A Mating of Convenience

by Elyce de Reefe

  Nina got the feeling her participation in the breakfast preparations might not have been sanctioned. In fact, everyone seemed surprised. But Mari, at least, seemed happy to see her, and Lucas greeted her cordially enough. Still, Nina kept her distance, staying by the griddle, monitoring the French toast, just in case.

  Lucas’s brother Gage made a big entrance, coming down the stairs and pausing dramatically near the island. “So now we meet the great Dr. Evans,” he said in that same slight French accent that Lucas, Dean and Aster all shared. Boaz had told her that they were French Canadian, whereas his own family had come from Minnesota originally.

  He bowed theatrically. “Gage Ardennes,” he stated, pressing a hand to his chest as he straightened. “I am honored to make your acquaintance.” He winked and cast Boaz a sideways glance. He had dark hair, like Lucas, but his face was longer, with high prominent cheekbones and a sharper chin. He was also leaner than Lucas and seemed quite a bit younger.

  “Nice to meet you,” Nina said, inclining her head and managing to hold her smile mostly in check.

  “Actually, with the smells coming from this kitchen, I do believe I may be in love.”

  “Here we go,” Mari said, rolling her eyes, but she had a fond expression on her face.

  With that accent, Nina had to admit he sounded kind of sexy, and she couldn’t help smiling. Boaz, however, was not amused. His low growl had Gage throwing up his hands.

  “Kidding— kidding,” he said, backing toward the table. Boaz’s growl intensified, and she was pretty sure she heard Gage chuckle as he went to take the seat next to Mari.

  Mari gave him a little slap on the shoulder and scolded him. The two of them had a low voiced conversation that she couldn’t hear, so she turned away and concentrated on flipping the French toast. A moment later, Boaz’s other brother came trotting down the stairs.

  He came right over to her and took her hand in both of his. “Nina, it’s so nice to meet you. I’m Boaz’s brother, Eli. Please let me know if there is anything you need.”

  Like all of the Masters brothers, he was blond, but he wore his hair longer, about halfway down his neck. Eli’s face was slightly thinner than Boaz’s, but not quite as angular as Zeke’s. And while not lean exactly, he wasn’t anywhere near as muscular as Boaz.

  She got the feeling Boaz was glaring over her shoulder at him, because he dropped her hand abruptly and took a hasty step back.

  “Thank you,” she managed, feeling unaccountably touched.

  Anyone would pick the four of them out as brothers, she realized. They all had startlingly blue eyes and similar features. But Boaz and Aaron looked the most alike.

  Eli retreated to the table, taking the open seat next to Gage.

  Breakfast turned out to be a great success, with Zeke refreshing everyone’s coffee like a waiter, and serving each batch of French toast as it came off the grill. With toasted pecans and hot maple syrup, it was absolutely delicious. The bacon and fruit rounded out the meal, making it a very satisfactory breakfast.

  Nina did her best to hide her smug smile as each person rinsed their dishes and left their scores on the chart. And soon it was just the three of them left in the kitchen, doing the final cleanup.

  Boaz gave her a warm, private smile when all the numbers were tallied. With that one meal, their team edged ahead of Lucas and Jeff.

  Someone is going to have to up their game. The thought made her grin.

  Zeke was more vociferous. He took one look at the final score and started chanting. “Oh, yeah. Take that.” He punched the air. “Watch out Mari and Gage—we’re coming for you!” He gave her a big smile, a double high-five, and left the kitchen whistling.

  She and Boaz looked at each other for one silent moment, and then to her surprise, they both started laughing.

  Chapter 11

  The last thing that happened to break up the peaceful rhythm of the days, shattered it completely. It had been three days since she’d made breakfast with Boaz and Zeke, and it was their turn again the following morning. Nina had thought about it a lot and had decided on a spinach and pancetta frittata with caramelized onions. Each morning since they’d made the French toast, she’d had breakfast in the kitchen with Boaz and whoever happened to be around. Usually Zeke and Eli, occasionally Gage, and once Jesse, but he left almost as soon as she arrived.

