How should she play this? Kaia drew a deep breath, centering herself, remembering the job, which had to come first, and walked back to Royce, who was scribbling in the invoice book. The woman had gone.
“See? You’re better at sales than you think,” he said and snapped the book closed. “Wear the cabochon rubies next,” he ordered. “And refresh your lipstick.”
Had he forgotten she didn’t actually work for him?
“Go, go, go.” He made little shooing motions with his fingers.
Fine. Whatever. Kaia found the necklace Royce wanted her to wear and put it on. Looking at her reflection in one of a cluster of silver picture frames, she refreshed her lipstick.
Behind her, she saw a dark, distorted figure reflected in each of the shiny frames grouped on the bureau.
Blake, she thought as the figure loomed larger. Had to be. Dark and distorted described him perfectly.
ACROSS THE ROOM, Blake swallowed, his mouth dry.
Kaia.
He never thought he’d see her again, at least in person. To be honest, he’d never wanted to see her again, not with her last anguished cry of his name ringing in his ears. And now here she was in the Nazarios’ house? She was clearly out for revenge. Too bad for her he’d decided to stay on site for this job.
She wouldn’t be expecting him to be here, either. Blake could handle her quietly without disturbing the party guests. He wasn’t a police detective any longer, and as long as she hadn’t taken anything, he could let her go. Would let her go.
But the closer he walked toward her, the closer he wanted to be. Memories bombarded him. Blake had forgotten the strength of his attraction to Kaia. No, not forgotten. He thought he was past it. But, if possible, over time it had become more intense and more baffling. What was this hold she had over him? He did stupid, stupid things when he was around her. And he didn’t care. She was like an addiction he had to fight.
Kaia Bennet wasn’t a typically pretty woman. Pretty was too soft a word to describe how she looked. She was seductively attractive, alluring more than overtly sexy. Usually, time burnished memories, but in Kaia’s case, his memories hadn’t done her justice.
Potent. That was the word to describe Kaia Bennet. And dangerous. When he was around her, she filled his thoughts. Truthfully, he thought about her even when she wasn’t around.
He couldn’t believe she was here tonight. In the open. Not disguising herself as waitstaff or a parking valet. No, she was here, handling the jewels in front of everyone. Didn’t they know who she was? This was the fox in the henhouse cliché come to life.
From outside, he’d studied Kaia long enough to realize that she was acting as Royce’s assistant. That was bold, even for her. That meant that either the designer had lied to Blake, or Kaia had lied to the designer. Maybe both. She was the guy’s niece? No way. These two were partners, probably running some scam. Too bad for Kaia that Blake had decided to be here this evening.
He drew a deep breath. His instincts, his gut, had told him to be here tonight. It was back—the itch in his mind, the sense that something was off. It had taken six long years for him to trust that feeling again.
He pressed his earpiece. “Luke, you copy?”
“Yeah, go.” Static sounded in the background as wind blew into Luke’s microphone. That meant he was still outside.
“I need everything you can get on Kaia Bennet and Royce…whatever his other name is. The designer. See if they have a connection.”
“K-I—”
“K-A-I-A. Bennet, one T,” he spelled impatiently. Didn’t the whole world know about Kaia Bennet and the Bennet family? Didn’t Luke know about Blake’s connection to her? Had he forgotten?
Blake’s name had been in all the news stories when he’d testified. He just assumed everyone remembered. Maybe he flattered himself.
“There isn’t a Kaia Bennet on the guest list,” Luke said.
“There wouldn’t be!” Blake snapped. “She’s only one of the most legendary cat burglars of the past decade—at least she was before she went to prison. Where she should still be. Why was she paroled so early? Tell Justin to get me that info.”
“Yes, sir!” Luke’s exaggerated tone let Blake know he was overdoing it. Tough. He would neither acknowledge ruffling Luke’s feelings nor apologize. This woman had slipped through his most stringent security procedures and he was damn well going to find out how. And why.
