She turned to walk out, her heart heavy. She should have been elated. Her artwork had sold. All of it! And Mr. Downing had told her to bring more, whatever she wanted. He had an interested buyer, and though he hadn’t divulged any information about the buyer, he’d told her that the party was interested in whatever else she brought in.
The only thing marring the entire day was the fact that her mother’s jewelry was gone. She had no idea where or who had bought it or if she’d ever get it back. She’d been so happy when Mr. Downing had given her that check. Far more than she’d ever hoped for. It was enough to pay her rent and buy groceries for a few months. Plenty of time for her to get other pieces to the gallery. And most importantly, it had been enough money to buy back the jewelry she’d sold, even though she knew it would cost her more than she’d gotten from the sale.
The pawnshop had been the very first place she’d gone after depositing the check into her bank account. And she’d sworn to herself that no matter what, she’d never part with the jewelry again.
Only now it was gone, and so was the last link to her mother.
She left the shop, stepping onto the busy street, uncertain of where exactly she was going next. As she turned to the right, she was stopped by a familiar face. She blinked as she stared back at the man she’d met in the park several days earlier. He was standing there, not looking surprised. In fact, he looked as though he’d been waiting for her. Crazy thought, but she didn’t get the impression he was startled at all by the unexpected meeting.
“Josie,” he murmured.
“H-hello,” she stammered out.
“I believe I have something that belonged to you.”
He held out an opened box and as soon as she saw inside, her breath caught and stilled in her chest.
She raised her gaze back to him in confusion.
“How did you get this? I don’t understand. How could you have possibly gotten it? How did you know?”
He smiled, but his eyes were steely. No hint of a smile in those green eyes.
“I bought it after you sold it to the pawnshop. I’m guessing since you just came out of there that you want it back.”
“Yes, of course I want it back. But that doesn’t answer the question as to how you got it.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “I just told you. I bought it after you sold it.”
She shook her head impatiently and it was then his gaze came to rest at her throat. Her bare throat. His eyes glittered with instant interest. She lifted a hand automatically to where the collar had once rested.
He’d know that she’d worn it awhile. There was a thin band of paler skin from where the necklace had been.
“It doesn’t explain how you knew about it,” she said huskily.
“Does it matter?” he asked mildly.
“Yes, it does! Have you been following me?”
“Me personally? No.”
“It’s supposed to make me feel better that you had someone else following me?” she demanded. “That’s just . . . creepy!”
“Do you want the jewelry back?” he asked bluntly.
“Of course I do,” she said in irritation. “How much do you want for it?”
“I don’t want money.”
She took a step back, looking warily up at him. They were on a public street and there were people all around them, but that didn’t mean a whole lot if he was some deranged lunatic out to do her harm.
“Then what do you want?”
“Dinner. Tonight. I’ll bring the jewelry and you can have it. All I want in return is your company for the evening.”
She shook her head. “No way. I don’t know you. I know nothing about you.”
He smiled patiently. “That’s what dinner is for. So you get to know me better. And I can get to know you better.”
“You obviously know a hell of a lot about me,” she snapped. “Including where to find me and where I’ve been and what I’ve been doing.”
“Why aren’t you wearing the collar?” he asked, his gaze once more raking across her throat.
His stare made her feel vulnerable. Like she was completely undressed in front of him.
This time she laid her splayed hand over her throat as if trying to hide the bare expanse of her skin from his gaze.
“I don’t think that’s any of your business,” she said in a low voice.