Amanda Stevens - Unauthorized Passion

“I’ve notified the coast guard,” Jack said. “In the meantime, better not get too close.”

The man nodded, then turning to say something to the others, he pulled away. Several boats were ringing the smoldering wreckage by now, but most of them had enough sense to keep a safe distance.

“We should get out of here, too,” Jack said. “A stray gust of wind, and we could have a real disaster on our hands.”

Celeste was still shivering as she gazed up at him. “Shouldn’t we wait for the coast guard? You did radio them, right? You said you did.”

“It’s all taken care of. Don’t worry,” he said. “Right now, let’s put some distance between us and that fire.”

As he started to turn away, she scrambled to her feet. Struggling to keep her balance, she stared at him in wide-eyed fear. “I’m not going anywhere with you. Not until you tell me who you are and why you’ve been following me.”

Yeah, genius. Tell her who you are and why you’ve been following her. I can’t wait to hear this myself.

“Are you a reporter?” she asked suddenly.

He shook his head. “No, I’m a cop.” Jack had never particularly subscribed to the honesty-is-the-best-policy approach, but he knew from his undercover stints with HPD that a little truth could sometimes go a long way. At least that was his hope.

“A…cop?” Something that might have been guilt flickered in her eyes as her hand flew to her throat. It was a defensive gesture, but Jack had no idea why.

Interesting. It appeared Celeste Fortune had a few secrets of her own. “My name is Jack Fury. I work for…Interpol.”

“Interpol?” She frowned in confusion. “But I thought…I thought Interpol was some kind of European police agency.”

“It is. But I was born and raised around here. I know the territory. That’s why I was given the assignment.”

“What kind of assignment?”

“For the past several months, we’ve been on the trail of a notorious jewel thief. We’ve followed him all over Europe, and now we’ve reason to believe that he’s here in the States. In Houston, to be exact, and we think he’s set his sights on the Mirabelle Hotel.” He was improvising his butt off, and getting himself in deeper and deeper by the minute.

Celeste gasped. “The Mirabelle? But that’s where I’m—”

“Yes, I know.”

The next few seconds were critical. She’d either accept him at his word, or start screaming bloody murder. It was to Jack’s advantage not to allow her much time to consider the two choices. “That’s why I’ve been following you,” he hastened to add.

“But—” She bit her lip in confusion. “I don’t understand. You don’t think I’m somehow connected to this thief, do you?”

His gaze held hers. “No. I think you’re his next target.”

* * *

CASSIE STARED AT him in shock. “Me? Why would a jewel thief target me? I don’t have anything of value—” She broke off, realizing her gaffe. Cassie Boudreaux owned nothing of value, but Celeste Fortune had undoubtedly been showered with expensive gifts from her rich lover.

Jack Fury cocked his head. “Nothing of value? I wouldn’t exactly call the Boucheron diamond worthless.” When she said nothing, he smiled. “Yes, we know all about Owen Fleming’s recent acquisition from Sotheby’s. When the stone didn’t turn up on his wife’s finger, we assumed he’d bought it for his mistress. You.”

Was that censure in his tone? Cassie wondered. Or was she imagining his disapproval? She couldn’t help feeling guilty about the affair even though she hadn’t been one of the participants. But Jack didn’t know that. He couldn’t know that she was only culpable of impersonating her cousin, but that wasn’t a crime, was it? Was it?

“As you can see, I’m not in possession of any rings,” she managed to say coolly as she waved her hands in front of him.

“You’d hardly wear a rare ten-carat pink diamond to the beach, now would you? If you’re smart, you’ve got it stashed someplace safe.”

As she watched him, Cassie’s suspicions suddenly returned. There was something about him…about his demeanor…about this whole setup…

Why had Celeste never mentioned the Boucheron diamond? Surely, a stone of such…epic proportions was something Cassie should have been made aware of, in case people asked questions. And by people, she meant Jack Fury.

She lifted her chin, prepared to improvise as best she could. “If you expect me to tell you where I keep my jewelry, you’re in for a shock. You say you’re a cop, but you haven’t shown me any identification. For all I know, you’re the jewel thief.”

“I haven’t shown you any identification because I’m undercover,” he said. “I can’t exactly go around flashing my ID and badge, now can I?”

Cassie’s gaze narrowed. Again, his explanation was just a little too convenient. On the other hand, if he really was working undercover, that might explain the overprocessed hair.

Still, Cassie knew she’d be a fool to simply take him at his word. And yet…even as her doubts continued to mount, she couldn’t help but remember the way he’d reacted at the restaurant to what they’d both thought was gunfire. He hadn’t hesitated even for a moment to protect her. His response had been instinctive, just as a cop’s would be.

Even now, his gaze on her was steady. Not shifting or wavering, but so relentless that Cassie felt a tremor course through her. His eyes were even bluer than she remembered. A deep ocean blue that made her wonder about hidden depths.

“Do you remember what happened at the restaurant the other night?” she asked reluctantly. “Almost everyone on the patio thought that sound was a gunshot. Did you?”

He shrugged. “I did at first.”

“Is that why you dove for me?”

“Sure.”

“But why would you assume I was the target? Why would a jewel thief want to kill me?”

His gaze left hers then to scan the ocean. “I didn’t stop to think about it. I just reacted because I didn’t want you to get hurt.”

Something in his voice made Cassie’s heart start to pound even harder. Was it a note of sincerity? “Afterwards, I saw you on top of the building across the street. You were looking down at me.”

His gaze met hers again. “I thought I saw someone up there. I went to check it out.”

“And what about today? Why did you follow me to Galveston? If you think the jewel thief is after the—” What had he called it? “—Boucheron diamond, why didn’t you stay back at the hotel and watch for him?”

“Because he knows you’re too smart to entrust a three-million-dollar ring to a hotel safe. He also knows that a woman in love would want to keep an expensive gift from her lover somewhere close by.”

“Who says I’m in love?” Cassie blurted.

Jack’s gaze narrowed. “Aren’t you?”

She pushed back her wet hair. “Owen and I are finished, haven’t you heard?”

“Yes, I heard that.”

“Then how do you know I didn’t give the ring back?”

“Because you’d be a fool to give away that kind of security now that your career has—shall we say—suffered some setbacks.”

There it was again, the barest hint of disapproval, and this time Cassie was a little annoyed by it. “How is it you seem to know so much about me?” she demanded.

“I make it my business to know everything about the people involved in the cases I’m working. I don’t like surprises.”

Then brace yourself, mister.

But Cassie wasn’t yet ready to come clean with Jack Fury. A part of her wanted to trust him because, after all, what was her alternative? Jump back into the water? They were too far out for her to swim to shore, and if she hailed another boat, how could she be certain she wasn’t flagging down the real jewel thief? If he even existed.