Nina swallowed, her nerves pinging as she listened to the interplay between him and his aunt. There were hardly undercurrents here. It was more a tsunami of conflict and she was over her head—especially given she didn’t have a clue as to what it was all about.
Fortunately, she was saved by the first course being served. Everyone leaned forward in anticipation. And as the meal progressed, Nina realized her presence wasn’t strictly necessary at this point—because the conversation was purely about the food. Deservedly so. It was exquisite. Nina could foodie it up with the best of them and she could definitely live with the rock on her finger and the fraudulent brain surgeon career if it meant she’d dine like this every other night.
Small, insanely delicious servings. They deserved many more than three stars of superiority. Nina savored every morsel, trying to decide if she felt outrageous enough to lick the plate. Probably—sadly—not. It was one step too far from her sensible self.
She glanced up and caught Eduardo watching her—and her obvious enjoyment of the food. He winked and she faux-fluttered her lashes right back at him, then kept up the polite chatter with Gabi.
With the arrival of dessert, the atmosphere changed for the worse. Eduardo’s aunt commandeered his attention—talking rapidly at him in Spanish in an uninterruptible stream. At least Nina thought it was Spanish.
“Your job must be very difficult,” Gabi inquired, drawing Nina’s attention from Eduardo again and moving the conversation past the impersonal travel, food and shopping talk.
“Mm.” Nina lingered over her last mouthful of the decadent chocolate. She lifted her shoulders apologetically—not liking having to lie. “But very rewarding.”
“I think Eduardo is brave,” Gabi said. “He gives his patients so much at such a difficult time.”
Nina fiddled with her fork. She hadn’t had much time to think about his career, but it must be incredibly difficult witnessing the horrendous things he did.
“It has to be hard when he knows most aren’t going to make it,” Gabi murmured. “But still he tries. He never gives up.”
Nina stilled, blocking her frown. Weren’t his patients already dead? Victims of some horrid crime that Eduardo was helping solve? “It’s his passion,” she fluffed lamely.
“It’s good he’s found you, someone who can understand it,” Gabi said. “His parents don’t. They wanted him to take over the family business, of course. But I wanted him to find someone who could give him balance.” Gabi looked Nina in the eyes and then lowered her gaze to the table.
Nina knew Gabi had seen the ring, but hadn’t said anything.
Gabi looked back up again, a smile on her lips but a touch of sadness in her eyes. “Perhaps you can do that.”
Now Nina felt bad. Gabi cared for Eduardo. Nina wasn’t sure if it was in a cousinly way or more, but she cared. And Nina understood why. He was a good guy, wasn’t he? Not all arrogance and pride at all—he had greater depth than she’d suspected.
“I’ll try,” Nina answered as honestly as she could. She glanced at Eduardo, who was still listening to the incessant speech from his aunt.
He’d withdrawn into statue mode again. He sat stone-still, and his smile had disappeared. He’d retreated behind that blank, serious barrier again. A wave of protectiveness swamped her. Which was crazy. As if a six-foot-two guy, with beyond-Mensa brains, needed anyone’s protection?
But he’d asked her to come with him for fun. He’d wanted light relief and she’d been doing a rubbish job of that so far. Not good enough when he’d put on a stellar “passionate lover” performance for her. It was time to pull her weight.
Except his aunt apparently had no need to breathe, ever, and Nina was unable to break through her monologue. Instead, she slipped her hand onto his knee beneath the table to show her support. Nothing wrong with a knee touch, right? It wasn’t too intimate, not like she’d gone straight for his package—though the wicked thought flashed in her head. He shot her a startled look and she went to withdraw, only he slammed his hand over the top of hers so hard she couldn’t move. His fingers curled around hers and then he lifted her hand far higher up his thigh—well within intimate boundaries now. Beneath her fingers, his muscles were rigid and rocketed heat up her arm and into her heart.
“There was a big sports event in the city today, lots of supporters in the streets.” She boldly spoke to his aunt—boldly and blithely interrupting now. “Do you enjoy watching sport?”
The older woman hesitated and Nina chomped the inside of her lip, thinking she was going to be ignored, or worse, castigated for so rudely interrupting.
“I enjoy gymnastics,” Graciela finally answered.
Nina nodded. “Those women are amazing, aren’t they? All those flips they do.”
“I like men’s gymnastics,” Graciela said firmly.
Nina blinked. Was she picking up on a Stella-esque vibe from Eduardo’s ancient aunt? Did the elderly lady have an eye for the men, the same way her friend did? How fabulous. “Yes so do I,” she agreed enthusiastically, every cell inside smiling. She leaned forward conspiratorially. “I like men’s diving, too. What do you think about that?”
Eduardo’s fingers tightened around hers for a couple of pulses. She registered his amusement. Good.
Six
Nina was every bit as effervescent as Eduardo had guessed. But in that quiet way—smiling, a soft bubbling within. He wanted her to bubble over in his arms. She’d drawn Gabi out—Gabi whom he respected greatly and loved like family. She’d even taken on Tia Graciela, in the end guiding the conversation straight out of tricky waters like a velvet-gloved, steel-boned diplomat. Frankly, she’d been shamelessly heavy-handed with her diversion techniques. But she’d been irresistible with it.
And now, thank heavens, Graciela had taken Gabi to go talk to another family across the room. They were from his hometown—important business contacts for his parents. It seemed everyone was here for the opening ceremony. Eduardo knew he should go over and talk to them, too, but he simply didn’t want to. He wanted to remain alone with Nina.
“You know more about sport than you like to admit,” he said as they waited for coffee to be served.
“I actually do like men’s diving.” She picked up one of the petit fours and put it in her mouth.
“And travelling.”
“Yes.” But for a split-second, she looked wistful. Then she picked up her spoon and added a sugar cube to her coffee. “I did want to spend some of summer in London, but there are so many people coming over from home. I didn’t want to have to see them.”
“It bothers you that much?” She needed to run away to the Continent to avoid them?
“I know it’s tragic of me. But so many of them knew everything—knew what he was up to. And they didn’t tell me. No one had my back.”
He took a sip of scalding hot coffee, the burn on his tongue nothing on the flare of anger inside. He didn’t like how badly she’d been hurt. And he understood her need to escape.
“So what’s your family business?”
Eduardo grinned at the way she took charge of conversation when she felt vulnerable. Good for her. Even if it wasn’t a topic he wanted to pursue. “We have a couple of stores.”
“What kind of stores?”
“Department stores, but they mainly specialize in interiors. Furnishings.”
She nodded but didn’t press for more information. He was glad. He didn’t want her to be impressed by the family wealth. Though that was a stupid qualm when he’d been the one to put a giant diamond ring on her finger. But that was different. That was just a crazy impulse, a joke as much as anything. She understood that was what tonight was all about.
“Tell me about your work.” She turned to him.
On second thought, he’d rather talk about the family business. “What’s to tell?”
“You don’t solve cold cases.”
“No,” he chuckled. “I’m not a forensic pathologist.”
“What do you
do?”
“Hematology.”
“Oh.”
He watched her thinking.
“So like, leukemia patients and stuff?”
“Yes and hemophilia and many other different blood diseases.” But his main specialization was oncology—the cancers.
“Do you work in labs or with patients?”