Chapter 23 #2
“Thanks.”
I rose, and it felt like I’d been injected with a shot of adrenaline. My heart raced, and nervous energy thrummed through me. I found the bathroom—a full bath with a glass-enclosed shower—but peeked farther down the hall.
Walking carefully so my footsteps wouldn’t make a sound, I checked the next door. It opened into a study lined with bookshelves and a leather armchair. The snowy landscape gleamed through the large windows, and a set of French doors led onto a patio outside.
“I’m in a study. Must be the corner of the house. Windows on one side. I can see the fence. French doors lead to a patio.”
“Brilliant. Have you seen any indoor cameras?”
Tiptoeing across the hardwood, I made for the door. “No. Maybe I’m just not seeing them, but I haven’t noticed anything.”
“Good.”
My heart raced, and for a second, my stomach roiled with a sudden surge of nausea.
Don’t throw up, Natalie. Don’t throw up.
Blowing out a small breath, I reached for the door handle and unlocked it.
“It’s unlocked.”
“You’re a goddess. Get out of there as soon as you can.”
I crept back to the bathroom and shut the door as quietly as I could manage. Letting out another breath, I took stock of myself in the mirror, hoping my cheeks weren’t flushed or my eyes wide with terror.
Who was that woman looking back at me? She was cool and composed, without a hint of fear in her expression.
I liked her.
When I went back to the dining room, I found Julian waiting with slices of chocolate cheesecake at our places. I smiled and took my seat.
“Did you really cook all this?” I asked.
“I did. I told you I wanted to cook for you.”
“You’re very good at it.” I took a bite of the cheesecake. To his credit, the food was delicious, and the rich, smooth dessert was a nice complement to the meal.
I ate a little, debating my next move. I’d done my job.
Jensen had a way in. But how was he going to find the necklace?
Was it even there? Julian didn’t have it on display, at least not on the ground floor.
There was an entire upstairs we hadn’t explored, but the last thing I was going to do was suggest he show me the bedrooms. That would give him the wrong impression and might even put me in danger.
But I still wanted to know if he had it. Was it even worth the risk for Jensen to break in?
I turned my gaze to the brooch. “I’m still so fascinated by that brooch. I was thinking the necklace in the other room tells a story, and this one does too.”
“Careful, darling,” Jensen whispered, as if he knew exactly where I was trying to take the conversation.
He was right. I did need to be careful. If Julian knew who Jensen was, he’d have to suspect why he was in town.
And if he caught the slightest whiff of my real reason for being there—became even mildly suspicious that I’d been sent in by Jensen to locate the stolen necklace—I had no idea what he might do.
“That’s exactly why I wanted it. It’s not even important to me what it’s worth. Well, it’s a little bit important.” He winked.
“It must be exciting to get your hands on a treasure with real history behind it.”
“Believe me, it is. There’s nothing like the rush of finally acquiring a rare piece.”
“I can only imagine. Is this one new to you?”
“No. I acquired that a few years ago.”
“What’s your most recent find?” I met his eyes and lifted the corners of my mouth in a subtle smile. “I want to hear about your latest adventure.”
Jensen groaned. “Fuck, you’re good at this.”
Julian watched me for a moment, his mouth curling in a grin. I held his gaze, lifting my eyebrows.
I dare you, Julian.
“All right.” He rose from his chair. “I’ll be right back.”
“Bloody hell, he’s going to show it to you,” Jensen said. “Where’s he going? Can you tell?”
“Upstairs.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.” I paused, listening. “I can hear his footsteps.”
A moment later, Julian returned carrying a square wooden box with hinges on one side. He sat and set it on the table, turning it so the front faced me.
“Are you ready for this?” he asked.
I set down my wineglass. “Yes. What is it?”
“Everything else I showed you? Nothing compared to this.” He slowly raised the lid.
There it was. A crown-like net of gold and diamonds, set with rubies and a large teardrop emerald in the center.
My gasp wasn’t feigned. “Oh, Julian. This is incredible.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Where did you get it?”
“The UK. It took quite a bit of work to get my hands on it.”
“I’ve never seen anything like it. I love the red and green. It’s very Christmassy.”
“Oh.” He furrowed his brow like that had never occurred to him. “I suppose it is.”
If I’d been on a real date with him, I would have used that to ask about his lack of Christmas decorations. But I didn’t really care. Maybe he wasn’t planning to spend Christmas in Tilikum, so he hadn’t bothered to decorate. Or maybe he didn’t celebrate Christmas. None of it mattered to me.
And since he’d asked zero questions about me or my life, he didn’t know I was on strike. Therefore, needing to work in the morning was a valid excuse to leave.
“I almost hate to say this, but I should get home. I have to work early tomorrow.”
“Are you sure I can’t persuade you to have another glass of wine? Maybe a cocktail?”
“Tempting, but maybe another time.”
He hesitated, and I got the distinct impression he was sizing me up—deciding whether he was going to push harder for me to stay. A ripple of tension tightened my shoulders. I hoped he wouldn’t make it difficult to leave.
“Let her go, you prick,” Jensen whispered.
“Understandable,” he said, finally. “This was great. I hope we can do it again.”
I smiled. Not likely, Mr. Jewelry Thief.
To make it clear I wasn’t playing some sort of game and trying to get him to coax me into staying longer, I rose from my chair and went directly to the foyer.
Without waiting for him to get my coat, I opened the closet door and took it off the hanger myself.
He stepped in to help me slip it on, and I did my best not to shudder.
Something about him made my skin crawl. Maybe because the dinner conversation reminded me of my ex. He’d been excellent at talking about himself, too.
Julian walked me to the door, and when he stepped in for a kiss, I turned my cheek. No mouth kisses, thank you very much. Jensen seemed to be able to hear what had just happened. He growled in my ear again.
“Thanks again for dinner,” I said.
“Anytime. I’m looking forward to showing you more cuisines.”
I’m sure you are.
“I’ll call you,” he said.
“Sounds good. Have a nice evening.”
I walked outside, and my shoulders loosened as soon as I heard the large door close behind me.
“I’m out. Going to my car.”
“You were fucking magnificent.”
“Thanks.” I opened my car door, my heart racing again. I wanted past that gate. “Do you think he’s really going to let me go?”
“Seems so.”
“What if it’s a ruse? What if he knows why I was here?”
“I think you fooled him.”
I drove around the circular driveway to the gate and waited. It didn’t move.
“Jensen, it’s not opening.”
“It’s all right, darling. There’s probably a sensor. Give it a moment.”
My eyes flicked to the rearview mirror. I was half expecting to see Julian walking down the driveway, but no one was there.
The gate started to open.
“There it goes. It’s opening.” As soon as it was wide enough for my car, I went through. “I’m out.”
I heard Jensen’s long exhale. “Good. Go straight to the flat. Keep the door locked. I’m switching over to Maple while I finish the job, so I’ll see you there, all right?”
My heart jumped again. “This is going to be the longest wait of my life.”
“Don’t worry, darling. This is what I do. I’ll see you soon.”
“Be safe.”
“I will.”
The earpiece went dead. He was gone.
“Be careful, Jensen,” I whispered into the night. “Come home soon.”