Forbidden

Paige smiled as she attached price tags to the lingerie. “But you’re going to look absolutely fabulous.” And at m excellent price, too, since Paige had offered Liz the employee thirty-percent discount as compensation for actually working at the boutique while she was on assignment. Paige wanted to do something for the other woman, who’d proved her worth as an employee, as well as a guardian, and the savings seemed to thrill Liz.

“Oh, and I just have to have one of these,” she said, putting aside a teddy designed in cream satin and french lace. Her blue eyes twinkled merrily. “There’s nothing that feels sexier than silk and lace against your skin or beneath your clothes. And my boyfriend enjoys the surprise, too,” she added with a wink.

“Looks like he’s got quite a few surprises coming, Paige teased.

Liz laughed and agreed. Picking up a gown Paig had tagged, she slipped it onto a matching satin hange and adjusted the thin straps. “Considering you get first pick at everything, I’ll just bet you have a ton of this stuff at home, don’t you?”

“Some,” she admitted, though she’d never receive the dual enjoyment Liz boasted.

“Well, with your auburn hair and great figure, this one would look fantastic on you.”

Paige eyed the calf-length nightgown Liz had retrieved from another shipment of lingerie. Emerald satin made up the skirt, but the bodice was sheer black lace, which matched the trim edging the thigh-high slip. “Uh, that one is a little risque for me.”

Liz rolled her eyes. “That’s complete nonsense. I wearing this makes you feel good, then there’s nothing indecent about it.”

Paige noticed that Liz deliberately hung the gown on an empty rack next to the mirror, away from the other priced merchandise ready to be displayed in the boutique. Not wanting to make a fuss or elaborate on the issue, she made no comment. Later, she’d slip the gown back with the others.

They worked companionably for the next hour tagging the stock while Pam handled the front end of the store and the steady stream of Friday-afternoon customers. Paige instructed Liz where she wanted the merchandise, and the other woman scooped up an armful of clothes and headed out of the storeroom to hang the garments. While she was gone, Paige picked up the sexy, shimmery gown Liz had put aside, intending to put it back into the inventory.

Despite her remark about this piece of lingerie being too risque for her, she gave in to temptation and lifted the vibrant gown to her figure, holding it snugly against her body with an arm across her waist. She imagined the rich, cool texture of the material sliding across her bare skin, the sensual rasp of black lace across her nipples… imagined feeling sexy, desirable, excited.

She drew a deep, shuddering breath. Lord knew she’d tried enticing Anthony with provocative lingerie, but he’d been so distracted and distant after their first year of marriage that all her attempts at seduction had failed to stir his interest. Those nights ended with her in bed alone, hurt and angry, while Anthony roamed restlessly through the house. When he had made love to her, it had been quick and emotionless, and she’d accommodated him out of duty, since Anthony gave little time and effort to her pleasure. And then he’d stopped touching her altogether. Tantalizing nightgowns were even less effective when divorce loomed on the horizon.

Her eyes fluttered closed, and she automatically thought about Josh, the way his hands caressed her body so lovingly, making her feel worshiped and incredibly voluptuous. The way his mouth, the stroke of his tongue, could ignite flash fires of need within her until it was all she could do not to go up in flames.

She’d never burned like that for Anthony, had never begged him to touch her, kiss her the way she’d shamelessly begged Josh. Just remembering how effortlessly she’d come undone for him made a delicious heat pool in her belly and brought a tingling flush to her skin.

“Very nice,” a rich male voice murmured from behind her.

Startled out of her private thoughts, Paige’s eyes flew open and she yanked the gown from her body. Turning around, she found Josh lounging casually in the doorway, male appreciation glimmering in his dark eyes. He looked entirely too sexy in khaki pants, a collared shirt, and a light sports jacket. And that beguiling grin tipping the corner of his mouth sent her pulse into a tailspin.

He pushed off the door frame and entered the room. “If you’d like to model it, I’d be a captive audience.”

She’d just bet he would! “I don’t think so,” she said, hooking the gown back onto the rack.

He shrugged those broad shoulders of his, looking adorably mischievous. “Can’t blame a guy for asking.” His smile faded, dispelling the intimate moment. “So, how was your day?”

“Same as every other day this week.” Her tone was sarcastic, but she couldn’t hold back her resentment. “Long. Restrictive. No privacy.”

“It can’t be helped,” he said sympathetically.

“No, I don’t suppose it can be.” Irritated for a number of reasons, she gathered the packing slips from that morning’s shipment of clothes and put them in a neat pile on the counter.

“I’ve got something to show you,” Josh said, smoothing over the awkward moment.

She fumbled with a paper clip, something to keep her hands busy. “Oh?”

“I put it in your office.” He nodded his head in that direction. “C’mon and I’ll show it to you.”

Curious, she followed him out of the storeroom, her gaze automatically scanning the boutique for business. Liz was busy rearranging the lingerie section and doing a good job of it, and Pam was helping a customer at the register. Satisfied that all was well, she stepped into her office behind Josh.

He waved a hand at the portrait displayed on the wall where a watercolor painting had been. “So, what do you think?”

Heart hammering in her chest, Paige took a step closer to the painting of her wrapped in white fur, her neck now draped with that extravagant emerald-and-diamond necklace Anthony had stolen.

“I’m well, uh… Wow,” was all she could manage to describe her astonishment. The likeness was striking, uncanny, entrancing…and certainly pretentious of her to hang in her office! But that was exactly what Carranza expected, Josh had told her.

Butterflies swarmed in her stomach, and she tore her gaze from that incredibly sensual picture to look at Josh. “So, now what do we do?”

Josh’s smile was grim, foretelling the future. “We filter in the information about the portrait and the Ivanov necklace through our undercover officers working on the case, then we wait for Carranza to make his move.”

6

THEY DIDN’T HAVE to wait long.

By Thursday of the following week Paige received a call from the broker she’d listed the boutique with. Matt Smythe informed her that a Victor Carranza was interested in purchasing the Wild Rose for his fiancee and wanted to meet with her personally. She knew it was all a ruse, a way for Carranza to get close to her and assess the situation. As Josh had instructed, she bought herself another twenty-four hours and set up an appointment to meet with Carranza Friday afternoon.

She thought she was ready for this moment. Josh had spent the weekend briefing her on various scenarios, and how to handle the carefully phrased questions that would no doubt arise in Carranza’s quest for the necklace. She even had the security of a small, single-shot derringer Josh had borrowed from Liz for her to use in case of an extreme emergency. The weapon was tucked in the top drawer of her desk, and though a practice session last night at a shooting range had bolstered her confidence in wielding the derringer, the idea of having to resort to that kind of violence revolted her. Josh didn’t think Carranza posed any danger to her at this point in the game, but they weren’t taking any chances with her safety.

Everyone was in place for this afternoon’s meeting. A bug had been placed in Paige’s office so Josh and another detective could listen to their conversation from the surveillance van parked a few blocks away. Liz was armed beneath her fashionable crepe pantsuit and, as yet another precaution, a few undercover officers had been posted at the coffeehouse next to the Wild Rose.

“Your two o’clock appointment is here, Paige,” Liz announced cheerfully as she entered the boutique’s office, leading the way for the man following her. Liz’s mouth held an amicable smile, but her eyes offered the reassurance and support Paige so desperately needed to get through this ordeal.