Bedding The Wrong Brother (Dalton Brothers Novels) Read online

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you trying to be funny?”

  He slid his hand just a fraction higher on her leg, and she gasped. Just as he’d hoped, she reached out and grabbed his hand with her own. Satisfied, he tightened his hold on hers, resting their linked hands on her knee. “Just rest. I promise, you’ll know everything in just a couple of hours.”

  For a moment, their gazes held, and he brought her hand up to his mouth to kiss it. “Now close those beautiful eyes and sleep, ladybug.”

  He almost chuckled out loud at the way her eyes widened again. Leaning her head back, she stared at him while he focused on the road. He felt her gaze on him and rubbed his thumb in slow circular movements against the back of her hand. Within minutes, he felt her begin to relax. Within ten, she’d closed her eyes. And within twenty, her soft steady breathing told him she’d gone to sleep.

  Gently, he brought their raised hands back to his lips for another soft kiss.

  ***

  When Melina awoke, she was in the passenger seat of her car, and she was alone. Jolting up, she frantically searched for Rhys and immediately saw him standing near the front of the car, talking to a bearded man in a baseball cap. Pulling down the visor, she checked herself in the mirror, wincing at the sight that looked back at her.

  Her glasses were askew, her hair limp, no make up on her face. But the men had turned toward her, and Rhys was motioning her outside and she’d feel like an absolute fool if she didn’t go out and greet them. So she straightened her glasses, took a deep breath, and opened the car.

  “Melina, this is my friend, Rod.” Rhys gestured to the weathered, two-story building behind them. Beyond it, a long dock floated over a peaceful lake surrounded by tall redwood trees. “Rod owns the Holiday Harbor store. Rod, this is Melina.”

  She held out her hand. “A pleasure to meet you.”

  “The pleasure’s all mine.” Ignoring her proffered hand, Rod pulled her in for a deep bear hug. “It’s great to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you from the Dalton family over the years.”

  Flushed with pleasure, Melina smoothed back her hair. “Th—that’s nice.” She peeked up at Rhys, and he tucked his hand around her waist and pulled her closer. At first, she held herself slightly apart from him as he continued to talk to Rod, but then she relaxed, allowing herself to sink into him. He looked down and smiled at her in approval.

  “Rod checks in on the place when I’m not around. I was just getting the low down on the lake. The water’s been pretty low this year, but last month’s rain has got it back up to boating levels. Rod’s got a patio boat he lets me use when I’m here.”

  “Where is here?”

  “Lake Shasta. About thirty minutes north of Redding.”

  “I—I didn’t realize you had a place here.”

  “It’s something I bought a few years back.”

  “Oh.” Her implication was clear from her tone. They hadn’t talked enough in the last few years for her to know much of anything about him. But she was surprised Max hadn’t said anything about it.

  “Do you own it with Max?”

  Rhys tensed for a moment. “Nope. This is something that I did completely on my own. Max has come up a few times, but he gets a little antsy when he’s here. He’s not much for roughing it.”

  “Somehow I can’t see you roughing it much either.”

  Rod chuckled. “She’s got your number, Rhys. But he does surprising well while he’s here. He’s got some good survival skills, not that you’ll be needing them much. Rhys’s house is great. It just took him awhile to get it in habitable shape.”

  Rhys remodeled a house? He obviously had more skill with his hands than she’d thought. Flushing at her thoughts, she blurted, “Is there a restroom here I can use?”

  “Use the one in the restaurant. It’s nicer than the open restroom by the lake.”

  She nodded. “Thank you.” She rushed into the building, acutely aware of the men’s gazes on her. She walked through a little store on the way to the restaurant bathroom, noting the souvenirs and water products for sale. When she was done, she retraced her steps, stopping when a rack of bathing suits caught her eye. Biting her lip, she stared at a white halter-top bikini that was prominently displayed.

