by Lucy Monroe
Elle grinned. “It’s sexier when you aren’t doing a Keith Urban impersonation.”
“Bite your tongue. That good ole boy is from Down Under. Not the sacred state of Texas. His drawl ain’t anything like mine.”
“I didn’t know there was such a thing as a sacred state.” She rolled her eyes for emphasis.
Beau leaned forward until he was whispering right next to her ear. “That’s because you weren’t raised in Texas.”
“Oh,” she whispered back. “So, it’s some kind of secret, huh?”
He moved even closer until he was as close to her supermodel body as he could get without actually touching. Then he leaned in so his lips actually did touch the shell of her ear. “I’ll share my secrets with you if you share yours with me.”
Her whole body shuddered and if that didn’t send him zero to sixty from one breath to the next. His cock ached and pressed insistently against the fly of his good jeans.
He flicked his tongue out and tasted the sensitive skin just under her earlobe. “What do you say? You ready to share your secrets with me?”
Damn if she didn’t turn just so and lean her forehead against his shoulder. She didn’t say anything, but he could feel tension emanating from her.
He nuzzled into her neck, still whispering. “You got a lot of secrets, princess?”
“Who doesn’t?” Her voice was quiet and muffled against his body.
Beau didn’t know why he did it, but he rubbed her back in comfort. At the moment, the beautiful government agent who was lying to him and pretending to be nothing more than a security consultant seemed vulnerable. And he realized he wanted to protect her. Take all her cares away.
What a sap.
Vulnerable. Right.
It was probably part of her act. Her cover. Only he felt there was something growing between them. Something real and inescapable.
Dumb.
She was just doing her job and pretending to be something she wasn’t to get information her agency wanted about his company.
He had to remember that.
If only he could convince his body to listen. Never mind the heart he was smart enough not to risk for a woman who was living a lie.
Elle couldn’t believe she was leaning against Beau as if he were her boyfriend instead of a man she’d met only the day before. A man who was part of her current assignment. Nothing more.
He pushed her away and stepped back, his actions gentle but firm.
And darn if she didn’t feel chilled even though the desert heat had not dropped for nightfall yet.
The door swept open behind Beau and Elle’s mother stood framed in the door, just beaming. “So you have finally brought us a man to meet?”
Elle squeaked. And how embarrassing was that? Only her family could elicit such a response from her. “He’s my current client, Mama, not a boyfriend.”
How could she not have thought ahead to this reaction? She should have called and told the family she was bringing a client to dinner, but she’d wanted the element of surprise. She’d hoped it would further forestall the usual family drama and lectures on her single status and her working on what was in their opinion the wrong side of the country, followed by the common refrain that she didn’t visit often enough.
That she rarely visited was true and maybe something she was going to fix, but the rest of it wasn’t going to change.
Beau turned and faced her mother, reaching his hand out. “Dr. Beau Ruston, ma’am. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Dr. Ruston?” her mother asked, with an unmistakable glimmer of pleasure in her eyes.
“Just call me Beau, ma’am.”
“And you may call me Mama.”
“Mama!” Elle practically screeched.
“What?” her mom asked, all innocence. “I’m only being friendly.”
“Her name is Lidia,” Elle told Beau, trying hard not to grit her teeth.
Beau winked at Mama. “It’s a lovely name, though I don’t mind calling you Mama if you prefer.”
“You see? He has manners, this one.”
“Who has manners?” came the voice of Elle’s baba from inside the house.
“Come inside.” Mama grabbed Beau’s arm and dragged him into the interior. “You must meet the rest of the family. Valeri, my husband, he is still at work, but he will be here in time for dinner. Roman, he is like our Elle and works too far away to make it home often.”
“He’s in the military, for goodness’ sake,” Elle slotted in.
Her mother shrugged. “Mykola is off catching the bad guys, but our dear Matej and Danusia are here for dinner. They will be happy to meet you, I’m sure.”
“I work with Matej, ma’am.”
“He’s my boss.”
Mama turned to face Matej, who had come from the living room to the entryway. “This one is your boss?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, a successful man, then,” Baba said as she gave Elle a significant look that even a blind Russian could interpret.
Ignoring the heavy hinting, Elle moved forward to hug her tiny grandmother. “Baba, it’s good to see you.”
The old woman hugged her back with strong arms. “I wouldn’t mind seeing you more often, that is the truth.”
“I’ll be in California for a few weeks, maybe even a couple of months. I’ll make sure to visit often.”
“That is right, you are in California. Working.”
Elle rolled her eyes and turned to hug her mother before she could start that tirade all over again. “I love you, Mama.”
“I love you too, my dear daughter.”
Elle glared at Matej over her mother’s head.
He just scowled back.
Hmm. Not in a good mood, then. Or still angry with her. She gave him a questioning look, but he ignored it and turned away.
