Chapter 25
Natalie
Ispent the rest of the evening pacing around the apartment, waiting for Jensen.
Sitting still wasn’t an option. Neither was going over to the house. I wouldn’t have been able to keep quiet, and I wasn’t ready to tell Nina what Jensen and I had been up to.
So I walked, and wandered, and paced, more anxious than I’d been when I was the one who could have been in danger. I’d been much more calm at Julian’s than I was knowing that Jensen was in the midst of breaking in to steal the necklace back.
Would he find it? Would he stay hidden? He’d been so vague about how he was going to accomplish his task. There were cameras and home security to contend with, not to mention the fact that Julian was home.
The timing made sense. The longer he waited, the more chance there was of Julian locking the study door. He needed to act while the window of opportunity—or the door, to be precise—was open.
And I understood why he hadn’t told me the details of his plan. Sure, he did this for a living, but he wasn’t law enforcement. He was breaking in as sure as any thief. The less I knew, the better.
He was protecting me.
Finally, I heard a car outside. With my heart in my throat, I stood in front of the door, practically bouncing with anticipation. A moment later, Jensen walked in and shut the door behind him.
I threw myself at him, jumping into his arms, and wrapped my legs around his waist. He held me tight and spun me around, pushing me up against the wall. Our mouths met in a deep, frenzied kiss as if we’d been parted for months and couldn’t get enough.
“I’m so glad you’re back,” I breathed. “I’ve been a wreck.”
“You didn’t need to worry about me.”
“I did anyway.” I kissed him again, reveling in the feel of his velvety-soft tongue sliding against mine.
As he pulled away, the corners of his mouth lifted. “Ask me if I got it.”
“Did you get it?”
He set me down, and with a smirk, reached into his coat and gently pulled out the necklace.
I covered my mouth with my hands. “You did it.”
“We did it. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“How long do you think it’ll take for him to realize it’s gone?”
“Hard to say. It depends on how soon he tries to take it out of the safe.” He touched my face. “He’s going to realize you were involved.”
“I know. Do you think he’s dangerous?”
He hesitated. “Yes and no. My impression is that he’s a collector, not a black market art dealer. He stole it for himself, and he won’t be happy about losing it. I’ll make sure he doesn’t get anywhere near you.” He smirked. “But I doubt he’ll ask you for a second date.”
I laughed. “He’ll just be saving me the trouble of telling him no.”
“Indeed.” He pushed me against the wall and kissed me. “I hated every minute you were in his house. I didn’t even want his eyes on you.”
Biting my lip, I wiggled against him a little. “I like it when you get possessive. Besides, he was a jerk. All he did was talk about himself.”
“I noticed. Prick.”
I laughed again. “What happens now?”
“My organization is sending one of my colleagues to retrieve the necklace. We’ll meet him at the airport in the morning.”
“This is going to be the best Christmas.”
“It is, isn’t it?”
He kissed me again, and it was triumphant and decadent. We’d done it. We’d won. And we’d done it together.
By the time we woke up Christmas Eve morning, it was snowing heavily. Jensen wrapped and boxed the necklace with care and off we went. Together.
Visibility was low, and the drive to the airport to meet Jensen’s colleague was a bit treacherous. He was in a rush—his pilot in a hurry to take off again before the incoming storm got worse—but the handoff went smoothly. We waited there until we saw the private plane take off.
And just like that, my first—and certainly only—operation to re-steal stolen jewelry was over.
I spent the drive back into town feeling a little giddy and suddenly very excited for Christmas morning. Considering the state of my bank account, I was grateful to be earning a cut of Jensen’s fee for the necklace’s recovery. I intended to use at least some of it to make Christmas magical.
The heavily falling snow added to Tilikum’s holiday charm. Lights gleamed even in the daylight, and the wreaths and garlands were even prettier with a dusting of white.
“Will stores be open in this weather?” Jensen asked as we turned onto Main Street.
“Definitely. It would take a record-breaking blizzard to get this town to close, especially on Christmas Eve.”
“Brilliant. I don’t know about you, but I have shopping to do.”
“Me too,” I said, smiling with excitement.
He found a parking spot on the street, right in the center of the little downtown corridor. Despite the weather, people walked up and down the sidewalks, bundled against the cold, carrying shopping bags.
“Shall we start with Miss Annabel?” he asked.
“You know you don’t have to—”
He put a finger to my lips. “Darling, I plan to spoil the three of you absolutely rotten, and nothing you can say will stop me.”
