Page 62 of The Chase
My cheeks burned again.
“Your impressive ancestry was noted in the file Adley gave us.”
As if any of that mattered now.
He ran his fingers through his perfect hair. “You were an erotic delight to the senses. Impossible to forget.” His gaze locked on mine. “Zara, I—”
I scoffed. “I’d not be surprised if you had royal blood too.”
“Why do you say that?”
“You looked quite at home at Blandford Palace.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “More interesting still, so did you, Zara Elizabeth.”
It was too late to hide he’d gotten to me.
My full name had probably been noted in the report Adley had given him during our meeting.
“Forgive me,” he said.
“What for this time?”
“I lied about what was in that note that came with the bonsai.”
“Oh.” I fisted my hands and rested them on my hips and they slid off my parka.
“It actually states in kanji you’d make an incredible geisha.”
I sucked in my breath at his cheek.
“Now you need to read up on Japanese culture if you think that’s an insult.” He narrowed his gaze. “Oh dear, did I just upset your Jane Austen sensibilities?”
I plopped down next to him and leaned into his ear. “It’s a good thing you and I are saying goodbye.”
He looked taken aback. “Why is that?”
I lowered my voice to a whisper. “Because, Tobias, you’d never withstand the hard fuckingI’ddeliver.” I gave a look of defiance.
High five, chardonnay, my loyal wing-wine.
I pushed myself to my feet and walked away. A few tables down I realized—
And stopped in my tracks as my eyelids squeezed shut with the ridiculousness of having to go back.
Rallying my resolve I returned to our table. “I’m meant to pay.”
He gave a wry smile. “I’ve got this one, Leighton.”
11
It was strange to miss a man I hardly knew, I thought, wrapping my hands around my coffee mug as I tried later that day to stay warm in the overly chilled conference room.
I refocused on Danny Kenner, a relatively new hire to the firm like me but with a background in security.
“There are cameras in the Jaegers’ Holland Park home,” he said. “But each one was disabled prior to the theft of the Edvard Munch.” Danny’s eyes scanned over each of us.
Elena had given me the scoop on everyone here before I headed on in. I was grateful to be included so soon on such a high-profile case, especially as it had been Adley who’d invited me.
