Red Hot (13 page)

Wriggling her fingers, Rhian slid her hand
under the edge of his leather jacket until she met with his skin. He tensed and
then she felt the power of the bike between her legs as he increased speed.
Happy to wait until she got him home, she tucked her fingers down inside the
waistband of his pants and dreamed about peeling them from his body.

As soon as he killed the power, she pulled
her helmet off and dropped it on the seat of the bike, before grasping the
lapels of his leather jacket. Rhian pushed him backward in the garden, her mouth
on his until his legs met the edge of the day bed. She unzipped his jacket and
peeled it from his arms. Next came the T-shirt to land on top of the discarded
jacket.

Red held his hands up when she reached for
his fly. “Slow down. Give me a chance to breathe.”

“Why? Just lay back and take it, big boy.”
Rhian grinned at him and stripped off her clothes standing before him in the
sunlight, gloriously naked. “Your turn.” She unzipped his pants and peeled them
from his legs, tugging his boots off while she was at it.

“Condom, Rhian?”

She laughed and grabbed her jeans from the
grass rummaging in the back pocket. She held one up and wiggled her eyebrows at
him.

“Prepared, I like that.”

“Well, you never know when you are going to
need one and I wasn’t sure if we would find a secluded spot on the way home.”
She pushed him back on the day bed and sheathed him. Seconds later she was
riding him hard and fast.

“Remind me to take you on the bike more
often,” gasped Red as he recovered after she collapsed against him. He lay back
exhausted and panting. “It usually has the opposite effect on me.”

“Why on earth is that?”

“When I can’t get sex, riding my bike
always seemed to be the answer.” He turned his head and looked into her eyes.
“I don’t think I will ever look at it the same way again.”

* * * *

They lay in the sun dosing and touching
until the rumbling in her stomach made her go in search of food. Sitting naked
in the garden they nibbled and talked, learning more about each other.

Red opted for a lazy afternoon while Rhian
wandered around her garden. Knowing it needed some attention she pulled weeds
and watered dry patches. She deadheaded her flowers and scattered seeds to
germinate on their own, all the time keeping her eyes on the hunk relaxing
naked on the mussed up daybed.

She asked him question after question
wanting to learn more about his childhood. She decided he’d missed out on so
many of the things she’d taken for granted and felt sorry for what he’d not
experienced. Even though she had started the conversation that would nicely
lead into what she was, now was not the right time to tell him. It would have
to wait.

With a heavy heart Rhian packed her car the
next morning for the trip back to town. They had both had a fabulous weekend.
They’d stayed up late talking and slept in, snuggled together on Sunday
morning.

Red held her close before she got into her
car. Nero sat on the front seat and the fawn was in his travel case in the
back. He brushed the hair from her face and wiped at the frown on her forehead.
“We can catch up during the week. Why don't you come over to my place one
night?”

“Are you sure you want to risk that again?”

“Don't let her worry you. It's you I want
to be with, not her and I've told her that.” He ran his thumb over her bottom
lip. “I won't be taken by surprise if she comes back, promise.”

“Okay, I’ll have my bitch shoes on next
time then. So when am I going to meet Jake? We could do a dinner or something.
I can make a casserole and bring it over. What do you think?”

“I can ask him. He doesn't go out much but
he'll come over to my place. What night suits you best?”

“How about Tuesday night? I usually do
surgery all day on Thursdays so I don't like to do too much the night before.
Steady hand and all that you know.” She leaned into him and wrapped her arms
around his waist not wanting to let him go.

“Done and don't worry about dinner. My
housekeeper cooks for me every night anyway and she will be terribly offended
if I tell her not to.”

“Really, you have a housekeeper?”

“My parents had a housekeeper. I can't let
her go, she has no one else. My mother hired her before I was born. You'll like
her, when you finally get to meet her.”

“You are such a sweet man, Red. Tuesday it
is then. Just a thought, let me know if you want me to bring someone to even
out the numbers. May is always up for a meal out. She doesn't get out much
either.”