  If they were going to be staying here a few days and Rhys wanted to go swimming she’d need something, wouldn’t she? She could just see him trying to convince her to go skinny dipping, and she wasn’t sure she could actually go through with that. Still…

  She flipped through the suits on the rack. There were several one-pieces that looked just like the one she had at home. Modest. Flattering. But her eyes kept straying to the white two-piece. She’d never had the guts to wear a bikini before, but hadn’t Rhys said being unpredictable was sexy? Maybe this was her chance to prove what a good student she was. Before she could change her mind, she picked it up.

  “Would you like to keep the hanger?” the cheerful teenager behind the register asked.

  “Um. No thanks.” She handed the girl two twenty-dollar bills.

  “I love this suit. I wore it in black just the other day.”

  Melina briefly closed her eyes. Of course the girl would wear a bikini. She was tall, slim, and had the curves to fill out the swimsuit the way it was meant to be. Melina tried to picture herself wearing the bikini while standing next to this girl’s similarly dressed form. Her stomach clenched in horror.

  Her hand whipped out to grab the bikini back just as the girl held it out. “Here you go. Have a great day.”

  Melina stared at the skimpy swatches of fabric, no longer sure the bottom half would cover all that needed to be covered. “You know, I didn’t know you had this in black. I think I should wait until you get that in.”

  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 shoulder 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 pole-axed, 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 on 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.

  Today, however, he’d felt compelled to show it to Melina. Like it or not, he was nervous to see what her reaction would be.

  He needn’t have worried.

  “Oh Rhys,” she breathed when she caught sight of the little house on an elevated lot at the end of a dirt driveway. “It’s wonderful.” She got out of the car and turned slowly in a circle, taking in the view of redwood trees and hills. “What a beautiful setting.”

  He could tell she loved it. The wonder on her face was genuine and closely mirrored the way he’d felt when he’d first seen the land. “Thanks. I like it.”

  “How did you find it?”

  “Rod and I have been friends for awhile, ever since Max and I rented a houseboat on the lake years ago. I mentioned that I wouldn’t mind having some vacation property up here, and he gave me a call when this lot became available.”

  She smiled, a broad carefree smile that made his breath catch. “Will you show me around?”

  He laughed. “There’s not much to see, but sure, I’ll give you the grand tour.”

  About thirty minutes later, he rubbed his palms together. “So let’s go for a picnic by the lake. Take a swim.”

  She frowned. “But what will I do for a swim suit?”

  A grin split his face. He’d liked the underwear she’d worn last night. He was hoping she had another set on just like it. “I think we can come up with something.”

  She hesitated, then lifted her chin. “Okay. That would be nice.” She moved toward the guest bedroom, stopping when Rhys called out.

  “We’ll be sharing the bed in the master bedroom, Melina.”

  She blinked and blushed. Her eyes darted nervously to the open doorway, where his big bed was clearly visible. “Oh. Sure.” Changing course, she stepped into the master bedroom and shut the door.

  Rhys quickly changed into a pair of shorts and an open button-down shirt. When the bedroom door opened, Melina came out wearing baggy sweat shorts and an oversized tee. Although the clothes did nothing for her figure, Rhys didn’t sweat it. Even if he couldn’t talk her out of her clothes, water did wondrous things to a white tee.

  “I’m ready,” she said softly, sounding far less sure of herself than she had when she’d placed his hand on her thigh. Once he’d gotten over the shock, he’d recognized the satisfaction his response had given her. Melina definitely liked a challenge, and he was about to give her the biggest one so far.

  “Great.” He snapped his fingers. “But there’s something I need to do first.

  “What’s that?”

  He walked toward her, deliberately keeping his eyes on her lips. He stopped in front of her, and she tilted her head back, her eyes wide, her lips parting slightly. “Give you your first pop quiz.”

  CHAPTER 7

  Dalton’s Magic Rule #8: Encourage active participation.

  The idea of a pop quiz obviously wasn’t something that turned Melina on. She pulled away from him and crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes immediately reflecting her discomfort. “I’m not really big on pop quizzes.”

