Unauthorized Affair (Unauthorized #1)(19)
Jen looked at Ivy, hoping for a sign that Ivy had been as freaked out by the encounter as she had. Ivy’s eyes were wide and she was staring after Ryker with a look of disbelief on her face. Ryker came back in the door, looked at Ivy, and said, “He’s a good customer, huh? I’m a little scared to see our bad customers.” Ivy’s eyebrows drew down in confusion, and then she realized what she had told the tweaker and laughed. “Well, maybe I meant only customer.” They all laughed at that and Jen felt some of the tension blow out of the moment. But they hadn’t gotten the jewelry. Damn. Jen wondered if a phone call would come soon chastising them for that.
As if she had summoned the call with her mind, the bat phone rang. She ran to it quickly, thinking the negative anticipation would be worse than the actual chewing out. “Hello?”
It was Sgt. Foley again. Jen was glad. She knew a chewing out by him wouldn’t be as bad as one by Sadler. “You did a great job, Jen. Tell Ryker to throw the guy out quicker next time. We pay top dollar but we don’t put up with any bullshit.” Jen looked over her shoulder at Ryker and Ivy’s anxious faces. She gave them a thumbs up and said, “OK, got it.”
Great job? She did a great job? Was he lying? Or just a sweetheart?
Chapter 10
Jen watched the clock hands click closer and closer to 5. Quitting time. They’d had a few more customers since Mr. Tweaker, and no more excitement, but she was still ready for this day to be over. She wanted to regroup and think deeply about her first encounter with the criminal element. And you didn’t even have to arrest him or fight with him. You sure you’re ready for this? she thought, still upset at herself for recoiling.
The bell over the door chimed and she looked up. She felt her breath suck into her throat as the most gorgeous man she had ever seen walked through the door. He was tall, 6 foot 1 inch, the height indicator tape by the door indicated, with impeccably tousled brown hair, and flashing, dark eyes. He locked eyes with Jen and smiled, and his smile elevated his good looks to mere perfection. Jen felt her heartbeat speed up and heat pool in her belly. God, he’s handsome, was all she could think, over and over again.
He sauntered up to the counter and stood exactly where Mr. Tweaker had stood, but the difference between this man and Mr. Tweaker was like a show dog compared to an abandoned mongrel. Jen leaned in, instead of pulling away, and tried not to appear too eager. “Can I help you?”
“Yes,” he replied, and smiled that amazing smile again. Jen blinked, resisting all her urges. She wanted to giggle. She wanted to ask him for his phone number. She wanted to bite his lower lip. Hold it together, girl. You’ve seen handsome men before, she cautioned herself, feeling a bit like a hormone-ridden teenager and not understanding why. What she really wanted right now was an off-button on her body and her urges so she could just forget about men for a while. A sweet but bitter desire to just be Jen for a while, with no boyfriends, no outside influences, surfaced in her mind.
The man looked at the items in the glass cabinet between them that functioned as a counter. His eyes slid over them quickly, and then he looked back at Jen. “You’re new?”
“Uh, yeah.”
The man nodded absently and looked around the store, his eyes lingering on Ivy and then Ryker. “What happened to Dave and Simmonds?”
“Sorry, I’m not sure who they are.”
“They used to work here. Simmonds was the manager.”
“Oh, I don’t know. Today’s my first day.”
The man looked at her appraisingly. Jen felt like his eyes were burning holes in her, but she didn’t want to look away. The intimate moment stretched and wobbled. He held out his hand to her. “I’m Coleton. It’s nice to meet you.”
Jen stretched her fingers out, her eyes glued to his. His touch was warm, solid. “I’m Jen,” she said, and was glad to hear her voice come out sounding mostly normal.
“Jen.” He said her name, as if testing it, tasting it. He nodded slightly and gave her a secret smile. A smile that seemed to say so much more than their few words. In it she saw bedrooms, backrooms, clothes flying, limbs entwining. She bit the inside of her lip, hard, and the images flew apart.
“I notice you don’t have any new Breguet or Omega,” he said, his finger tapping on the counter. “Any chance you’ve got something in the back that hasn’t been put out yet? I’m a collector.”
Jen looked down to see what he was tapping over. Watches. Expensive looking watches. “Uh no, there’s no watches in the back. Everything we have is right here.”
“That’s too bad. I usually find all my best stuff in this establishment. Simmonds knew my tastes. And he always bought for me, even if the seller wanted too much money. Because I’m willing to pay.” He smiled at Jen again and she felt helpless not to smile back. Full lips, white, straight teeth, masculine chin with a hint of a cleft.
“Oh.” The monosyllabic word felt like the stupidest thing she could say, but it was better than saying nothing. She didn’t know how to handle this guy. Did he want her to buy watches for him, even if the seller wanted too much money?
Coleton pulled a leather wallet out of his pocket and fished in it for a business card. He picked up a pen off the counter and wrote a number on it. He handed it to Jen. “Will you call me if any Breguet or Omega come in?”