The Mighty Quinns: Ryan (11 page)

“No,” she called. “Not right now.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“You’ve shut yourself in the bathroom. Are you sick?”

“Kind of,” she said.

“I’m coming in.” He turned the knob and opened the door. She sat on the edge of the tub, her hands covering her eyes, waiting for him to say something.

“It’s dreadful. I know it. But it’s just temporary. I thought it would make me less recognizable.”

She felt his touch on her hands and he slowly pulled her to her feet, then tipped up her chin. She waited, realizing that suddenly his opinion was the only one that counted.

“I like it,” he said. “You look very exotic. And you’re right, it
is
harder to recognize you.”

“I did my best,” she said.

He spotted her glasses on the edge of the sink, then put them on her face. Since her contacts were in, everything was blurred, but she gazed at her reflection in the mirror. “Better?”

“Now you look like a naughty librarian,” Ryan said.

Serena took the glasses off. “The cut is kind of choppy.”

“Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be?”

“Not really. And it’s a bit darker than I intended.”

“It suits you.”

Overwhelmed with relief, Serena threw her arms around his neck and gave him a fierce hug. “You’re not going to say anything bad about it, are you?”

He pulled back and met her gaze. “No. Sweetheart, you could shave your head or color your hair bright blue, and you’d still be the most beautiful woman in the world.”

She stepped over to the mirror again and grabbed the scissors. “Maybe you could just even out the back for me? I can’t see it, but it feels a little ragged.”

“I could try, but maybe we should call Dana. I know bugger all about cutting hair. And if I mess it up, you’re going to cry.”

“I promise I won’t cry.”

She watched in the mirror as he snipped away at the back. Then she showed him how to fix the sides. In the end, Ryan managed to make the cut much better. “I like it,” Serena said.

“Now you’re ready to meet another member of the family.” He whistled softly and a few seconds later, a black Labrador came trotting into the bathroom and sat down at her feet.

“Who is this?” she said, patting the dog’s head.

“That’s Duff. Duffy. I thought you might enjoy having him around. If you want to take a walk on the beach or go into town, he can go with you.”

Serena bent down and scratched the dog behind his ears. She hadn’t seen her own dogs in over a month. “He’s sweet.”

“He’s also a mooch. You can’t leave any food out or he’ll eat it. My sister brought pastries into the office for a meeting one morning, and he ate them all, along with half the cardboard box. He managed to open the refrigerator door once and pulled everything out. There was food everywhere.”

“I have a dog—his name is Roscoe—and he pulls the flowers out of the garden. The gardener plants them and he yanks them out. The gardener plants them again and Roscoe yanks them out. I’ve had two gardeners quit because they can’t stand my dog.” She sighed. “I wish you could meet my dogs.”

“Maybe I will someday,” Ryan said. He walked back to the kitchen to unpack the groceries he’d bought, and Serena sat down on the stool at the other side of the island and watched him.

“What did you get for dinner?”

“Steaks,” he said, holding up the plastic-wrapped packages. “Prawns. Some fish. I also got fresh vegetables and lettuce for salad.” He pulled out a small carton and slid it across the counter. “And ice cream, to help you put on that fifteen pounds.”

She held out her hand. “Spoon, please.”

He reached into a drawer and retrieved a spoon for her. Serena opened the carton and scooped into it. The chocolate was rich and creamy, more like gelato than ice cream.

“I stopped at the office after I dropped you off.”

“How did it go? Was Dana there?” She scooped out another spoonful and handed it to him.

“Everyone was. Mal, Rogan and Dana. I got a thorough tongue-lashing for sleeping with you. They think I broke up your engagement. I told them it was your decision.”

“But you helped me make that decision. Without you, I’m not sure I would have had the courage to go through with it.”

Ryan met her gaze and held it. “Yeah, I guess so.”

An uneasy silence descended between them. “What is it?” she finally asked.

“I don’t want you to regret anything,” he said. “I don’t want you to think that I pushed you into walking away from Ben. The only thing I ever wanted was for you to be happy.”

“And I am,” she said. “Look at me. I have ice cream, a new hairdo and a man who is fabulous in the sack. What more could a girl want?”

“A career?”

“I’ve invested my money well. And if I’m not making movies, I can sell my house in L.A. and my apartment in Manhattan. I’d be happy to live in a little cottage in the country with my dogs until I figure out what to do in the real world.”