Red roared with laughter. “He will kill me
but why not? He never goes near girls unless they are asking him to fix their
car or something. His last girlfriend left him because he practically lives at
his workshop.”

She locked lips with him, drinking in
enough of the taste of the man to last her until Tuesday night. She got into
her car and backed out of the driveway. Red waited until she had turned around
and was on the road before he mounted his bike and followed her. All the way
back to the city he rode behind her, and she felt safe and protected.

As she pulled into her driveway, Red tooted
and continued on to his place. Rhian unloaded the car and took the animals
inside. May was either going to kill her tomorrow when she found out Rhian
hadn't told Red or she would thank her for the dinner date. Never mind, maybe
the idea of the date would calm her down and give Rhian more time to come up
with a plan.

Rhian heated up a bowl of soup for dinner
and had an early night, snuggled up with Nero at her feet and a good sexy book.
This hot romance story was bound to have a good ending but could she say the
same about her and Red? She was trying, by the Fates she was. It couldn't be
all her fault if they were toying with her and laying obstacles in the way,
could it?

She had enough bad endings to write home
about. When he had fallen at her feet, so to speak, she had known he was for
her. What she didn't know was how hard they would make her work for him. The
only hurdle she had to cross now was letting him in on her little secret.

Okay, it was a big secret.

Probably not something he was going to like
to hear either by the sound of things. He was an intellectual scientist who had
been brought up thinking magic only existed in fairytale books. How would he
react when he found out the truth about her?

She threw off the blankets and slid out of
bed. Walking over to the window, she gazed at the city lights below. It all
seemed so natural to her. She was brought up with it. It didn’t faze May either
but she had known about Rhian’s abilities since they were small girls at
school. To throw this at Red was going to create some ripples, she knew that.
Holding onto the curtain with one hand, Rhian let her forehead touch the cool
glass of the window.

“How am I going to do this, Mother? You
must have a plan for me with this man or you wouldn’t have thrown him in my
path. I just wish you would tell me how to do this.”

Sighing, Rhian walked back to bed. She
patted Nero on the head, rubbed his ears and climbed between the blankets.
Sinking back into the pillows she turned off the lights with a flick of her
fingers.

* * * *

 “Are you fucking kidding me?” May stood
with her hands on her hips and glared at Rhian. “You promised you would tell
him, you promised.” She stormed away and stomped her feet before turning back
to face her. “How can you stand there and calmly tell me it will be alright? We
both know that it won't. We've been down this track before. He's a scientist,
for God's sake, who doesn't believe in magic. How can you say it will be
alright?”

“I just need more time. More time for him
to get to know me and then I can ease into it gently. You know, maybe a hint
here and there.” Rhian cowered under the onslaught of the verbal abuse from her
friend.

“Oh really? A hint like what, Rhian? What
are you going to do? Casually let him see your magic?”

Rhian hung her head and sighed. This was
not going the way she had envisaged it at all. May was supposed to be her best
friend and with her in whatever she planned. That was how besties were supposed
to work, in Rhian’s mind anyway.

“I thought maybe just a little touch here
and there. You know light a candle in the background. Or turn off the light switch.
Little stuff until he gets used to it. Then I can show him something really
good and exciting.”

“Oh like, 'Hey Red, want to see me bring
back an animal from the dead' kind of really exciting? Is that what you plan to
do?”

“Now you're just being plain difficult, you
are. And to think I was fixing you up on a date and all.” Rhian huffed and
turned her back, walking away. “Sometimes I don't know why I bother.”

May ran after her and grabbed her arm.
“What do you mean? I thought I was just coming along for a free meal. A date
with who?”

“Red has a friend who is coming to dinner
on Tuesday. You're invited if you can keep a civil tongue in your mouth. That's
if you want to come, of course.”

“Tell me more about this 'friend' first.”

