Red Hot (6 page)

“Um, no thanks, not too much of a drinker
actually. I might have another one later with dinner if that's okay.”

Rhian turned and leaned on the railing, her
gaze on Red. “Sure, whatever you want. Now, tell me have you picked up your
bike yet?”

“No, tomorrow according to Jake. He’s still
waiting on the new foot peg. How was your day?”

“Not one of my best but that's the way it
goes when you are a vet. Some days suck more than others but I love my job
nonetheless. I wouldn't swap it for anything.”

A door slammed and they both turned toward
the living room. A gangly teenager walked in, a frown on his face. “Hey, whose
bike is in your driveway?” He stopped when he noticed Red, a flush coloring his
acne-scarred face.

“That would be Red’s bike. Come and I'll
introduce you if you can mind your manners for more than two seconds.” Rhian
indicated for him to come outside. She slid her arm over the boy’s shoulder and
pulled him close. “Red, this here is my brother in case you hadn't picked up on
that fact. Fergus, mind your manners for a moment, and meet Red.”

Red held out his hand. “Hi, nice to meet
you.”

The boy looked across at Red, a small sneer
turning up one corner of his mouth. “Does he know about us then?” His glance
locked onto Rhian’s and the heat rushed to her cheeks. She frowned at her
brother, and willed him to keep his words to himself.

“He will know all about
you
soon
enough Fergus. Best you tell me why you're here then, my lad, and be on your
way. Da will have a fit if you aren't home by dark.” Rhian stood with her hands
on her hips and glared at him.

“I was just walking past and saw the bike.”
He shuffled his feet and looked up from under his hair at his sister before
sliding his glance over to Red. “Can you take me for a spin on it before I go
home?”

“Uh, maybe another day. That isn't my bike
actually. It's a loaner while mine is being repaired.”

“Why?” Fergus frowned and looked Red up and
down.

“I almost ran over a small animal on the
road,” Red explained looking over Fergus's head to her. “I was cruising down the
coast and Bambi was on the road as I rounded a corner. I had no choice but to
swerve and miss it and now my bike is in the shop.”

“Bambi, what a suckful name. Where is the
little beast anyway?” Fergus looked around for the small deer.

“In the surgery asleep, hopefully.” Rhian
shook her head. “If that is all you were after, I suggest you head home now. Da
will be after you soon enough. Be off with you.”

* * * *

She guided him from the house and Red could
hear her talking to him as she shut the front door. He watched her walk back
into the room. She stopped and gave him a tired smile. “Sorry about that.
Fergus is such a boy sometimes, but he generally means well.”

“That's okay, no harm done. I can always
give him a ride when I get my bike back.”

“Oh God, no. Mam will have a blue fit. If
he goes anywhere near a bike I will never hear the end of it.” She crossed to
the railing and leaned back closing her eyes. She sighed and tipped her head
back.

Red ached to reach out and run his finger
down her cheek to the hollow of her throat and along the soft rise of her
breasts. He took another drink, finishing off his beer and turned away from
her, willing himself to stay calm.

“Best I start on dinner then before it gets
too late.” Rhian brushed her hand over his shoulder sending jolts of energy
down his back.

“Can I help?” He followed her into the
kitchen and leaned on the counter. She shook her head as she took food from the
fridge.

“No, just sit and keep me company while I
get sorted. It's an easy meal tonight, salad and steaks on the grill.” She
filled the sink and set the salad greens in the water. Rhian looked over her
shoulder at him and spoke. “What exciting things did you come up with in the
lab today?”

“Nothing you would find the least bit
interesting but thanks for asking anyway.” He was grateful she had enquired. He
was well used to being the only one who found his work exciting.

“No, seriously I'm interested in your work.
Tell me, please.”

Red looked at her and saw an honest
interest. “We've been working on a new flu vaccine that will hopefully knock
out more than one strain at a time. For years all we have had is a drug for the
most common, but things are heating up.” The excitement was building in his
voice. He couldn't help it, once he started on his work it took over. “The flu
strains change every season and are getting more and more resistant to our
efforts, plus there is always a new one from somewhere in the world hitting our
shores. This, if we can get it right, will be a super vaccine.”

“That is interesting. How long do you think
until you know for sure?” Rhian sliced tomatoes and layered them on a plate
with goat’s cheese.

“Another six months at least until we have
any concrete evidence that is consistent with our last round of tests.” Red put
his beer down and ran over the stats he’d collated today.

Rhian stood and listened to him patiently,
a smile on her face as she gazed at him. Red’s face heated with embarrassment
when he realized he was going on, and apologized.

“I enjoy listening to you talk about your
work. I like a man passionate about his job Red. ‘T would be a sorry world
indeed if none of us felt the way you do about what consumes a great deal of
our lives.”

“I have the kind of job doesn't interest
most women.”

“Well, I'll have you know that I'm not most
women and I do find your work interesting. How would you like to pour me a
glass of wine and we can go out and light the grill. Grab another beer if you
want or pour a wine instead.”

She took a plate of steaks from the fridge,
handed him a bottle and walked out onto the deck. Red heard the grill light up
and he poured two glasses of wine before he followed her out. She sat on a
chair and overlooked the bay, her legs tucked under the long flowing dress she
wore. He handed her a glass of wine and sat in the chair closest to her.

“Why the pensive face, Red? Is something
running around in the amazing brain of yours that you find distasteful?” Rhian
cocked her head to one side and glanced at him, a small smile lighting her
eyes. “Tell me then before it grows into something of major proportions and
ruins your evening.”

