Someone jerked him back by the hair. “Don’t touch her, you bastard!”
She scrambled to her feet and wiped her stinging cheek.
Engell stepped in front of her. He’d followed them, thank the gods.
“What are you going to do, gypsy-monster?” Esad spat at his face.
Engjell punched him in the neck, making Esad fall. “Come on.” He took her hand and pulled her after him.
They ran out of the cemetery and didn’t stop until they reached the bottom of the hill, where she leaned over to pant.
“That boy is bad. Very bad.” Engjell kicked up a dust cloud.
“Thank you.” She swiped at a stray tear. “For saving me.” She still couldn’t believe what Esad had done.
He reached up to touch her tender cheek. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
She blinked quickly and took a few deep breaths. “I’m okay.” Now that she was far from Esad.
“Let’s get you home to your mama.” He took her hand. “We’ll tell her dogs attacked and you fell down and hit your face.”
Sweet Engjell. He was like Baba, wanting to take care of her. Only he was ugly and Baba was handsome. But she loved his ugliness. Deformed, burned boys didn’t want to kiss girls and be bad with them. Engjell was safe. A true friend. Her protector.
She vowed to be a better friend to him from now on.
Gemma
Had I honestly told Lincoln we needed to touch and kiss to pull off this ruse? My cheeks burned as I tried to concentrate on my work. I hadn’t meant to imply that, even if it was all I could think about. Heavens! The man had imploded my worldview. Before kissing him, I’d never imagined I could enjoy the act. But I’d savored every magical second in his arms. I wanted to kiss him again, to test my hypothesis of whether the kiss could be topped? My prediction was it couldn’t. But I’d love to be proved wrong.
Yet my suggestion that we have more physical contact had made Lincoln shut down and shut me out.
A short knock on the door made me look up as the sexy man I’d been stressing over entered my office. I wanted to hide under my desk, but I pulled my shoulders back and held my head high.
“I have an idea,” my boss said. “Again, I’m sorry about what happened earlier. It won’t happen again.”
Ugh. “I get it, okay. I’m a terrible kisser. No need to keep apologizing. I haven’t had a lot of experience, okay?” He didn’t need to keep bringing it up.
He stared at me as if I’d lost my mind. Maybe I had. The man made me all sorts of crazy.
“You think you’re a terrible kisser?”
“Of course I am. I saw the disgust written all over your face.”
He blinked. “I wasn’t disgusted. I was afraid you were.”
I snorted. “Um no.”
The infuriating man cleared his throat. “I keep apologizing because I promised this would be nothing more than a professional sleight of hand, and yet it’s becoming messier by the minute.”
“So, I wasn’t a terrible kisser?” My whole body burned, but I had to know. Stupid competitive streak.
“Not that it matters since I’m your boss and you’re my employee and we will never kiss again, but no, you, uh, were quite pleasing.”
I smiled. “You were pleasing as well.” Very much. “That’s the only kiss I’ve ever liked. The others have been...” I stuck a finger down my throat.
He pursed his lips, which I now knew were tender, tasty, and wonderful. “You are the oddest woman I’ve ever met.”
Ah. He would deflect with insults. “And you’re the most boring man alive.” He wasn’t, but I had to say something.
“Perfect. Now, shall we get back to the reason I came in here?”
I waved my hand. “Please.” And then leave.
“I’ve come up with some strategies to hint at intimacy without truly intimating.”
I laughed. “You made up that word.”
His eyes narrowed. “No, I’m certain intimating is a word.”
I pulled my phone out to check. “Hmm. You’re right, but I don’t think you used it correctly.”
He rolled his eyes. “Fine, I have three tactics to hint at intimacy without breaking the professional code between us.”
“Much better.” I refused to reveal how much his analytical scalpel cut me. “Enlighten me, o intimater.”
He counted off on his fingers. “First, proximity. Last night at the engagement party, we appeared to the audience to be having an intimate moment, but my lips never touched you.”
