The Sapphire Heist (A Jewel Novel Book 2) (8 page)

She curled her fingers into his shoulders and gripped her thighs tight to his ass.

He drove into her and he was there, and she was there, moaning and writhing and finding another release beneath him as he came inside the woman he was crazy for.

He held her in his arms, planting kisses on her neck, her hair, her shoulders. He was sure now. He was certain. He didn’t want this affair with her to end. He wanted it to go on and on. Like they were a couple. Like Marie had said. Because they were so damn good together.

As she fell asleep in his arms, the stars winking through the windows, this moment felt like it had the potential to be endless. Like it could stretch on and on into this pure connection with another person.

The trouble was, he couldn’t sleep. Something nagged at him. Or really, two things. Two moments from tonight. Once, at the restaurant when he should have focused harder on the sharp profile at the edge of the crowd. Then, here at the hotel, when he should have checked out the woman in the lobby. He hadn’t even bothered to address Steph’s concern.

He’d been solely interested in getting her in bed.

He stroked his hand along her hair, wishing, hoping that these feelings for her weren’t threatening his focus on work.

He’d once thought getting involved with a woman on a job meant he’d be crossed. But what if it meant he’d lose his edge?

As he dragged his fingers through her soft strands, he promised himself that he’d do better tomorrow.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Showtime.

She walked along the block to Eli’s club at eleven fifteen the next morning. Today, she was the gun and she was the sniper.

Though truth be told, there was no need for a weapon, except the tool she had in her purse, slung on her shoulder. No watchman required, either.

That was one of the benefits of being the inside woman on a job. She didn’t need someone to stand guard for her. She could stand as her own lookout. Her position as the stepdaughter was all she required to surprise Eli. Their scheduled lunch wasn’t for another forty-five minutes, which meant she’d likely be able to find him now at one of his favorite spots. He’d told her at their first brunch that he was at Sapphire most days.

Her green shades covered her eyes, blocking out the bright sun. Not a cloud dared appear in the perfect crystal-blue sky. No wonder Eli had chosen the Cayman Islands for his new life. This land was the definition of paradise, and the balmy air caressed her bare skin as the island breezes drifted by. Funny how the weather forecast on her app had predicted today would be a scorcher, but it was wrong—today was another day in paradise. She wore a pink sundress, flip-flop sandals with a shell design on the straps, and a pair of delicate mermaid earrings—quirky but pretty. Jake’s hotel wasn’t far away, so she’d chosen to walk, rather than drive, to the club.

Sapphire loomed closer, its appearance different during the day. No flashing lights beckoning to tourists, no cool blue neon sign luring those out for the evening, no velvet rope holding back teeming throngs of island partiers. Just a gray front door and one security guard manning it. The guy wore aviator shades and had his arms crossed. He stood stock-still as he surveyed the block.

Steph headed up the steps and greeted the guard. “Hi. I’m Steph Anderson. I’m here to see Eli.”

His blank expression disappeared and a smile spread. “Good to see you again. Welcome back. Mr. Thompson is in his office,” the man said, pushing a beefy palm against the heavy steel door. He gestured for her to go inside.

As she entered the quiet Sapphire, it was as if she’d wandered into a Halloween haunted house with all the lights flicked on, its secrets revealed. Regular fluorescent lights glowed overhead, illuminating the bar, the floor, the stage, the balcony. The flashing colors and techno-heavy music were absent. No hum of crowds, no clink of glasses. The slinky, sexy, sultry mood of after hours was gone. The club did its best impression of a warehouse, big and echoey, as Steph’s sandals slapped across the tiles. As she neared the winding staircase at the edge of the dance floor, a flash of bright yellow appeared at the top of the steps.

“Steph!”

She craned her neck upward to find Clarissa waving to her. Her father’s assistant manager flew down the steps in a banana-yellow dress, her dark hair like a sheet, her high heels clacking.

“Cal told me you were here,” Clarissa said as she neared the bottom step.

Steph furrowed her brow.

“At the front door. He’s our security guard,” she explained. “He buzzed me that you were here. Eli’s in his office working, but he’s been practically bouncing off the walls with excitement to see you again.”

That piqued Steph’s curiosity. Did Eli talk about her that much? “He mentioned we were having lunch?” she asked as Clarissa swiveled around and headed toward the stairs.

