“I haven’t opened it. But it looks like a very small box.”
Did that small box contain a diamond? Was the thief having a change of heart and returning her rock? “I’ll be right there.”
When she arrived at the front desk a few minutes later, butterflies swarmed her chest. The last time someone had stopped by her hotel, she’d lost $10,000. A woman wearing a white-and-cranberry floral shirt and a brass hotel name tag manned the desk.
“How may I help you?” she asked.
“I’m staying in room 412. You just called about a delivery for me.”
“Ah, right.” The woman reached under the counter at the desk. When she popped back up, she handed Steph a small white box.
Steph narrowed her eyes. “Who left this for me?”
The woman at the desk peered at her notes. When she raised her face, she said, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.”
Steph’s arm shot out, clutching the counter, holding on. The front desk swayed and bobbed, like a boat tossed in high seas. Somehow, she steadied herself and opened the box.
Inside, she found a plastic ring with a candy gem on it.
With nervous fingers, she picked up the note.
Here is your cut of the diamonds.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
She was done.
Over.
Towel thrown in.
“They won,” she said when Jake returned that evening from his stakeout. After she told him about the ring, he grilled the front desk for information. The clerk simply held up her hands and said she was so sorry and she knew nothing more.
“The hotels on this island need to do a better job at policing the deliveries,” he muttered as they walked away.
“I know,” she said as she stuffed the candy ring in a trash can in the lobby. “I really don’t want to come to the Caymans again. To think, I worked so hard to find my way back here, and now this is the last place I want to be.”
“Don’t say that,” he said softly, brushing the back of his fingers across her cheek when they stepped into the elevator. “You love it here. Besides, this is the only place I want to be right now.”
She thanked him for the twentieth time.
He’d been so damn understanding of her decision. She wasn’t sure why she’d been so nervous to tell him she was officially done with the diamond mission, but maybe it was because she was worried that ending this partnership would mean an end to them.
It hadn’t. They were spending her last day together, enjoying the next morning in the gentle ocean waves.
Tomorrow, she left for her tour, and he’d stay behind to keep working the case. Waving the white flag hadn’t been an easy choice, but it seemed the safest route at this point. Eli had promised to do right by her mom, and that was all she had truly wanted in the first place—the chance to fix the fracture in her family as best she could. Besides, she wasn’t leaving all those people who’d lost money high and dry—Jake was still on the hunt for the missing funds, and frankly, he was better at it than she was.
Leave it to the pros. It simply wasn’t her place anymore.
“You don’t have to keep thanking me. I completely get it.”
“But I really appreciate your understanding,” she said as they walked out of the water and flopped down on their blanket on the white, sugary sand.
He rested a hand on her hip. That little touch sent shivers through her. “I’m not an asshole. Of course I understand. This was something you wanted to try, and it’s been, for lack of a better word, a complete bust.”
She laughed. “Yeah, bust describes it perfectly.”
“And this. Describes this, too,” he said, quickly darting a hand to cup one of her breasts before pulling away. “I should behave in public.”
The beach was starting to fill up with couples and families, too, parking towels, buckets, and shovels on the beach. “I don’t see why you’d start now,” she teased.
“You’re right. Screw behaving.” He flicked his finger against her starfish belly ring. Her breath caught from that slight touch. He moved his fingers up her flesh, then brushed the pad of his thumb over the treasure chest necklace. “You know what would look good in this necklace?”
“What?”
“A topaz,” he declared, then shook his head. “Wait. No. A peridot.”
“My, my. Don’t you know your gemstones.”
“Again, I have two sisters.”
“And they were into birthstones?”
“Of course. Kylie is August and Kate November. What are you?”
“July,” she said with a lift of her eyebrow.
“I know what July is.”
“And I like that it’s not a diamond at all.”
“How happy are you to be done with diamonds?”
“I’m happy to be done with diamonds, but not with you,” she said, figuring now was as good a time as any to voice this truth. It had been on her mind since last night, since she’d spoken to her mom, since he’d said such sweet and sexy words to her in the elevator, since they’d been wrapped up in each other’s arms. “I’m going to miss you, Jake Harlowe.”
“Yeah, about that.”
There once was a time, not so long ago, when Jake had zero interest in anything that got in the way of work. His single-minded focus to get in, do the job, and get out had been his sole motivation most days. The experience with Rosalinda had soured him on mixing romance with work, while the stockpile of tuition bills had reminded him every day that he had no room for anything but that top priority.
Then Steph Anderson walked into his life. Or more precisely, she walked into the game of darts he’d been playing solo at the Pink Pelican.
Ask him seven days ago if he’d have imagined he could fall this quickly and he’d have scoffed.
But everything about this job had surprised him. Most of all, how hard he fell for her, even as he’d tried to fight it. “We haven’t talked about the elephant in the room,” he said, brushing his fingers across her soft thigh. Kate had been right. He’d fallen for a woman in a bikini. But it wasn’t the bikini that had made him fall so damn hard. It was the woman.
He was no longer working with her, so he was free to proceed. Hell, he’d be game to move forward with her even if they were still on the hunt together. He just wanted her, and he didn’t want to fight that desire any longer.
