hadn’t been created by a fairy princess for
her twin daughters—maybe Sister Mary Agnes had made it up, just for
one lonely orphan. It took away the magic, knowing it had been an
ordinary fairytale that hundreds of others had shared.
She closed her eyes to prevent him from
seeing the way the revelation had hurt her.
“It touches me,” he told her. “Did from the
first time I saw it hanging in the gallery downtown. I wouldn’t
trade it for anything.”
That brought her gaze back to him. And if
there was guilt in her eyes before she lowered them again, then it
was no wonder. A tidal wave of the stuff had risen up to engulf her
at those words. He wouldn’t trade it for the world. But he was
going to trade it. For a fake.
“You feel better now? Strong enough to
continue the tour?”
She met his eyes again. “I don’t need the
tour,” she told him. “The place is wonderful, Adam. If you’ll have
me, I’d like to move in.”
He smiled, and she thought it was genuine.
“When?”
“Tonight.”
Chapter Five
“I’m in.” Her voice was a harsh whisper.
“Well, now, that was fast. You’re
better at this than I thought you’d be.”
“I’m not sure I can go through with this,”
she said softly-”It’s more complex than anything I’ve tried
before.”
“You’ll do it, Brigit.”
There was a pause, tension, as her breath
rushed in and out a little faster than before. “I need to know
more,” she said at last. “Who is this client? Why does he
want—”
“No sense asking, Brigit. I don’t have the
answers either. You just do your part and don’t worry about the
rest.”
“Adam Reid is an intelligent man,” she said
slowly. “He’s going to catch on.”
“You’ll just have to see to it he doesn’t. Distract him, Brigit. Come on. Use your imagination.”
“You’re a pig!” She all but spat the
words.
The reply was low, vile laughter.
“I want to talk to Raze,” she said, her voice
choked now. No longer assertive or sure. It was pleading
instead.
“Then I suggest you get the job done.”
There was a click, and then silence. Brigit
swore very softly and there was a coarseness to her voice that
suggested tears. And then she set her receiver down, too.
Adam didn’t hang up until the other two had.
He drew his brows together in a frown, and wondered just what on
earth he’d got himself into. This woman who looked like his fondest
fantasy was conspiring against him. Plotting with someone else...to
do what? He couldn’t even begin to guess. Hell, if they were
planning to con him out of his fortune, they were almost a year too
late. Sandra had seen to it there wasn’t anything left worth
stealing. And it was a sign of his own hardened heart, he supposed,
that he missed the money more than he missed her. Hell, no wonder
she’d left him.
Brigit was up to something, though, and he
had an instinctive feeling in his gut that she posed far greater
danger to him than his wife ever had. And it was too late to back
out now, whatever it was. Brigit had arrived later that same night
with three large suitcases and a bulky garment bag. And he wondered
why she was in such a damned hurry to get under his roof, and what
the hell she was planning to try to pull on him. He’d find out.
He’d find out if it was the last thing he ever did.
Easy to say, now, he thought. With her in his
ex-wife’s bedroom, out of his sight. But when he was near
her and she started working him over with those eyes of hers, his.
common sense seemed to take a powder. Because of her likeness to
the woman who was the center of his obsession, he realized. He had
to find a way to get past that. He had to get a handle on his
rampant interest in her. Distance himself. Find out who she really
was and why she’d nearly fainted when she’d seen the painting. She
must know something about it. She had to. It was the only rational
explanation. If it killed him, he would find out what. And while he
was at it, he’d
her twin daughters—maybe Sister Mary Agnes had made it up, just for
one lonely orphan. It took away the magic, knowing it had been an
ordinary fairytale that hundreds of others had shared.
She closed her eyes to prevent him from
seeing the way the revelation had hurt her.
“It touches me,” he told her. “Did from the
first time I saw it hanging in the gallery downtown. I wouldn’t
trade it for anything.”
That brought her gaze back to him. And if
there was guilt in her eyes before she lowered them again, then it
was no wonder. A tidal wave of the stuff had risen up to engulf her
at those words. He wouldn’t trade it for the world. But he was
going to trade it. For a fake.
“You feel better now? Strong enough to
continue the tour?”
She met his eyes again. “I don’t need the
tour,” she told him. “The place is wonderful, Adam. If you’ll have
me, I’d like to move in.”
He smiled, and she thought it was genuine.
“When?”
“Tonight.”
Chapter Five
“I’m in.” Her voice was a harsh whisper.
“Well, now, that was fast. You’re
better at this than I thought you’d be.”
“I’m not sure I can go through with this,”
she said softly-”It’s more complex than anything I’ve tried
before.”
“You’ll do it, Brigit.”
There was a pause, tension, as her breath
rushed in and out a little faster than before. “I need to know
more,” she said at last. “Who is this client? Why does he
want—”
“No sense asking, Brigit. I don’t have the
answers either. You just do your part and don’t worry about the
rest.”
“Adam Reid is an intelligent man,” she said
slowly. “He’s going to catch on.”
“You’ll just have to see to it he doesn’t. Distract him, Brigit. Come on. Use your imagination.”
“You’re a pig!” She all but spat the
words.
The reply was low, vile laughter.
“I want to talk to Raze,” she said, her voice
choked now. No longer assertive or sure. It was pleading
instead.
“Then I suggest you get the job done.”
There was a click, and then silence. Brigit
swore very softly and there was a coarseness to her voice that
suggested tears. And then she set her receiver down, too.
Adam didn’t hang up until the other two had.
He drew his brows together in a frown, and wondered just what on
earth he’d got himself into. This woman who looked like his fondest
fantasy was conspiring against him. Plotting with someone else...to
do what? He couldn’t even begin to guess. Hell, if they were
planning to con him out of his fortune, they were almost a year too
late. Sandra had seen to it there wasn’t anything left worth
stealing. And it was a sign of his own hardened heart, he supposed,
that he missed the money more than he missed her. Hell, no wonder
she’d left him.
Brigit was up to something, though, and he
had an instinctive feeling in his gut that she posed far greater
danger to him than his wife ever had. And it was too late to back
out now, whatever it was. Brigit had arrived later that same night
with three large suitcases and a bulky garment bag. And he wondered
why she was in such a damned hurry to get under his roof, and what
the hell she was planning to try to pull on him. He’d find out.
He’d find out if it was the last thing he ever did.
Easy to say, now, he thought. With her in his
ex-wife’s bedroom, out of his sight. But when he was near
her and she started working him over with those eyes of hers, his.
common sense seemed to take a powder. Because of her likeness to
the woman who was the center of his obsession, he realized. He had
to find a way to get past that. He had to get a handle on his
rampant interest in her. Distance himself. Find out who she really
was and why she’d nearly fainted when she’d seen the painting. She
must know something about it. She had to. It was the only rational
explanation. If it killed him, he would find out what. And while he
was at it, he’d
Similar Books