“‘T is Red's friend since high school. He
has his own mechanical shop and is mad keen on anything with a motor I hear. So
keen in fact if you purr he's bound to be more interested, he’d be thinking you
have something mechanical with you. Think about it and let me know.” She walked
into her surgery and took her instruments from the sterilizer ready for her
first patient. She hooked her stethoscope around her neck and smiled at May.
“That sounds like our first patient now. Can you be a love and show them in
please.”

For the rest of the day Rhian could feel
May’s gaze on her. She knew May would be tossing up the idea of a date against
the need to reprimand her for failing to inform Red about herself. She had made
the decision not to say too much to him and for good reason. At least in her
mind it was good enough. He needed to be guided into her world. If she threw it
all at him at once he would run a mile and there would be no chance of getting
him back. She wouldn’t risk it.

No, this was the only way. She would play
her cards slowly and ease him into it.

Tuesday she managed to close the surgery
early. She passed on Red's address to May who raced home to tart herself up.
Rhian had a soothing soak in the bathtub with her favorite oils and let them
soak into her skin. She chose her dress carefully, knowing Red liked her in
soft flowing dresses. Especially ones that slid off her shoulders and made her
body accessible in a hurry and this one didn’t require a bra, another bonus.

She packed an overnight bag because she had
no intention of coming home to sleep in her own bed alone. Saying goodnight to
Nero, she closed the door behind her.

Rhian pulled up in the driveway behind his
big red motorbike and looked up to check her face in the mirror. Red was at her
door before she could open it herself. She eased out of her seat into his arms.
He swung her around before pulling her in for a long, sensual kiss.

“Hmm, you smell good.”

“Why thank you, kind sir. You sure are a
sight for sore eyes.” She ran her finger along the collar of his casual white
shirt and tapped a nail on his chest. Leaning up, she kissed him again. A
delicate cough made her pull away from his lips and look behind her.

“May, did you walk over? I could have given
you a lift, you silly thing.”

Rhian looked at her friend who was standing
by the back of her car, her handbag draped over her shoulder. “It was a nice
walk. Hi Red, thanks for the invite.” She held out her hand to him and he let
go of Rhian to shake the offered hand.

“It was good you could come. Just in time
too. Here comes the rev head himself.” He nodded at the car coming up the road.
The grumble of the motor split the quiet night. Jake parked on the road, giving
one last rev of the engine before he killed the switch.

“Holy crap. Is that a Corvette?” May's face
lit up like she had suddenly found heaven.

“Yeah, a Stingray to be exact, Jake’s pride
and joy. Hey, man.” He waved at the guy limping out of the car heading his way.

“Yo, bro.” He grasped hands with Red and
shook quickly. Looking at both of the girls he asked. “So which one is Rhian?”

Red put his arm over her shoulder and
introduced her to Jake. “And this is May, her friend. May, I’d like you to meet
Jake.”

“Oh Jake, how nice to meet you. I love your
car. Can I sit in it?” May spewed out the words and headed toward the vehicle
before he had a chance to answer her. He looked over at Red and Rhian, shrugged
his shoulders, and followed her.

“I didn't know she had a thing about those
old cars.” Rhian looked up at him confused.

“It's amazing how things can change when
the little sharp arrow heads your way. And you have to admit, it is one hot
car.”

She watched her friend drooling over the
car and the man. Shaking her head, she walked inside with Red and he gave her a
tour of his house. It was very bare compared to hers. There were very few
plants and only a couple of pieces of art on the walls. Family photos covered a
sideboard in the lounge room and she got a quick glimpse of the young Red and
his parents.

He led her to the kitchen. On the table was
a package wrapped in red paper with a white bow. Red handed it to her. “I was
going to leave it until Valentine’s Day but I thought you should have it now.”

Her eyes filled with tears and she held it
in her hands. “Oh Red, thank you so much.” Taking the box, she undid the bow
and folded it neatly before placing it on the table. She slid her finger under
the tape and lifted it from the paper. When it was free she folded it and
placed it with the bow. She picked up the box and lifted the lid. Rhian gazed
up at Red and pulled the tissue paper from the top.