Not true. His lips had grazed mine. They’d also touched my cheek. And they’d definitely nuzzled my ear. Maybe he hadn’t noticed, but I’d never forget how he’d set my lips, cheek, and ear on fire.
“Proximity gave the impression of blissful connection. We appeared to be having an intimate moment, but all I did was whisper the ABCs in your ear.”
Which had been the sexiest thing ever. Goosebumps erupted on my arms just thinking about it.
“Is it too cold in here for you?”
Ugh. Dumb man. He was the only thing that was cold. “I’m fine. Proximity is genius.”
“Why do I get the impression you’re taunting me?”
I batted my eyelashes, making him growl.
“Two, whispering. When I whispered in your ear, it gave the illusion of sharing secrets. Even a fart joke whispered between us would give the illusion of passion.”
“Check.” I made a giant mark in the air. “I’ll study up on fart jokes.”
He shook his head. “Last, smiling and laughing, to give the impression we’re smitten with each other. Couples think everything the other says is brilliant, when it’s not.” He raised an eyebrow. “Basically, don’t scowl at me.”
“But you’re so scowl-worthy.”
He laughed, making my heart ache. Why did everything this man do have to affect me?
“Got it. We could also share codes to our phones. That definitely hints at intimacy, like drinking from the same coffee mug.”
“Absolutely not. My phone is off limits. So is my mug.”
“You can have my code. 11110.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Please tell me you’re joking. That’s the worst code ever.”
“Right? I wanted all ones, but the phone wouldn’t allow it.”
“No code sharing. I’ve already forgotten yours,” he said with a smile. “Let’s practice.”
“Code sharing?” I wanted him to leave so I could hide my face in a funder file.
“No. The strategies. I don’t want to get trapped in another compromising situation like Joe did to us this morning.” He walked around my desk and leaned over me. Cool, minty breath made goosebumps prickle all over my neck and arms again. “We get close, like this.” He dropped his voice, making me shiver. “We can combine tactics like whispering and proximity to strengthen the illusion.”
I gulped to moisten my parched throat. “Okay.”
“The breathy voice is a nice touch.”
Ugh. Stupid jerk. “I don’t see how this will help if Joe asks us to kiss again.” Shouldn’t we practice kissing more?
“It will work. Trust me.”
The corner bistro always unsettled me. I sat in a patio chair and closed my eyes. Lincoln and I would head to Park City soon, where I’d meet his parents. I’d already dropped Altin off at Miss Tina’s in preparation to leave.
Looking both ways to ensure I was alone, I pulled the envelope of cash out of my satchel and slipped it beneath the napkin dispenser, a ritual I’d performed every month for the past two years.
My mind rewound to that day I’d received my first paycheck from EcoCore. I’d been so thrilled because it’d matched what I’d made waitressing and cleaning offices and would put me about eight hundred dollars ahead since I wouldn’t have to pay a sitter overtime any longer. I’d walked to my car, thinking of what I could buy to celebrate my luck. When I’d gone to shut my door, something had stopped it.
“Hello, Temptress.”
“You’ve had a run of luck, no?” He’d pointed to the check in my hands. “Seems you should pay back the benefactor who set you up for success. It’d be a shame if I had to call in an anonymous tip about your kidnapped brother. Foster care can be awful for vulnerable kids like him.”
He’d demanded six hundred bucks for my silence, and when I’d told him I didn’t have that kind of money, he’d shrugged.
“Not my problem. If you can’t come up with cash, there are other ways to pay me.” He’d put his hand on my leg and had inched upward, leaving no doubt as to what he’d meant.
I’d slapped his hand away. “When hell freezes over.”
He’d dropped a card on my lap. “That can be arranged. Leave the cash in an envelope at this address by the end of the week, under any napkin dispenser on the patio tables. I expect great things from you in the future, Temptress.”
The only great thing I’d done was make him rich. But I couldn’t keep doing this. Duke’s last letter had proven what I’d believed all along—that he would never be satisfied until he owned me.
I must escape. But I needed money, and all my extra cash kept going to Duke. I stared up at the sky, pleading with God to show me a path.
