Leather and Sand (Riding the Line Series) (15 page)

Tonight, at dinner, he was going to give Rhiannon a taste of her own medicine. Rejection hurt. It was time she understood that.

***

Rhee wasn’t sure what to expect but as eight o’clock grew ever nearer, her agitation became so apparent that Manali poured her a shot of coconut rum and practically forced her to drink it. The alcohol burned its way down her throat to settle into her tummy. Warmth spread down into her toes. It took the edge off. Barely. The sound of a car pulling up spiked her blood pressure.

Oh, God.
He’s here.

Was it dread or anticipation that made her dizzy? Or was it the rum? Rhee nodded at Manali, who only smiled knowingly as she stepped out into the warm night, clad in her one and only little black dress. A dark van sat parked on the curb. As she approached, the door opened and Dax stepped out to greet her. Rhee’s breath caught in her throat as she caught sight of him.

The Dax she recalled, the one who haunted her dreams, was perpetually clad in jeans, a leather vest, and boots. Thanks to their cataclysmic reunion in the hotel parking lot, Rhee now had memories of the man in a shiny, tailored suit to compete with those images, and that was bad enough. But now, the sight of him moving towards her with the predatory grace of a jungle cat was enough to steal her breath straight out of her chest. He loped, with the easy grace of a predator, confident that his prey didn’t stand a chance.

To Rhee’s added surprise, Dax looked like he had taken extra care with his appearance. Aside from the suit incident, she had never seen him wearing a shirt with a collar. But tonight, Dax was wearing dark jeans and a white linen shirt. The kind of shirt you’d get over at
Hilo Hattie
or
Tommy Bahama
. It was a warm night, and the light linen made sense, but dear God, why did the material have to be so thin?! She could see how cut his chest was right through it! Rhee stifled a groan as wet heat flooded her core. He had both hands in his pockets and he shot her a sheepish grin as she raked him with her eyes.

“Rhiannon.”

“Dax.” she responded breathlessly.

“You look gorgeous.”

Dax sounded sincere, and there was no ignoring how his eyes slid purposefully from her face to her breasts and then to her legs. He offered her his arm. For a moment, Rhee was afraid to touch him. If the sight of him caused her this much turmoil, what in God’s name would happen if she made contact with his skin?

I’m being ridiculous,
Rhee chastised herself.
I can handle this.
Hesitantly, she placed her hand on his forearm, breathing in his spicy, male scent. She flushed, grateful for the dark sky to cover up her reaction. He walked her to the passenger side of a black van with tinted windows. Rhee hesitated, the image of such a vehicle sparking a painful memory, long buried. She shook it off, ignoring his quizzical glance.

Dax opened the door for her and she climbed in. “Where are we going?”

“Your buddy recommended a place.”

“Turtle?”

“Yep.”

“Are you here to do business with him?”

Dax shot her a sharp glance. “The less you know about it, the better, Rhiannon.”

She remembered that tone. It still pissed her off. She
had
a child, for shit’s sake, she didn’t need to be treated like one.

“Look, I’m not sure what you have in mind, but I need to make an early night of it.
We
get up early.” She emphasized the “we,” noting that the reference to his daughter had the intended effect. Dax looked decidedly uncomfortable.

“Just dinner and some long overdue conversation. Okay, stowaway?”

“Don’t you think it’s time you stopped calling me that?”

Dax glanced at her as she sat stiffly in the passenger seat. “Actually, I’ve been thinking the same thing. What would you prefer? Runaway fits you pretty well.”

There was no mistaking the acid in his voice.
Runaway?
How dare he?
How fucking dare he?!
Rhee made a huge sacrifice to preserve Dax Jamison’s relationship with his girlfriend and now he was accusing her of running away?
Plus he as much said that he didn’t want me.
Not like that.

“How’s Trish?” she asked, sarcasm lacing her words.

A mask slipped over his face, his features hardening like granite. “Married.”

Acute disappointment cut her. Deeply.
Of course they’re married.

“Congratulations.” With some effort, she managed to keep her tone neutral and light.

Dax looked at her strangely. “Not to me, little girl.”

