blonde-haired, blue-eyed, willowy and nearly six feet in height, Mandy was beyond gorgeous. However, the most beautiful thing about her was her heart. To hear Mandy tell it, when she looked in the mirror, she saw a woman with no curves who towered over every man she met. Rhys hoped Knox had managed to convince her otherwise.
“I take it you’re still enjoying your job at the magazine,” Rhys added, for lack of anything else to talk about.
“I am, and look at you, Middleweight Champion. How does it feel? Have you finally proven to yourself you’re worthy of the position?”
There it was, the reason he’d been unable to let her go when he should have. She understood. “The million dollar question,” he mused, causing her to release frustrated growl.
“Come on, Rhys. Your dad has been gone for over a year now. Surely, you can admit you didn’t need his name to succeed. It was all you.”
He couldn’t help but laugh at her outrage. “Yes. In the end, it was only me.”
At his admission, her face lit. Everything in his mind cleared away. She was his friend. Damn, he really didn’t want to lose that. Luckily, Knox’s arrival saved him from making an ass of himself by begging her not to steal her friendship away from him.
“I thought I heard voices.” He leaned over the back of the couch and kissed Mandy before giving Rhys his full attention. “Are you here for a visit or did you change your mind about staying with us for a while?”
“You know I’m too cheap to spring for a hotel.” Before Knox could make a big deal of it, Rhys changed the subject. “What’s up with you sleeping during the day? Are you finally ready to admit you’re getting old?”
Knox chuckled as he pulled Mandy to her feet. Claiming her seat, he settled her back down in his lap. “Yeah man. You know what they say, naps are for children and the elderly. I’m sure no child,” he tacked on with a wink.
Damned if seeing them together didn’t make everything okay. They were happy. “So, I missed the actual wedding, huh?”
“You and everyone else,” Knox said, answering his question. “It was just us and a really bad Elvis impersonator.”
Rhys snorted before it occurred to him Knox might be serious. “Are you joking?”
“Nope.” After a moment, Knox added cheerfully. “I figured we may as well make the occasion as memorable as possible.”
Rhys could only shake his head. “What’s happened to you?” He wanted to bite off his own tongue. The question had fallen from his lips before he could call it back. He knew the answer, of course, but the changes in his brother were nothing short of miraculous.
>
“I’m getting married.”
Rhys felt moved to point out the obvious at Knox’s answer. “You’re already married.”
Knox shrugged. “It’s impossible to marry Mandy too many times.”
“Awww,” Mandy drawled happily.
“This is a bit sickening.” With a resigned sigh, Rhys added, “I’m assuming I’ve missed all the rehearsal stuff. Am I throwing this whole wedding party off with my arrival?”
“Of course not!” Mandy’s immediate outraged denial was overshadowed by Knox’s dark scowl.
“You’re my brother. You can throw off as much shit as you’d like, but if you’re worried about missing rehearsal, don’t. I’m sure you know how to hold a girl’s arm and walk down a damn aisle.”
Knox’s defense on his behalf had Rhys determined to put his best face on. “Awesome. Bridesmaids,” he said cheerfully, rubbing his hands together. “Who do I get?”
Mandy clapped happily. “I’m pairing you with Kerry.”
For a moment, Rhys thought he might have blacked out. Luckily, it passed quickly. “Great.” Even as the word left his lips, he marveled over how calm he sounded. Turned out he was getting better at lying all the time.
* * * * *
The days leading up to the wedding passed in amazing blur of activity. It seemed his arrival, while not throwing things completely out of balance, had forced a rush on Mandy’s backup plan. Since she’d hoped he would eventually accept, a cousin on her mother’s side planned to add her presence to the wedding party for the march down the aisle. Dane landed the spot of best man. Rhys didn’t begrudge him the honor. He had been the one who stuck around. When the music signaled the start of the ceremony, Rhys did everything he could think of to keep from looking directly at Mandy as she walked toward the brother who’d won her. The cream color of her gown fell across her tan skin to perfection. His fingers clenched. Not his, he reminded himself, forcing his hands to relax. He focused on some spot above her head instead.
Halfway through Mandy repeating her vows, the truth struck Rhys with a sudden blow to the gut. It didn’t matter that they were already married. Witnessing it happen made everything real. His spine stiffened. Mandy would never belong to him. His heart hardened. She was his sister by marriage now. His heart shattered. Rhys almost thought he heard the pieces breaking apart.
Somehow, he made it to the very end. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Kerry casting nervous glances in his direction as if expecting he would make a scene. It pissed him off. There was enough anger building inside him to level the building around them. It needed an outlet. When it came time to kiss the bride, the rowdy bunch of degenerate fighters sitting at their backs exploded into raunchy cheers. Knox raised a clenched fist above his head even as he deepened their kiss.
Rhys’ eyes fell closed, blocking out the vision of happiness they presented. He swallowed hard. A warm weight settled on his arm. Glancing down, he took note of the painted and manicured nails resting on his dark coat sleeve. They blurred for a moment. He took a deep breath, forcing his eyes to focus.
“You did a good thing. It’s almost over,” Kerry promised him, pitching her voice low. He dipped his chin, letting her know he’d heard. What felt like an eternity later, Rhys escorted Kerry back down the aisle. Several pink flower petals scattered across the white runner. Rhys intentionally focused on them while forcing his lips to shape a smile. At least, he hoped he was smiling and not grimacing. The reception hall came into view. His gaze landed on a pyramid of champagne glasses with golden liquid flowing down the sides. Thank God. There would be alcohol.
