Piper snorted. “Of course, like the creepy archivist at themuseum—”
“No. I meanyes, but I mean that other men like you too. Ask me how I know that.” Jodie climbed off the bed and approached one of her gownboxes.
“Okay. I’ll bite. How do youknow?”
“Because.” Her friend paused as she lifted the lid of her box and stroked the silk of her new black dress. “I bumped into Mikhail when he came into the exhibit. On purpose. He barely glanced at me. I gave up and circled around to the back of the exhibit, and that’s when I saw him talking toyou.”
Piper waved a hand. “He was only talking to me because I talked to him about thejewels.”
Jodie removed her dress from the box and whirled it around so the skirt swayed. “Then you didn’t see the way he was looking at you. There was just as much interest in you as those pearls. Trust me on this. If there’s one thing I understand, it’smen.”
Jodie was right about that. She understood men, and they flocked to her like birds to a cartoon princess. If she hadn’t been so nice when they met two years ago, Piper would not have wanted to get to know Jodie. Jealousy would have gotten in the way. Luckily, work had pushed them together, and they’d become fastfriends.
Piper still couldn’t quite believe it. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d really liked a guy and misread the situation. “So if he’s interested inme…”
“Then talk to him.Flirt. Do something that will encourage him.” Jodie set her dress on the bed and started stripping out of her clothes. Piper fetched her own dress box and set it on the bed before undressing as well. Jodie had talked her into a dress she never would’ve picked normally, but since the company was paying her expenses, well, whynot?
She was down to her black bra and panties by the time Jodie was dressed andready.
“Hurry up.” Jodie slipped on her black stilettos and checked the time on her slender wristwatch. “We’ve got half an hour before people start arriving, and I wanted to have a drink with Mr. Thorne. He’s such adear.”
“I still need to put on some makeup. I’ll meet you downstairs,” Piperreplied.
“Okay.” Jodie smiled at her, then paused by the door. “He’s going to come tonight, and you’re going to look amazing. Trust me, Piper. I have a good feeling aboutthis.”
“I hope you’reright.”
Piper carefully removed her dress from the box. It was made of dark reddish-purple silk, the color of burgundy in firelight. The skirt was full from the waist down, and the hem was trimmed with black lace. It was nothing like what she’d normally wear to a party. A simple black cocktail dress usually worked, but she had taken one look at this in the store window at Harrods and swooned. It was sexy but not slinky, more like something Grace Kelly would have worn than AudreyHepburn.
Piper stepped into the gown and shimmied it up her hips. Then she slipped her arms into the short sleeves and zipped it up to her lower back. Normally she felt awkward in fancy clothes, but tonight felt different. The dress was perfectly tailored, and she couldn’t resist peeping at her reflection in the mirror. The dark cherrywood-framed mirror in the corner of the room reflected a cool, brown-haired seductress. She bit her lip and smiled before putting on her makeup. It felt so different from the way she usually looked. Her dress was alluring, miles away from a boring black businesssuit.
Maybe tonight would be special after all. Piper fetched her black pumps and leaned against the bed to put them on. Her stomach gave another nervous flip as she exited the room and headed toward the staircase. She paused at the top when she realized guests had started to arriveearly.
The reception hall was filled with at least a dozen people in suits and cocktail dresses. Jodie was already engaged with some of the guests; she was a complete natural in social situations. Footmen bearing trays of champagne floated among the crowd. The glow of the chandeliers illuminated the bubbling gold liquid in theglasses.
Piper soaked up the moment. She’d come a long way since she’d been a kid in Boston, studying hard instead of going out. Nights like tonight had seemed impossible. Something to daydream about, not experience. She’d come from a middle-class home and had to scrimp and save to get to college. Now it felt like her entire life had led to this moment. She rarely stopped to pat herself on the back, but tonight was a good night to take pride in herachievements.
I earned this. With a smile, she took a step down the stairs, then froze. Two men had just come in the front door. Jodie gave a squeal of delight and approached one of the men, who immediately tucked her arm in his, and they walked deeper into the house, leaving the other man alone. He lifted his gaze as though Piper had called hisname.
MikhailBarinov.
Those green eyes of his almost glowed as he stared at her. For a second Piper panicked. Should she smile? Wave? What was the sexy, casual thing for a woman to do in this situation? God, she wished she were naturally flirty like Jodie. But no, she was awkward andnervous.
When neither of them moved for several long seconds, Piper tried to remember how to breathe. Everything around her seemed to blur at the edges, as though she were trapped in a dream. The sharp light from the chandeliers softened to a golden haze. Her blood pounded in herears.
Mikhail had the raw, unadulterated look of a man who was picturing a woman without her clothes on. There was the barest hint of darkness there, too, which reminded her again of a predator and that she was his prey. Rather than be upset, Piper’s skin burned at the thought of Mikhail looking her over and liking what he saw. The slow curve of his lips sent her heartskittering.
And then he broke the spell that had kept her rooted to the floor by turning away. Before she knew it, he had slipped into the crowd and vanished.Again. The man had a knack fordisappearing.
“Ms. Linwood,” Mr. Thorne called out to her from the bottom of the stairs. She recovered herself and rushed down to joinhim.
“Smashing. You look smashing, my dear. I’m glad your friend insisted on taking you shopping.” The old Englishman chuckled and offered her an arm to escorther.
A blush heated her skin, but she was pleased to hear the compliment. “Thank you, Mr.Thorne.”
“This way,” he said as they cut through the throngs of people gathering in the largeroom.
The jewels that had been set up that afternoon at the museum were now on display in the main small ballroom on various daises beneath protective glass. Piper searched for Mikhail and saw him fixed on a display of ruby bracelets. The red and gold of the jewelry gleamed against the black cloth on which they lay. Once again there was a glint of recognition in Mikhail’s eyes that didn’t make sense as he stared at thejewels.
