Trent exhaled. Putting my feet on the floor, I made a wry face. “She’s nice.”

His expression went sour. “No she isn’t, but she’s going to be my wife. I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t imply anymore that we are sleeping together.”

I smiled, a real one this time. “I just wanted her to leave.”

Maggie bustled close, putting down table settings and taking away Ellasbeth’s teacup and saucer. “Nasty, nasty woman,” she muttered, her motions quick and sharp. “And you can sack me if you want, Mr. Kalamack, but I don’t like her and I never will. You watch. She’ll bring some woman with her who will take over my kitchen. Rearrange my cupboards. Push me out.”

“Never, Maggie,” Trent soothed, his posture shifting to a companionable ease. “We all have to make the best of it.”

“Oh, worra, worra, worra,” she mumbled as she made her way back into the kitchen.

Feeling more relaxed now that Ellasbeth was gone, I took another sip of that wonderful coffee. “She’s nice,” I said, looking at the kitchen.

His green eyes boyishly soft, he nodded. “Yes, she is.”

“She’s not an elf,” I said, and his eyes jerked to mine. “Ellasbeth is,” I added, and his look went closed again.

“You’re getting uncomfortably adept, Ms. Morgan,” he said, leaning away from me.

Putting my elbows to either side of the white plate, I rested my chin on the bridge my hands made. “That’s Ellasbeth’s problem, you know. She feels like she is a broodmare.”

Trent shook out his napkin and put it on his lap. His robe was slowly coming undone to show a pair of executivelooking pajamas. It was somewhat of a disappointment—I’d been hoping for boxers. “Ellasbeth doesn’t want to move to Cincinnati,” he said, unaware that I was sneaking glances at his physique. “Her work and friends are in Seattle. You wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at her, but she’s one of the world’s best nuclear transplant engineers.”

My surprised silence brought his attention up, and I stared at him.

“She can take the nucleus of a damaged cell and transplant it into a healthy one,” he said.

“Oh.” Beautiful and smart. She could be Miss America if she learned how to lie better. But it sounded really close to illegal genetic manipulation to me.

“Ellasbeth can work from Cincinnati as easily as Seattle,” Trent said, mistaking my silence for interest. “I’ve already financed the university’s research department to update their facilities. She’s going to put Cincinnati on the map for her developments, and she’s angry that she’s being forced to move instead of me.” He met my questioning eyes. “It’s not illegal.”

“Tomato, tomatto,” I said, leaning back when Maggie set a crock of butter and a pitcher of steaming syrup on the table and walked away.

Trent’s green eyes met mine and he shrugged.

The scent of cooking batter drifted close, heady with promise, and my mouth watered as Maggie returned with two steaming plates of waffles. She set one before me, hesitating to make sure I was pleased. “This looks wonderful,” I said, reaching for the butter.