He didn’t want to make the same mistakes he’d made in marrying Heather. He wanted to find his real, true dream girl next time around. Someone smart and quirky and original and beautiful in the not-so-obvious ways-well, and okay, the obvious ways didn’t hurt, either. Someone like Lorelei.

He wanted to prove to her that he liked her for who she was, and that he would never, ever take advantage of her again. If they were ever lovers a second time, he’d make sure she knew it meant something to him.

“You’re looking awfully deep in thought. It’s okay if you don’t want me to see you play. But I do like blues guitar, if that makes a difference.”

Perfect. Then she was going to get her own private show.

“It does,” he said, smiling. “I’ll let you know the next time I’m playing.”

LORELEI checked herself out in the full-length mirror and was happy enough with what she saw. Her jeans were the rare, much-sought-after, perfect cut-the one pair she’d ever owned that made her ass look as if it belonged in a jeans ad. And her stretchy long-sleeved black T-shirt hugged her curves in all the right places. Her hair was sleek, and hung around her face in a stark contrast to how she usually wore it for work, pulled back in a haphazard bun.

She’d made plans with Ryan to take an evening soak in the hot springs first, then have dinner at the spa restaurant. She didn’t suppose they were technically allowed to have sex right there in the springs anymore, not now that it was an official spa, but she’d been sure to wear her best bra and panties beneath her clothes, just in case the opportunity arose-and she had every intention of making sure it arose.

If nothing else, she’d be naked with him in the hot springs, and if that didn’t put ideas in his head, she wasn’t sure what would. Linden Rock was still, thank goodness, notoriously clothing-optional, and she planned to use that fact to her advantage. In spite of her discomfort with being found pants-less on the roof, Lorelei had always loved being naked in the great outdoors. It was one of the best feelings she knew.

Beside her, Thor the rabbit god stared at her rather disapprovingly.

“What? You think I’m being a slut? Well, if you weren’t neutered, you’d be humping everything you could get your paws on, so I don’t want to hear it.”

Okay, so she talked to the rabbits. It was therapeutic for them, and for her.

A glance at the clock-thank God, the power was back on as of today-told her Ryan would be here at any moment to pick her up, so she slipped on a pair of boots, shrugged on a warm coat and headed to the living room. She caught sight of his headlights in the front window, flipped off the lights in her house, grabbed her purse, and headed out the door, feeling as if she was about to conquer the world.

Or at least the ghosts of her past.

She had never blatantly, intentionally seduced anyone before. She was a little surprised she even knew how. Not that she was the same awkward dork sexually that she’d been in high school. No, she’d never gotten any bad reviews on her skills as a lover, but she didn’t believe in using her feminine wiles for nefarious purposes, either.

Flirting with Ryan the way she had over breakfast the day before-it was amazing how easy it had been. It felt natural, even. Probably because she really did want to sleep with him. He was as gorgeous as ever, and he wasn’t eighteen anymore. He was a real man now. He had to be more emotionally mature than he was back then.

Even in high school, he’d had a sensitive air about him. He hadn’t jockeyed for attention and status, but had moved with the self-assuredness that showed he knew he didn’t need to. And he’d stood apart a bit from the crowd, always watchful, always noticing things. Well, noticing everything except Lorelei, apparently.

But now, he’d finally admitted what a jerk he’d been and apologized. Perhaps that should have been enough for her.

Yet she’d been so miserable during her high-school years, and Ryan had represented the culmination of her misery. After graduation, she’d fled Ocean Harbor Beach as fast as she could and never looked back. She’d gone so far as to attend a summer program at college just to get away as soon as she could.

Moving here was the most time she’d spent back home since high school, and she still wasn’t quite used to it.

Outside, Ryan was getting out of his pickup truck, a dilapidated old thing he probably owned solely to haul his surfboard around. When he saw her, he smiled and said hi.

“Looks like we’ll have clear weather, at least,” Lorelei said, looking up at the star-studded night sky.

She’d had the day off, and she’d spent it cleaning up after the powerful storm. Now her yard looked normal again-well, normal for a long-neglected rat’s haven of a front yard.

The forecast was calling for clear weather through Christmas. Not that it mattered. She’d be spending the holiday alone, far as she could tell. Her mother had already planned a seniors’ cruise to Hawaii before she’d known Lorelei would be home for the holidays.

Well, at least she might give herself a little pre-Christmas revenge sex tonight. That would help make up for work being her only other thing to look forward to.

Ryan opened the passenger door, smiling down at Lorelei in a way that made her toes feel all tingly. “You look beautiful, as always.”

“Thanks,” she said as she slid into his truck, kicking aside a can of surf wax in the process.

The truck bore a bobbly dancing Hawaiian girl on the dash, and cracked vinyl seats that had seen better days. It felt familiar to her somehow.

When Ryan got in and started pulling out of the driveway, she asked, “Is this the same truck you drove in high school?”

“One and the same.” He grinned proudly and gave the dashboard an affectionate pat.

“Wow, I can’t believe it still runs.”

“Neither can I. I’ve made a hobby out of fixing the old girl-it’s become a labor of love.”

So this was the same truck Lorelei had ridden in to the hot springs with Ryan all those years ago…Weird. And oddly appropriate, too, she supposed.

“Most people would, you know, just buy a new car.”

“Believe me, I’ve been tempted, especially when I find myself broken down on the side of the road. But I like the things in my life to have some character, some history-you know?”

“Yeah. I guess it’s the same reason I’m fixing up my broken-down family house rather than living somewhere else. Well, that, and I can’t afford a mortgage anywhere in Ocean Harbor Beach.”

She liked that he still had his same old truck after all these years. It suggested things about his character that were all good. Except, of course, genuinely liking him would make the whole revenge thing a bit more difficult.

Lorelei bit her lip and pushed that thought out of her head as they turned off of her street and drove along the coast, with the ocean outside her window.

They traveled along the coastal road toward the hot springs, chatting about mutual acquaintances and who had done what or gone where or married whom since high school. Ryan, having stayed here in town, knew a lot more about such matters than Lorelei did.

When they reached the Linden Rock resort, he parked and turned to her. “I hope you don’t mind taking a little detour before we go for a soak.”

“Sure, what’s the detour?”

“It’s a secret.”

Lorelei was intrigued. And when she saw him get out of the truck, reach into the rear and pull out a guitar case, she was even more intrigued.

“There’s a little spot down this path I was hoping we could check out,” he said, nodding in the direction of the gardens.

Lorelei followed him, and a moment later, they were standing in a gazebo draped with bougainvillea.

“Have a seat,” Ryan said, as he removed the guitar from its case.