“Okay, I’ll let you. Just this once.” I paused. “And you have to let me get you something.”
With a slight grin, he rolled his eyes. “Now you’re taking things a bit too far.”
“Why can’t I get you something for Christmas?”
His eyes met mine, and his expression turned serious. “Because I already have everything I want.”
Warmth spread through me, and I smiled. “So do I. But I’m still getting you something.”
He started to protest, so I put my finger on his lips.
“How about something we can both enjoy?” I bit my lower lip. “Something sexy.”
“Mmm,” he hummed like he was tasting something delicious, “I like that.”
“I thought you might.”
We got out and, hunkering against the wind, hurried into the toy store. Although my first thought was to stop him from buying Annabel too many presents, it didn’t take long for me to throw out my responsible-older-sister-and-sometimes-second-mom role and take on the role of coolest aunt ever.
Dress-up clothes, fairy wands, fancy markers, coloring books, puzzles, dolls, and a giant teddy bear that would probably not fit in her bedroom all got stuffed into Jensen’s car.
Nina was a little harder to shop for. But considering her fledgling relationship with Dylan, I knew she’d love some date-night attire.
And since we wore the same size, it was easy to find things that would fit.
We got her a gorgeous little black dress, a blouse and skirt, and two pairs of very splurgy high heels.
Jensen also insisted on buying her a long wool coat so she wouldn’t freeze on her date nights.
We stopped for a quick bite to eat, then resumed our shopping. I had a feeling Jensen was sneaking presents for me between purchases for Annabel and Nina. I pretended not to notice and did my best not to look. I didn’t want to ruin his surprises.
I still hadn’t found anything for him, but I knew just the place to look.
The snow was starting to pile up as we made our way to a boutique up the street that carried pretty lingerie. It was a short walk, but my cheeks and nose tingled with cold, and I was glad to get in out of the wind.
The clerk—a young woman with long blond hair and thick eyelashes—sat on a stool behind the counter. She looked up from her phone. “Welcome in.”
“Thanks.” I brushed the snow from the front of my hair.
The store was busy, with a group of women who appeared to be shopping together walking around and talking as they browsed. The clerk stayed on her stool and went back to her phone.
“How about you go get some coffee or something while I shop?”
Jensen’s brow furrowed. “No. It’s too soon to leave you alone.”
“Even here?” I gestured toward the other customers. “It’s just a bunch of ladies.”
“How about I turn around? I won’t peek.”
“All right. I won’t be long.” I handed him my coat and purse. “Do you mind holding these?”
“Not at all.” He took them and draped my coat over his arm.
Loud laughter erupted from several of the women. They were certainly having fun. The clerk remained on her stool behind the counter, glued to her phone.
The front of the store featured clothing—dresses, blouses, pants, skirts. One wall had a small display of earrings, belts, and other accessories, with a shelf of shoes below. I found what I was interested in at the back of the store.
They didn’t have an extensive lingerie selection—it wasn’t a large store—but at a glance, I had a feeling I’d find something. I wanted to look like a present for Jensen to unwrap, and they had a whole rack of sexy Christmas pieces.
I glanced toward the front of the store. Jensen stood with his back facing me, his posture casual and relaxed. I knew he wasn’t in any hurry, but I didn’t want to make him stand there for too long, so I picked a red bra with sheer cups and a lacy white negligee with red ribbons.
The women had congregated around the single dressing room. One of them came through the curtain wearing a sparkly green dress, and her friends clapped and squealed with excitement.
I went to the counter, and it took a second for the clerk to look up from her phone.
“Are you ready to check out?” she asked.
“Actually, I’d like to try these on. Is there just the one dressing room?”
She nodded. “Yeah, sorry.”
I glanced at Jensen again. “Do you have a restroom? Could I maybe try them on in there?”
“Sure,” she said with a shrug. “It’s down the hall, last door on the right.”
“Thank you.”
I took the lingerie down the hall and found the bathroom, but the door was locked.
“Occupied!” called a woman’s voice from behind the door.
“Sorry!”
As I stepped back to wait, a sudden cold breeze made my cheeks and nose tingle again. Before I could turn to see where it had come from, someone grabbed me, jerking me to the side.
A large hand clamped over my mouth. I tried to struggle, but a strong arm wrapped around me. I dropped the hangers and threw my body weight forward, trying to break his hold. But he was too strong. In seconds, I was dragged out a door into the falling snow.