Page 65 of A Real Good Bad Thing

He nodded, the gleam in his eyes betraying his excitement. “Yep. Hollow enough to hold a bunch of diamonds.”

We grinned at each other for another few seconds, then put our heads together to figure out how to get into the gallery office to check our theory.

By the time the sun was fully up and shining through the sliding glass door of the balcony, we had a plan.

Jake’s stomach rumbled, and I raised my eyebrows. “I have a crazy idea,” I stage-whispered.

“About how to get into the art gallery and find the diamonds?”

“No.” I patted his flat belly. “About breakfast. Let’s get some room service. This place isn’t fancy, but it has good eggs and toast. And they also have these little jars of honey that are weirdly amazing.”

“Sold,” he said. “Who could resist weirdly amazing honey?”

A half hour later, a cart squeaked outside the door. I heard a knock on another door.

Hmm. I’d better let them know we’d ordered room service.

“I wonder if they got the wrong room,” I said, popping up from the bed. I went to the door and peeked down the hall.

Outside another room stood a waiter with a tray and two plates of eggs and toast, studying a paper docket intensely.

I waved to him. “Good morning. Are those for us?”

“Oops,” he said with an apologetic smile. “I went to the wrong room.”

“No big deal. I’ll happily take those off your hands.”

He walked over to me and brought the food inside, setting it on a table by the door. Stepping into the hall, I signed the check, charging the food to my room, then Jake and I enjoyed a delicious breakfast on the balcony.

He held up a cup of coffee in a toast. “To our island tryst.”

I raised my cup as well. Did I want something more and longer? Yes. But I was happy to enjoy our island affair for the time being.

“To being partners,” I said.

“To trusting your partner,” he said, his gaze fixed on me, telling me I could trust him.

“To three orgasms.”

“Make it four next time.” He downed some of his coffee, then leaned over and kissed me, lingering, his lips exploring mine like it was the first time. A shiver of excitement raced through me. The kiss turned hotter after we finished breakfast, and he pulled me on top of him in the deck chair, and I rode him like that on the balcony to another fantastic climax.

A little while later, he tapped his watch. “I should go. I need to talk to Kylie and help her get some things sorted out tutoring-wise.”

“I’ve got some things on my plate too. I’m doing a stingray tour with Devon for two hours, but I’ll see you at noon.”

After a quick goodbye, I took a long, hot shower, replaying the night and the morning and what might come in the afternoon.

I turned off the water, toweled dry, applied some sunscreen, and slipped into my royal blue bikini. As I was pulling a light-blue sundress over that, some small, almost insignificant detail caught my attention out of the corner of my eye.

The door to the safe didn’t look closed.

I walked over to it, my heart pounding hard enough to leap into my throat. I knew I’d locked the safe after the last time I’d checked on my diamond. I was dead certain. With my pulse spiking in worry, I reached for the small door. I barely touched the handle, and it swung open.

The safe was empty. My diamond was gone.

31

IN FISH I TRUST

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