The Rome Affair

“Join me. Two pairs of eyes are better than one.”

“I’m not spying on Hubert Pryce.”

“Consider it a high-level investigation.”

Kensington knew full well she needed to let this go. She’d lost the bid and no matter how badly that galled her, she did not need to be brought in after the fact on a project that already had serious changes from the original brief—and international criminal implications.

And she especially needed to walk away because Jack’s offer had her more than a little intrigued.

She hadn’t been in the field in quite some time, deferring the majority of their business to her siblings while running things back at home. Over the past few months that lack of activity had begun to chafe.

Her brother Campbell was the hacking wiz, but she had a special skill when it came to digging up information, following threads. Campbell knew how to get into a system, but she knew how to forensically audit that system forward and backward.

Money. Leads. Connections.

Her innate tenacity, stubborn will and a strange tendency toward little sleep had ensured she was more than adept at tugging on threads until she unraveled the right mix of details.

And although she could do plenty of digging from right here, safe and sound at home, she’d begun to fear the lack of action would make her soft. “How do the Italians plan to get around Ambassador Pryce’s own security detail? I’m sure his protection is considerable.”

“The Italians work in tandem with the Tierra Kimber government to ensure the safety of Pryce, his family and the staff he employs. When he’s in Italy, he’s under the protection of the Italian government.”

“And they’re proposing to just sneak you in?”

“Sneak us in, although it’s really not that sneaky. Pryce already knows several people are assigned to his protection and he’s expecting a mix of men and women. Much of his work takes place in more relaxed settings, and it helps to have pairs working together. We’ll mix and mingle as guests at his events, and we’re expected to function as knowledgeable members of his staff.”

“And you don’t think he’ll make both of us.”

“That’s why we’re not sneaking. We both run well-respected security operations that Pryce has likely heard of. He’ll know who we are from the get-go.”

“And you think that’ll be enough?”

“I know so.” That dark gaze evaluated her once more and Kensington couldn’t stop the light line of gooseflesh that tickled her skin.

This man did something to her.

But did she dare spend time in his company? Intimate time that would require them to become allies, working toward a common goal?

Could she really stay away?

* * *

Jack glanced around the inner sanctum that was Kensington Steele’s office. He’d imagined her repeatedly, here in her element, but now that he had a true picture of her work space he could see where his musings fell short.

In his mind’s eye she conducted business behind a small, delicate writing desk. Instead, the large cherrywood monstrosity she currently sat behind looked more as if it belonged in a ship captain’s office than that of a modern-day righter of wrongs.

Although he hadn’t imagined the desk correctly, he had pictured her space as neat, tidy and efficient and she didn’t disappoint.

“What’s that look for?” She glanced up from where she tapped on a few keys at the computer just before the gentle whir of her printer started up.

“I took you for the neat and orderly type.” He pointed toward the desk. “But I didn’t expect you’d sit behind a desk the size of a frigate.”

“How else do you think I can file everything and keep it neat and orderly? If I sat at a small desk, I’d have piles everywhere.”

“Fair point. It doesn’t change the fact that this isn’t quite how I imagined you.”

“You imagined me?” Delicate eyebrows arched over those expressive eyes.

“Several times.”

She opened her mouth, then closed it and shook her head.

“What is it?”

“Nothing.”

“Come on. We’re going to work together. You need to feel you can talk to me.”

“If, Jack. If we work together. I haven’t made a decision on that yet.”

He suspected she’d made up her mind and was simply analyzing how she was going to close the deal. “I thought it was when.”

Those eyebrows rose another fraction of an inch. “That’s exactly my point. I’ve not decided yet and your ridiculous insistence on flirting isn’t helping.”

“And here I thought it was a bit of fun.”

At the word fun the suspicion in her gaze turned decidedly unreceptive. “If you’re after a bit of sport then you’ve got the wrong girl.”

“I’m quite sure I’ve got the right girl.”

