Back in The Lounge…

Rhi POV

Alex is being so sweet and gentlemanly. He's attentive and does the traditional old school things like holding open doors and asking permission to do things. Right now he's holding out his hands to help me sit down. When he sits next to me, once again, I slide down the slope of the loveseat and bump into him.

We laugh. "It looks like the loveseat has a mind of its own."

He smiles and winks at me. "I'm not complaining."

"Oh, I'm not complaining, just observing. They are different." I laugh to let him know I'm joking.

He smiles slightly and there's a sparkle in his eyes, but he says nothing. Oh-kay…? That's a weird response, or lack thereof. Hmm…

Wow. This is the complete opposite of how he was in the show. I mean, he's pretty forward and confident in himself in general but now he's more gentlemanly and a little softer but there is still an intensity there lurking underneath the surface. It makes me a little uncomfortable. It's a little too intimate. I've been so closed off that I've not let anyone into my bubble in a few years and here I find a male stripper, in Vegas no less, lingering at the edge. He doesn't seem to hold back or hide his thoughts, most thoughts, but there's something that seems like he's keeping it a secret. Or hiding something, I can't stop myself from thinking. I'm not sure how I feel about the whole thing yet. I don't want to shut him down completely because come on, he's from Australia, a member of Thunder, muscular and just plain hot. I'd fuck him in a heartbeat if given the chance. It's just the baggage that could possibly come after that, but you know what they say, 'What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas' right? Maybe there won't be any issues if ….

"Are you ok Rhi?" I hear a deep voice pulling me from my thoughts.

It takes me a few seconds to focus and I shake my head to clear my thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, yes, I'm fine. Sorry, I was just thinking and got caught up in my thoughts." I smile as I reach over to the table and pick up my drink.

Pushing the straw aside, I take a large drink and try to refrain from drinking the whole thing at once. I have to remind myself that this isn't the time or place to do such a thing. Thank God it's strong. I've always sipped drinks through the straw, the liquid bypasses my teeth keeping them white, unless I'm in an environment where I'm comfortable, then I have no issues with slamming drinks like water. Hell, I'd even drink from the bottle, given the right circumstances. Right now I want to relax a little and clear my head after that show; Fuck that was intense. I'm not sure how I feel about this whole situation though so it is helpful having a few drinks so I can relax a little. I could use more Patron but I don't think Kate and Ana would like that. Besides, I want my wits about me just in case something happens. It can be exhausting keeping people at arm's length all the time, watching what I say and do. Sighing, I place my drink back on the table and sit back watching Ana and Kate. They are talking with Jack, Nick and Collin and they all seem relaxed and enjoying their conversation. I don't know what they're talking about but I kind of wish I was included in that instead of the intensity of being this close to Alex. He's way more intense than he was on stage, that was more sexual; this is different, more personal. I'm more comfortable with sexual I'd rather have the sexual aspect more prominent, but then I'd want to be alone with him and I can't leave my friends.

Alex touches my chin and turns my face to look at him. His eyes lock on to mine, he's got such a heated look in his eyes, I feel kind of hypnotized by their intensity.

"So, tell me, what did you really think of the show tonight?" He asks with his voice low.

I look up at him unsure what to say. "I enjoyed it immensely. It was quite... intense." I reply, not sure if I should say anything about his water kiss, him standing between my legs on stage or me straddling him on his lap. My God was that a turn on! "Even though there was a crowd of people, it felt like it was only me there at times."

I glance at Kate and Ana and they seem to be engrossed in their conversation.

"I have a question for you." He says.

I continue to look into his eyes, "Oh? Go ahead and ask. I'll try to answer as honest as I can." I'm not sure where this is going, but my curiosity has been peaked. God, the look he's giving me is intense.

"May I kiss you?" He asks.

I'm at a loss for words. My breath catches in my throat, and I stop breathing and my heartbeat increases and all I hear is the whoosh of my blood in my ears. After a few seconds, I'm finally able to give some sort of response but can't speak so I just nod my head. I watch him as he leaves his eyes open and closes them just as his face is close to mine. I close my eyes and wait for what seems like an eternity when I feel his beard tickle my chin and his lips find mine. It's a gentle sweet kiss, it lasts only for a few seconds. He pulls away and we open our eyes.

