Bedding the Wrong Brother(52)

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.”