Should I tell Lincoln the truth?
Could he help me?
My phone buzzed with a text from him, saying he was on his way. I sent him my coordinates so he wouldn’t have to go all the way back home, then hurried inside the bistro to use a restroom. Anxiety had my stomach in a mess.
I locked myself in a dingy stall and took several deep breaths. Lincoln couldn’t know. He didn’t like gypsies. If I told him who I really was, he might turn against me. I’d rather keep paying Duke than have that happen.
I washed my hands and headed down the hall when a sensation of being watched made me shiver. I ran to the exit and didn’t stop until I reached the end of the block.
Baba had said to listen to my inner voice—my best defense against evil. I hadn’t done that as a young girl and had paid a heavy price. But I listened now. And my inner voice had said to get the hell out of there.
21
Lincoln
The drive up the canyon was quiet. The tense kind. Gemma didn’t even play with the window controls. Was she still upset that I’d forced her to go shopping for new clothes with Casey yesterday? Or was it something else? She’d hardly said two words to me at work that morning, and she’d taken off without even a goodbye to take Altin to Miss Tina’s. She’d been pacing up the block from the address she’d texted me when I’d found her.
What was up? Was she going through withdrawals or something? I’d have to keep a sharp eye on her this weekend.
The GPS announced we’d arrived at our destination. I pulled into a long driveway and parked. Wilder and my parents emerged from the cabin to greet us. I took my time pulling luggage out of the trunk, hoping Gemma wouldn’t ruin everything.
“Oh, aren’t you a doll.” My mom pulled her into a hug. “I’m so sorry we missed your engagement party. We didn’t get back from our cruise until this week.”
“It’s fine,” Gemma said.
“Welcome.” Wilder pulled her into another tight embrace.
“Wow,” Gemma said. “You said a cabin. I expected a log hut in the woods, not this gorgeous mansion.”
It was a dumb thing to say, but Gemma could do no wrong in Wilder’s eyes, thank goodness. He laughed and ushered her into his home. I rolled my eyes and pulled suitcases behind me.
Buckle up.
A massive elk head and other animal trophies decorated the walls. Wilder had been an international hunter in his younger days. He introduced us to his wife, and Mom pulled us over to the couches.
“Tell us how you both met. You’ve been a naughty boy, avoiding your family for so long.”
“Better he avoids us than beats us up,” Dad muttered.
Luckily, Wilder was in the kitchen, showing Gramps his wine selection. “The charges were dropped,” I said between clenched teeth.
“Only because you bought Angeline off with that massive divorce settlement.”
This was why I avoided my family.
Gemma fidgeted next to me as Dad eyed her.
“How did you convince this young woman to ignore your past and link her fate to yours?”
“Lincoln’s a good man,” Gemma said, scowling at my father.
Gramps joined us, wrapping an arm around me. “How are you, my boy?”
I gave him a weak smile. “Great.” Not.
Wilder gestured to us. “Lincoln and Gemma, why don’t you tell us the details of your love story. I know I’m not the only one dying to hear how you met and fell in love.”
I put an arm around Gemma, hoping she’d follow my lead. “There’s not much to tell. Gemma worked for me in sales. Her stats drew my attention.”
She giggled and ran a finger through my hair. “Only my stats, sweetie?”
My body responded to her touch like a hormonal teenage boy.
“Nothing else?” She smiled for our audience. “Like how I accessorize?”
What?
“I believe it was my Princess Leia ensemble that stole his heart. He hasn’t stopped chasing me since I wore it.”
I raised an eyebrow as she gave a dramatic sigh.
“A workplace romance, heaven forbid, where I fell for my boss.” She turned to our audience. “He shocked me out of my shoes when he proposed over a Zoom meeting. It’s one of those moments I’ll never forget.” She giggled and cuddled into me.
I pulled her against my body, liking it way more than I should.
Conversations started around us. I half-heartedly listened, focusing more on Gemma’s flowery scent and the way she melded so perfectly into me.