Rhee wasn’t expecting to feel such elation. She could barely contain it. Her heart soared so high that she had to force herself not to smile with glee.
There he goes with the little girl again.
Oddly, she was no longer irritated by his choice of nickname, as she used to be. There was history to that nickname. She had always assumed it to be condescending—an indicator of her age and inexperience. But maybe it meant something else. Rhee forced herself back to the present.

“Um…I don’t understand.”

Dax’s jaw clenched visibly and she wondered if she had crossed the line somehow. A line. That was an interesting metaphor. Since the day she met Dax, she felt rather like she was walking a thin tightrope, stretched taut. Teetering between desire and obsession, she was never certain which side of the line she was on with him.

“Trish and I…we found each other in high school. She changed me in a lot of ways…for the better.”

Rhee tensed at this unexpected revelation of his. Trish was awesome. Duh. She already knew that! Dax continued speaking in a low, raspy voice that did all kinds of unmentionable things to her insides.

“But something was always missing. It just wasn’t meant to be. She wanted—needed—more. I think we both knew that for a long time. She left. She came back because she needed my help. She was really grateful to the club. She more than paid her dues. Then, well, she left for good. About six months after you…disappeared.”

For the first time, Rhee felt a twinge of guilt for leaving so abruptly. At the time, running had seemed like the only option. She hadn’t stopped to consider that her absence would have any impact on the guys. Especially Dax. Surprised, she saw raw hurt flicker in those intense blue eyes before they went as cold as ice chips. Rhee knew what it was like to be alone and she wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

“I’m sorry.” She managed to sound sincere. She hoped.

“Don’t be. I’m not.” There was no trace of bitterness in his voice, only acceptance. “It was for the best. I couldn’t give her what she needed.”

Wow, that was a hard thing to admit.
Chalk up a little more respect for Dax Jamison.

Rhee shifted in her seat as they pulled up to a little hole in the wall. She recognized the place. The owner was Turtle’s cousin. Sometimes, it seemed like
everyone
was Turtle’s cousin around here. Dax came around to open her door and her wrist sizzled at his touch, but Rhee managed not to react. He guided her into the small, local establishment. They were seated in the back, out of the way, at a table under a dim lamp. It was the perfect backdrop for their awkward rendezvous.

“Hungry?”

Rhee shrugged, desperate to dispel the awkward tension that cloaked them. “Think they have chicken and waffles?”

It was a lame attempt to change the tone of the evening from intense to lighthearted, but she was pleased that it seemed to work. That particular dish had been her biggest pregnancy craving and it was totally unavailable on the island—until Manali had managed to whip up a passable substitute.

Dax grinned. “Doubtful. Remember that, huh?”

Rhee nodded shyly as she picked up the menu to hide her face for a moment. Oh, she remembered a lot of things. A lot of things, indeed. She swallowed nervously as those particular things came to mind. Just looking at Dax’s hands as he held the menu made her pulse race at the thought of what they might feel like on her body. It felt supremely awkward and strange to be sitting in a restaurant with Dax Jamison. Between her nerves and the nice shirt he was wearing, the situation could almost feel like a date.

Not that I’ve ever been on one!
As long as we avoid talking about the elephant in the room, I think I can handle this.

“I’m starving,” he commented casually. “I feel like I could just devour something.”

His eyes burned into hers and Rhee felt color creeping up her neck.
Did he just imply that he wants to—oh shit—eat me?!

The ill-conceived notion that this evening would go smoothly was altogether insane. She stared at her menu to avoid that fiery blue gaze. Rhee had never been so glad to see a waiter in all her life. She ordered a mai tai, knowing that it was one of the stronger concoctions. Rhee usually didn’t drink cocktails, preferring a nice glass of red wine, but tonight she was making an exception.
Maybe the alcohol will prevent me from freaking out!

“What’s good here?” His eyes seemed to slide deliberately to her neckline.

Rhee flushed, staring back at him.
I can’t believe he can just sit there and act like nothing is wrong!
Is he…is he flirting with me?
Damn my inexperience to hell.
For once, she’d like to make Dax Jamison squirm. Unfortunately, Dax seemed entirely unaffected by her presence. He leaned casually back in the red booth, his arm hanging over the back liked he owned it, waiting for her reply.

