Bedding The Wrong Brother (Dalton Brothers Novels) Read Free Page B

thinking.”
    Behind him, Rhys snorted.  “I thought we agreed that until we land the contract with Seven Seas, you’d let me do the thinking while you focused on flexing your muscles and shaking your ass at the audience.”
    “What would it matter if it was my ass or yours?  The audience rarely knows the difference.” 
    Rhys hung his head.  When Max was right, he was right.  The whole mystique around the Dalton Twin’s Magic Show was that the audience knew the magician performing that night was an identical twin; they just didn’t know which one.  Not until the end of the show.  The problem was that he was more and more content to let Max be the performer so that he could do what he liked best—focus on managing the act and inventing new tricks.  He’d had to step up the number of his own performances or risk losing the mystery hook altogether.  Plus, once they unveiled their new trick, Rhys wouldn’t get a reprieve for a good long time.  Floating Metamorphosis would be spectacular only if the audience saw both Dalton twins on stage at the same time.
    After tugging on the restraints like a volunteer from the audience would do, Max nodded his head at Lou, one of the backstage assistants.  As Lou began to loosen the restraints, Max absently patted Laura’s hip.  In response, Laura blew Max an air kiss. 
    Laura and Lou left the stage, but not before Laura shot a seductive backward glance at Max.  Suddenly, the fact that the two of them had sauntered into practice half-an-hour late, their hair mussed and looking like they’d barely slept, took on new meaning.  Rhys glowered at his brother.  “Jesus, Max, you just couldn’t keep your hands off, could you?  Not even for a few weeks?”           
    Max shrugged and held out his palms in a “what of it” gesture.
    “What happens when you piss her off and she quits the night of a show?  Are you trying to screw up everything we’ve worked for?”
    “You’re not giving Laura enough credit.  She’s a big girl.  Last night was fun, but she’s still got a thing for her ex.  She’s driving up to see him this weekend.  And her son, too, of course.”
    “That’s not the point,” Rhys snapped.  “I’ve had to double security since we caught Joey Salvador trying to sneak back stage.  Seven Seas is insisting that we come up with a G-rated proposal for their family night performances.  And let’s not forget that after tonight’s show, I’m going to have to get everything packed up and shipped to Reno on my own, while you jet to California for the weekend.  Things are crazy enough around here without me having to worry about your sex life, too.”
    Grim-faced, Max opened his mouth to respond, but a voice off stage stopped him.  It was their father.  “Boys, your mother’s about to have a stroke.  Jillian insists we need to shake things up for the Seven Seas folks and replace your black tie and cumber bunds with something that matches the girls’ outfits.  I think they’re getting ready to battle it out.  Come quick!”
    Forgetting for a moment why he was so pissed, Rhys looked at Max.  He was sure his face reflected the same horror that Max’s did.  Their stage assistants wore shimmery sequined costumes in colors ranging from rose to fuchsia.  No matter what Jillian called it, it was still pink to Rhys. 
    Max cursed.  “Are you done flaying me?  Cause I for one don’t want to go on stage looking like a pansy.”
    Rhys swiped his hands over his face before shaking his head.  What was the point?  Max was just being Max.  It wasn’t his fault Rhys was wound so tight.  Not really.  “Fuck.  Forget it.  I’m just tired.  I’ll go deal with Jillian.”  He paused, then muttered, “Tell Melina happy birthday for me.” 
    Rhys hadn’t taken more than four steps before Max clapped a hand on his shoulder, yanking him back a step.  “Why don’t you tell her yourself?  I know I haven’t been pulling my