Summer Heat

Was her mouth watering?

Now it was her turn to clear her throat. “I…I don’t know, really. And to tell the truth I was too excited to ask. It was the day we flew back from Maryland. He called before I left the airport. I booked another flight out the next evening and met with him on a Wednesday morning.”

“He picked you up at the airport?”

He was staring at her intently, as though he could see into her mind and therefore really didn’t need to ask her questions. Her pulse quickened and she flattened her palms on the table.

“No. I took a cab to the address he’d given me.”

“To his house?”

“Yes.” She blinked then attempted to focus more on her trip to Brazil than on the man sitting—now that she thought about it—too damned close to her. “No. Well, I guess it was his house. I didn’t really ask.”

“Did you stay with him? In this house, I mean. Did you stay there during your trip?”

Karena was sure these questions had something to do with the stolen pictures, but her mind kept wrapping around the slight edge in his voice, the intensity of his gaze as he waited for her answers.

“I stayed, yes. There was a cottage on the property and he said I could stay there.”

Sam sat back in the chair, his tall, built form moving so that it swiveled to the side. Her view of him increased, as now she could see muscled thighs even through the loose-fitting pants he wore. He rested his elbows on the arms of the chair, then lifted one hand to rub his fingers along his chin. Except for a thin mustache his face was clean-shaven, giving him a neat, quiet allure.

“The house was big. Did it look like he had money or did he truly give the impression of a starving artist?”

What she saw looked too good. Sam was too attractive. Had he looked like this when she’d met him in Maryland? Or had the weeks since she’d seen him simply added to the days of her self-imposed celibacy, coloring her present perception of him?

“It was like a mansion or something. There was a lot of property.”

“And just the one cottage where you stayed?”

“No, there were several cottages.” Then shaking her head, she held up a hand and said, “Wait a minute. You’re asking me about where I slept and how I got to his house. But none of this has anything to do with the fact that the appraiser’s report says the painting was stolen. My question is how does an artist steal his own painting?”

He wanted to know where she’d slept. Had she been in this artist’s—this man’s—house, in a bedroom next to his or, heaven forbid, in his bed. It was insane, Sam knew without having to mentally kick himself with the thought. Karena wasn’t his, and thinking of her with another man should not have his fists itching to punch someone. Looking at her should not be tugging on something primal, hungry, inside of him.

And yet…

“I’m trying to paint my own picture of sorts,” he said, giving her the best part of a smile he had to force. “This is a recluse, an up-until-now private person, who calls you out of the blue. He wants to what, sell you a portrait? Or does he want to meet you personally? Were you targeted for some reason?”

She was shaking her head, the diamond-stud earrings sparkling in her ears. Her short, sophisticated hairdo was neat and precise and sexy as hell. Sam usually enjoyed women with hair that he could run his fingers through, but on her that look would be too much, overwhelming the delicate beauty of her small facial features.

“This isn’t about me. It’s about the fact that I purchased a portrait that was obviously stolen.”

“Nothing is obvious, Karena,” he said honestly.

“So what are you saying?”

“I’m saying that you have a history of this guy. He doesn’t talk to anyone, doesn’t do showings, doesn’t seem to want anyone to know who he is or where he is. His work is good and is in high demand. So why all the secrecy? Then he calls you. Of all the art galleries in all the world he picks you and the Lakefield Galleries. Why?”

“Because we’re good,” she said, apparently ruffled by his words.

He nodded. “I’m not disputing that fact. I’m just pointing out a few things. How did he know you’d come if he called? Had you been trying to find him?”

“No. Actually, I hadn’t. I knew his history. Once, earlier last year I contacted his agent about a showing, but I assured her that he wasn’t required to show up.”

“Didn’t his phone call strike you as weird?”

“Yes.” Now that she thought about it, it had.

“He called your cell phone. How many people have that number? Do you have a separate cell phone for business and personal use?”

“No. I have one phone, but I have two numbers. Kind of

like an extension within the phone.”

“So he called which extension? Business or personal?” She thought for a minute, remembered the distinctive ringtones she’d programmed to tell her which type of call was incoming. And she sighed. “He called the personal number.”

“You think this man targeted my company for some reason?” Paul Lakefield asked Sam fifteen minutes later when he and Monica Lakefield had joined him and Karena in the conference room.

Paul Lakefield was tall, brooding and stern, all characteristics Sam could respect. He was also judgmental. The tone of his voice, the way in which he’d looked at Sam the moment he’d entered the conference room, said he was neither impressed nor thrilled that Sam was here. Even when Karena had introduced him as being a business partner of Trent Donovan’s, one of the Donovans renowned for their own success in business as well as their philanthropy.

Not that Sam cared. His business was steadily building its own credibility and reputation, and he didn’t need Paul Lakefield’s approval. He was here only because Karena had called him.

“I’m saying that I don’t believe it was coincidence that he called Karena offering not only to sell her a painting but to also meet her in person.”

“Maybe he’s making a move on behalf of his career. Coming out of hiding to further build on his name,” Karena said, hope tinting her voice.

“Or maybe it was a setup all along.”

This was from Monica, Karena’s sister. Her older sister, he surmised from the impatient look she gave Karena.

Monica was the polar opposite of Karena in the looks department. She was taller for one, probably around five feet eight or nine inches, her frame svelte and sophisticated. Her clothes matched her personality, designer business suit with starched white blouse and heels that put her directly at eye level with him. She was cool, professional and determined to prove she was as good as any man. Sam had seen her type before.

She was a beautiful woman, there was no doubt about that. Her complexion was a few shades lighter than Karena’s, her features stronger, more defined. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun that probably only added to her uptight attitude. All in all, if Sam had his choice of whom he’d like to be trapped on a deserted island with, Karena won, hands down.

Sam was a detail man. He paid attention to everything around him, even the things that people themselves didn’t realize they were doing.

Karena was sitting in the exact spot she’d been in before her father and sister arrived, only now she wasn’t as talkative or as assertive in her position. Monica had taken a seat beside her, but it was clear she was on her father’s side. Or was she playing the mediator between Karena and Paul?

“This should never have happened. You should have checked things out before going down there.”

“Checked things out how, Daddy? Should I have had the number he called from traced? Asked him to send me his photo identification and Social Security card?” She sighed heavily and began gathering the papers from the table. “I’ve hired Sam to look into this. Until then, the picture stays in our warehouse. I mean, Jacques hasn’t even produced a name of the alleged true owners of the portrait. And I haven’t seen an insurance claim for the stolen property.”

Standing, she lifted the folder in her hands, took a deep breath and looked at her father once more. “I got us into this and I’ll make sure we get out of it. Just like I told you earlier this morning.”

In that moment Sam saw her strength, her dedication not only to her job but to her family. And when her father hadn’t responded but only looked at her solemnly, Sam saw something else. Hurt.

“This is my company, Karena. I’m just trying to make sure we all keep our dealings aboveboard,” Paul offered as if he’d seen that flash of pain in his daughter’s eyes, as well.

“With all due respect, Daddy, the gallery is my domain,” Monica offered. “I’m the manager and Jacques reports directly to me. So I’ll keep a close eye on this and fill you in as the need arises.”