  She couldn’t believe how much she was enjoying the competition. Just this morning it had been Lucas and Jeff’s turn, and they’d managed some pretty decent blueberry pancakes. Nina still felt a bit awkward around the rest of the pack, but it was getting better. No one was rude or hostile to her—not even Lucas—and she had started to believe her strategy was working. They were beginning to relax around her.

  But she and Boaz still had dinner together each night, just the two of them, so she figured there had to be some reservations that remained about her. Or maybe it was just their custom; a way to ensure she and Boaz got to know one another. He had claimed her after all. That had to mean something.

  She knew the rest of the pack generally gathered for dinner, but Nina had come to enjoy her low-key evenings with Boaz. He’d even started talking a little—not much—but each night he seemed to make a point of asking her something about herself, her time in college or med school, and once even what her favorite place to visit was. Which of course she couldn’t answer, because she never got to travel, and there wasn’t just one place she wanted to go. But France came to mind. She’d always wanted to visit Paris. He listened attentively to whatever she told him and would even offer up some small tidbit about himself. If she asked.

  To her complete surprise, she learned he had a degree in finance from a small college in Canada that she’d never heard of. Every night he pulled out a laptop and worked for at least an hour, usually two, while she read or did her leg lifts and stretches if she hadn’t gotten the chance in the morning. It was deceptively harmonious, exactly how she would envision a married couple might spend their evenings. Without the sex, of course.

  But on this particular evening, they were walking along the river to the north, where the trees crowded in at the top of the valley and a soft blanket of pine needles cushioned the ground. Boaz stopped suddenly and pulled his hand from hers.

  “What?”

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out her phone. Her heart quickening, she reached for it. Was he giving it back? Did this mean they trusted her now? She felt a little jolt of hope. Would they let her go? Then he pulled it back to type in her code. Her heart nearly stopped. He had her code?

  But when she glanced down at the screen, that concern flew right out of her head. It showed a voicemail from Eva from that morning. Once again she reached for the phone, but he held it out of reach. His mouth tightened for a moment and then he pressed the button to play it on speaker.

  Eva’s familiar voice filled the small glade they were standing in. Nina felt a rush of guilt and longing. How long had it been since she’d heard her sister’s voice?

  “Hi Nina! Hope you’re having a great vacation. I just wanted to see how you’re doing. I haven’t heard from you in a while, so I figured that’s a good sign. You must be having too much fun to call.” Her voice turned playful. “Actually, I’m hoping you met a really hot guy, because, let’s face it, you never disappear like this.”

  Nina felt her face go hot and didn’t dare glance at Boaz. But then her sister’s voice continued. “So anyway, I just wanted to talk to you because the doctors are talking about a new procedure, and I know you always want to know about that kind of thing… and I haven’t actually ever heard of this one, so…” Eva’s voice trailed off. She was doing her best to sound upbeat, but Nina could hear the strain. “So um, just give me a call when you get a chance. I’d really like your opinion on this. Okay, love you. Talk soon.”

  The call ended and Nina felt her world crash in around her. She tried to grab the phone out of Boaz’s hand, but he pulled it away. She glared up at him. “This is your fault! I need
to call her back.”

  “Your sister is sick?”

  Nina’s throat constricted. She didn’t even want him to know she had a sister. Not only did he know, but he’d been monitoring her communications. Did Lucas know? The idea made her feel slightly nauseous.

  “Answer me.”

  Nina swallowed. “Yes, she’s ill.”

  “Cancer?”

  Her temper exploded. “What do you care? You’re holding me here against my will when I need to be with her. When she needs me.”

  “I care.” Boaz’s gaze was direct. His vivid blue eyes were resolute. “I have a sister too.”

  She felt her anger leave in a sudden rush of hope. This was Boaz, who had always been unfailingly gentle and kind to her. Maybe she was all wrong about this. Maybe he had no intention of keeping her from her sister.

