An Unlikely Deal

by Nadia Lee

“Other than golf,” Darcy says. “If Ray could make waffles with a four-iron, he’d expire from joy.”

  Darcy, Ray and Ava laugh. I watch them with a small smile, glad that this is what Ava had after she lost her parents.

  Darcy and Ray ask Ava about her life in Japan. She answers in general strokes, until they ask about Bennie. She tells them about his love life troubles in detail, and how she wishes things would work out.

  “He won’t accept that he deserves better,” Ava huffs. “It’s so frustrating.”

  “He didn’t have an easy childhood,” Darcy says sympathetically.

  “I know, but right in front of him—we’re not talking hypotheticals here—he has this perfect man mooning over him. All he has to do is give in…just a little.” Ava shakes her head.

  “I hope you were able to talk some sense into him,” Darcy says. “The boy could use a bit more.”

  “Speaking of which, what made you leave Osaka so suddenly?” Ray asks.

  I tense. The truth would get me shot—or brained with one of Ray’s golf clubs—but I don’t want Ava to lie for me. Not to these wonderful people.

  She takes a long, slow sip of coffee before responding. “The principal was never too fond of foreigners. And when she had a chance to get rid of the only gaijin teacher she had, she took it.”

  “Then who’s going to teach English at her school?” Darcy asks.

  Ava shrugs. “I don’t know. Not my school anymore, so not my problem. I just feel bad for the students.”

  Sharp guilt over the fact that Ava is forced to lie to cover for what I did makes me fidget. I still would’ve found a way to bring her home, but I wish I could go back in time and spend more of my energy convincing her to quit on her own rather than forcing her into it. I was so focused on my goal that I didn’t think about the consequences of putting my desire first.

  Ava deftly steers the conversation to a few funny anecdotes about her friends in Osaka. I listen vaguely, while feeling Darcy and Ray’s eyes on me every so often. Maybe it’s just me, but their gazes seem full of judgment. Can foster parents see through bullshit from their kids too?

  Darcy turns to me all of a sudden. “So Lucas, what do you do?”

  The question is a little unusual for me. Most people in my circle ask about how my investments are doing, not about my job. “These days, I make speeches, mostly of inspirational variety, or I consult.” Neither of which I’ve done much of recently since I’ve had very little drive. Nor do I particularly need the money. “And I have some investments. I’ve funded a few tech startups that look promising.”

  “I see. Your family seems to live quite a ways from Virginia, except for your father.”

  Wariness courses through me. The woman has done some homework, and most likely she found something she didn’t like.

  “Darcy,” Ava says quietly, shooting a quick uncertain glance in my direction.

  I nudge her leg under the table to let her know I can handle this. “That’s true.”

  “Is it also true that your family is quite…wild?”

  Wild doesn’t begin to describe some of my siblings, but if she has something to say, she can just say it. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “Your brother Elliot—your twin, actually—has a certain reputation. I looked him up. Sex tapes, marrying a stripper, and I’m sure that’s not all.”

  “Darcy!”

  “Your mother has the right to know,” Darcy says blithely.

  Ray gives me a sympathetic look. “Darcy’s mom was worse with me.”

  Ava slumps in her seat, and I reach over and pat her hand.

  Darcy continues, “Then there’s Ryder Reed, the actor brother, who of course has his own playboy reputation.”

  “So are you saying that I’m like two of my brothers?”

  “I didn’t say anything of the sort. I’m just pointing out some of the things I found out about you.”

  “Actually,” I say pleasantly, “you haven’t found anything about me. You’ve discovered something about two of my siblings. And you’ve conveniently left out my oldest half-brother, who has never had a scandal attached to his name, and my half-sister, who does quite a lot of work in charities and other social programs.”

  Darcy assesses me. Very deliberately, I push my hair out of my face so she can see the scar. The sight of my imperfection elicits a gasp.

  I give her a cool smile. “Anything else you’d like to know? My dating history? My blood type, maybe?”

