by Karina Bliss
“Let me introduce you to the guest of honor,” she said, so loudly that Seth could hear her across the room.
The bastard who’d stolen his girl didn’t even blink before following her. First impressions? Solid, dark-haired, average height. Nothing obvious to explain why Mel preferred him.
A hand slipped into his. Beside him, Dimity murmured, “Breathe.”
He breathed. Found a smile, released her hand, and stepped forward to embrace Mel. A quick hug, not too long, not too short. Nothing to draw attention or make her uncomfortable. She held him tight, claiming their history, neither playing games, nor hiding her affection.
Grief hit like a punch to the gut. Her hair smelled of chlorine—she must have come directly from swim training. He was lost, completely devastated.
Mel released him. “It’s so good to see you.” She turned to the guy at her elbow and everything about her softened—her angular features, her hazel eyes, even her voice—when she said, “This is Kevin.”
In the middle of his first epiphany—she really loves him—Seth took a moment to respond. “Good to meet you, Kevin.”
Draping an arm around Mel’s shoulders, Kevin leaned forward to shake his hand. “Big fan of what the new band members have been bringing to Rage,” he said. “Hope it works out for you all.”
“Thanks.” Seth hadn’t prepared for nice. He’d prepared for a villain, someone easy to hate.
Mel looked beyond him to Dimity, smiling, a little dazzled. Now her suitcases had arrived, his fake girlfriend was unrecognizable from the disheveled woman he’d brought home eight hours earlier, radiant in a glittering sheath dress chosen specifically to give Seth camouflage. She hadn’t told him that, of course. Her exact words were: “You can take the girl out of Hollywood, but you can’t take Hollywood out of the girl.” But when you understood that Dimity was kind, she was remarkably easy to read.
“Hi,” Mel said politely. “You must be—”
“The honey badger,” said Dimity, implying an intimacy that Seth was suddenly deeply thankful for. He had back-up.
Mel’s eyes widened. “He told you?”
“We have no secrets.”
“Most women would find it a little—” Mel shrugged, and Kevin’s arm slipped off her shoulder “—uncomplimentary?”
“I’m not most women.” Reaching a hand past Mel’s shoulder to Mel’s guy, Dimity unleashed her smile. “Hi, Kevin, I’m Dimity, Seth’s girlfriend.”
Blinking, he took her hand, his other reclaiming Mel’s shoulder, possibly for support. “And I’m Mel’s fiancé.”
Seth swallowed. Checkmate. Why the hell hadn’t Dimity warned him how much epiphanies fucking hurt?
“Well, I owe you a big thanks, Kevin.” Dimity’s smile widened. “If you hadn’t broken up the dynamic duo, Seth wouldn’t have become available.”
Janey was passing with a tray of canapés. Smoothly his sister changed course and offered them to their group, but Mel and Kevin had frozen. Seth, on the other hand, had begun to thaw now the first shock of reunion had passed. And there was an ocean of conflicted feelings straining to break through the ice.
Careful not to meet his eyes, Kevin cleared his throat. “Actually, Dimity, they’d already called it a day before Mel and I started dating.”
“We’re all adults here, so no need for euphemisms.” Dimity’s manicured fingers hovered over the hors d’oeuvres. “You mean before you and Mel had sex. What are we looking at…shrimp?” she asked an open-mouthed Janey. His ‘girlfriend’s’ nap had lasted until shortly before the party started, and none of his family had seen her in full flight. Until now.
“Shelled prawns,” Janey managed to say.
Mel and Kevin were staring at Dimity with a mix of awe and horror.
Spearing a denuded crustacean with a toothpick, Dimity dipped it in mayonnaise and bit into it delicately. “Delicious.”
Seth’s reaction bounced between pissed and grateful. He’d wanted to know…and not been able to ask.
“Honey B…” Picking up a napkin, he covered her big, beautiful mouth with it. “You have some sauce right here.” Much as he appreciated her support, this topic was nobody’s business but his and Mel’s. And he had no desire to embarrass his ex. “Shouldn’t you be passing the food around?” he prompted Janey, removing the gag.