  “Then let me go.” She looked up at him, knowing her desperation must be written all over her face. “Please? I won’t tell a soul. I promise.”

  “It’s not possible.” His normally stoic face—a face that gave very little away—was grim. “You are not even accepted. Your position is very tenuous.” He paused, looking away. “Out there…” His mouth tightened and he shook his head.

  “Here.” He held out her phone. “Call her on speaker.”

  She stared at him, not really believing it.

  His face softened. “She is your sister. Just— don’t tell Lucas.” His mouth tightened in a slight grimace. “Or anyone.”

  “Okay.” Nina reached for the phone, but he pulled it back.

  “Be very careful what you say, Nina.”

  She sucked in a breath and then nodded. “I will.”

  She pressed the call button, and her sister answered on the second ring.

  “Nina! You got my message. How is your vacation going?” Eva’s obvious enthusiasm and rapid-fire questions sent a rush of emotion through Nina. Her sister was her biggest fan, her most staunch supporter, in spite of the fact that Nina continue to fail her. “I’m so glad you’re finally taking some time for yourself,” her sister’s voice continued. “Ten days, Nina, I can hardly believe it. Tell me everything. Who are you with?”

  Ten days? Had it really been that long? “Just some colleagues. It’s more of a working vacation,” Nina said faintly. She risked a glance at Boaz, but his face gave nothing away. “So tell me about this procedure, Eva.” She needed to get this conversation back on track. “Who knows, maybe this is what we’ve been waiting for.”

  Nina winced as she listened to her sister describe what the doctors wanted to try. Lord knew they couldn’t wait for her to come up with a solution. Although this latest batch of formula showed promise. But Eva needed something now. She still couldn’t believe it had been over ten days since they’d spoken.

  Nina tried to say as little as possible, concentrating on getting information about the procedure. It was one she wasn’t familiar with. Boaz listened but didn’t object to anything she said. She kept her gaze steady on his as she said, “I’ll have to look that up Eva, check out the pros and cons.” And all possible side effects, but she didn’t say that out loud. “I’ll get back to you tomorrow.” He nodded his agreement, and Nina got off the phone before her sister could ask any more questions.

  But one thing had become clear during the course of the conversation. Eva seemed to think Nina had been texting her. At first she was confused when her sister commented on her beautiful vacation spot. “I can totally understand why you don’t want to come back. I really loved that last picture of you looking out over the valley.”

  One look at Boaz’s face was enough to confirm his guilt. But she waited until she was off the phone to confront him. “You sent her messages as if they were from me?” It felt good to have something to finally focus her anger on. “How could you do that?”

  “She is your sister. I couldn’t let her worry.”

  She couldn’t even begin to argue that. What did he think would happen if they kept her here permanently? But she didn’t want to bring that up, so she let it go. Suffice it to say that dinner that night wasn’t as quiet as usual. She grilled Boaz on all his communications with Eva, which turned out to be not that many.

  She made him show her the picture in question. She had a moment of shock when she saw it. She was seated on a rock overlooking the valley. She knew it had to be from that night they had dinner up on the ridge. She was mostly in silhouette, turned away from the camera with just the curve of her cheek and jaw showing. Beyond her, the sky was aglow in soft pink and golden orange. It was a beautiful picture. But there was just something a little remote, or even lonely about her posture. The fact that he’d taken it unsettled her. The way it captured her was far too intimate for her peace of mind. And it came crashing home to her that there was no more time to waste.

  This was the reality she’d been hiding from these last few days. A surge of guilt tried to swamp her. Here she was playing make-believe while her sister paid the consequences. The formula was virtually completed, honestly she could probably have finished it two days ago if she really tried, or certainly yesterday. But she had to admit that she’d been stretching out this golden time away from her responsibilities.

  And okay, there might have been just the teensiest bit of fear at the idea of trying to defy Boaz, no matter how gentle he’d been so far. But it had to be done.