  “Actually, yes,” Darcy says, refusing to be cowed. “Faye Belbin.”

  Jesus. Did Ava tell them about her too? “She’s an old friend and a business partner.”

  “That…isn’t how it looked. We saw photos,” Ray interjects.

  “She came with me to a few social functions I couldn’t really attend alone. I didn’t think Ava would want to take time off from school to go to those things, most of which are mindlessly dull. Now I see that I should’ve asked.”

  Ava stands up. “Does anybody want more food?”

  Darcy and Ray shake their heads.

  “Then we should clean up,” Ava suggests—rather more forcefully than necessary—to Darcy. “Ray cooked.”

  Darcy shoots a long look my way before nodding. She gets up to join Ava, but says, “Lucas, you’re a guest, so please sit and…perhaps enjoy some coffee if you’d like?”

  Ava shakes her head subtly, while glancing meaningfully in Ray’s direction.

  I hide a smile. “If you wouldn’t mind.”

  Sighing, Ava takes the pitcher and pours me a fresh cup. “Tried to warn you,” she murmurs before turning away.

  She and Darcy take stacks of empty plates and head to the kitchen. Ray studies me, his expression bemused although there’s a hint of smile on his lips. But it’s more of an “I’m trying to decide what I think about you” smile rather than genuine friendliness.

  “Ray, I know you have something you want to say. Let’s get it out of the way.”

  He steeples his hands and leans back in his seat. “I’m trying to decide if I can trust you with Ava a second time. You left her when she was vulnerable and needed you.”

  My face heats. He’s not saying anything I wouldn’t if our positions were reversed. But at the same time he only knows things from Ava’s point of view.

  Needing to convince him that I didn’t ditch her, I say, “At the time, I was stuck in the hospital after a motorcycle accident. I didn’t know she needed me…much less that she thought I’d abandoned her.”

  “If you didn’t want to break up, why didn’t you come see her when you were out of surgery?”

  “She left a box with my nurses. It had all my stuff in it.”

  Ray’s eyes sharpen. Obviously he didn’t know this part.

  “Yeah. A pair of sunglasses I’d left, a book she’d borrowed. And all the things I’d given her during our time together. What would you have thought?” I give him a little time to get the picture. “Then there are my scars. I have them on other parts of my body as well, and they’re not particularly pretty. All from the accident. So I figured that maybe she didn’t want a guy who was all mangled up.”

  Ray nods, but his forehead is furrowed. “Okay, I get it. But in that case, why are you back now?”

  “In spite of my best efforts to stay away, I happened to discover where she was, and I couldn’t stop myself anymore.” I lean forward, holding his gaze. “When she left, she took something from me.”

  Ray goes very still. “What do you mean?”

  “Ava took all that was warm and good in my life. After she left, I…well, I couldn’t really feel much of anything.”

  Ray picks up his coffee and has a sip, but his hand is shaking a bit. “I see. Well, that clarifies things.” He flashes a quick, empty smile in my direction.

  Something’s off here, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. Ray doesn’t seem like the nervous type. Before I can ponder any further, though, Ava and Darcy return.

  “All don
e,” Ava says, squeezing my shoulder.

  I take her hand. “Since I couldn’t take you out for breakfast, I want to take you for that drive instead.”

  Darcy’s mouth immediately flattens. But Ray says, “Of course.”

  Worry and apprehension cloud his eyes, and I know that he still doesn’t quite approve of me. I mentally shrug away his concerns. I have Ava. That’s all that matters.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Ava

  We drive for a good three hours in Lucas’s Mercedes. Before leaving I told Darcy I probably wouldn’t be back for the picnic, and she agreed to take a rain check.

  Lucas picks scenic routes through the valleys and fields. Trees are in various stages of change—their leaves transforming from vibrant, lush green to deep yellow, red and every shade in between.

  The sun sits high in the impossibly blue sky, and I stretch my arms over my head, loving the warmth coming through the sunroof. The sound system plays a bright classical tune by Mozart.

  “How far are we going?” I ask after a while.

