by Julia James
So how the hell had Jenny walked off with a bracelet?
There was no time to think about that—no time to do anything except hope and pray she could somehow, anyhow, get the bracelet back.
Back where, though?
She could hardly just swan up to Justin and calmly inform him he’d missed a piece! Everyone would go totally ballistic! There’d be a full-scale Spanish Inquisition, and that would end up with every damn finger in the Schloss pointing at Jenny!
And that was all Jenny needed! Police sirens and lawyers and the press—and a prison sentence for theft.
Because one thing was for sure. Leo Makarios was not the type to let anyone, anyone waltz off with a single Levantsky jewel!
She swallowed. She must not panic Jenny. Whatever happened, that was essential. Jenny was on the edge of a total breakdown, she could see. Well, already over the edge, actually, she realised, if she’d been driven to try and walk off with a priceless ruby bracelet…
Anna forced her voice to sound calm.
‘Don’t go anywhere, Jen. Just stay here. And don’t answer the door unless it’s me. Promise?’
The other girl still seemed to be in a state of shock. Anna wasn’t surprised. God knew what state she must have been in to even think of taking any of the Levantsky jewels—and as for actually taking any…
Her stomach churning, panic nipping at her, Anna slipped out of Jenny’s bedroom, hastily stuffing the bracelet inside the pocket of her trousers.
Its weight hung like a dead, accusing albatross.
She felt sick with fear.
Leo could hear his mobile vibrating deep beneath his skiing jacket as he slewed to a halt at the end of the run. With the light gone, his guests were discarding their skis and getting ready to board the waiting fleet of four-by-fours to take them back down to the Schloss.
Leo wished each and every one of them to perdition. He’d had to smile and converse and be a good host all damn day, and totally hide from them that inside he was in a worse mood than he could recall for a very long time. His temper was evil. He could feel it, lashing around inside him, not allowed an outlet.
But he knew exactly what outlet it wanted.
And it was one it wasn’t going to get.
He wanted that damn girl, and he wasn’t going to have her.
Anna Delane.
Sable-haired and breathtakingly desirable…
All through a night in which sleep had been persistently and exasperatingly scarce, all through a day which had tested his patience to the limit with its demanding and tedious social requirements, her image had kept intruding. He had banished it a hundred times, and it still came back.
And more than an image.
His memory was tactile.
Erotically, sensually tactile.
The feel of her silken mouth beneath his, the swelling roundness of her breast in his hand, the straining peak rigid beneath his stroking thumb, his body hardening against hers…
With savage control he hammered down the pointless, treacherous thoughts that heated through him.
OK, so he was frustrated. That was all. He’d gone a month without sex, and for him that was a long time. Last night had been punishing because he’d been on the brink of sexual release and then he’d been balked of it. No wonder his body was protesting!
But it was more than his body, he knew. If, say, he’d been interrupted by some kind of business emergency he’d have been a lot less angry than he was now. It wasn’t just the absence of sex that was winding him up tighter than a watch spring.
It was her—that black-haired, green-eyed witch, who’d given him every damn come-on in the book and then called time on him in an outburst of self-righteous outrage as if he were one down from some kind of lascivious groper!
Thee mou, but she had wanted it as much as he had. She’d been melting for him, soft and honeyed, aroused and responsive.
And then to turn on him like that. Make those accusations, those spitting, contemptible accusations of harassment, harassment—
He felt his anger bite viciously.
A liar—that was what she was. Saying no when her body said yes. Had been saying yes all evening to him. All the way until he’d been about to lower her down on her bed…
With monumental effort he slammed shut the lid on his snarling thoughts. He would simply put Anna Delane out of his head, and that was that. There were plenty of other women around—willing women—who didn’t play infantile and hypocritical games about sex.
Plenty who would be happy to be taken up as his mistress!
The trouble was, he couldn’t think of any right now who held the slightest interest for him.
Damn Anna Delane. Turning him on—and then turfing him out! Well, she’d made her decision and so had he. He would not waste any more of his valuable time thinking about her.
With a rasp of irritation he realised his mobile had started to vibrate again. Hell, was he to have no peace at all? Impatiently he jabbed his ski-sticks into the snow and yanked out his phone.
‘Yes?’ he demanded icily, wanting only to dispose of the call and detach his skis.
But when he heard Justin’s strained, panic-stricken voice, his body stilled completely.
Anna kept walking along the corridor. Her hands felt clammy, her heartbeat erratic, every muscle tense.
What am I going to do?
She still hadn’t the faintest idea how she was to return the bracelet. She had to do something with it—anything—anything other than keep it on her person or in any way let its loss be linked back to Jenny.
She must have been mad to take it—
No! No time to think about that now! She’d cope with Jenny’s breakdown later—her only priority now was to get rid of the bracelet.
She could just dump it somewhere. Somewhere it would be easily found by one of the household staff or something.