“What…oh yeah.” His sister dragged her fascinated gaze from Dimity.
“Enough about us.” Mel used Janey’s departure as an opportunity to redirect the conversation. “How serious are you two?” A pointed question when they all knew Seth hadn’t wanted the breakup. Mel seemed to realize she was sacrificing him to put Dimity in her place and threw him a stricken look.
He wasn’t impressed. So, I’m trying to spare your feelings, and you won’t spare mine?
“Who knows? We’re still at the fun stage.” Dimity handed her toothpick to a surprised passing guest. “For all we know, this is rebound.” Her chuckle was a husky, sexy masterpiece as she slid an arm around Seth’s waist. “I wonder if it’s called rebound because of the workout the bedsprings get?” Only he could see her anger as she looked up at him. Anger on his behalf. He was touched by her protectiveness. But it wouldn’t do.
“You two haven’t gotten a drink yet,” he said to the others. “What will you have?” He needed a quiet word with his ‘girlfriend’ before she went to war for him, so he kept his arm firmly around Dimity’s waist after he’d taken drink orders and steered her toward the makeshift bar set up next to the barbecue.
“Want to fill me in on your plan?” he said, as he handed her a champagne, and poured two glasses of red wine. Because she always had one.
“You’ll have more luck sparking Mel’s territorial instincts if I’m myself,” she said. “What woman in her right mind would want me taking over?” She sipped her champagne, grimaced, and carefully put it down, confirming that his father had bought cheap.
But to Frank, this probably isn’t a celebration.
“If you want some time alone with Mel, I can separate Kev from the herd.”
“I do, but not for the reasons you think.” He took a deep breath. “This isn’t going to work.” He couldn’t remember the last time Mel had looked at him the way she looked at Kevin—maybe in their teens?
“Fine,” Dimity sighed. “I’ll play nice.”
“That’s not what I—” He broke off as his father arrived with a platter of raw steaks. “Dad, you want a hand cooking those?”
“I’ve managed for the past fifteen months,” Frank answered, smiling at Dimity. “Seth introduced you to everyone? I hope our accents aren’t too difficult to understand.”
“Oh, I’m picking up the nuances just fine.”
“He should have told you dress was casual.” The steaks hit the grill with a slap and a sizzle. “I hope you haven’t been feeling uncomfortable.”
“I don’t really do casual,” Dimity said. “Or feeling uncomfortable.” She was watching his father with the puzzlement of a predator, trying to work out if this was prey or not.
“We should get these drinks to Mel and Kevin.” Not sure which one he was protecting, Seth stepped between them. “Yell if you need a hand, Dad.”
“You could send Jeff out. He’s terrific on a barbecue.”
“Jeff’s here?”
Cheerfully, Frank prodded the meat with tongs. “He and his wife have become part of the family.”
“What did I miss?” Dimity said as they walked inside. “Who’s Jeff and why are you looking so pissed?”
“Jeff took over my job, and Dad is somebody I need to handle alone.” Seth stopped to eyeball her. “No meddling. I mean it.” He didn’t want or need an intermediary between himself and his father. This campaign was his to win or lose.
“What do I know about fathers? I can hang out with your mom though, right?”
There was an undertone of wistfulness in her voice. Seth thought of that awful mother/daughter portrait she carried on her iPad. “As long as it’s for fu
n.”
“Fun only. Got it.” She smiled at someone behind him. “Kevin, I have your drink. I hate to admit my ignorance, but I have no idea what a sports scientist does. Will you fill me in?”
“Sure, but first I was hoping to have a word—privately—with your boyfriend.”
Seth hadn’t expected that. “Want to take this to Mel?” He handed Dimity one of the glasses, and gave the other to Kevin.
“Of course.” She left them to it.
“It’s about Mel,” Kevin began.
“We haven’t had a chance to catch up yet, Seth.” His cousin, Liam, slapped his tensed shoulder. “And I want an introduction to your hot new girlfriend.” Then he noticed who Seth was talking to, and added awkwardly, “Not that your old girlfriend isn’t hot. Hey, Kev, how’s it going?”
