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Jake smiled at her. She braced herself, ready for him to reach out and touch her hand, but instead he ran his hand through his hair again.
She liked his hair this way, all wild. Usually she only saw it this way when she’d frustrated him. She liked it better when it wasn’t her fault.
“Brad’s not a bad guy. I trust him more than I trust Leonard. But he’s not going to do what’s best for SI, he’s going to do what’s best for himself. At the moment those two things just happen to be one and the same.”
“Will he be able to save SI if I’m not around with my shares?”
Jake cocked his head to the side and stared at her, as if he were trying to see through her. “Are you going somewhere, Princess?” She looked down at the necklace she still wore. “You were going to disappear with the diamond?”
She nodded.
“Once someone found out it was a fake, I’d be the first one to blame—well, I guess maybe you, too, apparently, though I never would’ve guessed that. Leonard, hell, everyone knows I want the stone. And since I knew you’d be here, you’d be able to point the finger at me. So, I knew I’d have to leave.”
“Where are you going?”
She trusted Jake with her life. She knew he’d never betray her. But she didn’t want to make anything harder than it had to be either. “Away.”
“Will I see you again?”
She struggled to blink back the tears threatening to fall. She shook her head because she couldn’t force the words.
He nodded and stood abruptly.
Was this it? Goodbye already?
“Do you have a plane ticket?”
She swallowed hard. “No. Private plane. We’re supposed to leave just before dawn.”
She wasn’t wearing a watch but could practically hear the ticking of time passing. She didn’t want to go. She could go through her life forever, this night never ending.
Jake walked over to the trash can and tossed the remnants of the food they’d eaten. He pulled out his wallet and tossed a bill on the counter. Of course. Jake had been planning to steal a several-million-dollar necklace, but paid for day-old food that was probably going to be thrown out.
“Come on, Princess,” he said, extending his hand for hers. She unquestioningly grabbed it. “I think we’ve got more to do tonight.”
She desperately hoped it included getting naked again.
They walked slowly back through the darkened museum, neither one of them wanting to make it to the necklace display any sooner than they had to. There were gemstones and jewels everywhere but Ana didn’t see them. The only thing she was aware of was her hand in Jake’s and his thumb caressing her.
“You had to know the stone would be guarded overnight. How did you think you’d make the switch?”
She didn’t want to answer that question.
He didn’t push for an answer until they’d made their way back to the main gallery and stood in front of the empty pedestal.
“Ana,” he said.
When she still didn’t look his way, he grasped her chin and forced her gaze up to his. She tried to keep her face blank, but Jake knew her too well. His eyes widened.
“Wow,” he said, releasing her chin and stepping backward. It was just a step, but it still hurt. “Were you going to seduce anyone guarding the necklace or just me?”
She didn’t like that he could read her so easily.
Only you.
That part she hoped he could read. Because really, she wasn’t sure either answer was acceptable.
“To be fair, it turns out I didn’t have to do much seducing since you came on to me.” She pulled her hand from his and crossed her arms over her chest. Or tried to, but the stupid necklace got in the way. She reached back and tried to find the clasp.
