by R. J. Blain
“Frank warned me you hadn’t been feeling well and said if I happened to see you to make certain you were fed,” Sophie reported. “You don’t look injured to me, but I figured it was better safe than sorry.”
“He was,” I confirmed, sticking my tongue out at the Fenerec when he scowled at me. “He just likes pretending he’s invincible when he is not.”
“I know. Fenerec. They’re all like that.”
Richard stalked into the kitchen, picked me up by the waist, and deposited me on the counter out of Sophie’s way. “She’s absolutely no different. Both of her parents are Fenerec, and she seems to think her heritage has made her immune to harm. First, she flipped a van. Since she walked away from that, she upgraded to crashing commercial jets. Since that wasn’t enough to convince her she’s mortal, she flipped my Porsche three times. Admittedly, she had help with that. Then she decided to learn to fly with the help of her snowmobile.”
“Mr. Murphy, you do not put young ladies on the counter,” Sophie scolded. “I heard a rumor about the demise of your Porsche, but I didn’t think it was true. It’s really totaled?”
Richard sniffled, pouting at Sophie in a blatant bid for sympathy. Before he could say a word, Sophie shoved a cookie in his mouth.
“Whining is not permitted in my kitchen, Mr. Murphy.”
“Wait, whining gets rewarded with cookies?” I demanded, snatching at the cookie still dangling from Richard’s mouth. He chomped on it, turning his head to keep me from stealing it.
Sophie offered me another cookie. Sighing from contentment, I nibbled on it. “If traveling with Richard always involves world-class dinners and great cookies, I might have to tolerate his company more often.”
“Oh, aren’t you a little charmer,” Sophie murmured, handing me another cookie. “Now, off to bed, both of you. I’ll wake you for brunch.”
I went to slide from the counter, but Richard caught me and tossed me over his shoulder. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Richard, put me down!” With a cookie in each hand, I couldn’t beat at his back like I wanted. “I can walk, damn it.”
“You would try to steal more cookies. I’m doing you a favor.”
“How is that doing me a favor?” I demanded.
Sophie laughed, shooing us out of the kitchen. “Good night, children. Try not to wreck the house.”
“I’m housebroken, I assure you,” Richard replied.
A laugh burst out of me. “Housebroken doesn’t mean break houses, which is exactly what you do. I saw what you did to our living room. Also, you smashed Dad’s computer and a bunch of other stuff in his office.”
“Everyone blames me,” he complained, and still ignoring my protests, he carried me out of the kitchen to the staircase leading up to the next floor. “Good night, Sophie.”
“Sleep well,” the woman replied, waving.
The access to the attic loft was a narrow staircase at the end of the main hallway. Like the rest of the place, the loft was an eclectic mix of rustic and modern. Richard set me down on my feet, and my mouth dropped open as I took in the room. One half was a bathroom, which was separated from the rest of the loft by a wood and stone archway. Like the hotel room my father had forced me to share with Richard, the jacuzzi was excessive, probably large enough for four to bathe comfortably.
The bedroom featured a single king-sized bed, and like the downstairs, shelves bearing a fortune in books dominated the walls.
“Wow.”
“All of the cabins were booked, but Sophie keeps this space for family and friends,” Richard said, giving me a push in the direction of the bathroom. “You deserve a long, hot soak.”
I frowned, twisting around to glare at him. “Remember, if you fall asleep first, I win.”
Richard closed the attic door before turning to smirk at me. “And what will you win if I fall asleep first?”
“Forgiveness for breaking the sled?” I suggested, biting my lip.
“You can’t ask for what you’ve already received.”
“Fine. You will make yourself—and your business—available if I need to ask questions about business management.”
“Once again, you can’t ask for what you’ve already received.”
“I haven’t received it yet!”
“I was going to give that to you anyway. Pick something else. Something you don’t have or will be getting already.” Richard closed the distance between us, tilting my chin up with a finger. “Surely you can think of something.”
“You’ll drive me to Stanford so I don’t have to fly back for next quarter.”
“Deal.”
“What about you?”
