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It was too early in the morning to do anything else. If she had to stay for another
week in Hong Kong, she might as well go sightseeing later. Without having to fear
detection, without wigs, without him&
Hey, Red.
She froze, her heart twisting with longing. The urge to turn around and run to him
was overwhelming. Then pain hit, sharp, making her suck in her breath, and she
grasped the curtain for hold. How many times did he want to walk back into her life,
breaking her heart a little bit more?
He must have slipped into her suite while she was downstairs in the breakfast
lounge. If she asked him how he got into her room, he d bullshit her with the door was
open , so she saved herself that question.
Why? she asked, turning around. Parker leaned against the doorframe as if he
belonged there. His hands relaxed on his sides and his smile in place as if he d never
left her. Why are you here?
94
Sextricity
I thought a thank-you was in order, he said, his gaze sweeping over her body.
Looks like you can tell convincing lies after all.
The last time she d looked into his dark eyes, she d clung to his shoulders while
he d fucked her. She shuddered, a ghost of his touch running over her skin. She wished
she still wore her clothes. Trust him to wait until she d stripped to her underwear. I
can t do this anymore, she whispered. I can t.
Don t say that, he said quietly, coming toward her.
What happened to your plans?
I ve changed them.
Because the necklace was a fake?
That was a shock, wasn t it? His smile was all wrong, and her nervousness
increased.
He took her hand, held it, and her heart raced as it always did when he was close.
She shut her eyes as he kissed her, his mouth tender at first then more insistent. She
stepped away from him, breathing faster, and pulled one part of the curtain open.
Bright sunlight glared into the room. There, no more soft darkness to seduce her.
What are you doing here? She turned, grabbed her shirt and pulled it over her
head. She sat cross-legged on the end of the bed. What do you want?
Come with me to Shanghai.
And then what?
Just be with me.
She stared at him, sure she hadn t heard what he d said. He wanted her to be with
him& She got up and walked out the bedroom. Her gaze fell on the still half-full
champagne bottle. Maybe she should drink the rest of it now. She turned as she heard
him following her into the lounge.
What did you celebrate? he asked with a nod to the bottle.
I fired my manager.
95
Amy Redwood
Can t say I m sorry to hear it. But doesn t that makes you all alone now? he
asked, directing his dark gaze at her, as if seeing right through her fears. Do you like to
be alone?
I ll get used to it.
He came close enough to stroke his finger across her cheek. Do you still hate me?
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him. She went rigid in his embrace,
fighting against giving in to his warmth and strength.
Come with me, Red.
It s Jillian, she said, and his body was so comforting against her that she leaned
into him, resting her head against his shoulder.
I want you with me, Jillian.
Damn, if he d asked her to run away with him last night, kissing her, loving her&
You should have said that yesterday.
He let her go. Yesterday was different. He paced through the room, stopped in
front of the window and gazed out. How could I have asked you to do something
stupid like that? With people looking for you?
You could have asked anyway, she whispered. It would have meant She
broke off. Surely, he knew she loved him. Is everything a game for you, Parker?
Not you, not anymore.
Not anymore, she thought. Must have been a real disappointment that you went
through all that trouble for a fake diamond.
It was for Li s father.
She spread her hands. All that for Li s father? Why?
Why? He brushed through his hair. Li s father owns a small, superb art
collection. Some items are in the States, others here in China. He loves to show off to
visitors. He also owns a Picasso and a da Vinci drawing. Those are items he doesn t
show, but I knew they were in his house in New York. I wanted them.
96
Sextricity
You wanted to steal them?
Yes, he said. I hooked up with Li to get closer to my target. I screwed up, got
caught, got caught on video, and Li s father wasn t pleased with my intentions to steal
his prized possessions or with my& well, knowing his daughter. That happened four
weeks ago.
What did he do? Call the police?
You don t involve the police to report someone tried to steal your stolen art. He
tends to deal with matters differently. Usually, you turn up dead in the Hudson.
Obviously, that fate didn t happen to you.
Li had a screaming fit. First at me for not telling her my plans then at her father for
wanting to kill me. Her father got it worse and he struck a deal with me. He happens to
have a soft spot for his daughter.
Jillian chewed on that information. Li saved your life.
I guess.
She loves you, she said, and he laughed.
No, she never misses an opportunity to fight her dad, and fortunately, she never
figured out I only used her to get closer to her dad in the first place.
She stiffened, involuntarily. He must have sensed it because he said, I m not a nice
guy, and she silently agreed. Using women for personal benefit wasn t exactly on her
top ten list of desirable character traits.
In the end, her dad got the upper hand. He s the one who wants the necklace, and
Li, being his true daughter, was all for it. The gleam in her father s eyes told me he
didn t expect me to actually get it. Parker shrugged. It s a smooth way to get rid of me
without his daughter s fury. One way or the other, he wins.
And do you have a day job at all, or do you specialize in work-after-dark only?
I m an art dealer. My gallery is in New York.
97
Amy Redwood
You re kidding me. He looked nothing like a person who would appreciate art.
You own the gallery?
Yes, he said. It s run by my two lovely assistants, who sell better than I could
ever do.
And do you do them too?
He grinned. Want to watch? I know how you feel about that kind of thing.
No thanks. She was sure he teased her. Well, almost sure. And I didn t believe
you when you told me you liked art.
