Bedding The Wrong Brother (Dalton Brothers Novels) (13 page)

“On the contrary,” he said mildly.  “I have no doubt you will.  You’re very good at following instructions.”

She felt her temper spike, still not sure why she was so riled.  All she knew was that he seemed too calm and controlled for her liking, especially since she felt anything but.  “Meaning what?  You don’t think I have the creativity to be a good lover?  Well, you’re right.  I don’t.  But if there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s words.”

“Why are you mad?”

She stared out the windshield and crossed her arms over her chest.  “I—I don’t know.  Maybe because this seems to be one big joke to you.”

He braked so suddenly that she jerked forward in her seat belt. 

Turning in his seat, he braced one hand on the wheel and the other on the headrest behind her.  Expression hard and nostrils flaring, he glared at her.  “Tell me one thing I’ve done to make you think this is a joke to me.”

She licked her lips, trying to ignore the feeling of being penned in.  “It’s obvious, isn’t it?  You’re trying to make me uncomfortable by drawing things out.  Poking fun at my intellectual side.”

“I’m not poking fun.  I love your intellectual side.  Would you rather we just strip and do it a few times to get the nerves out?”

“Yes!” she fairly screamed.

Shock held her in place as they stared at each other.       

He shook his head.  “Well, that’s not what you need and it’s not what you’re going to get from me.  This is so far from a joke for me that it’s ridiculous.  But if you don’t like my methods, I can drive you back home.  I’m sure you can get Max to meet you with one phone call.”

With that, he shifted in his seat until he again faced forward. 

She pressed her lips together, trying not to cry.  “I’m sorry.  I don’t know what’s wrong with me.  And I don’t want to call Max.”  I want you, she thought.  It’s always been you. 

He sighed and started driving again.  “There’s nothing wrong with you.  You’re just feeling out of your element.  But at some point, for us to go forward, you’re going to need to trust me.  Trust that I want only the best for you.”

She laughed humorously.  “So it’s my sweet sixteen all over again.  You call the shots, and I just wait for you to make your move.  Is Trish James going to make a surprise appearance, too?”

His jaw tightened.  “If you want to discuss that night, we can.  Frankly, I don’t think you’re ready to hear what I have to say.”

No doubt about it, his words spiked her curiosity.  What could he say besides he was sorry?  And he’d already done that a long time ago.  She bowed her head.  “No, let’s not go there.  And I do trust you, Rhys.  With this, with me, I trust you.”

He nodded, but the mood in the car had grown so serious, and she had only herself to blame.  Her one chance to be with Rhys, and what had she done?  She’d blown it, all because he hadn’t thrown her on the bed as soon as they’d walked into his cabin.  Thinking fast, she blurted out, “Afterglow.”     

“Excuse me?”

“That’s my first word.  In alphabetical order.  Afterglow.”

He turned toward her, his mouth tilted up and amusement crinkling the corners of his eyes.  “Nice, but a little ahead of yourself, don’t you think?”

She breathed a sigh of relief.  Maybe she could salvage things, after all.  “Blow job,” she said, trying to shock him. 

“Ah.  A personal favorite of mine,” he nodded.  “But rather predictable.”

Narrowing her eyes, she uncrossed her arms and shifted closer toward him.  She swayed slightly with the gentle vibrations of the car engine, and placed a hand on the dash to steady herself.

“Clitoris.  Co—Cock.” 

He laughed when she stuttered, but the laugh sounded slightly stilted, so she didn’t take offense.  “Again, some definite favorites.  Keep going.”

She wondered if he’d turned on the heater, or if it was just her own desire that was causing her to flush and feel all loose and tingly inside.  “Climax.  Coitus.  Come.”

“Wow.  Who knew there were so many dirty words that started with C?” 

Despite his continued efforts to sound unaffected, she could tell she was getting to him.  Sweat had popped out on his upper lip, and his fingers seemed to grip the steering wheel for dear life.  His knuckles whitened as she continued. 

“Copulate.  Cream.”

“That’s not a dirty word.”

“It is if you’re licking it off someone’s body.”

He scowled.  “Done that often, have you?”

The idea that he might be jealous had her twisting the truth just a bit.  She’d watched a porn movie recently where whipped cream had been a prominent prop.  “Just once.  But it definitely showed me what I’ve been missing.”

