expensive and delicate porcelain around them. “I asked her to meet us here.”
“Yeah, and—”
“Yes, you did,” she interrupted, her gaze returning to him, as if she’d evaluated Tom and dismissed him. “And why was that, again?”
“I changed my mind,” he said, moving around the edge of the display to get closer to her.
For the first time, she looked surprised. “Why?”
“Do I need to explain my reasoning?”
“Yes, I think you do.”
His clerk, probably sensing the drifting of his interest, approached again, and Miss Smith wandered off with her own keeper to the next display. Cursing under his breath and wishing she could be obtained as simply as a Meissen porcelain, Richard pointed at the nearest item, a cream pot on a small pedestal. “I’d like this one, if you’d box it up for me.” Want, acquire, possess . That was how he did business.
“Of course, Mr. Addison.”
“I thought the goat and the shepherdess looked better on you.”
Richard pretended to ignore Miss Smith’s soft commentary. “Tom, see to it.”
“Like h—”
“I’m not going anywhere. And I’ll tell you everything we discuss,” he lied. “Give me five bloody minutes to talk to her, will you?”
“After looking at her,” Donner murmured, “I can see why you’re interested, but make sure you’re thinking with the right body part.”
“You are not my keeper.” Richard stepped closer to her as she ran a finger over one of the more recent pieces. “You made a good point last night,” he said in a low voice, wondering if she’d managed to stuff any of the smaller figurines into her Gucci bag. Want, acquire, possess . They weren’t that different, and the idea made him hard. He brushed her arm with the back of his hand. “About your not being the one who tried to blow me up,” he continued quietly, “and about your point of view probably being more helpful than a detective’s.”
She seemed to think about that for a moment. “So you’ll make sure I don’t get accused of murder.”
“I’ll do my utmost.”
“And you’ll make phone calls and whatever else necessary to get me out of this shit?”
“Whatever else necessary,” he agreed.
“And you won’t turn me in for theft.”
“You didn’t actually steal anything from me.” He studied her face as her lips twitched. “Did you?”
“Not if you haven’t noticed.”
Her rather macabre sense of humor again, even if he wasn’t particularly amused. They were asking a lot of one another, and since she’d attended his meeting, he supposed the next step belonged to him. “You need to trust me,” he offered, “and I need to be able to trust you. When this is over,nothing additional will be missing from my home. Is that clear, Miss Smith?”
For the first time that afternoon, she looked him full in the face, her green eyes telling him just how much this visit had cost her already as she assessed both him and his words. “Samantha,” she said in a near whisper. “Sam. You get my last name after I decide I can trust you.”
Richard offered his hand. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, Samantha.”
With a deep breath she reached out and shook his hand. Heat speared down his spine at the contact. Whatever this partnership was going to be, it wasn’t simple.
Six
Friday, 4:33 p.m.
“I am not climbing into that car with you.” As they stood outside the Meissen shop’s front door, Samantha realized that she’d been wrong to think she’d find Addison less attractive in daylight and with witnesses.
“It’s a limousine,” Addison corrected, “and I’m not trying to kidnap you.”
“I’d prefer to meet you back at your estate after dark.” That made more sense as far as she was concerned. She’d have her own way in and out, and a little control over how deeply she became involved in this. “I know the way in.”
“You’re not breaking into my house again. And I can’t quite see you walking past the police posted at
“Yeah, and—”
“Yes, you did,” she interrupted, her gaze returning to him, as if she’d evaluated Tom and dismissed him. “And why was that, again?”
“I changed my mind,” he said, moving around the edge of the display to get closer to her.
For the first time, she looked surprised. “Why?”
“Do I need to explain my reasoning?”
“Yes, I think you do.”
His clerk, probably sensing the drifting of his interest, approached again, and Miss Smith wandered off with her own keeper to the next display. Cursing under his breath and wishing she could be obtained as simply as a Meissen porcelain, Richard pointed at the nearest item, a cream pot on a small pedestal. “I’d like this one, if you’d box it up for me.” Want, acquire, possess . That was how he did business.
“Of course, Mr. Addison.”
“I thought the goat and the shepherdess looked better on you.”
Richard pretended to ignore Miss Smith’s soft commentary. “Tom, see to it.”
“Like h—”
“I’m not going anywhere. And I’ll tell you everything we discuss,” he lied. “Give me five bloody minutes to talk to her, will you?”
“After looking at her,” Donner murmured, “I can see why you’re interested, but make sure you’re thinking with the right body part.”
“You are not my keeper.” Richard stepped closer to her as she ran a finger over one of the more recent pieces. “You made a good point last night,” he said in a low voice, wondering if she’d managed to stuff any of the smaller figurines into her Gucci bag. Want, acquire, possess . They weren’t that different, and the idea made him hard. He brushed her arm with the back of his hand. “About your not being the one who tried to blow me up,” he continued quietly, “and about your point of view probably being more helpful than a detective’s.”
She seemed to think about that for a moment. “So you’ll make sure I don’t get accused of murder.”
“I’ll do my utmost.”
“And you’ll make phone calls and whatever else necessary to get me out of this shit?”
“Whatever else necessary,” he agreed.
“And you won’t turn me in for theft.”
“You didn’t actually steal anything from me.” He studied her face as her lips twitched. “Did you?”
“Not if you haven’t noticed.”
Her rather macabre sense of humor again, even if he wasn’t particularly amused. They were asking a lot of one another, and since she’d attended his meeting, he supposed the next step belonged to him. “You need to trust me,” he offered, “and I need to be able to trust you. When this is over,nothing additional will be missing from my home. Is that clear, Miss Smith?”
For the first time that afternoon, she looked him full in the face, her green eyes telling him just how much this visit had cost her already as she assessed both him and his words. “Samantha,” she said in a near whisper. “Sam. You get my last name after I decide I can trust you.”
Richard offered his hand. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, Samantha.”
With a deep breath she reached out and shook his hand. Heat speared down his spine at the contact. Whatever this partnership was going to be, it wasn’t simple.
Six
Friday, 4:33 p.m.
“I am not climbing into that car with you.” As they stood outside the Meissen shop’s front door, Samantha realized that she’d been wrong to think she’d find Addison less attractive in daylight and with witnesses.
“It’s a limousine,” Addison corrected, “and I’m not trying to kidnap you.”
“I’d prefer to meet you back at your estate after dark.” That made more sense as far as she was concerned. She’d have her own way in and out, and a little control over how deeply she became involved in this. “I know the way in.”
“You’re not breaking into my house again. And I can’t quite see you walking past the police posted at
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