For a moment she thought of trying to tell someone that it had been taken completely by mistake, that its catch had got caught up in some material or something. But even as she ran it through her brain she knew it wouldn’t wash. They hadn’t been wearing their own clothes when the jewellery had been collected back in. They’d still been in their fashion shoot dresses. If any jewels had got caught they’d have been caught in them, not in the girls’ mufti clothes.
How had she managed to take it?
Out of the blue, Anna suddenly knew. There’d been a shot with the four of them gathered around the table, their four pairs of hands buried wrist-deep in the golden bowl of priceless Levantsky jewels, spotlights blazing down at them to bring out every last glittering facet. Then Jenny had given a low moan. Anna had looked round at her immediately and realised that she was feeling nauseous.
She’d acted instinctively. Pulling back with deliberate clumsiness, she’d dragged on the edge of the bowl and it had tipped over, spilling jewels all over the table.
And some had slithered on to the floor.
She and Jenny—and half a dozen others—had scrambled around on the floor, mostly feeling with their fingers in the sharply delineated shadow under the table on the cold stone flags. While she was down there she’d managed to whisper to Jenny, ‘Are you going to be sick? I’ll call time and say I need the loo—come with me—’
All the other model had done was to shake her head vigorously and go on searching for bits of jewellery, almost head to head with three security personnel, a dresser, Kate, and one of the photographer’s assistants.
Jenny had been the last to stand up, Anna recalled. She’d deposited an emerald ring, a ruby brooch and a sapphire bracelet back into the bowl, while Anna herself had contributed one ruby earring and a diamond choker. As Jenny had got to her feet, Anna, still watching her worriedly, had seen her wince.
I thought it was because she still felt nauseous, but it wasn’t.
She slipped the ruby bracelet inside her shoe while she was getting to her feet…
That was how she’d done it. Kept it hidden inside her
shoe for the rest of the shoot, and then somehow, in the crush of the changing room, she must have transferred it into her sleeve.
Dismay hollowed out again in her. How could Jenny have been so insane?
No—no time to think about what had driven her friend to such folly. All that was important now was getting rid of the bracelet in such a way that its temporary disappearance could not be linked to Jenny.
She gained the head of the staircase leading down to the guest level upper floor. From there, the huge main staircase flowed down to the hall. At the top, she paused a moment. Instinctively, she realised, she’d been heading back to the scene of the crime—the main hall, where the huge oaken table sat solidly in its splendour.
Her eyes blinked, even as her stomach flushed with icy water again.
Two of the security guards were systematically working their way along the length of the table on either side, feeling underneath the surface.
Anna watched, frozen with horror. Even as she stood there, unable to move, there was the sound of a vehicle approaching, drawing to a sudden halt, and then, moments later, the huge front door of the Schloss swung open and Leo Makarios walked in.
He was in skiing clothes, Anna registered absently. And he was also, she realised, fully cognisant of the fact that the ruby bracelet was missing.
He strode up to the security guards and barked something at them. Anna saw them shake their heads and then resume their painstaking search. Anna found herself wondering quite what they were doing. Then it came to her.
They must have realised that the only opportunity the thief had had was when the jewels had been spilt. Which meant—
Oh, God, she felt sick—if they thought that, then they could also severely limit the number of suspects.
For one long moment she stared down at Leo Makarios, standing hands on hips, thick skiing jacket pushed back, continuing to watch the guards. His face was expressionless, but his eyes—his eyes made a sick, cold punch go through her. Then, appearing out of the nether regions of the Schloss, she saw his gofer, Justin, come hurrying up to him. His face looked like curd-cheese, and Anna almost felt sorry for him.
But she couldn’t think about him now, or the kind of tongue-lashing, and worse, he was about to get from his employer. She had to think of herself—and Jenny.
You can’t just stand here—go—move! Clear off!
She jerked back from the balustrade.
It was a mistake.
The movement caught Leo Makarios’s eye. His head whipped up from where he was on the receiving end of Justin’s agitated discourse.
He saw her instantly.
And in that moment, Anna knew that she would rather die than have him discover the bracelet on her.
She just stood there, frozen. And then, from somewhere, she found a strength of mind she’d never even known she possessed. Slowly, she began to walk down the stairs. A model’s walk—almost a saunter.
As she did so, she saw Leo Makarios’s eyes narrow. Something leapt in them, and for a second she reeled from it. Then a flood of relief went through her.
She knew that look. And though at any other time she would have felt her hackles rise automatically, now, for the first time in her life, she could have gone down on her knees at being on the receiving end of such a look.
Casually, knowing she absolutely, totally and completely must not—must not behave in any way other than utterly ignorant—utterly innocent—she kept on walking downstairs.
Think—think! What would you do if you were seeing Leo Makarios for the first time after that scene last night?
But she was, of course. Seeing him for the first time since last night…
And it just so happens—the cold poured through her insides again —that you currently happen to have his priceless Levantsky ruby bracelet in your pocket.
For one overwhelming moment Anna felt the urge to just walk up to him, fish the bracelet out of her pocket, and hand it to him with some kind of smartass remark like, Is this what you’re looking for?