Her eyes widened as his words registered and Jack sensed he was in imminent danger of overplaying his hand. “Look. Whatever you need to decide isn’t going to be found in this office. Let’s get out and you can see my style. See how I work. If you’re not convinced we’d make a good team, then you can cut and run.”

“I never cut and run.”

“Prove it.”

Chapter 2

Prove it.

Jack’s words still rumbled around in her mind like the silver ball in a pinball machine, racing to and fro and ringing a hell of a lot of bells.

In for a penny, Steele.

“Why are we going to Midtown?” She snuggled into her coat, the blast of heat inside the car welcome after the frigid wind had chilled her as they hailed a cab at the top of her block.

“Come on. Don’t tell me a well-heeled city gal like yourself has never been to the diamond district?”

“I’ve been there. I remember going with my father years ago when he bought a present for my mother.”

“Then you can show me the ropes.” He shot a meaningful look at their cabbie, and she held any remaining questions. Whatever the man had up his sleeve didn’t lend itself to discussion in front of others.

The trip across town passed quickly and in moments they were back in the cold, moving at a fast clip through the steady throng of people that always filled the heart of the city’s business district.

“What are you hoping to find?” Her breath puffed out in a fluffy white cloud as they began to pass buildings with bright display windows and heavily padded doors.

“I want to ask a few questions.”

“Right. Because we’re just going to walk in and ask some of the savviest dealers in the world if the diamonds they’re selling are being smuggled.”

“That wasn’t quite what I had in mind.”

“So what are we going to do?”

His smile was broad—bordering on conspiratorial—before he gestured to a door up ahead. “I want to see how fast you are on your feet. Consider yourself suddenly affianced.”

“Excuse me?”

The heavy puff of breath that expanded on her words faded from view as Jack pulled her up to a cagelike door and hit the buzzer to be let through. His arm wrapped through hers as he pulled her close.

“Aren’t you excited, darling?”

In for a penny.... That crazy voice admonished her once more before a strange sense of fun and purpose filled her. She linked her arm more tightly with his and dropped her free hand to his chest. “Quivering with anticipation, Pookie.”

She had a moment of brief satisfaction when a sly grin filled his face before the door clicked open. Behind the bars of the door, they were greeted by an older, slender man dressed all in black. Another large man stood behind him at a respectful distance, the approach surprisingly similar to that of the security team she employed at the House of Steele. “May I help you?”

“We’d like to do some diamond shopping.” Jack hesitated a moment before he continued. “Larry Coleman suggested I visit your establishment.”

The mention of the mysterious “Larry Coleman” seemed to do the trick, and after a few basic pleasantries, the proprietor pulled open the metal door and welcomed them in, gesturing for them to remove their coats. The large man never moved from his position behind the proprietor as another assistant stepped forward from a small alcove to take their coats. “We’re glad you’re here, Mr. Andrews. Ms. Steele. What are you looking for today?”

“The perfect engagement ring.” Jack’s proud voice echoed in her ear as he pulled her close once more. A strange little shiver gripped her. It was silly really seeing as they absolutely were not shopping for engagement jewelry—but the moment struck her as momentous all the same.

Shaking off the flutters, she moved farther into the narrow store, following the proprietor’s gesture before he turned to face them both at a long glass counter. “What did you have in mind?”

Jack squeezed her hand. “You’re on, baby.”

His expectant smile had her stumbling for the briefest moment before his words from earlier rang in her ears. I want to see how fast you are on your feet. “I’d love to look at something emerald cut.”

“Excellent choice. Your long, slender fingers will set off an emerald-cut stone to perfection.” The man stepped behind the counter and pulled out a tray of loose stones. She didn’t miss his subtle yet assessing glance at the two of them as he unlocked the jewelry case. “May I ask what number of carats you were considering?”

“Six.” Jack’s voice was deliberate when he spoke, and Kensington fought to keep her jaw firmly hinged.

“Darling. Isn’t that a bit elaborate?”

He pressed a quick kiss to her temple before whispering in her ear. “Not for you, my love.”