At the last moment, Kerry stepped into an open doorway to the right tugging him inside, as well. Since his brain had gone numb several minutes earlier, he could only glance around uncaring of his surroundings as Kerry pulled the door closed behind them.
Handbags, shoes and bags full of clothing scattered across a beige settee. Mirrors covered two of the walls. Makeup lined a counter nearby. Rhys absently noted it must have been where the bridal party had gotten ready before the wedding. Kerry leaned her back against the closed door. She didn’t say a word. Instead, she watched him steadily as if expecting him to snap at any time. Her brown hair, which usually brushed her chin, was now pinned tightly behind her head. It made her green eyes seem larger than normal. Thankfully, there didn’t seem to be any pity inside them, only understanding. He couldn’t get a good read on her. Kerry had always been a puzzle to him. She shifted nervously when he didn’t look away, making him wonder what she saw in his face.
He dropped his gaze to the dark pink dress she wore. He imagined the color had a name, but he didn’t know it. All he knew was it was sleeveless. Kerry’s generous curves looked amazing. Each breath she took gave men hope she would spill over the top.
“Ah, there is the Rhys I know. You had me worried for a minute.”
“I have no idea why you would think of me at all much less worry.”
“You’re a bad liar.”
“I don’t do it often,” he said honestly.
She tilted her head to one side, searching his face with her eyes. “You really don’t, do you?”
He shrugged. Some feeling began to return to his brain. “I don’t care for liars so I try not to be one.”
“I’m sorry.”
Her apology caught him off guard. “For what?”
“For not believing you were in love with her.”
She didn’t need to expound on her answer. It’s not as if she could be talking about anyone else. There had only been one “her” for him. Before Rhys had left town, Kerry had been adamant in her belief Rhys could not possibly be in love with Mandy. Backtracking went against Kerry’s nature. It made him uncomfortable.
“I’m not.”
“I thought you hated liars.”
“I’ve let her go.”
Kerry sneered. “Damn. It’s getting worse.”
“I have to let her go,” Rhys said, sounding desperate even to his ears.
“Yes. You do.”
He wanted to hate her for agreeing. He wanted to hurt her for knowing too much, for being honest. Powerless to stop it from happening, he could feel his lips twisting into a smirk. Her eyes flashed in challenge, daring him.
Doing his best to piss her off, he added as much scorn to his tone as possible. “It’s finally occurred to me why it is you don’t like me.” He paused, allowing his words to seep in. “You can’t stand the fact you’re attracted to me.” The look on her face was priceless. It was a mixture of horror and outrage. Unfortunately, once the initial satisfaction passed, it stung his pride. It also didn’t bring anywhere near the satisfaction he thought it would.
“You must be joking. I would eat you alive then send you home with a limp and a juice box. You’re nowhere near freaky enough to keep pace with me.”
Her opinion of him caused Rhys to snort. It also piqued his curiosity. “Me? You seriously think I couldn’t keep up with you? There’s not much I haven’t done at some point, so I seriously doubt it. Not to mention, you’re so controlling. I find it hard to believe you have any kink in you at all. One night of submitting to me would ruin you for anyone else.”
“Is that a challenge?”
His body hummed. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this alive. He also recognized how she’d twisted his hurt into something else. An unexpected surge of respect ran through him. She was more like her brother than he’d realized. The flush on her skin drew his gaze. He allowed it to sweep over her. Lingering on the strategic places, his mouth watered. His cock lengthened when her hard nipples showed through the satin material of her dress. She was turned on. An image of her bent over the velvet settee flashed across his mind. A growl rose in his throat. He swallowed it down.
“What if it is?”
Her eyes became calculating at his question. “What about an exchange? I will agree to submit to you for one night, if you agree to the same terms.”
The muscles in his stomach
clenched. His cock twitched. He was going to have her. In his satisfaction over the idea, he almost agreed immediately. Thankfully, at the last second he stopped. “How will we know who the winner is and what is the prize?”
A sinful smile touched her lips. “Whoever cries uncle first is the loser. As for a prize, I’m content with besting you. Oh, not to mention being able to lord it over you for the rest of your life.”
Striding over to the spot between the mirror and doorway, he leaned his shoulder against the wall. Rhys crossed his arms over his chest pretending nonchalance. A list of depraved things ran through his mind. This was going to be fun.
“Who goes first?” Keeping up the questions instead of fucking her right then was a challenge.
“You’re right, of course,” she admitted with a sigh. “We need to find a fair way to decide.”
“Coin toss?”
He’d meant it as a joke, but she nodded. “Seems fair,” she said, moving to snag her purse from the table next to the couch. He had change in his pocket. However, retrieving it meant missing out on watching her ass as she crossed the room. She would beg for mercy. Holding up a quarter for his inspection, Kerry paused in order to clarify the rules. “No strings. We do this safe. No tears when I break your heart.” On the heels of her jab, she tossed the coin in the air, adding, “Call it.”
“Heads,” Rhys said before it could hit the floor. He stared, transfixed as the metal piece spun on his side before toppling over, tails up. Even having lost the coin toss, a silky chuckle fell from his lips. “No tears when you can’t get me out of your head.”
“Juice box and a limp,” she repeated each syllable slowly. “Do you know where Skyway mall is on Farley?” At his nod, an evil grin touched her mouth. “Be there at nine tonight. Don’t be late. I don’t like to be kept waiting.”
Rhys watched her slip out through the door unable to work up an ounce of regret over losing the coin toss.
Unequaled Page 2