She still had to greet her little sister and then her father arrived and proceeded to grill Beau just as if he really was Elle’s boyfriend. He took it good-naturedly but managed to ask a question about Elle or her family for every one that he answered.
If she didn’t know better, she’d think he had experience in covert ops. The man was entirely too good at getting other people to talk. Everyone but her brother Matej.
He spent dinner in a dark funk that not even Baba could penetrate.
Chapter 5
After they’d eaten and Papa had taken Beau on a tour of his outdoor workshop, Elle cornered Matej in the courtyard while Danusia helped Mama clean the kitchen and Baba took a rest in the living room.
“What’s the matter, Mat?”
He didn’t answer, just stared into the fountain in the center of the flagstone.
She laid her hand on his shoulder. “Come on, you can tell me.”
“Like you told me you are a federal agent?” he asked in a voice that sliced through her.
“What? What are you talking about?”
“Please, Elle. Do you really think we’re so dumb we don’t know the truth?”
“We who? Who have you told you suspect such a thing?”
He spun to face her, his expression stony. “Don’t worry, we haven’t told Papa, Mama or Baba.”
“We who?”
“Who do you think? Roman, Mykola and I figured it out years ago.”
“Danusia?”
“Of course not.”
“Why? Do you think she is too weak to know because she is a girl?”
“Did you think we were too untrustworthy to know because we are men?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not like that.”
“So, why did you not tell us?”
“Maybe there was nothing to tell.”
“Don’t lie to me, Elle. Mykola doesn’t lie to us. You shouldn’t hide your life from your family. That’s not right.”
Pain lanced through her. “Mykola works for the INS. He has the luxury of admitting that to the people he trusts.”
“And what, you don’t have that luxury?”
&nbs
p; She didn’t say anything. She didn’t want to lie, but she couldn’t tell him the truth either.
“We know you work for the federal government, Elle. Mykola traced the money.”
She probably should have been angry at her brother for invading her privacy like that, but she wasn’t. Because she knew in a similar situation, she might have done the same.
“He must be good. The connection to the federal government paying me is supposed to be impossible to trace.”
“He’s a Chernichenko.”
Elle nodded. “I’m good at my job too.”
“And what is that?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
“The Old Man…my boss…he’s worked for the agency for decades and his wife still doesn’t know what part of the State Department he’s employed by.”
“So, your agency is under the State Department?”
“Honestly? I don’t know. I only know that’s his cover. Probably. The truth is easier to hide behind than a lie.”
“Like your cover as a security consultant.”
“Yes.”
“What are you doing at my company, Elle?”
“Nothing you need to worry about. Really. I’m not on an investigation so much as a fact-finding mission.” Well, after that morning, she wasn’t sure that was true any longer, but the status had not officially been changed.
“You realize I have to tell Beau.”
Elle stared, totally shocked. “No. You can’t blow my cover, Mat.”
“I have a responsibility to my employer.”
“What about your obligation to your sister?”
“The sister who has all but forgotten she had a family for the last four years?”
“It hurt. Coming home. Seeing people I loved. I couldn’t handle it after Kyle died.”
“It’s been four years.”
“I realize that. I let it go on too long. It became a habit to keep to myself; I’m not planning to keep doing it.”
“That will please Mama.”
“And the rest of you too, I hope.”
“You don’t need to worry. We’ve missed you, little sister.” He pulled her into a hug. And while she sensed he was still upset about something, she could tell he had forgiven her.
Just like that. She didn’t deserve it, but that was one of the blessings of family love.
He let her go to scowl at her again, but this time it didn’t make her heart hurt. “We’re a privately held company, Elle. The government has no right to our research.”
“I’m not trying to get your research. I’m not. It’s just my job to keep tabs on what the projects are. That’s all.”
“So you can use what you decide is worth having?”
“No, that’s not how it works. My agency has supported many important technological advances. We do a good thing, Mat.”
“You’re saying your agency never steps in and claims technology for the government.”
“It’s more complicated than that. We’re not the FBI or the INS or even the CIA. Trust me.”
“You’ve been lying to the family for four years. Why should I trust you?”
She almost laughed because she knew he didn’t mean it. He was trying to push her buttons, just like he had when they were younger. She wasn’t so easy to get to anymore. “Because I’m your sister and I’ve never done anything to prove I’m unworthy of your trust.”
“Except lie to us.”
“Lying by omission only.”
“Still lying.”
“Everyone has secrets,” she said, remembering her conversation with Beau before coming into the house.
Mat sighed and nodded. “Promise me you aren’t after our technology.”
“I promise.”
“This is a bad position to be in, Elle. I don’t like it.”
“I’m sorry. Is it why you’ve been in such a bad mood all night?”
“Maybe I’ve been worried about what you plan to do to pay me back for telling Mama you’re in California before you had a chance to do it.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Your note was pretty threatening.”
“Right. Like you’ve ever felt threatened by me.”