Across the room, Kaia fastened another necklace around her neck. Bloodred stones glistened against white skin.
Desire for her tugged at him. She was so compellingly beautiful. How could any man in the room look at any other woman? The other women needed jewels to enhance their beauty, but Kaia didn’t. Which was ironic, when he thought about it.
He surveyed her for countless minutes, making all kinds of excuses for doing so, fighting an attraction that was just as acute as the first time he’d seen her. If he were the sort of man who believed in spells, he’d claim she’d cast one on him.
If he were the sort of man who believed in love, he’d admit he’d been in love with her. Her appeal wasn’t solely in the way she looked. It would have been easier for Blake if it had been. He’d expected an experienced, world-weary criminal, but she’d been skittish and almost shy. Certainly more inexperienced than he’d expected, but she made up for it with endearing enthusiasm.
In short, she hadn’t been at all what he’d expected and before he’d known it, he was thinking crazy thoughts about the two of them. Crazy thoughts about being in love.
Blake shifted uncomfortably. It had been a long time since his and Kaia’s story had ended, but his lust hadn’t cooled. Maybe their unhappy ending had something to do with it.
He stopped fighting his fascination with her and let the emotions wash over him. Acknowledge. Feel completely. Set aside.
But hadn’t he already felt them completely? Hadn’t he set them aside?
Abruptly, Blake headed for the bar. Waving off the bartender, he helped himself to a glass of club soda and squeezed two lime and one lemon wedge into it. He gulped the first mouthful, hoping the bubbly tartness would clear his head.
She had to have cast a spell or the modern variation—drugs. Or maybe her family put something in the air, piped in some narcotic that made them irresistible into the ventilation system of their targets. Blake swallowed another mouthful and let the fizz linger on his tongue.
Kaia turned her back to him and primped in the reflection of a silver frame, drawing her red lips together and reminding him of the way they’d felt and looked as she’d drawn him—
He tossed back the rest of his drink and bit down on a lime. And then he walked over to confront Kaia Bennet.
He stopped a few feet away, uncertain as to the best approach. As he considered his options, the designer swooped between them.
“Mrs. Sanderson wants to see the rubies. Quick, take them off.”
“I just put them on.” Kaia turned around, an irritated look on her face quickly masked.
She’d always been good with masks.
As she raised her hands to her neck, she also raised her eyes and looked past Royce’s shoulder directly at Blake.
His heart tripped a beat the moment their gazes locked. His was searching, he knew it was, and hers was as hard as black diamonds.
As she handed Royce the necklace, the designer turned to see what had captured her attention. Rather than stand there like a dummy, Blake stepped forward.
“This must be your assistant.” He spoke first to gain control of the situation and also to see if Royce would lie to him.
“Yes. Mr. McCauley, is it?”
“Blake.” One name was the fashion, right?
Royce gestured. “My assistant, Samantha—” He turned toward Kaia as he spoke.
Blake didn’t see her move or change expression, but somehow she tipped Royce off.
“—couldn’t be here tonight, so Kaia stepped in,” he finished.
“We’ve met,” Kaia said.
&n
bsp; They stared at each other and Blake sensed Royce looking from him to Kaia and back.
“Excellent,” the designer said. “I’ll be taking this to Mrs. Sanderson now.” And he slipped away.
Normally, Blake would have watched him leave, but normally he wasn’t face to face with Kaia’s dark gaze.
Her expression revealed nothing of her thoughts and he only hoped his expression hid the chaotic feelings he battled inside.
She should be the one battling chaotic feelings. She was the one who’d broken the law and he was the one who’d upheld it. He’d been right and she’d been wrong. So why was he torn up about it and how could she continue to look icy cool?
One of them was going to have to break the silence. Blake figured he’d do it. “Does Royce know who you are?”
6
THEY’D COME face-to-face for the first time since her trial and that’s what he chose to say?
