Page 38 of The Spy Who Ghosted Me

Taking advantage of the situation, I brushed her silky hair back, letting my fingers get lost in her luxurious strands. Gripping the back of her head, I gently commanded it, giving my lips ample freedom to kiss their way across her creamy cheek to her ear, where I could respond quietly.

The way she gasped and tightened her hold on my neck told me she wasn’t immune to my touch.

Pleased with her response, I whispered, “Possibly. He would have to find a lapidarist. India, China, New York, or Amsterdam would be the most likely places to find one. But reputable lapidarists are cautious. They don’t want to be associated with conflict diamonds. Granted, anyone he’s dealing with probably isn’t an upstanding citizen of any nation. This could give us a good lead to go on. I’ll have my people look into it.”

“What kind of people is that?”

“People like me—shadows and ghosts.”

She leaned away and peered into my eyes. “Are you trying to make me believe in ghosts?”

“No. Just me.”

Sabrina

IT SCARED ME HOW EASY it was to pretend Cash and I were a couple. Or how good it felt to hold on to him as we rode my favorite horse, Daisy, on the trail above the resort as dusk was setting in. The sky was a palette of deep blues and oranges, with wispy pink clouds that looked like cotton candy. The fall leaves danced in the light breeze, and the smell of cedarwood chips in smokers filled the air. Horseshoes clopped against the rocky path as if in rhythm with the surrounding landscape. If it were all real, it would be perfect.

I’d figured I’d be riding a horse solo, but Lexi was sneaky and only booked two horses, saying it would be more romantic for each couple to share a horse, as it was such a quick ride. She wasn’t wrong, but the last thing I needed was to feel any more romantic around Cash. It was bad enough when, earlier today, I’d watched him take a cooking lesson from Genevieve in the kitchen while Mia and I finished making the layers for the cake. Not only was it sweet, but it turned sexy when he’d spoon-fed me some of the beef stew in red wine sauce he and Genevieve had made. It got even sexier when he kissed me after and declared it tasted even better on my lips. To say it had gotten hot in the kitchen was an understatement.

Everyone was buying our lie.

As I rested my head against his strong back and felt each breath as his chest expanded and contracted, part of me wanted to buy into it. But we had a mission to accomplish. That’s all this was—a mission. Soon Cash would ride off into the sunset and become someone else so he could save the day, or maybe even the world. It had to be a lonely existence. I had so many questions for him—questions that would have to wait until we were alone.

Cash and I had devised a plan, hoping to get Soren, a.k.a. Izan, talking. I had to remind myself to always make sure to use his fake name.

So far, Lexi had dominated the conversation, regaling us with her plans for her new house and the honeymoon they were taking in Bali.

“I wanted to go to Italy, but Soren said all the harvest festivals would make it too crowded this time of year,” Lexi half complained before kissing Soren’s cheek.

I watched the entire scene as their horse led the way, praying there would never be a honeymoon.

“Mi amor, someday I’ll take you there,” Soren promised.

I squeezed Cash tightly, wondering if Soren wanted to avoid Europe because he feared someone might recognize him. I needed the comfort Cash offered as I constantly reminded myself I was in the company of a murderer—worse, a murderer my sister clung to and loved. Soren was lying about the crowds in Italy this time of year. It was typically less crowded and a great time to visit. Perhaps this would help us eliminate Amsterdam as a possibility for where he’d had Lexi’s diamond cut and polished. The diamond was stunning, by the way. If the sun hit that baby, it could blind you. Honestly, it surprised me Lexi could hold her finger up, given its enormous size.

“You definitely have to go to Europe one day. I loved my time there, especially with this guy.” I squeezed Cash, wishing I was lying, but it was true. Cash had made my time in Europe magical. “Remember the train ride we took to Amsterdam so we could do a bike tour of the city and take a canal ride?”

“Of course,” Cash lied. We’d never been to Amsterdam together. “You insisted we rent a ‘grandmother’ bike with a big basket.”

I laughed as if it were all real.

“That sounds romantic,” Lexi sighed above the sound of the horses’ hooves. “You love to travel, baby. Have you been to Amsterdam?”

“It’s been years, but yes,” Soren said without hesitation, lending proof that he was telling the truth.

“Speaking of romantic trips, I was hoping to steal Sabrina away to New York. There’s nothing like New York in the fall. You must spend a lot of time there as a hedge fund manager,” Cash said smoothly. “What would you recommend we do in the city? Even though I’m based there, I hardly feel like I’ve scratched the surface, as I spend most of my time working outside of the country.”

“Soren goes there all the time,” Lexi responded, not giving Soren a chance to answer. “But he never takes me, even though I would love to go.”

“It’s such a dirty city with some of the vilest people I’ve ever met,” Soren spat. “I do not recommend it. You would do well to move away from there. Take Sabrina to Maine or Vermont. Those are much better choices.”

I found Soren’s reaction to New York and some of its residents very interesting. It was rich for him to call anyone vile, considering what he’d done. But it seemed to be the clue we’d been looking for. My guess was he’d had that diamond cut in New York.

“Maine or Vermont sound lovely,” I said, hoping it sounded natural.

“I’ll make it happen, then,” Cash said convincingly enough that my heart skipped a beat.

My heart needed to get the memo that this was all pretend.

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