“Pleased to be of service. So tell me, Lindy. What are you going to do with that device now you’ve got it?”
Good question. Unfortunately, she didn’t have a good answer—yet. So she leaned close to stay out of camera range and forced him back another step before turning to meet his gaze.
A very approving gaze.
An interested gaze.
A gaze that made her rethink her point of entry.
This man was Henri Renouf’s fixer, a man who used his talents to manipulate situations to the bad guys’ advantage. They had too much chemistry to ignore, chemistry she might use to gain his cooperation.
“I’ve got a plan.” A bold plan. One that involved smoothing her way to his cooperation with seduction.
“Do you, Lindy?”
“Always.” Dropping the device into her evening bag, Lindy peeled off the glove and returned it. “Thanks.”
He hid the gloves away in a jacket pocket. Then he extended his hand. “The gallery. Shall we?”
Securing her evening bag on her shoulder, she let him lead her down the hall. She had some quick decisions to make. First she must decide how best to dispose of her new electronic acquisition. She couldn’t be certain what Joshua had been up to and didn’t want to be caught with the goods.
She knew there would be nothing to incriminate him on the small device. He was far too skilled to be careless—far too cool when he had to be burning up with questions about who she was and why she was covering him.
Then she had to decide how to play this man. Physical awareness had changed things between them, given her a new weapon in her arsenal, and she had to decide whether or not to use it.
The man lived up to his profile as a charming host. They’d barely set foot inside the gallery before he plied her with champagne and grilled her about what exhibits she’d like to see. He was oh-so-cool, and she was determined to be as impressive.
She motioned across the gallery. “I overheard that woman wearing the ostrich feathers mention a vase with depictions of Eros and Gaea.”
“You mentioned Eros earlier. Are you interested in early mythology?”
“No. Just Eros.” She gazed up at him from under her lashes, a flirtatious glance she hoped would pique his curiosity and get them to the end of the buffet table.
Her gracious host led her toward the display asking, “What specifically about Eros interests you?”
“Lust and passion, of course. What do you think of them, Joshua?”
“I’m interested in attraction, too. It can happen when and where you least expect it.” He reached out and dragged his thumb along her cheek, a bold touch that she felt straight to her toes. “Did you know in early mythology, Eros was about the force attracting two people to each other? It wasn’t until later myths that he was Aphrodite’s son and represented lust and passion.”
“Did you research for tonight’s event or is Greek mythology a hobby of yours?”
“Let’s say I take a great deal of pleasure in learning and use every opportunity to do so.”
No doubt research was an important part of his work. “Very diplomatic.”
He raised his champagne flute in salute then brought the glass to his lips. Their gazes locked over the rim, and Lindy raked hers from the top of his expensive haircut over the terrain of his handsome face.
But she didn’t stop there. Oh, no. When she considered how he’d finagled an invitation to tonight’s gala from one of the Ladies Who Lunch—a woman well known for her philanthropy—Lindy decided subtle wasn’t in this man’s vocabulary.
So she perused the tailored collar of his Egyptian cotton shirt then the sleek lines of his tux. The jacket draped those broad shoulders to perfection before descending to the trim V of his waist. She’d felt all those hard muscles up close, so the fact he was yummy shouldn’t keep surprising her.
Somehow it did. Or maybe that was the strength of her attraction to him.
“Tell me, Lindy, whose guest are you tonight? I don’t recall seeing you with any of our hosts and you haven’t said.”
“No, I haven’t said.”
“Top-secret information?”
“Not really.”
“Would you like me to guess?” he asked.
“Are you fishing?”
“I like to fish. That’s no mystery.”
“No, it isn’t.”
He appeared to consider that. “I’m also not very patient.”
“Is that a warning?”
His dark gaze twinkled, but Lindy didn’t answer when the opportunity she’d been looking for appeared. She needed to seize chance before it got away.
Setting her flute on the buffet table, she helped herself to several wedges of foie gras. Bypassing the plates, she grabbed napkins and popped the wedges into her mouth whole.
Joshua watched her curiously. “Hungry?”
Since her mouth bulged with a delicacy she truly despised, she couldn’t do more than shake her head and try not to dwell on the creamy, meaty texture coating her teeth and tongue.
Joshua waited as if sensing something was coming then glanced absently at the server serendipitously making his way from behind the buffet table with a full trash bag.
Lindy made a gagging sound, loud enough to draw the server’s attention. Dragging the napkin over her mouth, she spat out her nasty mouthful.
“Foie gras. Looked like some sort of hummus.” She pulled a face then pointed to the trash bag. “May I, please?”
“Vegan, don’t you know?” Joshua added, and she could see he fought back a smile.
The server eyed them grimly and held out the bag. Stuffing the napkins deep in the debris, she hoped the regurgitated goose liver would deter anyone from inspecting the mess.
“Thanks ever so much.”
The server took off, and once he was out of earshot, Joshua laughed, a deep lustrous sound that sent prickles through her.
“I assume that device you took from the hall just made an exit.”
She only smiled, which he clearly took to mean yes.
“Nicely done, Lindy. Inventive, clever and clean. I believe the owner of that device is in your debt.”
“I certainly hope so.”
“Do you?”
She retrieved her flute and fought the urge to gargle away the nasty taste. “I do.”
“Why?”
Lindy considered her answer while considering the man. Cool, yet curious. Displaying the exact right mix of persistent and pushy. She appreciated how fine a line that was.
“I want something from you.”
“What?”
Deciding that nothing short of a toothbrush would clean away the aftertaste, Lindy relinquished her champagne flute. “Let’s find some place private.”
He didn’t hesitate but led her away from the buffet. They made their way through the crowds, forced to stop several times as he greeted acquaintances. He was as charming as his profile suggested, and as he introduced her to people he’d obviously socialized with before, she observed how this man had become so successful at running his game.
He