“And who am I?” She was interested in Blake’s answer. Who did he think she was? Because clearly, he’d never truly known her. Then again, she’d never truly known him.
“You’re a woman who went to prison for jewel theft.”
“A woman you sent to prison for jewel theft. It doesn’t make me a thief.”
“I call ’em like I see ’em.”
“You need new glasses.”
He stared at her for so long, she thought he might be considering her words.
“So what are you doing here, Kaia?” he asked, and she knew he hadn’t considered anything.
It wasn’t as though she’d been deluding herself that their relationship had meant anything to him. But for him to demonstrate so clearly that no part of it had been real—not his kisses, his touch, or any of the times he’d told her he’d loved her—hurt. A lot.
He’d been undercover. Doing a job. And she’d been taken in completely. One look into his topaz-brown eyes and she’d been hooked. She was someone else with him, able to try on a different life. A normal life. And then came the moment when she’d told him about her family and what her childhood had been like and he hadn’t run screaming into the night. Well, he wouldn’t have, would he? He’d already known all about her. “I’m glad you told me,” he’d said. “Because now it’s your past and you’re going to have a whole different future.”
That was the truth. And it was also the first time they’d made love. Except, they hadn’t made love; they’d had sex. That’s what she needed to remember.
Kaia stared into his eyes and wondered how he’d been able to fake it for weeks without her suspecting. His eyes still looked hot and intense, that Kaia, in her inexperience, had interpreted as love, when it had been nothing more than empty desire. He’d had to play a role but that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy it.
Her parents had warned her. She’d been raised not to trust anyone. And when she’d ignored them, they’d abandoned her.
Kaia could tell a fake stone from the real thing with a glance from several feet away, but she couldn’t tell empty words from true love. In fact, “You can’t trust love,” was the last thing her father said to her.
Even now, Blake’s eyes told her nothing, but the rest of him telegraphed hostility.
And impatience. She hadn’t answered his question. “What do you think I’m doing here?”
“Let’s see…a private party, cases of jewels, and a member of a legendary family of cat burglars. What would you think?”
She smiled. “That it’s too obvious.”
Blake gestured with his chin. “Does Royce know you’re a Bennet?”
“Yes.”
“Does he know what the Bennets are?”
What, not who. “Don’t most jewelers?”
“They should.” Blake’s nod encompassed the room. “And so should everyone here.”
“I tell them my name if I’m asked. Just the way you tell them yours.”
Blake made a cynical sound. “But nobody asks.”
“Nope.” She made the P pop.
“So you’re hiding in plain sight.”
“I’m working, not hiding.” Kaia walked toward another display, this one featuring chunky, raw emeralds. The necklace was large and heavy, a statement piece that made the typical polished emeralds look prissy. Kaia liked emeralds because their flaws made them interesting and real. Too many clouded the beauty of the stone. Not enough, and the stone looked fake. Too good to be true.
Like her relationship with Blake. She’d been dazzled by the sparkle and setting, but it had been nothing more than a flawless fake.
“What kind of a scam are you and Royce running?” He’d followed her.
She clamped down on any emotional reaction to his accusation. No need to feel hurt. This time around, she knew what he thought of her. “What makes you think we’re running a scam?”
“He lied.”
“About what?” Kaia removed the necklace from the display and held it to her neck. “His assistant.”
“Sam? She is his assistant. She’s just not the assistant who’s here tonight.” Kaia turned her back and looked over her shoulder. Long ago, in another lifetime, he’d been turned on at the sight of her looking at him over her bare back. Tonight her back wasn’t bare, but there was enough skin showing to give him a little reminder. “Fasten this for me, please?”
A beat or two went by before she felt Blake’s fingers brush against her neck. Warmth buzzed through her. Kaia closed her eyes at the unexpected tingles. She’d been numb. In control. And now there were tingles.
After all Blake had done to her, she would have thought she’d be immune to his touch, especially one meant to be impersonal. As though his touch could ever be impersonal. Caressing, exciting, and betraying, yes. Impersonal, no.