Steph scanned the beach, pretending to search for elephants. “I don’t see a pachyderm.”
“No. The elephant is Florida.”
“Ah, I see. And what exactly about Florida is elephantine?”
He laughed, loving her sense of humor and the way they bantered. “This. Us. The fact you and I just fit.”
A smile spread across her face as she shifted closer to him. “How do we fit?”
He pulled her snug next to him. “I like to think we fit in Florida.”
The look in her eyes said, Go on.
He counted off on his fingers. “One, we live close to each other. Two, it would be a damn shame if this,” he said, gesturing from her to him, “had to end when this trip ends. Three, what would you think about seeing each other when we’re back home?”
Her grin said it all. She roped her arms around his neck. “I only have one reply: yes.”
He sealed their promise with a kiss under the rising morning sun, as gentle waves lapped the shore. This brief affair had started in a tropical paradise. But it wouldn’t end there. This was only the beginning, and no matter what happened next with the diamonds, Jake had already won.
He had the girl. She was the real prize.
CHAPTER TWENTY
The floor mats in Eli’s Audi were covered in sand from their morning beach excursion.
“I can’t return the car to him like this,” Steph said as she slid into the driver’s seat and turned the key in the ignition.
“There’s a car wash down the road,” Jake said, gesturing to the right as they exited the hotel.
“Cool. I’ll stop there first.” She followed his
directions, glancing into the rearview mirror as she slowed at a light. A streak of green metal raced past her, and she snapped her gaze to the window. “Was that a green Honda?”
But the car was already gone, zipping down a side street and out of sight. “Let’s hope not,” he said, scanning for the auto in question. “I don’t see anything. It was probably a different car. Tell me more about your tour tomorrow. How many people?”
“I’m fully booked,” she said with a grin as she pressed her foot to the gas, choosing to put the green car out of her mind. “My stepdad’s assistant manager even joined the tour. Clarissa. She’s super sweet. She adores Eli.”
“That’s nice,” he said, though his tone sounded grudging.
“Sorry, I know you don’t like him.”
He held up his hands. “We will agree to disagree on this. I respect your need to step back, as long as you respect mine to keep going.”
“Of course. And don’t worry, I will keep all your secrets. I’ve got your back,” she said.
Soon, they arrived at the car wash.
“The full deluxe, please,” she said, handing the keys to an eager car-wash attendant, who wore khaki shorts, white bouncy sneakers, and a sky-blue T-shirt with the name of the car wash emblazoned across the chest.
Island Shine.
“That’ll take about twenty minutes. If you’d like to wait outside, we have comfy chairs under the awning, or you can check out our lovely selection of sundries and island gifts inside,” he said in a helpful tone, gesturing to a gift shop attached to the car wash. “You can even watch the cars being washed. We have a long window on one side that gives a view into the wash itself.”
“Ooh,” Steph said. “Can’t go wrong with that.”
“I do believe we’ll avail ourselves of the gift shop opportunities,” Jake said, dropping a hand to her back as he held open the glass door in a deliberately gallant gesture. Then to her he said, “This is our first official date, so you just better get used to this kind of fancy treatment.”
She arched an eyebrow. “First date? What about the panini shop?”
He leaned in to whisper. “First date now that you’ve finally come to terms with the elephantine desire you possess to have more of me.”
She rolled her eyes. “You are such a cocky bastard.”
He answered by pinching her butt as they walked to the display that boasted a selection of up to 170 different and deliciously scented car air fresheners.
“How is this a date exactly?” she asked. “Are you going to treat me to whatever kind of air freshener my little heart desires?”
He nodded. “I’m just that kind of generous guy,” he said, sweeping his arm out broadly. A huge array of scented cardboard shapes dangled along the hooks on the shelves. “Tell me. I’m dying to know more about you. What is your favorite car scent?” He reached for an air freshener shaped like a coconut. “Could it be the enticing aroma of the world’s most impossible fruit to eat if stuck on a deserted island?” He grabbed a pineapple cardboard cutout. “Wait. These suckers are hard to open, too. But they are the most delicious fruit known to mankind. Please tell me you love pineapple.”
“Like a house on fire.”
He sighed happily and cupped his hand to her cheek. “You have impeccable taste. You like pineapple and you like me.”
She laughed, enjoying the easy way he had with her, and how he could take something as mundane as waiting for a car wash and turn it into a good time.
Jake’s hand shot out and he grabbed more air fresheners, brandishing them all like a fan as the car-wash machines whirred faintly, the hum of motors turning landing on her ears.
“Cherry? Cinnamon? Lavender? Wait. What about this?” He reached for one more. “Pumpkin?” He crinkled his nose and lowered his voice to a bare whisper. He spoke as a plea. “Please don’t say pumpkin; please don’t say pumpkin; please don’t say pumpkin.”
“Aha! You’re one of those people who hates pumpkin spice lattes. I’ve heard about your kind but have never spotted one in the wild.”
He nodded vigorously. “So much. I can’t stand pumpkin spice lattes or pumpkin bread or pumpkin pie. It feels so good to confess this to you. And you need to know this to be with me, but I don’t understand the pumpkin craze. Please say you understand,” he said, grasping her hand.