The assistant manager nodded. “He’s been in the most joyous mood all week since you arrived. This very morning he told me he was counting down the minutes ’til he saw you.”

“I’m excited to see him, too.”

And his artwork. I’m incredibly excited to see that.

“He’s so proud of you, and all that you’ve accomplished. He told me you had a scuba tour later this week. How exciting. Where will you take them?”

Steph rattled off the itinerary for her upcoming tour—the visit to the Bloody Bay site, then to Little Cayman.

“I love all those places. I’d love to join the tour and do a little diving.”

“Oh, you should. I’ve got room if you want to,” Steph said.

“I’ll do that. I have the day off so I should be able to come along. And are you otherwise enjoying your time in our island paradise?” Clarissa asked as they neared the top of the steps.

Enjoying
was one way to put it.
Savoring
worked, too.
Coming every night
was another phrase. A flicker of desire stirred in her belly as Steph rewound to twelve hours ago in Jake’s bed. “I’m having the time of my life,” Steph said, a private little grin curving her lips as she thought of her roomie, her partner, her temporary lover.

A parade of images flashed before her eyes—bending over the railing on the balcony, kissing Jake at the panini shop, reading his review, diving under the ocean with him. From the dirty to the sweet, everything with the sexy, funny, witty, caring Jake Harlowe was so damn good.

Her foot landed awkwardly on the next step. Grabbing the railing, she caught herself before she toppled down the stairs.

Thinking about the man she liked was damn distracting.

Liked.

Well, duh. She knew she liked him, but
liked
seemed far too tame for that swirl of emotions that had nearly knocked her over.
Was it more than like?

“Are you OK?” Clarissa asked, eyes wide.

Steph bent to adjust her flip-flop, trying to make light of her near face-plant. “I knew I shouldn’t have put sunscreen on the soles of my feet, too,” she said as she rose.

Clarissa laughed. “I’m glad you’re OK. And I’m equally glad you’re having a lovely stay.” She lowered her voice and wagged her finger playfully. “But don’t let on to Eli how much fun you’re having, or he’ll try to convince you to live here. He’d be beside himself with glee if you moved to the Islands.”

Steph flashed a brief smile, resuming her pace up the steps. “The Caymans is a great place to live, but Miami is pretty awesome, too. Where are you from?”

“Here. But I went to college in North Carolina and had hoped to stay after graduation. Had some trouble finding work like everyone else finishing college these days, so I decided to come back to the Caymans and try my luck here at home.”

“And it sounds like luck has been on your side?”

She knocked on the railing. “Knock on wood. Yes, it has. I love my job here, and Eli is good to me. If you ever change your mind and move here, you’d make Mr. Thompson the happiest person on earth.” Clarissa resumed her pace up the steps. “Then again, the man is already pretty much the happiest guy I know,” she added with a cheery shrug.

This was the Eli she knew and loved. This was who she wanted him to be. The good guy, the generous guy, the guy who brought jobs to locals, who gave to charity, who loved her.

How could he possibly be the man who had stolen so much from so many? There had to be another explanation. Someone else must be behind the missing money. Hell, maybe that luxury goods merchant was the mastermind and was simply trying to pin it on Eli. Maybe Eli’s diamonds were legitimately earned, and the merchant had simply made it look like Eli procured them from ill-gotten gains. If she could find the diamonds, she could help solve the crime.

“Happiest guy on earth. That describes Eli Thompson to a
T
,” Steph said as they reached the balcony that wrapped around the dance floor. As she turned the corner down the hallway, she heard his voice on the phone, carrying through the open door. “Perfect. So glad the deal is working out. She’ll simply be thrilled,” he said, and Steph wondered briefly who he was talking about, and which deal was coming together.

When they reached his office, Clarissa pressed the door open all the way. Eli’s back was to them. Immediately, Steph snapped her attention to the art on the walls. She sighed quietly in relief. Only one frame hung, and it didn’t look too heavy. She could do this—aim and shoot.

She patted her purse absently as Eli turned around in his chair.

When his blue eyes landed on her, they twinkled. He waved broadly. His lips curved in a huge grin.

Steph’s gut twisted. This was going to be easy. For all the wrong reasons. She was about to use his emotions to hoodwink him. Just as he’d done to her mother for all those years. Telling her he loved her, then lying behind her back.

But it was for the best, she reminded herself. She was going to find the diamonds for the greater good. For everyone.

She lifted her chin and walked inside, head up high.