“Um-I heard the burgers are pretty good,” she said hoarsely, glancing around for the waiter.
Where the hell is my drink?!

Rhee drained half the colorful cocktail in one long draught the second it arrived. She didn’t miss the little smirk that played around Dax’s mouth.
His beautiful, talented mouth.
Fuck!
I need to stop thinking these thoughts!

Dax smiled as the waiter returned. “Two burgers, please. Island style.”

When Rhee ordered another mai tai, he raised a brow at her.

“Don’t judge me, Dax Jamison. I don’t get out much.”

Chapter Fourteen

Rhee blamed the alcohol on her stupid decision to find a quiet place to talk. A casual walk on the beach had seemed so innocuous when Dax suggested it.
Not!
I am such a fucking idiot.
Initially, Rhee had convinced herself that explaining things to Dax would go smoothly as long as they stayed in a public place—that way, neither of them could get too riled up. But, it was stuffy in the little eatery and as the evening wore on, it became crowded and loud.

She was conscious of the light brush of Dax’s hand on the small of her back as they exited the restaurant, feeling a flutter in her belly as his long fingers hesitated there just long enough to make her wonder if perhaps, just perhaps, he was still attracted to her. They rode in silence for several minutes until Dax got a text on his phone and swore, turning the car abruptly around.

“Um-where are we going?”

“I know a place.” He looked annoyed, his mouth set in that hard line she was all too familiar with.

“I just hope it’s not too far. I can’t be out too late.” Her voice wobbled for a second but she corrected it as soon as she was conscious of the tremor.

Rhee wanted out of this interaction, and fast. She knew Dax would never hurt her the way Darren had, but she still had that fight or flight feeling that crept up and made her want to flee. It would be fruitless, though. Even in her slightly inebriated state, Rhee knew that running would solve nothing. Before the night was over, she and Dax would talk like respectable adults. They would come clean about their feelings, and her life would go back to the way it was before. Right?

“I’ll have you back in plenty of time, stowaway. I know you need your rest.”

He glanced sidelong at her and Rhee was dismayed to see a brief look of anger on his face. Now he was mad again? God, being with this man was going to drive her crazy! Dax spent most of dinner shooting her hot, hungry looks that had made it impossible for her to eat. He threw in a few innuendos that made her blush but then seemed to back off and concentrate more on his food than on her. In short, his mood swings and inconsistent behavior were driving her nuts. Rhee still wasn’t sure if the man was still attracted to her, or if she was just seeing what she wanted to see. She sucked down two mai tais in an effort to quell her desire but that had backfired big time. Now she had wet panties and a head full of angst to deal with.

He doesn’t want me.
Does he?!
I can’t be with him anyway.
Arrgh!

To top it all off, Dax hadn’t mentioned Sirena at all. His
daughter-
the whole reason they were enduring this awkward game. If it weren’t for Sirena, she was sure that Dax wouldn’t have given her a second glance. Rhee could tell he was angry, and figured Dax was waiting until he had calmed down a bit before he started down that rocky road. While part of her wanted to jump right in and hash it out, another part of Rhee was grateful that Dax was not so enraged as to immediately freak out on her.

Maybe that’s why he wants to talk about his child on a deserted beach.
So he can really let me have it.

Shifting nervously, Rhee tried to put herself in his shoes. Or, well, boots rather. Worried, she came to the conclusion that he had every right to be angry—finding out he was a father like this. No man would want that. Then again, he wasn’t supposed to know! He had to understand her side of it, right?

How could I have stayed?

Rhee sat straight up as the street they were on suddenly became familiar to her. Oh, now she recognized where they were going. Back to the hotel.
Back to the scene of the crime,
she thought, trying to reconcile her turbulent emotions.

“Dax,” she said weakly. “I agreed to go for a quick walk, not come back to your hotel…”

If he pressed the issue, Rhiannon knew she would be lost. If Dax wanted to take her upstairs, rip her clothes off, and have his way with her, she would be…
overjoyed.