Page 18 of The Naughty Or Nice Clause

Furious, Lyla jabbed him with her fork under the table. He jumped slightly and glared at her. She rolled her eyes. She’d barely touched him.

“My grandfather left me his shares, so wesharethe company,” she explained.

Klaus increased her frustration by adding the fruit salad to her plate. He stared at her in confusion as she stopped eating.

“Aren’t you hungry?” He smiled, seemingly trying to make up for his comment about her father. She gripped his leg beneath the table, trying to get him to shut it.

“Is something wrong with the food?” Kevin demanded.

“I can’t eat strawberries, remember, honey?” Lyla said through gritted teeth, though she was almost grateful for his attempted poisoning. It interrupted the discussion of how they’d met before she had to jab him again.

“Why not try them? Mum makes a special syrup – you might love them,” Klaus offered. She couldn’t believe he hadn’t worked it out.

“Well, since I didn’t see a hospital in the village, I don’t think that would bewise,” she said tightly.

His face fell as he realised his mistake. Kevin leaned his elbows on the table, staring at them in amusement.

“I’m so sorry, Lyla. Mason didn’t say when I was making it. I’ll leave them out in future,” Mrs Klaus said, taking away the bowl.

“How can you not know strawberries could kill her if you’re marrying her?” Kevin interjected, all amusement.

“I simply forgot. It’s been a busy few days.” Klaus replaced her plate with his own and continued eating as though they hadn’t revealed how little they knew about each other.

“Almost killing your fiancée because you forgot her allergies? Not like you to be so forgetful about such a crucial detail,” Lou said suspiciously, eyeing the ring on Lyla’s finger.

“I’m careful not to have strawberries around, so it’s not something that really comes up,” Lyla explained, though Lou still looked a little concerned.

“Let’s not ruin our breakfast. What were we saying before?” Mrs Klaus said, and Lyla gave her a grateful smile.

“How we met,” she reminded her, even if the topic panicked her.

“It must have been hard to give up what you thought would be yours, but the company brought you together. You were destined to be part of this family! What do you plan on doing with the business now that you’re here?” Klaus’s mother asked. Everyone stopped eating to stare at Lyla, waiting for her reply.

“We’re off until after New Year’s, and then it will be back to work,” she said, which earned her a few puzzled looks.

“Mason, have you…?” Mrs Klaus started, but he shook his head, stopping her mid-sentence.

“We haven’t discussed it yet,” was all he said. Lyla dreaded finding out what they had yet to discuss. She wanted to ask him, to force him to explain, but now wasn’t the time or place. Anyway, it probably wouldn’t matter once they left.

“Plenty of time,” Mrs Klaus agreed. “Darling, can you pass me the—?”

She cut off, and Lyla realised she was talking to the empty chair. She didn’t need to guess whose seat it had been. She nudged Klaus, but he didn’t look up from his plate. The silence dared her to speak, but she held her tongue. She couldn’t help the sorrow swelling in her chest as she watched the older woman clear her throat and stand from the table.

“Sorry – I’m not feeling too well. I think I’ll go and lie down,” Mrs Klaus said softly with a polite nod to Lyla, who returned the gesture, noticing her glassy eyes.

“We have plenty of time to get to know each other. Get some rest,” she offered. Klaus gently squeezed her thigh. She didn’t know if he was scolding her or thanking her, because he merely continued to eat while his mother left the table.

“She forgets sometimes,” Lou told Lyla, placing her fork on her plate. “At least you’re both here to stay. It will take the pressure off her, distract her a little.”

Lyla’s chest tightened. She wanted to help, but it wasn’t her place. She was a stranger, and she knew nothing of their lives.

“We’re only staying for the season, and then we have to leave,” Klaus said.

“You can’t be serious. You’ve only arrived! We’ll need you for more than the season,” Lou exclaimed. She looked to Kevin. “Can you give us a minute?”

Her younger brother reluctantly got up from the table and left for the sitting room. Lyla wished more than anything to be able to go with him.

“My life is in the city. I’ll return for the season every year, but that’s the best I can do. There’s only a year before Kevin turns eighteen; he can take over once he comes of age,” Klaus said, his tone devoid of emotion.

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