“If you play your cards right, maybe I can make tonight”—he glanced down at her cleavage, then back at her face—“and every night a little less lonely.”
“Who says I’m lonely?”
“Four years behind bars, no one to touch you.” He skimmed the back of his fingers over her cheek. “No one to kiss you.” He leaned in, and when he was a breath away, she put her finger to his lips to stop him from kissing her.
“What I want is a piece of the action, not to get some action.” She pushed him back a step and stood before him, holding her breath and hoping he didn’t take the move as an insult but her standing up for herself.
Darren stared down at her, studying her.
“I told you, I’m not the same girl you used to know. Personal is one thing, but this is also business and I need to get paid.”
He made her wait another thirty seconds while he considered her. “That depends on what you can do.”
“I guess you’ll have to wait and see.” She walked away to meet up with the photographer Renee hired to take pictures of the wedding and winery for the website.
Darren caught up to her and walked beside her. “You never used to be this hard to get.”
“Things change. People change.” Sometimes people aren’t who you think they are. Sometimes they break your heart. “I need to get my life back on track, and that takes money.” He couldn’t know about her inheritance, so she played that card, hoping her seemingly desperate situation and need for a job and money reeled him in. “I’m not coming out of this with nothing to show for it.”
Darren stared off into the distance, possibly contemplating his options. She hoped she hadn’t pushed too hard. “Can you really get me into the system without anyone knowing about it?”
“I’ve built in a back door. Anything you change under the password I set up will not show up in the log. If the inventory says a hundred bottles and you change it to fifty, the system will log it at the same time and day as the last update. Also under the last user’s log-in information.”
“So even if someone suspects something has been changed, all the updates will be logged under multiple users and not tied to one person?”
“That’s right.”
His eyes lit up with pure appreciation. More so than when he’d checked her out earlier. Which should have insulted her, but she’d rather be appreciated for her brain any day. Except he appreciated her devious side, even though she was doing it for a good reason.
“What’s the log-in?”
“If I’m sticking my neck out for you, I want in on the whole operation.”
“You really rigged the system?” The admiration eclipsed the initial skepticism in his eyes and words.
She nodded, all confidence and assurance that she had delivered. “Because I focused on the inventory database before the website, it’s ready and waiting for you to log in and play with the numbers.” Now, if only he’d offer to pay up so she could take him down.
“What time are you done here?”
She checked her watch. “Two hours, tops.”
“I’ll pick you up out front.” Darren grasped her shoulders, smiled, then kissed her right on the lips with a quick peck, and held her away again. “You have no idea what this means to our business.” He released her and headed back toward the wine-tasting room and probably out to the parking lot.
It was all she could do to keep herself from calling Chris immediately, but she needed to get through the rest of the wedding photos, the toasts, and the couple’s first dance as the guests settled into the reception.
She and the photographer then worked their way around the winery taking scenery shots.
Finally, when she was alone and reasonably sure Darren wasn’t somewhere watching her, she stood in the middle of the back lawn, no one within hearing distance, and called Chris to let him know Darren was ready to let her in on the business.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chris’s heart pounded the second he saw Evangeline’s number on his phone. One nightmare after the next raced through his mind, though everything in him wanted to believe she called simply because she wanted to talk to him.
He swiped the screen, needing to hear her voice. “Are you okay?”
“I’m in.”
That didn’t answer his question. “What does that mean?”
“Darren invited me out tonight with his client.”
Great. Exactly what he needed to happen, but the last thing he wanted. If he could keep Evangeline out of this, he would, but in the last four years, Darren had managed to slip through his fingers more times than he wanted to admit. Darren had kept his operation small and covered his tracks. Every time Chris got close, Darren figured out a new way to hide what he was doing.
And Darren loved rubbing it in Chris’s face.
As a friend, Chris had warned Darren to stop while he was ahead or he’d have no choice but to pursue him and take him down. He’d railed against Darren for getting Evangeline arrested. Darren took that as a challenge, because he’d figured out long ago what Evangeline never saw, that Chris wanted Evangeline for himself.
Watching Evangeline turn from a vibrant light in Darren’s world to something he took for granted and didn’t appreciate made Chris angry and want to show her that he appreciated the way she tried to make those around her happy and feel included. She’d done so with him, or attempted to, despite how he held himself apart from her and Darren because he didn’t want to be that guy who stole his buddy’s woman. But the unhappier Evangeline got, the less he’d respected Darren and their fading friendship.
“Chris, did you hear me? Darren is pulling me into the business.”
He hoped it wasn’t a trap. Putting Evangeline in harm’s way ate away at him. If anything happened to her . . . He didn’t even want to think about it. But it kept him up at night and worried through every second of the day. He had to check his impulse to call her every five minutes and drive over to see her.
“I heard you. Where and when?”
“All he told me was that we’re meeting someone tonight for drinks. We’re both here at the winery. We’ll leave from here.”
“Take your car. Follow him instead of going with him.”