  “As far as we can.”

  I glance at his profile. He looks outside, his shades reflecting the changing scenery. The wind ruffles his hair.

  I reach over and tuck an errant strand back behind his ear. “Are you kidnapping me?” My tone is whimsical.

  “What if I am?” The question is conversational and surprisingly casual despite the sudden weight behind each word.

  I run my thumb along the shell of his ear. “I’d say drive faster.”

  His mouth curves into a crooked smile. He takes my hand and kisses the knuckles, his lips taking their sweet time.

  I shiver. It’s been less than twenty-four hours since we’ve been apart, but from the way I long for him, it might as well have been weeks. It isn’t just his body that I want but the closeness, the intimacy when we’re together…just the two of us.

  Finally he pulls over by a field with a small lake in the center and we get out. The breeze trails fingers along the surface, creating small ripples I watch until they’re lost in the reflected sun. Trees rustle, a few red and yellow leaves twirling away like dancing fairies.

  “It’s beautiful,” I whisper, afraid to break the moment.

  Placing his sunglasses in his shirt pocket, Lucas cups my cheek. “Made more beautiful by your presence.”

  The wind whips by, lifting the hair that covers his scar. I cradle his face, my bare fingers touching the raised white tissue. He flinches, but doesn’t pull back. I rise on my toes and kiss him on the mouth. “Made perfect by your presence.”

  He perches his butt against the hood of his Mercedes and pulls me between his legs. “Every day you destroy more of my walls.”

  “I want nothing between us.”

  Even as the words slip from my lips, I feel like a fraud. I still haven’t told him about Mia.

  Tell him. He’ll understand.

  He’s seen Ray and Darcy are good people, protective and fully capable of taking care of the child we created two years ago. If he wants to be part of Mia’s life, surely he wouldn’t be so vindictive as to try to take her away from them.

  I open my mouth, and suddenly a low growl stops me.

  “What’s that?”

  He winces. “My belly.”

  “Didn’t you eat enough?”

  “It was a little difficult with Darcy watching me like she wanted to gut me and use my intestines for garters.”

  I chortle. “She did not.”

  “She so did. Is she descended from the Torquemadas?”

  “Ha!” With a great deal of reluctance, I pull away from him. “All right. Let’s get you fed.” I cast one more glance over my shoulder at the beautiful view. It seems cruel to have to leave this paradise when we just arrived.

  “Great idea.” He grins, not at all perturbed by the fact that we’re about to go. Then, instead of opening the driver’s door, he pops the trunk and drags out a cooler and basket.

  “Ta-da!” He spreads his arms and bows like a magician.

  I laugh. “When did you prepare all this?”

  “I had Gail pack us something before I went to pick you up. And before you get jealous, she’s my housekeeper and she’s in her sixties.”

  I punch him lightly in the bicep. He wraps an arm around my shoulder and pulls me closer. “Don’t pout. I think it’s adorable when you’re possessive.”

  “Do you now?”

  “Yes. It means you think I’m worth keeping.”

  My heart shatters a little. I don’t understand what made him think that he isn’t worthy, but if I ever find out who did this to him, I will beat them to death with my bare fists. “You’re definitely worth keeping, Lucas. You don’t know how much I’ve regretted the last two years.”

  He gives me a lopsided grin, boyishly beautiful in its openness. Pulling me even closer, he kisses the top of my head.

  We stroll over to the lake and pick a spot under a spreading oak. I help him lay out the blanket and take a quick peek into the basket and cooler. I assumed they would mostly contain breakfast stuff, but no. There’s a bottle of wine, thinly sliced roast beef, a few pieces of fried chicken, cheese, bread, some Caesar salad, cut fruit…

  “You were planning on a picnic all along,” I say, pulling out the items and laying them on the blanket.

  “Yes. I didn’t have you with me last night, so I was determined to have you with me today.”

  Quietly, we eat. To be more precise, we feed each other. Every time he takes a bite from my hand, he licks my fingertips, making my muscles clench. I do the same to him and enjoy the way his nostrils flare.

