Unauthorized Affair (Unauthorized #1)(22)

She thought of Sara suddenly, who was still in the state’s capitol working on something for the president. Sara had done something like this. Sara had done way more than kiss men for her cause.


Jen felt the water start to get cold and realized she’d been standing under the spray not washing anything. Just thinking. Well at least she felt a little more awake. She jumped into action, trying to finish her routine before the water became ice cold.





***



Jen pushed into the pawn shop, knowing she was a few minutes late. Ivy and Ryker were already there. Ryker looked the same as always with his standard cowboy hat, jeans and a t-shirt, but Ivy looked way different than the day before. Today she had styled her long Mohawk back in some sort of sweeping style that pulled back from her face elegantly. Her clothes were black, multi-zippered and buckled jeans and a black tank top, with dog tags swinging from her neck. Jen admired her outfit and the way it clashed with her hair, even as her mind still swam from her inner debate.

“You made it,” Ivy said, pushing past her and flipping the sign on, then coming back to her. “You OK?”

“Yeah. Have you guys heard from our bosses?”

Ivy shook her head no and flicked her eyes to the cameras on the ceiling. Jen eyed them too as she walked behind the counter, hoping today was slow like yesterday, and praying that Savoy didn’t show up. She thought she was safe there. He’d just been in yesterday. No need to come back in the very next day.

The day wasn’t slow though. As if the first day had been some sort of a weird test, and they had passed with flying colors, the door never stopped swinging on their second day in business. They bought 3.4 pounds of jewelry, 2 watches, 14 knifes, 4 handguns, 1 shotgun, and a whole mess of household tools. Jen barely had time for lunch, and she certainly didn’t have time to think about her predicament anymore, so when the door swung open at 4:30 and Coleton Savoy walked in, she felt her brain go numb. She already had a customer, but Coleton stood directly behind her customer, a small, patient, irritatingly-handsome smile on his face.

Ivy came over and asked if she could help him. Out of the corner of her eye, Jen saw him shake Ivy’s hand and talk to her for a moment, and then he motioned to Jen and stood behind her customer again. Ivy caught her eye and shrugged. I tried, the shrug said.

Jen’s mind didn’t want to concentrate on the woman she was trying to help. Something about a camera she had pawned 6 months ago and wanted to get back. Jen tried to explain to her that the camera was gone. It had been sold. She had missed her window to get the camera back and it had been sold like she had agreed. But her words kept getting tangled. When the woman started yelling, Jen looked at Ivy for help. Ivy and Ryker both came, and just like that, Jen was free, and Coleton was standing in front of her. He of the perfect smile and smooth good looks. And criminal father, don’t forget that. Jen’s hands shook slightly and she shoved them under the counter.

“Hi,” he said, looking at her like they were meeting in the park or at a party, not in a pawn shop. His eyes burned into her and a small smile played on his lips. Was it an arrogant smile? Or was she reading thing into the situation that weren't there? Arrogant, she decided. And just-like-that she relaxed. If he was arrogant, that would make this a bit easier.

“Hi.”

“Did you happen to get in any Omega or Breguet?” he asked lightly.

She shook her head. In fact she didn’t know what the watches they’d bought were, but she didn’t care either. She knew he wasn’t looking for watches today. She just wanted him to get it over with, so she could hear what she was going to say to him.

He nodded then his smile pinched a little, like a little boy about to confess to something. “I actually didn’t come back to check on the watches.”

Jen raised her eyebrows slightly, but didn’t say anything.

“Would you like to get a cup of coffee with me sometime?” Coleton asked, his voice smooth as silk. His smile saying he knew she would.

Jen opened her mouth, no thank you sitting on her tongue, and yes please crouching behind it. But what she actually said surprised even her. “Maybe. Why don’t you come back tomorrow and ask me again?” She heard the slight teasing in her voice and wondered where it had come from. She looked down and saw her hands relaxed on the counter and her right hip cocked forward, like she was in charge here.

Jen saw Ivy and Ryker watching them from Ryker’s spot in the middle of the shop. She tipped them a wink and almost laughed at Ivy’s wide-eyed response. A realization came over her. She was enjoying this. Her heartbeat was slow and steady and her brain seemed to be working just fine again.

Coleton Savoy’s smile widened. His eyes accepted her challenge. He opened his mouth to speak, seemed to reconsider, and then spoke anyway. “Where the lips are silent the heart has a thousand tongues.”


Jen played what he had said over in her mind. She wasn’t sure what it was or why he had said it. She was sure it was beautiful though. She could think of no response that did it justice. So she stayed silent.

He pushed back from the counter, turned slowly away, and walked out the door without a glance back.

Ivy ran over. “What was that?”

“I don’t know,” Jen said, and put a hand to her temple.

Ivy ran to the computer and opened an internet browser. “What exactly did he say again?”