“You sweet man, you.” She jumped up and
down like a little kid and pulled the red frog from its nest of tissue. Holding
it on her hand she ran her finger down its long stretched out leg tracing the
tiny gold toes. She leaned up and kissed him on the lips, sliding her tongue
between his teeth. She could feel what she was doing to his body and he pressed
against her, pushing her into the edge of the table.

“Did you want us to leave you two alone for
a bit?” Jake hobbled into the kitchen, his eyebrow raised at them. “Or you
could always get a room and we can have a drink while you do it.”

Red laughed and squeezed her again. “I can
catch up, bro. We have all night and she’s not going anywhere. Let me get you a
beer.” Red let her go and crossed to the fridge. He took out a couple of beers
and then a tray of raw vegetables with a small bowl of dip. “Enid left enough
to feed an army.”

“She knew I was coming over, so she
should.” Jake laughed and took the beer.

“What can I get you ladies to drink?” Red
asked looking at them both in turn.

“Can I have a beer?” May asked.

“Wine for me if you have it, thanks,” Rhian
said. She wrapped her frog up in the tissue, placing it carefully back in the
box.

Red passed them their drinks and led the
way out to the back veranda where a barbeque was set up in one corner. A table
and chairs were placed under an umbrella and little lights were set into the
wooden edging of the floor.

“This is lovely, Red.” Rhian sat beside
him, clasping his hand in hers.

“It is. I don't get to use it too much
though.”

“That might have to change, my man,” Jake
said taking a handful of vegetable sticks.

“If it will get you away from your workshop
once in a while, why not?”

“Just organize the company and the food and
tell me the time and day. It might pay to check where I am work wise just in
case but I'm in.” Jake looked over at May and Rhian saw him winking at her, and
she blushed and smiled.

“Sounds like a plan. I should get you and
Rhian to organize it. You know what I’m like when I get my head stuck into
work.” He reached over and grabbed her hand, twining his fingers through hers.

“I’m game for that.”

“Rhian. Are you the vet around the corner
from here?” Jake asked looking at her.

“Yes.”

“The one in the big yellow house the witch
used to live in?”

Her head spun and she knew the color
drained from her face. Red pulled his hand from hers and May sat up straight,
fear crossing her face.

“Yes. That was my grandmother.” She looked
at Red. He was staring at her, his face blank.

“I thought that was you. My old man used to
talk about her. She had a way with the animals. She used her magic to heal many
who would have been put down otherwise.” He took a slug of his beer, oblivious
to the tension he had caused. “Can you do it too, you know the magic stuff?”

The air was being sucked from her lungs and
her heart thumped in panic. May was looking at her with a silent message on her
face but Rhian was too shocked to make sense of it.

“Yes, yes I can. Why do you ask?” She wiped
her palms on her dress. They were moist yet burning.

“I just wondered if you had any luck with
spells on humans. I figure if you can do it on animals you can do it on people
too. I was just curious.”

“It is possible, yes. But I have to be
careful what I ask for. If it's not for the right reason it won't happen.”

Like asking for Red's eyes to be healed
because I want him to like himself more than he does right now, so we have a
decent chance of love, she thought.

Red excused himself and walked inside.
Rhian looked at Jake and May. Clenching her teeth, she followed him. He turned
on her as soon as she walked into the kitchen.

“Are you for real?”

“Yes. I'm sorry. I know you don't believe
in magic but I am a witch. It's a family thing as you have probably figured out
from that conversation.”

“So even though I don't believe you,
because I don’t, were you going to tell me or were you planning on it being a
nice dinner surprise like this tonight?”

“If you cast your mind back, Red, you will
remember I have tried to tell you. You just wouldn't listen.” She stood at the
table, her hand grasping the back of the chair to hold her up.

“No. Wrong. You asked me if I believe in
fairy tales. Not if I believed you could be a witch. That's a bit different in
my eyes.” He moved away from her and leaned against the kitchen counter, his
arms crossed in front of his chest like a shield.