MOONLIGHT ON DIAMONDS by LYDIA STORM

the
only one.
    Veronica’s eyes
flickered over to a tall, thin man in a tuxedo; his dark hair was greased back
and he wore a white flower in his lapel and a blonde DC debutante on his arm.
John narrowed his eyes as he realized who the man was. There was no mistaking
Nicholas Bezuhov, also known on the jewel thief circuit as the White Russian.
    Nicholas must have
seen him, too, and he would certainly know John after all the years of
cat-and-mouse they had played together. Of course, it was also possible
Nicholas was just getting an eyeful of Veronica and her big ruby necklace.
Either way, John didn’t like it.
    Neither did the blond
debutant. “Come on, Nicky,” she said in her cool, boarding-school voice. “We’ll
be late for dinner.”
    With a polite nod,
Nicholas moved on. The debutante gave Veronica an icy stare as they passed her
on the way into the elegant dining room, which was already full of senators,
foreign diplomats, and the occasional well-heeled tourist who came to see where
the Washington power brokers broke their bread.
    Veronica sized up the
blonde and dismissed her in the blink of an eye. Then she walked to John who
was still staring after Nicholas Bezuhov.
    “Do you know that
man?” she asked, following his gaze.
    “He calls himself
Prince Bezuhov,” said John, disgust seeping into his voice. “Fancies himself
some kind of Russian aristocrat, but according to our records, he’s pure
peasant masquerading as the great-grandson of the Grand Duchess Anastasia like
all the rest of the Euro-trash he runs with.”
    She raised a
manicured brow. “I get the impression you don’t like him.”
    “I don’t like phonies
and he’s one of the worst. I didn’t like the way he was eyeing your rocks
either.”
    She patted his arm.
“Well, that’s what I have you for—to protect me and my rocks.” She was making
fun of him, but he didn’t care. She looked so beautiful that she could make all
the fun she wanted.
    Still, he was
concerned about her diamond stash upstairs. “You sure you don’t want me to put
your jewels in the hotel safe? You have to understand, with this guy on the
premises, you’re very likely to come home tonight and find it all missing.”
    “Don’t worry,” she
said confidently. “They’re in a very safe place.”
    John shook his head.
He didn’t like it, but he couldn’t force her to lock up her valuables if she
didn’t want to. “I hope you have good insurance.”
    Veronica wanted to
take her convertible, but John wasn’t letting a woman drive him around if they
were on a date. Since the elevator doors slid open to reveal Veronica at her
bombshell best, it was clear this truly was a full-fledged date.
    He held out his arm
and she slid her hand through the crook of his elbow as a team of capped
bellhops rushed to open the door for them. The night was soft and warm with a
hint of summer in it.
    “By the way, you’re
overdressed,” he informed her as they slid into one of the taxis that stood in
line outside the hotel.
    “I know.” She settled
in next to him as the cab pulled away.
    ****
    Across the street,
Dornal Zagen’s dead, gray eyes followed the red taillights of the taxi as it
disappeared down the avenue.
    So Veronica Rossmore
and John Monroe were together. The Austrian thief smiled. That made things
simple. With the two people he most wanted access to right under his nose, it
was as if the stars had aligned to assist him in his plan. Or perhaps, his
employer had arranged it.
    As he struck a match
and watched the flame sizzle and burn for a moment before lighting his
cigarette, he pondered what exactly the two of them wanted from each other.
Surely, Monroe was there in some sort of professional capacity—probably as a
bodyguard. It had looked, however, from Veronica’s red-hot dress and the even
hotter look in their eyes when they stared at each other, as if there were more
to it than that.
    Dornal smirked.
Veronica wasn’t exactly known for fraternizing with