Golden Lies - Barbara Freethy [36]
"How do you know where I live?"
"I have my ways."
"I don't like my privacy being invaded."
"Well, I don't like the fact that my grandmother's dragon is missing. So we're even."
He had her there. "What about you? Where do you live? It seems only fair that I should know as much about you as you know about me."
"I have a condo south of Market," he told her.
"The new 'in' neighborhood according to San Francisco Magazine."
"It's convenient to my work. I don't care much about trends."
"What about your grandmother? Does she live with you?"
"God, no." He uttered a laugh. "She has a house in the Sunset. It's too big for her now that my grandfather is in a rest home, so she's thinking about moving. That's why we cleaned out her attic last week."
"I am sorry about all this," she said, feeling even more guilty now that she knew his grandfather was in a rest home. When I promised you that the dragon would be safe in our care, I was sincere."
He sent her a thoughtful look. "I'd like to believe that."
"You can. I'm a very honest person. I don't lie about anything."
"Everyone lies about something."
She shot him a curious look. "You're really a glass half-empty kind of guy, aren't you?"
He smiled at that. "When it's half empty, it is half empty."
"Or half full, depending on your point of view, and yours seems to be extremely cynical."
"And yours is extremely optimistic. You remind me of my grandmother. She still believes in Santa Claus."
"I liked your grandmother. She's really nice. Nothing like you."
"She'd be the first to agree with you."
"You're close, aren't you?"
"We're all we have left since my grandfather got sick. I try to watch out for her as much as I can. I don't let anyone take advantage of her. Although I may have screwed up in this case."
"You didn't. We'll get the dragon back."
"You can't make that promise. You don't even know where it is."
"Then we'll compensate your grandmother in some other way," Paige said, knowing her mother would probably have a heart attack at the thought of paying for a dragon statue she couldn't sell. But then again, Hathaway's had lost the statue, and Paige doubted the insurance would cover the item since it had been taken out of the store.
Riley concentrated on the traffic, maneuvering across three lanes. His profile was strong and masculine, his hands firm on the wheel, his shoulders broad. He was a beautifully made man, attractive, virile. Good heavens, where had that word come from? A knot in her stomach squeezed tight as she was overwhelmed by an unfamiliar feeling of lust. She had the sudden urge to reach out and trace his jawline, maybe run her fingers through the thick strands of dark hair.
What was she thinking? Her father was fighting for his life. Her family business was going to be under intense scrutiny when the press got wind of the disappearance of the dragon. Her mother would be beside herself. That's what she needed to be thinking about, not how good-looking Riley McAllister was, or how much she wanted to touch him.
She rolled down the window, letting in some fresh, cooling air.
"I can turn on the air conditioner," Riley said.
"This is fine."
He turned the corner and slowed down as Fast Willy's came into view. He pulled over behind her car, leaving the engine running.
Paige put her hand on the door handle, then paused. "What are you going to do now?"
"Follow the trail."
"There isn't a trail. The only evidence the police have is that bracelet. I can't believe we didn't even ask Jasmine about the bracelet," she added, realizing the subject had never come up.
"The bracelet doesn't matter. It led us to her. That's all we needed to get out of it."
"But she didn't tell us anything. I don't see any trail, Riley."
"The trail of the dragon. It came from somewhere. It seems to have some value. Maybe if we know more about it, we can figure out who would want it badly enough to steal it. Surely someone in your family or someone at Hathaway's might have more information about such a piece and its history."
"That someone would be my father. But I think you're