The Rome Affair Read online

  “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 tap
ped 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.”

  “I’m not pushy in the least. I maneuver people. There’s a difference.” He opened the door for her, and Kensington couldn’t argue with the warmth that reached out and beckoned them in. “Besides, I’m hungry.”

  “I’m not easily maneuvered, Jack.”

  “No. You like to do the maneuvering. It’s a trait I can not only relate to, but also admire.”

  “I do no such thing.” The words that left her lips branded her as a liar, but she couldn’t hold them back. Maneuver sounded so manipulative. And cold.

  And she was neither.

  She just knew how she wanted things done. How to handle a situation to minimize risk and get the best possible outcome.

  “Sure you do. It’s one of the reasons we’re going to have so much fun in Italy.”

  “I haven’t said yes.”

  “But you will.”

  She stopped inside the door, and the urgent need to make her point ensured her feet stayed firmly planted. “This isn’t a joke and I’m really not sure I’m going to do this deal with you. We’re opponents.”

  He pressed closer to her as a group of suits bustled past them and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Then let the games begin.”

  Chapter 3

  Kensington speared a forkful of salad and surreptitiously watched Jack across the table. She was still wondering how her morning had turned into a field trip and a meal, all with a man who got her dander up and her antennae quivering on high alert.

  The man was a force of nature—that’s all there was to it.

>   She watched as he polished off a corned beef sandwich with a side of chips and marveled that the broad physique under his suit jacket could be sustained with such hearty lunch choices.

  “You haven’t said much.” His gaze danced over her face as he took a sip of his soda.

  “Just processing the morning.” A funny thought popped into her head and she set down her fork. “Who is Larry Coleman, anyway?”

  “An old friend from college. He’s on wife number three and he’s used that jeweler for years. Makes a special trip from Chicago to New York and everything. Based on his repeat visits, I figured I’d get the attention of the jeweler pretty quick.”

  “You can’t be old enough to have friends on their third spouse.” The words were out and bouncing between them like an errant ping-pong ball no one could catch.

  “When you’ve got a large bank account and a roving eye like Larry does, thirty-five is plenty old to be on number three.”

  “Are you on any number?”

  Smooth, Steele. Why not just ask him if there was any reason to be feeling guilty for the sexual buzz that’s still humming in your veins at that kiss.

  “Nope. You?”

  “No.”

  “Ever get close?”

  The words were casual—too casual—and she fought to pull her hormones out of the equation for a moment and focus on him. “If skirting the edges of relationships that usually fail between dates five and seven is getting close, then yes. However, I think a more accurate answer is no way.”

  “Shame.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “It’s a shame the five-through-seven guys can’t see what I see.”

  “What’s that?”

  “A vibrant woman with a lot to offer.”

  She sat back and tossed her napkin on the counter. “I wasn’t fishing for a compliment.”