that the truth is little more than a rumor.”
He didn’t like the idea of Tess being swept up in one of these intrigues. “How did you meet these clients?”
“You have a lot of questions.”
“I’m an investigator,” he said. “Did you meet the Zamirs through Bart?”
“A lot of my clients were referrals from Bart, but I met the Zamir family a long time ago when I was catering. They use high-profile event planners most of the time, but I’m the one they call for last-minute things. Like this dinner for ten in January.”
Though her explanation was plausible, he couldn’t help having suspicions. Bart’s kidnapping had opened the door to long-buried dangers. “It’s not a problem if I accompany you inside, is it?”
“Well, I don’t usually travel with a bodyguard, but I’ll introduce you as a friend. You’re not going to believe the inside of their house.”
“Why is that?” He glanced toward her again. Though she wasn’t looking at him, she was grinning.
“The Zamirs have tons of stuff. All of it glitters. Their decor is incredibly ornate—gold-leaf furniture, polished brass vases and crystal chandeliers.”
“Snazzy.”
He heard her gasp, and he knew he’d used the wrong word. Whenever she described something that was over-the-top, she called it snazzy.
“You’re right.” Her voice was breathless. “Snazzy is exactly what I would say.”
He cursed himself for being careless. An apology would only make it worse. He drove in silence. The air inside the Mercedes clouded with suppressed emotion. There was so much he wanted and needed to say. Even if he tried to explain, he didn’t know where to start.
The GPS navigator in the Mercedes had directed him into an upscale, exclusive neighborhood. “We’re getting close,” he said.
She reached over and rested her arm on his shoulder. “Would you pull over? Just for a moment.”
Her touch suffused him with a warm glow. Clearly, she had no idea of the effect she had on him. Tess had always been unaware of her own beauty.
As he parked at the curb, he steeled himself. “What is it, Tess?”
“We seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot.” When she frowned, her eyebrows crinkled. “I want to apologize.”
He knew she was trying to be polite. Though her reaction to his ugliness was natural, she didn’t want to offend. “You don’t have to say you’re sorry.”
“Let me explain, please. I’m not usually so tongue-tied and clumsy. My event-planning business is largely based on my ability to get along with people, and I’ve got to clear the air.” She stared into his sunglasses. “I know this is a cliché, but it’s not you. It’s me.”
“Okay.”
“You remind me of someone,” she said, “someone who was very dear to me. It doesn’t make sense. You don’t look like him. And your tone of voice is different. But there’s…a certain something. Being with you is bringing back a whole lot of memories that are…inappropriate.”
He couldn’t believe what she was saying. She’d recognized him. In spite of everything, she had known in her heart that he was her husband. By God, he loved this woman.
“It’s all right, Tess. I understand.”
“How could you?”
“I’ve lost someone, too.”
And he would find a way to win her back.
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