She adopted a reassuring tone. “No need to worry. I will never force a pumpkin on you.”
He wiped his hand across his forehead. “OK, back to the air fresheners. Take your pick. You can even get two if you want. I’m splurging.”
She drummed her fingers against her chin. “I’m going for cherry and also coconut. In part because I know coconut drives you wild,” she said, bringing her fingertips to the front of his shirt and tap-dancing a line down his chest.
He grabbed her hand, laced his fingers through hers. “How did you know?”
“Because my lotion is coconut sugar, and you’re always sniffing me and groaning in pleasure.”
Nailed it.
He yanked her close and ran his nose from her collarbone up the column of her neck, inhaling her intoxicating smell. He was aroused instantly. “You’re right,” he whispered and flicked his tongue lightly against the shell of her ear. She melted into his touch, and the way she fused her body to his, even here, even in a car-wash gift shop, reinforced that trying a relationship on for size simply felt . . . right.
So damn right.
Ironic, too, because a week ago he was dead sure he’d be able to keep this fling no-strings. He’d been certain he wouldn’t break his rule about getting involved with someone he worked with. But the thought of being without Steph was more terrifying than snakes. He wanted all in, all strings attached.
She was some kind of special, and now, she was some kind of his.
He wanted to know even more about her. He wanted to know every detail, so he could do sweet little things for her when he saw her back home. Bring her gifts. Take her out. Make her feel adored. He rounded the corner to the greeting card row.
“My Steph education must continue. Greeting cards. Do you get the ones that are all heartfelt and gooey, or the ones that mock the person’s age?”
She shook her head. “Neither. I usually go for black-and-white comics of animals saying something clever. Or ones that mock cats. Because cats are, let’s be honest, kind of mockable.”
“Totally mockable. Because cats can be assholes.”
“There should be a greeting card for that: Sorry I behaved like a cat.”
He laughed, then dropped a quick kiss on her forehead. “You’re a perfect woman. I can barely take your awesomeness.”
He rounded the endcap, passing a display of Island Shine T-shirts on their way into the next aisle. This row carried car accoutrements, from steering wheel covers to windshield wipers to maps. “Map or GPS?”
“GPS, of course. But if I were ever traveling through Europe, I would wing it and go without either, because that would be fun.”
“That’s it. I’m going to have to take you to Europe so we can travel without a map or GPS.”
“I won’t say no to that.”
He grabbed her hand and marched to the final aisle, with candy on one side, cold treats on the other. “Ghirardelli or Godiva?”
“Ghirardelli. Hold the nuts,” she said with a wink. “What about you? You’d probably say both. Given your overactive sweet tooth.”
He fixed her with a stare. “My sweet tooth is a very serious condition. I would appreciate you not making fun of it. Once when I was a young boy and lost a tooth, the tooth fairy took my sweet tooth by mistake. It was the most devastating week of my life. She had to return it, and when she did, all hope was restored to the world.”
“You are a piece of work, Jake Harlowe.”
He looped a hand around her waist, unable to resist touching her. “So are you,” he said, nuzzling her neck. “Have I mentioned how glad I am that this isn’t over?”
She nodded into him. “Yes.”
“So glad,” he said softly, then looked her in the eyes. “It won’t always be easy to see each other. I travel a lot, and I know you do, too, for work, but I want to do everything I can to make this work.”
“Me, too,” she whispered.
He wrapped her tighter in an embrace and brushed soft kisses across her cheek. He hardly cared where they were. He’d kiss her anywhere. He wanted her fiercely.
As his lips brushed her skin, a flash of movement caught his eye. Craning his neck, he peered at the rectangular window that looked into the car wash itself.
The black flaps brushed aimlessly back and forth, slowing their pace against a car. The whirring of the machine faded, then clicked off. As the motion ceased, a pair of car-wash attendants stepped gingerly through the machinery, inspecting the car.
The gleaming black Audi.
“Your stepdad’s car,” he said, pointing. “Something’s wrong with it.”
She stared through the window, then spun around. “I should go see.”
He left the air freshener at the counter. “Be right back for this.”
He shielded his eyes as they walked outside, then to the entrance of the car-wash machine. One of the attendants had slid a long iron hook underneath Eli’s car, as if he were trying to attach it to the chassis.
“Looks like it’s stuck,” Steph said to him.
A grunt sounded from the attendant as he yanked, muscles straining against the back of his shirt.
“A little more,” the other guy called out. He was the one who’d greeted them.
“Hey there,” Jake said loudly. “That’s our car. Everything OK?”
The attendant looked up, nodded, and flashed a smile. “Yes. Please don’t worry. The car just got stuck on the rails while it was going through. Happens once in a while, but we’re getting it out.”
“Why did it get stuck?” Steph asked curiously.
“Ah, sometimes it happens when the trunk is heavy. This one seems to be lower to the ground than usual,” the attendant said, then returned to helping his coworker tug the Audi free from the machines.
The Sapphire Heist (A Jewel Novel Book 2) Page 13
