Bearing Secrets (High House Ursa Book 1)

by Riley Storm

  “I do. I also recognize the price tag.” She glanced at him. “This is a three-million-dollar car.”

  “Closer to three and three quarters,” he corrected. “It’s actually the Chiron Sport, if you must know.”

  Natalia gaped. “I didn’t know they were even selling these yet. How rich are you?”

  He smiled. “My family left me some money.”

  That was an understatement. Ursa money was rivalled only by that of the Drakos family, though nobody had heard from them in a century, so they didn’t count. Still, he didn’t see the need to divulge that information to Natalia.

  “Still, we must be going,” he said, pulling open the door on her side. “Though we may talk cars more while we’re driving if you wish. I realize this is admitting to judging a book by the cover, but I didn’t expect you to be an expert on hypercars.”

  “It’s a bit of a secret passion of mine,” she said, sliding into the bucket seat. “Though I never expected to ever get the chance to ride in one. This thing has fifteen hundred horsepower.”

  “It does.” He closed the door and walked around to the driver’s side, doing his best not to let the shit-eating grin he felt coming on show through. Composure, Kirell. Composure.

  “Oooh.”

  The noise Natalia made as the car fired up made his heart race a little bit more. The throaty roar was so unlike that of a muscle car, and yet was deep and powerful, not the expensive whine of some other hypercars. You couldn’t help but listen.

  It felt strange to him to be bonding over something as simple as a car, but there was no denying that the little moment here had been just that. A moment between them, brought on by a seven-figure sports car.

  He just hoped all moments between them wouldn’t have to be so expensive.

  You’re not here for moments. You’re here for a partnership, so you don’t get you and your Queen killed. Keep it together, stop fanboying over her just because she recognized the car.

  …And the paint scheme.

  “Oh, my goodness,” Natalia yelped as the car sped off, the sudden acceleration pushing both of them back into the seat. “I love it!”

  He fell silent for the rest of the short drive, pulling up in front of Leblanc with a full minute to spare. It had taken several minutes of intense driving on his part, but again Natalia had surprised him, simply whooping in joy each time he’d pushed the pedal down to call for more from the engine.

  “That was fun.”

  “Good. I hope it worked up your appetite.”

  This time, as he opened the door to let her out, she accepted his arm, though she dropped it again once she was upright. A crowd of onlookers had approached, several of the bolder ones trying to ask him questions about the car, but a fierce glare sent most of them on their way, and he ignored the rest, focusing his attention on Natalia.

  Whether he truly cared about her or not, she was his date for the evening and he was going to act appropriately.

  “I’ve never been to Leblanc before. It’s a little too expensive for my…budget. You don’t need to spoil me.”

  He grinned. “I know, but I wanted to come here. They have an excellent selection of steaks, and I was in the mood.”

  “As long as the bill isn’t coming out of my payment, we’ll be fine.”

  The smile didn’t leave his face as he walked by her side through the doors, held open by a staff member.

  “Mr. Kirell, it is good to see you again.”

  He dipped his head in greeting. “Always good to be back.”

  “Mr. Kirell?” Natalia asked, confused. “I thought your last name was Ursa?”

  “It is. But my family is…large. So, it’s easier to call us by our first names to keep us sorted.”

  Natalia didn’t look like she completely understood, but she didn’t push the subject, much to his relief. Now was not the time to explain that Ursa was a name shared by thousands of his “family”.

  They were shown to a table already lit with candles and where a selection of wines had been assembled for them, as per his request. After they selected their drinks of choice, he lifted his and held it out. “To you.”

  “To me,” she echoed, but there was suspicion in her voice.

  “Is something wrong?” He’d hoped not. Everything had gone smoothly so far. Better, even, given her sudden car knowledge.

  “Not at all. But this is starting to feel suspiciously like a date, Kirell. I thought we were just getting together to discuss things.”

  “We are. And it does. On purpose.”

  “I didn’t agree to a date.”

  “You kind of did,” he countered. “I told you to dress formal. For dinner. That’s code for a date.”

  “Perhaps.” She sipped her wine, staring at him over the gold-tipped lip of the glass.

  “That being said, this is also helping to create a paper-trail of things we’ve done together. If we do proceed with this, then it helps if anyone questions our sudden engagement. More proof, to help you with your Green Card application. The more we’re seen together, the more witnesses we have.”

  “Convenient excuse.” But she was smiling now. “You’ve thought this through.”

  “I prefer it that way.”

  He swallowed the fib, knowing full well he was prone to sudden unplanned outbursts of thoughtless action. That was a minor detail though, and not one that needed going into.

  “Can you tell me now some more of what you require from me? I know what I require of you. Sign some papers, have a small party, and I can stay in the country. That’s easy. What should I know about your part?”

  “Right down to business I see.” He took a sip.

  “Sorry. We can take our time I suppose.”

  “Actually, we can’t.”

  “We can’t?”

  “No. There isn’t much time. That…thing, I told you about, that I need you for. It’s in a little less than two days.”

  Natalia took the information on the condensed timeframe in stride. He had to give her credit, she was quick to adapt. Just what he wanted from someone who would be acting a part. “You’re a quick mover.”