"That was nice" I whisper. "Almost as good as the one you gave me earlier at the show." I wink at him and grin.

He laughs and says, "Well, I'll have to work on the next one, to see if I can do better." His eyes sparkling as he laughs.

I pull away from him and as I reach for my drink I see Ana and Kate look away quickly. I roll my eyes and shake my head and continue to reach for my drink but once again I'm struggling to move forward on the loveseat.

"Ugh! This is ridiculous!" I exclaim "This is so frustrating!"

Laughing, Kate and Ana look at each other and smirk. Kate gets up and hands me a pillow.

"Here, sit on this it might help with leverage. Unfortunately, they don't have booster seats here, we've checked." She's laughing hysterically and Ana joins in.

I look up at them and see everyone laughing, I roll my eyes saying, "That's totally uncool. Helpful, but uncool. My ego has been wounded." I pretend to stab a dagger in my chest and make a pitiful face. I join in the laughter, albeit at my expense. It feels good to laugh. "It sucks being short" I say, pouting.

Alex POV

I'm totally smitten with Rhi, she's so beautiful and there's just something about the way she carries herself, not aggressive but not weak either. I can tell she's stronger than she looks, and she doesn't know how beautiful she is, if she does she doesn't show it. I was absolutely thrilled when they came to the show; It definitely made my night. Everything I did was for her and pulling her up on stage, the look on her face was priceless. Jack and the guys helped me coordinate the whole thing when he happened to overhear her friend mention her love for firefighters. Well, she claims it's the trucks but that's unlikely, I mean how many women like firetrucks more than firemen? It was perfect. The water kiss was something I came up with last minute and it was definitely worth it. I've wanted to kiss her since I saw them checking into their hotel. The guys have been giving me a hard time all day because she's all I can think about and apparently, according to them, all I talk about. I guess she affected me more than I thought. Never in a million years would I have expected to meet someone in Vegas and want to spend all of my free time with them. I don't usually interact with anyone other than doing photos. Most of the guys do but hey, that's their choice, it's just not my thing. There's something different about Rhi though that makes me want to spend time with her and get to know her. She's intriguing and seems feisty at times, yet unsure and shy at other times. Rhi. What a cool name. I'll have to ask her what it's short for.

The way her friends were talking earlier makes me wonder what made her so untrusting. Hopefully I'll be able to help turn that around. I'll do my best. I love her reaction to me being a gentleman, she seems so surprised when I hold out my hands for her. It's sad though, that it seems like she's never been treated properly by a man. Her friends are very helpful, and it seems like they are encouraging me but I feel they are giving me warnings too. I definitely got the hint that they're protective of her and won't let anyone hurt her. I don't know what happened to her, but if she gives me the chance, I'm going to do my best to erase the memories.

I can imagine most men just being attracted to her physically, she's got a killer body, and yes, I'd like to have sex with her. Who am I kidding, I'd like to fuck her senseless, but I don't want to push her or make things worse for her. I can wait as long as needed. I just like to have her near me. I'm pretty sure the physical attraction is mutual too. At the show, when we were taking photos and I pulled her on my lap to straddle me I could smell her arousal. My God it was intoxicating! If we weren't in public I would have fucked her right there on the chair. Whew! That was hot. She's so little and I tower over her, but it makes things interesting.

When I asked to kiss her, she held her breath and seemed physically shocked that I asked permission and when I looked into her eyes it was like I was being pulled in and I couldn't look away. When I kissed her, I just wanted to feel her lips on mine again, not full of water. I wanted to make it gentle and not too aggressive, though I wanted to taste her mouth. That pout is so adorable. I'd love to kiss her again, but I'll wait. It seems like I'll be doing a lot of waiting. I sigh audibly and try to cover the sound with reaching for my beer so it's not obvious.

I get such a kick out of seeing her struggle to get off the loveseat. I'd love to give her a boost and feel her ass in my hands, but I don't think she would appreciate that. Yet. Maybe in the future, but not right this moment. She really is quite short, she's almost as tall as me when I'm sitting, maybe a little taller but not much. Her friends don't seem to care, they give her shit all the time and don't hold back, but she takes it well. The booster seat and pillow comments were hilarious! She took it in stride and laughed along with her friends. What a great sense of humor. Some of the things she says makes me thing that she likes the shock value. She's full of spunk, that's for sure. I love it!

