to face him. The light spilled onto her features, detailing her mouth and reminding him of the way she’d felt against him when they’d kissed.
“Took me days to brief on you,” she admitted wryly.
“Is that a long time?”
She nodded. “Had to wade through a boatload of circumstantial evidence from MI6, Interpol and a few other international agencies you’ve probably heard of.”
“When did they start looking at me?”
“About six months ago.”
They’d been an active six months. Joshua had masterminded the heist of a classical manuscript in Vienna and fixed situations on three continents. In between, he’d helped design and approved the blueprints on one jewel of a boat.
“What if you’ve got the wrong man, Lindy? I told you I’ve done occasional business with Renouf. What’s to stop me from picking up the telephone and making a courtesy call?”
She didn’t flinch, and her confidence impressed him. “I don’t have the wrong man.”
“What if I refuse to cooperate?”
“I’m authorized to threaten you. I can bring you in and use our evidence to build a case against you.”
“Think you have enough to prosecute?”
“No. Just enough to trash your reputation and drive you underground. My agency is hoping you’d rather deal than live as an international fugitive.”
A slave to MI6 or a life on the run.
“Mmm. That’s a tough one. I thought you said the whole point was not letting Renouf know you’re interested in him.”
She laughed. “Ideally. In my business, we don’t always achieve the ideal. You’re our best-case scenario. We’ve devoted a lot of man hours to tracking your movements over the past six months. If you won’t deal then we move on to plan B—eliminating you from the game. You’re valuable to Renouf. It’ll take him time to replace you. That will shake things up, slow down operations and make him more vulnerable. We’ll flush out someone else who’s willing to talk.”
“Sounds like you’ve got all the angles covered.”
“So what’s the problem then? Why aren’t you negotiating terms yet?”
He debated telling her that he didn’t believe her, but he’d rather wait and see what she’d do to try and convince him.
The bottom line was that she’d compromised him. The instant Henri discovered MI6 had Joshua on their radar, he would become a liability. Henri would send a hit man to eliminate the problem, the way he’d eliminated Allard.
Which meant Joshua was on a time limit to figure out what to do about Lindy and her alleged deal.
Henri was expecting delivery of the White Star immediately, which didn’t leave Joshua much room to maneuver. But he couldn’t hand over the amulet with Lindy on his tail, and given this turn of events, he wasn’t even sure he wanted to.
Rubbing his temples to soothe the ache starting there, he stared at a car that sped past, tires chewing up the street and echoing off the buildings. There had to be some way to work this situation to his benefit. But he couldn’t figure out how until he knew what he wanted the outcome to be.
Lindy’s investigation meant someone would be served up to MI6. Did he want to risk his life and freedom to protect Henri’s interests? Of all the questions he’d been faced with tonight, he actually had an answer for this one.
No.
While Joshua had learned much under Henri’s tutelage, they were business associates. Friendly ones, true, but Joshua felt no loyalty to Henri, expected none in return.
Fortunately, problem-solving and cleaning up messy situations happened to be Joshua’s specialty.
This situation was a mess. The timing was bad, and he was more vulnerable than Henri at the moment. But there would be a way to turn things around to his advantage.
Joshua just had to find it.
LINDY COULDN’T REMEMBER the last time she’d hung on to a man’s every word—had she ever hung on to a man’s every word?
She didn’t think so, but she was hanging now.
Perhaps it was being in such close proximity to an extremely attractive man. Every time one of them moved, they touched—their shoulders, their hips, their thighs. Slight touches with electrifying effects. She found it hard to stay focused.
Perhaps she was challenged because she had no idea what question would pop out of Joshua’s mouth next, or how she would reply. She’d come to New York City to conduct surveillance and figure out how to get close to this man, but she hadn’t expected chemistry. She was flying by the seat of her pants, as the Americans would say.
Or maybe she could credit her unprofessional reaction to the fact that so much hinged on gaining Joshua’s cooperation. Her entire career had gotten tangled up with getting close enough to Renouf to bring him in.
But whatever the reason for her hyperawareness of this man, Lindy found the experience invigorating.
Challenges always invigorated her.
“What’s it going to take to convince you to cooperate?” she asked. “Another show of faith? Or do you want more proof—shall I ring one of my superiors so you can chat?”
She could just imagine what Malcolm Trent, her direct superior, would have to say to this fellow.
“I don’t want to talk with your superiors.”
With his chin braced on clasped hands, Joshua inclined his head enough to face her. A fluorescent bulb behind pitted plastic cast his features in a glow that did nothing to diminish his startling good looks. His gaze captured hers, and that hum she’d felt since their kiss, an awareness that had ebbed and flowed on her internal tide, surged yet again.
“Joshua, I understand I’ve placed you in an awkward position—”
“Only if I’m the man you’re looking for.”
Inclining her head, she conceded the point even though she knew MI6 only had an infinitesimal percentage of this man’s career on paper. No one got to be as accomplished in the field as Joshua Benedict without years of experience.
She knew that firsthand.
“Talk to me. What’s it going to take to get you to deal?”
“I still need…convincing.”
Convincing. Well, she hadn’t expected this man to roll over, had she? To tell the truth, she’d have been disappointed if he’d proven an easy mark. But she hadn’t expected him to look quite so yummy when he was wheedling, either.
“Convincing, hmm?” She willed her thoughts to behave. “About my integrity? About