“Gemma dear,” Mom said, pulling Gemma away from me, “tell me more about yourself.”
Gramps tugged me over to the large windows overlooking a pine-covered hill. “I read about that new laser technology for sensor detection,” he said. “Pretty cool stuff.”
I smiled, surprised that he’d kept informed about my company since I had avoided him the past couple years. Maybe Dad hadn’t poisoned him against me, as I’d believed.
“It’s fascinating stuff.” I went into more detail, and Gramps ate it all up. I’d definitely inherited my inquisitive nature and mind for mechanics from him.
Wilder uncorked a bottle of champagne and began pouring. I froze mid-sentence when Gemma accepted a glass from him.
What was she doing?
“I’ll be right back.” I left Gramps to run over and whip the glass out of Gemma’s hands. Champagne spilled onto the wood floor, drawing everyone’s attention.
“What’s your problem?” Gemma sputtered and gave me a look that could kill.
“You should abstain from alcohol,” I said under my breath.
“Absolutely not.” She reached for the half-empty glass. “I need all the liquid confidence I can get.”
I turned my body to block her. “One drink matters.”
“What?”
I pulled her into the corner, keeping my voice low. “Didn’t your son teach you anything?”
“What does Altin have to do with me drinking champagne?”
“You obviously have a drinking problem since you drank while you were pregnant with him.”
She gaped at me as if I’d taken the last cookie before she had to go on a diet. She turned to Wilder. “Will you excuse Lincoln and I for a moment? He just informed me that he left my toothbrush at home.”
Mrs. Wilder fluttered into action. “Oh, don’t worry, dear. We have plenty of supplies here. I’ll find you a new one.”
“That’s kind of you, but I was attached to my electric toothbrush and need to just…scream at my fiancé for a second. You don’t have neighbors close enough to hear me, do you?” She charmed them again with her dazzling smile and preposterous wor
ds.
“Keep him on his toes.” Wilder said with a chuckle. “Yell away, my dear.”
Gemma dragged me outside and shut the door. “You think I’m an alcoholic?” She threw her hands in the air. “Of course, you do. Why am I surprised?”
“Don’t play coy. You told the childcare director that Altin had FAS. He’s disabled because you didn’t stop drinking while pregnant.”
She screamed with her mouth closed. “You are so damned infuriating.”
“Because I speak the truth?”
“No!” She stomped her foot. “Because you think you’re so damned smart. But newsflash, Einstein! I’m not an alcoholic.”
“But Altin.”
“Is my brother, you fool! Not my son.”
“But you said—”
She huffed. “That’s just it. I never said a thing. You assumed he was my son because you always think the worst of me.”
“But he calls you Mommy.”
“Because he’s a little boy who never knew his real mom. He calls Miss Tina Mommy, too. Will you accuse her of being an alcoholic also?”
I nudged a pinecone off the porch. “Why did you let me assume he was your son?”
She rolled her eyes. “Why have you let your parents assume you’re capable of beating your ex?” She walked inside, slamming the door in my face.
I scratched my head. Whenever I thought I was getting close to figuring out my unconventional, quirky executive, she tossed me an open can of Coke and sprayed me with surprise.
Gemma wasn’t a single mother.
She wasn’t an alcoholic, either.
And she definitely wasn’t happy with me.
Gramps tugged me outside as Mom and Mrs. Wilder cornered Gemma to talk about girl stuff. I’d feared she’d ruined everything when she’d marched outside, saying she needed to scream at me. What couple does that?
Yet Wilder and my family had taken her drama in stride. My parents already thought I was scum, so her words hadn’t surprised them. They likely thought I deserved her wrath. And I did.
Why had I assumed the worst about her? Gemma had impressed me from day one when she’d marched into my office to seek the apology I’d owed her. Her confidence and charm. Her grace, even in her outlandish outfit. The fire in her eyes. Why had I looked for reasons to discount her? She’d surpassed my expectations. Never had I imagined we’d be wining and dining Wilder this soon.
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