All business. Jake was like a laser the next morning. His focus on the case was razor sharp. He had his mission, and he was sticking to it. No distractions allowed.

The bell above the door jingled as Jake entered Uncut. He scanned quickly for Wilder, the gentleman who’d helped him a few days ago. From his post behind the glass display counter, the man presented a diamond necklace to a woman wearing a white tennis skirt and a visor.

“Beautiful, isn’t it? And it goes with everything,” he said.

The woman shook her head, mouthed a thanks, and turned on her heels to go. Wilder returned the necklace to the case. Jake ambled over to the dark-haired man, who beamed as he looked up. He shook his index finger at Jake several times. “Who’s the man?”

Jake pointed two thumbs at himself. “Am I the man?”

“You are the man indeed. At last, I beat my brother in darts.” Wilder raised his arms in victory. “Thanks to your angle trick. I am so grateful.”

“Excellent. Does that mean I get a free diamond now for my sister?” he asked with a wink.

The man laughed loudly and clasped his hand on his belly. “Oh, that’s rich. You are a funny man.”

“So that’s a no?” he said drily.

“That would be a big, fat no,” Wilder said, but his tone was playful. “Are you ready to buy for her? For her new job? A diamond would be lovely.”

Jake heaved a sigh. “I might be. Someday. But listen, man. I gotta come clean to you.” He was going out on a limb here, but Wilder had been a decent guy when Jake first talked to him. If he was going to pump him for information, the least he could do was offer up some truth.

Wilder’s expression shifted to one of concern and curiosity. “What is it?”

Jake took off his sunglasses and met his eyes. “A woman I know—a woman I’m close with,” he added, because it was true, “had her diamond stolen from her hotel room here on the island. Those blue-tinted ones we talked about.”

Wilder’s eyes widened. “Oh dear. I don’t like to hear about diamond thefts. It makes me sad when diamonds are not with their rightful owners.”

“Yeah, me, too. So I’m just wondering,” he said, reaching into his pocket and taking out his phone. “If you’ve seen this guy around at all.” Jake opened to a saved photo of Ferdinand, the guy with the snake tattoo. He’d snagged it from the Sapphire website that morning. Jake wasn’t sure if Ferdinand was the thief, but given Marie’s tip last night, coupled with Steph spotting him earlier on the trip and Jake’s run-in at the club office, he might as well start with Eli’s manager. “Trying to figure out if this guy’s been trying to turn that blue diamond back into money.”

Wilder tensed and pointed to the screen. “I’ve seen him around,” he said in a nervous whisper.

“You have?” Excitement zipped through Jake. “Where? When?”

Wilder waved frantically toward the door. “Yesterday. He was at a café nearby with the man who runs International Diamonds.”

Jake nearly pumped his fist. “Really?”

“And everyone here knows International Diamonds turns the blue diamonds. He probably went straight there with the gem.”

“Yeah, he probably did,” Jake said, and this new intel placed the man with the snake tattoo at the head of the line as Suspect Number One. “Anything else you saw at the café? Did you hear anything?”

Wilder shook his head, his eyes etched with worry. “No. I was just walking by on my way back from lunch.” Wilder paused, tilted his head. “But I thought perhaps he was working for Mr. Thompson. Since he works for him at Sapphire.”

Shit.

Jake’s hopes plummeted as it hit him—the man might be totally legit. He could be working the diamond trade on behalf of Eli. Ferdinand might have been meeting with International Diamonds as Eli’s middleman, rather than to peddle his own stolen gem. It was entirely possible that Ferdinand was helping Eli turn his diamonds into cash and vice versa, rather than pilfering diamonds from the women Eli cared about—Steph and Isla.

Jake’s shoulders sagged. He was right where he started a few minutes ago. Circling suspects. Trying to figure out who had stolen Steph’s diamond, and therefore, who was after the other hundreds of sparkly gems.

“Thanks, man,” he said, and held out a hand to shake.

When Jake left the shop, he took a minute to recalibrate, weighing next steps. He needed more information, so he called Kate and gave her three names.

“I’ll have intel for you in an hour,” she said in her crisp, business tone.

“Excellent,” he said. “Tell Mason I’m bringing him back a new snorkel mask and we’re going to dive for buried treasure off the coast of Key Largo.”

Kate laughed. “He’ll be excited. He misses you,” she said, downshifting to a softer voice now.