Richard’s smile both intrigued and unnerved me. “You will go to the Porsche dealership with me and help me pick my replacement car, which will be followed by dinner and a movie.”
I sucked in a breath. Was Richard asking me on a date? I opened my mouth to say something, but I couldn’t force a single word out. Unable to think of a single reason to reject his proposal, I bobbed my head. “Okay. Fine. Car, dinner, and a movie.”
Richard took hold of my shoulders, pulling me close to him. “Then the wager is set, Miss Desmond. I assure you, I have no intentions of losing.”
“You’ll be sleeping like a baby long before I finish in that jacuzzi.”
“You’re not even going to make it to the jacuzzi.”
“What exactly do you mean by that, Richard? It’s right there! Did you hit your head when we were out on the snowmobiles?”
“Maybe I plan on distracting you so you never make it there,” he murmured, lifting his hand to stroke his fingers along the side of my throat. I shivered.
Instead of the electric jolt and instant, burning desire I associated with Fenerec in the winter, a pleasant warmth and a mild tingle spread from where he massaged my neck. Part of me wanted to question what he was doing and why.
The rest of me didn’t want him to stop.
“That’s very distracting,” I whispered.
Richard’s breath tickled my ear. “I’d kiss you, but unfortunately, if I did that, I wouldn’t stop.”
I flushed, the heat of my embarrassment washing over my face and down to my neck. If he did, I had the shivery feeling I wouldn’t want to either. When Richard resumed massaging my throat, I leaned towards him, tilting my head to the side.
His shirt smelled like Sophie’s cookies, with a strong cinnamon undertone.
“We hate each other,” I murmured.
Richard’s lips brushed against my throat. “Terribly so. You will try your hardest to kill me, and I’ll enjoy every moment spent thwarting your evil plans. You’ll be the villainess, and I shall, alas, have to take up the mantle of James Bond. I’ll have to buy my new car with that in mind—and find a mad scientist who can trick it out with all of the gadgets I’ll need to defeat you at every turn.”
“Me? Evil? A villainess? You misunderstand, surely.”
“Do you expect me to believe that, Miss Desmond?”
“Is this when I’m supposed to state that I expect you to die?” A giggle slipped out of me. “Did the rattlesnake bite you?”
“Repeatedly,” Richard replied, nipping my neck hard enough I gasped. “Like that, but not nearly as nice.”
The tingling warmth intensified, and I relaxed against him. Knocking my legs out from under me with a single sweep of his foot, Richard caught me as I fell, picked me up, and carried me to the bed, tossing me onto it.
I squeaked, opening my eyes in time to watch him settle in next to me, lying on his side. “Richard!”
Richard leaned over me, running his fingers through my hair before stroking my throat once more. I went limp, once again closing my eyes at his touch.
“That’s cheating,” I accused.
Richard’s gentle stroking of my neck scattered my thoughts, leaving me floundering for some reply—any reply. When he kissed me, I forgot about anything other than the feel of his lips pressed to mine.
Pulling away
, he murmured, “All’s fair in love and war, Nicolina. I warned you. I don’t intend to lose. You’ll have to do much, much better than that if you want to beat me.”
The alluring scent of coffee conspired with a bright light in my eyes to wake me. Grumbling complaints, I covered my head with the blankets. “Coffee’s poison. Smells great, tastes terrible. Take it away,” I groaned.
“Come between me and my coffee, woman, and there will be war,” Richard replied. “Good morning. I am pleased to inform you that you are my captive prize, and you will be subjected to car shopping, dinner, and a movie.”
“Die,” I snarled, grabbing my pillow and adding it to the pile on my head. “You cheated.”
“Sleep well?”
I had, which was about as unusual as me falling asleep without hours of tossing and turning first. “Better than with my sleeping pills,” I mumbled.
“Good. It’s ten. I thought you might like a chance to soak in the jacuzzi since I robbed you of the chance last night.”
“You’re still a cheater, and I still hate you.” Flushing over the fact I had fallen prey to him so easily, I wondered what the hell was wrong with me.
