of you.”
“You have no idea.”
She didn’t know whether to laugh or rap her forehead repeatedly against the closet wall. If she thought it would instill the least bit of sense, she’d have been happy to do the latter, but, as usual, it was the former that he provoked. “Actually,” she retorted, knowing better even as she spoke, “I believe I have a better idea than most. Well, assuming you don’t spend all of your time as you do when you’re with me.”
“I should be so fortunate.”
“I believe I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“It was intended as one. Are you decent yet?”
She laughed again. “You have no idea.”
His laugh was rich, and deep, and so incredibly sexy that she grabbed for the closest hanger to keep from yanking the door open and dragging him into the closet with her. She quickly pulled on a crisply tailored, button-front, sleeveless white sundress, the full skirt decorated with a lush green and rust floral pattern, knowing something stiffer and more formal would have probably been a far smarter choice, but he had this way of looking at her that made her feel naked anyway, so what did it matter? At least this way she’d be comfortable.
She slipped her feet into matching green, low-heeled sandals, then made an attempt at fixing her hair, but with the mirror on the outside of the door, it was a blind attempt at best. Finally she faced the door, but paused before going out. She took a moment to remind herself why she’d come all the way to New York. She had a dual role here, her first time risking trying to pull off her public job and her private one at the same time. It was vitally important she complete both tasks successfully, and she’d already made a massive error in judgment on one part. Two, actually, if she counted severely underestimating her other opponent, earlier today.
She opened the door, expecting him to be looming on the other side. Instead, she was surprised to find him on the opposite side of the room, looking out at the expansive view of Central Park provided by her penthouse lodging. Of course, it was his very unpredictability that drew her in. Most men of her acquaintance were fairly basic, their motives and intent easily analyzed and determined. Not Finn.
“Nice view,” he said as she walked up behind him.
She’d considered staying on the opposite side of the room, but for her own personal test, and to indicate to him that she wasn’t the least bit affected by him now that she’d been released from her unsavory situation, she’d closed the distance between them.
“I thought it was rather lovely, yes,” she said, then immediately cursed her flawed strategy when he glanced over his shoulder and did a quick head-to-toe rundown that left her feeling slightly flushed and fully stripped.
“Ditto,” he said, leaving her to wonder whether he was referring to the view below or the one standing in front of him. She chose the former, but the continual involuntary flickering of the muscles between her thighs said she hoped otherwise.
“So, about the details of this proposed collaboration,” she began. “Let’s elaborate.” From now on, business would rule the day.
She’d deal with the night when the time came.
He turned to face her. “We’re both here for the same reason.”
She wondered if he knew just how complex her reasons really were. “Continue.”
“You were right earlier. Our adversary—assuming that is who left you in such a…bind, earlier, and is who I think it is—is a challenging one.”
Her lips curved in a wry smile. “To say the least.”
“So, it follows, that if we combine our skill sets and collective knowledge, we might prove a more formidable opponent than we would individually.”
“Exactly my thinking on the matter. However, in keeping with your request for honesty, given how my last encounter turned out, are you certain you want me as a partner?”
His blue eyes twinkled. “Let’s just say you do more for blue silk than I do.”
Now her eyes widened. “So, you think I’m going to barter myself for—”
His gaze darkened. “No, that’s not what I meant. I simply meant you’re far more attractive bait in this particular scenario. Once our fish is hooked, we can proceed in any manner of directions, none of which will require you to—”
“Dip?”
“Right. In fact, I’d have a little problem if you felt otherwise.”
“Then we’re square on that. But it should also be stated that my appearance obviously didn’t get me very far last time. Not that I’d banked on it.”
Finn grinned. “Then the man must have other proclivities. Or he’s dead from the waist down.”
She did smile a bit at that. “Perhaps he simply has more discipline and an ability to stay focused on the prize.”
Finn’s gaze narrowed down so tightly on hers she thought she could feel him touching her. Everywhere.
“I suppose it would depend on your definition of ‘prize.’”
She could have sworn her heart rate tripled. “You of all people should know I’m no prize.”
He gave a little involuntary shudder, and she knew he was remembering the clams. She did feel badly about that, but she’d more than apologized back in Prague. And, had she to do it over again, though she’d try to be less punitive, if push came to shove, the job always came first and she’d do whatever she had to do. Bad clams included.
“Regardless of past exit strategies, I think we might complement one another in this particular endeavor.” He gave her another once-over. “Great dress, by the way. Makes your eyes this amazing shade of green.”
There it was again. That offhand sincerity that did odd things to her equilibrium. She was used to meaningless flattery, delivered by men hoping for benevolence from her foundation, or from her directly, of a more personal nature. Either way, it was always a calculated maneuver. It never seemed as such with Finn. When, of all people, it most certainly should.
“Thank you,” she said, finding she meant it. Despite the mischievous and playful side of him that was always near the surface, she knew him to be an honorable man with a highly regarded level of personal integrity. She doubted he’d sink to useless and hollow flattery as a means to get what he wanted. Certainly not from her, at any rate. “But continuing here, given our past, don’t you think there might be a wee problem with trust?”
“We were opponents then.”
“To a degree, we still are. We each want the stone, and there is only one to be had.”
“I only ask for one thing.”
She arched a brow and decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. “Which is?”
“Until the sapphire is in our hands, we operate as a team. No secret maneuvers, no hidden agendas.”
Her