“The last couple of weeks have been hard,” he admitted in a voice laced with mental fatigue.
“You weren’t expecting to be a project manager.”
“No.”
“Bigsley’s disappearance really messed you up, huh?”
Mat shrugged. “I don’t hate the job, but I’m worried about him. Are you going to investigate his disappearance?”
“It’s not technically part of my assignment, but I told my boss about it. He’s deciding whether to give the disappearance over to the FBI, or pursue it as part of a reopened case for us. Unless he’s convinced Dr. Bigsley’s disappearance puts important technology at risk, he’ll probably turn it over to the FBI.”
“Bigsley’s a brilliant scientist and a good man, Elle. I want him found.”
“And you expect me to find him?”
“I expect you to make sure his disappearance isn’t ignored, like it has been.”
“Why didn’t you call Mykola about it? He probably has connections with people who could have looked into it sooner.”
“He’s on a case and can’t be reached. Don’t tell Mama. She thinks he’s e-mailing her once a week.”
“But you’re doing it from his address?” She wasn’t surprised to hear one brother was covering for the other.
And it made her feel warm inside to realize they had all covered for her in regard to keeping her job a secret. She had pretty great brothers.
“Yes.”
“More secrets.”
“Yes.”
“I’ll make sure Gil Bigsley’s disappearance doesn’t get dismissed any longer.”
“Thank you.”
“No problem. Don’t push yourself too hard for this new job, please, Mat.” She would never have guessed her oldest brother would end up in a position of managing other people.
He didn’t like a lot of them.
He shrugged again. “We all do what we have to.”
“That darn Chernichenko overachieving gene at work.”
“Better that than an underachiever.”
“You think that’s what I am?”
“What the hell are you talking about?” He looked and sounded genuinely shocked.
“I know the family thinks I’m wasting my intellect in my job.”
“Are you happy with your job, Elle?”
“Yes.” It was all she had and all she wanted after she’d lost Kyle.
“Then, it’s not a waste. We can’t all live in an ivory tower looking for ways to save the environment. Some of us have to save the world in a more dangerous way. I won’t pretend I don’t wish the danger wasn’t there for my baby sister, but it is what it is.”
“Thank you. That means a lot to me.”
“Don’t start blubbering.”
“Won’t happen.”
“Good.”
“Why hasn’t Mykola ever told me he knows I’m an agent?”
“He’s probably like me. He’s been waiting for you to trust him enough to tell him.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“I know.”
“But I did anyway, huh?”
“We’ll get over it. We’re not little kids. Life’s not perfect and we don’t expect it to be.”
“I can’t tell Mama and Papa.”
“That’s probably for the best. They would only worry, and they do enough of that already.”
“You saying you don’t worry?”
“Of course I worry. You’re my little sister, no matter how good you are with a gun.” He pulled her into a bear hug. “But I trust you not to take risks you don’t have to.”
She hugged him back. “Thanks.”
“Did you make your sister cry again?” Papa asked, his voice censorious. “These two, you
’ve got to watch them. They push each other so hard, you would think Elle was second oldest, not second youngest, yes?”
Elle pushed away from her brother and wiped her cheeks, only then realizing she had been crying.
“See? I told you that you made her cry. Did you bring up Kyle? You know Baba told you not to talk about him to her. What’s done is done.”
Elle choked on her laughter. Trust her father to stomp all over tender feelings while trying to protect them. Tactful was not a word in his personal dictionary.
Elle and Beau were on the way back to his place when he said, “Tell me about Kyle.”
“He was my husband.”
“I know that from this morning. He died.”
“Yes.”
“And your family isn’t supposed to talk about him?”
“I guess so. I never knew Baba put the moratorium on it, but I’m grateful. For a long time after he died, I felt like I had too, and hearing his name hurt more than anything I’d ever known.”
“And now?”
“It still hurts, but I can think about him with pleasure too.”
“Remembering the good times?”
“Something like that.”
“What happened?”
Memories that at one time had been sharp and suffocating now played through her mind like an old movie reel. “He was a witness in a bank robbery gone bad. They took him as a hostage and then killed him.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah.”
“Were you on the recovery team?”
“I’m not a police officer. I’m a private consultant and I was consulting.” She hadn’t even been in town when it had happened. Losing her husband had nearly destroyed her. Knowing that if she had been in town maybe she could have saved him added salt to a wound that would never completely heal.
“I’m a damn good security consultant, but I never taught him self-defense. How stupid was that?” Oh, man, she’d never admitted that particular guilt out loud. “He didn’t even have a pocketknife for use as a weapon. I could have taught him how to use one to effect, but I thought he was safe. He was a professor, you know? What was going to happen to him? A poisoned apple from a disgruntled student? We used to joke about it. Doesn’t feel so funny now.”
What was the matter with her? Did she have diarrhea of the mouth?