She d known he was a thief. It shouldn t bother her now. I don t like it, she
whispered. I don t like what you do. Maybe you should leave, she said, but in her [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl karpacz24.htw.pl
It was too early in the morning to do anything else. If she had to stay for another
week in Hong Kong, she might as well go sightseeing later. Without having to fear
detection, without wigs, without him&
Hey, Red.
She froze, her heart twisting with longing. The urge to turn around and run to him
was overwhelming. Then pain hit, sharp, making her suck in her breath, and she
grasped the curtain for hold. How many times did he want to walk back into her life,
breaking her heart a little bit more?
He must have slipped into her suite while she was downstairs in the breakfast
lounge. If she asked him how he got into her room, he d bullshit her with the door was
open , so she saved herself that question.
Why? she asked, turning around. Parker leaned against the doorframe as if he
belonged there. His hands relaxed on his sides and his smile in place as if he d never
left her. Why are you here?
94
Sextricity
I thought a thank-you was in order, he said, his gaze sweeping over her body.
Looks like you can tell convincing lies after all.
The last time she d looked into his dark eyes, she d clung to his shoulders while
he d fucked her. She shuddered, a ghost of his touch running over her skin. She wished
she still wore her clothes. Trust him to wait until she d stripped to her underwear. I
can t do this anymore, she whispered. I can t.
Don t say that, he said quietly, coming toward her.
What happened to your plans?
I ve changed them.
Because the necklace was a fake?
That was a shock, wasn t it? His smile was all wrong, and her nervousness
increased.
He took her hand, held it, and her heart raced as it always did when he was close.
She shut her eyes as he kissed her, his mouth tender at first then more insistent. She
stepped away from him, breathing faster, and pulled one part of the curtain open.
Bright sunlight glared into the room. There, no more soft darkness to seduce her.
What are you doing here? She turned, grabbed her shirt and pulled it over her
head. She sat cross-legged on the end of the bed. What do you want?
Come with me to Shanghai.
And then what?
Just be with me.
She stared at him, sure she hadn t heard what he d said. He wanted her to be with
him& She got up and walked out the bedroom. Her gaze fell on the still half-full
champagne bottle. Maybe she should drink the rest of it now. She turned as she heard
him following her into the lounge.
What did you celebrate? he asked with a nod to the bottle.
I fired my manager.
95
Amy Redwood
Can t say I m sorry to hear it. But doesn t that makes you all alone now? he
asked, directing his dark gaze at her, as if seeing right through her fears. Do you like to
be alone?
I ll get used to it.
He came close enough to stroke his finger across her cheek. Do you still hate me?
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him. She went rigid in his embrace,
fighting against giving in to his warmth and strength.
Come with me, Red.
It s Jillian, she said, and his body was so comforting against her that she leaned
into him, resting her head against his shoulder.
I want you with me, Jillian.
Damn, if he d asked her to run away with him last night, kissing her, loving her&
You should have said that yesterday.
He let her go. Yesterday was different. He paced through the room, stopped in
front of the window and gazed out. How could I have asked you to do something
stupid like that? With people looking for you?
You could have asked anyway, she whispered. It would have meant She
broke off. Surely, he knew she loved him. Is everything a game for you, Parker?
Not you, not anymore.
Not anymore, she thought. Must have been a real disappointment that you went
through all that trouble for a fake diamond.
It was for Li s father.
She spread her hands. All that for Li s father? Why?
Why? He brushed through his hair. Li s father owns a small, superb art
collection. Some items are in the States, others here in China. He loves to show off to
visitors. He also owns a Picasso and a da Vinci drawing. Those are items he doesn t
show, but I knew they were in his house in New York. I wanted them.
96
Sextricity
You wanted to steal them?
Yes, he said. I hooked up with Li to get closer to my target. I screwed up, got
caught, got caught on video, and Li s father wasn t pleased with my intentions to steal
his prized possessions or with my& well, knowing his daughter. That happened four
weeks ago.
What did he do? Call the police?
You don t involve the police to report someone tried to steal your stolen art. He
tends to deal with matters differently. Usually, you turn up dead in the Hudson.
Obviously, that fate didn t happen to you.
Li had a screaming fit. First at me for not telling her my plans then at her father for
wanting to kill me. Her father got it worse and he struck a deal with me. He happens to
have a soft spot for his daughter.
Jillian chewed on that information. Li saved your life.
I guess.
She loves you, she said, and he laughed.
No, she never misses an opportunity to fight her dad, and fortunately, she never
figured out I only used her to get closer to her dad in the first place.
She stiffened, involuntarily. He must have sensed it because he said, I m not a nice
guy, and she silently agreed. Using women for personal benefit wasn t exactly on her
top ten list of desirable character traits.
In the end, her dad got the upper hand. He s the one who wants the necklace, and
Li, being his true daughter, was all for it. The gleam in her father s eyes told me he
didn t expect me to actually get it. Parker shrugged. It s a smooth way to get rid of me
without his daughter s fury. One way or the other, he wins.
And do you have a day job at all, or do you specialize in work-after-dark only?
I m an art dealer. My gallery is in New York.
97
Amy Redwood
You re kidding me. He looked nothing like a person who would appreciate art.
You own the gallery?
Yes, he said. It s run by my two lovely assistants, who sell better than I could
ever do.
And do you do them too?
He grinned. Want to watch? I know how you feel about that kind of thing.
No thanks. She was sure he teased her. Well, almost sure. And I didn t believe
you when you told me you liked art.
She d known he was a thief. It shouldn t bother her now. I don t like it, she
whispered. I don t like what you do. Maybe you should leave, she said, but in her [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]