Love Unrehearsed

I saw Ryan stiffen. I knew every fine nuance of his body language and could sense his shift into defense mode. He set his burger down and wiped his hands.

“Taryn’s not an actress,” Ryan corrected her, wiping his mouth.

Rita pegged him with that maternal familiarity that silently spoke volumes. “Yes, but you are.”

His forearms hit the edge of the table like a lawyer ready to argue. “So? What does that have to do with it?”

I glanced over at Sha

Aunt Rita pet little Katie with loving strokes. “My point, dear boy, is that you need to take the time to tend to what’s important here—” she patted over her heart—“or else all that glitz and glamour is going to turn you into a celebrity cliché.”

“A cliché?” Ryan said, offended.

“Yes. Honestly, the philandering behavior of actors is appalling. Don’t forget how you were raised.”

His fork hit his plate, rising to her challenge. “Have I ever?”

“No, but I want to remind you not to be like the rest of the celebrity riffraff out there and shame our

family.”

“Well, you can all rest easy. I have no intentions now or ever to shame our family.”

Aunt Rita seemed pleased by that. Still, she said, “You want to know why all of these high-profile relationships don’t last?”

“Oh, here we go,” Nancy groaned.

Sha

“No really. Listen,” Rita continued, ignoring them. “You all think I don’t know what I’m talking about, but I read and watch the news all the time. What all you young kids fail to remember is that the excitement and freshness of that new relationship doesn’t last. Everyone—every relationship—hits those rough patches when you argue and don’t get along so well and it’s so easy to be tempted to go for that freshness again to feel appreciated and desired. If not—bam, you’re miserable and getting your kicks elsewhere. But if you keep that freshness alive in your relationship you’ll get through it. Mark my words.”

“Spoken like a true champion that divorced her first husband,” Ryan’s aunt Betty teased in passing.

Rita squirmed in her chair. “Jerry was an idiot. There are exceptions to the rules.”

“Oh, now there are exceptions. You better fill me in so I don’t disgrace the family,” Ryan said dryly.

“Yes, exceptions, smart aleck. Having a drinking and gambling problem are two of them. Being too drunk to hold a job is another. Exceptions I hope I don’t ever see with any of our children, including you, hot shot.”

Ryan took a sip of his beer, making that sucking through his teeth sound that happens whenever he gets aggravated. “What I want to know is did you give this same lecture to your two sons-in-law over there as well or is this wisdom you’re imparting just for me?”

“Oh believe me, they know I’d skin their hides if either of them was unfaithful,” Aunt Rita said assuredly.

Ryan sat back in his chair, putting her under the same scrutiny. “That’s a good deflection but you’re avoiding the question. Did you or did you not give them the same lecture?”

“My sons-in-law are not surrounded by promiscuity and temptation.”

Nancy looked mortified. “Mom, that’s not fair—”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Ryan interrupted her. “There is nothing keeping Brent or Jake from hooking up with the cashier at the grocery store or the flirty secretary at the office or even trying to nail the babysitter. You’re posing a question of morality. My occupation has nothing to do with my morals.”

“It is widely known that celebrities tend to have more of a propensity for infidelity than do most—”

“No, you’re questioning my integrity and judging me for no reason because I’m an actor,” Ryan said, stabbing his macaroni salad with his fork. “I don’t deserve that and I don’t appreciate it.”

Janelle just so happened to be walking by with a full plate of food in one hand and holding her daughter, Sarah, on her hip with the other. I held my hands out since I was done eating and needed to buffer myself from the hostility around me. “Let me have her. Come here, baby girl. Hi, sweetheart. You keep me company while Mommy eats her di

Sarah was a welcome distraction, banging her juice bottle on the table. I put some ambrosia on the tip of my spoon, finding a hungry little mouth opening wide for it.

Ryan gazed at me and then bumped his head in my direction. “You see this, Aunt Rita?” he said, waving his hand at me. “I’ve got everything I need right here, and then some, so don’t you worry about my ability to remain committed.”

Once the fun of making Ryan feel like shit was over, people started moving away from the table.

“Bora Bora,” I mouthed when Ryan glanced up from his plate. “First flight out.”

He snickered softly and leaned over, wrapping an arm over my shoulder. “I don’t know what I’d do without you. You keep me sane.”

I smiled up at him and that was all I needed to do to garner one hell of a kiss, as it if was a reward or a thank-you. “I’m guessing Aunt Rita won’t be invited to the wedding.”

“Screw them all. We’re eloping.”

The following day we had a smaller party of our own; just a few of Ryan’s friends that I had met at the birthday party I threw for him back in November and plenty of burgers and liquor. Ryan dove into the pool, surfacing right next to my raft. He jostled the edge of the raft with his forearms, rocking me off balance.

I gripped the edges, laughing and holding on for dear life. “No! Please don’t dump me.”

Ryan smiled playfully, tugged my raft into his chest, and kissed me senseless. I brushed his wet bangs back off his forehead, tasting the chlorine from the water on his lips as he twined his tongue with mine.

“Mmm, potato chips and beer.”

He snickered in my mouth. “Then I guess you should have me for lunch.” That devilish glint in his eye told me he was up to no good. He dipped the edge of my raft down into the water.

“Please?” I whined. I was enjoying the hot sun, hoping to get a quick tan out of it.

“Okay, I’ll be nice.”

I rubbed my hand over his arm, feeling the heat radiating off his skin. “Your shoulders are starting to get really red. You want me to put some lotion on them?”

“Nah, I’m good.”

Yeah, he’ll be good until he is complaining that he can’t sleep. “You’re going to be uncomfortable if you burn.”

Ryan glanced down at where my fingers were trailing. “I feel it on my back more than anything. I’m not going to stay in long, hon. Scott and Laura are actually taking off soon. I want to talk to him about getting some parts for the Shelby.” His finger brushed over the edge of my bikini top. “This one of the suits you bought in Spain?”

I nodded, fondly remembering our small shopping spree in Barcelona. “You bought this for me.”

“Nice. I have good taste. Well hello there my little nipple friend. I’m glad to see you, too.” Ryan spun my raft around, placing his back to the rest of the party. That’s when he pulled me in closer, dipped his head, and grazed his teeth over the fabric.

So much for being discreet. The sensation made my belly clench. “Ryan.” It came out as a breathy moan.

“Shhh.” He stopped my weak disapproval with a passionate kiss while his finger and thumb slipped under my top, causing me to arch up into his touch. He moved the edge of my suit over far enough to swirl his tongue over the sliver of flesh he’d exposed, sucking so hard I felt it in several different places all at once.