But it was impossible—completely impossible. To reveal she had it, however innocent she might be as to its original theft, would simply be to condemn Jenny. And she couldn’t, wouldn’t do that. She’d promised herself she would help Jenny get through this ruination of her life, and she would stick by that. Jenny’s problems were far too great to have to cope with being accused of theft as well.
So, instead, she had to behave as she would have if she’d had no idea what was going on. As if her only concern was ignoring the man who had almost got her into bed last night.
She reached the bottom of the stairs. Leo was still looking at her, standing stock still. At his side, Justin stood, silenced and cowed. The two security guards were impassively continuing their search.
Anna glanced towards them, a slight frown on her face registering just the right amount of casual curiosity at what they were so inexplicably doing. Then her eyes drifted past them to the tall, threatening figure in the dark skiing jacket.
He was just looking at her. Quite expressionlessly.
Anna’s face hardened. For an instant all knowledge of the fact she was walking past him with his stolen bracelet on her person disappeared. All she could see was him, Leo Makarios, who had had the audacity, the nerve to think he could turn up in her bedroom at midnight and tumble her over for a quick lay! Sating his carnal appetite on her conveniently available body.
Fury flashed in her eyes—and more than fury.
She kept walking past him.
It was like going through a forcefield, every step.
‘One moment.’
Leo’s voice was like iron.
She halted. She turned her head towards him. Saying nothing. Just letting that look of scornful anger sit in her eyes. Totally ignoring the sick fear inside her.
‘Where are you going?’
Her lips pressed together. ‘I’m off duty now, Mr Makarios. So I’m going to get some fresh air.’
Did she sound insolent? She didn’t care.
His brows snapped together.
‘Without a jacket or boots? In the dark?’
She gave a shrug. It cost her, but she did it.
‘Five minutes won’t kill me,’ she returned indifferently.
She went on heading for the vast wooden doors.
It took every ounce of strength she possessed. Every nerve was screaming. Every muscle tearing. Every step was as if she were walking on glass.
The doors seemed a mile away. If she could just reach them and get outside she would be safe.
Safe outdoors. Safe from Leo Makarios’s deadly, dangerous regard, with the bracelet safe in her pocket…
She didn’t mean to. She really, really didn’t mean to. But she could not stop herself. It was an instinct so overpowering that her hand moved of its own accord.
Her fingers brushed along her right thigh, feeling the hidden lumpiness of the rubies. Telling her they were still safe.
She was nearly at the doors. Behind her, she could hear Justin’s voice agitatedly resume, presumably telling his employer all the things the security personnel were doing to recover the missing jewellery.
Her hand was reaching out for the iron ring, to turn it and open the door.
Ten more seconds and I’ll be outside.
Just hold your nerve. Hold it!
‘One moment, if you please, Ms Delane.’
Leo’s command was like ice. Cold and very, very hard.
Anna froze.
She stood, quite immobile, her hand still reaching out to open the front door. She did not turn round. Had no power to do so. No power to do anything except stand there with her mind screaming at her.
She heard his heavy-booted footsteps ringing on the stone flags, walking up to her.
‘I’d like a word with you.’
She twisted her head round slowly, disdainfully. Claws crushed at her stomach, but she knew she had to keep her nerve.
What would she do if she were innocent?
She would be uncooperative, rejecting.
Her mouth tightened.
‘Yes?’ she said stonily.
‘In private.’ His voice was grim.
Deliberately, Anna stared at him. It was hard, punishingly hard, but she met his eyes. They were completely expressionless, and somehow that frightened her even more than if she had seen that look in them she hated.
‘I have nothing to say to you, Mr Makarios,’ she said, in a tight, low voice.
His expression did not change.
‘I have some questions to ask you.’ His voice twisted, and for a second she saw that look flash briefly. ‘Be assured it has nothing to do with the subject you so clearly wish to avoid.’ He gestured with his hand. ‘This way.’
Should she refuse? What would look worse?
If she made too much objection would she draw attention to herself? Arouse suspicions? After all, there was nothing he could know—nothing he could do.
Except ask questions she would find—would have to find!—innocent answers to.
‘Very well,’ she said, in a clipped, tight voice.
She marched off in the direction he was indicating. It was to a door on the far side of the hall, and she had no idea where it led. Behind her she could hear Leo Makarios’s heavy booted tread ringing on the flags. In her stomach acid pooled; her heart was racing.
Be glad about last night! It’s giving you a cover for your obvious tension now!
Anna gritted her teeth. She just had to hold her nerve, that was all.
She stopped outside the room. Leo Makarios opened the door and ushered her in.
It was an office, she saw instantly. Lined with bookshelves and predominantly occupied by a vast desk on which stood a PC.
She walked in and stopped. Then turned around and looked belligerently at Leo Makarios closing the door behind him.
It was not a small room, but as the solid wood door snapped shut it suddenly seemed claustrophobically confined.
‘Well?’ she demanded. ‘What’s all this about?’
Her chin lifted, but behind the belligerent expression on her face she could feel herself paling.