An errant shiver ran down her spine and Kensington pushed it away in the face of whatever charade Jack had cooked up for the visit. She knew her life had been one of distinct privilege—she could hardly claim otherwise—but a six-carat diamond was an extravagance she’d never even considered.

Even if it was all made up and only for show.

The proprietor blinked twice, the only sign Jack’s request had him ruffled, before tapping on the counter. “I’ll be right back.”

They stood close, their gazes bent over the counter as they waited for the man to return. She kept her voice low—a skill she’d honed to an art form years before with her siblings whenever they wanted to eavesdrop on their parents from the stairwells—and a smile firmly painted on her face for the security cameras that were no doubt recording them from four different angles. “You couldn’t have started with something a bit more modest?”

“No.”

“Jack. This is too much.”

The sound of the proprietor returning from the back had him leaning in once more, his breath a quick rush in her ear. “I consider it a worthy investment.”

“We have some lovely selections for you to look at.”

Kensington tried to keep her mind on the game and off the lingering shivers coursing up and down her spine at the close contact and the sweet endearments.

It’s all for show. It’s all a game. It’s just a job.

She kept up the internal litany of admonishments, willing the truth of the words to sink in.

But no matter how rational and calm she fought to stay, nothing would change the fact that Jack Andrews stood next to her, their bodies flush, as they looked at engagement rings.

“The stones are loose but I have a few in settings so you can get a feel for some of the designs. We, of course, are happy to put you in touch with designers should you so choose.”

The proprietor separated out a few loose stones on a small velvet square, then added some rings in settings. He selected one and held it out to her. “Please. Try it on. I find brides have a better sense of what they’re looking for once they’ve seen the ring on their hand.”

Bride.

The word stuck in her mind, derailing every other thought with a heavy thud.

“Here, darling. Let me help you.” Jack reached for her hand, giving it a light squeeze before taking the ring from the proprietor.

The ring slid on, the fit perfect, and before she knew it, she had a six-carat diamond engagement ring winking off her left hand. “It’s beautiful.”

“No. You’re beautiful. The ring dims in comparison.”

A tight knot gripped her throat before her gaze slid to Jack’s. That knot only tightened when she saw something haunting and serious in those dark depths. She glanced down at her hand once more before the moment could completely overwhelm her.

And was blindsided by a memory.

Even though it had been more than fifteen years, Kensington could still see her mother’s diamond as it sparkled from her left hand. Although not as large as this one, she and her sister, Rowan, had always been fascinated by the ring and often begged to be allowed to try it on.

“Someday I’ll have a ring like this.” She held her hand up to the light, the heavy diamond sliding toward her pinky because the ring was so loose. “And a big wedding at the Plaza, with Daddy walking me down the aisle.”

Her mother’s smile was soft and gentle. “What about the young man?”

“What young man?”

“The one you’re going to marry.”

“What about him?”

“You seem to have a pretty good idea of what the wedding will be like. What do you think he’ll be like?”

“I don’t know.” Kensington hadn’t been able to hold back a small giggle. “I haven’t gotten that far yet. I always get lost thinking about the wedding.”

“Let me give you a suggestion, then, heart of my heart.” Her mother had reached for her hands and Kensington could feel the slight weight of the ring where it pressed into her the side of her fingers. “Marry for love.”

“But that’s what I’m talking about. Getting married.”

A warm smile had filled her mother’s face and for the briefest moment Kensington held her breath.

Like her mother was going to share something important.

“The wedding is a wonderful beginning, but that’s all it is. A beginning. The marriage will be yours for life. It will be what you make of it.”

“I certainly hope it’s not full of smelly boys like Liam and Campbell.”

Her mother had laughed at that before pulling her close in a tight hug. “I promise you. When the children are your boys, you’ll feel entirely differently.”

Her mother then pressed a kiss to her head and Kensington had reveled in the quiet moment, just the two of them. She loved her family—even the smelly boys despite her protests—but with three other siblings it was rare to get one-on-one time with either of her parents.

She’d pulled back with a start. “How will I know I’m in love?”