“Where is she?”
Did his voice sound rough, or was that Kaia’s imagination? Was it possible he was still attracted to her? This could be interesting. “Who?”
“Samantha Whitefeather, sophomore majoring in political science at Vanderbilt, GPA 3.1.” Blake’s breath caressed the back of her neck and the little hairs there rose in response.
Kaia squeezed her eyes shut. “On a hot date?”
“Don’t you know?”
“I didn’t get to see her date. He might not have been my type.”
Blake was taking an incredibly long time with the necklace’s lobster clasp. “Why didn’t Royce give me your name when I asked?”
“I’m a last-minute sub.” The way his fingers brushed her nape drove her crazy. She longed to turn and press herself to him the way she used to when they were desperate to get close to each other.
For a second there, she almost did. Wow. She hadn’t seen that coming, at least not with such a punch.
She hated that she was still attracted to him. Hated that when she inhaled, she could tell he used the same soap.
“When you arrived this evening, Josef checked in a Samantha Whitefeather.”
Kaia got a grip on her emotions. Concentrate.
Josef, the blushing kid, was in all kinds of trouble. She could hear it in Blake’s voice. Once, she wouldn’t have cared, especially about someone she didn’t even know, but she’d grown soft working in the security biz. It was all this being around people. It made her feel things. It made her care. Caring made a person lose her edge.
And that’s what she was going to tell the counselor the next time she saw him.
“I told your man I was Royce’s assistant, and since I followed Royce in and Josef heard us discussing the displays together, and I’m wearing a tag, he made the reasonable assumption that I was Samantha.”
“TransSecure staff doesn’t make assumptions.”
He hadn’t asked to see her tag, which was just as well, because she might have shown him where she’d hidden it. The thought raised gooseflesh across her shoulders and chest.
Stop it! This is the man who seduced you for the sole purpose of arresting you. Tonight, you have a chance to outwit him, make a pot full of cash, and get the Cat’s Eye back. Don�
�t blow it because you’ve got an itch and you like the way he scratches.
Blake’s fingers finally, finally stopped their ticklish movements and dropped away.
Kaia released the necklace she’d clutched against her chest and felt the weight hold. She turned to look Blake in the eyes. “Did you directly ask Royce if Sam would be here, or did you assume that when he gave you his assistant’s name, she would be the one working the party tonight?”
She saw the truth in his eyes and allowed herself to show the barest of victory smiles. “So the staff can’t make assumptions, but the owner can?”
Ooo. That didn’t go over well.
“Royce knew what I was asking. He deliberately misled me.”
“You don’t know that.”
“He hid your identity. Why do you suppose he did that?”
They glared at each other as the window panes rattled and rain drummed on the fabric awning outside the front entrance.
“Maybe he wanted to avoid having me grilled when I should be doing my job.” Kaia glanced around at the room. The guests seemed more interested in the weather outside than the jewels inside as they clustered in little groups facing the windows. “Maybe he wanted to avoid making a scene when his assistant is singled out by security for more than idle chit-chat at a gathering of wealthy clients and potential clients. Maybe he knows how hard it is for an ex-con to get a job.”
Blake blinked, his only reaction.
“Maybe he believes in second chances,” Kaia finished quietly.
“Do you?”
“No.” She turned her back once more and walked away, mostly to prove that she could.
She felt off-balance again. It had been an off-balance kind of day. Until today, she hadn’t had much experience in feeling that way.
Kaia didn’t want the practice.
She kept walking until she was at the far end of the room by the study door—now closed—where she’d met Casper earlier today. It was cooler and quieter at this end. Not as many people. Tina had set up a discreet conversation grouping in case someone was contemplating a serious acquisition and wanted to discuss terms with Royce. It wouldn’t do for anyone in the social elite to be overheard engaged in anything as gauche as haggling even though it was done all the time. But discounts for one might not be discounts for all.
Kept in the Dark Page 7