I snap out of my thoughts when Kate speaks up asking if anyone wants another drink or if we should call it a night. Oh please, no! Just a little while longer to spend time with her is all I want, right now anyway. I sit and wait for their response, trying not to look anxious.

Ana says, "Well, we've been up and going since 4am and I'm thinking we should head back to our hotel and get some rest. What do you think girls?" She's looking from Kate to Rhi.

Rhi looks at Ana and Kate with a blank face and says nothing.

Kate pipes up saying, "I have an idea, why don't we head back to the hotel but walk and take in the ambiance? It's nice out, and we know how you like the heat, Rhi. It won't take that long, and it'll be fun. What do you think Rhi?" She looks at Rhi expectantly.

I sit and wait for her to answer, hoping she will say she wants to hang out a little longer. Rhi looks from Kate to Ana, and I notice a slight movement of their heads. It's like unspoken conversation is happening and it's intriguing to witness. I've never seen it before, that small movement was an entire conversation.

Finally Rhi answers, "I guess that would be ok. I need to walk off some of the alcohol anyway. Hopefully we don't trip and fall over like we did earlier! That was hilarious! You're paper! Until…" Her features morph into something the complete opposite of what she has been; her face hardens, her eyes get dark and her back stiffens.

"Rhi, forget about it. It's over and done with and I'm positive it won't happen again. I think he learned his lesson. Come on, let's get going and head back." Kate says to her with a firmness in her tone, almost motherly.

What's that about? What happened between Rhi and some guy earlier? Oh, that's right, they mentioned they were grabbed by someone and Rhi didn't take it too well. I touch her hand and she looks down at it and then at me. Her eyes are cold and her jaw is clenched and slowly her features soften but I can still see a hint of something in her eyes, anger? Fear? I can't make it out. Woah. That was intense.

I touch her cheek and whisper, "It will be ok. Nothing's going to happen to you. I promise." I give her a smile and continue, "Besides, you've got four big guys escorting you so I'm thinking that will be a good deterrent." I give her a wide grin and wink at her.

There's a silence in the room as everyone is waiting for her response.

She looks me in the eye, her facial features morphing to a darker expression, once again.

"Oh, believe me, I can guarantee nothing will happen to me. I'll make sure of that." Her voice is laced with malice and after a beat, she looks at Kate and Ana, "If you really want to, OK. Let's go. I'm fine, I promise." She pauses for a moment then, again, her features change almost instantly and she gives us all a huge grin and goes to stand up but fails once again.

"What the fuck? This is getting really annoying. Damn loveseat!"

She's laughing which is making her struggle even more. Kate and Ana don't seem to be bothered by her sudden mood swing but Collin, Nick, Jack and I all look at each other, confused as fuck. I think at this point it's best to move on so I stand up, turn to her and hold my hands out to help her get up.

"Come on, let's get going and head back to your hotel. I'm sure you're tired from your travels." I smile at her and, trying to lighten the mood, I laugh and everyone joins in. Whew! Tension dissipated!

I can't stop myself from thinking about the way her mood changed from happy to anger and back to happy in just a few seconds. It was so quick that it's a bit unsettling.

We pay the bill and Rhi drops a $100 on the table. "What are you doing? What's that for? Jack asks.

She just looks at him and says, "Leaving a tip. The waitress was awesome and deserves it."

Ana looks at Jack and says, "It's just how she is. Big heart to help people who deserve it."

Rhi glares at Ana who quickly says, "Oops! Sorry Rhi, it slipped." She laughs. "But now that the cat's out of the bag, you can't deny it. At least not in the presence of those in this room." She gives Rhi a huge smile and she, Kate and Rhi have a good laugh.

"Ok, ok, ok I won't deny it, but I'll never admit it either!" Rhi says as she laughs again and we head to the door to leave. "Hang on a minute guys, I need to use the restroom." Rhi says as she lets go of my hand.

Kate and Ana look at each other, "We might as well go with you since we're walking back to the hotel." Kate adds and Ana nods her head.