“I'm not very good at this dating thing.”
He shook his head before he met her gaze again. “I don't feel comfortable
because I really don't spend enough time around other people. Social niceties
aren't required in the lab. It wasn't how I grew up either. We lived a pretty
quiet life. With most of my time outside of school, I followed my father around
his research facility.” He took a deep breath and his body shuddered. “I just
don't want you to think I'm a jerk.”

“Oh, come on Red. I would never think that.
Geesh. I actually think it’s kinda cute that you're so sensitive and shy. It
brings out the protective feelings in me.” She laughed delightedly at the
pained expression he knew was on his face. “Seriously though, it makes a nice
change to meet a guy who doesn't have a high opinion of himself. I hate it when
I have to compete with a guy’s ego for his attention.”

She took a sip of wine and ran her tongue
over her lips. His pulse jumped and he resisted the urge to lean over and suck
her tongue into his mouth to get a taste of the woman and the wine. Why she
wouldn't be the center of attention for any male was beyond him? She was
beautiful and sexy, funny and compassionate. Everything he wanted in a woman.
The trick would be to keep hold of her long enough to make her believe he was
good enough for her.

“Did you want me to put the steaks on the
grill now?”

* * * *

Rhian looked at him mentally shaking
herself. “Um, sorry miles away. That would be wonderful, thanks.” He moved with
the grace of a cat toward the outdoor grill and her mind shot back to her lusty
dreams. Nothing would please her more than to get out of her chair, grab his
body and run her hands around his cute tight butt squeezing them under her
itchy palms. Her body filled with warmth and the heat ran up her cheeks. If the
Goddess was gracing her tonight, there would be another bout of hot sex with
the delectable mild mannered scientist. Oohh, she was getting seriously
flustered thinking about it.

She clenched her legs together and willed
away the volcano threatening to erupt. Never before had she had an orgasm
without touching herself but she was so damned close it was sending her body
into overdrive. Think boring, flowers in the field, a cool stream over rounded
pebbles, anything but running her tongue over the stunning body standing in
front of her.

Rhian tried to keep her thoughts to herself
and not act as though she was desperate for her next sexual encounter as they
ate dinner, but it was a struggle. Every time Red lifted his fork to his mouth
her gaze followed it. She panted softly and had to stifle the soft noises
rising from her throat. Her skin was on fire and small jolts of electricity
sparked in her most sensitive spots. If he didn't look like he was interested
in making a move on her soon she would clear the table in one foul swoop and
crawl into his lap, her claws out ready for the kill.

“What did your brother mean when he said
'did I know about you'?”

“Oh, nothing really. Fergus tends to go on.
You know what boys are like
.”
Rhian suddenly found interest in digging
her fingers into her thighs, avoiding his gaze. His question shook her and she
wasn't prepared to let go of her sexual high to give him a serious answer, not
just at this present moment in time.

Why didn't I tell him the truth? Because
his ancestors probably burned mine at the stake, that's why. You can't make
someone as scientific as him believe in something as strange as me. Fuck ,fuck,
fuck.

Rhian jumped up and took her plate to the
kitchen counter. She was jittery and now she had probably made the biggest fuck
up in this very green, so desperately needed relationship. The Fates would kill
her if she didn't pull through with this one. She scraped her plate clean and
after rinsing it, she put it in the dishwasher.

She turned back to the table and smiled at
Red. “Can I get you a coffee or another glass of wine?”

“Coffee would be great.” He made to stand
and help her.

“No, sit please.” Rhian raced forward, took
his plate and pressed her hand on his shoulder to make him stay seated. He
looked up at her and a flood of longing shot through her. With a muffled moan,
she turned from him and put on the coffee.

To keep her hands busy she fussed over the
cups and tried to make light conversation. “Did you grow up in the Bay Area,
Red?”

He looked at her, blinking slowly. “Uh
yeah, I did. In the house I live in now actually.” He laughed short and almost
bitter. “Sad to think you never leave the nest, isn't it?”

“Oh, I don't think so. Look at me for
instance. I still live in our original family home.” She poured two cups and
returned to sit opposite him at the table. “I was born in this house. My Mam
moved here when she married Da. They couldn't afford a place of their own so
they lived with Gram.”

He toyed with the handle on the mug and
Rhian held hands tightly on her lap to stop herself from grabbing his hands and
pulling them to her body.

“It's funny how a date can go from warm to
freezing cold when someone finds out I live at home. I mean, now my folks are
dead, there’s only me but before they were killed I was happy to live there
too. I guess most girls want you to have your own condo and freedom.” He took a
sip of coffee. “It just made sense to stay there, you know? I mean, we worked
together and put in long hours most of the time. We didn't have much in the way
of down time because we spent it all at work. I didn't see the point of moving
out when I had everything I wanted all along.”

“And what about your folks then, Red? Did
they want to keep you under the same roof as them?”

“Yes. Dad and I lived and breathed our
work, and Mum was pretty involved too. We didn't really have much of a social
life unless it was part of the promotion side.” His lips tightened and he shook
his head. “My mother loved to organize fundraisers, she was into that kind of
thing. Dad and I had to dress up like penguins to impress the backers but we
needed them less and less as our research progressed and we sold our findings.”

“And how about now, do you socialize much
or is it still all about work for you?” She held her breath while she waited
for his answer.

“Um, not much on the dating front no,
pretty much just work. But there is something coming up.” He looked at her with
a slightly wild look in his eyes. “My mother started this tradition with my
father. Because we didn’t do much in the way of Christmas, not my father’s
thing at all, she decided she needed a break in February. She made him leave
work early just that one day of the year. It was what she called her date
night.” He glanced up at her, and she longed to take him in her arms and tell
him how wonderfully worthy she thought he was. “I’ve never had a date on
Valentine’s Day. Would you like to be my first?”