He didn’t respond other than to take a deep breath.

“And now for my personal favorite.”  Leaning forward, she brushed his ear with her lips and breathed her next word.  “Cunnilingus.”

He hissed in a breath.  When she reached out to put her hand on his thigh again, his hand whipped out, grabbing her wrist.  “Don’t,” he croaked out, his voice guttural.

Now it was her turn to cock a brow.  “Or what?” she whispered.

“Or we’re never going to make it into the water.  And I for one can use some cooling down.”  He braked hard, and she looked around.  They’d reached the lake. 

“Darn.  I was just getting started.  But I guess you’re right.  Guys do like dirty talk.”  She dropped her gaze to his erection, which was straining against the front of his shorts.  “At least you do.  You sure you don’t want to hear the next one?”

He narrowed his eyes at her.  “It feels good, doesn’t it?”

She drew back, and he slowly released her.  “What?”

“Knowing you can get me hard just by talking to me.  Knowing that just the sound of your voice pleases me.”

“It really does, doesn’t it?” she asked, a feeling of wonder making her grin. 

“Rein yourself in there, ladybug.  There’s only so much a guy can take before he cracks.”

“What’s your cracking point?” she pouted.

“That’s for me to know and—”

“—me to find out.”

He winked, then threw open his car door.  “Come on.  I’ve worked up an appetite.”  Grabbing the basket with the blanket, he walked to a shaded spot by the lake.  She was still reeling with satisfaction while she unpacked their food.  That feeling went out the window five minutes later when Rhys stripped off his shirt.  Smooth tanned skin, defined muscles, and a rippling six-pack nearly mesmerized her.

“What do you want first?” he asked, gesturing to the spread of crusty bread, Gouda cheese, grapes, and prosciutto.

“Uh—”  She shook her head.  “I’m not that hungry, actually.”

“I’ll be quick.”  He reached for a grape.  Before she knew what she was doing, she laid her hand over his, stopping him.  She was breathing rapidly, her heart hammering in her ears, as she met his gaze.  “It’s my turn, right?  To do what I think will please you?” 

His green eyes darkened.  “What do you have in mind?”

“Would you—would you lean closer?”

Obediently, he did.  She raised her hand, her fingers holding one plump grape, and lifted it to his mouth.  When he opened his mouth, she placed the grape on his tongue.  He chewed the juicy fruit slowly, then swallowed.  “Do you—do you want another one?”

“Please.”

She took another grape and fed it to him again.  This time, before he let her draw away, he sucked just her fingertips into his mouth.  She inhaled swiftly.  Bit by bit, she fed him.  The grapes.  The bread and cheese.    By the time she wrapped a thin piece of prosciutto around her index finger and offered it to him, his breathing was as labored as hers.  Taking a gentle hold of her wrist, he guided her finger into his mouth, easing the delicacy off her finger and then sucking the digit strongly. 

She moaned.  He moaned.  After releasing her finger with a pop, he staggered to his feet. 

“Rhys,” she whispered. 

“You’re one dangerous lady.  I’ve got to get in the water or I’m going to be all over you.”

“So you liked me feeding you?”

“What do you think?”

She swallowed hard.  “You liked it.”

“Yeah.  That’s an understatement.”  And with that, he backed away from her, eyes locked with hers until the last possible moment, then he turned and cannon balled into the water, splashing her with a huge wave that made her yelp even as she laughed out loud. 

***

“Come on in.  The water’s great.”

Melina stood uncertainly at the edge of the water as Rhys motioned her closer.  She wanted close.  Closer.   She wanted it until her teeth ached.  Her body was on fire, and she wasn’t sure how much more teasing she could take.  There was only one problem. 

She was a coward.

She’d been too much of a coward to wear the bikini and she was too much of a coward to strip down to her bra and panties.  Not white, but a pale peach that was so sheer it left nothing to the imagination.

Maybe she squirmed at the thought, because now Rhys was staring at her oddly.  She needed to get in that water and fast.  What other choice did she have? 

“I’ve already seen everything there is to see, remember?” he asked gently.

Not everything, she thought hysterically.  He’d never seen her trying to be the
femme fatale
.  He’d never seen her naked body in full sunlight, every ripple and extra pound of flesh visible.  Last night had been different.  Last night had been in the dark.  Last night, she hadn’t known it was him and she’d been buzzed.  Why hadn’t he brought any wine to go with that romantic picnic? 