I wasn’t supposed to like Richard, let alone enjoy what he could do with his hands—or be able to sleep so well with him in the same room with me. At the rate I was going, I was going to act just like my sister, dancing to a Fenerec’s tune and liking it. Groaning, I contemplated digging a hole in the snow and hiding until spring.
“Poor Nicolina lost to the big bad wolf. As penance, I’ll fill the tub for you. Sophie brought some bath oils up that should help if you’re sore.”
It took a single stretch to realize I ached from head to toe. “Stupid snowmobile.”
“Happens to everyone. It was bad luck that you tumbled into a ravine,” Richard replied. Moments later, I heard water running. “I’ll be downstairs if you need anything. Just shriek. You’re good at that.”
“Asshole.”
Richard laughed. “Just don’t let the tub overfill.”
I peeked out from under the covers. Once certain Richard was gone, I got up. Limping to the bathroom, I double-checked to make sure he hadn’t returned. Satisfied, I ditched my clothes and got into the jacuzzi. The warmth of the water seeped into me. With a contented groan, I stretched out.
When we returned home, I would have to beg my father to install a jacuzzi. The oil and soap added to the water made it bubble and smell of lavender, cinnamon, and sage.
At the knock on the door, I considered never leaving the tub despite having turned into a raisin.
“Nicolina?” Richard asked. “Brunch is in ten.”
“Already?” I splashed at the surface of the water, torn between eating and just soaking away the rest of my life.
“Already, I’m afraid.”
“Okay, fine. I’m getting out,” I grumbled. “I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
“Shout out if you need anything.”
“I need you to go away!”
Richard laughed. Moments later, I heard the thump of feet descending the steps.
It took a lot longer than ten minutes to deal with hair as long and thick as mine. At a loss for how to deal with it, I left it wet and braided it, wrapping my head in a towel to keep it from dripping everywhere. If it tangled, I’d make Richard fix the problem.
When I came downstairs, Richard was surrounded by a group of young men and women. He pinched the bridge of his nose, sighed, and shook his head.
“Richard? Is something wrong?” I asked, halting at the archway into the dining area.
“Your father is a serious pain in my ass,” he grumbled, turning to face me. “Do you know what he’s done now?”
“The most annoying thing he could possibly do? He’s like that. Absolutely infuriating; a little like you, actually,” I said, heading into the kitchen. Sophie smiled at me, pulled a cookie out from the jar, and held it out to me. “You’re the best, Sophie.”
“See, boys? The way to a girl’s heart is actually through her stomach,” the portly woman said, laughing. “Go sit, Nicolina. I think we’re about to witness Richard pulling his hair out.”
“What did my father do?” I demanded.
“My pack thought it would be fun to join in the hunt with him. The woods are crawling with the mangey mutts. A few of them are hanging out around here, though since Sophie hasn’t invited them in, they won’t come too close. If we leave, we’re caught,” Richard growled.
“That’s not good,” I replied, leaning against the counter that divided the kitchen from the dining room. “So how do we lose them?”
“Good question. The more sensitive wolves are probably homing in on me since I can’t shut them out completely at the moment,” Richard complained. “If I had my racing sled, we could give them the slip, but that’s at home. Of course, they’re having themselves a great time.”
I scowled, drumming my fingers on the granite countertop. “What were the terms for your bet? That we both had to get somewhere? Just me? Just you?”
“I said catch us,” he replied, turning to face me. “Something in mind?”
“We could split up. You could lure them away while I make a clean getaway. Your wolves would follow you, right? I’m a little harder to track, aren’t I?”
“You are,” he agreed. “Frank and your parents know your scent, but none of the others do. You’re going to sacrifice me for victory, aren’t you?”
“Without hesitation, Mr. Murphy. You owe me. Go sacrifice yourself for our cause. You were the one who was so certain this would work.” I took a bite of my cookie. “I declare myself the winner.”
“It doesn’t work like that, Nicolina. You have to get away to win.”
“How about I take your snowmobile and you lure your pack away. I’ll drive the damned thing wherever I need to go and win. Us is plural. If they don’t catch us, I win.”