  “Not normally. It’s outside of my control. There’s more you should know.”

  This was going to be the true test. He’d hoped to have some food in them, not to mention some small-talk to help her relax, but it appeared she wasn’t interested. Natalia was taking it as a business deal and acting the part. It was only polite that he did the same.

  “Why do I get the feeling I’m not going to like it?” She set her wine glass down and regarded him with a calmness in her features that did well to hide her nervousness; he could see it in the pulsing of the carotid artery in her neck.

  Plunging right in, he laid the situation out plainly, without disguising it. “You’re also going to have to spend most of the rest of that time with me. There’s a lot you need to learn, and some of it is going to take adjusting to.” Now he looked away as he delivered the last of it. “And you won’t be able to have contact with anyone else about it either.”

  The defenses that she possessed dropped into place immediately. Her expression became closed off, distant, and her eyes, that beautiful golden-brown hue, became almost frigid. “Pardon me? I told you I don’t want any part in anything illegal. If that’s what this is about, I’m calling a cab. I don’t appreciate being lied to, Kirell.” Her voice was glacial.

  “It’s not illegal,” he said forcefully. “It’s for my protection, not yours. You will also have to sign a perfectly legal non-disclosure agreement. Again, let me reiterate, it is not illegal. It’s just serious. You’ll understand if you agree.”

  “If I agree, I can’t back out once I understand.”

  He shrugged. “I’m not going to lie to you; no, you can’t.”

  A fresh-baked loaf of bread was deposited on the table along with several selections of butter. Knowing his preference, he went for the cinnamon butter, while Natalia chose the three-cheese. They ate in a silence t
hat, despite the tension, was still quite comfortable.

  “I should have asked for more money.”

  The joke was the exact thing needed to relax both of them as they shared a laugh.

  “Are you certain I’m the best choice?” she asked him after another few bites of the bread.

  “No,” he admitted. “But you adapt well to unexpected situations, and that’s all that I can ask for really.”

  “What the hell is it you’re hiding?” she asked, leaning forward.

  Kirell smiled but he didn’t answer. He had her now, he could feel it. Her curiosity was piqued, and there was no way she was going to back out now. Hopefully, when it came time, she would be a better actor than she was now.

  Otherwise, they were all going to be in trouble.

  10

  “Your friend seems…interesting,” Kirell remarked as the waiter cleared their dishes.

  Natalia laughed lightly. “Loren is one of a kind, that’s for sure. Hopefully she didn’t bother you.”

  “Not at all. I admire her desire to protect you.”

  “Protect me? She was the one who forced me to come talk to you last night, and then dialed the number on your card today. I’m not sure you can call it protecting when she forced me into the situation!”

  Truthfully, she was glad for it. On her own, Natalia would probably never have called Kirell back. She was too much of a wuss like that. Only Loren’s forceful intervention had ensured she went to dinner with him. A dinner that was absolutely delicious. The lobster had been amazing!

  Now they were enjoying the last of their bottle of wine, while she waited to see where the night went next. She wasn’t too thrilled by the admission she’d have to spend most of the next two days with him, unable to talk to Loren or anyone else, but her curiosity was at a peak as well. Just what was he hiding, and how much more would she be able to find out about the reclusive Ursa family, she wondered?

  “Well that’s just looking out for your well-being. She knows that you agreeing to this will work out for the better for both of us.”

  “You seem so positive.”

  “We both need something that the other can provide. It’s a perfect match, really. You have to admit that. It couldn’t be better if we’d designed it ourselves.” Kirell tilted his glass in her direction as if to say cheers to you, before taking a drink.

  Behind him, half a dozen servers came out and started to move empty tables to the side, creating an open space on the floor, while the lights in the individual chandeliers above each table dimmed, creating a more intimate atmosphere.

  “What’s going on?” she asked. Had something been spilled?

  Before Kirell could answer, music spun up, piped into the area through hidden speakers. It was somewhat louder in the open area, but not enough that she would have to raise her voice to speak across the table.

  “It’s a dancefloor,” he answered her, the first couples moving out into the space, swaying slowly to the sounds of a full symphony.

  “Aww, that’s cute.” She watched as the dancers, mostly older couples, smiled and laughed with each other as they danced. It was nice to see them all still so happy with one another. That was what she wanted out of a relationship. Out of a marriage. Long term happiness.

  Natalia had always assumed she would only ever marry once. For love. That she would find a man, and that they would spend the rest of their days together, the true happily ever after. Never had she considered that she’d get married out of convenience.

  Getting married drunkenly by accident in Las Vegas with a lustful fling? Regrettable, but an entertaining story in the long run. She would have accepted that. This, though, this was so businesslike that she felt awkward. Almost icky, despite it being the only solution to her current problem.

  “May I have this dance?”

  She looked back at the table, only to see Kirell’s seat empty. He was instead standing next to her, hand outstretched, ready for her to take it.

  “Ohhhh, no,” she laughed, shaking her head. “I don’t think so.”

