“Supper smells great,” Ethan said with false politeness. “The bed’s all turned back. I’d say you’ve got everything ready.”
Val’s skin crawled. Dear God, Meg was right! Stern planned to seduce her. She clamped down on the urge to run out of the room. A glance at Ethan, standing rock solid next to the door, steadied her.
“You’ve checked things out,” Stern said. “You know there’s no one in here. You can go now.”
Ethan ignored him, just stood beside the front door, long legs splayed, in full bodyguard mode.
Val hid a smile. “Ethan’s a professional,” she said to Stern. “You won’t even know he’s here.”
Jason’s face went red. He looked like his head was about to explode. From the corner of her eye, she caught a hint of amusement in Ethan’s handsome face.
Fighting a grin, Val crossed the living room into the dining area. The polished mahogany table was large enough to seat eight. Through the windows, the glittering lights of Atlanta stretched for miles in the distance.
Stern moved behind her and pulled out her chair, waited for her to be seated, then pulled out a chair at the end of the table, seating himself beside instead of across from her.
An hour into the meal, Ethan’s amusement had faded, replaced by a dark look that turned into a scowl when Stern reached over and took hold of her hand. By then, Jason had emptied a bottle of Dom Perignon and served her the dinner waiting beneath the silver domes.
A kale salad with roasted hazelnuts, followed by fresh Atlantic halibut and baby peas, each course paired with a glass of vintage French wine, which Jason deliberately over-poured.
Though Val was determined not to let him get her drunk, she felt a little tipsy.
Perhaps that was the reason she started asking questions she probably shouldn’t. But she had been trying to think of a way to help Ethan with his murder investigation, and after what Meg had told her about Stern and Delilah, tonight presented the perfect opportunity.
Pretending to be drunker than she actually was, she leaned toward him across the table. “I want you to know how much I appreciate your giving me Delilah’s job, Jason. It’s a privilege to work with such a well-respected businessman.”
A smile drifted over his face. “Thank you, Valentine.”
She took a small sip of wine. “All the girls talk about you, you know. How handsome you are, how charming.” She softened her voice. “One of the girls told me you were seeing Delilah. I guess a lot of the models knew you were having an affair.”
A muscle tightened in his cheek. “Is that so?”
She ran her finger around the rim of her wineglass and looked up at him from beneath her lashes. “Apparently, Delilah raved about your prowess in bed. She said you were a fantastic lover.”
Jason relaxed at that, almost preened. “All right, yes. Dee and I had an arrangement. It was pleasurable for both of us.”
“She said you gave her a fabulous diamond necklace. I never saw it, but I heard it was beautiful. Was that the one that was stolen?”
He shrugged. “It must have been. The police said it was missing from her safe.”
Val picked up her wineglass and took another sip. “I wonder . . . How do you suppose the thief knew where to find the necklace? I mean, how did he know about the safe? How did he know what was in it?”
Jason lifted his glass. “How would I know?”
“You must have thought about it, a brilliant man like you.” She smiled, pandering to his ego, hoping he would tell her something useful. “Dee was in love with you, you know. At least that’s what the girls all think. You’re smart and sexy, and incredibly handsome. You knew her better than almost anyone. What do you think really happened that night?”
His gaze drifted down the front of her dress, where only a glimpse of cleavage showed above the simple scooped neckline.
He looked at her across the table. “I think whoever killed her knew her, knew about the diamonds and where she kept them. I think she made him or someone else very angry.” His lips edged into the faintest of smiles. “She wasn’t sweet like you, Valentine. Dee was very self-centered. At times she could be quite unpleasant. Perhaps someone paid her back for something she did.”
Her pulse took a leap. She managed to frown. “I thought it was the man who wrote those terrible notes, but maybe . . . I don’t know . . . maybe she knew the man who sent them. Maybe he wasn’t a stranger after all.”
He sipped his wine. “Maybe not. Of course whatever happened, no one deserves to be murdered.”
“No, of course not.”
Still holding her hand, Jason turned it over, brought her fingers to his lips and kissed her palm. “Then again, if she were still alive, I wouldn’t have had the pleasure of meeting you.”
His eyes remained on her face, his intention clear. His bed hadn’t been turned down for nothing. Val swallowed. She’d gone too far. She glanced at Ethan. He couldn’t hear the conversation, but even from a distance, she could read the cold fury on his face.
