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Rather than berate her, Chelsea nodded. “Good. Good. If you need a few days off, take them, with pay, but get that painting done. Wait.” She hurried to the wrapped paintings and began to go through them. “Why didn’t I think of this earlier? We can give her Kade’s painting. You can tell him it got damaged. We can refund his money or you can do another for him.”
“It’s not there.” She gave a silent prayer for Kade’s impatience—something she’d never in a thousand years thought possible. “He came in first thing this morning and picked it up in person.”
“Damn it. Maybe I can go to his hotel. Try to buy it back.”
“That’s probably not wise.” Underneath his rough exterior, he was every inch a predator, as much or more than Solange. But, unlike her, he didn’t make her skin crawl.
“I have to try.” Grabbing her purse up, she stalked toward her office.
Wasting no time, Luna turned and ran from the gallery, digging out her phone as she went. She pulled up her contacts list, took a deep breath, and pressed.
Chapter Six
His back pocket vibrated. Deep into his research into Chelsea and her gallery, he almost ignored it. On the off chance it was something important—like Luna calling to cancel—he pulled out his phone. His heart leaped when her number flashed on the screen. “Hello.”
“I need a favor.” Luna sounded slightly out of breath over the noise of traffic. Her voice was choppy, as if she was hurrying or running, her anxiety palpable. Why wasn’t she at work?
He jumped to his feet and headed toward the door, a sense of urgency riding him. “What’s wrong? Where are you?”
“Nothing is wrong. Not yet.”
Hand on the door, he said, “Talk to me, or I’m coming to you.”
“I’m not at the gallery. Listen, Chelsea is going to contact you. Whatever you do, don’t let her convince you to return the painting.”
His phone beeped. “Hold on, there’s an incoming call. I’m putting you on hold.” Since she didn’t seem to be in immediate danger, and this was important enough for her to contact him, he’d handle it. Then he’d find out what the hell was going on.
“Yes.” His tone was brusque, a businessman in a hurry.
“Mr. Alvarez. Kade, this is Chelsea Clifton from the gallery. We met last evening.” Her smooth, sultry tone drifted over the line.
“I remember.”
“Yes, well, there seems to have been some sort of mix-up regarding the painting you purchased. Unknown to myself or Luna, Tony had already made a previous arrangement with another client. I’m sure you understand.”
Oh, he understood all right. She wanted the painting back. Enough to contact him personally and potentially damage the reputation of her business. She was also lying. One of his gifts, compliments of the lone wolf, was the ability to hear and smell untruths. She was also scared. She was trying to project confidence, but there was the slightest waver in her tone.
When he remained silent, she rushed to fill it. “I assure you, nothing like this has ever happened before. The client is a valued one.”
“And I’m not.”
“Your patronage is extremely important, but this is an established buyer. I couldn’t possibly disappoint her. If you’re willing to return the painting, I’ll refund your money and waive the gallery fee on your next purchase. My way of saying thank you and making up for any inconvenience. That’s fifty percent off the asking price. You won’t even have to leave your hotel. I can send someone to pick it up.” She lowered her voice. “Or I can drop by personally. Take you out for a late lunch to show my appreciation.” She was practically purring by the last of it.
The sexual invitation was blatant. It also made his wolf snarly. The creature didn’t want her near him any more than he did. “That’s not possible. I have a prior engagement. In any case, I’ve already shipped the painting to my home.” He reached out his hand and stroked it over the brown paper–wrapped package. “You’ll have to find some other way of placating your client.”
“I see. That’s…disappointing.”
“If you’d like, I could reach out to your client and personally explain the situation.” Who was this mysterious person, and why were they so important? And why was Luna so hell-bent on keeping her painting out of their hands?
“I’m afraid that’s impossible. I couldn’t in good conscience share client information. I’m sure you understand.”
“Then there’s nothing more I can do.” He needed to talk with Luna. “If we’re done, I have a meeting.”
“Of course. Sorry to have troubled you.”
When the call ended, he took Luna off hold. “What’s going on?”
“I’ll explain everything when we meet. Is it possible to make it earlier?” Her voice wasn’t as breathy, and she sounded as if she was inside. “And is the painting safe?”
