Bedding the Wrong Brother(34)

The girl frowned. “Oh. I'm sorry, but the bathing suits aren't returnable.”

“Sure. But I just bought it,” Melina explained with a bright smile. “It's not like I went out and wore it.”

“Well—”

“How about I just exchange it then?” She grabbed a black one-piece from the rack. “This'll do for now. And, look, it's on sale, right?”

“Well, yeah, but—”

“Then I'll take it. You can even keep the difference.”

The girl looked nervously at the door that led outside. “I don't know. I guess I could talk to Rod. Explain you changed your mind. Why don't I go out and—”

“No!” Melina yelled in a panic, causing the girl to jerk. “I mean, I don't want to be a bother. I guess I'll take the white bikini after all.” She stuffed the thing in her purse and headed for the door. “Thanks,” she called. Before she could change her mind, she rushed back to where Rhys and Rod were still talking.

What had she been thinking? She'd never worn a bikini in her life, let alone a white one. She couldn't even wear white pants without it looking like her hips had expanded by several inches. The one-piece would have been safer. But, she reminded herself, that would also have been so predictable of her. Give yourself some props for bravery, she urged herself.

“Your store and restaurant are very nice,” she said a bit breathlessly to Rod. “We'll definitely have to come back sometime.”

“I'd like that.” Rod beamed at them. Inside, Melina was aghast. Had she just implied that she and Rhys would be back sometime in the future? Together? As in a regular couple? She opened her mouth to correct her mistake, but Rhys put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. Once more, his expression radiated approval, which confused her even as it made her heart fill with joy.

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Melina. You take care of your man here, you hear?”

Her gaze still on Rhys, she saw the flush stain his cheeks. The thought that he might be a little thrown by what was happening between them calmed her nerves. Take care of Rhys? That was exactly what she was here to do, wasn't it?

So what if she'd never worn a white bikini? Who cared if she never wore the one she'd just bought? She could pretend she was the type of woman who would wear it, right? Doing just that, she lowered her lids and tried to put her breathlessness to work. “Oh, I definitely will take care of him,” she murmured.

Both Rod and Rhys looked poleaxed, and an enticing ripple of power thrummed through her. Suppressing a smile, she turned and walked back to the car, putting a little extra swing into her hips. When she glanced back, Rhys's eyes were planted firmly on her behind.

Rhys had failed to tell her one thing about thumbing one's nose at the tried-and-true. It was as much a turn-on to the seducer as it was to the person being seduced.

She climbed into the car and patted her large purse. She'd almost panicked back there, but buying the stupid bikini had changed her. It was like a sexy little secret that only she knew about. Even if all she did was act like the type of woman who could wear the thing, no one would be the wiser. And it would be worth it to see that look on Rhys's face again, a combination of surprise and approval, mixed in with a whole lot of desire.

When Rhys got back behind the wheel, he smiled. “Ready to go?”

She placed her hand high on his thigh and squeezed.

He gasped, stared at her hand, and then looked up at her. She kept her eyes wide and innocent. “I'm ready for anything. The question is, are you?”


With a deep breath and a slightly dazed expression, he started the car and pulled back onto the road. Melina leaned back in her seat and smiled. No one could ever accuse her of being anything other than a fast learner.



* * *



Rhys was so aroused by the gentle pressure of Melina's hand on his thigh that he was afraid he was going to pass out. As he pulled up to the property, however, his nerves somehow managed to overshadow his lust.

He tried telling himself he was being ridiculous. He'd never brought a woman here, true, but it wasn't like he was trying to impress Melina with the house. There was nothing grand about it. It wasn't even on the lake, although the water was just a few short minutes’ drive away. The house was pre-manufactured, but it had been in such sorry shape that Rhys had had to rebuild about a third of it. Given his touring schedule, he didn't have all that much time to devote to it, but when he did, he worked with utter devotion. He loved puttering around this place. It was as much of a home base as he'd had since he was a kid. He just didn't get here nearly often enough. And while he sometimes called on Max or Rod to help him out with a job or two, for the most part he enjoyed being by himself.