  I sip the excellent California rosé and run my tongue along my lips.

  “Keep doing that and we may not finish eating.”

  “You’re still hungry?” He’s already polished off most of the beef and half the chicken.

  His gaze drops to my wine-moist lips. “I’m always hungry around you.”

  “Then let’s clean up.”

  I start putting stuff away. He helps too until the only things left are the bottle of wine and our glasses.

  I pat the blanket. “Lie down.”

  His eyebrow arched, he does.

  I take his arm and stretch it out, then lay my head on the bicep. It makes a very comfortable pillow as I snuggle next to him. “You know what I realized?”

  “What?”

  “That we didn’t take any photos when we were together. I mean, of us. As a couple.”

  An odd look crosses his face. “No, we didn’t.”

  “This time we should.” I take out my phone and position it over us. “We should capture every happy moment together so we never forget what we have.”

  The reflective screen shows us lying on the blanket, my face relaxed and his tight. I lower the phone. “You don’t want to?”

  He shakes his head. “No. I’m just…” He turns his head toward me. “Nobody’s ever wanted to do that with me.”

  “Maybe they weren’t very good at preserving memories.”

  “Honestly, I never wanted to, either,” he says, kissing me softly on the mouth. “I never had a reason.”

  Oh, Lucas. “But now?” I ask lightly.

  “Now I do.” He grins and takes my phone and positions it above us himself. “Smile.”

  I do.

  The shutter clicks.

  He isn’t finished. He takes many, many more, all of them featuring us smiling, kissing, laughing.

  Happy.

  The sun starts to dip lower, and the wind is definitely getting a slight bite to it. I move closer to him. “I don’t want to leave.” I would give anything to preserve this moment in time.

  “Neither do I.”

  Two beats. “But we probably should.” As much as I’d love to, we can’t stay here forever, especially with the temperature dropping.

  “We’re not going anywhere. I kidnapped you, remember?”

  “Yes, I do. But I forgot to warn you that I’m a pretty high-maintenanc
e hostage. I need a bed and a hot shower—at least—from my kidnapper.”

  He shakes his head. “A total princess. Lucky for you, I’m a kidnapper with high standards.” Standing up, he extends a hand. “Ready to be wowed by your accommodations?”

  I grasp it. “Yes.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Ava

  The place he finds turns out to be a rustic B&B not too far from the lake. It has five guest suites and is run by a ruddy-faced woman with a big apron around her that reads Sweet Lakes Bed ’n’ Breakfast.

  She welcomes us when we walk in and introduces herself—Doris Penn. Do we have a reservation? No? But aren’t we lucky since she just happened to have a cancellation. But we have to check out by Monday if that’s all right. Other guests are coming in.

  Lucas hands her his plastic, and she shows us to a room with a view of the woods. The place is nowhere near as fancy as the suite he stayed in in Osaka, but country charm more than makes up for the lack of glitzy opulence.

  Clean, soft sheets cover the king-size bed, and an armchair and love seat occupy the living room along with a small table. The TV is large and new, and the bathroom is well-stocked with basic toiletries including toothbrushes and toothpaste. It also comes with a tub big enough for two adults.

  “It’s lovely,” I say to Doris.

  She beams. “This is the best one we have. Just renovated, too. Hope you enjoy your stay.”

  “We sure will,” I say.

  She hands us the key to the room and leaves. I look at the actual metal key and smile at Lucas. “This is very good, Mr. Kidnapper.”

  “I agree. Sometimes I’m so awesome I impress even myself.”

  “Is that so? I also should’ve told you that I demand clean underwear during captivity as well.”

  “Surely you jest. The whole point of kidnapping is to keep you naked in my room.”

  “How will I go out to eat?”

  “That’s what room service is for.”

  “Does this place have room service?”

  He taps his lower lip. “Hmm… Maybe not. All right. I suppose I can get you some clean things to wear. Something super lacy. In fire-engine red.” He shoots me a comically lascivious leer.