Page 31 of A Real Good Bad Thing

“How do you know that?”

“It’s my job to know that. And to know that his house is on the water. He has palm trees, an orchid tree, a rose bush, an infinity pool, and a boat in a private dock. He lives in a two-story stone house with a stucco roof, purchased a year ago in a condo development called Corey’s Landing.”

“I haven’t actually been yet,” she said, chagrined, “but that all tracks with the kind of life Eli likes to lead. You do your homework.”

“Maybe I’m not just muscle. Maybe I have the brains too,” I said, tapping my temple. “So what do you say? Are you in? If we find the diamonds, we return them to their rightful owners, the Eli Fund.”

Then, I zeroed in on her soft spot, which was mine as well—looking out for others. “Look, let’s say he didn’t do it. Let’s pretend someone else did. What if you dig into this and run into that person?” I was convinced Eli was guilty, but I couldn’t rule out him having accomplices. “What if you find someone else is involved? Someone who doesn’t have your best interests at heart. I’ll be your backup.”

“Like a bodyguard?”

“I give good backup, Ruby,” I said, and she managed a small smile. “And good protection.”

“That sounds kind of dirty.”

“I know. But I mean it too. What do you say? You won’t rat me out and I won’t rat you out, and we help each other find where the missing money went.” I picked up the other fork and handed it to her, holding my breath as I waited for her yes. This job would be finished a hell of a lot faster with an inside woman.

Ruby took the fork but didn’t dig in. The fork hovered over the cake. “The diamonds might be in his nightclub,” she said, like she was hot on the trail of them already. “Eli invited me to go tonight. He won’t be there.” She paused meaningfully. “But, then, they might be in a bank. In which case, I doubt your hammer or lock-picking tricks would do much good.”

I smiled since she was spot on with that last assessment. “True. Even I have limits.”

She laughed as she shook her head, bemused. Her eyes roamed over my face, my chest, my arms, but her gaze wasn’t sexual. It was…assessing. She was weighing my offer.

I had to be patient, though I wanted her to accept it. The last time I’d worked with a woman, I’d been burned, nearly lost everything. The difference was, this time, I had no plan to let Ruby into my heart. This was strictly business.

“All right,” she finally said, and bam. There it was. That tone of voice that said she was working with me, not against me. “I admit you have traits that would come in handy.”

“I come in very, very handy,” I said dryly.

She rolled her eyes. “I’m agreeing with you, Captain Adventure. You could wander around town, ask questions here and there, act like a tourist, and no one would think anything of it. That could be helpful to me.”

I leaned forward onto my elbows and took a conspiratorial tone. “Does this mean we’re working together,Ariel?”

She nodded, then lowered her voice to a whispered warning. “We are,” she said, a smile sneaking onto her face.

I wanted to kiss it off. She’d made me work for this one all right, and hell, if that didn’t make her more attractive. But I knew kissing would lead to trouble. I didn’t need any trouble. Seemed she didn’t either, since she said, “But just work. No more late nights on a lounge chair.”

I already missed those late nights we wouldn’t be having. But I agreed. “Business. Only business,” I said.

I didn’t fool myself that it would be easy to ignore the desire I felt for her. Still, for this to work, our affair had to end. I set down my fork and offered a hand for her to shake. “Partners.”

“Platonic partners,” she added.

“Platonic partners,” I repeated as we shook across the cake. I could do this. I could absolutely keep my hands off her—no problem.

But as she licked that cake and ice cream off the fork, I couldn’t help but be jealous of a utensil.

16

THE VIP TREATMENT

Ruby

I’d planned for the nightclub contingency.

While I was no clubber, I’d anticipated that I’d need to visit Sapphire at some point during my trip and packed accordingly. The slinky black dress hugged my hips and boosted my breasts, leaving little to the imagination. Ninety-nine percent of my wardrobe was shorts, bikinis, and tank tops, but even I needed a Little Black Dress. I trusted this one to help me blend in at the glittery, sparkling blue club that pulsed with music, liquor, and dark lights.

The beefy security guard lifted the velvet rope, ushering me inside.

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