  Amusement tipped up one corner of his mouth. No, she wouldn’t be. Melina liked to prepare. Research. Have the answers in hand so she could control the situation. Lucky for her, he was here to nudge her out of her comfort zone. “There’s no wrong answer to the question I’m about to ask.”

  She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Then it’s not really a pop quiz. A quiz implies by its very nature that there’s a right answer or a wrong answer.”

  A huge grin split his face now. “What about multiple choice questions? Haven’t you ever answered a question with D, All of the above.”

  “Well, sure,” she began hesitantly, “but—”

  “There is no ‘but,’” he said softly. “Not in this scenario.”

  Looking like she wanted to argue some more, she simple shrugged and said, “Fine. There are no wrong answers.”

  “Good. The other thing about this question is that you don’t answer it right away. You just think about it. And you answer when you’re ready.”

  “So what’s the question?”

  “What would you do to have me?”

  She stared at him blankly. “Excuse me?”

  Reaching out, he rubbed his thumb against her bottom lip, loving the way her eyelids suddenly grew heavy. “That’s the question for you to think about. What would you do to have me? Sexually, of course.”

  Her brows furrowed. “I’m not sure I understand the question. In the context of our—our agreement, I suppose I’ll do whatever you tell me pleases you.”

  “So that’s how you plan on handling the next man in your life? Letting him have carte blanche? Anything goes?”

  “Well.”

  “Bondage?”

  Her eyes rounded. “I guess it depends….”

  “Sex toys?”

  She glanced away, blushing to the roots of her hair. “I—I don’t have a problem with—”

  “How about multiple partners? Two women? Two men?”

  Her eyes snapped back to his. “No. I’m not having any luck keeping one partner satisfied. I don’t need an extra person in my bed to worry about.”

  “How do you know that’s your stopping point? Have you ever tried it?”

  “No. I’ve never tried eating worms, either, but I know that’s never going to happen.”

  “Okay, so you have a definite sense of what you wouldn’t do. Not so much of what you would.”

  “Why don’t you just tell me what you want, and I’ll let you know if i
t’s something I’m not comfortable with.”

  His expression grew serious. “And is that where your willingness to learn ends? With the obvious answer?”

  She reacted just as he expected she would. Challenge Melina’s thirst for knowledge and complexity, and expect her to sit quietly and take it? No way. Hands on hips, she thrust her chin out. “Just what are you getting at, Rhys?”

  “You know as well as I do that sometimes the key to learning is figuring things out for yourself. Why wouldn’t that apply in this situation, as well?”

  She came very close to pouting. “Seems to me this is a trick question.”

  He laughed. “It can’t be, because the answer is what it is. If you’re willing to do what I ask and nothing more, then that’s the answer.”

  “You’re talking in circles,” she cried. “I don’t want to guess what I need to do. I want to know. That’s the whole reason I asked Max for help. I don’t want to play the game just to fail again.”

  His heart skipped as he saw the real distress in her eyes. “Baby, you’re not going to fail. There’s no way that’s possible.”

  She just shook her head, biting her lip until he wanted to take her in his arms and hold her close. So that’s what he did. He pulled her in for a hug and rocked her. She let him hug her but didn’t return it. Soon, she pulled away.

  “I’m sorry. I obviously can’t even do this right. I think I should just leave.”

  “Is that what you really want?” he asked quietly to mask his own desperation. “To quit before we even get started?”

  “No. But I don’t understand why you’re making this so complicated.”

  “Because despite what you obviously think, men are complicated. Pleasure is complicated. It’s not just a matter of telling someone what I like. It’s about you figuring it out. Reading the signs. Learning to trust your instincts. And then acting even though it makes you uncomfortable. Because you know that in the end, the pleasure’s going to be worth it.”

  She looked unconvinced. Hell, she practically rolled her eyes, which sure told him something about the degree of pleasure her lovers had been giving her. She was obviously going to need more convincing before she’d willingly agree to his lesson plan.