“I’ll try, but he’s suspicious enough that objecting to something as small as him driving might send up a red flag. I don’t want him to back off. I want this done. Now.”
“You and me both, but I don’t want you trapped with him if things get sketchy.”
“I have to take some risks if I’m going to get close to him and make him trust me. Right now he thinks I’m playing hard-to-get because I don’t want to get screwed over again. He wants the password I have to the inventory system.”
“Just give it to him. Let him hang himself.”
“So you bust him for theft—what about the counterfeiting?”
He sighed, because yes, he wanted Darren for every damn thing he’d ever done. “Are you sure you’re up for this?”
“Yes. Because I know you have my back.”
Trust didn’t come easy for her, but she’d put her faith in him. He’d do everything in his power to live up to it. “If I had my way, you wouldn’t be involved at all.”
“But you put your career on the line by finding a way for me to clear my record. You fought for me when you didn’t have to.”
It eased his mind and his heart that she understood that. “I needed to make up for my part in sending you away.” Thinking about her in a prison cell, the hurt she’d suffered, made him sick.
“Because what you really wanted to do was kiss me.”
And a hell of a lot more. “It was a damn good kiss.” He leaned back in his office chair and covered his eyes with his hand, conjuring in his mind the beautiful image of her smiling at him. He’d like to see her standing in front of him right now, smiling, happy, and in his arms.
Better yet, lying beneath him in his bed.
“I think so, too, but maybe we should try it again just to be
sure.” The teasing tone made him smile. Since he’d picked her up at the prison, she’d been distant, sad, and angry with a loneliness that made his chest ache every time he saw her. But this shy, playful side of her emerging gave him hope that the hurt he and others caused hadn’t completely shut her off to the possibility of trusting someone who wanted to get close to her.
Yes, she trusted him to do his job. But this showed him she wanted to try for something deeper and much more personal.
“Sweetheart, all I think about is kissing you again. I almost did right there in the Crosses’ home when we met with them.”
“Thinking about you will help me get through tonight.”
“I want to be the only one you’re flirting with.”
“I only mean it with you.” She cared enough about him to make that heartfelt and real declaration. It sank deep into his heart and lit him up. “I have to go.” She didn’t sound like she wanted to stop talking to him.
“Evangeline.”
“Yeah?”
“Be careful. Be safe.” If Darren hurt her—in any way—Chris would make him pay.
“Whatever happens, I know you’re waiting for me.” She meant that.
And it meant everything to him. “After all this time, I’m tired of waiting.” He needed her to know how much he wanted her out of this mess and with him. “I’ll be tracking you on my phone. You get into trouble, get out of there. Reach out to me. Text. Call. Whatever. I’ll come for you. I won’t be far away.” He meant it when he said he’d track her. He could stay out of sight, blocks away, just in case.
“I don’t want him to see you. He might figure out we’re working together instead of hating each other.”
“He won’t know I’m around. Neither will you, but you’ll know that I can be there in minutes if you need me.” He wouldn’t let her down. Not again.
“I know it’s your job—”
“You’re not just a job.” He needed her to believe that, because his feelings for her had grown with the real possibility they could actually be together.
“Everything is going to be fine. It’s drinks with a client. That’s all.”
“Unless it turns into something more. Like I said, don’t let him back you into a corner or make you reveal something we don’t want him to know. Play the game, because that’s all this is to him. If he thinks I can take him down, he’ll throw you under the bus again, or worse.”
“But I’m protected because I’m working for you.” The statement had a questioning tone that revealed her worries and doubt.
“Yes. I swear. The people who need to know what we’re doing know that your part is to help our case. I won’t let anything happen to you.” He’d screw his whole damn career to keep her safe and prove that to her.
“Then we’re good. I’ve got this.” Her confidence bolstered his own in her.
“If anything seems off, especially Darren, make an excuse and leave.”
“I’ll be okay. His interest seems genuine, especially after he saw me in my new dress.”
That little gem made his blood boil. He didn’t want Darren within a thousand feet of her, let alone looking at her. “I wish I could see you right now.”
“Hold on.”
He waited through the silence on the line, then smiled when a text came in from her. He pulled it up and stared at the picture of her with the new haircut and what he could see of the gorgeous dress hugging her curves in the selfie. And all he could say was “Damn.”
She giggled. “Talk to you later.” She hung up, leaving him staring at her picture and praying that everything went well tonight and wishing for a chance to take that dress off of her later.
Chapter Twenty-Three
What do you think of the wine, Evangeline?” The marketing executive from some Silicon Valley tech firm held the glass of red up to the light, swirled it, then took a sip, his eyes rolling back with appreciation.
Evangeline ignored the hard stare from Lyssa, the dark-haired woman Darren had introduced as his friend when they sat down. She and Darren had spent the last twenty minutes kissing this guy’s ass and making a big show of having the restaurant wine steward uncork the bottle they brought to go with the four bottles in the gift bag they’d given him, complete with colorful tissue paper. If anyone looked on, they’d think their small group was celebrating a birthday or some other festive occasion, instead of Darren selling this man high-priced wine that probably wasn’t the real deal.