“Give us a few minutes, mate?” Seth asked.
“Sure thing. See ya, Kev.” Liam escaped.
Seth gestured the other man into the study and Kevin looked relieved when he left the door open behind them. Guess my friendly smile isn’t so friendly.
“Look, this is…I wanted to reiterate…Mel and I didn’t move beyond friendship until she broke up with you. She’s better than that.”
“I know she is.” It’s you I don’t trust.
“Which is why she feels so guilty for not telling you about us earlier.”
“Guilty,” Seth repeated. Not conflicted, not uncertain but the dreary, soul-sapping emotion he’d lived with since he left New Zealand.
“Because of the difficulties you’re having with your dad.”
As though Seth needed a stranger explaining Mel or his family to him. I don’t remember inviting you into my trust circle, asshole. He swallowed the sharp retort with a gulp of beer. Of course Kevin was Mel’s confidante now—she was marrying him. “I’m home to work it out with my father.”
“That’s a relief.” Kevin managed a weak grin. “I was worried you might try to change her mind.”
Seth liked him better for the note of insecurity. But while Kevin might worry that Mel had doubts, Seth had taken one look at her face and seen none. That was the beauty of knowing someone most of your life. Ironic that the only other person he could read so easily was his pretend girlfriend, a woman who prided herself on being inscrutable.
Kevin was still waiting nervously for a reply. It would be so easy to mess with him a little. But he thrust out a hand. “You’re the one she wants,” he said. “I hope you’ll both be very happy.” Sometimes it sucked being a nice guy.
“Thanks…thanks a lot.” Kevin pumped his hand. “I hope it works out for you and Dimity.”
“Sure.” Seth started to leave, but Kev wasn’t through being grateful. “Her grandmother still prefers you,” he offered, almost as a consolation prize.
“Yeah?” Seth hid a smile. Nana June was a mind-fucker, was what she was.
“Never shuts up about you. Seth helped me order the timber for the gazebo. Seth was always offering to do work around the house. Seth could never do enough for me.”
That last part was certainly true. No one could do enough for Nana June. He should tell Kevin that and save the poor bastard hours of manual labor.
“Well, you know what they say,” he said cheerfully. “You can’t choose your relatives.” So, he wasn’t all nice guy.
He went in search of Mel to grant absolution with more sincerity, after which he fully intended to drown his sorrows…except he was sharing a bed with Dimity tonight. Just when I thought the night couldn’t get any worse. Given their history, he had to stay stone-cold sober.
* * *
“She’s…different,” Mel said diplomatically. They’d settled on the couch in the living room. She avoided standing for hours on her prosthesis. “Not your type.”
Seth wasn’t sure he wanted to discuss Dimity. “She’s ambitious, confident, smart…I’d say I’m staying true to type.”
“Thank you, but you know what I mean. She’s very blunt.”
“You have no idea,” Seth said. “She’s on her best behavior tonight.” If there was any humor in this situation, it was watching Dimity being her version of nice. Like a lion trying to befriend gazelles, every now and then she couldn’t help but nip.
She was on the other side of the room, talking to his mother, their heads close together like a couple of conspirators. Seth wondered if he should worry about that. “I love her honesty,” he added. “You always know where you stand with Dimity.”
“Is that a dig at me?”
Was it? The old Seth would have been conciliatory. Turning his head, he pinned her gaze. “Why didn’t you prepare me for Kevin, Mel? We went straight from, ‘We’re done, feel free to date,’ to ‘I’m marrying another guy.’” Why the fuck didn’t you give me a chance to change your mind before it was too late? But a new thought followed. He’d always thought his decision to leave had been responsible for the growing distance between them. Carried the guilt and regret for that. Was that it? Or were they already starting to outgrow each other before he’d left?
She started playing with the tassel on the cushion. “When I broke it off you took it hard. It seemed cruel to tell you I wanted to date someone else and I wasn’t expecting Kevin and I to get serious so quickly. When he proposed, I had to stop being a coward and tell you before anyone else did.” She touched his hand. “I’m truly sorry, Seth, for making this worse than it had to be.”