“That’s the great mystery that no one can explain until it happens.”

“What mystery?”

“That even if it seems impossible to imagine, one day you’ll meet the right person and you’ll just know.”

Kensington pulled herself from the memory—one she’d not had in years—as Jack smiled down at her. “What do you think?”

“It’s too much.”

And she knew her words were about far more than the ring.

* * *

Jack squeezed Kensington’s hand once more and hoped the gentle reassurance would ensure she stayed with him and in character. They had to see this through and the only way to do that was to keep up appearances. “It’s not too much.”

He turned toward the shop owner, pleased to see the calculation behind the man’s calm gaze. The guy knew a buyer when he saw one.

After a small cough the proprietor gestured to the velvet square on the table. “Perhaps we can look at some of the diamonds, and then we can return to the question of which setting is ideal.”

Kensington slipped the ring off and laid it on the velvet square. “By all means.”

The owner busied himself with the loose diamonds he’d laid out earlier, displaying them in a single row on the black velvet. Jack marveled how something so small could command such a premium. Even at six carats, the relative size of each diamond was tiny.

Yet despite their size, wars were fought over them and funded by them. Rulers had gone to battle to possess them. Thieves made their lives—or lost them—stealing them.

Gemstones were man’s folly. Beautiful baubles that often owned the possessor’s soul far more than the possessor owned them.

It made Kensington’s reaction to the ring that much more interesting. She appreciated the ring; that was evident. But where most women would be preening under the charade, he sensed a distinct discomfort at the extravagance of the piece.

The jeweler extended a loupe and Jack leaned forward to inspect one of the loose stones. He listened intently as the jeweler described various properties before handing the loupe to Kensington. Their fingers brushed, and Jack held his hand against hers a moment longer than necessary.

The woman was intoxicating.

He’d heard of her, of course. Although the House of Steele hadn’t been in business all that long, the Steele siblings had created quite a name for themselves and their family enterprise. Add on that the family name was well-known to begin with and it had been easy to find out more about the delectable Kensington Steele after their first encounter about a year ago.

She was cool, yet he wouldn’t go so far as to say icy. Rather, she had a calm, stoic demeanor that didn’t ruffle easily. That she’d shown even the slightest stammer over the ring was out of character.

And it gave him a tiny bit of hope things truly weren’t one-sided between them.

Which, Jack had to admit, was a rather large change. He’d spent the first thirty-five years of his life diligently avoiding romantic entanglements, so the fact that he was even toying with this strange attraction to the woman was more than a bit unsettling.

“What do you think, Mr. Andrews?”

Jack pulled his errant thoughts off of the soft sweep of hair that fell over Kensington’s shoulder and the graceful arch of her neck and turned to face the jeweler once more. “I think it’s time for Ms. Steele to decide.”

Her head snapped up from where she viewed one of the diamonds. “Jack. Are you sure? We just started this process.”

“When you know, you know.”

“But—”

He smiled and tapped on the counter. “Please, darling. You’ve already made me the happiest man on earth. Now select something that makes you happy.”

He didn’t miss the ever-so-slight raise of her eyebrow, or the hard glint in her crystal-blue gaze, but to her credit, she gave nothing else away.

“I like this one.” She pointed to a stone on the edge of the velvet. “It’s magnificent.”

“As are you.”

Without waiting for any further encouragement, he leaned in and captured her mouth for a kiss. The slight “oof” of surprise was the only clue that his actions caught her off guard, and he used that small moment of shock to press his advantage.

The hard wall of the glass counter pressed into his hip and Jack turned them both so they were flush against each other. His hands drifted to her waist and he pulled her flat against him, satisfied when her arms lifted to wrap around his neck.

The tilt of her head and the soft acquiescence of her lips opening under his gave him the second opportunity to press his advantage. His tongue met hers and a wave of heat and need crashed through his system so hard he had to wonder how he was still standing upright.

He might not have expected her oversize ship captain’s desk. And he might not have figured the roses would set her teeth on edge.