“Sounds like a perfect life,” he said. He held up one of the steaks. “So, what will it be—steaks or prawns?”

“You know, since I changed my hair, we could go out tonight. We could have a pizza. I haven’t eaten pizza in months.”

“Is that what you want?” Ryan said.

“Yes,” she said. “That is exactly what I want.”

“Then get yourself dressed and—”

“I am dressed,” she said, standing up and twirling around. “What’s wrong with this?”

Ryan circled around the counter and pulled her body against his. He reached down and grabbed the hem of her skirt, slowly pulling it higher and higher on her thighs. “I don’t know. What do you think might be wrong?”

She groaned and spun away from him. “All right, all right, I’ll put on some underwear.”

“You damn well better put on underwear. It’s hard enough for me to concentrate when I’m around you. No use making it impossible.”

Serena gave him a kiss, then headed for the bedroom. Was it possible to be any happier than she was right now? Yesterday could have been the worst day of her life, but instead, it had been the best, because Ryan had put her first. Though she knew there was trouble ahead, she felt as if she could handle anything, as long as Ryan was at her side.

* * *

R
YAN
STOOD
ON
the beach, staring out into the predawn sky. He looked down at his mobile and cursed softly. It had been forty-eight hours since they’d left Fiji, and neither he nor Serena had answered the calls accumulating on their mobile phones.

He scrolled through the numbers, then closed his eyes and pressed redial, waiting for the phone to connect. A few seconds later, he heard Perry’s voice on the other end.

“Quinn! Where the hell are you? Never mind, I know where you are. The charter had to file a flight plan. You’re in Auckland. Tell me that you have her with you?”

“No,” he said. “She’s not with me. But I know where she is.” Technically, it wasn’t a lie. Serena was asleep, in his bed. “She’s safe.”

“Did you have anything to do with this?”

“No,” Ryan said. “She told me that she’d called her fiancé, then asked me to come with her. I thought it best that I go.”

“Perfect. Good man.”

Ryan was misleading Perry, but he didn’t care. His first priority was to protect Serena. His second was to try to salvage his business relationship with Perry for the sake of his professional reputation. “She’s not going to get married,” he said. “I’m pretty sure she’s closed the door on that.”

“Then, open it up again. You need to convince her to come back to L.A. and smooth things over with Ben. I’ve spoken with him and he’s promised to keep this little dustup under wraps until he can talk to Serena. As far as everyone is aware, the wedding is still on. But we’re not going to be able to keep up the facade if she doesn’t return to L.A. at the end of the week.”

“What about the bridesmaids?” Ryan asked.

“They’ve been paid very well. They won’t talk to the media.”

“You’re going through an awful lot of trouble just to make sure your movie opening isn’t spoiled,” Ryan said.

“Millions. That’s what this problem could cost us. Millions. No one is going to be talking about the movie.”

“I thought any publicity was good publicity,” Ryan said.

“That’s something idiots tell themselves when they pull some boneheaded move. I need a happy, glowing lead for my media tour. Get her back here.”

“I’m not promising anything,” Ryan said. “If she doesn’t want to go, I won’t force her.”

“Then I’ll send someone to fetch her myself.”

“And I’ll find a place for her to hide and she’ll never come back.” Ryan paused. “Just give her some time. Let her sort this out on her own. She’s aware that she has responsibilities.”

“And marrying Ben Thayer is one of them,” Perry shouted.

“Sir, he cheated on her. Twice. I really don’t think—”

“She hasn’t been a perfect angel, either,” Perry shouted. “Ask her about all of that.” He took a moment to calm himself, and when he began again, his tone was more measured. “Why are you defending her? Don’t dream that what you’ve had is more than it is. I know she can be very alluring. That’s what makes her so great on the big screen. But you’re just one in a long line of capricious adventures she’s had with men. Believe me, she will grow bored with you and move on. And sooner than you think. I assume your sister told you the deal I offered?”

“She did,” Ryan replied.

“If I were you, I’d take the money. Because you’re not going to end up with the girl.”

“I’ll contact you after I talk to her.” Ryan switched off the phone and cursed softly.

