“Damn sure,” Linc said.
Taggart rose from the sofa. “You’re making a mistake. Surely you can see that. Let me know when you come to your senses. I just hope it happens before someone else gets killed.”
Linc rose and so did Carly. They walked the agent back to the elevator, waited till he stepped inside and the doors closed, blocking him from view.
“Looks like our strategy might actually have worked,” Carly said, clearly relieved.
“We just bought some time. We’ll bring the feds back in as soon as we’ve got what we need.” Or at least that was the plan. But plans had to stay fluid. He had learned that a long time ago.
Most important was keeping Carly safe. That had been his priority from the start and it hadn’t changed.
But he was no longer doing it for Joe.
Linc was doing it for himself.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The morning slid past. They ate on the terrace, enjoying the meal and the sunshine as they looked out over the city. It felt wonderful to have nothing to do but relax and enjoy each other.
As the time for the ball grew closer, Linc surprised her with a team of beauticians from a nearby salon. A woman named Heidi gave her an exquisite massage, a gray-haired lady named Betty did her nails and gave her a pedi.
Twenty minutes later, a makeup artist named Jonathan arrived to apply her makeup, followed by a petite hairstylist named Mandy who shampooed and arranged her hair, curling, then sweeping her blond locks up on one side.
Carly hadn’t felt so totally feminine since the days of her monthly spa appointments in San Francisco, which seemed to be a completely different lifetime.
Mandy helped her into her gown, a rich dark blue chiffon floor-length Oscar de la Renta with indigo beading on the narrow straps and across the bodice. The dress hugged her curves before falling to the floor in a simple but elegant line.
She would cut out her tongue before she’d admit she had bought the dress at a discreet little pre-owned clothing shop off the RueSaint-Honoré in Paris. The dress, which originally cost six thousand dollars, had sold in the shop for three hundred Euro.
“Now the finishing touch.” Mandy presented her with a selection of perfumes in lovely crystal bottles, each of which had to cost a small fortune.
Carly dabbed on a Chanel fragrance called Misia that hinted at violets, then handed the bottle back to Mandy.
The woman just smiled and shook her head. “It’s a gift from Mr. Cain.”
Carly’s eyes burned. She clutched the expensive crystal bottle against her heart. It was a wonderful gift, one that would remind her of Linc and their elegant evening, and she would always treasure it.
Mandy took the rest of the bottles and quietly left the condo. Carly was slipping her feet into a pair of strappy dark blue satin heels when she heard a light knock and Linc walked in.
He looked gorgeous in black Armani, a white shirt with tiny tucks down the front. Just looking at him turned her on as she admired the way his towering height and perfect vee-shaped body showed the tuxedo off to best advantage.
“My God, you’re beautiful.” He began striding toward her as if he had just awoken from a trance. When he reached her, he lifted her hand to his lips. “Thank you for agreeing to come with me this evening. I couldn’t be more proud to have you by my side.”
Her heart was beating too fast. She tried to tell herself it was just a date, that he was her lover didn’t change things.
“Thank you for the perfume.”
Linc leaned over and inhaled the fragrance next to her ear. “I’m the one who gets to enjoy it. You smell as delicious as you look.”
Her face warmed into a blush, though she wasn’t a blushing sort of woman.
“I have something else for you.” He held a square blue velvet box up in front of her and opened the lid. A glittering marquis-cut diamond that had to be at least four carats hung from a thin white-gold chain. A pair of earrings, each a strand of smaller matching diamonds, sat next to it.
He took the necklace and walked behind her, draped the chain around her neck, and fastened the clasp. “I took a look at your dress so I knew these would work. I hope you like them.”
She touched the diamond pendant nestled in the hollow of her throat. “They’re gorgeous.”
“I knew what I wanted,” Linc said as she put on the earrings. “I phoned Cartier and had them sent over.”