But he had imagined the power of her kiss.

Rich. Lush. Enticing.

Reality was so much better.

A light cough pulled them both from the moment and he lifted his head and smiled at her before shooting a broad wink to the jeweler. “I’m sure we’re not the first ones to do that, are we?”

“Not in the least, sir.”

The proprietor’s ready sense of humor went a long way toward diffusing the raw need that had gripped him with iron talons. “So what’s next?”

“It’s time to select a setting.”

“Darling.” Kensington’s voice was a low purr. “Perhaps we can set an appointment and do that tomorrow. This has been the highlight of my day, but this trip was an unexpected surprise. You need to get back to work.”

He made a show of checking his watch before nodding. “You’re right, as always.”

“I’ll just wait over there while you finish up.”

Her tone was low and quiet, but he took great delight at the small quaver that tinged the edges.

* * *

“Slam dunk.”

The cold wind wrapped around them once more as she and Jack fought the Midtown rush of humanity. She could practically feel the excitement vibrating off of him. “What could possibly make you think it was a smart idea to spend so much money?”

He shrugged, the casual move at odds with the gravity of what he’d just done. “I can always resell it.”

“That diamond was crazy expensive.”

“So?” A genuinely puzzled expression filled his features. “It’s certainly not going to lose its value.”

“Yes, but—” She broke off, well aware she was veering dangerously close to harpy territory. What did she care how he spent his money? And he had a fair point—the diamond could always be resold, so his overall risk was minimal.

A small kernel of disappointment unfurled in her stomach like the first shoots of spring, and she resolutely tamped it down. Today was a charade, nothing more.

Reading anything more into it wasn’t only stupid, but it also was a recipe for professional disaster.

Whatever Jack Andrews wanted from her, these strange sparks of emotion that kept swamping her certainly weren’t it.

“I just want to know why you ended the fun so soon.” He wrapped his arm around her once more as they got to a corner crosswalk.

Shaking him off would be petty, she reasoned, so she stayed put as they waited for the light to turn. “By leaving, now you have a chance to go back. We certainly couldn’t ask him his opinion about diamond smuggling on our first visit.”

Admiration filled his face in the subtle crease of his smile. “Excellent point.”

“Bet you didn’t think I had it in me.”

“Oh, I had no doubt about that part. I just wanted to see the amazing and awesome Kensington Steele in action.”

The light changed and the people around them began to move, but Kensington planted her feet against the onslaught. “Are you teasing me?”

“Hardly.”

“Then what did you really think about our visit to the diamond district?”

“I think that you really are amazing and awesome.”

“Would you be serious?”

“I am serious, but—” He reached for her hand and pulled her along through the crosswalk. “I think we also learned several very valuable things this morning.”

“Such as?”

He dug a folded-up piece of paper from his pocket. “Take a look at the provenance on this diamond.”

The thin sheet flapped in the breeze as Kensington took off her glove before reaching for the paper. She scanned the contents quickly, not sure of what had him so pleased. “It’s got all the basic details of the diamond. The four Cs, its ownership.”

He leaned in and pointed toward a small detail at the bottom of the page. Her eyes widened as she finally realized what he was getting at. “It was mined in Tierra Kimber.”

“Exactly. That’s what we use when we go back. You, my socially conscious fiancée, are going to suddenly get some remorse about that diamond I just purchased.”

“And when I show my concern that these diamonds might be a front for war and bloodshed?”

“It will be up to our smart and savvy jeweler to quickly assure you why you’ve no need to worry your pretty little head about it so he can keep his sale.”

“Do you think he knows anything about our problem?”

“Not really. He’s a jeweler, not a high-level operative. And although I rarely put anything past anyone, the man’s been in a family business his entire life. He’s a cog in the wheel, nothing more.” He pointed toward a deli a few storefronts ahead of them. “Let’s go eat.”

“I need to get back.”

“It’s nearly one o’clock. You need to eat.”

The hand that rested low on her back steered her toward the front door of the deli. “You’re pushy.”