"We'll wait for you outside." Jack replies, acknowledging their intentions.

We watch as the girls walk away toward the back of the restaurant and I can't take my eyes off the way Rhi's hips sway as she walks out of my sight. Something about her draws me in but there's also something that triggers a warning in the back of my mind. It's an unsettling feeling there that I can't define and part of me wants to walk away but another part wants to see if I can fix her.

Kate and Ana POV

As we weave our way through the tables and bar toward the restrooms, Ana whispers to me, "Kate, let's leave the whole incident alone and not bring anything up. There's no need to say anything that will make the evening more awkward than it already is. It was obvious the guys were confused as hell by Rhi's actions. Let's not bring anyone's attention to it and maybe they won't ask. If they want to know anything just tell them they need to ask Rhi. Let's just focus on having a good time walking back to the hotel. Ok?"

It's hard for me to keep my mouth shut sometimes but Ana often reminds me that not everything needs to be addressed immediately. She's so diplomatic when it comes to dealing with conflict between people yet there are times when she snaps and needs muzzled too. She's the Yin to my Yang and Rhi is the two dots in the middle. We circle around her creating a protective force for her as well as those she comes in contact with. Sometimes we can't always be as effective as we hope so it's a good thing we have help from other sources.

"I won't say anything I promise. But she frustrates the fuck out of me sometimes and I just want to shake some sense into her." I roll my eyes and continue, "Luckily, things weren't that bad but I could tell she was uncomfortable at times."

Ana looks at me and sighs, "I noticed that too. We've just got to try to steer things in a direction that won't affect her adversely. Agreed?"

I nod, "Agreed."

Jack, Collin and Nick POV

I'm stunned as I look at Alex, "What the fuck was that?" I ask, not expecting an answer.

Collin and Nick look from me to Alex wordlessly, confused expressions on their faces.

"Mate, I can't tell if she's serious or joking when she talks about some things, but if she's joking she deserves an Oscar because it seems believable!" I can't keep the shock from my voice.

Alex looks at me, "You do realize that Kate and Ana warned us in the beginning tonight there were issues Rhi experienced. Did you forget that? They also mentioned her twisted sense of humor and her lack of filter. Though I agree with you, she did seem to flip between moods awfully fast and it was a little unsettling. I wonder if we'll ever find out why."

Collin laughs sarcastically, "Yeah, right. Do you seriously think they are going to tell us why she did that considering we just met today? I know I'd be pissed if someone told my secrets like that."

I look at Nick who is standing there expressionless. That's one thing I admire about him; his ability to distance himself from drama. I'm not sure what to think, but I'm hoping that this chick doesn't drag Alex into a shit ton of drama. That's the last thing he needs. I know he's super into her, but I just don't want anyone getting hurt; him OR her. When I look at Alex I can see the wheels turning in his head and I'm not sure I like what I see.

"Mate, are you sure you want to do this? Do you really think it's worth the effort?" I ask him, seriously.

He's still watching as they walk away.

When he looks at me he sighs, "Mate, I don't know to be honest." He pauses, "Something about her draws me in but there's also something that triggers a warning in the back of my mind. It's an unsettling feeling there that I can't define and part of me wants to walk away but another part wants to see if I can fix her."

Nick, Collin and I are silent as we stand there looking at him. I'm stunned but not entirely surprised. He's never been one to back down from a challenge to a fault, but the way he's handled things in the past is questionable.

"Alex, you can't be seriously thinking about risking everything for some girl you just met this morning?" I ask him concerned. "You don't know what's in her past and it's obvious something or someone made a negative impact on her. You can't fix everyone and what if you cause more damage by trying?"

The way he looks at me tells me everything I need to know.

"Mate, we've known each other for almost our entire lives. You know I've got your back. All I ask is that you be careful and don't make any rash decisions."

Giving me a small smile his response is short and leaves no room for continuance. "Thanks Jack."

We watch as the girls come through the doorway and head towards us.

Rhi smiles brightly and asks, "Ready?"

"After you ladies." Alex responds.

As I watch him extend his left hand as he reaches out for Rhi with his right one I can't help thinking, God I hope he doesn't regret this.