  “Ohhhh, yes,” he mimicked, taking her hand anyway when she didn’t give it to him and gently pulling on it. “It’ll be fun.”

  “I don’t know any formal dances.”

  “Just follow my lead, and don’t grin on me. It’s not that type of place.”

  She punched him lightly in the stomach as she stood, disguising the attack with her movements. “I’m not that dumb.”

  Kirell pretended to be pained for a second, then he guided her out onto the floor, taking one hand in his, and putting the other around her waist. She swallowed hard as—suddenly—she was up close and personal with him, one hand on his shoulder, her head on his chest.

  Why is your head resting on his pec? He didn’t put it there.

  The question was washed away in a blast of heat. Natalia was all of a sudden acutely aware of his warmth, and of the strength of the muscles she’d only ever seen. Her fingers could feel his shoulder muscles through the suit, and the firmness under her head only echoed that feeling.

  Swallowing through an abruptly parched throat she almost pulled away, to put some distance between them. What would that accomplish, though? The entire point of their arrangement—which she was essentially agreeing to by sticking around—was based on the two of them pretending to be close. If she couldn’t handle slow dancing with him, it would be obvious to any casual observer that there wasn’t any chemistry between them.

  No, she was going to have let herself enjoy it, while keeping a wary reminder ready any time she slipped too far into the role. At the end of it all she had to be able to pull herself out, to detach without having developed feelings. Given that she was being paid, it should be easy. Then again, it had been easy to wind up in his arms on the dance floor as well.

  She vowed to be even more careful going forward.

  “For someone who claims not to know how to dance, you’re doing okay,” he said, speaking quietly into her ear.

  Not quiet enough to calm the rumble of his voice.

  She knew. Natalia could feel the tingle from it heading down her spine, against her will.

  “I never said I didn’t know how to dance. I said I didn’t know any formal dances. This is just slow dancing. I thought you were going to try and get me to waltz or something.” Her cheeks burned at the admission.

  Why was she embarrassed by that fact? Leblanc was far above her normal social standing. What went on in such places was a mystery to her. It was normal to assume these things…wasn’t it?

  Kirell’s chuckle bounced her head slightly, but not enough to dislodge her. He didn’t say anything either, which was a relief. She let the topic die away, losing herself in the music and following his lead across the floor. Amazingly, she might actually have found not only the perfect solution to her problem, but a good person to help her solve it. He wasn’t some old fat guy that she would have to sleep with to get her way.

  Not only do I not have to sleep with him if I don’t want to, I’m getting paid for not doing it!

  Natalia didn’t bother disguising the smile that slid across her face.

  “Is something funny?”

  Kirell stiffened when she didn’t reply.

  “Uh, not really,” she said, puzzled at his suddenly jerky movements. “Kirell? What’s wrong?” Lifting her head, she saw his gaze was focused like a laser, but not at her.

  “Company.”

  Her first urge was to whip her head around and locate whatever the problem was. Something told her that wasn’t a great idea, that she should be more discreet.

  “Company?” she asked, trying to get as much information from her suddenly tight-lipped dance partner as possible. “What kind of company?”

  “The unpleasant kind.”

  Thinking it over, she wondered if he’d been lying to her all this time. “The police? I thought you weren’t in any trouble with them?”

  “Not the police.” He slowly twisted them both as they danced, until
they faced the other way. “See the three men coming into view?”

  She spied them. Three older gentlemen, late forties, perhaps early fifties. Well-dressed and well put together. Only two things made them stand out to her; first, was that Kirell had pointed them out, but even if he hadn’t, the second thing that made them stand out was the death-stare they were directing at Kirell. All three of them stood so still they could have been statues, their eyes locked on to Kirell with eerie intensity.

  “Who are they?”

  “Canis,” he rumbled so deeply she could feel the anger through the vibration of his chest.

  Canis. She knew that name. But from where?

  The Canis family! One of the three founding families of Plymouth Falls. Right. Loren never mentioned that they hated each other, though. Would have been nice to know before I walked into the middle of some kind of blood feud.

  “Is there going to be a problem?” she asked cautiously, preparing to distance herself from the men.

  She hoped not. The three Canis men looked like they would be a handful. They were tall as well, though an inch or two shorter than Kirell if she had to guess, and not as bulky. They held themselves confidently though, looking unafraid of her date.

  “We should be okay,” Kirell assured her. “This is neutral territory.”

  Neutral territory? What the hell have I gotten involved in? “So why are they staring at us like we would make a delicious snack?”

  “I’m not entirely sure.”

  He wasn’t telling the truth. Her ears couldn’t tell if it was an outright lie, or that he had a suspicion but didn’t know for sure; either way, she was sure Kirell knew more than he was letting on.

  “What exactly should we do, then? I’m not overly fond of getting between you four.”

  “Just keep dancing.” Putting action to words, he twirled her gently. “I’m not the only member of my House present tonight. Things should be just fine.”

  “Should be?” she squeaked. “That doesn’t sound very positive. Are things normally not?”

  Kirell’s face darkened. “In the past it would have been perfectly fine, but things have changed lately. I’m not sure what to expect.”