Why was everyone warning him off Serena? First Miles, then Perry. Even his family was unenthused. Could she really be as flawed as they said she was? Sure, he’d met her only a few days ago, but Ryan had seen her at her worst and had found her sweet and kind, a woman without guile.

“But she’s an actress,” he murmured. Had he been fooled? Was she so skilled that she could pretend to be exactly the kind of woman he wanted her to be?

He’d always been clear on exactly what he wanted from the women in his life. And he was able to control his feelings, to stop himself from falling before he reached the point of vulnerability. But with Serena, that point had rushed by, somewhere above the South Pacific, right around the time she’d first kissed him.

Since then, he’d been infatuated to the point of blindness. But why would she try to fool him? What would that get her? Yes, he was protecting her, but he probably would have done the same even if she was a raving harpy. Though her motives weren’t exactly clear, he couldn’t imagine her engaging him for calculating reasons.

Unless she was the kind of woman who enjoyed the game. Was that all she wanted from him—entertainment? Ryan rubbed his eyes, then fixed his gaze on the rising sun.

This was what it was to fall in love, he mused. He’d have to trust her, without question. He’d have to expose himself to pain and betrayal. But if it was real, the reward would be worth the risk.

Ryan heard Duffy bark, and he twisted around to see Serena walking toward him, the dog at her side. She carried two mugs of coffee and handed one to him before sitting beside him in the sand. Duffy sat down in front of them both.

Serena chuckled. “He makes a better door than a window.”

“Yeah, he is a talented dog.” Ryan grabbed a nearby stick from the sand and tossed it toward the water’s edge. “Go get it, Duff.”

The dog took off and Serena leaned into Ryan. “Much better.” She took a sip of her coffee. “What are you doing up so early? After last night, I assumed you’d want to sleep in.”

“I’m just used to getting up before the sun,” Ryan said. “We usually start climbing before dawn, so this
is
sleeping in for me.”

“I guess my adventure hasn’t been very exciting for you,” she said.

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Ryan replied. He stole a quick kiss, then glanced down at his phone. “I talked to Thom Perry this morning.”

“What?”

He figured she’d be upset, but Ryan hadn’t predicted the look of utter betrayal in her expression. He reached out, but she evaded his touch. “Let me explain.”

“You don’t have to. I understand. Your loyalty is to Thom, not me. You’re just doing your job. So, how long did he give you to get me back to L.A?”

“He wants you there as soon as possible,” Ryan said. “But I told him it was your decision. I also told him you weren’t with me.”

“How much is he paying you?”

“That doesn’t make a—”

“How much?” Serena insisted.

“Double my fee if I get you back to L.A. Triple if you walk down the aisle. But, Serena, this isn’t about me. As much as I’d like to keep you here, you’ve got some loose ends to tie up in L.A. You’re going to have to go back. You have a contract that says you have to help promote your movie.”

She stood up and brushed the sand off her pants. “It always comes down to money, doesn’t it?” She laughed bitterly. “That’s all I’ve ever been to anyone. A way to make more money.”

Ryan scrambled to his feet and grabbed her hand. He pressed her palm to his bare chest, holding it there. “My only loyalty is to you, Serena. I will support you no matter what you decide to do. And I don’t care about the money. From the moment I met you, it stopped being about a paycheck.” She searched his eyes for the truth, and he leaned forward and touched his forehead to hers. “You have to believe me,” he murmured. “I wouldn’t lie to you.”

Serena drew a ragged breath. “I—I need to take a walk.”

“I’ll come with you.”

“No, I have a lot to think about. I’ll be back later. You stay here and watch the sunrise. It’s going to be beautiful.”

Ryan watched her walk to the cottage and fought the urge to follow her. Maybe it was for the best. They’d been growing so close over the past few days, close enough for him to imagine some sort of future between them. They both needed a reality check.

His phone rang again, and he pulled it out of his shirt pocket and checked the screen. Ryan bit back a curse. It was a text from Ben Thayer:
Please have Serena call me. Tell her I still love her.

They’d had two glorious days of freedom, and now the walls between them were coming back up again. Anger surged inside of him. Why had he allowed himself to be vulnerable now? And why Serena? He’d gone his whole life content that he’d spend it alone, afraid to give his heart to anyone who might destroy it. And now, by fluke, he’d found a woman he wanted, a woman he could imagine in his future. It wasn’t supposed to be this difficult.