Chapter 11
Jensen
Natalie felt good in my arms. No one else was dancing, but I hardly cared. I liked the feel of my hand on her lower back, her body close to mine. I wanted to press her against me. Lean in and trail my mouth down her bare neck.
But we had a job to do.
More importantly, I didn’t think she’d let me.
If I was going to have a shot at getting my mouth on this woman—which I certainly wanted—it would be on her terms. Not mine.
For a second, I thought about making a move. Putting my mouth next to her ear and asking if I could kiss her. If she said yes, the teasing could begin. I’d softly kiss her neck. Nothing outrageous or obscene. Certainly nothing that would make her uncomfortable or draw undue attention.
But enough to tempt her. Make her want more.
Except I caught sight of the man in the Brioni suit heading for the doors to leave. And I still wanted to talk to him. Something about him made my instincts light up. Maybe he wasn’t our guy, but our infiltration would be a failure if I didn’t have the chance to get a feel for him.
“Be right back, darling,” I whispered.
With a nod, Natalie stepped away. I didn’t like letting her go, but I didn’t have much choice.
On my way toward the man, I deftly picked up a full glass of champagne from a server’s tray. I wouldn’t have time for subtlety. Striding fast, as if I were in a hurry, I pulled out my phone and pretended to focus on the screen.
Nothing to see. Just a man on his way out the door to take a phone call.
I got close and collided into him, making sure to tip my hand so my drink spilled all over that very nice bespoke suit.
“Fuck.” I stepped back and lifted my hands as he whirled around to face me. “So sorry, mate.”
I watched his face carefully. He looked surprised. And who wouldn’t if they’d just had a full glass of champagne dumped on them? But there was something else. Alarm. And possibly… recognition?
Did he know who I was?
That was an interesting twist.
“Can I get you a napkin?” I asked. “Actually, no. Let me pay to have it cleaned.”
He glanced over his shoulder—most of the champagne had gone down his back. “That’s all right. I’ll take care of it.”
“No, I insist. It’s entirely my fault.” I slipped my phone back into my pocket and held out my hand. “Jensen Lakes.”
He hesitated before taking my hand. “Julian Myers.”
It was him. Imported statues and a very expensive Italian suit. It didn’t prove anything, but it certainly made him a person of interest. Especially because he kept looking at me like our interaction concerned him.
Who are you, really? A new player?
I was going to find out.
“Are you sure I can’t make it up to you?” I asked.
“No. It’s fine. Accidents happen.”
“That’s generous of you.” I tipped my chin and stepped back. “Cheers.”
His eyes flicked behind me, to something—or someone—in the ballroom, before he turned and walked out through the double doors.
“Well, now we know who Julian Myers is,” Natalie said in my ear. “Should we follow him?”
“No. I want to have Maple look into him. Plus, I think he suspects me. I don’t want to show my cards just yet.”
I set my empty champagne glass on a side table and spotted Natalie as she came toward me. It gave me the chance to enjoy the sight of her in that dress. The way her hips swayed made my blood run hot.
What was it about this woman?
“Have I mentioned you look delicious?” I asked as she approached.
She shook her head. “Stop.”
“If you think that’s just a line, it’s not. I could eat you for dessert.”
“Jensen,” she scolded.
“All right. I’ll behave. For now.” I winked at her.
She glanced away, but I didn’t miss the playful smile on her lips.
Getting under her skin was fun.
“What do we do now?” she asked.
“I think our work here is done.” I offered my arm. “Shall we?”
She tucked her hand in the crook of my elbow, and I led her outside. I took the liberty of putting an arm around her to keep her warm while we waited for the valet to bring the car around. She didn’t resist.
On the way back to her house, we chatted about our evening.
What people wore, who was from Tilikum versus the neighboring towns, our theories about Julian.
I did wonder why he’d been watching Natalie.
According to her, they didn’t know each other.
Was it simply the magnetic draw of a beautiful woman who’d caught his eye?
Hard to say. But I didn’t blame him. I couldn’t stop looking at her, either.