She picked up her glass, swirled the liquid much as the gentleman had done, then smelled and sipped. She gave him a sultry smile, like it was the best dry, pungent stuff she’d ever tasted and didn’t leave a tangy bitter taste on her tongue. “Perfection. But not as good as what you’ve got in that bag, I’m sure.”
Darren leaned forward and smiled at his client. “Some wines are meant for friends, others for savoring and celebrating.”
The client held up his glass, then drank again, clearly eating up Darren’s bullshit.
Evangeline picked up a slice of creamy Havarti from the cheese plate, set it on a sesame cracker, and ate it all in one bite to clear the sour wine from her tongue. She missed the Cross Cellars Riesling.
“I can’t believe you found four bottles.” The client pulled one from the bag to see the label again, then tucked it back inside. “You have no idea how pleased I am.”
“I hope that enthusiasm doesn’t dim with the price tag attached to those precious bottles.”
“Rare costs money. But you found me a deal.”
Lyssa smiled at the man she’d brought to this little party. “I told you he would.”
“That’s what my finder’s fee covers.” Darren exuded confidence, letting the client know nothing was unattainable. Because Darren didn’t have to find it, he’d concocted it himself.
Evangeline wished she knew more about wine, because the 1947 Château Cheval Blanc meant nothing more than white wine to her.
Out of her depth, she tried to focus on what she could discover about Darren and how he operated.
“It covers whatever you had to do to entice your lovely date to join us tonight.” The client eyed her, his appreciative gaze dipping to take in her dress and figure before meeting her gaze again.
She curbed the desire to press her hand to her neck to cover her scar. That bothered her more than the desire in the gentleman’s eyes.
She put her hand on Darren’s on the table and looked at him adoringly. “Darren and I go way back. What better way to reconnect than an evening out sharing great wine with friends?” She held up her glass and everyone joined in the toast. She sipped. They drank. “If you’ll excuse me for just a minute.” She stood to go the restroom.
Lyssa joined her.
They didn’t say anything on the walk or while they went into their individual stalls.
Evangeline had a minute before Lyssa left her stall. She washed her hands quickly and pulled out her phone, pretending to check her messages as Lyssa walked to the sink. She snapped Lyssa’s photo and texted it to Chris, then pulled up the last text she received from Lindsey of her nephew Will on the swing at the park.
Lyssa stared at her in the mirror. “You and Darren might have been a thing way back when, but things are different now.”
Evangeline hadn’t expected the jealousy, not after watching Lyssa flirt with tech guy. “Are you two together?”
“When it suits us, but never in front of the buyers.” Lyssa dried her hands with a paper towel, then suddenly stepped close. “Darren is taking a huge risk bringing you into our business. He and Tom think you’re a valuable asset and can help us insulate ourselves from getting caught.”
“I can. The winery won’t be looking for something they don’t even know is missing.”
“If you can deliver and don’t stab us in the back.”
The way Darren tried to stab her father in the back, but ended up getting her arrested.
Lyssa should keep her eye on Darren, not Evangeline.
“I
don’t trust you.” Lyssa glared even harder. “You are not going to cut me out.”
“Why would I do that? You’re the one who finds the buyers, right?”
“And I do my job well.”
“Then that’s great news for me. I’m just here to lower your risk and add to the profits.”
“I hope so, because we’ve got a good thing going. Darren, Tom, and I, we work well together. You don’t want to mess that up. I’ll take you down.” The threat in her words was reflected in her narrowed eyes. Lyssa turned and walked out the door.
Evangeline hit the stop-recording button on her phone. “No, I’m going to take you down.” She walked out, not wanting Lyssa to think she was running scared. Though she did have a healthy respect for the fact that she didn’t know Lyssa and what she’d do to save her own ass.
On her way to the table, she surreptitiously snapped a photo of Darren, the client, and Lyssa all sitting together looking cozy. She appreciated that the client, or buyer, as Lyssa called him, had left a bottle of the white wine on the table, too.
“What are you up to?” Darren pointedly looked at her phone.
She turned it to him. “My sister-in-law sent me a photo of my nephew. Isn’t he cute?”
It was simple enough to send the photo of Darren and the others to Chris, then switch back to the text from Lindsey. She hated using her nephew for cover, but it worked. Darren relaxed, dismissing any suspicions she might have caused.
“Ladies, it’s been a pleasure, but I’ve got a long drive across the Golden Gate and back down to Atherton.” The client held his hand out to Lyssa. “I hate to end a great evening with business, but I’ll show you out to your car.”
Lyssa turned to her and Darren. “I’ll see you soon.” She hooked her arm through the buyer’s and cozied up to his side.
They walked out, the tech guy carrying his party bag filled with counterfeit wine.
Darren leaned in close. “What did you think?”
The Me I Used to Be Page 19