Romance Me (Boxed Set)

by Susan Hatler

  Standing, she moved toward the door and picked up the bikini, grimacing at the little piece of string that was supposed to (not) cover her bottom. But the longer she looked at it, the more certain she became.

  It had turned him on, she decided.

  Why wouldn't it? It answered the pop quiz he'd given her. If the bikini didn't prove how far she was willing to go to have him, she wasn't sure what would.

  But then she frowned.

  She'd bought the bikini, yes, but she hadn't worn it. And, worse, he'd probably guessed why.

  Swoosh. Swoosh. The strange sound was a bit louder now that she was so close to the door. Whatever he was doing out there, she tried to imagine his reaction if she sauntered out wearing nothing but the bikini. She got all hot thinking about it, so she quickly pulled on the bottom piece, then looked down at herself. Since she'd waxed, her bikini line was bare. Her skin looked smooth and somewhat creamy, just liked he'd said. Unfortunately, if she looked closely she could see the first sign of stubble on her calves, and she knew from behind she had a dimple or two or ten that she wouldn't be able to hide. Suddenly she wasn't feeling so hot.

  She bit her lip, undecided. This was her last day with Rhys. She wanted to make the most of it. Did she really want to wear something she felt less than confident in?

  Shaking her head, she quickly pulled off the bottom, returned the pieces to her overnight bag, and then rushed into the bathroom to brush her teeth and dress. Compromising, she pulled on the shorts and pretty lavender tank top she'd bought for the weekend. It showed more skin than she normally did, so she didn't feel quite as cowardly as she did about the bikini.

  She opened the door, then froze, sucking in her breath at the sight in front of her.

  Rhys stood in the living room with the front door open. He was wearing jeans but nothing else. Sunlight illuminated his bare chest and muscular arms as he rhythmically worked sandpaper across some kind of wooden frame. A light layer of sweat covered him, and he paused to swipe at his forehead, then downed some water from a bottle. Staring at his throat as he chugged the water, Melina licked her lips and automatically stepped forward, wanting to wrap her arms around him and get all sweaty herself.

  He glanced up and saw her, his smile making her knees tremble. He put down the water bottle. “Hey.”

  “Hey,” she said back, moving closer.

  His eyes swept down her body. “Very sexy. But it's not a bikini.”

  His exaggerated pout made her laugh. “No.”

  “I hope you don't mind that I went through your bag. I threw your shorts and tee into the wash, and figured I'd throw in anything else that needed to be washed, too.”

  “That was very thoughtful. Thank you.”

  “You're welcome,” he replied, looking amused.

  She peered at what he was working on. She'd been right—it was a frame, with gentle curves, scrolled corbels, and intricate beadwork. “Oh, Rhys. What a beautiful mantel.”

  Grinning, he swiped his hand across the top. “Isn't it? Someone painted it, and I've been wanting to get to the grain underneath. Since you were sleeping, I thought I'd try to get some of it done before we leave.”

  His voice trailed off and he frowned. Wishfully, she wondered if it was because he didn't like the idea of their weekend ending. Since he didn't say that, she just nodded, trying to tell herself the sudden tightness in her throat was a result of all the talking they'd done last night. Looking around, she grabbed a banana from the counter and backed toward the bedroom. “You can keep working on it. I have some stuff I need to read anyway. I'm presenting at a conference this week…”

  Now it was her turn to frown. Hello. Conference. Jamie. Baby.

  The day before yesterday she'd been imagining holding Jamie's baby. She hadn't thought of him once since being with Rhys. She certainly hadn't spared a thought, enthusiastic or otherwise, for their after-conference drink date. That was so not good.

  Despite Lucy's concerns, Melina genuinely liked Jamie. He was attractive. Kind. Deep. She'd been excited by the prospect of going out with him. By the possibility of their future together. Heck, she'd liked him enough to try to turn herself into a sexual dynamo. In truth, she could barely remember what he looked like. All she saw—all she smelled and felt and longed for—was Rhys. Now here he was in front of her, and all she could think about was how it was going to end.

  “Melina? Are you okay?”

  She bit her lip, wanting to shout, No, I am not okay. She'd never be okay. Not after this. “You know how I am with public speaking,” she forced out. “I'm presenting a workshop with Jamie. It's a wonderful opportunity since I'll be just one of three on a panel. Jamie talked me into it, but I guess I'm still more nervous than I'd hoped.”

  “You'll do great.” He put down the sandpaper, walked around the mantel, then held out his arms. “Can I have a morning kiss?”

  She walked into his arms, squeezing him tightly and kissing him so eagerly that her teeth scraped against his. Obviously sensing her desperation, he pulled back, his brows furrowed. He smoothed a hand over her hair. “Tell me what's wrong.”

  “Nothing, nothing.” She pulled away and jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “I'm just going to grab my paperwork and read in the bedroom if you don't mind.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. I really need to catch up.”

  He looked like he wanted to argue, but simply said, “One hour and then we can go into town. I'll buy you lunch, and we can walk around?” The hesitation in his voice indicated he was thrown off balance by her strange mood, and she struggled to reassure him. The last thing she wanted was him feeling sorry for her when they went their separate ways.

  “That sounds perfect.” Feeling like her face was going to crack because she was smiling so hard, she backed into the bedroom and gave him a cheery wave. Hesitantly, he waved back.

  She shut the door. Leaning her forehead against it, she tried telling herself that the weekend wasn't over yet. She had the whole day with him before he left for…for…

  She scrunched up her face.

  She didn't even know where he was going when he left her.

  With the thought came a wave of intense emotion. Dropping the banana on the floor, she covered her mouth with both hands in order to stifle the grief that tried to pour out of her. Turning, she stumbled, but she didn't even make it to the bed. Slowly, she sank to the floor and curled into a fetal position.

  She was splintering apart, she thought. No matter how tightly she squeezed her eyes shut, the tears leaked out, all the more painful for their silence.

  ***

  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 mou
thwateringly 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, kn
owing 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.”