The Cinderella Mission (Family Secrets #1)(29)
Author: Catherine Mann

Kelly twirled the stick to her keypad between her fingers. “You really used to date her?”

“Who?”

“Samantha Barnes.”

So she’d picked up that slip back in their conversation in the greenhouse after all. He’d wondered why she hadn’t commented on it during the discussion of Celia. “If two dinners count as dating, then yeah. Matt introduced us years ago, back in our twenties. Nothing serious. Nothing for you to be concerned about.”

“Who said I was concerned?”

“Concerned about our cover.”

She clicked on her Palm Pilot. “I trust you to do your job.”

Not that he deserved her trust elsewhere. His relationship track record sucked. He never cheated, but he didn’t stick around long, as Kelly should well know since he’d spilled all about his latest breakup more than once during their lunches. Before he’d known about her feelings for him. Before he’d seen her stand up on a chair and blaze with magnificent fire as she talked about what an ass he’d been.

Before he’d seen her in a sports bra and leggings.

Down, boy.

Eyes on the sky and mind on the mission. He’d invert the plane if he let his mind wander that Lycra-clad path. “Someone’s targeting these jewels at this occasion for a reason. They want something in particular.”

“I’m surprised they don’t have Tara’s engagement ring on display.”

Discussion of engagement rings sent a prickling down his spine like St. Elmo’s Fire crackling through the airplane. Not particularly lethal in and of itself, but potentially deadly in its ability to distract. “That rock of hers might blind people during the laser show.”

Kelly’s laugh swirled through the cabin.

He wanted to open a window. “Read over the inventory list again.”

She keyed the tiny pointer along her PDA. “The ambassador of Gastonia has donated the world’s largest sapphire for viewing.” She tapped her lips with the pointer. “Hmm. Sapphires. Funny, but mystics hold that sapphires banish fraud.”

“No kidding.” Good. Talk that had nothing to do with engagement rings.

Celia’s engagement solitaire had been buried with her.

“Sapphires are supposed to alleviate depression by lightening tension. Historically, they were even used as an energy source for curing boils.”

“And you learned this where, Nebraska farm girl?”

“From my gym teacher, of course.”

Damn. Vectoring too close to those meditation thoughts again. “Any more mystic lowdown on the other jewels on display? What about emeralds?”

Kelly played with the zipper tab on her parka. “Emeralds are said to increase inspiration and patience. Rubies, on the other hand, deal in more volatile emotions and can bring out anger. Centuries ago in Burma, soldiers embedded rubies under their skin to make them invincible.”

“And to think Carla Juarez and the folks over in ops support have been spending millions developing embedded tracking devices to keep us safe,” Ethan joked, cutting his eyes toward Kelly.

A smile dimpled her cheeks. “Maybe we should tell Carla so she can include them in her next study.”

Ethan tore his eyes away from the temptation of Kelly and back to the sky. Silence echoed between them, broken only by the low drone of the engines, the tap of the stylus against her PDA.

Eventually, Ethan’s gaze gravitated right back to the woman beside him, her brow furrowed, every line of her body taut with tension as she focused on the work in front of her. She looked as if she could use one of her meditation power naps right about now.

Ethan kept his mind damned well off what she would be wearing and reminded himself today’s mission had a dual purpose. More than tracking leads in the European jewel market, he planned to work in some fun for Kelly into the mix. A rundown, gemstone mining park in North Carolina wasn’t Rio, but he intended to make the day memorable for her.

Starting now. “Wanna have a go?”

“At what?”

He nodded to the controls.

Her eyes widened, sparked, then glowed with definite interest. “Me? I don’t know anything about flying.”

“Taking off and landing’s the tough part. This is easy. Just like a car, keep the direction and speed steady. Feel the adjustments in the yoke like you do with a steering wheel. I’ll even put the autopilot on altitude hold for you. Take the throttle if you need to adjust airspeed. Throttle up is faster. Throttle back for slower. Otherwise, hands on the yoke, point her straight and level. If you have the least doubt, watch the artificial horizon on the instrument panel.”

“Or you could take over.”

“Not a chance. You’re on your own.” He raised his hands.

“Ethan!” She grasped the yoke. A slight yaw, bump, jolt and she leveled the wings again as they plowed past the clouds. “Ohmigosh.” Her breath huffed in faster gasps as she flew. “This is incredible. Why would you ever want to land?”

“Gotta refuel eventually.”

Her hands loosened around the yoke, her shoulders dropping into a more relaxed angle. “Have you ever thought about doing this professionally? The CIA has pilots on their operative roster.”

“Nah. For those folks and active-duty service people, it’s more of a calling-to-the-skies. For me, it’s just a cool way to get from point A to point B, like the Jag.”

“Really cool way.”

Her adventurous spirit matched to his own with a power he couldn’t miss.

Couldn’t resist. “Yeah. Next time I’ll take you flying over the ocean. With the Gulf Stream IV, we can make London in less than seven hours. Maybe even wrangle an invitation to look at Lord Stanfield’s jewel collection while we’re there.”

What the hell had he just said, committing them to time together after the case? Still, the idea took shape in his head with appealing clarity. Too easily, he could envision touring Europe with Kelly—climbing around Stonehenge, making out at the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Making love on a private beach in Monaco.

Hell, he was thinking like some damned kid. Someone closer to her age. She should enjoy those kinds of courting rituals from someone still young enough to possess a few illusions.

For as long as he could remember, he hadn’t wanted anything except the thrill of the next case. No matter how much slime he sent away, it was never enough to satisfy the hunger inside him. He always wanted more.

Except now. He only wanted one thing.