I’ve lied.He’d omitted plenty of truths from her, led her to believe he was someone he wasn’t, so why the hell would he hold a lie against Jacqueline? And why the hell did he feel so freaking jealous when he thought of the bastard who’d—
Put bruises on her.
The jealousy stopped. Twisted. Transformed into hard rage. “He’s the one who hurt you. The bastard you were going to marry.”
“I wasnevergoing to marry him! I told you that already!” She blew out a hard breath. “He tricked me, all right? He came to my shop, said he knew about my grandfather, that he’d heard there was no safe that Fabian Fletcher couldn’t open.”
From the tales Remy had picked up over the years, that was probably a true statement. Word on the street was that no one had ever been able to match Fabian’s skills.
“Preston’s father had passed away. There was a safe that he desperately needed to open…”
Oh, fuck, Remy got where this story was going. He also got that he hated this Preston prick.
“Preston asked if my grandfather had ever taught me anything about his craft.” A roll of one delicate shoulder from Jacqueline. “I told Preston that I knew a little. I’m certainly not on my grandfather’s level. Preston said he just wanted to see if I could open it. That the only things inside were of sentimental value to him.”
“Bullshit.” A snarl.
Her eyelids flickered. “Well, yes, but I didn’t realize it at the time. I believed Preston was a nice guy. He came in wearing anexpensive suit. He was well-known in the area. A philanthropist who volunteered his time and money—”
“Stop singing the jackass’s praises. He wanted you to break into a safe so he could steal the contents. You were too trusting, and you let the bastard use you.” Each word was bitten off.
“No.” A hard snap. And just like that, Jacqueline surged toward him. “I was not there to steal anything! It washissafe. His father left it to him. Preston said he wanted me to open it.”
Too trusting. Too naive.Dammit, she reminded him of his kid sister. Back in the day, Iris had been just like her. “Right, because if the safebelongedto him, then he needed to go straight to the granddaughter of a master safecracker instead of, I don’t know, just using a freaking blow torch or something to get inside himself.”
Her lips tightened.
“He didn’t need you.”He used you, sweetness. But don’t worry. I’ll make him pay for that.
“I got that, later. At the time, it was…” A long exhale. “He took me out to dinner. Seemed interested in me. I refused to take the job at first, but he kept coming around.”
His hands fell to his side. “The bastard seduced you.” The jealousy was back. Jealousy and rage and what in the hell was happening to him? He didn’t get jealous. Didn’t get furious over the idea of some slimy SOB taking advantage of a stranger—
She’s not a stranger. She’s my muse.
“He didn’t seduce me, Remy. Despite the fact that I just kissed you as if my life depended on it, I don’t normally fall into bed at the first sign of interest from a man.” Ice dripped from her words. “I didnotsleep with Preston.”
The universe shifted and centered directly on her. “I like the way you kissed me.” He’d like for her to do it again. Now.I justkissed you as if my life depended on it.He didn’t think anyone had ever kissed him that way.
He realized that he’d kissed her as if…as if…I’d been starving for her.
“I’ve…ah, I don’t usually kiss men I’ve known for less than forty-eight hours.” Quiet, not as icy. Pink fluttered over her cheeks.
He grinned at her. “You can make an exception for me. I can be the exception to all your rules.”
“Because you’re a good guy.” A nod from her. “You’re an FBI agent.”
Ah, yes, about that… “I don’t really work with the Feds any longer.” Not since he’d told them all to go fuck themselves, and he’d technically never been an agent, more freelance, working on some task forces so…
“Oh, you’re retired?” Her eyes lit with understanding. “That’s why you’re not arresting me!”
She was way too eager to be arrested. He should probably tell her that the first rule of criminal behavior was to try andnotget yourself locked away. He opened his mouth to do just that and then remembered another important point. “You haven’t told mewhyyou should be arrested yet.”
“I opened the safe for him.” A rather miserable confession. “Preston just kept saying he wanted the items inside so badly, that they meant so much because they were all he had left of his father.”
Yes, mental note. Jacqueline was entirely tookindand sympathetic to others. Bad people would use those traits against her.
Bad people like me?