She jolted when she realized she’d spoken the question out loud.

“Because we’re going to take full responsibility for what we’re doing.  No hiding behind misunderstandings, fuzzy vision, or inebriation.  The next time I get between your legs, Melina, you’re going to know full well who’s there.”

“I—I—”

He cocked an eyebrow at her inability to form a comeback. 

That made her mad again.  Death by frustration, she vowed, was going to be a term he’d be well acquainted with before she was through with him. 

Taking a deep breath and raising her chin defiantly, she pulled her tee over her head.  She heard Rhys’s sharp inhalation for breath immediately.  Before she could change her mind, she shoved down her shorts, kicked them off, and prepared to dive into the water. 

“Stop.”

She froze at the intense command in his voice that was accompanied by the distinct sound of splashing water.  He was coming out of the water fast, his hand raised to echo his command.  His gaze was riveted on her scantily clad body, the dark heat of it burning her in the best way possible. 

He stopped a few feet away from her, water dripping from his hair and shoulders in sinuous streaks that she longed to lap up.  All thoughts of teasing him into a frenzy vanished.  She stumbled forward, wanting only to fall to her knees, drag his sodden suit down, and take him in her mouth.  Instead, she said the first thing that popped into her head.  “I bought a bikini at Holiday Harbor but I’m not the bikini type so I thought I’d just—”

He snorted and moved toward her until he was right in front of her.  “You are so the bikini type, Melina.”  Gently grasping her wrists, he uncrossed her arms and held them out wide.  The sheer appreciation on his face made her thighs clench with need.  “But I love your lingerie even more.  God, your skin looks so soft.  Like cream.  And your breasts…”  He groaned. 

She glanced down at her chest, where her breasts were cupped and lifted by her demi-bra.  Her curves were average in size, but her nipples were hard and visibly straining beneath the fabric.  Dropping her wrists, he reached out, cupped her breasts in both hands, then pinched her nipples between his fingers, rolling them gently before releasing her. 

“Rhys,” she whimpered as he dipped his head, sucking one nipple and then the other into his mouth.  He sucked them hard, as if he wanted to swallow her whole, and she tangled her fingers in his hair, ready to offer her entire self to him.  With a groan, he moved to kiss her cleavage, sucking on her skin in a way she knew would leave her bruised.  Marked.   But then he was backing away from her.  Again. 

No, no, no.

“The only thing I can think of that would be more beautiful than you like this is seeing you like this and wet.  Emphasis on the wet part.”

Before she could respond, he dragged both hands, fingers spread, through his wet hair, then turned and jumped back in the water.

“You coming in?”  His question sounded strangled.  As if he’d had to force the words out. 

Despite the frustrating ache that he’d caused to buzz through her body again, she smiled.  The ache was so much better than the nerves had been.  Plus, she was starting to see what Rhys meant about unpredictability and sex being fun even when you were just playing at it.  Granted, he had more experience with it, but that just gave her more to work with.     

With a quick movement, she dived in after him. 

***

Under the relative safety of the water, Rhys cupped his straining dick through his swim shorts.  Frantically, he tried to think of something—
anything
—that would give him a modicum of control as he watched Melina start a lazy crawl toward him.  Unfortunately, even thinking of his favorite Seinfeld episode couldn’t prompt the shrinkage that had caused George Costanza such embarrassment.  He was primed and ready to go, especially after her creative alphabetizing and the feel of her fingers feeding him, her eyes transfixed on his mouth the whole time.  Seeing her in her sheer bra and underwear had almost driven him over the edge.  So what the hell was he waiting for?

When Melina squealed and giggled, then dived under the water to see what had brushed against her, he thought,
This
. 

He was waiting for this.  Hell, yes, he wanted to enjoy her body, but he wanted so much more than that.  The opportunity to play with her.  Learn about her.  Enjoy her.  Once this weekend was over, he’d lose that chance.  Melina was letting her guard down because she had an excuse, but once that excuse was gone, the awkwardness and shyness and differences would be back on her radar.  In fact, they’d probably be worse.

He’d be Rhys, Max’s brother, again.  But he’d also be the guy who’d seen her vulnerable and, once she was back in her real world, Melina would remember that.