The Sapphire Affair (Jewel #1)

Early the next morning after teeth were brushed and orgasms were administered, Steph and Jake parked themselves on the end of the bed and worked on the plan for the art gallery. The morning sun shone brightly through the sliding glass door of the balcony, lighting up the room and their work.

They had blueprints. They had a road map. They would be following it later today. In no time, they’d be Robin Hooding and Batmanning their way through the gallery right around lunchtime. The art on display was all frameless, which narrowed the location down to a storage room or office.

Jake’s stomach rumbled. Steph raised her eyebrows. “I have a crazy idea,” she said in a stage whisper.

“About how to get into the art gallery and find the diamonds?”

“No,” she said, patting his flat belly. “It’s about breakfast. What would you say to ordering some room service? This might not be a fancy hotel, but it has the best eggs and toast. And they actually have these little tiny jars of honey for the toast that are weirdly amazing.”

“Say no more,” he said, sweeping out his arm gallantly. “Eggs are my second favorite food in the world.”

“After ice cream,” she said with a wink.

“Or maybe after weirdly amazing honey,” he joked.

A half hour later, wheels rolled by outside the room, then a knock sounded on another door. Steph popped up from the bed. “I think they got the wrong room,” she said, heading to the door and peeking down the hall. Ah, there was the waiter with a tray and two plates of eggs and toast. She waved to him.

“Are those for us?” she asked.

“Oops,” he said with an apologetic smile. “I went to the wrong room.”

Standing outside the door, she signed the room service to her room, then thanked him. Back inside, she enjoyed a delicious breakfast on the balcony with a man who she was having an island tryst with.

He held up a cup of coffee as if in a toast. “To our island tryst.”

“To being partners.”

“To trusting your partner,” he said, his gaze fixed on her.

“To three orgasms.”

“Make it four next time.” He downed some of his coffee, then leaned over and kissed her, lingering in the kiss, his lips exploring hers like it was the first time. A shiver of excitement raced through her. The kiss turned hotter after they finished breakfast, and he pulled her on top of him in the deck chair, and she rode him like that on the balcony to another fantastic climax.

A little while later, he tapped his watch. “I should go. I need to talk to Kylie and help her get some things sorted out tutoring-wise.”

“I’ve got some things on my plate, too. I’m doing a stingray tour with Devon for two hours, but I’ll see you at noon.”

After a quick good-bye, Steph took a long, hot shower, replaying the night and the morning and what might come in the afternoon.

She turned off the water, toweled off, applied some sunscreen, and slipped into her royal blue bikini. As she pulled on a light-blue sundress, a sliver of light caught her attention out of the corner of her eye.

The door to the safe. It didn’t look quite closed.

She walked over to it, tilting her head in curiosity. Light shone on the door’s edge. Weird. She distinctly recalled locking the safe last time she checked on her diamond. Maybe she was just seeing things. Perhaps it had always looked that way.

Nerves flared through her, and her spine straightened. She reached for the door and nearly yanked her hand back when she discovered it wasn’t locked.

Her heartbeat spiked as she wrapped her fingers around the small door. When she opened it and peered inside, the diamond was nowhere to be seen.





Jake and Steph’s story continues in part two, THE SAPPHIRE HEIST.




ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lauren Blakely writes sexy contemporary romance novels with heat, heart, and humor. She is the author of nine New York Times bestsellers and seventeen USA Today bestsellers. Her series include Sinful Nights, Seductive Nights, No Regrets, Caught Up in Love, and Fighting Fire, as well as stand-alone romances like 21 Stolen Kisses and Big Rock. She also writes for young adults under the name Daisy Whitney. Lauren believes life should be filled with family, laughter, and the kind of love that romantic songs promise. She lives in California with her husband, children, and dogs.