“Don’t you mean we’ll win?”
“No, I’ll win. You’re just an accomplice. The bait. The living sacrifice. The prey.” I pointed my half-eaten cookie at Richard. “My room and board is at stake.”
“Your rent? What about my jet and car?” Richard slapped his palms on the counter, leaning towards me. “I have a bigger horse in this race than you, Miss Desmond.”
“You can afford to replace your jet and your car,” I countered.
“I can, but that’s not the point.”
“It’s clear. They have to catch us both. You’re the easier one for them to hunt down. I’ll take your sled and make a run for it while you lead them all away from me. It’s perfect.”
“How many times did you crash your sled yesterday?”
“The one time didn’t count.”
Richard sighed. “The second time, however, does.”
“Then you shouldn’t have led them to us. Your fault, so you pay the consequences.”
“Fine. You take the sled and I’ll draw them off. But if you even think of damaging yourself or my sled, we’ll be having words and lots of them.” Grumbling a curse, Richard spun around, pointing at a red-haired girl in the group. “Kelly, feel like pretending to be Nicolina? You two are about the same size.”
“Sure, Mr. Murphy. Sounds like fun,” the girl replied, giggling. “Dad’s going to have a litter when he finds out.”
“Frank’s her father,” Richard explained. “Most of these kids are relatives of the pack, Nicolina. Kelly, your job is to keep your father from skinning me.”
Frank’s daughter snickered. “Keep dreaming, Mr. Murphy.”
“Hey, here’s a thought, Mr. Murphy. No one will believe it’s the girl they’re after if she goes on her own,” one of the younger boys suggested. “If she rides ahead and we tail her at distance, we can make sure she gets to Yellowknife safe and sound, then they won’t think it’s her. Your new sled is nice, but its common as hell. No one will think twice about it. They’ll just think one of us borrowed one of Sophie’s; she’s got the model from last year. No one’s going to
think it’s a newer sled. They’re the same color. It’ll just be one of us heading home after coming out here to see what’s going on. Only problem is her snowsuit. If Kelly takes hers, she’ll need to take one of ours; everyone will recognize Kelly’s suit. It’s unholy pink.”
“I guess that just means one of you boys or girls gets to take over the loft for the night until someone can pick you up,” Sophie said, returning to the stove to flip bacon. “I could also drive you back in the truck.”
“She can wear mine,” another boy chimed in, dashing out of the dining area. He returned carrying a black jacket and snow pants, which he tossed to me. “Should fit.”
“Thanks,” I said, going to work pulling it on. “Can I find my way taking the trail?”
Richard sighed again. “Unfortunately. You’ll end up in Yellowknife in about four or five hours. From there, it’s a two hour ride to the lodge. There’s one trail leading to the lodge. Head east out of town. There’s a red-painted sign marking where you need to turn off. There are places to gas up in Yellowknife. When you get to the lodge, just go to the largest building and hole up in there.”
“Keys,” I demanded, holding out my hand. With a scowl, he handed over the keys to his sled.
“What about breakfast?” Sophie asked.
I shifted my weight from foot to foot. “I want to see my father’s face when I beat him fair and square.”
“Sacrificing me isn’t fair or square,” Richard grumbled.
“All’s fair in love and war,” I replied, grabbing another cookie as I headed out the door. The boy followed me, handing me his black helmet from the pile near the door.
Richard frowned, staring at me from the archway leading into the dining room. “I can’t believe I’m going along with this. Do. Not. Crash.”
“Scout’s honor,” I replied, saluting him. “Too bad I’m not a scout,” I muttered under my breath.
Taking off the towel, I wrapped my braid around my head before shoving the helmet on. Before anyone could stop me, I headed out the door, beelining for Richard’s sled.
For being so remote, Yellowknife had a population of twenty thousand and catered to people like me, riding snowmobiles on the trail skirting the city. Careful not to remove my helmet, I used my prepaid credit card to refill both the sled and the extra tank. My head throbbed, and I was pretty sure my hair was frozen solid.
