Page 97 of The Scarab's Game
Emmett shook his head, a subtle frown expressing his skepticism.
“Will you be returning to the gallery to finish work on the copy?” Dante asked. “We were all fooled, but you still did excellent work and deserve to be paid.”
“Oh, well, anyone can put it into the frame now,” I said. “Once the varnish is no longer tacky, it should be fine. Since it’s not actually a Constable, you don’t need me.”
Dante paused before he spoke again. “I was hoping to speak with you, Jenn.”
My stomach twisted almost as much as I’d claimed it had yesterday. “I’m sorry. I’m quite busy at the moment.”
“Of course,” Dante said, his tone shifting slightly. Suspicious? “How did everything go with Emmett?”
‘He’s in love with you,’Dante had said.
That wasnotwhat was going on with Emmett. Was it?
“Everything went well,” I said carefully, not wanting to give him an opportunity to probe deeper. I wasn’t prepared for Emmett to hear Dante’s theory. “But I need to go.”
“Of course. And thank you for your discretion about the painting.”
After we hung up, Emmett frowned. “Discretion? That’s likely the real reason he called. He wants to ensure you don’t tell anyone they hired you to clean a fake.”
“I don’t know.” It didn’t make sense. Dante had been so nice to me. He’d been so encouraging. How could he be caught up with kidnappers?
“You believed in him, and it’s hard to shake that.” Emmett’s hand dropped to my lap, and he stroked my thigh. “You’re holding up so well despite everything that’s happened.”
I pushed my sunglasses into my hair. “Your whole team’s gone?”
His gaze flicked past me, scanning where they’d vanished. “They are.”
“So what now?”
“Is there any lingerie in those bags?”
“I might have had Chloé toss in…” I bit my lip, trying to invoke the woman I’d been last night. “Something special for you.”
“For me?”
“For tonight.” I rummaged in the accessories bag and pulled out a small black box. “I know it seems silly to buy you something with your own money, but?—”
“No, it’s thoughtful.” He pulled the lid off, revealing a gold silk pocket square. “For tonight?”
“Yeah.” I pulled out the V-neck of my shirt and tucked the square into my bra. “I’ll hold onto it until we’re almost ready to go.”
“It’ll smell like you.” He took hold of my scarf and pulled me close, his lips grazing mine. “I love it already.”
I draped my arms over his shoulders. “There’s more in the bag for after the auction.”
He gave me a quick peck on the lips, let go of my scarf, and sat back. His eyes crinkled as I sat back. “I got you something, too.”
He pulled a white bracelet box from his jacket pocket. He handed it to me with a look that was hard to decipher—something between excitement and hesitation.
When had he bought this?
I opened the box, and my breath caught. A thin gold bracelet nestled inside the box beside a small gold screwdriver. It wasn’t just any bracelet. It was a Love bracelet. Iconic, ridiculously expensive, and meaningful. My mind raced. Was our relationship advancing this quickly? “Emmett, this is… I don’t know what to say.”
“You need to dress the part for tonight. I hope it matches the rest of the jewelry you bought.” He rubbed the back of his neck, looking almost shy.
Dress the part. Right. This was how undercover worked, and I was reading too much into it. It was another business expense.