Stand-In Bride's Seduction

“Do you have a temp agency you can call to fill in someone else’s position at work and then second one of your existing staff into her role?” Sarina suggested.

“It’s a good idea but we’re already operating on a skeleton staff through the summer.”

“Perhaps I could help?”

He laughed out loud at the suggestion. “You? There are no horses in my office, and the only time my staff jump is when I make them.”

“Horses aren’t the only thing I can manage,” she replied, lifting her nose in the air. “I’ve been known to run— I mean, I’ve helped my sister a time or two back home when she’s been snowed under. She sometimes needs an extra pair of hands on a keyboard or a fresh perspective on her ideas.”

Reynard noted her near mistake in revealing her true vocation. He pretended to consider her suggestion as he ripped apart lettuce leaves and tossed them into a bowl. If she’d orchestrated a reason to come to work in his office, then he might have been suspicious, since it could have been part of whatever plot she was brewing. But she couldn’t have anticipated Carmella’s situation. And besides, it might not be a bad idea, he decided, to have her exactly where he could find her every minute of the day. Eventually, she’d be bound to slip up somewhere and he’d be in a position to extract the truth from her, and put an end to her and her sister’s plans.

“Do you really think you could?”

“I’m going nuts with boredom at the cottage, Rey, give me a chance. If I stuff up, then you can fire me,” she said with a self-deprecating shrug.

He nodded slowly. “Okay, then. Starting tomorrow you can be my temporary assistant. I warn you, though, I’m a hard taskmaster.”

“Good,” she replied. “I enjoy a challenge.”

Oh, she’d have her challenge, all right. But it wouldn’t be the kind of challenge she’d be expecting. It would be a challenge of her own honesty and truth, and it would be on his terms. Something he was very much looking forward to.

Nine

A challenge? Rina wanted to grab the words back into her mouth the minute she’d said them. What the heck had she been thinking? Work with him? Sara would never have done anything like that at anytime let alone when she was supposed to be on holiday—or, more importantly, enjoying life as the fiancée of one of the island’s leading citizens.

She wasn’t kidding about being bored, though. Aside from the strain of waiting for news about Benedict at the hospital, at least there she’d felt useful, as if she’d had something of value to offer and add to the family’s comfort. At the cottage there was nothing. She’d met the cleaner and been soundly scolded both in Spanish and in English for risking life and limb on the rickety old bike. Now she wasn’t allowed to do her own grocery shopping or any cleaning around the house. And she got the feeling the woman wouldn’t be too happy that she’d done some gardening, either.

With Sara not returning her texts or calls, she felt as if she was locked in limbo—and sitting still had never been her forte.

“When do I start?” she asked.

“Is tomorrow morning too soon?” Reynard replied.

His expression remained urbane but she saw something in his eyes that made her think he expected her to withdraw, or find some reason to change her mind.

“That should be fine. How shall I get into the office, though?”

“Good question. The ideal solution would be for you to stay here,” he suggested.

Again she had that sense that he was watching her. Preparing to gauge her reply.

“That could work, or I could hire a car so I’m a little more independent.”

His eyes narrowed a little. “Are you sure? You wouldn’t prefer to do without the worry of driving in the central city, on the opposite side of the road to what you are used to?”

“I’m sure I’ll get used to it pretty quickly. I’ve driven in Europe before. It becomes logical when you’re driving in the left-hand seat to keep your left shoulder to the center of the road.”

He nodded slowly, but she had the impression he was less than pleased. For herself, as tempting as it was to stay in the apartment with him, she knew she would never be able to resist wanting to be more intimate with him. There was an allure between them that she found more and more difficult to fight. For the sake of her love for her sister, she didn’t dare give in to it.