  Chapter 12

  The next evening Nina brought her medical bag home from the trailer, telling Boaz she needed to go through it and take stock. The truth was she needed it to put her plan in motion. Tonight was the night. She tried hard not to think about it because every time she did, her heart would start to pound and then Boaz would look at her funny. She had the oddest suspicion he could hear it.

  Nina had noticed that while she usually brought up a glass of water, Boaz had a glass of iced tea almost every night while he was working at his computer, and that tea was going to be her ticket out of here. And sure enough, tonight he carried a tall glass of dark amber liquid upstairs with him and set it next to his computer.

  She waited until he was settled at his desk before going into the bathroom to run a bath. It was something she’d only done once before, and she realized with some regret that she should have spent more time with those Jacuzzi jets while she had the chance. Foaming jasmine-scented bath salts has appeared in the bathroom about four days after she’d arrived, and they’d proved too much to resist. But it had felt just a little too complacent luxuriating in the foam, so she’d only done it the once. That might have been a mistake, Nina.

  She poured a good amount of the salts into the tub and turned the hot water to full blast. Leaning over the tub, she waited a few minutes for the water to release the scent into the air. Hopefully it would rise up to coat her skin and mask any tell-tale scents she might be giving off. Call her crazy, but she got the feeling these ‘people’ could smell what she was thinking. Or at least what she was feeling.

  When she was satisfied, she stuck her head out the door. “Boaz, would you mind getting me a cup of tea?”

  His head came up and he turned to look at her.

  “Tea?”

  She tried to calm her heart rate, regulate her breathing. It was the first time she’d ever asked him for anything like this. She hoped it didn’t seem suspicious. Her nod of agreement felt quick and jerky.

  “What kind?”

  What kind? She had to swallow before she could speak.

  “Any kind. Herbal if you have it, but plain black tea is fine too.”

  He stood. “Milk? Sugar?”

  “No thanks. Just plain is fine.”

  He nodded and headed for the door.

  Nina closed the bathroom door and leaned against it, trying to get air back in her lungs. She counted to twenty before opening the door and heading for her medical bag. Grabbing the packet of powder she’d pre-measured earlier, she quickly stirred it into his iced tea. She’d carefully calculated the exact amount it would take to have him sleeping like a baby
straight through the night, but not enough to do him any harm. Not enough to stop his heart.

  She bit down hard on the inside of her lip. She had been very careful. Turning to the closet, she pulled out a set of pajamas and made sure the outfit she planned to wear later was ready at the top of her suitcase. She’d chosen black yoga pants and a navy long-sleeved tee, plus a navy vest. It was only May and could still get pretty cool up here after dark.

  A few moments later Boaz came back into the room, a cup of tea held out in his big, familiar hands. It was an actual tea cup, the kind with a saucer, and it looked fragile and delicate in his hands. She realized when she took it from him it was the same one he’d given her that very first morning. Her heart gave a funny little squeeze. Small purple violets danced across the creamy surface of the porcelain.

  “Thank you.” Her throat felt tight, but she got the words out without them sounding too strangled.

  “Anything you want, Nina.”

  A pang of guilt hit her and she glanced up at him. Instead of that tiny half-smile she’d come to expect, he had a look of concern on his face. She gave him a tight smile and turned away before he could examine her too closely.

  She’d left the bathroom door open hoping the smell of jasmine would waft through the room, just in case he could smell what she was thinking. You’re getting paranoid, Nina.

  Fortunately the sleeping powder itself was odorless and tasteless so she didn’t have to worry about that. At least she hoped not. What if they have super-sensitive taste buds? She shivered as she entered the steamy bathroom. If he somehow detected it, she was going to have some serious explaining to do.

  Nina stretched out her soak as long as she could. By the time she got out, her skin was wrinkled, and she’d built up so many scenarios in her head on what she’d find when she opened the door that she’d lost track. Everything from Boaz passed out cold over his computer, to the whole pack, including Lucas, ready to punish her for her sins.