He set aside bitterness. “I don’t suppose there is a painless way to break up with someone who doesn’t want to break up with you.”
“In some ways our breakup was more passionate than our relationship,” Mel said. “Maybe you should ask yourself why you were so affected.”
“What do you mean?”
“How would you describe our years together, Seth? Loving?”
“Absolutely.”
“Supportive?”
He nodded, then thought, Well, I supported you. Yeah, he’d been the one to leave, but if she’d given his dreams the same backing he’d given hers, they could have made their relationship work. Or was that sour grapes talking?
“Comfortable?”
He looked at her, trying to get an inkling of where she was going with this.
“Too comfortable?”
“Sorry, I’m clear out of epiphanies.” He was going to kill Dimity for giving him that word.
Mel leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “Think about it.”
Chapter Ten
Dimity’s cell vibrated on the nightstand.
A chill prickled along Seth’s body as she pushed free of the blankets and scrambled for it in the dark. “Mom,” she whispered, “it’s two a.m. here and everyone’s asleep…can I phone you tomorrow?”
He turned his head on the pillow. On the other side of the bed, her shadowy form sat hunched over her cell. “I don’t want to wake the guy I’m with.”
“It’s okay.” He hadn’t fallen asleep yet, though he was weary to the bone. Too many thoughts chasing their tails around his brain.
In the dark, Dimity swung her legs out of bed and stood. “No, I’m not making it up to avoid you…hang on.” She turned, and her hair brushed his bare shoulder as she bent to give him her phone. “Say hello to my mother.”
“Hello, Dimity’s mother.”
Her daughter repossessed the phone before he got a response. “Uh-huh…oh that’s too bad you had a fight. Tell Floyd I figured you were joking. Of course, I know I’m welcome to come stay.” She hastened to the bathroom and closed the door. Light spilled around its edges. So did sound. “Yes, you know your own daughter best.” Seth heard battle fatigue threaded through the positivity. Concerned, he propped himself up on one elbow.
“Give Floyd my love and don’t wear him out. Remember he’s got high blood pressure… The autographed poster… Yes, I’ll remember. Love you, too, Mom.”
Silence.
Through the wall, he heard the creak of his parents bed, the murmur of voices, his father’s questioning growl and hi
s mother’s soothing tone. Typical of an old house, the sound-proofing was lousy. The household resettled, but the thin strip of light remained under the door and Dimity didn’t return. No taps, no flushing, complete silence.
He suspected she wanted privacy because she was struggling in some way with her mother’s remarriage. You didn’t need to be a psychologist to work out Helena was a narcissist. But he had to respect her daughter’s strong need for privacy. He rolled off his elbow onto his back and resettled. Particularly when he was desperate for it himself.
He’d deliberately come to bed an hour after she had, and not solely to avoid the awkwardness of sharing sheets with a friend he’d had crazy monkey sex with. He wasn’t ready to perform an autopsy of the evening, not until he’d had a chance to sit by the corpse and pay his respects. Grieve.
The bathroom door opened. In the brief moment before she switched off the light, it gleamed over the ivory shift she wore, highlighting how the satin clung to her breasts, her legs and the V in between.
Seth closed his eyes. It figured what she wore to protect her modesty would be sexier than nakedness. He’d thought, given his heartache, he’d be immune. He’d thought wrong. One glance and he could conjure the texture of her skin, smooth, so soft under his fingers, recall exactly how it felt to thrust between those shapely legs. God. He rolled onto his side facing the wall, and adjusted the silk boxers he’d worn to protect his modesty.
The mattress sank as she climbed in beside him. Funny how something as simple as the weight of a woman slipping into bed beside him could feel so familiar, so comfortable. And heighten his sense of loss. He and Mel had lived together for two years.
Dimity resettled. He waited for her breathing to even out and deepen, waited for his awareness of her to dissolve. Shifting closer to the edge of the bed, he let grief wash through him, grief over losing a life that he hadn’t truly appreciated he was giving up.