I pulled up outside the house and parked.
“You don’t have to walk me to my door,” she said. “I’m kind of hoping to sneak in without Nina noticing. I don’t want to have to explain the dress.”
“Fair enough.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow?”
I nodded. “Looking forward to it.”
Her smile sent a tendril of warmth through my chest. We both got out, and I went up the stairs to my flat. When I got to the top, I glanced down, making sure she got inside before I went in.
On a whim, I sent her a text.
Me: You were magnificent tonight.
Natalie: I hardly did anything.
Me: I disagree. You played your part perfectly. And I quite enjoyed having you as a partner.
Natalie: Thanks.
Picturing the curl of her lips as she smiled sent another surge of warmth spreading through me.
It was an odd feeling—not something I was accustomed to.
The heat of attraction was familiar enough, and I felt that too.
But I experienced a different type of pleasure when I was with Natalie. One I couldn’t name.
I checked the time. Maple wouldn’t be up for a while yet, so I decided to get some sleep. I’d ring her first thing in the morning.
My phone woke me. I sat up, instantly alert, and answered.
“Bloody hell, Maple, what time zone do you think I’m in?”
“Sorry. It’s important.”
“I was going to ring you first thing anyway. I have someone I need you to look into.”
“Jensen—”
“Bloke by the name of Julian Myers. It might be a dead end, but my instincts tell me something is off. He could be a new player.”
“Jensen,” she said, her voice insistent.
“What?”
“We just got word that Archer Prince resurfaced.”
That got my attention. I’d been hunting Archer Prince for years.
He was a prolific black market art and antiquities dealer, and we’d connected him to a number of major heists.
Catching him had become something of an obsession.
But he’d gone completely dark in the past year as if he’d fallen off the face of the earth.
Maple and I had begun to wonder if he were dead.
“Where?”
“We’re not sure where he is now, although some reports say Cairo. But it’s not where he is now that’s important. It’s where he’s going to be. We have reliable intelligence that he has a deal planned.”
“What sort of deal?”
“We think he’s going to sell the Storm on the Sea of Galilee.”
“You’re fucking joking.”
“I’m fucking not.”
The Storm on the Sea of Galilee was a Rembrandt and one of the most famous pieces of stolen art in modern history. Two thieves posing as police officers had stolen it and a dozen other paintings from a museum in Boston more than three decades earlier. The crime had never been solved.
Had Archer been behind one of the biggest art heists in decades?
“Do we know he has it?” I asked.
“We don’t have confirmation. But Jensen, this is your chance. Our informant tells us he’s heading to Paris to close the deal.”
I rose and paced across the room, my body thrumming with excited energy. “Paris. That’s an interesting choice. Who’s the buyer?”
“We’re not certain, but there are several possibilities. Known entities. We’ll have a plane waiting for you in Seattle. You need to get there as quickly as possible.”
I stopped in my tracks. “I’m in the middle of a job.”
“We’ll handle it. You need to leave now. There’s a winter storm headed your way.”
I hesitated. Why was I hesitating? The choice was clear.
“All right.”
“Good. I’ll send over what we have. You can review it en route.”
The call ended. I went over to the window and looked out at Natalie’s house. It was dark.
“Fuck.”
But what did it have to do with her? I wasn’t in Tilikum for Natalie. I was there to do a job. And sometimes, in my line of work, plans changed. As for our agreement, I'd be sure she was compensated even if I wasn’t the one to bring in the necklace.
I packed my things but decided to leave my Tilikum attire in my car. I wouldn’t need flannels or jeans where I was headed. After a quick sweep through the flat to ensure I hadn’t forgotten anything, I was ready. Maple texted to ask if I was on the road yet. I needed to get ahead of the weather.
I couldn’t just leave without a word to Natalie. But I didn’t want to wake her—or her sister and niece. After a moment’s hesitation, I settled on a note. I wrote it out quickly, folded it, and left it on the kitchen counter.
Trying to ignore the odd sense of dread in the pit of my stomach, I carried my things out to my car and left.